Blink, blink.
The machine sending out the red signal was the GPS transmitter.
Taesu naturally sat down on the metal chair.
Then he operated the military radio.
Click, click.
Turning on the power, adjusting the frequency, and so on.
Perhaps because he had done it many times before, his movements were undeniably natural.
After calmly finishing his preparations, Taesu immediately picked up the transmitter and called the other party.
Crackle.
“This is Doctor Choi, Doctor Choi. NGO Headquarters, NGO Headquarters, do you read me?”
He released the button and waited a moment.
It did not take long.
Soon, the other party’s voice came through.
—Crackle. This is Communications Officer Edhook at NGO Headquarters. Doctor Choi, is that Doctor Choi?
“This is Doctor Choi Taesu.”
—Crackle. You’ve contacted us for the first time in three days. Are the surgical patients, and all dispatched personnel, in good health?
At Communications Officer Edhook’s question, Taesu smiled faintly.
How very NGO-like.
Hearing them ask after the patients first was incredibly welcome.
It made him feel like communicating was worth it.
Taesu first relayed news from here.
“The patients at the current dispatch site are…”
Leaning lightly back against the chair, he continued his report calmly.
The report, delivered with short pauses here and there, went on for five minutes.
“…That is all.”
—Crackle. In the end, you succeeded in entering the village. Congratulations.
“We just pushed our way through.”
—Crackle. You’ve worked hard.
Communications Officer Edhook’s voice sounded respectful.
He was sincerely acknowledging Taesu’s efforts.
After all, no matter how much NGOs pursued neutrality, they were not welcomed everywhere in the world.
Was this what it meant to share the same misfortune?
A quiet smile formed on Taesu’s lips.
Then Taesu pressed the radio button and got to the main point.
Since it was a radio transmission, he kept it short and to the point.
“The blood collection has been completed. I request blood tests from Headquarters.”
—Crackle. Regarding that…
Suddenly, Communications Officer Edhook’s voice faded.
“Hm?”
Was it broken?
Just as Taesu was wondering.
—Crackle. Doctor Choi, it’s me.
At the familiar Korean voice that suddenly came through, Taesu blinked for a moment.
“Brad?”
—Crackle. Doctor Choi, can you hear me? Taesu, can you hear me?
“Yes. Brad… Ah.”
He had been so surprised that he spoke without pressing the button.
Realizing his mistake at once, Taesu pressed the button again and answered.
Crackle.
“Brad. It’s me.”
—Crackle. I barged in and was in the middle of seizing the radio. You thought the transmission got cut off for a second, didn’t you?
At that, Taesu let go of the tension in his heart.
And he had already heard over the radio that the Kargil medical volunteer work had ended.
The thought of communicating with someone close to him made him even happier.
“You really startled me.”
—Crackle. I bet the impatient Doctor Choi was frustrated out of his mind for a moment. You probably even smacked the radio a few times. Am I wrong?
“I treat machinery with care.”
—Crackle. I’d have to go there and see it myself before you couldn’t talk your way out of it.
Brad Kim seemed excited to hear his voice again after so long.
But Taesu suddenly felt a question rise in him.
“Were you at Headquarters?”
It was a radio transmission after as many as three days.
And they had never promised what time, among the twenty-four hours in a day, he would radio in.
It was hard to call Brad Kim’s presence there mere coincidence.
Brad Kim briefly explained.
—Crackle. I asked the communications department in advance.
“Did you want to hear my voice that badly?”
—Crackle. Of course I did, but there’s important news.
Brad Kim’s voice sank.
The more it did, the more Taesu tilted his head.
“What news?”
—Crackle. I checked the list of requests here.
“It seems our concerns have become reality.”
—Crackle. Normally, of course, we’d send a vehicle, but… Crackle, crackle.
Brad Kim’s voice cut off in the middle.
It felt as if there was interference.
“What’s wrong with the radio?”
Taesu’s brow furrowed sharply.
Just as irritation surged up in him.
Flutter.
The tent flap was lifted, and Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon entered.
“What’s taking so long?”
“Are you sending love letters over the radio or something?”
It seemed they had come looking out of curiosity because Taesu had not returned for so long.
Taesu looked at them and immediately gestured with his hand.
“Just a moment.”
“……”
Nod.
The two of them immediately nodded and fell silent.
Taesu pressed the radio button again and called for Brad Kim.
Crackle.
“Brad, Brad.”
Fortunately, there was a response.
—Crackle. Doctor Choi, you know radio frequencies are shared, right?
“Of course.”
—Crackle. I think we’ll have to speak in English from now on.
Brad Kim’s transmission ended.
What was that supposed to mean now?
Just as Taesu was wondering, another voice flowed out of the radio.
—Crackle. Doctor Choi, this is Red Fox Baby. Requesting response.
It was a stiff and firm, yet familiar voice.
The only people who used call signs like this over the radio were the PKO.
“Red Fox” was the radio call sign of Colonel Clark, head of the External Cooperation Department. And “Baby” meant someone acting in place of Colonel Clark.
Then this voice was?
“Sam?”
“Seems like it.”
Kim Hyeokgwon agreed from behind him.
It was the first time he was directly communicating with Squad Leader Sam over the radio.
He was glad to hear him, but he first calmed himself.
‘When communicating with soldiers…’
A soldier’s identity must not be exposed.
Because of the nature of radios, anyone could listen in from anywhere as long as they matched the frequency.
That was why separate call signs existed.
Taesu recalled those basic radio protocols and responded.
Crackle.
“Red Fox Baby, good to hear you. This is Doctor Choi.”
—Crackle. Red Fox was very pleased with the report just now. Over.
“Thank you. But how did this happen?”
Taesu showed his curiosity about the three-way radio communication.
Brad Kim’s transmission came through first.
—Crackle. Doctor Choi, we’ll send a vehicle your way at dawn tomorrow. Ride it back.
—Crackle. Message from Red Fox. Doctor Choi and his party are to complete preparations for withdrawal by 0300 hours tomorrow. Over.
After a short interval, Squad Leader Sam radioed the same message.
It was a sudden order to return.
This was the first time something like this had happened.
Perhaps sensing something was off, Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon came right up beside Taesu.
“What’s going on?”
“Why are they suddenly telling us to come back?”
They each murmured quietly, careful not to provoke anything.
After that, they closed their mouths and focused on the radio.
Taesu had also sensed something strange, so he pressed the radio button and asked at once.
Crackle.
“Brad, Red Fox Baby. What on earth is going on?”
—Crackle. This is Red Fox Baby. We request that you carry out the order. Over.
“You should at least tell me the reason.”
—……
No sound came from either side of the radio.
Since the transmissions might overlap, Taesu counted to three in his head.
‘One… two… three.’
When there was still no transmission by then, Taesu pressed the radio button again.
Beep.
“If this is an order to return without a reason, I won’t follow it.”
He pushed back strongly.
The sudden order to return was simply absurd.
They had only just entered the village, and now they were to leave?
That was impossible.
Taesu’s stubbornness was famous on both the PKO and NGO sides.
“The Hero of Izambak.”
Even if things had been quiet lately, no one took the weight of that nickname lightly.
Perhaps because of that, the radio broke the silence and sounded again.
—Crackle. Red Fox Baby to Doctor Choi. We inform you that as of 0000 hours today, the war has resumed. Over.
—Crackle. The front lines overheated all at once. It’s chaos everywhere.
Their methods of transmission were different, but the content was the same.
The war had begun again.
It was shocking and also distressing news.
Kim Hyeokgwon was the first to frown deeply.
“Those bastards. They’d been quiet, and in the end they clashed even bigger.”
“Then over there, they’re shooting guns and throwing bombs right now?”
Jeong Minsu asked in alarm.
At the sound of the two of them talking, Taesu’s expression went cold and rigid.
“Shh.”
“……”
Both of them quickly shut their mouths.
That was how sharply Taesu’s eyes had narrowed.
With a serious face, Taesu pressed the radio button.
Crackle.
“You’re saying fighting is taking place all across Kashmir?”
—Crackle. Red Fox Baby speaking. The current alert level at the Command Center is Red. It has been raised to Red. Over—Crackle. NGO medical teams dispatched here and there are already returning. We can’t get dragged into a war.
It did not seem like an ordinary serious situation.
The transmissions from both sides continued a little longer.
—Crackle. The current battlefield extends across all of Kashmir…
—Crackle. The NGO’s position is to prioritize the protection of medical personnel…
They were transmissions about the overall situation and their stance.
They were messages meant for Taesu.
However, they also took into consideration the possibility that the Indian or Pakistani army might be listening in.
Contained within them was a warning not to act rashly.
Taesu had no interest in the warning.
But his expression hardened completely.
“It must be huge.”
The return of all NGO personnel.
That order had not been given for no reason.
In a situation like this, they should naturally follow the order and prepare to return.
But.
“……”
Taesu’s hand did not move at all.
In principle, he should press the button immediately and state his intention to return.
But he did not want to.
His heart was drawn here, and the place where he had now taken root was right here.
Tremble.
His hand trembled as much as his conflict did, and his eyes wavered too.
This was not something he could decide alone.
Taesu slowly looked at the two people.
At that moment, Jeong Minsu spoke with a completely subdued expression.
“War… Yeah, it’s tragic. But there’s a war going on here too.”
“Well said.”
“You guys fight for interests, but here, they fight for their lives.”
As Jeong Minsu shouted, Kim Hyeokgwon’s voice also grew louder.
“They said there haven’t been civilian casualties yet.”
“Exactly. It’s not that we can’t go anywhere else, but…”
“Are you serious?”
“To be honest, battlefields scare me, but anyway, we can’t retreat from here.”
Jeong Minsu firmly stated his thoughts.
This sort of thing was extremely rare for him.
Kim Hyeokgwon was also exceedingly satisfied at the sight.
“Doctor Jeong. I like that very much. You’re dependable.”
“Thank you.”
“See? Isn’t it nice to just say it outright?”
“I’ll keep trying harder.”
Clasp.
The two of them even clasped hands solemnly.
It was quite noisy.
But this time, Taesu did not reprimand them at all.
In fact, it was more than that.
A crooked smile formed on his lips.
It was a sign of defiance.
‘They’re suddenly giving me strength.’
Taesu, of course, agreed with the two of them.
Call it selfish if you wanted.
At least this time, even if he heard such words, he could confidently endure the criticism.
Gripping the radio tightly, Taesu pressed the button and spoke.
Crackle.
“We will not return.”
He firmly notified them of his decision.
The moment that transmission ended.
—Crackle, Doctor Choi, right now…
—Crackle, crackle.
The transmissions collided, as if both sides had pressed their radios at once.
That was how agitated they seemed to have become.