“Why do you ask?”
“I think I heard it from Raku. That they’re quietly moving weapons westward, bit by bit.”
“Merchants really are sensitive to news.”
“That’s not the problem. In any case, they must have a reason too.”
When Taesu pressed him, Colonel Clark answered with a bitter expression.
“China’s appetite for territory is well known.”
“They can’t even properly manage the land they already have!”
“It was strange that they had been quiet until now. It seems they were preparing all the more thoroughly.”
The more Taesu listened, the more his head began to ache.
So he moved on.
“Fine. Let’s say that’s true. What about India and Pakistan?”
“Do you think they’ll just stand by and watch China expand its territory?”
“Ha. Seriously.”
“And the location of the Korean village is extremely awkward… If you look at this photo, here, like this, and this. In other words, it’s close to the borders of all three zones.”
Swipe, swipe.
Colonel Clark explained, pointing across the photograph with his hand.
Taesu was even more annoyed by the fact that he understood it.
“Why is that a problem now… You’re saying the Chinese army is aiming for it.”
“From their perspective, if they occupy the mountain near the Korean village, it will make movement in every direction much easier.”
“And since it’s high ground, it’ll be easier to defend too.”
“That’s right.”
Colonel Clark answered heavily.
At that moment, Jeong Minsu held out the photo he had been looking at and asked,
“Then why are these terrorists gathering here in the south?”
“It took some time to find that out.”
“So you did find out.”
“Yes. There seem to be two reasons.”
No sooner had he answered than Kim Hyeokgwon cut in.
“What’s the first? I’m getting dizzy here, so please answer quickly.”
“Scraps. It’s easy to target defeated soldiers, and easy to seize weapons.”
“What are they, hyenas?”
“That expression is accurate.”
Brad Kim immediately asked next,
“Then what’s the second reason?”
“There’s apparently a rumor that an iron mine was recently discovered in this area.”
“…Then there really is one?”
When Brad Kim looked at him in surprise, Colonel Clark instead tilted his head.
“The rumor seems to have been circulating since last month. How did you know?”
“The Koreans we escorted there originally ran a resource development company.”
“Then there’s a high chance they discovered it.”
At Colonel Clark’s reasonable guess, Brad Kim nodded as well.
“When we parted ways, they did say they were going to conduct a geological survey.”
“Then someone must have informed the outside world about it.”
“I don’t think they can be blamed for that. The hoes and mattocks you were forced to buy back then were made by them too.”
At Brad Kim’s words, Colonel Clark flinched.
“I, I see.”
“I imagine it isn’t a very pleasant memory for you, but I had to use it as an example to give you certainty.”
“Not at all. I heard from Doctor Choi afterward how that money was used.”
Slowly.
Colonel Clark’s gaze turned to Taesu.
Taesu had no room in his head to recall that time.
“Phew. Then…”
“We have to evacuate them.”
“Yes. I’m naturally thinking the same thing, but I don’t think it will be easy.”
“What do you mean?”
Colonel Clark looked dumbfounded.
From his standpoint, it was something he naturally could not understand.
But Taesu and the other three were in a different position.
Tell them to abandon the village they had painstakingly built?
First of all, the independence fighters and their descendants were tired of living as migrants.
And President Gu Seungheon and the Koreans had recently gone through the same experience.
Telling people like that to move somewhere else again would be nothing but an incantation inviting a fight.
Still, they had to try.
Having thought that far, Taesu asked Colonel Clark,
“How long will it take for them to get into position and for the fighting to start?”
“Judging by the current speed of their assembly, I’d say about three days.”
“That’s really tight…”
The more Taesu divided up the time, the more insufficient it felt.
Just then, Kim Hyeokgwon folded his fingers as he spoke.
“First, we contact them today. Get their response tomorrow, set out from here, spend the night sorting things out, and have them depart the morning after tomorrow… No matter how I look at it, it’s not enough.”
“Ah, I came up with a similar calculation.”
“We have no choice but to contact them today and hear their decision.”
It seemed they had all arrived at the same conclusion.
Now they had to inform the Korean village of this news.
Taesu, who had been about to stand, froze.
“Who’s going to turn on the radio?”
“Huh?”
“They have to turn on the radio and set the frequency too. Would anyone over there know today’s frequency?”
“Ah!”
Starting with Jeong Minsu, Kim Hyeokgwon and Brad Kim’s faces filled with despair.
Military radios changed frequencies every day.
There was a way to trace back the dates and match the frequency of the radio over there from this side.
But no one knew when they had last communicated by radio.
Even if they guessed and got it right, there was no way their voices would reach a radio that was turned off.
Colonel Clark and Squad Leader Sam were just as frustrated.
“What a predicament.”
“If you permit our deployment, we can rush out and… we may be able to arrive tomorrow afternoon.”
“No.”
“Is there something you’re concerned about?”
When Squad Leader Sam asked, Colonel Clark pointed to the entrance of a mountain road in the photograph.
“Considering the distance and time, there’s a high probability you’ll encounter them here.”
“That would be the same no matter who goes, and if we’re late, wouldn’t they take it first?”
“Even if you leave now, there’s a high chance they’ll take it first.”
Colonel Clark voiced his prediction, analyzed coolly.
At those words, Squad Leader Sam, who had been rapidly thinking it over, scowled hard.
“Damn.”
“Yes. If we clash with them like that, it could become a war between the terrorists and us.”
“Then can’t we go around another way?”
“Through the Indian army’s side? Or the Pakistani army? If not that, the Chinese army?”
“…Relations are at their worst, so they’d be more likely to block the road than open it.”
Squad Leader Sam’s bitter face reminded them of reality.
Taesu and everyone else had been listening to their conversation.
Their gazes all turned to the envelope of money.
And bitter self-reproach followed.
“Should we have gone easier on them back then?”
“We were harsh… Well, honestly, not that harsh.”
“It’s no use regretting it now. We can’t turn back time.”
“You really never know what’s coming in life.”
Everything went dark before their eyes.
There was no phone base station, so they couldn’t call. They had radios, but they were as good as useless.
Those damned useless cell phones.
The moment that thought crossed his mind—
“Raku!”
“That’s right!”
“I’ll try contacting him.”
Whoosh.
Taesu quickly picked up his cell phone and called Raku.
Fortunately, he answered right away.
“Doctor Choi, it’s been a long time since you contacted me.”
“It has. We don’t have time, so first, where are you right now?”
At Taesu’s urgent voice, Raku’s voice immediately hardened as well.
“I’m currently in a border city called Lahore, in Pakistan.”
“Lahore?”
When Taesu looked over, Kim Hyeokgwon slammed his fist down on the table.
Bang!
“Damn it. That’s the complete opposite side. It’s a city way down there, right against the Indian border.”
After hearing the explanation of its location, Taesu felt faint.
Still, he was on the phone, so he had to wrap it up.
“I see. Understood.”
“What is going on?”
“I just missed you.”
“Shall I come running?”
As if sensing that something was unusual, Raku seemed ready to run through the night to come to them.
Taesu was grateful, but given the current situation, it was difficult.
“I mean this sincerely. Do not move. This time, things just turned out this way.”
“What on earth is going on?”
“Mm. When will you be stopping by the PKO?”
“I expect it will be in a week.”
“Then let’s talk over a drink then. It’s really all right, so take care of your business. Then, excuse me.”
Click.
Taesu hung up first.
At that moment, Kim Hyeokgwon asked seriously,
“Do you think we’ll be able to drink in a week?”
“Are you already planning to go up there?”
“No, no. As if. I’m a man with a mission to live out a full hundred years.”
“I don’t know about a hundred, but I’d like to receive a seventieth birthday feast.”
In the end, it meant none of them intended to give up on life right away.
That was probably the same for everyone.
Jeong Minsu offered an extremely cold and objective opinion on that.
“If you all want to live long, then you can just stay here like this.”
“Minsu.”
“That’s the truth. If not, we’re the only ones who can move.”
“…”
Taesu’s mouth clamped shut.
That was because Jeong Minsu’s words were far too accurate.
If they couldn’t make contact, they had no choice but to go and ask in person.
This time, it was truly difficult for the PKO to move.
Even aside from that reason, there were hardly any people who could speak with the people of the Korean village.
The ones who had interacted with them and built trust were them.
And the only ones here who knew both their past and present were the four of them.
But even Taesu could not easily bring himself to speak.
“Hmm.”
At that moment, Brad Kim, who had been thinking over many things, said,
“I’ll go.”
“Alone?”
“Even if it’s alone.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
Taesu blocked him, his eyes sharpening.
Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon agreed as well.
“This is not the time to be emotional.”
“Let’s look at this calmly.”
The more they did, the more calmly Brad Kim answered.
“If we just keep repeating that there’s no time, we’ll only get more anxious.”
“That’s true.”
“And even though I’ve become an American bastard, I was originally a Korean bastard.”
At Brad Kim’s words, Taesu answered with a dumbfounded face.
“I know that very well.”
“Even if it’s hard to wave the Taegeukgi on Dokdo, I can at least deliver the news to that person right now. I want to be able to greet Liberation Day this year with peace of mind.”
“That… is true.”
“Anyway, I’ll move first.”
At the same time, Brad Kim tried to rise from his seat.
That was when it happened.
Grab.
Taesu held his arm and suggested,
“Let’s take turns driving.”
“Will you be all right?”
“It’s been a while since I held a steering wheel, but I’m sure I’ll remember once I start.”
“Can I trust that?”
Brad Kim looked incredulous, but Taesu calmly asked back,
“Then is there another problem?”
“This situation is different from last time. If they say they won’t come out, I have no intention of running away either.”
“You think I’ll run away by myself?”
“Think carefully.”
Brad Kim urged him once more.
Taesu did not want to repeat the same words, so he changed them.
“Then, hmm… I’ll see you in front of the NGO headquarters in exactly one hour.”
“What about a vehicle?”
“I’ll steal one if I have to.”
“Okay.”
Rustle.
Brad Kim moved first.
Taesu, who was about to follow, spoke to the now-quiet Kim Hyeokgwon and Jeong Minsu.
“I have no intention of forcing you, and I won’t resent you either.”
“…”
“Then I’ll excuse myself first.”
After asking for their understanding, Taesu’s gaze turned to Colonel Clark and Squad Leader Sam.
“Thank you for telling us.”
“Must you go?”
“Absolutely.”
“…I’ll pray for your safety.”
“I already feel like the bullets will miss me. I’ll see you again.”
Taesu did not show even the slightest hint of it being a farewell.
It was true that it was dangerous.
He knew it himself.
But after hearing even their past, and having raged and grown angry alongside them, he did not want to run away.
As soon as Taesu left the NGO headquarters, he went to find James.
He knew his schedule inside and out.
As Taesu approached the medical tent like that, he suddenly stopped.
Before telling James, he remembered someone whose permission he had to receive first.