‘This is bad news. What’s next?’
‘The two missile bases nearest here both have rebel groups. They have been told to move now, and reinforcements have been sent to them to make sure. There may be other rebellions around the country – we haven’t heard yet. The one the ringleaders are most interested in is the other nuclear missile facility, Sangnam-ni, but there’s no word yet.’
‘Call me as soon as you know more.’
‘I’ll steal a phone from another corpse.’
Kai hung up and looked out of the window. It had been daylight for only an hour or so, and already things were going wrong. It was shaping up to be a long day.
He left brief messages for President Chen and Minister Wu, simply saying what had happened and promising more details shortly. Then he called the office.
He reached the overnight manager, Fan Yimu. ‘There’s been a coup attempt in North Korea,’ he said. ‘Result undecided. Get the team in as soon as possible. I’ll be there in less than an hour.’ It was a Sunday, but his staff would have to cancel their plans to wash their cars and do their laundry.
He finished shaving in a hurry.
Ting came into the bathroom naked, yawning. She had heard his half of the conversation. Speaking English, she said: ‘We got a situation.’
Kai smiled. She must have heard that phrase in a movie, or something. ‘I have to skip breakfast,’ he said in Mandarin.
She replied with another Americanism. ‘Knock yourself out.’
Kai laughed. She had an ear for this kind of thing. ‘In the middle of a crisis, you can make me smile,’ he said.
‘You bet your ass.’ She wiggled her own at him, then stepped into the shower.
Kai dressed quickly in his office clothes. By the time he was ready, Ting was rubbing her hair dry. He kissed her goodbye.
‘I love you,’ she said in Mandarin. ‘Call me later.’
Kai went out. On the street the air quality was poor. It was still early but the traffic was heavy, and the taste of car exhaust was in his mouth.
In the car he thought about the day ahead. This was the most important crisis since he had become Vice-Minister for International Intelligence. The entire government apparatus would be looking to him for information on what was happening.
After half an hour of thought, still stuck in traffic, he called the office again. By this time Peng Yawen was at her desk. ‘Three things,’ he said. ‘Get someone to check the signals intelligence from Pyongyang.’ The Guoanbu had long ago broken into North Korea’s secure communications system, which used Chinese-made equipment. They did not have access to everything, of course, but what was available would be useful. ‘Second, make sure someone is listening to the news on South Korean radio. They’re often the first to find out what’s happening in the north.’
‘Jin Chin-hwa is already doing that, sir.’
‘Good. Third, see if we can arrange for our people at the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang to attend our planning meeting remotely.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Kai reached the Guoanbu campus at last. He took off his coat as he went up in the elevator.
He was waylaid in his outer office by Jin Chin-hwa, who was a Chinese citizen of Korean ancestry, young and eager and, more importantly, fluent in the Korean language. Jin was casually dressed today, as was permitted for weekend working, in black jeans and an Iron Maiden hoodie. He had an audio bud in one ear. ‘I’m listening to KBS1,’ he said.
‘Good.’ Kai knew that this was the principal news channel of the Korean Broadcasting System based in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Jin went on: ‘They’re saying there has been an “incident” at a military base in North Korea. They cite unconfirmed rumours that a detachment of the Special Operation Force attempted to arrest a group of anti-government conspirators in a dawn raid.’
Kai said: ‘Can we put on North Korean TV news in the conference room?’
‘North Korea television doesn’t start broadcasting until the afternoon, sir.’
‘Oh, shit, I’d forgotten that.’
‘But I’m monitoring Pyongyang FM, the radio station, switching between that and KBS1.’
‘Good. We’ll gather in the conference room in half an hour. Tell the others.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Kai went to his desk and reviewed the information that had come in so far. There was nothing at all on social media, because North Koreans were forbidden access to the Internet. Signals intelligence confirmed what was already known or suspected. The embassy in Pyongyang had nothing.