Targets of Opportunity by Jeffrey Stephens

Author:Jeffrey Stephens [Stephens, Jeffrey S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 2011-08-30T06:00:00+00:00

It was morning in Washington, more than twenty hours after they began their journey from Khasan, when the plane landed at Dulles. Two waiting Suburbans took the three travelers and their military escort to the safe house in Virginia.

Hwang remained in custody, shuttled off to the infirmary, where his shoulder was treated again. He was then placed under lock and key and twenty-four-hour surveillance.

Hea was treated far more cordially. She was shown to a suite where she could bathe. Fresh clothing was provided, as was a sumptuous meal. Still, there was no mistaking the fact that she too was being detained, at least for now.

Sandor was led to one of the secure offices in the basement, where Deputy Director Byrnes awaited him.

“Good to have you back,” the DD said as he extended a welcoming hand.

Without so much as a hello, Sandor asked, “Any word from Bergenn yet?”

Byrnes shook his head. “Nothing. And no indication from any of our sources that Kim’s people are claiming their capture. Whatever went down with Bergenn and Raabe, the North Koreans are playing this one very carefully.”

Sandor sat in one of the comfortable armchairs. “That’ll change. At this point they know I got Hwang out of the country. They’ve had the best part of a day to figure out how to approach us on that.”

“Agreed.”

“But they’re involved in a larger plan, and they’re not going to screw it up over one man.”

“Unless that one man can screw it up for them.”

“Exactly,” Sandor said.

“Do you think he knows enough to throw a monkey wrench into the works?”

“I’m not sure,” Sandor conceded. “He’s certainly impressed with his own importance, I’ll give him that much. I got what I could, but the circumstances were limited, if you know what I mean.”

“I understand. But now we’ve got him here. Let’s find out what else he knows.”

Sandor frowned. “He’s a tough old bird. And time is not on our side.”

“I know. So let’s see what you have.”

Sandor reached in his pocket and took out the four handwritten pages of notes he had made during the flight. “Here’s my report,” he said as he handed the papers to Byrnes. “What have you got so far on the airliner?”

“You’re up to speed on the mess at Fort Oscar?”

Sandor nodded. “I downloaded the intel from the sat-com link during our flight. Have we been able to tie the two events together?”

Byrnes frowned. “Not yet. They obviously seem to be of a piece, as they say. So far it appears the bomb that took down the plane was passed through luggage coming from St. Barths into St. Maarten. Other than that, we’re at a dead end.”

“And I take it from what I read that our pal Jaber thinks the downed flight was a diversion?”

“I believe he really does. He thinks the operation has to do with some sort of attack on our oil reserves.”

“That’s consistent with what Kyung and Hwang had to say. If it’s true, why take out a commercial flight and the

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