Tang bowed, respectfully conceding the point. And from his bag he produced a small roll of currency, secured with a rubber band.
“Make sure to buy your men dessert as well,” the CIA operative said as he handed over the money.
The commander removed the rubber band and thumbed the currency. “You certainly travel well-prepared.”
“And as I said, you and your men do an excellent job of keeping the roads safe.”
“It is our duty and we strive to do our best.”
Tang’s nervousness was beginning to abate. He had gone through these kinds of checkpoints before. The transaction was almost complete. A little more chitchat and then he and Hyun Su would be sent on their way.
“Before you go,” the police commander continued, “I think we should inspect your cargo. I have never stopped a truck full of goose feathers before.”
The CIA operative maintained his cool. Nodding at the items the commander had been given, he said, “You already have the best parts of the goose, sir. Please leave me the feathers so that my family will be able to have food in their bellies tonight as well.”
The commander was done being flattered. With a quick jerk of his head, he sent his men to conduct the inspection. Pointing at Hyun Su, he ordered, “Out of the truck. Now.”
The smuggler complied, but slammed his door as he climbed down.
The policeman took it as an act of disrespect. “You’re angry. Am I keeping you from something?”
Hyun Su bowed to the commander and then turned to Tang and exploded at him. “You idiot! I told you we should not take this road. I told you! I told you!”
“Quiet!” the police commander bellowed.
Tang doubted the SEALs needed any further warning that trouble was at hand. But if they did, Hyun Su’s slamming of his door and yelling would have done the trick.
“Let’s go,” the commander said, directing everyone to the rear of the vehicle.
When they arrived at the back of the truck, Tang implored the police officer one more time.
“Enough!” the man ordered. “Open it up!”
Tang bowed and grabbed one of the doors, as Hyun Su grabbed the other. Then, throwing the lever, he and Hyun Su stepped back and opened the truck.
The shooting started instantly.
Fordyce, Johnson, and Tucker fired in fast, controlled bursts. Head, chest. Head, chest. Head, chest. Brass shell casings rained down and bounced onto the floor around them.
Only two officers were able to return fire. One drilled a hole through the roof of the truck. The other drilled a hole through the head of the officer in front of him.
When the shooting stopped, it was Navy SEALs six, North Korean police zero.
The SEALs leaped out of the truck to examine the carnage.
Picking up the unbroken bottle of Jack Daniel’s, Johnson handed it to Tang. “Like they say—pigs get fed, but hogs get slaughtered.”
Tang accepted the bottle and then retrieved the Playboy magazines, his cigarettes, and his currency. “What are we going to do about this mess?”
Fordyce studied the landscape. “We can’t leave them here. Not on the road like this. We’ve got to find someplace to get rid of them.”
Tang spoke with Hyun Su, who suggested a smaller road about five kilometers ahead that wound into the forest. Fordyce agreed.
They backed up the van the policemen had been driving and loaded their bodies inside. Then the SEALs climbed back into their truck.
Tang drove the van and monitored the radio. No one was looking for the officers, and probably no one would for some time.
When they reached the turnoff, Hyun Su drove about a mile and a half up the winding road, pulled onto the shoulder, and stopped. With the van already filled with blood, it was pointless to try to stage something. By the time it was found, the team planned to be long gone anyway.
That didn’t mean, though, that they wanted to leave it looking like a military-style assault. After taking the officers’ watches, wallets, and weapons, they tossed the Playboys in the van, poured Jack Daniel’s on the corpses, and left the bottle near the commander.
Whether the North Koreans would ever figure out what had really happened didn’t matter. Six well-armed police officers had been killed. That story would spread far and wide, and would scare the hell out of every cop, soldier, and government official in the country.
Piling back into the truck, everyone was on edge, especially Fordyce. Trouble had a way of compounding itself, and they had a lot of ground yet to cover.