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  “No,” Brognola said. “It’s about me being the boss and deciding who goes where.”

  James grinned. “I knew you’d say that.”

  “Okay, guys,” Price said. She pushed files across the conference table. “Mission data. All the names and locations we currently have. Your cells will be synced to Stony Man via the Zero orbiting platform. We now have a solid comm link with Zero, so keeping in touch should be constant.”

  “It’s the should that worries me,” Hawkins said.

  “We’ve been working on the Zero connection over the last couple of months,” Kurtzman said. “Akira has it fine-tuned, and every check he makes works well. Right now it’s working 99 percent efficient. But Akira isn’t happy with even that. He wants 100 percent.”

  The orbiting platform, Zero, launched by the U.S. Air Force, was one of America’s latest defense facilities, and had both defensive and offensive weapons capabilities. Zero’s uniqueness was how it functioned.

  Stricken by terminal cancer, USAF Major Doug Buchanan had been offered the chance of survival by accepting the command of Zero. In a bold move Buchanan had been the first man to take on the challenge of letting himself become a symbiotic guinea pig. The bio-couch attached to him kept his cancer at bay and allowed him to control Zero.

  He rode the orbiting platform, providing his Earthly command post with information, the eyes and ears of Zero scanning for problems and also providing state-of-the-art communications for selected recipients. Stony Man had been granted accessibility to Zero via a request from the President, who kept their covert status through a secure connection monitored by Kurtzman.

  The excellent connection Zero provided allowed some of the best and most secure cell channels in existence. Using his own program, created in-house, Kurtzman was able to block any intrusions that might have compromised Stony Man’s anonymity.

  “Phones are being organized now,” Kurtzman said. “Fitted with new extended-life power cells. Just remember to keep them charged, if you can get to a power source. Phones are good, but not if you don’t keep them charged...”

  “Kissinger has your ordnance ready,” Price advised. “Just remember that, if you go in North Korea, it’s doubtful you’ll be able to pick up anything you’ve forgotten.”

  “Sounds as if you’ve covered all the bases,” Encizo said. “Do we get any spending money? Vouchers?”

  Price smiled. “The way this is shaping up, I don’t think you’ll have much time for shopping. But there will be cash money, if you need to oil the wheels.”

  “Ah, the universal lubricant,” James said. “Never underestimate the power of a roll of Uncle Sam’s sweeteners.”

  Brognola slid a photograph across to McCarter. “That’s Kayo Pak, your contact from South Korean intelligence. He’s a good man from what we’ve learned and has established himself inside North Korea. He will be there to meet you when you arrive.”

  A second photo was handed to Lyons. “Oscar Kalikani, a Honolulu cop. Works on the Hawaii Task Force. Has an excellent record and he’s up to speed on the Hawaii incident. Tough officer. Stands no nonsense from anyone.”

  “Remind you of someone we know?” Blancanales asked his partner.

  Schwarz nodded. “Yeah. He’s sitting on your right.”

  “Do I really have to take this pair with me?” Lyons asked. He looked at Price. “Don’t you have any trained chimps I could have?”

  Price jerked a thumb to indicate Blancanales and Schwarz. “Oh, you got ’em. Last pair we had in stock.”

  “And they work for peanuts,” McCarter said, straight-faced.

  “Aaron has had the team trawling the internet, picking up any pieces of intel from every agency they can dig into,” Price said. “Adding this to the information the President passed to Hal, we’ve gained a degree of background that gives an emerging scenario.”

  “Latest intel from the North Korean insider tells us the physicist, Emanuel Absalom, has been positively placed in North Korea for the past few months and as the top gun at this research site. Development has reached the stage where the North Korean team has built their first working prototype. And it was used on the Hawaii strike.”

  “How credible is this information?” Schwarz asked.

  “It comes from the female member of Absalom’s group working alongside him. She gained her information and passed it to her contact in North Korea, Kayo Pak.”

  “Sounds like a brave guy,” Hawkins said.

  “Well, he’s your point man in North Korea.”

  “And the lady?” McCarter asked.

  “Li Kam. A fully qualified physicist.”

  Price slid another photo from her folder and pushed it across the table for everyone to see. The image was of a young Korean woman. In her late twenties, she was confident looking and attractive.

  “Kayo Pak messaged to his home base that Li only found out Hawaii was the target area a short time before the actual launch. Apparently Absalom kept that from his team. But Li managed to get hold of the data.” Price paused, glancing across at Brognola. He caught her eye and nodded for her to continue.

  “By the time Li found out where the test was going to occur, the NNEMP device had already been readied for the trial. But knowing about the test beforehand, she did what she could to sabotage it by inserting a code into the onboard computer, the idea being that it would cause the NNEMP burst to malfunction and stop the operation.”

  “She took one hell of a risk,” James said. “The North Koreans don’t take kindly to anyone turning against them.”

  Price said, “Pak had recruited her months ago, and she has been feeding him as much as she can. She was the one who advised about Absalom heading up the research. According to her, Absalom brought everything together. She jumped at the chance to work against the North Korean regime.

  “Her issues go deep. She lost her family to treatment they received from the North Koreans. Pak saw her potential, because she worked in the same field as Absalom and had been offered a chance to work in the same research program because of her knowledge. It was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed over by Pak.

  “He offered to get her out of North Korea, if she could help him get data on the work being done.”

  “Pretty risky for the girl,” Hawkins said. “The North Koreans are paranoid when it comes to security.”

  “Apparently it was Li Kam who suggested the idea,” Brognola said. “She wanted to convince Pak how well into the research the North Koreans are. He took what she sent him and had it pushed along for our people to analyze.”

  “You want us to do something for this woman?” McCarter asked, already half guessing the answer.

  Brognola nodded. “The President wants her out of North Korea. He made it clear we would welcome her in the U.S. Her hands-on work in the practical field of NNEMP, and especially at the North Korean research facility, would give our people a boost, maybe allow us to push further ahead with our own development.”

  “Onward and upward,” McCarter muttered cynically.

  “As long as potential enemies are determined to work on these weapons, we have to keep up,” Kurtzman said.

  “I’m in the picture,” McCarter said. “Too bloody right I am. But wouldn’t it be a sunny day if we all stopped trying so hard inventing things to kill each other?”

  “David, it would be fine if that ever happened,” Price said. “Until that day we just have to try and keep the balance.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind, love,” McCarter said, smiling. “And don’t worry, I wasn’t going all melancholy. That was me being wistful and contemplative. I’m still really the gung-ho bugger I’ve always been.”

  “Glad to hear that,” James said.

  “I want you guys off and running,” Brognola said, indicating Phoenix Force. “This Hawaiian strike means
the North Koreans have their weapon at a critical stage. We need to neutralize it, before they can move forward. Sorry to hand you a loaded deck, but there’s no way we can let another strike get under way. Go in, meet Pak and put the research unit out of action. Next time the Koreans make an attempt, there could be a bigger result. The President is determined to kill this, before it becomes a fully realized threat.”

  McCarter pushed to his feet and the rest of Phoenix Force followed.

  Okay, let’s gear up and move,” he said.

  “Good luck, guys,” Lyons said.

  “We’ll think of you enjoying the Hawaiian sunshine,” James said as he followed his team out of the War Room.

  “Something tells me any heat we get won’t be from lounging on the beach,” Blancanales said.

  Lyons nodded at Price. “Update us on this trip to paradise,” he said.

  Somehow he didn’t imagine Able Team would be enjoying a stress-free vacation when they eventually touched down on the Pacific state.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  HAWAII

  Xian Chi settled himself in the comfortable leather chair and studied the people coming and going through the lobby of the hotel. He liked to watch people, to study them and imagine what they were thinking. It amused him. Men and women, all different races, a mix of colors and persuasions. All caught up in their own lives. Sad. Happy. Each wrapped in private thoughts. It made him feel content, knowing he was among them without their knowledge of his reasons to be here on the island. They went about their business, blissfully unaware he was here to bring discomfort to their very existence.

  He caught sight of the man he was here to meet, as the North Korean stepped through the door and crossed the lobby to join him. As always, Soon Il Tak wore a sullen expression on his face. Even while playing his undercover role as a businessman, the North Korean remained passive. He saw the whole of life as a constant struggle, a battle against the enemy he was committed to destroying. Little amused him. Nothing broke through his rigid demeanor. Chi tried to imagine Tak bursting into laughter over some trivial matter. Xian Chi found that difficult and also found it sad. He was a committed Chinese Communist—a ChiCom—himself, but that did not mean he had no moments of unconfined joy in his life. To the contrary Xian often found life utterly enjoyable.

  Tak paused in front of him, his stocky body held stiff beneath the cheap dark suit he wore. He refused to dress down. Chi had yet to see the man in casual attire. Tak’s arms hung rigidly at his sides as he stared at his Chinese counterpart.

  “Sit down, Tak,” Chi said. “You look like a bad tailor’s dummy.” Chi spoke in English as neither man had mastered the other’s language. “Relax before someone thinks you have died standing up.”

  Tak lowered himself into one of the armchairs facing Chi. The expression on his face remained the same.

  “You persist in trying to provoke me,” Tak said. “Why?”

  “I persist in attempting to make you see you need to drop that ridiculous pose. Look around, Tak. See how everyone behaves.”

  “I see the way they behave. They are stupid and coarse, believing they are superior beings who should own the world. The men are fat and dress like wayward children. The women walk around half dressed and cluck like chickens in a pen.”

  Chi smiled. “You have to admit it’s a very comfortable pen,” he said. He bounced in his seat. “And these are very comfortable chairs, too, don’t you agree? And whatever you may think about the Americans, do not forget how successful they are. Their technology is brilliant. Their country is rich, and they have such incredible global influence. You may despise them but never forget how powerful they are.”

  A passing server, dressed in light-colored slacks and a colorful Hawaiian shirt, paused as Chi raised a hand.

  “May we have coffee, please?” Chi asked. “For two.”

  The man nodded. “Certainly, sir.”

  “Very pleasant,” Chi murmured as the man walked away.

  “Can we get to the matter at hand?” Tak asked, irritation in his voice. “Drinking American coffee is not why I am here.”

  “Tak, you should try it. Much better than the terrible stuff I have to drink at home. Tell me, do they ever serve coffee in Pyongyang?”

  For the first time since he had appeared, Tak’s expression altered. He showed a definite frown, and Chi counted that as a small victory.

  “In Pyongyang we concentrate on important matters,” Tak snapped.

  “Of course. Foolish of me, Tak. So what can I tell you?”

  “I need to be able to report that the matter is being handled. That there will be no more setbacks.”

  “Why should there be? Our people are in place. We have backup. A secure base. Tak, I have been here in Hawaii long enough to have established contacts who will keep us informed and reinforced if needed. Have faith.”

  Their coffee arrived. Chi signed for it, poured a cup and pushed it across the low table.

  “Try it,” he said. “It won’t be laced with poison. Tak, even you must take a drink sometime. A mere cup of American coffee will not identify you as plunging the depths of depravity.”

  He watched Tak pick up the cup and taste the coffee. Chi smiled a little, as Tak quickly drank the rest of it. When he replaced the cup on the table, Chi quickly refilled it for him.

  Chi heard his cell ring in his pocket. He slipped it free and checked the caller ID, then answered it. The caller spoke in Mandarin. Chi replied. As he ended the call and placed the phone on the table, he felt Tak’s intense stare.

  “That was Kai Yeung,” Chi said. “One of his team saw Kalikani meeting three Americans and escorting them to a hotel.”

  “You suspect a problem?”

  “Oscar Kalikani is a special police officer. He is part of the Honolulu Task Force, permanently assigned to terrorist watch. So those three arrivals will be similar, here for a special reason. They have to be, so soon after the Coast Guard strike.

  “You think they might be looking for us?”

  “Not us personally. But the Americans are almost as paranoid as you North Koreans. They see problems everywhere. These men could be here in Hawaii for something that has nothing to do with our presence. Not an impossibility, but I doubt it.”

  “I am sure they are here because of suspicions over the event at the Coast Guard base.”

  “Yeung will check. He has contacts. If there is anything that should concern us, he will find out.”

  “Then what?”

  “Then, my dear Tak, we will deal with it.”

  For Xian Chi his time in Hawaii might soon end. If it did, he would, of course, accept whatever his masters in Beijing ordered him to do. Here on the islands he was totally in charge of the Chinese presence. He ran the Hawaiian unit. He was overseer, paymaster, arbitrator, and his decisions were final.

  He employed who he needed, dismissed those he thought had outlived their usefulness and retained the absolute right to terminate anyone who posed a threat. All those employed by Xian Chi understood these things. If they did not, or went against him, they would soon pay the price. He never wavered from his set rules. There were no exclusions. Chi demanded and got complete obedience. It was the way Beijing operated in regard to their people in the field, so Chi did the same.

  His role here in Hawaii was double-edged. On the surface he was Beijing’s overseer for the North Koreans. He had monitored Soon Il Tak and his people, as they had prepared and put into motion their trials of the NNEMP weapon. Beijing had helped finance the operation as well as providing local backup. While North Korea had little resource on the islands, China had ample. They had their own people, many who had been in place for some considerable time. They were neatly embedded in the culture, running businesses, and their physical presence did not stand out among the existing Asiatic population.


  America had a powerful military presence in the area, both on land and especially at sea. The U.S. Navy used the Pacific as an expansive defense priority, and it gave them a great tactical advantage. That presence had always been a thorn in Beijing’s side, and China looked at America’s involvement in the area with envy. The need to develop some modern weapon that could be used to weaken the U.S.’s hold was paramount.

  The emergence of a workable NNEMP device had everyone’s interest. When North Korea’s development appeared to be moving ahead, Beijing saw an opportunity to jump on the bandwagon. With its usual guile, Beijing gradually eased itself into Pyongyang’s favor by responding to requests for financial assistance.

  North Korea was after money to prolong its research. The country was not awash with cash. It was in financial trouble, which was not unusual; due to the lack of foresight by the ruling body, North Korea had little to bolster its economy. Lavish spending over the years on its frantic arms program, far in excess of what it made from North Korea’s poor production base, meant the expensive development program was slowing down.

  Beijing, always a supporter of the country, saw the opportunity and stepped up to the mark with ready finance. There was opportunistic zeal behind the generous backing. With an eye on—but not ignoring—the future, China would allow North Korea the chance to work on and fine-tune the fledgling weapon.

  Xian Chi was instructed to offer his services and had suggested the North Korean trial be carried out on Hawaiian soil. It was a practical experiment that would be employed away from North Korea itself, in case there were any problems, which had proved out when the ship launching the NNEMP was involved in a mysterious explosion within a short time following the discharge. The NNEMP effect had been successful in its principal intention, crippling a Coast Guard station and showing it was workable. However, the setback that took the launch vessel to the bottom of the Pacific was proving to be difficult to understand.

  Chi had reported the incident to his masters in Beijing. They, in turn, ordered him to maintain his backup for the Koreans, while at the same time looking out for any opportunity to profit from the Korean error.