Free Web NovelIgor, having come down the hill, sprinted toward the villa at full speed. The mercenaries followed behind him.
No firefight broke out as they passed several guard posts engulfed in flames, belching smoke.
But they couldn’t let their guard down. Beyond the posts burning and scattering sparks, something glinted from the villa.
A moment later, bullets started flying from the villa.
Igor signaled his mercenaries with hand gestures.
The mercenaries running behind him split to both sides in sync with the signal. Even as they moved, they didn’t forget to return fire the way they’d been trained.
Bang! Baaang!
A bullet grazed past Igor’s ear, then ricocheted off the ground.
But Igor didn’t stop running.
He couldn’t stop until he reached a position where he could take cover. The moment he stopped, it was over.
Two of the mercenaries following Igor had already been shot and gone down.
After sprinting for a long while like that, they finally reached the villa’s towering wall. Igor pressed himself against it and caught his breath.
The mercenaries also flattened themselves against the wall, breathing hard as they waited for Igor’s orders.
Even then, the battle continued.
The gunfire didn’t stop, and shouts whose meaning they couldn’t make out carried over.
The snipers in Team Five were firing nonstop, and Ivan’s unit was also still engaged.
“This is Alpha. We’re entering now.”
— This is Beta. We’re in contact.
— We’re continuing to snipe. We’ll cover you. Proceed with entry.
After hearing the reports, Igor radioed the entrance team.
“Report the situation at the entrance.”
— There’s no one here.
“You’re sure?”
— Yes. Positive.
“If anything unusual comes up, report immediately. Maintain a tight perimeter in all directions.”
— Understood.
Sliding the radio back into the chest rig, Igor scanned the surroundings and spoke.
“We secure the entrance first, then move straight to Special Residence No. 1.”
“Yes!”
At Igor’s hand signal, Team One began moving slowly toward the villa’s entrance.
Only after edging along the wall for about twenty meters did they finally reach the open entrance area.
One mercenary slightly peeked out to check enemy positions.
At that moment, the wall beside his head shattered, fragments flying. The mercenary jerked back instantly.
“There’s likely a sniper on the second floor of Special Residence No. 1. No visible enemies along the approach.”
“Yeah? Exact position?”
“Flare came from the third window to the left, relative to the center.”
“Second floor. You’re sure?”
When the mercenary nodded firmly, Igor issued the next order.
“As Team One enters with me, Team Two provides cover. Spray the second floor of Special Residence No. 1. Don’t let them get a clear shot at us.”
“Understood.”
When he finished, Igor gave instructions to the sniper team over the radio.
“This is Alpha. There’s a sniper on standby on the second floor of Special Residence No. 1. Sniper Point Three—prepare to take the shooter on the second floor.”
— Understood.
Igor tucked the radio away again and raised his hand, signaling the men.
His fingers counted down—three to two, two to one.
With each finger folding away, the mercenaries’ tension spiked to the limit.
Finally, Igor curled the last finger and clenched his fist.
At that instant, Team One sprinted past the entrance, while Team Two opened up, spraying the second floor.
Igor ran with Team One toward Special Residence No. 1.
Then, from the left, soldiers from the Guard Command burst out.
“Left! Left!!”
At the same time, several of the running mercenaries ducked behind trees and raked their rifles toward the soldiers’ direction.
Ratatatatat!
Bang! Bang!
The heat of the battlefield made Igor’s throat go dry on its own.
Only gunshots, the mercenaries’ yelling, and the thud of boots filled Igor’s ears.
How long had they run? At ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ last, Igor and the mercenaries reached the entrance of Special Residence No. 1.
— This is Beta. Enemies at Special Residence No. 2 have been completely eliminated! We will now carry out the underground tunnel demolition.
“Copy.”
Igor checked his watch.
It had taken thirty minutes to get here. That meant they had about thirty minutes left.
Igor shot a look at one mercenary. A masked man, together with a teammate, unloaded their rifles into the door.
Only after emptying an entire magazine did the door finally splinter apart, shredded into a hanging, ragged mess.
Other mercenaries kicked at the dangling remnants while maintaining cover.
Beyond the ruined entrance, soldiers lay bleeding on the floor, groaning.
Igor gave the hand signal to enter, and the mercenaries moved slowly through the doorway and inside.
* * *
“What the hell? What is that sound?!”
In the bar on Basement Level 1, drinking while looking out at the dark sea, Kim Jongil jolted in shock.
A blast had erupted out of nowhere. Kim Jongil sprang up and shouted.
“What is going on!!”
At Kim Jongil’s roar, soldiers poured in.
“What is it?”
“I-it’s an attack.”
“What? An attack? What kind of bastards are they!”
“We haven’t confirmed. The guard posts and security posts, among—”
Boom! Booooom!
Before the soldier could finish, the ground shook and a massive explosion thundered.
“You sons of bitches!”
Kim Jongil hurled the glass in his hand.
The tumbler barely missed the soldiers and shattered against the wall.
“Gather all nearby forces.”
“Yes!”
“Where is Cheolsu right now?”
At that moment, Baek Cheolsu came down into the basement, bringing Kim Jongil’s family with him.
Jang Songthaek was with them.
“General! You need to evacuate immediately.”
“What? Evacuate? You’re telling me to evacuate right now?” freewebnøvel.com
“First, evacuate to the East Sea Fleet Command—”
“Cheolsu!”
Kim Jongil didn’t listen—he just shouted. Jang Songthaek stepped forward and spoke.
“Comrade Supreme Leader, all communications have been cut. The first thing they attacked was the area with the communication lines. Fortunately, contact with the East Sea Fleet doesn’t rely on those lines, so we were able to reach them. A unit should have already been sent through the underground tunnel. They’ll arrive in about an hour.”
At Jang Songthaek’s calm, measured voice, Kim Jongil’s face reddened as he glared.
“Why did you move troops on your own without reporting to me? Is this treason?”
“......”
“Answer me! Why did you move troops at your own discretion?”
“I apologize.”
Jang Songthaek bowed his head deeply. Kim Jongil glared as if he wanted to kill him, then barely forced down his rage and exhaled.
“...Hoo.”
“Father...”
Kim Jongun approached Kim Jongil with an anxious face.
“Yes. Jongun. Are you all right? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Father, are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. Of course I’m fine.”
The blasts that had been continuing finally stopped.
“Go find out what’s happening outside. Cheolsu stays—everyone else, out.”
At Kim Jongil’s order, the soldiers who had come in all filed back out.
Kim Jongil took Kim Jongun’s hand and sat down.
“Everyone, sit.”
“General! Even now, you must evacuate—”
“Cheolsu, sit down for now.”
The blasts had stopped, but the gunfire outside continued.
With no way to know what was happening out there, sitting still like this was the worst possible move.
“General...”
“Cheolsu. I told you to sit. Are you ignoring me too? Is that it?”
“N-no. I’m simply prioritizing the safety of you and your family above all—”
“Yes. I know, I know. Sit for now.”
Baek Cheolsu sat down unwillingly.
“Director Jang.”
“Yes, Comrade Supreme Leader.”
“Who do you think these bastards are? What kind of sons of bitches knew I was here and came charging in? The fact that I’m here—no one knows except you and me. Am I wrong?”
At Kim Jongil’s question, Jang Songthaek answered a beat late.
“...I don’t know. But even up until this evening, there were no signs of troop movements. And right now, isn’t the entire command structure gathered in Pyongyang?”
“That’s right. They’re all gathered.”
“Then it won’t be forces moved by generals. From what I saw briefly through the window, it didn’t look like a large-scale force entered. There were no tanks or heavy weapons.”
“Really? How did you grasp that in so little time?”
The suspicion in Kim Jongil’s eyes deepened.
“That’s not what matters. What matters is how they knew I was here. What do you think, Director Jang? This is something only you and me—and among the Guard Command, only my closest men—know.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? I think I do.”
Kim Jongil pulled one corner of his mouth up in a smile.
“Yes?”
Jang Songthaek asked back.
“I think I know. If someone here betrayed me, it’s you, Director Jang. Am I wrong?”
“N-no! Absolutely not. If I had intended that, would I have come here with you?”
“Yes. That’s what’s strange. But if you didn’t betray me, then none of this makes sense. Doesn’t it, Cheolsu?”
“......”
Baek Cheolsu didn’t answer. Answering carelessly in a situation like this would be stepping on a landmine.
“Father.”
Kim Jongun called Kim Jongil in a trembling voice.
Kim Jongil looked at Kim Jongun standing beside him with cold eyes.
“Uncle-in-law has no reason to kill you, Father. Why would you suspect him like—”
“Jongun. The seat I’m sitting in is one where you can’t even trust your own blood brother. Understand?”
“B-but...”
Kim Jongun flicked a shaky glance toward Jang Songthaek.
Kim Jongil slowly shook his head. Kim Jongun, barely twenty, was still far too kind.
“Do you know how much blood I had to smear on my hands to reach this seat? My father—your grandfather—and I fought over power too. That’s how I’m sitting here. In time, you’ll understand too, so stay quiet.”
“...Yes.”
Only after that obedient reply did Kim Jongil stroke Kim Jongun’s head.
“Cheolsu.”
“Yes, General.”
“If those reactionary bastards get in here... if they come in, even once... shoot Jang Songthaek on the spot.”
“Understood.”
Baek Cheolsu glared at Jang Songthaek with icy eyes.
“If that measure will make you trust me, then do it.”
Kim Jongil studied Jang Songthaek’s face as he answered. Jang Songthaek remained utterly impassive.
Kim Jongil disliked that expressionless face even more.
“General.”
Baek Cheolsu called him.
“Wouldn’t it be best to evacuate to the East Sea Fleet Command? If we depart now, and calculate the arrival time of the forces coming from there, we should be able to meet them en route. We can link up first, then return afterward.”
Baek Cheolsu tried to persuade him again. His voice sounded almost desperate.
“Your safety is what matters most to me. Please do not ignore my counsel.”
“Hmm...”
Kim Jongil glanced once at Kim Jongun’s face, then nodded.
“Prepare.”
“Yes. As soon as preparations are complete, I’ll come to escort you.”
Baek Cheolsu stood, bowed at the waist, and said,
“Then I’ll be going.”
After Baek Cheolsu left, Kim Jongil put a cigarette to his lips and lit it.
He inhaled deeply until his cheeks hollowed, then slowly exhaled the smoke.
“You sons of bitches... I’ll wipe out your entire clan.”
Kim Jongil muttered to himself in a chilling voice.
But no one gathered there answered him.
Kim Jongil grabbed the whiskey bottle in front of him and lifted it straight to his mouth.
Each time the high-proof liquor burned down his throat, a scorching heat flared through him—yet he didn’t stop.
Not long after, Kim Jongil slammed the empty bottle down hard.
“Khh.”
He glared at Jang Songthaek as he spoke.
“This makes three times now. You understand, Director Jang?”
“...Yes.”
“No matter how many I kill, these reactionary bastards never disappear. That’s why I have no choice but to spill blood. Looks like I’ll be seeing blood again, yes.”
Time passed—enough to burn down a cigarette.
“General. Everything is ready. You may go down immediately.”
At Baek Cheolsu’s words, the family—including Kim Jongil and Jang Songthaek—stood.
They followed Baek Cheolsu deeper underground.
Once they split up and boarded the prepared vehicles, the cars slowly entered the underground tunnel.
How long had they been driving?
Kwakwa-BOOM!
With a tremendous crash, the underground tunnel shuddered, and stones rained down from the ceiling.
