Free Web NovelHe begged desperately, but Manager Ma snapped the man’s finger anyway.
“Aaaargh!”
The man screamed, shouting as if wronged. His eyes were bloodshot from the pain.
“I—I told you! Why! Why the hell are you doing this?!”
“You’re too slow to answer. When you’re asked something, answer immediately.”
Whether the man spewed curses or not, I was about to start questioning him again—
when the satellite phone in Manager Ma’s hand rang.
I stopped mid-sentence and looked at him. He answered the call.
A moment later, Manager Ma handed the large, heavy phone to me.
“Boss, it’s Jessica.”
The call I had been waiting for had finally come.
“Jessica, please hold on a moment.”
I asked for her understanding and stood up in a hurry.
This place echoed too much—it was a terrible environment for a call.
In case any sound leaked out, I quickly pressed the mute button.
Before leaving, I didn’t forget to give Manager Ma instructions.
“Manager, interrogate them and extract all the information we need. Just don’t kill them.”
As if she had grasped what was happening, Yuri approached quickly.
“Boss. If you need a quiet place for a call, there’s a staff rest area right next door.”
“Please guide me there.”
I followed Yuri out of the room. A little further in, there was another door.
Yuri opened it and flipped the switch, turning on the light.
It was a small room with a single bed and a sofa. Sparse, but it seemed well soundproofed.
“I’ll take the call here for a moment.”
“Yes. I’ll wait outside.”
As I went in, Yuri closed the door behind me.
I sat down, pressed the mute button once more, and lifted the phone.
“Jessica.”
—Charlie, I heard you’re in Iraq?
Jessica—no, the United States—already knew that I had entered Iraq.
Well, the Korean government had sent an official request to the U.S. forces stationed in Iraq to cooperate with my entry permit. There was no way they wouldn’t know.
She must have contacted me via satellite phone the moment she learned. freēwēbnovel.com
“Yes. I came in first. The longer this drags on, the more dangerous it becomes for the hostages.”
—That may be true, but... this could all be for nothing. You need to move carefully.
“Has the U.S. government decided to turn a blind eye to my actions?”
From Jessica’s words—“this could all be for nothing”—I could tell they had no intention of stopping me.
—Yes. But don’t expect our help. Anything that happens during the hostage rescue operation has nothing to do with the U.S. government. Any problems that arise will be your responsibility, Charlie.
All responsibility would be mine... I let out a derisive chuckle, loud enough for her to hear.
“So if I rescue Americans, the U.S. government and the U.S. military will take the credit?”
—......Charlie.
I let things slide a few times because I needed them, and now they thought I was a pushover.
If I rescued Kim Mugil and Americans along with him, they’d blast it all over the media—yet the responsibility would be dumped on me.
“Jessica. You seem to be forgetting your role as my partner. I’m not a puppet dancing to your tune.”
—This is my limit. I even announced it in front of all the intelligence chiefs just to allow you to step in as a negotiator, and......
Jessica began explaining what she had done to make this happen.
As she swallowed her excuses, I picked out the information I needed, piece by piece.
‘So the Director of National Intelligence has already been decided.’
If Bush won the election, they would appoint him immediately and get to work. That wasn’t hard to guess.
—I did my best.
At her whispered words, I replied firmly.
“Everyone does their best. I don’t need someone who just works hard—I need someone who produces results. I chose you as my partner because you’re supposed to be capable. But the DEA incident, and now this...... you keep disappointing me, Jessica.”
—Charlie, what do you want?
I had been waiting for her to say that. What I wanted was simple.
“That even if I conduct military action inside Iraq, I won’t be held responsible. In other words, even if hostages die as a result of military action, I won’t be blamed.”
—Charlie! Turning a blind eye to military action is......
Jessica raised her voice. Of course, I knew it was an outrageous demand.
But too many people were entangled in this for me to move without safeguards.
“The Korean government has already promised not to hold me responsible for conducting negotiations. The U.S. government should promise the same. If you do, I’ll take responsibility and rescue the Americans as well. But if you don’t, I’ll rescue only the Koreans and terminate the operation. Even if it means paying them a fortune.”
—Charlie. Giving them money would be the same as funding terrorism. That’s not something we can overlook.
“I’m just saying that. How do you know whether I’ll pay them or not? You don’t even know where they are. I’ve already secured two of the kidnappers. What exactly is the U.S. military doing?”
No matter how exceptional Black Bear’s intelligence was, it couldn’t match a military actively at war.
And yet, Black Bear had quickly identified the culprits and taken them into custody.
The U.S. military could have done the same—but they hadn’t pursued the kidnappers.
Unlike Black Bear, which would do anything on my orders, the U.S. military had to worry about the eyes of the entire world.
Their positions were different, but they couldn’t avoid criticism for doing nothing while their own citizens were kidnapped.
—Is that true? You really have the kidnappers?
“Why would I lie? They’re being interrogated right now. Once it’s over, I was planning to hand them over to the U.S. military. But it seems that won’t be necessary.”
Jessica fell silent for a long time.
“Jessica?”
The prolonged silence felt strange, and I called her name.
—Sorry. Just a moment.
Had Jessica ever stopped responding like this while talking to me before?
“Is someone with you?”
—......Yes.
Someone was beside her...... She kept acting unilaterally without telling me anything.
I thought someone with ambition would be easier to use—but it was about time to replace her.
“Were you on speakerphone?”
Sensing the drop in my voice, Jessica hurriedly explained.
—No. I wouldn’t do something like that without permission.
At her subject-less sentence, I let out a short laugh. Whose permission had she been trying to get?
That line-straddling remark made my voice turn cold on its own.
“Jessica. Isn’t it rude to share a conversation between partners with someone else?”
—I know. I know, but this time it couldn’t be helped......
Before Jessica could finish, I heard someone beside her ask for the phone.
—Charlie. Hello. This is John Negroponte.
He introduced himself by name, not by title.
His pronunciation wasn’t American—it was closer to a British accent.
And yet, the name didn’t ring a bell.
I quickly ran through the key figures of the current Bush administration in my head.
Then Jessica’s earlier words came back to me—about briefing all the intelligence chiefs and the nominee for Director of National Intelligence.
“Are you the nominee for Director of National Intelligence?”
—You know who I am?
“No. I just figured there couldn’t be anyone named John with enough authority to take Jessica’s phone, so I made an educated guess.”
—Haha! I’ve heard you’re an interesting man. That’s right. Unofficially, if Bush wins re-election, I’ll be appointed as Director of National Intelligence.
His tone was jovial, but there was a sense of firmness beneath it.
So that’s why Jessica had been acting out of character. The first Director of National Intelligence was right there.
“Congratulations in advance. But eavesdropping on someone else’s call isn’t exactly admirable.”
—I’ve heard you’re quite direct. Bush told me about you, but I found it hard to believe. What he said sounded too absurd to accept at face value.
Just what had Bush said to make him react like this?
As if reading my thoughts, he continued.
—What civilian could speak so boldly before the President and Vice President of the United States—at the White House, no less? And even request a private meeting? Not even the President of your own country could do that.
It seemed Bush had told him about our private meeting. It must have left quite an impression.
—Ah, and let me correct one thing. I wasn’t eavesdropping. I simply saw Jessica’s reaction and decided it was time for me to step in. I hope you won’t misunderstand.
His eloquence made him sound less like an intelligence chief and more like a seasoned diplomat.
“Surely you know that isn’t appropriate behavior either.”
—If you were offended, I apologize.
For someone destined for such a high position, he was surprisingly flexible.
When he acted like that, it was hard to keep pressing him. I let out a small sigh.
“......It’s fine.”
—May we talk now?
He hadn’t lowered himself just to chat.
Steeling myself, I pretended to accept his proposal calmly.
“Very well. I am curious what compelled you to act so rudely.”
—I heard you’ve secured some of the kidnappers. Is that true?
“Yes. I was interrogating them myself when Jessica called, so I left them with someone else and stepped out.”
—Hmm...... Are they former Iraqi soldiers, by any chance?
My eyes widened without me realizing it. When kidnappings happened in Iraq, terrorist groups were usually blamed.
“How did you know?”
—If they were terrorists, they wouldn’t be asking for money. Ah, I forgot to mention—I served as U.S. Ambassador to Iraq until just before the war began.
That explained it.
Serving as ambassador in Iraq—practically an enemy state—meant he understood Middle Eastern affairs better than most.
No wonder they had chosen him as the first Director of National Intelligence.
“You escaped at the right time.”
—Haha. I left before the war started. Thank you for your concern.
“The kidnappers are remnants of the Iraqi army.”
—As I thought. I found it strange from the start when I heard they demanded money from KBR. The Islamic extremists I know would never do that.
“Yes. I thought the same. That’s why I ordered our people in Iraq to dig into that angle. Fortunately, they secured the suspects within a day.”
John let out a quiet sound of admiration.
—I’d heard of Black Bear’s capabilities, but to achieve that in a single day... I’m envious.
“If the U.S. had really wanted to, you could have caught «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» them just as quickly. You simply didn’t.”
—That’s politics. Do you know how many procedures it takes just to issue orders on the ground? No matter how much the President wants something, the military can’t move in perfect unison at his whim. If it did, that would be a dictatorship.
If I relaxed even a little, I’d be dragged along. The conversation was already circling on his terms.
I steered it back on track.
“When we interrogated the Iraqi remnants we captured, they said they initially kidnapped the hostages under orders from a terrorist group. But the money they received wasn’t enough, so they demanded ransom from the companies as well. They also said they never intended to release the hostages, even if the ransom was paid.”
I shared part of what I had learned. But he responded as if he had already anticipated it.
—That sounds about right. After living in Iraq, I learned how easily they break promises.
Wasn’t that like spitting on his own face? The U.S. was hardly known for honoring promises when it suited them.
When I didn’t respond, John moved to the point.
—Charlie, hand them over to us.
“That’s a very confident demand.”
—It’s not a demand. It’s a request. We’re asking because it’s Black Bear. If they had been captured by an ally, it wouldn’t be a request—it would be a demand.
It was a glimpse into the ruthlessness of a hegemonic power.
The cunning way the U.S. played world police while controlling its allies.
“And if I refuse?”
—Weren’t you planning to hand them over after the interrogation anyway?
“That was my plan. But after being told to shoulder all responsibility, I’ve lost the desire to do so. Frankly, I’d like to withdraw from Iraq right now.”
—The United States does not negotiate with terrorists. They are to be eradicated, not negotiated with.
Beneath his calm voice, there were sharp barbs.
“Even when your citizens’ lives are at stake?”
—Even then. America’s security, and the principles of the United States as a nation, take precedence over individual lives.
“Fine. I’ll hand them over—if the United States shares responsibility for this operation with me.”
—.......
Silence again at the mention of responsibility. Seeing right through them, I let out a mocking laugh.
“John. Since you know Iraq so well, let me be clear. If I could rescue them by paying ransom without armed conflict, I would. But do you really think they’ll negotiate? Military action will inevitably follow. And I have no intention of taking responsibility for any accidents that occur during the rescue.”
The United States was desperate to find a weakness to exploit.
So of course they would be skeptical of my refusal to take responsibility for armed clashes during the rescue.
But I had no intention of handing them leverage so easily.
If I had planned to take full responsibility from the start, I wouldn’t have sought America’s permission at all.
