Free Web NovelAfter stepping outside and scanning the surroundings, I asked the mercenary guarding the corridor,
“Is there somewhere quiet where I can make a call?”
“I’ll escort you this way.”
After snapping to attention and giving a salute, he guided me to a nearby room.
Once inside, he bowed again, closed the door, and left.
After confirming that it was quiet, I immediately called Yoon Changho.
As before, his chief of staff answered, passed along the message, and told me I would receive a call shortly.
I placed the satellite phone on the table and stared out the window for a moment.
It wasn’t a high floor, so I couldn’t see very far, but I could still survey the immediate area.
I could see mercenaries stopping passing vehicles, inspecting them, and blocking civilians from approaching.
As I looked out over the chaotic streets of Baghdad, I sank into thought.
Even if this place were to be developed, as long as resistance forces remained, proper development would be impossible.
‘There’s a clear reason the United States wants to keep Hussein alive. If he dies, Iraq will spiral into uncontrollable chaos.......’
The United States already understood the turmoil that would follow his death.
Knowing that, they were still handing power over to the Shiites for political reasons.
Their intent was to weaken the Sunni resistance by gaining the support of the Shiites who had been oppressed under Hussein’s regime.
But that was a dangerous choice that could easily spark a civil war.
To prevent that, the U.S. would use conciliatory measures like economic aid, but those would only be temporary fixes.
If things went wrong, the entire Middle East could once again be consumed by the horrors of war.
At that moment, the satellite phone rang loudly. Breaking out of my thoughts, I quickly picked it up.
“Yes. This is Kim Muhyuk.”
— President Kim. I heard you called.
“I couldn’t just sit and wait, so I decided to contact you first.”
— Hmm......
Even though I was subtly pressing him for an answer, Yoon Changho only responded with a low hum, saying nothing more.
I urged him again.
“I just received the U.S. response. Their national security advisor personally guaranteed that I won’t be held responsible.”
— That’s good news.
“But if this fails, someone will still have to take responsibility. No matter how I look at it, that someone will be Korea. Do we proceed anyway?”
A deep sigh came through the receiver.
— Because of that, I urgently gathered all my aides for a meeting. They all opposed it. They said we should stick to principle and let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle negotiations.
The situation was too big for anyone to easily volunteer to take responsibility.
They didn’t want to shoulder the blame either.
“I understand. That’s why I’m asking you, Mr. President. If I push forward on my own when everyone opposes it, it could cause serious damage not only to you, but to the entire cabinet.”
I had done more than enough already. Even if he told me to stop here, I wouldn’t mind at all.
Honestly, getting involved in something like this was a burden in itself.
But my grandmother’s desperate request, and Yoon Changho’s resolve, were what had led me here.
If I had even the slightest justification to step back, I could simply meet Hussein and leave.
— ......President Kim. Can you really rescue the hostages safely?
“I can’t make any guarantees. This is the Middle East, and this is Iraq. There are too many variables. But I intend to do everything I can. To that end, the mercenary team that carried out the operation in North Korea will be arriving today.”
— So you’re serious about this.
The operation Igor’s team had carried out to capture Kim Jongil had been extremely difficult.
North Korea was Kim Jongil’s territory, and he could call in reinforcements at any moment.
But hostage rescue operations were even harder than that.
The moment the hostage-takers felt threatened, they would kill the hostages. If that happened, everything would be meaningless.
“Using force is a last resort. First, I’ll try to negotiate their release through other means. I’ll attempt contact for a day or two, and if that fails, we’ll begin the rescue operation.”
When I finished speaking, Yoon Changho let out another sigh. His deep hesitation was obvious.
“So what should we do, Mr. President? Do we stop here? Or do we proceed?”
After a long pause, Yoon Changho finally answered.
— Proceed. Bring them back alive, no matter what.
The response was unexpected.
At his decision, I asked with concern,
“Are you sure? If this fails, it will seriously damage your approval rating.”
— We can’t kill someone who can still be saved. And I trust you. I believe you’ll bring that man back to Korea alive.
Yoon Changho spoke with conviction—an almost unreasonable level of faith.
“Mr. President. No one can guarantee the outcome of this operation. You know that. If there’s anything I can promise, it’s only when success is certain. This time, it truly won’t be easy.”
— I know. I know that very well. Even so, I’m willing to bet on you saving them.
Despite the risk to his authority and approval, he chose to save his people.
I thought I knew Yoon Changho well, but I was discovering a new side of him.
I wasn’t sure whether he had always been this kind of person, or if the presidency had changed him.
Either way, the change wasn’t a bad one.
“Understood. I’ll do my best. I’ll make sure I can contact you with good news.”
— I’m counting on you. If you need help from the Zaytun Unit, say the word. I’ll give the order......
As if to show how serious he was, Yoon Changho even offered to deploy the Zaytun Unit.
Before he could finish, I quickly cut him off.
“Mr. President. If even one Zaytun Unit soldier is injured or killed during a rescue operation, the situation will become far more serious. I’ll handle this myself with only the Black Bear mercenaries.”
— I see...... Thank you, President Kim. Truly, thank you.
“I’ll be in touch.”
After ending the call, I set the warm satellite phone down.
Standing up, I looked out the window and muttered quietly,
“President Yoon has changed a lot.”
* * *
A day passed after Jessica arrived in Iraq.
Early in the morning, she came to find me.
“Charlie! We’re leaving now. The U.S. officer who’ll escort us to Hussein will be here soon.”
At her urging, already fully prepared, I checked my watch.
“It’s already this late. Let’s go.”
I stood up, put on the bulletproof vest Ma had handed me, then slipped a comfortable coat over it.
It was a bit uncomfortable, but Ma had insisted that I always wear a vest when moving around Iraq, so I had no choice.
As we finished preparing and stepped out of the room, I asked Jessica,
“Who’s coming to escort us?”
“The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq himself.”
“Who?”
I stopped in front of the elevator and stared at her.
“The commander is coming all the way here just to escort me to Hussein?”
Jessica shrugged, looking just as surprised as I was.
“I didn’t expect it either. I guess it shows how unusual this meeting is.”
It was surprising, but also understandable.
Hussein’s current detention location was practically a military secret.
If his whereabouts became known, Iraqi resistance forces would attack the site no matter the cost, trying to rescue him.
“And there was a major battle in Fallujah yesterday.”
“In Fallujah?”
“Yes. The Iraqi resistance suddenly united and launched an assault there. U.S. forces took heavy losses and withdrew.”
“Were there many casualties?”
“Yes. About thirty killed, and even more wounded. The atmosphere in Iraq is very tense right now. You should be aware of that. A large-scale offensive is coming. And then Washington suddenly orders him to escort you to Hussein. From the commander’s perspective, overseeing the entire Iraq War, that can’t be pleasant.”
Fallujah was a strategic stronghold not far west of Baghdad.
If it fell, the security of Baghdad itself couldn’t be guaranteed.
And Black Bear must have mercenaries deployed there as well.
At that moment, the elevator doors opened. Yuri was inside.
As soon as he saw me, he snapped to attention and saluted. I studied him closely. Unlike the first day, his face was stiff and tense.
“Boss, are you heading out now?”
I nodded and stepped into the elevator.
“Yes. I’m going to meet Hussein.”
“We may need to increase security. There was a major battle in Fallujah yesterday. Our people also pulled back from Fallujah and are waiting on the outskirts.”
“I heard. What happened? Were there really that many insurgents that such a critical area was taken?”
Yuri shook his head with a troubled expression.
“We’re still assessing the situation. All we’ve been told is that insurgents attacked simultaneously from inside and outside Fallujah. The U.S. forces withdrew first, and then we followed.”
The elevator reached the first floor as he finished his report.
We continued talking while walking toward the exit.
“If the attack came from both inside and outside, that means there’s an access route neither the U.S. military nor Black Bear detected.”
“That’s likely. We suspect tunnels.”
This attack had bruised not only the U.S. military’s pride, but Black Bear’s as well.
A campaign to retake Fallujah might begin soon—even if civilians were still there.
The U.S. military couldn’t conduct operations targeting civilians.
If that became known, they’d face international condemnation.
But Black Bear was different. As a private military company, they had far more freedom than the U.S. military, and didn’t hesitate to operate even when civilians were involved.
Because of that, rumors circulated in Iraq that Black Bear were servants of the devil.
“What about our casualties?”
“So far, four confirmed dead and about twenty wounded. We’re transporting the dead and injured to our regional branch.”
At the mention of deaths, I frowned instinctively.
“Our first fatalities in Iraq, right?”
“......Yes.” ƒгeewёbnovel.com
“Make sure the families are fully compensated. Put the bodies on a transport plane and send them home immediately. At least let them be buried in their families’ arms.”
“Yes. I’ll see to it right away.”
Yuri answered firmly, though his shoulders seemed to slump slightly.
I patted his shoulder and said,
“You’ve been working hard. If it’s difficult to treat the wounded here, you can use my private jet. Get them to wherever they can receive proper care as quickly as possible. Don’t let them die, Yuri.”
“Thank you, Boss. I’ll save them.”
When we stepped outside, the U.S. forces had already arrived.
The sight before us made me mutter in awe,
“Looks like we’re heading to a war.”
Rows of armored vehicles stretched out before us, with more than ten Humvees following behind.
Well, if the commander himself was coming, that level of security was nothing.
As I watched the convoy, a middle-aged man stepped out of a jeep.
There were four stars on the epaulettes of his uniform.
Seeing that Yuri recognized him, he whispered to me,
“He’s General John Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and commander of U.S. Central Command. The highest-ranking general in Iraq right now.”
The commander slowly approached us, surveying the Black Bear Iraq branch.
“Yuri. It’s been a while.”
He greeted Yuri first. Yuri saluted and replied,
“Yes, sir. It’s been about a month.”
“I always hear reports that operations in Iraq run smoothly thanks to Black Bear. I appreciate it.”
“No, sir. We’re just doing our job for pay.”
“Considering the price of lives, that’s fair.”
After exchanging brief greetings with Yuri, he looked at Jessica and me.
“So you must be the Homeland Security agent, and you’re the Korean man who wants to see Hussein.”
Jessica stepped forward and greeted him.
“That’s right. Nice to meet you. I’m Jessica, Department of Homeland Security.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Jessica. But Iraq is far too dangerous for a lady like you.”
I saw Jessica’s brow crease slightly.
Being called “lady” over and over clearly irritated her.
While he spoke to Jessica, I studied the commander’s face.
‘He looks like an Arab-American.’
The supreme commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, leading a war in the Arab world—and he himself was Arab.
The irony was almost absurd.
After finishing with Jessica, he ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) met my gaze.
“My name is Kim Muhyuk. Please call me Charlie. It’s an honor to meet you, General.”
“Likewise. I’m only following orders from Washington, but is it really necessary for you to meet him?”
“Of course. That’s why I came all this way.”
“You’re the owner of Black Bear?”
“I own it, but I don’t manage it.”
“Hmm......”
The commander studied my face carefully, stroking his chin.
I didn’t like the way he was sizing me up, but I didn’t show it.
“Let’s move out. You and the lady will ride with me. Yuri, Black Bear doesn’t need to follow. This is classified.”
“But.......”
Yuri trailed off, glancing at me.
I nodded to signal that it was fine.
With the U.S. military fully armed and protecting us, if anything happened, the commander would be dead before I was.
“Do you not trust me?”
“No, sir. We’ll comply.”
“Oh, and this man is coming too.”
I pointed to Ma, who stood behind me like a shadow.
The commander raised an eyebrow and shook his head.
“I was told only you and Miss Jessica were to come.”
“No. He’s included. Right, Jessica?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
With Jessica backing me up, the commander spoke with clear displeasure,
“Then have him follow in that jeep.”
He turned abruptly and started walking. We followed.
Jessica and I boarded the same jeep as the commander. Ma got into another one.
“Move out.”
At the command, the U.S. forces moved in perfect unison.
The commander remained silent throughout the drive.
“General.”
Breaking the heavy silence, I spoke.
Sitting in the passenger seat, he turned his head to look at me.
“Are you Iraqi-American?”
