Free Web NovelA man named Khamis arrived at Black Bear’s Iraq branch.
“Welcome.”
After exchanging brief greetings with Khamis, we all took our seats.
Before getting to the point, I studied his face as I spoke.
The man, with his kind-looking features, appeared utterly calm.
“I hear you work for the Red Crescent.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
His English pronunciation was excellent.
If I hadn’t known otherwise, I would have taken him for a Brit—the way he spoke with such refined posh accents.
He wasn’t wearing traditional Arab attire either, but a well-tailored suit.
“Allah has decreed that I should devote my life to saving others. I simply follow His will and live in service.”
That foreign word—used to refer to his god—stood out sharply as it left his lips.
The Red Crescent was the term used for the international Red Cross within the Islamic world.
In most countries, the Red Cross used a red cross as its emblem.
But Islamic countries used the red crescent instead, since the cross evoked memories of the Crusades and Christianity.
“I heard the Red Crescent’s headquarters is currently in Turkey. If it’s Allah’s will, shouldn’t you be conducting relief operations in Iraq?”
“The security situation in Iraq is quite poor, so we temporarily relocated to Turkey. Regardless of where we’re based, our humanitarian work remains the same.”
The reply sounded rehearsed—mechanical.
The Red Crescent had left a strong impression even in Afghanistan.
Because of that, not only the U.S. military but even the Taliban and terrorist groups avoided attacking the Red Crescent.
Even an accidental strike would provoke outrage from the entire world.
Thanks to this, they could move freely through conflict zones while carrying out humanitarian aid.
There was only one place where this unspoken rule didn’t apply—the Israeli–Palestinian conflict zone.
Israel bombed indiscriminately, regardless of whether Red Cross or Red Crescent personnel were present, which had become a major issue.
Aside from that, their activities were generally respected in most conflict areas.
“President Hussein introduced you to us.”
“I heard. Is he well? How is his health?”
The moment Hussein was mentioned, Khamis couldn’t hide his delight.
“It sounds like you were quite close. A dictator of Iraq and a Red Crescent employee—hardly a pairing one would expect.”
“He may have been a dictator to others, but he consistently supported the Red Crescent financially. Thanks to that, we were able to carry out various relief efforts.”
“That’s unexpected. I didn’t know he supported humanitarian organizations. I suppose he had that side to him as well.”
“You can’t judge a person by just one aspect. Of course, I’m not saying President Hussein wasn’t a dictator. I don’t respect everything about him either.”
There was a subtle barb hidden beneath his genial smile.
After exchanging a few more words about Hussein, I got to the point.
“I hear the kidnappers are demanding a total of ten million dollars for the five hostages. Is that correct?”
“Yes. You initially proposed two hundred and fifty thousand dollars per person, and negotiations proceeded from there. Offers went back and forth several times, but in the end, they demanded ten million dollars. There’s no more room for negotiation.”
I nodded at Khamis’s words.
If they truly had no intention of negotiating further, there was no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
“An exchange of ransom for hostages, then?”
“Yes. That would be the only way. Neither side trusts the other.”
Khamis licked his dry lips and continued.
“Will you pay the ten million dollars and exchange it for the hostages?”
Agreeing too readily might only raise suspicion.
I pretended to hesitate, letting the silence stretch, before answering.
“Ten million dollars... I’ll have it ready by tomorrow.”
“Hundred-dollar bills will be fine. Hand it over to me, and I’ll exchange it for the hostages and bring them here.”
I shook my head.
“We’re going with you.”
“They won’t accept that.”
“Tell them we’ll come with minimal armament. We have no intention of playing games with the hostages’ lives. No American officials will accompany us. A South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs will come, along with the Zaytun Unit to provide security.”
At the mention of troops accompanying us, Khamis frowned.
“...That could jeopardize the negotiations.”
“It’s ten million dollars. That’s too large a sum to hand over without confirmation. We’ll verify the hostages first, then hand over the money. Or you can connect us directly with them for negotiations.”
“Are you saying you don’t trust me?”
Khamis asked, narrowing his eyes in displeasure.
“Even if President Hussein introduced you, we’re talking about handing over ten million dollars. You can’t guarantee there won’t be a delivery accident.”
“Hm...”
“Before talking about trust, isn’t it only natural to hand it over personally? With an intermediary accompanying us, it shouldn’t be difficult to exchange the money and hostages directly. That’s the proper way to do it. Everything is for safety. Surely you don’t think we’re afraid of them and are paying just to retrieve the hostages?”
Khamis shook his head.
“No. I’ve heard far too much about Black Bear’s reputation in Iraq to think that.”
“Our top priority is the hostages’ safety. Since we don’t know what condition they’re in, we have no intention of threatening the kidnappers with weapons. So tell them not ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ to worry, set a location, and we’ll move together with you as the intermediary.”
“...Very well. I’ll resume negotiations under those conditions.”
“If negotiations drag on, doesn’t that put the hostages’ lives at risk?”
Because everything was conducted through an intermediary instead of direct talks, things had already taken quite some time.
“Don’t worry about that. As long as negotiations don’t break down, they won’t kill the hostages. If they did, they’d never be able to negotiate through intermediaries like us again. They need people like us just as much, don’t they?”
Khamis spoke firmly, then smiled warmly once more.
Black Bear had uncovered Khamis’s true identity—he was an arms dealer.
A so-called merchant of death.
That was precisely why terrorist groups didn’t ignore the intermediary’s opinion.
If they caused trouble before negotiations concluded, he could simply stop supplying them with weapons.
That confidence was what backed his words.
“Very well. Then proceed quickly. We can’t make any more concessions. The South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs is already flying to Iraq. Blocking American interference alone was a major concession on our part. We’re agreeing to their ransom demand because we want this resolved swiftly.”
“I’ll do my best. If they accept, I’ll inform you of the location immediately.”
“Please do.”
Khamis stood up.
“Then I’ll be in touch.”
He turned to leave, and Yuri followed as if to see him out.
The moment the door closed, Igor and Manager Ma spoke at the same time.
“...Boss.”
“Boss.”
Knowing exactly what they were about to say, I smiled.
“Don’t worry. He won’t try anything stupid.”
“But—”
“I know what you’re worried about, Manager Ma. But I can take care of myself well enough. Besides, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs coming in person, we have to put on a bit of a show. The Zaytun Unit will be in charge of security for both me and the minister.”
This had been decided hastily the night before.
If the operation failed, the South Korean government would shoulder the risk. If it succeeded, the government would take half the credit.
That was why not only the Zaytun Unit was mobilizing, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself was already en route to Iraq.
“Igor will proceed with the plan and wipe them out. Manager Ma, you’ll be responsible for my protection. Since you’re worried, just make sure you carry out your duties thoroughly.”
“Yes, Boss. And...”
Lowering his voice, Igor continued.
“One of my men went to confirm the location you indicated.”
“What was there?”
“There was an artificial cave. Without the exact latitude and longitude, it would’ve been nearly impossible to find.”
“An artificial cave?”
“Yes. He approached as discreetly as possible, confirmed the location, and returned.”
There was probably a bunker inside, accessible only through the cave.
“Once this is over, we’ll assemble a team of only the most trusted people and go retrieve it together.”
“Understood.”
“As you know, this must never leak outside. If the U.S. or any other country finds out, they’ll come after it with everything they’ve got.”
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Everyone had heard of it, yet no one had ever seen proof.
If its existence were confirmed, people would rush in, willing to die for it.
“The collection can wait. Let’s finish this operation safely first. Igor, go recheck the plan and make sure there are no gaps.”
“Yes, sir.”
Igor saluted and left the room.
I turned to Manager Ma, who still looked grim.
“Manager Ma, are you really that worried about my safety? They won’t do anything insane. And with the Zaytun Unit accompanying us, there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Boss, even so, we should bring some of our own people.”
“You really are persistent. Fine—pick about five men yourself.”
“Understood.”
His resolute reply made me chuckle.
Khamis contacted us again two days later.
He said they’d accepted the conditions, and that he’d tell us the location while on the move—then hung up.
A short while later, he arrived at the Iraq branch and said abruptly,
“Let’s move. Now.”
“Where are we going?”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs frowned at the sudden statement.
“You must be the representative from Korea. Nice to meet you. I’m Khamis.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Heo Seonggu, Minister of Foreign Affairs. But you expect us to move immediately without even telling us the destination?”
“Yes. Just follow my vehicle. It’s a long trip, so be prepared.”
“No—”
There was no time to argue.
I stopped Heo Seonggu from speaking and asked,
“Khamis, at least tell us the general area.”
“The Kurdistan Autonomous Region. Let’s move. Time is tight.”
Even as he spoke, Khamis kept glancing at his wristwatch.
Seeing that, I nodded and gestured to Manager Ma.
“We’ll follow. Manager Ma, get ready. Let’s move.”
Khamis drove off in his own vehicle, and we followed behind.
“Who does business like this?”
As soon as we got in the car, Heo Seonggu complained irritably.
Was this man even in his right mind? Surely he knew where he was.
“Minister, abandon the idea that common sense applies here. This is a war zone.”
“Well, even so—”
“Your role is simple, Minister. Go there quietly, take a few photos, and return safely. I’ll handle everything else.”
At this point, the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ only role was to pose for photos that could be used for media coverage.
Negotiations—and the operation that followed—were entirely Black Bear’s responsibility.
Realizing there was nothing he could actually do, Heo Seonggu shut his mouth.
“This won’t cause you any trouble, Minister.”
At my firm words, he cleared his throat loudly, nodded reluctantly, and crossed his arms.
After that, silence filled the car.
We left Baghdad and drove for a long time.
Manager Ma periodically checked the GPS device.
“Boss, we’re about to enter the Kurdish autonomous region.”
The Kurds, who had assisted the U.S. military in the invasion of Iraq, were granted autonomy and governed themselves.
As a result, the Kurdish autonomous region had largely avoided the brunt of the war ravaging the rest of Iraq.
Even after entering the region, we drove for quite a while before finally reaching our destination.
“I see tents.”
Rather than buildings like a city, the area was nothing but open land dotted with several tents.
Khamis parked the car some distance from the tent camp, got out, and walked toward us.
“Get out. We’ll have to walk from here to there.”
“Wait a moment.”
Manager Ma got out first and signaled to the mercenaries assigned to protect me.
The Zaytun Unit soldiers had already disembarked and were securing the perimeter.
“It seems safe to get out.”
I got out with Heo Seonggu. Manager Ma had already opened the trunk and was retrieving the bags of cash.
After walking about a hundred meters, we reached the tent camp and came face to face with armed men.
“Are those them?”
“No. Those are my men. The soldiers should wait here.”
“Hmm...”
“I guarantee your safety. They’re also waiting on the opposite side, and only three of them have entered.”
It seemed the choice of location owed more to Khamis than to any talk of a single god or holy war.
“Very well. We’ll also send in only three.”
I dragged along the visibly uncomfortable Heo Seonggu and entered the central tent.
Inside, three men wearing masks were already waiting.
