Page 260 of Never
‘That would be suicide.’
‘This is his last shot. It’s all he has left. He can’t win any other way. And if he loses they’ll kill him.’
‘You really think he might use nuclear weapons?’
‘I can’t see what’s stopping him.’
‘I’ll do what I can.’
‘Tell me something. Give me your opinion. What are the chances that I’m going to die in the next twenty-four hours?’
Kai felt he owed Ham an honest answer. ‘Fifty–fifty,’ he said.
‘So I may never live in my new house,’ Ham said with quiet sadness.
Kai felt a tug of compassion. ‘It’s not over yet,’ he said.
Ham hung up.
Before calling Neil, Kai returned to the stage. ‘General Pak has left Pyongyang,’ he said. ‘The South Koreans are now in possession of the capital.’
President Chen said: ‘Where did Pak go?’
‘To Yeongjeo-dong,’ said Kai. He paused, then added: ‘Where the nuclear missiles are.’
***
Sophia Magliani, the Director of National Intelligence, had been speaking on the phone, and now she said: ‘Madam President, if I may.’
‘Please.’
‘You know we have a back channel in Beijing.’ A back channel was what they called an unofficial, informal means of communication between governments.
‘I do, of course.’
‘We’ve just learned that the rebels have abandoned Pyongyang. South Korea has won.’
‘That’s good news – isn’t it?’
‘Not necessarily. All General Pak can do now is deploy his nuclear weapons.’
‘Will he do that?’
‘The Chinese believe he will – unless the South Koreans withdraw.’
‘Jesus.’
‘Will you talk to President No?’
‘Of course.’ Pauline looked at Chief of Staff Jacqueline Brody. ‘Put a call in, please, Jacqueline.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘But I don’t hold out much hope,’ Pauline added.
President No Do-hui had achieved her lifetime ambition: she had reunited North and South Korea under one leader – herself. Would she give that up under threat of nuclear attack? Would Abraham Lincoln have given up the South after winning the civil war? No, but Lincoln was not threatened by nuclear weapons.
The phone rang and Pauline picked up and said: ‘Hello, Madam President.’
