Kill Chain (13 page)

Embassy
of the United States Seoul
32
Sejongno Street, Seoul, Republic of Korea

“Drones?”

Red nodded. “Yes, Mr.
President. According to Mrs. Cheng, they were surrounded by weaponized civilian
drones. As far as we know, they never saw anyone.”

Starling felt his chest
tighten. There had been no official communication from North Korea besides
denials issued in their media and through the Chinese. They had his daughter
and the others, and now from the sounds of what he was hearing, there were no
humans involved, just hacked vehicles and drones.

But why did they
release the Chinese hostage?

“Does she know where they
were taken?”

Red shook his head, his
teeth clenching slightly. “We didn’t get an opportunity to question her for
more than a few minutes. The Chinese arrived and took her.”

Starling’s fist slammed
onto the desk, everything rattling. “This is ridiculous! We need to know what
she knows!”

“Agreed, sir. She at the
very least saw the truck they were loaded into. Even a vague description of
that might help us.”

Starling forced his
fingers to relax, his clenched fist slowly releasing as he regained control of
his anger, it never helpful. “Were there any cameras showing her getting out of
the truck?”

Red shook his head. “No,
sir. All the cameras in the area were jammed the entire time she was there.”

Starling leaned back in
his chair, staring at the ceiling. “Drones. Does North Korea even have that
capability?”

“Sir, a fourteen-year-old
in Texas could do this.”

Starling closed his eyes
and sighed. “For all we know, it
is
a fourteen-year-old in Texas behind
all this.”

“You’re not convinced
it’s North Korea?”

Starling opened his eyes
and leaned forward. “I wouldn’t put anything past them, but this is a little
insane even for them.” He stared at a monitor that had been set up showing the
positioning of military assets for American, allied and enemy forces. “What are
the North Korean’s doing?”

Red glanced at the screen
then checked a tablet. “They’re on full alert and sending more troops to the
edge of the DMZ.”

Starling shook his head.
“And we’re doing the same.” He sighed. “All it might take is a single shot
fired in anger or fear to ignite a second Korean War.”

“Let’s pray that doesn’t
happen.”

Starling frowned then
shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the display. “Unless we find my
daughter and the others, war may be inevitable.”

The sound of a helicopter
lifting off outside had Red heading for the window. He glanced back at Starling
with a slight smile. “Looks like you just left, Mr. President.”

Starling was about to
reply when his cellphone vibrated on the desk. His eyes narrowed and Red turned
away from the window. “Who could that be?”

“Do you get calls to that
phone?”

Starling shook his head.
“Rarely, not even my wife would have called.” His eyes popped wide and his
heart raced. “But my daughter!” He grabbed the phone as Red activated his comm,
holding out a finger for him to wait.

“Control, Zero-Two. Trace
the call coming into the President’s cellphone, now!” Red listened for a moment
then nodded to Starling.

Starling, fingers
trembling, tapped to take the call. “Hello? Nancy?”

“No, Mr. President, but I
am the person who has her.”

En route
to Shinhan Motors
Seoul,
Republic of Korea

“Drones?”

Senior Inspector Kim’s
eyebrows shot up as she exchanged a glance with her driver. The very idea was
preposterous, though it fit perfectly with what they already knew. The security
vehicles had been hacked and steered into the fuel truck, and the automated
tour bus had disappeared with no one physically at the controls. Traffic
cameras had been hacked, and now drones—technology—were herding the hostages
from one location to another.

Incredible!

“Yes, Inspector. That’s
what she said before the Chinese took her.”

“Didn’t we get a report this
morning of something with drones?”

She heard fingers tapping
on the other end of the call. “Yeah. Bonggyo Industrial Bakery. They reported
that a shipping container had been delivered that apparently contained
hundreds, possibly thousands of drones that took off and disappeared the moment
they opened it.”

“Any progress?”

“A little. The container
was traced back to the Merchant Ship Red Star, apparently loaded in Yantai,
China, two weeks ago. The bakery says they have no idea who ordered it. The
owner is visiting family and swears he never placed the order.”

Kim stared ahead at the
traffic. “Do we believe him?”

“According to the file,
the business is struggling financially. There’s no way he could afford to buy
that many drones.” There was a pause. “Inspector, do you think it’s related?”

“Hundreds, possibly
thousands of drones are shipped here and disappear, then later the same day drones
are used in the kidnapping of the G20 spouses?” Kim grunted. “I don’t believe
in coincidences.” She checked her side mirror, the vehicle with the Americans
close behind them. “I’ll inform the Americans.”

Unknown
Location
Republic
of Korea

The truck
jerked to a halt and Nancy gasped as a previously unnoticed panel in the floor
slid open, the sound of traffic heard as the engine turned off. A buzzing sound
had Nancy pressing against the wall before two drones suddenly floated through
the hole. Someone screamed, who she didn’t know, for it could have been her. The
Canadian squeezed her arm and Nancy’s free hand clasped hers, gripping it hard
as she trembled, the two devices hovering in front of her before floating to
the door.

“Miss Starling, please
climb down through the opening.”

Every muscle tensed and
her hand darted out, gripping the Canadian by the wrist as she began to
tremble. She felt the woman gently place a hand over hers as she leaned in
closer.

“It’s okay, dear. This is
all about you. They’ll never hurt you.”

Nancy’s head spun toward
the woman, her eyes wide as the words sunk in. It
was
about her. Both times,
she had been the first told to move, and if she was the reason for all this, it
made sense. If something was to go wrong, they’d want their primary target
already in place should they need to flee and leave the others.

They’re not going to
kill you.

She relaxed slightly,
easing her grip.

At least not yet.

She tensed up again.

“If you do not comply
immediately, we will kill one of the others.”

The others’ whimpers
forced her to inhale deeply and let go of the Canadian’s arm. She closed her
eyes for a moment then peered through the opening, seeing the gaping pit of an uncovered
manhole below. She sat on the floor, her feet dangling over the edge, then
lowered herself into the hole, her feet finding the first rung of the ladder
inside. She looked at the others as she slowly climbed down, tear-streaked
faces of mothers surrounding her, there little doubt they were all imagining
their own children in this situation. The Canadian stepped into view, a gentle
smile on her face, her glistening eyes betraying her true feelings.

“It’ll be all right. Just
do what they say.”

Nancy nodded as her head
passed floor level and suddenly she could see under the truck. Several blinking
lights drew her attention, what appeared to be cameras and other sensors placed
around the underside of the vehicle.

Maybe that’s how they
were able to stop right where they needed to.

She shook her head.

Or this is another
automated vehicle, and those sensors just help keep it on the road.

She kept climbing down, a
sudden thought occurring to her.

Who moved the grate?

Her eyes widened with
excitement as she noticed a sliver of the street ahead of her, several people
walking by, their shoes evident though little more. She stopped, her fingers tightening
around the rung as an internal debate raged on whether to call out for help.

Then her mind flashed to
Herr Holst, to the security guards, to the heroic Chinese woman.

If this is about me,
then they died because of me.

Her shoulders heaved as
she took another step down.

No one else dies
because of me.

She descended into the
stink and damp of what thankfully seemed to be a storm system as opposed to a
sewage line. She reached the ground and flinched as several drones surged
toward her, coming to a stop only feet from her. She held up her hands,
protecting her face, when the voice was suddenly heard, not as loud this time,
coming from one of the drones.

“Follow the drone. If
you try to run, you will be shot.”

She heard something
overhead and looked to see a pair of feet descending toward her.

“Don’t wait for the
others.”

One of the drones was
already moving away from her, a light on its underside showing the way. She
took a tentative step toward it then committed, moving briskly along a walkway
to the left thankfully high enough to keep her feet dry, there little water, it
apparently not having rained for some time. And as she moved deeper into the
tunnel, and farther from the truck, the truck that perhaps could have been
traced, she realized the purpose.

They’re destroying the
trail!

Her eyes overflowed and
her shoulders shook.

Help us, Daddy!

Route
330
Seoul, Republic
of Korea

CIA
Special Agent Dylan Kane gunned his Hyosung GT650R Comet, threading it between
two lanes of traffic as he raced toward his target. The moment Nancy Starling
had gone missing, he had been called in, he fortunately on assignment just
across the pond known as the Yellow Sea, a mission in China aborted, the
President’s daughter taking priority. His handler had given him the expected
instructions.

Do whatever it takes.

As a CIA operative, he
had few limitations on what he was allowed to do, though killing
indiscriminately was frowned upon. Essentially he normally had free rein to do
what needed to be done, as long as it didn’t come back to bite the United
States on the ass.

Though today he had no
such restrictions.

“By whatever it takes,
what do you mean?”

“It means the President
will clean up your mess.”

He had smiled at that
one, it the first time he had heard the Rules of Engagement essentially to be
no
Rules of Engagement. He understood the reasoning. The man had lost his wife a
year ago, and now his teenage daughter had been kidnapped by what appeared to
be the North Koreans until only a few minutes ago, Langley’s update indicating
there might actually be someone else behind this.