OUTCAST Ops: Red Ice

CHAPTER SIX

San Francisco is unique in California because it is the only city that is also a county. The mayor acts as the county executive, and the city’s Board of Supervisors acts as the county council.

Norman Kwan, President of the Board of Supervisors for the City and County of San Francisco, wasn’t an imposing man. In fact, the slightly-built, fifty-seven year old looked like a storekeeper. As he entered City Hall, he greeted the security guards with a smile and a wave. On the way to his office, he was stopped by more than one person with routine matters related to running the thirteenth most populated city in the country. He handled each with grace and kind words.

When he reached his office, his secretary, a matronly redhead, smiled at him. “Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning, Georgina. Anything I need to know?”

“You heard about the extreme violence down at Pier 80 last night, right?”

Kwan sighed. “Yes, I’ve already been on the phone with Chief Lee. Inform the Board that there will be a moment of silence at today’s meeting, and that we need to make sure there’s a supervisor at each funeral.”

“Yes sir. Mr. Tanada is asking for a meeting over the street repaving problems in his district.”

“When’s the earliest can I see him?”

“An hour and a half from now.”

“All right. I’ll see him then.”

“Also, there’s a man waiting for you in your office.”

Kwan frowned. “Who?”

“A Mr. Lee from the Red Phoenix Society.”

He felt a chill of fear go through him, but kept his smile. “I’ll talk with him. Hold all calls until we’re done.”

“Yes sir.”

Kwan entered his office. The guest standing at the window turned slowly to look at him. He was shorter than Kwan, and lean, with cold dark eyes and closely-cropped hair. He was dressed in a mid-priced suit, yet Kwan knew he wasn’t a businessman. “Mr. Kwan,” he began in accented English.

“Mr. Lee,” Kwan returned, closing the door behind him.

Lee smiled and said in Korean, “My God is none other than the people. Only the popular masses are omniscient and omnipotent and almighty on Earth. Therefore, my lifetime motto is: “The people are my God.”

The words of Kim Il-Sung hit Kwan like a physical blow, and it took him several seconds to remember the other half of the code phase. “Th — The basis of the Juche Idea is that man is the master of all things and the decisive factor in everything.”

“You remembered.”

Kwan held up a hand, then walked over to his desk and opened a drawer. Once the white noise generator was on the desk and activated, he scowled. “I received no warning of your arrival.”

“You weren’t supposed to know.” Kwan’s visitor sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. “I am Major Rhee Kyu-chul.” He looked around. “You seem to have done well, Byung.”

Kwan fought the fear as Rhee spoke a name Kwan hadn’t used in nearly forty years. “What are you doing here?”

“I need your help.”

“With what?”

Rhee traced a circle on the chair’s armrest with his finger, his eyes never leaving Kwan. “You are no doubt aware of the incident at the pier last night?”

Anger replaced Kwan’s fear. “You did that?”

Rhee shrugged. “They were nothing more than lapdogs for their corrupt masters.”

Pot, kettle, black, Kwan thought. “Do you think we…the Americans…will back off? No, they will want blood, and they will come after you hard!”

The major shrugged again. “That is not your concern. What I want from you is information.”

“On what?”

“Someone showed up last night at the pier. They broke the ambush and saved a few DEA agents.”

“So?”

“They used military weapons and didn’t act like policemen. I want you to find who they are.”

Kwan stared at Rhee. “How do you expect me to do that?”

“Someone must know who these people are.”

“There are no such groups in the city!”

“They obviously exist,” Rhee said, his tone dropping into annoyance. “You will use your resources to find out who they are.”

Kwan clamped down on his anger. “Look, whoever they are, they’re not part of the local or state government — none of the leaders here or in Sacramento would stand for it. It they do exist, it must be on the federal level.”

“There’s a special assistant to the president currently here. He will know.”

“He will not tell me anything. The federal government is not beholden to the local or state governments.”

Rhee scowled. “Do what you have to in order to find out.” He stood and handed Kwan a business card. “Call when you have something. You have twenty-four hours.”

“And if I don’t find anything?”

Rhee’s smile was cold. “Your younger brother just became head of the biology department at Kim Il-sung University. It would be a pity if he was to lose that position because of your failure. He’s married and has three children, two of them grown and married. The prison camps are poor places to bring children and grandchildren up in.”

Rhee walked toward the door. For a moment, Kwan considered throwing the white noise generator at him, but decided not to.

After Rhee left, Kwan sunk into his chair. He hadn’t thought about his brother in years, didn’t even know if what Rhee had said was true. But he couldn’t take the chance. During his training, he had been taken to one of the camps and shown the fate of those who did not follow the Kim family’s vision.

He reached over and pressed the intercom button. “Georgina, please continue holding my calls for the time being.”

“Yes sir.”

He released the intercom switch and picked up the phone, dialing a number from memory.

He had to find Casey.