Red Phoenix

out …”

With only occasional nods and a yes now and then, Tony followed Anne to a small diner. It was a little crowded, but they found a table. Most of the clientele was Korean, which Tony took to be a good sign.

“… they’re using the most inefficient schedules. I know they are brighter than that. Wait a minute. I’ve been talking for five minutes.”

“Yes, do you feel better? You’re a lady who cares about her work.”

“You let me blather on for five minutes? I feel like an idiot.”

“Would you like to order? They’ve got kalbichim. It’s pretty good.”

“Why did you let me talk so much?”

“Look, Anne, you’re having a hard day — ”

“Hard month, more like it.”

“Fine. A hard month. I wanted to find out what was bothering you. And everybody likes to talk about their job. You already know what mine is. Now let’s order.”

“All right.” She relaxed a little more, studying the menu. It was standard Korean fare, heavy on beef and fish, but spicy. She looked resigned. “I’ll just have pulgogi.”

Tony frowned. “You don’t sound enthusiastic about the menu. Pulgogi’s just marinated beefsteak. You picked this place. Don’t you like Korean food?”

“I haven’t had much besides pulgogi and a few other things. I guess I’m not very adventurous. I really came here because nobody from my office ever comes here.”

“Next time I’ll wear a bag over my head.”

She giggled. “Stop that. I shouldn’t be so upset, but — ”

“It’s been a bad day. Yes, I remember.” Tony was pleased that Anne had actually laughed. “Can I make a few suggestions? I’ve tried most of the things on the menu at least once. I promise, nothing too exotic.”

“All right.” This time she sounded a little more pleased, even curious. “What are you having?”

“Pibim-bap. It’s got eggs, rice, meat, beans, lots of stuff. It’s good, but it’s a little spicy.”

“I’ll try it, too.” She studied the menu with more interest. Most of it was printed with Hangul characters, but alongside each dish was an English transliteration of the name. “What’s myolchi?

“Anchovies in a sweetish sauce.”

“Yuck.”

“No, it’s the old salt-and-sweet contrast. It’s not bad.”

“I’ll pass. What goes well with pibim-bap?”

“Yonppuri. It’s lotus root in a sweet sauce. It helps kill the fire.”

“Fine, let’s order.”

While they waited, Tony found out that Anne had been in Korea for three months, working as the systems programming supervisor. “I was promoted in the States and brought over to fill in this job. It’s the first time I’ve been in charge of other people.” She frowned.

“You don’t like it?” Tony prompted.

“I don’t know what to do. I’m much more comfortable working with the computer. I guess I don’t work well with groups — certainly not leading a group.”

“This is a bad time for learning management skills,” he agreed.

The food came, and they ate and talked and laughed a little. They were both equally handy with chopsticks. Tony fought his desire to talk about flying, and instead they talked about Korea, and what they’d seen, or not seen in Anne’s case.

“I’ve been completely wrapped up in my work,” Anne said. “Remember the riot? That was my second trip downtown. My first was to the Kyongbok Palace. Nothing since early October.”

“Anne, when the U.S. pulls out, you’ll go, too, and this is a beautiful country. I’ve been playing tourist ever since I got here, and I haven’t seen half of what I want to. The food, the art, the — ”

“That surprises me. I thought fighter pilots just liked to fly and party.”

Tony looked a little peeved. “I like both, but I don’t fly every day, and I don’t party every night. Uncle Sam paid my way over here, and there’s not a lot to do besides fly. I want to understand the country and the culture, at least a little.”

“You’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry. I guess I just don’t feel comfortable exploring the country.”

“I think you just need some practice. I’ve got a day off next weekend. I’m going to visit an old ruined fort south of here. Would you like to come along? It’s thousands of years old.”

“I’m so busy right now. I usually work on the weekends.”

“Well, what’s the deadline on this crunch project? We can just go after it’s over.”

“Oh, there’s no deadline, I just normally work.”

“Oh, well, please, take one day off and come out with me to visit the fortress. It’s not far, and there’s a good restaurant someone in the squadron told me about.”

“I really should see some of the country before I have to leave. I may even enjoy myself.”

Tony assured her. “You will.”

CHAPTER 16 Tremors

NOVEMBER 10 — NEAR THE DMZ, SOUTH KOREA

High on a hill above the full-scale mock-up of a Korean town, General Chang watched the afternoon’s scheduled urban-assault exercise move toward its planned climax.

The sharp rattle of automatic weapons fire mixed with the hollow crump of exploding grenades reached General Chang’s ears as he lay watching the assault blast its way into the village. He kept his binoculars focused on the lead platoon as it advanced up a narrow street.

Yes, that was the way to do it. One squad back shooting the hell out of likely enemy firing positions while another group dashed forward to close with the next house. The troops flattened against its walls while two men lobbed grenades in through doors and windows. Chang smiled as he saw the soldiers go in firing before the smoke from the grenades had even stopped billowing out of the building. Damn right. Charge in before the bastards inside had time to clear their heads.

Without lowering the binoculars he said, “Make a note. Commend the first platoon. Give them a two-day pass.”

His aide, crouching beside him with a pad and pencil, scribbled frantically, adding a new line to his tenth page of notes from this exercise alone. The general must be in a generous mood, he decided. For the conscript soldiers of South Korea’s army, a two-day pass was an almost unheard-of luxury. There’d be a lot of celebrating in the barracks tonight, and General Chang, the soldier’s soldier, would see his popularity soar even higher.

Chang swung his binoculars over to follow the other part of the assault force. They were also making good progress, grenading their way deeper into the village. He watched and listened as the firing rose to an echoing crescendo and died away into a spatter of individual rifle shots. Then the firing stopped.

“Tango One Five, this is Tango One One,” the radio crackled.

Chang took the microphone held out by his radioman. “Go ahead, Tango One One. This is Tango One Five.”

“The objective is secure. Repeat, the objective is secure.”

Chang thumbed the mike switch. “Acknowledged. Assemble your troops in the town square. I’m coming down. Out.”

The colonel tossed the mike back to his radioman, stood up brushing the dirt off his uniform, and headed toward his jeep. He was pleased. The exercise had gone like clockwork, with the village cleared of its hypothetical North Korean or subversive defenders in less than forty-five minutes.

Chang clambered aboard his jeep and settled back as it tore off down the winding, dirt road toward the small group of houses that marked Exercise Area Five. He threw his head back and let the cold air rush over him. Winter