Only Human (Themis Files #3)(64)
[Fine. I guess I’ll have to talk to them after all. Have lunch, I’ll get back to you.]
Good. Just give me a sec, Alex. I’ll help you get out of your straightjacket, and we can eat.
—Thank you. I’m starving.
—All right, I’m coming. I suppose now would be a good time to tell you. If the North Koreans start firing before the Chinese march in, I’m bailing us out.
—What?
—Let me take your gloves off. They have to funnel a million men through a bridge. They’ll be slaughtered.
—I’m pretty sure that’s why we’re here.
—Even if we help, Alex. They’re fish in a barrel. They’ll push through. Maybe half of them will make it. I’m not going to be responsible for half a million dead. If we bail, they won’t dare cross that bridge.
—The major will kill us.
—Yeah, Katherine’ll be pissed.
—I mean she’ll literally kill us. I’m not supposed to tell you, but these little canisters they installed on the ceiling, they’re VX gas.
—I knew they weren’t something good.
—She can release it remotely.
—She won’t. I mean she’ll do it if she has to—I don’t think she’ll even hesitate—but she won’t do it for this. Not for the Chinese, not if North Korea fights back. The prize here is South Korea. If it all goes to hell before we even cross the border, it’s just not worth it to kill us.
—I’m not sure I want to take that bet.
—Hey, if Katherine’s right, the North Koreans will roll out the red carpet for us, and this whole conversation is moot.
[Vincent, are you there?]
Yes, Katherine. We just got out of the controls. We were about to eat.
[Oops. You need to get back in. Lunch will have to wait.]
What? Why?
[There is a regiment of Ch’?nma-hos tanks lining up across the bridge in Sinuiju. The Chinese want you to get to the river now, make sure they’re happy to see you.]
What if they’re not?
[I think they will be. Now go. Chop. Chop.]
—I’m hungry. I don’t want to die when I’m hungry.
—We’re not going to die, Alex. We’re going to single-handedly start a global thermonuclear war, and we’ll be the only two idiots to survive. We’ll have plenty of time to eat our sandwich then. Get your arms in, I’ll do the rest. Front is closed. Did you put on weight?
—More muscle.
—Of course. Put your gloves on, Arnold. My turn now. Of all the places we could cross into Korea from, I can’t believe they chose this one. I love the sense of irony.
—I don’t understand.
—Do you know what the bridge between Dandong and Sinuiju is called?
—Something Chinese?
—It’s the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge.
—Hey, what are friends for?
—I’m all strapped in. Are you ready to get shot at?
—Sure.
—Katherine, our computer tells us we’re 6,420 meters from the river at 116 degrees. Can you confirm? I don’t want to overshoot the river if we’re not welcome.
[Vincent, the nerds here are nodding.]
All right. That should do it, give or take a step. Ready, Alex?
—If you say so.
—Friendship Bridge, here we come …
—Oh my God!
[What? Oh my God what?]
—Relax, Katherine, it’s the bridge. It’s full of lights. It lights up the water underneath. It’s really pretty.
[Damn, you guys. You almost gave me a heart attack. What about the tanks?]
We can’t see anything with the city lights. It’s dark on the Korean side. They can see us, though.
[Are they firing?]
Do you think we’d mention the bridge being pretty but forget about the North Korean Army firing at us? I think we’re good. Either that, or they’re— —Oh my God!
[What? Something pretty again?]
—You could call it that. There’s a giant robot full of bright green light on the Korean side of the river.
[Lapetus is there? In North Korea?]
I’m afraid so. Should we leave?
[Stand by.]
Shit, it’s walking towards us.
—What do they want?
—I don’t know. I think it just waved at us.
<Hi, Dad!> Fuck.
—Is that—?
—Yeah. It is.
FILE NO. 2196
MISSION LOG—WARRANT OFFICER EVA REYES AND LT. BARBARA BALL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, MECHA DIVISION
Location: Aboard Lapetus. Seoul, South Korea
—Can I call you Eva?
—As opposed to what?
—You’re a warrant officer in the Marine Corps. I can call you ma’am. I can call you chief if you like.
—Eva’s fine.
—Good. I’m Barbara.
—Do they often switch pilots on you at the last minute?
—Nope. Never happened before.
—First time for everything, I guess.
—Second time, actually. Both today. I usually ride with Captain Hough. To be honest, he’s much better than I am with the legs. I get the arms. Then they tell me I’ll ride with Benson, and now you. I don’t know what’s wrong with them today.