Assassin’s Revenge–A David Slaton Novel
Chapter 68: Sixty-Eight
by Larsen, WardIn the basement of General Park’s hillside residence, Khang waits anxiously with a secure phone, nursing a leg wound from a recent mission. The phone, an outdated but encrypted device, connects him to Pyongyang’s highest echelons. Khang is troubled by recent events—losses in Vienna, his injury, and the general’s erratic behavior, particularly his inexplicable kindness toward the assassin’s wife and child. Doubts gnaw at Khang as he questions the legitimacy of their mission: a planned attack on Pearl Harbor, which now seems imminent. He seeks clarity from his trusted friend Chong Su-lok, who holds a high-ranking position close to Chairman Kwon Il-sun.
Meanwhile, Boutros, Sami, and Rafiq arrive at Green Island to prepare for an aircraft landing. The runway is in disrepair, overgrown with weeds and littered with debris, raising concerns about its viability. Despite initial skepticism, Boutros organizes a survey, and the men clear minor obstacles, though the strip remains precarious. Boutros sends a satellite message warning of the runway’s poor condition but receives no immediate response. The team begins transferring fuel cans ashore, their eyes frequently scanning the sky for the expected plane.
Khang’s phone call connects, and he speaks with Chong, seeking reassurance about the mission’s legitimacy. The general’s unusual actions—treating the assassin’s family with deference and accelerating the attack timeline—have left Khang uneasy. His loyalty is strained, and he wonders if the operation has proper authorization. The conversation with Chong is pivotal, as it could confirm or dispel his growing suspicions about the general’s motives and the regime’s true intentions.
Back on Green Island, Boutros and his team complete their tasks, but the lack of communication from their superiors leaves them in limbo. The runway, though cleared of major hazards, remains a risky landing site. As the sun climbs, the men’s uncertainty grows, mirroring Khang’s unease. Both narratives highlight tension and doubt—Khang’s about the mission’s morality and Boutros’s about its feasibility—setting the stage for impending conflict or revelation.
FAQs
1. What are Khang’s primary concerns in this chapter, and what do they reveal about his character and the broader political situation?
Answer:
Khang exhibits three main concerns: operational failures (Vienna casualties, his leg injury), reckless orders (abducting Westerners in Mallorca), and General Park’s erratic behavior (treating hostages like family). These reveal his disciplined military mindset and growing distrust of authority. Most significantly, his discovery that Pearl Harbor is the target—combined with doubts about whether the attack has proper authorization—hints at potential rogue elements within the North Korean regime. His decision to contact Chong Su-lok demonstrates both his resourcefulness and his loyalty to institutional hierarchy over individual commanders.2. Analyze the significance of the communication devices described in the basement scene. How do they reflect the story’s geopolitical tensions?
Answer:
The secure comm units—particularly the hardwired 1980s Chinese system—embody the secrecy and technological constraints of North Korea’s operations. The underground signal routing and encryption highlight paranoia about U.S./South Korean surveillance, mirroring real-world Cold War-era espionage tactics. The single-button phone’s difficulty connecting underscores operational fragility, while Khang’s unfamiliarity with it suggests compartmentalization within the regime. This technological landscape reinforces themes of isolation and the high-stakes nature of the planned attack.3. How does the Green Island runway sequence create narrative tension, and what practical challenges does it present for Boutros’ team?
Answer:
The deteriorated runway (overgrown vegetation, potholes, debris) creates visceral obstacles for the impending aircraft landing, raising stakes through environmental realism. Boutros’ measured response—surveying the strip and messaging for instructions—contrasts with Sami’s despair (“This can never work!”), establishing tension between optimism and pragmatism. The team’s cleanup efforts (removing nets, debris) demonstrate adaptability, but the lack of immediate satellite response leaves their fate uncertain. This subplot mirrors Khang’s storyline by showing lower-ranking operatives grappling with imperfect plans from distant commanders.4. Compare Khang and Boutros as secondary characters. How do their parallel storylines advance the plot’s central conflict?
Answer:
Both are competent operatives executing questionable orders—Khang with the Pearl Harbor plot, Boutros with the risky island landing. Khang’s internal doubts contrast with Boutros’ outward professionalism, illustrating different responses to chain-of-command challenges. While Khang seeks clarification through backchannels, Boutros follows protocols (satellite messaging). Their mirrored arcs humanize the logistical realities of the conspiracy, showing how systemic secrecy creates operational vulnerabilities. Their unresolved dilemmas position them as potential wildcards in the coming attack.5. What thematic purpose does the “assassin’s wife and child” subplot serve in Khang’s storyline?
Answer:
This subplot introduces moral ambiguity into Khang’s otherwise duty-driven perspective. His suppressed thought (“If it were up to me—”) suggests he would harm them, contrasting with Park’s inexplicable kindness. This dissonance reinforces themes of shifting loyalties and the personal costs of vengeance. By making the hostages emotionally significant to Park but enemies to Khang, the narrative creates tension around whether operational discipline or human connections will prevail—a microcosm of the larger conflict between ideological duty and individual judgment.
Quotes
1. “He didn’t like being ordered to Mallorca to snatch a pair of Westerners. That seemed incredibly reckless. But what bothered him more than anything was what was going on upstairs at that moment—a continuation of the general’s peculiar behavior.”
This quote captures Khang’s growing unease with General Park’s erratic actions, particularly the morally ambiguous mission to abduct Western civilians. It highlights the tension between duty and personal judgment, foreshadowing potential conflict.
2. “The ultimate goal—an attack that now appeared imminent—Khang knew to be very closely held. He himself had not been told the target, but he’d overheard enough in the general’s meetings, seen enough details in messages, to discern the ultimate aim: to vaporize Pearl Harbor.”
This revelation exposes the chapter’s central threat—a planned nuclear attack on Pearl Harbor—while emphasizing the secrecy and high stakes surrounding the operation. It raises questions about authority and chain of command in military operations.
3. “They found themselves standing on the runway, yet it was barely visible. Whatever material it had been constructed from seventy-five years earlier—concrete or smoothed coral or some amalgam of the two—seemed to have reverted to its natural state.”
This vivid description of the deteriorated runway on Green Island symbolizes the crumbling plans of the conspirators. The imagery of nature reclaiming man-made structures serves as a metaphor for the operation’s precariousness and the forces working against it.
4. “Boutros typed out: RUNWAY IN POOR CONDITION. LANDING MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE. ADVISE. A MESSAGE SENT confirmation echoed back. The screen remained blank.”
This moment of failed communication represents a critical juncture where plans begin to unravel. The lack of response creates suspense while demonstrating the isolation and uncertainty facing the operatives on the ground.