The North Korean Air Force was. It flew daily missions along the demarcation line bombing and strafing what it could see. Luckily, the North Korean Air Force didn’t have many operational aircraft, and the ones it had were not that sophisticated. They were stuck with dumb bombs and bullets.
None of this had any effect on Hufham and Ricks. Both had been ordered to Pusan for the interrogation and a little rest. They drove in their little Jeep and reported to command headquarters. Lee and the young girl went along as well. Lee found out he had been called up and the girl had no where else to go. She latched herself onto Ricks and almost wouldn’t let go. After being checked into a hospital to be treated for the cuts and scratches she endured, she settled into a small center set up for refugees. She slept at the center and walked daily to the barracks where Ricks and Hufham stayed. The girl tried to prepare meals but had to be turned away. It was obvious she didn’t understand what she should do.
That changed one afternoon as she made her way back to the refugee center. A young ROK soldier approached her as she started to go in the door. When he called out to her, she turned and her face broke out into a huge smile. She ran up to the young man and threw her arms around him. They embraced each other a long time before stepping apart and both going inside.
Hufham and Ricks were sharing a beer at the NCO club in Pusan when the young girl and the soldier came up to their table. Ricks and Hufham immediately recognized the young girl, but didn’t know the soldier.
“I am sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to meet you,” the young man said in a shaky voice. He held out his hand. “I am Kuan Jeu. I am Su Lynn’s brother.”
Hufham’s eyes went wide and he broke out in a grin. “Well good to see you Kuan. We were afraid this young lady was all by herself. Please, have a seat,” he said warmly. Ricks introduced himself and everyone sat down.
“My sister told me what you did to save her. I am very grateful,” Kuan said.
“She told you? Ricks asked. “She hasn’t spoken a word since we brought her with us.”
“My sister is very shy,” Kuan said quietly. “She doesn’t usually say much, but she was eager to tell me what happened and about our parents. I thank you for helping her.”
“I couldn’t let them do that to her,” said Hufham. “I know we probably should have just walked away. If we had been caught, it wouldn’t have been pretty. But Ricks and I couldn’t let it go. I’m glad she’s okay. Sorry we couldn’t help your folks,” he said sadly.
“We have been hearing about such things since this started. It does not surprise me. If I had not been in the Army, I might have been home to help them,” he said dejectedly.
“Don’t think like that. If you had been there, you would be dead like the rest. At least now you two are together,” Hufhan said.
As they talked, Ricks listened and watched the girl. Occasionally, she looked up at him. When she saw him looking at her, she smiled and turned her head away. She is a pretty girl, Ricks thought. He kind of liked how her eyes seemed to dance when she smiled at him. He remembered how she had tried to comfort him in the Jeep. He began to smile.
Ricks must have been staring because Kuan noticed him looking at her. He glanced at his sister and then at Ricks and smiled. He was about to say something when sirens began to wail across the city. Ricks and Hufham grabbed their guests and practically dragged them to a recently dug shelter next to one of the buildings. Everyone rushed inside and was roughly shoved tightly into the far end of the shelter. Most of the people were soldiers; however, other civilians were in the shelter from the offices nearby. The inside was unlit, except the light from the doorway. Everyone huddled on the ground, scared to death of what might happen.
Within a minute they began to feel the distant explosions. It came through the ground up through their feet and transmitted to their heads. It was a strange thumping feeling like being on a kind of trampoline when someone else was tapping it with a ball bat. Then the big ones came. They shook everyone to their core, picking them up and bouncing them on the ground. In the middle of it, Ricks felt a set of arms surround him and hold him tight. He felt his own arms surround her trying to protect her from the dangerous world outside. He heard her let out a small whimper. In between the blasts he softly told her, “It’s okay. It will be okay. I’m here.” He kissed her on the cheek.
He felt her relax a little although she was still clinging to him in fear. In the very dim light he looked at her face. All he could see was an outline, but somehow he could feel her eyes on him. Ricks never had anyone close to him before and never really had a girlfriend. He was just a good ol’ boy from Georgia who liked NASCAR and hunting. He had no idea what possessed him to pull her close. He found his face moving closer to hers. Suddenly the bombs didn’t seem important. Their lips met and they kissed each other as if there would be no tomorrow.
When they finally parted, the last of the bombs were falling in the distance. He felt her back away, yet her hands felt around until they were in his. That was when Ricks realized how wonderful he felt. Whatever it was, he was happy. He could almost tell she was smiling at him.
The all clear sounded and people began to leave the shelter. They left, hand-in-hand, to witness the destruction around them. The main administration building was burning and several other buildings were either on fire or piles of rubble. The barracks and NCO club were intact, though glass was broken. The place was a mess.
“You better get your sister to safety,” Hufham said. “Looks like we’re going to be busy for awhile.”
Kwan nodded. “I will take her to the refugee center. We have an uncle that lives just west of here. I may take her there,” he said.
Ricks took his arm. “Let me know where she is. I would like to see her again, if it’s okay,” he said.
Kwan nodded. His sister already told him she really liked the younger man called Ricks. Kuan spoke to his sister in Korean. Her eyes brightened as she nodded to him. Ricks leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see her as soon as I can,” he said with a smile.
People started barking orders and Hufham grabbed Ricks to follow him. Ricks pulled away from Su Lynn and waved good bye.
Kuan and Su Lynn watched them go and Kuan looked at his sister. “You were right. He is a good man,” he said looking back at the departing men. “And so much younger than the other one,” he grinned. He was rewarded by a smile and hit on his arm. They turned and made their way through the rubble to the Center.
The flight is really smooth, thought the President as he gazed out the window of his small office. His desk had a telephone that supposedly could let him talk to people anywhere in normal times. Though the décor was a little dated, the functionality was not questioned. The small office served its purpose and would just have to do. Unfortunately the plane was not the Boeing 747 designated SAM 28000. Despite the precautions against EMP designed into the aircraft, several systems were inoperative and the Air Force was taking no chances. The computer-enhanced controls and systems were suspect and placed out of commission. Now the President and his staff were flying in SAM 26000, the venerable Boeing 707 that had served seven presidents. It had been serving as a museum exhibit at the US Air Force Museum in Ohio, but just three days after EMP Day the Air Force mechanics pulled the jet out of the museum and readied it for duty. Most of this entailed taking out the Plexiglas walls and preparing the engines. Most of the equipment was still in place. The radio equipment was lower tech and enough still worked for the aircraft to be serviceable. In two weeks it was flown to Andrews Air Force Base for Presidential use. This flight was the first with the President onboard.