Then he typed in his message on the pad.
"Completed task #1. Now moving toward task #2. Any changes in our orders? Murdock."
He waited while Holt pushed the switches that automatically encrypted the message and flashed it out in a transmission burst that lasted less than a tenth of a second. Murdock wasn't sure how the message made the trip, but somehow it got to the satellite and back to the ship.
They sat waiting. Murdock got up and scooped out a hide hole he could stretch out in in case they had to go invisible. Before he was done the box chattered with a voice communication.
"Murdock. Your number-two assignment canceled. Subject has moved. Continue with number-three assignment. Your fishing buddy, Stroh." The voice sounded a little strange going through three broadcasts and relay systems and being encrypted and then de-encrypted. Still, it was Stroh.
Jaybird came up when he heard the radio. He missed most of it. He scowled at Murdock.
"Continue to assignment number three? What about Taedong?"
"Evidently the general has moved on to some other spa or point of pleasure. We're off Taedong and back to Nampo."
"Great. Just how the hell you figure we're going to get there?"
"By transport. We need transport. See if you can whip up a six-by-six for me, will you?"
Jaybird dropped to the ground. "We must be twelve miles or so from Chungsan. Then it's another twenty-five down to Nampo. Sure as hell hope we don't have to walk the whole way."
"That's what we've got to work on. Right now, it's time to get some sleep. Then what we need is a truck and a map and a whole lot of good luck. How can you help me?"
"A truck. A nice farm truck filled with rice straw would be nice to hide the men in."
"Or a closed one. I've got an idea what to do as soon as we get to the coast. But we're a long way from there yet. A truck. Wish there was more traffic on this road."
Jaybird sat up straight. "So we hijack a truck on the road down there. We don't care which way it's going. We grab a truck and move the troops out to the wet."
"At least anyone looking for us won't think that we've doubled back on our route. They'll be out ahead someplace."
"Let's go truck hunting," Jaybird said. "If we find the right kind, we can use it during the day. If it's not the right kind, we'll hide it here in the woods and use it as soon as it gets dark." "Jaybird, Lead Petty Officer, you've got yourself a deal."
They found a place where they could watch the roadway in both directions yet not be seen, and settled in. Traffic was almost nonexistent. One small truck came by, but it wouldn't hold all the men. It wheezed, sputtered, and nearly died. Jaybird shook his head.
The next truck was a better size, but just in time they saw the military designation painted on the bumper. They burrowed deeper in the weeds and grass and let it pass. It was headed for Taedong, which pleased them. By then it was fully light. The sun came up.
After nearly two hours of waiting, a promising rig came in sight headed for Chungsan. It was big enough, had a six foot high stake body, and was half filled with some kind of produce.
Murdock left his weapon with Jaybird and walked along the highway, then heard the rig coming and turned, stepped into the road, and waved both arms.
Murdock still wore his baseball cap and civilian Korean clothes. His size was against him, but from the cab of a truck it wouldn't matter so much. The rig slowed, then stopped.
Murdock ran up on the driver's side, pulled open the door, and stared at a black pistol aimed at his head. The driver scowled and shouted something in Korean. Murdock shook his head. He was too far away to get a swipe at the weapon. Then the Korean hurtled forward, dropped the gun, and fell half out of the truck.
Right behind the man was Jaybird, who had given him a powerful shove. Murdock picked up the revolver, pushed it in his pants belt, and dragged the driver out. Jaybird grinned and slid behind the wheel. He waited for Murdock to push the driver into the rear of the truck and jump in beside him. Murdock found some twine in the truck and tied the farmer hand and foot.
Jaybird stopped at the lane, got out, and ran up to where the SEALs had stretched out. He got them up, had Douglas take DeWitt, and in five minutes had the SEALs all on board the truck and Douglas behind the wheel.
They threw out half of the produce, some kind of long white radishes and some other green vegetables. There was soon room for all of the SEALs and their weapons. From the outside the rig looked like any other on the way to market farm produce. The men were a bit crowded, but all agreed it beat walking, especially Ed DeWitt. They kept their weapons handy and locked and loaded.
This truck was newer than the one they had before, and rolled along at fifty to fifty-five miles an hour. They passed two slower trucks, and began meeting more traffic the nearer they came to the city. They came to a fork in the road, and Charley in the front seat read the signs. He pointed to the right.
"We go around town and find coast. What you want, right?"
Murdock nodded. He and Douglas pulled down their bill caps to help hide their faces. Murdock changed places to put Charley on the door side so he could ask for directions if they needed them.
They rolled along another five miles, and found the north-south road they had used to come from the resort. They passed it quickly and came to another meeting of two more roads. Charley read the signs, and angled the truck into the one heading south and west toward the coast.
"So far, so good," Douglas said.
The moment Douglas said it, Murdock wished he hadn't. Ahead he saw a pileup of traffic. There were two lanes heading in their direction, and he could see half-a-dozen cars and trucks in each lane. At the intersection he saw two military police waving people forward. The soldier for the right-hand lane was on the right-hand side of the street. He pointed at them and shouted at Charley.
Charley yelled back, and the military policeman laughed and waved them on through.
"What was all that?" Murdock asked.
"He asked me if I had any kimchee. I told him I was taking half a truckful to his mother's house right now."
"It worked. Thanks. How much farther to the coast?"
"Not sure. Maybe five-six miles."
The town began to thin out. Soon there was only one lane going each way. Ahead, Murdock could smell salt air. He grinned. They might just make it yet.
"Charley, we need to find a boat big enough for all of us. A fishing boat? Are there any harbors around here?"
"Last sign say Chungsan Bay. We find."
They drove another half hour, working back and forth before they found the small street that led to a quarter-mile long bay with two small piers. Boats had tied up at both of them.
"We gonna hijack a boat?" Douglas asked.
"Not if we can help it. We'll rent one, if Charley has enough won."
Charley pulled out the stack of bills. "Nineteen thousand won," he said. "Plenty to rent good boat."
"We steal a boat, the coast patrol boats would be all over us before we got ten miles," Murdock said.
They stopped at the end of the pier. Charley and Murdock walked out on the pier, and Charley talked to the boat people. Murdock didn't have to say a word. Charley said something and bumped into Murdock, and they walked back the way they came.
"No boats to rent there, but on other pier," Charley said. They walked to the next pier and went out on it. The boats were not in as good condition. Fishing had been poor, Charley said.
The boat that was for rent turned out to be a thirty-foot fishing boat with a diesel engine and a bad paint job. Charley haggled with the owner for half an hour, and at last made a deal. The owner would go along to run the ship and bring it back.