Assignment: Seoul

by Allen Kupetz

  Chapter One

  “Destination?”

  “Anywhere,” responded CJ, his eyes following the attractive Asian woman who had been in front of him at the ticket counter as she walked away.

  “Anywhere?” repeated the ticket agent. CJ turned to look at the woman smiling politely at him. Her United Airlines name tag said “Suzi,” which seemed to match her distinctive Texas sorority appearance – a little too much blonde hair, but pretty nonetheless. It was a look with which CJ had become quite familiar years ago at the University of Texas at Austin.

  “I want to go where that woman’s going,” CJ said, pointing to the woman who had before been ahead of him, but who was now disappearing into the maze that is the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, DFW, for those better acquainted with it.

  “She's going to Seoul,” Suzi said with a laugh.

  “Then I want to go to Seoul.”

  “United has a direct flight today on our Star Alliance code-share partner, Asiana Airlines,” Suzi told him, going along with the joke.

  “Why doesn't United fly its own planes directly to Seoul?”

  “Some days we do, sir,” Suzi responded. “But not today.”

  “Fine,” said CJ. He had flown Asiana on his last trip to Seoul when it was Northwest’s code-share partner. He remembered getting his choice of a free tie or golf balls just for flying in business class. “Please book me next to that woman. I hope she's not flying economy. My legs don't fit in those small seats.”

  “She's flying business class. Your name, sir?”

  “Allen. Conner James Allen. Allen is the last name, though I suppose the other two would do as well.”

  Suzi typed away, then stopped suddenly and said, “You already have a reservation to Seoul, Mr. Allen. And a confirmed seat next to Ms. Lee,” Suzi added with decided amazement.

  “Of course I have a reservation. You wouldn't give me a ticket without one. Please leave the return open-ended. Ms. Lee looked friendly, but one never knows.” CJ handed Suzi his credit card.

  “Do you have a passport, Mr. Allen?” Suzi asked, still dazed by CJ's apparent sleight of hand.

  “Yes. Several. I'm something of a collector.”

  “Well, I just need to see one,” said Suzi, who was now so confused that she just wanted to get to the next customer.

  CJ handed her his well-worn passport.

  “You're quite the world traveler, Mr. Allen,” Suzi remarked, flipping quickly through the entry and exit stamps. “Are you a member of our frequent flyer program? You can earn miles today good on any Star Alliance member airline.”

  “Of course I am. My account number was included with my reservation.”

  “So it was,” replied Suzi, more confused than ever. “You don't have a visa for Korea.”

  “I can stay in Seoul for 30 days without one. If I can't win Ms. Lee's heart in a month, I'll come back home to you. May I call you when I return?” asked CJ jokingly.

  “No,” laughed Suzi, waving a Texas-sized diamond ring in CJ's direction. “You're cute, but my husband would be furious.”

  The line sounded well-rehearsed and CJ frowned, trying to look broken-hearted.

  CJ approached his seat happy to spot Ms. Lee right where she belonged, sitting next to their common window. He had spent a lot of time in line staring at her back and was delighted when her face looked just as good. After they made eye contact, he said slowly, “I didn't know there were any Koreans in Texas, let alone such a beautiful one.”

  “I am as American as you are,” Ms. Lee responded politely in native English.

  “Of course you are. How rude of me to assume otherwise,” CJ said apologetically.

  “Apology accepted. You can sit down. It’s too long a flight to stay embarrassed. My name is Rachel Lee.”

  “Pleasure to meet you Ms. Lee and, yes, I am embarrassed. My name’s Conner Allen. My friends call me CJ.”

  “Your name is Conner Allen and your friends call you CJ. I hope you spell better than your friends, Mr. Allen.”

  “Conner James Allen - and please, CJ.”

  “Fine, CJ. You can continue to call me Ms. Lee, but it’s Miss Lee and I prefer Rachel. Even people who aren’t my friends call me Rachel.”

  The two exchanged business cards. Hers read “Hanbok Imports.” It had a central Dallas address and a 1-800 number. CJ's read “The Law Offices of C.J. Allen, Specialists in International Initial Public Offerings.” The address was a downtown Dallas office building.

  “Well Rachel, what brings you from Texas to Korea?” As he asked, CJ opened an app on his phone.

  “My company buys traditional Korean crafts and imports them for resale all over the U.S.,” Rachel replied. “We have an office at the Intercon in Seoul where I stay, but it is really just an address.”

  “Why Dallas? Why not California like most other Korean importers?”

  “My father settled in Dallas after the war and started what’s become a family business. I was born in Dallas and went to school at SMU. Besides, Dallas is in the middle of the U.S. and I can fly almost anywhere directly.”

  “Even Seoul, I just found out today.”

  “Even Seoul,” repeated Rachel with a laugh. “What brings you from Texas to Korea?”

  CJ said, “I’m a lawyer with business in Seoul.” By now he had logged on to the Texas Department of Public Safety database, as much as to pass the time as out of professional curiosity. He clicked on the box certifying he was a law enforcement official to allow him to search for “Hanbok Imports” and Rachel Lee. Neither had ever registered a car nor held a Texas driver’s license. CJ then dialed up the on-line Texas business directory at the University of Texas business school library. No “Hanbok Imports” in Texas. He decided to log on to the AT&T 1-800 number directory to search for the converted area code of Hanbok Import. He wasn't supposed to be able to, but with internet access and a little knowledge there was a lot of information out there.

  “A lawyer on his phone,” commented Rachel, unable to hide her annoyance that CJ seemed more interested in it than her. “What are you so busy doing?” Rachel had to ask because the screen was not at an angle where she could read it.

  “Just checking the weather in Seoul,” CJ lied just as he learned that Hanbok's 1-800 number was connected to an address on International Drive in Washington, D.C. CJ downloaded the address to his card file and logged off. “You online a lot?”

  “No,” she said. “I hate machines.”

  “Bad news,” CJ responded, “you're flying in one.”

  “So what are you doing in Seoul?” asked Rachel.

  CJ sensed she was trying to move the conversation away from a technical discussion. “I help foreign companies that want to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange prepare the volume of paperwork needed to comply with all the SEC regulations.”

  “Who hired you this time?”

  “Sorry Rachel, can't say. Confidentiality and all that.”

  “Well, I'll wait until the news becomes public, buy 100 shares, and remember you always.”

  On the in-seat screens a flight attendant was completing her explanation of how to use the life vest in the event a water landing and offering a reminder not to use certain electronic devices during takeoff. It took quite a while since it had to be explained in both English and Korean.

  “I guess your weather reporting career is on hold for awhile,” said Rachel pointing to CJ's phone.

  “What a joke,” said CJ, turning off his phone. “I hope nobody really thinks a phone could interfere with the plane's navigational system. If so, why wouldn’t the bad guys just check the weather?”

  The rush of the jet engines ended the conversation. CJ quickly noticed Rachel was not a professional traveler. She closed her
eyes as if in prayer, but she was holding her breath so only God knew if she was actually praying. She didn't look happy, but she seemed to improve as the plane leveled off.

  CJ watched Rachel during her distress and silently congratulated himself on obtaining this seat assignment. Rachel was bright, friendly, and willing to verbally spar with him. CJ knew most American men liked Asian women because they perceived the women to be eager to please. CJ loved the Asian look, but had never been attracted to obsequiousness. With Rachel, it seemed at first glance, he had found the best of two cultures. As he looked at her, he was struck again by just how attractive she was. She was a wonderful combination of cover-girl beauty and natural girl-next-door looks. Her body was slim, but not that too-thin look of some Asian women he had seen.

  “I'll live,” Rachel offered, ending CJ's fantasy. “I'm not this bad for the whole flight. It's just takeoffs and landings that bother me.”

  “With any luck there will only be one of each. Anyway, you did fine.”

  “If you'll excuse me, I'll make the first of many trips to the bathroom. I have a bladder the size of a peanut. I'd offer you the window, but I figure tall people always want the aisle.”

  CJ let her pass and then connected his phone to the on-board Wi-Fi. He converted the card file address into a memo and sent it to Langley via his cover company in Dallas. The process was easier than it sounded when he was trained because the software did all the work. CJ wrote a memo and sent it to his office in Dallas. Before the message was transmitted, the software encrypted it, re-encrypted the encrypted text, and sent it to Dallas. From Dallas it was forwarded automatically to a 24-hour duty office at CIA headquarters in Langley. The duty office, which had a sign on the door that read “We sometimes doze, but we never close,” decrypted the message and forwarded it to the appropriate office for action.

  When CJ was in Dallas, he had to follow regular procedures and wait his turn in the bureaucratic queue. But when he was on an assignment, especially one like this where he was en route to meet GOSSAMER, he got immediate responses to all his inquiries. The memo was simple:

  1. Action required (priority): Provide traces on:

  A. U.S. company “Hanbok Imports”.

  B. U.S. female person “Rachel [[Lee]]”.

  C. U.S. phone number “800-517-4338”.

  D. U.S. address “3514 International Drive, N.W. Washington, D.C.”.

  The message was sent and CJ expected a quick response.

  Rachel returned looking refreshed with a new coat of lipstick and freshly brushed hair. She put on her headphones and was listening to the classical channel at a volume that forced CJ to listen as well. Lunch was served and despite all the usual clichés about airline food, CJ found the bulgogi and rice quite palatable. The two ate in relative silence for about 20 minutes when CJ's phone began to beep. CJ logged onto the e-mail, completed the commands to decrypt it, and read:

  *** IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED ***

  1. ACTION REQUIRED (IMMEDIATE): SEE PARA 3 BELOW.

  2. THE FOLLOWING IS KEYED TO YOUR TRACE REQUEST:

  A. NO RECORD OF U.S. COMPANY “HANBOK IMPORTS”.

  B. 1,137 U.S. FEMALE PERSONS POSSIBLY IDENTIFIABLE WITH “RACHEL [[LEE]]”. PLEASE PROVIDE DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH IF RETRACE IS DESIRED.

  C. U.S. PHONE NUMBER “800-517-4338” IS AN ACTIVE CIRCUIT SERVING THE ADDRESS BELOW.

  D. U.S. ADDRESS “3514 INTERNATIONAL DRIVE, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C.” IS THE EMBASSY OF ISRAEL.

  3. CHIEF OF ISRAEL DESK REQUESTS IMMEDIATE RESPONSE REGARDING WHETHER THIS TRACE REQUEST IS RELATED TO THE UPCOMING GOSSAMER MEETING. HE IS IN THE DUTY OFFICE NOW WAITING YOUR REPLY.

  “You must be kidding me,” CJ blurted out.

  “Excuse me?” responded Rachel, who had tired of listening to classical music at rock-and-roll volume. “Why was your phone beeping? Bad weather in Seoul?”

  “Sorry. I was looking at some of my stocks and they’re all going to hell right now. Every single one. I don’t know why I even check. Sorry I interrupted your lunch.”

  “Actually, I'm done and it’s no Asian secret that I have to go to the bathroom again,” Rachel said as she hurriedly scooted past him.

  CJ knew he only had a couple of minutes and needed more to bring Langley up to speed. There were two things to do right away. He picked up Rachel’s glass and exhaled on it until he got a fingerprint that was good enough to take a photo of. CJ then took out one of Langley's famous white powders and stirred a little into Rachel's glass. Actually, they made the powder blue now; too many agents had been stopped for possible cocaine possession before they changed the color. “She’ll sleep as long as her bladder will let her with this stuff,” he thought. He had brought the powder for himself and was disappointed he would not be able to use it to get some rest. He knew he would not have time to sleep in Seoul.

  Rachel returned and finished her ginger ale as if scripted. Glenn, one of the English-speaking flight attendants, came by to collect the trays and offer coffee. CJ had already decided to watch Four Weddings and a Funeral. He hadn’t seen it in a while.

  Within 10 minutes, Rachel was sound asleep. CJ reached over to check her heartbeat. Sometimes the powder can so depress the heart rate that it becomes dangerous. Glenn walked by to witness what looked like CJ trying to cop an unsuspecting feel in the dark. He looked at CJ disapprovingly. CJ considered saying something clever, but decided against it and gave Glenn one of those “I've been caught” looks and put his hand back in his own lap. Glenn moved on.

  CJ began his second memo of the flight:

  1. Action required (immediate): Tell me what the hell is going on! See para 4 below.

  2. Rachel [[Lee]] appears to be a circa 25-year old Korean-American female with native-level English. I arranged to sit next to her on this flight, not vice-versa. Information on “Hanbok Imports” and 1-800 number were obtained from her business card. My own traces revealed no obvious tie between LEE and Dallas.

  3. Information on location of 1-800 end-user is disturbing and surprising (LEE does not look Jewish). In any event, why would the Israelis be so sloppy in providing LEE cover, if in fact they are involved at all? Going on the assumption they are involved, they obviously threw this cover together in a hurry. I have no repeat no information that would lead to the definitive conclusion that LEE's travel is in any way connected to my meeting with GOSSAMER.

  4. Action required:

  A. Provide traces on fingerprint attached to this message.

  B. Advise if meeting with GOSSAMER should be aborted.

  CJ knew Langley would not cancel his meeting with GOSSAMER based on this exchange of messages or this seemingly chance encounter with Rachel. GOSSAMER could not be met in Israel, so Langley's only direct access to him came in his infrequent trips abroad. GOSSAMER had secret communications gear much like CJ's that allowed him to send and receive messages securely, but face-to-face contact was needed to keep GOSSAMER motivated. It was his handling of the GOSSAMER case that had gotten CJ promoted even in these tight budgetary times when promotions had become as rare as old Communist foes. CJ was not paranoid, but he didn’t believe in coincidences and had been trained to be mindful of them. Headquarters would provide guidance and CJ would go from there.

  Nearly an hour had passed when CJ received the following:

  *** IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED ***

  1. ACTION REQUIRED (IMMEDIATE): SEE PARA 3 BELOW.

  2. OUR FINGERPRINT TRACE WAS NEGATIVE. PRINT HAS BEEN PASSED TO THE BUREAU FOR A CHECK OF ITS RECORDS.

  3. ACTION REQUIRED:

  A. DO NOT REPEAT NOT ABORT GOSSAMER MEETING.

  B. OBTAIN GUARANTEED ACCESS TO [[LEE]] WHILE SHE IS IN SEOUL. A TEAM IS BEING SENT FROM JAPAN TO NEUTRALIZE HER DURING GOSSAMER MEETING. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU BE ABLE TO ID LEE TO THE TEAM. THE TEAM WILL LEAVE A MESSAGE AT YOUR HOTEL FOR YOU TO CALL MR. BASKINS. CALL MR. BASKINS AT THE NUMBER AND TELL HIM WHERE AND WHEN HE SHOULD DELIVER THE PAPERS. HAVE LEE THERE AT THAT TIME. EXCUSE YOURSELF FROM
YOUR MEETING WITH HER AND DEPART AREA QUICKLY. DO NOT REPEAT NOT ATTEMPT TO RECONTACT LEE AFTER THAT TIME.

  “Wonderful,” thought CJ. He hadn't even slept with her and the Agency was going to neutralize her. He didn't really know what “neutralize” meant in this context or why Langley always seemed to choose these kind of words. CJ knew they wouldn't kill Rachel. After all, she probably was an American and the Agency didn't just kill Americans for having bogus business cards or for working for Israeli intelligence. He didn't really understand that side of the Agency; his job was just to meet assets who had already been recruited. He thought of himself as basically a reporter, gathering information from sources to be used in a newspaper of sorts read only by the highest levels of the U.S. government. He was never interested in what he always called the dark side of the intelligence business, which is why he had opted to work on the outside posing as a businessman rather than on the inside posing as a bureaucrat. His way was the best way, he thought; he didn't have to neutralize anyone and there was never any reason to do anything bad to him.

  CJ's orders were clear. He was not paid to wrestle with moral dilemmas. CJ logged on to the international hotel reservation system. He found Rachel's reservation at the Intercontinental Hotel, just down the street from where he was staying at the Renaissance. He made a note in her reservation that she should be upgraded to a suite at the regular room rate because she was a VIP frequent traveler. He figured she'd owe him for the favor and wanted to make sure they would see each other in Seoul, per Langley's instructions and his own feelings. He had all but decided not to feed Rachel to his colleagues from Japan, but he wanted to leave his options open. In any event, he wanted to see her again.