Then I thought about the pending Army raid on the NIS. That move would put the whole country under martial law until all the culprits were identified. Later today I’d have to phone Ambassador Stevens and tip him off on what’s going on. Finally, the booze kicked in and I dozed off.
When I woke-up, later in the day, Mi-young was gone, and so were all her clothes and makeup. Was she telling me goodbye forever?
I lit a smoke, got a coke from the minibar to wake up, and popped two aspirins. Coke has a lot of caffeine and helps settle my stomach. Picking up my cell phone, I called Ted. I noted it was 2 pm.
He answered, “Hello, Ted speaking.”
“Ted, it’s Jack. I’d like to fill you in on what’s going on.”
“Ok shoot, these are secure lines.”
“Maybe they are and maybe they’re not. I need to tell you this in person.”
“Ok, come over right now.”
“I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Right, see you soon.”
An hour later, Ted buzzed me into his apartment. We shook hands as I entered. Ted said, “Come on in, Jack. How about a drink?”
“That sounds great. A double JD on the rocks, please.”
I glanced around the room and saw Midori. Smiling at me, she approached and said, “Jack-san. You come to see me?” She took hold of both my hands, and gently squeezed them.
“Ah … yeah, and to meet with Ted.” It seems that Midori is a clinger. Once she gets her hooks into you, she’ll cling on forever.
“He’s here for a meeting with me,” Ted said, as he handed me my drink. “Let’s go into my office.” Ted shouted, “Keiko, don’t disturb us! That goes for you too Midori.”
His apartment was really a kick-ass place. Ted had his own office in this huge apartment along with three bedrooms and four baths. I glanced around the plush office with teakwood covered walls, a large walnut desk with a marble top, and a shiny semi-white granite floor.
As I closed the door to his office, I asked, “Did Kamata leave?”
“Yeah, he went back to Japan. We can discuss that later.” He sat behind his desk and took a sip of his drink. “Ok, what’s going on?”
“ROK Army Intelligence is translating evidence that I found. It was written in Japanese.”
“ROK Army Intelligence is involved in this?”
“Yes. This is a big deal. Let me explain what has happened. There were four men involved in this: Wright, Ellington, Watanabe, and Kim. We’ve linked these guys together, and found a briefcase full of evidence. It was full of documents and drawings on how to make an e-bomb.”
“What’s an e-bomb?”
“It’s a non-nuclear EMP bomb.”
“Did you or the Army catch these guys?”
“Ellington and Wright, the two Americans, imported from Russia, got away. They went to Hong Kong. The other two, Kim and Watanabe, were terminated.”
“Terminated by who?”
“Ted, you don’t wanna know that.”
Ted looked at me and took a sip of his drink. I think he got the hint who killed them.
I continued, “As I already told you, Suk and Kwon took control of the NIS, maybe with the President’s approval, but we don’t know that for sure … yet. The briefcase may contain the necessary evidence that links Suk and Kwon to the terrorists and the President.”
“If there isn’t any evidence that connects them, then what?”
“Evidence may show up in the documents. But this is also why the Army is going to raid the NIS HQ and take control. They’re going to arrest Kwon and Suk because they were put into power without approval of the National Assembly and the Army Chief of Staff. They’ll interrogate Kwon and Suk and get to the bottom of this. Army Intel has been watching the NIS very closely because they also suspect a coup is in progress.”
“How do you know that?”
“I had a meeting with a high ranking Colonel in the AIG who is a friend of Lee’s. The Army is going to make their move this Wednesday, on the third. When they do, martial law will be put into effect.”
“So, do we need added protection at the embassy?”
“I don’t think we need to do anything. First of all we, the United States don’t know anything about this, so don’t report any of this to Washington yet.”
“Why not? It makes me look stupid if I don’t know what’s going on here.”
“This is an internal Korean problem. You should report exactly what the news media or the Army tells you. But that’s all.”
We both took a sip of our drinks and sat there. Ted’s brain was thinking. That was not good. Ted tends to over-think everything and always wants to tell his superiors what he knows to score points. That’s not good either. What they don’t know can’t hurt you, is what I always say. It could come back to bite you in the ass.
Being new to the position of Ambassador, Ted needed some guidance. Now I’m no ambassador, but I do know something about reporting because I’ve done it my whole life.
Ted replied, “I don’t know about that, Jack. It’s like I’m lying.”
“Ted, you’re not lying. You’re just not telling them everything you know. If they don’t ask, don’t tell. Are you going tell them that you indirectly approved me getting involved in this incident? Of course, not. The more you tell them, the more the questions they’ll ask you.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Trust me, Ted, silence is golden. Do you remember when I killed that guy at the Golden Dragon?”
“I’ll never forget that. I never saw anyone get killed before.”
“You wanted to call the police, until I talked you out of it. If you would have called the cops, we might still be in jail. We definitely would have lost our jobs. Now look, your married to Keiko and have a great job. You’re the King here! You’re the United States Ambassador to South Korea. Ted, you have it made, so don’t ruin it.”
“Yeah, I see your point. I agree with your thinking.”
“That’s good, so when the news reports the raid on the NIS, you email Washington the same details you hear on the news. Assuming that President Roh isn’t arrested for treason, you could give him a call a few days after the raid to see if he needs any help from the United States. Then you can report that to Washington, also.”
“Thanks, Jack. I really appreciate your input. I just landed this job and I don’t want to put it on the line. I could milk this position for another three years and make a lot of money.”
I don’t know what he meant by that statement. It made me wonder if he was taking pay offs? But that’s none of my business. I raised my glass. “Here’s to your job, Mr. Ambassador.”
Ted added, “Here’s to your new job,” we touched glasses.
“What happens in Korea now is out of our control.”
“Jack, I have to hand it to you. You sure know how to sniff out the bad guys. It’s amazing what you did. You deserve a medal. I thought this whole thing was a figment of your imagination.”
I didn’t reply to his comments and took a sip of my drink.
We sat silent for a few minutes. I could tell Ted was still thinking. “Well there’s nothing we can do now but wait.”
“Yeah wait and keep our mouths shut.”
Ted nodded and said, “Now tell me, how did you land the bodyguard job with Kamata?”
“What did he tell you after I left?”
“Nothing really. He only said you were going to be his bodyguard and he seemed happy about that. Kamata did say he offered you two million dollars to move to Japan.”
I said, “It’s funny, but he seemed impressed with what happened at the Golden Dragon. I think it was Keiko and Midori that told him about me. He also probably did some research on his own. It’s not normal for a man like him to hire a gaijin to be his bodyguard. There has to be some really good Japanese who could do the job.”
“Jack, none of them know security like you do. He must have serious problems to offer you two million bucks.”
“Yes, I think he does. Actually, I’ll receive two million up front and two million at the end of the first year, if he’s still alive. Plus all my expenses are paid while I work for him.”
“Damn, you hit the jackpot. What do you mean, if he’s still alive?”
“Those were the words he used. He told me he has a lot of enemies who want him dead. So, this isn’t going to be a cake walk. Ted, if you don’t mind, let’s get Keiko and Midori in here and ask them about this.”
Ted yelled, “Keiko, Midori, can you come here, please!”
They must have been standing at the door listening to us, because a couple of seconds later they opened the door and came in.
“What do you need, Teddy bear?” Keiko asked.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, and said, “Teddy bear?” We all laughed as the girls sat down.
Midori in her high pitched voice, said, “Jack-san, my nickname for you is, Samurai. You like?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s great, Midori.”
“Do you have a nickname for me Jack-san?”
“No. I’ll have to think of one.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her my nickname for her is Bimbo-san. But she’s a cute Bimbo-san. I couldn’t help but think, Bimbo-san fit her well.
Ted said, “Ask them, Jack.”
Both girls stared at me, wondering what I was going to ask. I thought for a minute how to word what I wanted to say. “Keiko, why did your father ask me to be his bodyguard, and take care of his security?”
I knew she wouldn’t lie about something this important. Her father’s life and my life were on the line.
“Well, it’s a long story. It goes back to the time we were at the Golden Dragon and you protected us. My father watched a video tape of that whole event.”
“He has a tape of me killing that guy?”
“Yes. That guy was Masumoto. He was Nakanishi’s best friend. If you remember, Nakanishi is the guy you knocked out and broke his thumb. The other man who threw the Ninja star at you is named, Yonazawa.
“Anyway, these three men were my father’s bodyguards. They are the best fighters in the Inazawa Clan. So when my father saw you take on all three and kill one of them he was shocked. The big Sumo man, Fujimoto, told father that you could have killed all three men, but didn’t. That impressed father, so he asked me about you. He wanted to know, who is this man that fights like Samurai? So I told him you were a secret agent and a good friend of Ted’s.”
“What I don’t understand is why Nakanishi broke your finger knowing you are the Boss’s daughter. Did he think he could get away with that?” I sensed there was more to the story than I was being told.
Keiko looked down at the floor and was quiet for a minute. She said, “Nakanishi wanted me to be his girlfriend. He wanted to marry me. He was very jealous and many times beat-up men and me, for even looking at someone else.”
“Why didn’t your father do something?”
“Father knew Nakanishi wanted to marry me, but he refused his offer. He knew Nakanishi wanted to take over the Clan and be the Boss. You have to remember in Japan, as in Korea, women usually do as they are told. We have very little say so about our lives.”
“So, your father was afraid of Nakanishi.”
“No! My father isn’t afraid of any man. Father was concerned for me and Midori. The only thing father could do was have Nakanishi killed. But he became a powerful figure in the Clan and many men followed him.”
I looked at Midori. “Why was he concerned about both of you?”
“Midori is my adopted sister. Father adopted her when her parents were killed by a Bosozoku gang. You don’t know Nakanishi. He has a bad temper and doesn’t care who he hurts.”
Midori said, “Yonazawa wanted me to be his girlfriend. He is the same as Nakanishi. They try to own us. They are pigs.”
Ok, that explains part of the puzzle, I thought. “Ted, didn’t you say that this Nakanishi disappeared?”
Ted said, “I thought he disappeared.” He looked at Keiko. “What’s the story, Keiko?”
Keiko peered directly at me. “Nakanishi is still around and he threatened to kill father, me, and Ted because we became married. So, father finally had to ban Nakanishi from Inazawa territory. He and Yonazawa now have a small gang.”
“Damn, I knew there was a catch to this,” I said, as I glanced at Ted.
“Keiko, you never told me that,” Ted said.
Keiko didn’t reply to Ted’s comment.
Glaring at Ted, I said, “I see what happen. Kamata-san got to know Ted. Then Ted told him all about me. Right, Ted?”
Ted hung his head down. “That’s exactly right, Jack. I was played like a fiddle. I told him everything about you. He was going to be my future father-in-law so I wanted to seem interesting and let him know about my friends. But, he did specifically ask about you.”
I didn’t reply to Ted, because I was a little pissed off.
Keiko said, “Jack-san, look at it this way. Ted helped you land a job paying big money. You’ll be living in one of the best apartment buildings in the Tokyo area. All expenses paid, to say the least, and you’ll have Midori as a girlfriend.”
I glanced at Midori sitting there in her work out clothes. She smiled at me. Her legs and arms seemed to be very muscular. I didn’t remember her being in that good of shape. Her hair was up in a bun, looking a lot younger than she really was. Come to think of it, I really didn’t know her age. I didn’t know anything about her. We only had a brief encounter in Tokyo. We’ve never even had sex, but this woman was madly in love with me. I wondered why.
“Yeah, that all sounds really good, assuming I live long enough to enjoy it. This Nakanishi sure sounds like a nutcase. Ted, do you have a gun here?”
“No. I don’t need one here. You said this building was secure.”
“Yes, it is, but you never know what could happen. This nutcase could come to Korea after both of you. I want you to have two guns here in the apartment, one M4, and a Glock. I also want Keiko to learn how to shoot.”
“Do you think that’s necessary?”
“Yes, because you and Keiko are not always here in the apartment. Take her to the gun range at the embassy and have Tim Noda teach her. You both need to practice once a week for an hour.”
“Ok, we’ll do that,” Ted said, as Keiko nodded her head.
“Here’s another thing. Appoint Tim Noda as Keiko’s full-time bodyguard and driver. He’s a good agent and has the most experience. Keiko shouldn’t go anywhere by herself until Nakanishi is dead.”
Both girls started giggling.
“What’s so funny? This isn’t a joke.”
They stopped laughing and put on a serious face. Midori said, “It’s just that you are so serious. Keiko won’t go anywhere by herself. I will be with her.”
“Well, that’s great, then you’ll both be killed. Getting killed is serious shit.”
“Jack-san, you don’t understand. I will be Keiko’s bodyguard.”
“Yeah right, and I’m the Emperor of Japan.”
Midori replied, “I am very skilled in the martial arts of Kensyobudo and Aikido.”
“I’m sure you are Midori, and I am impressed. But do you know Glockdo?”
Midori looked at me like I was crazy. “What is Glockdo?”
“Use of the Glock handgun.” We all had a good laugh.
“Yes, I know how to shoot and use a gun, but I don’t like them.”
“You’re going to learn to like them. You can practice with Keiko and Ted.”
Midori didn’t reply, but just nodded.
Out of the blue, Keiko asked, “So, when are you going to kill Nakanishi?”
“I wasn’t hired to kill him, but I will if he comes after you guys. You need to think about staying alive. It’s no joke when someone like Nakanishi threatens to kill you.”
Ted said, “Jack is right. We’ll do what he suggests.”
Keiko asked, “Jack, do you think Midori will be safe in Japan?
”
I didn’t reply right away, as I thought about that. “Midori is not safe in Japan. Nakanishi could use her somehow to find out where you and Ted live. I suggest that Midori stay here in Korea with you as long as possible. At least until I move to Japan.”
Holding Midori’s hand, Keiko told her, “Midori, you can stay here as long as you like.”
Ted commented, “Ok, we got that solved. Jack, when are you going to submit your resignation?”
“That’s a good question. Based on my experience in these matters, once I submit it, the State Department will want me to come in for a debriefing. Then they will remove my security clearances, take my credit cards, ID’s, phone, and a bunch of other crap. Usually after a debriefing they let you go on the same day. Once they know you are leaving, they cut the ties real quick.”
“How quick?”
“If I send my resignation in on this Friday, I’d be probably be gone by next Friday for sure.”
“They’ll want to know why you’re resigning. What will you tell them?” Ted asked.
“I’ll tell them I’m burned out and can’t do the job anymore.”
“Will you tell them that you’re going to work for Kamata?”
“Hell no! I don’t want you telling them anything either.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. So when are you planning to resign?” Ted asked.
Keiko said, “My father wants you to start right away.”
“Yeah, I can see why. But I can’t leave here until I’m sure you guys are ok. So, let’s see what happens in a week or two,” I said.
Ted changed the subject and asked, “Jack, are you hungry?”
I checked the time. I hadn’t had anything to eat all day. “Yeah, I could eat a horse.”
“Keiko, could you please get us something to eat?” Ted asked.
“Jack-san, we don’t have horse meat,” Keiko said. The girls giggled. Everything was funny to them.
Ted asked them, “Please make something simple but good, like a ham sandwich and soup.”
The girls got up and left the room. I couldn’t help but look at Midori in her workout short-shorts, which hugged her nice firm small butt. I was becoming attracted to her for some reason.
Critical Incidents: The ROK - Land of HAN (A Jack Gunn Mystery Thriller Book 1) Page 14
