Burke frowned. "You don't suppose they'd test the missile and a nuclear warhead at the same time?"
"I don't discount anything," Marshall said. "I think we're dealing with a massive ego, someone very persuasive with those under him."
"I think you're right," said Nate. He looked around at Burke. "And I hope you can track him down in short order."
"The other piece of new information impacts directly on you, I'm afraid." The DCI leveled his eyes on Burke. "I believe you met Vincent Duques at the Embassy."
Burke nodded. "I figured he was your station chief."
Marshall gave him a humorless smile. "He suspected as much. Anyway, he has turned up a new source fairly high in the bureaucracy. He's not prepared to vouch for him a hundred percent, but he considers the fellow reliable enough to pay close attention to what he says. According to this source, there's talk around the Blue House of some American PR people trying to stir up trouble for the government. He says they represent an obscure anti-nuclear group and have been in contact with dissidents."
"I'll bet they broke Dr. Shin," Burke said, "and found out about Jerry. He didn't get any indication they had penetrated our cover?"
As soon as Jerry had contacted Dr. Shin at the Hongsansa Temple, the Coalition for Nuclear Freedom had blossomed from a figment of Chan's imagination into a full-blown organization with offices, albeit small, in Washington and New York, the latter in the vicinity of the United Nations Headquarters. The Agency had called on a few friends to help legitimize the organization, and brochures were quickly printed for distribution to several UN delegations and to the New York Consulate of the Republic of Korea.
"No," said Kingsley Marshall. "Duques himself doesn't know what you are. I doubt the Koreans would have any inkling. But Vincent followed proper procedure and advised the Ambassador. When you get there, you may have a summons from the Embassy."
Nate Highsmith had listened with growing concern. He was not at all pleased with what he was hearing. "I don't like the sound of this, Kingsley. After what happened to Captain Yun, Burke could be seriously at risk. I'm not too keen about letting anyone else in on our secret, but maybe you should bring Duques into this and provide Burke some backup."
"Sorry, Nate. The President has vetoed all my efforts to expand our little circle. I get the impression that he has some definite ideas about how to handle this thing in the end, but he hasn't confided in me. I'd suggest you brief Duane Elliston as fully as possible and use him for backup. My advice to you, Burke, is to take no unnecessary chances."
Gee, thanks, Burke thought. No "unnecessary" chances. That would be drawing a pretty thin line. If they put Hwang Sang-sol on his case, it would not likely make any difference what kind of chances he took. And depending upon Duane Elliston as his backup sure didn't add much of a thrill. He was beginning to get some particularly bad vibes about this trip.
Seoul, South Korea
Chapter 59
It was nearly time for breakfast when Burke checked in at the Chosun. The clerk remembered him and asked if he'd like to be on the same floor as before. In his room, he debated about calling Duane, who had moved out into an apartment. He finally decided Miss Song would likely know more about Jerry's situation.
"Mr. Hill," she greeted him brightly. "I'm glad you're back. Jerry...uh, Mr. Chan was asking about you last night."
"How's he doing?"
"His heart and circulation are fine, but he is beginning to have very bad back pains."
"Back?"
"Yes. The doctors had to spread his ribs apart with some kind of clamp when they did the surgery. Apparently it caused his back to become very sore. Other than that, he seems to be fine. I told him you were coming. He wants to see you."
"I'll get by the hospital after I see where everything stands," he told her. "I'm going to grab a bite to eat and then head over to the office. I don't have a key to get in. Could you meet me there a little early?"
"Of course. Whenever you would like."
"Make it about forty-five minutes."
Song Ji-young was radiant in a dark blouse with white dots and a flowered jacket. Burke didn't wonder that Jerry had fallen for her. She was quite pretty. She let him into the manager's office.
"Let me know if you need anything," she said, walking back out to her desk.
Burke sat in Jerry's chair and looked around. Mail from the past couple of days lay in a basket at one side of the desk. Except for the fax machine, the rest of the top was clear. Burke remembered Jerry was one of those office neatness freaks. A place for everything and everything in its place. He opened the large middle drawer and looked in. Surprisingly, several pencils were scattered about haphazardly. A stack of business cards lay in a jumble at one side. He opened another drawer and found things in similar disarray. It looked like some amateur had made a hasty search.
"Miss Song," he called.
She stepped into the doorway. "Yes, sir?"
Burke looked up with a frown. "Have you noticed anyone messing around in here?"
"Messing around?" She had a puzzled expression.
"You know, going through things. Like Jerry's desk."
He caught a brief flash of alarm in her eyes. "No, sir. I haven't seen anyone going through Mr. Chan's desk."
There was an unaccustomed note of caution in her voice. He had a feeling she was holding something back. Duane would have loved to take over Jerry's position. Had he been nosing about in here? He could be pretty intimidating. Perhaps he had told her to say nothing about it. But Duane wouldn't have left such a mess.
"Are you sure nobody was in here looking for something?"
"An Kye-sun was looking for a book yesterday," she said. "He told me it was on the shelf." She pointed to a row of books and bound reports on a shelf beside the desk. "I told him to go ahead and get it."
"You didn't see what he did while he was in here?"
"No, sir," she said. "He said he would just sit in here and look up what he needed. He closed the door."
Now he was genuinely concerned. "Was anyone else around at the time?"
"No, sir. It was while the others were gone to lunch."
He had questioned many a spectator around a crime scene, and he knew a reluctant witness when he saw one. He got up and came around to sit on a corner of the desk, pointing to a chair across from him. "Sit down, Miss Song," he said.
She sat down slowly and crossed her hands in her lap. Distress clouded her eyes.
"You're not telling me the whole story," he said. "I don't think Jerry would approve."
At that, the tears welled up in her eyes. She pulled a Kleenex from her pocket and dabbed at them. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I should have told Jerry." She made no pretense of calling him Mr. Chan. "I was afraid it might make him wonder about me."
"Tell him what?"
"Mr. An has been asking lots of questions. He wanted to know about the envelope that came from Pyongyang."
Burke took a deep breath. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him it was for you and I presumed Jerry sent it on to you. And I told him it was none of his business. I suspect he was told to do it by that investigator, Mr. Yoo Hak-sil."
"Yoo? What makes you think that?"
"He came to see me after I was hired. He said he suspected some strange things were going on around here and as a loyal Korean I should report anything I saw or heard to him. I told him I couldn't do that, it wasn't proper. He finally gave up, but he warned me if I said anything about it, my mother would be in for real trouble."
"Your mother?"
She nodded. "She was just getting her emotions straightened out after my father's death. I was afraid of what might happen." She looked down at her hands and twisted the tissue into shreds.
Yoo, the glib, sporty dresser. Evidently he had fooled Captain Yun as well. Was he spying on them that night at the Dokjo Restaurant? He was no longer a policeman. Who was he reporting to, the NSP?
"You should have told Jerry abou
t the threat," Burke said. "He could have taken measures to guard against any problems for your mother."
She nodded, tears trickling down her cheeks.
Watching her, he was reminded of Lori when he had told her he was being sent back to Korea. Lori could be as tough as any woman he knew, yet when somebody started tinkering with those she deeply loved, she found it difficult to maintain her composure. He walked over and patted Song Ji-young on the shoulder.
"I understand why you didn't tell him," he said. "And I appreciate your being candid with me now. You'll need to act like nothing has happened, like we hadn't talked. I imagine the others have wondered about An's questions but just thought he was being curious. I'll say I'm leery of him and ask them to keep a close watch on him."
After Miss Song had returned to her desk, he pondered the extent of the leak. Was the An-Yoo connection the source of the talk around the Blue House that Vincent Duques had reported? No doubt they knew that Jerry had talked with Moon Chwa. And now they were aware that a mysterious envelope had come to Burke from Pyongyang. That was troubling. He walked out to the secretary's desk.
"Did Jerry ask you to check on flights to Bangkok for him?"
"Yes, sir." She took a sheet of note paper from her desk and handed it to him. "These are the direct flights from Seoul."
"I'll have to make the trip for him," Burke said. "It's in connection with the Coalition for Nuclear Freedom."
She nodded. "That's what he told me."
Burke raised an eyebrow. "Did An know about this?"
"He saw where I had written down to call the travel agent, but I'm not sure he knew what it was about."
"Then let's make sure he doesn't find out."
Brittany Pickerel arrived a few minutes later and greeted Burke with a hug. "Congratulations on the twins," she said. "I know you hated to leave them. How's your wife?"
"Unhappy," he said.
"I'm not surprised. Wasn't this a shocker about Jerry? Your wife may not like it, but I'm glad you're here."
He brought her into Jerry's office, closed the door and explained that there had been a small leak, for which he suspected An Kye-sun. She agreed he was overly curious and promised to keep an eye on him. He advised her of his planned trip to Thailand and that An was to know nothing about it.
When he opened the door for Brittany to leave, he found Duane talking to Miss Song.
"What time did you get in?" Duane asked. "I thought you would probably call."
"It was early," Burke said, smiling. "I didn't figure you'd want any phone calls that time of day. Come on in and let's talk a minute."
He closed the door and returned to Jerry's chair.
"You going over to see Jerry this morning?" Duane asked.
"Yeah. Soon as I get through here."
"You should probably call the Embassy first. Ambassador Shearing called yesterday, asking for you or Jerry. We told him you would be in today."
Burke nodded. "I was expecting that." He stared across with a troubled expression. "I'm going to level with you, Duane. I'm sure it's no big news to you, you're a sharp guy. I've no doubt about that. But I haven't been too happy with your overall attitude. In fact, I was against bringing you over here, but Nate overruled me. As you know, we had our disagreements early on. But I'll grant you this, except for that unfortunate experience with the drinking game, which Jerry took responsibility for, you've performed pretty well.
"Frankly, I wasn't too thrilled about coming back over here right before Christmas, but Nate was insistent." He refrained from saying the President suggested it. That sounded a bit too self-serving. "The government apparently knows about our involvement with Dr. Shin. And there may have been a leak around here. It has the potential for real trouble. I could wind up being the target of a hired gun. In short, I need you to keep an eye on my flanks."
Duane took it all in with a skeptical look on his face. "Thanks for the lefthanded compliment. That's all well and good, but I don't even know what the hell's going on around here. You and Jerry have held onto this thing like a personal secret."
"That was on orders from the President," Burke said. "He wanted the smallest possible group clued in on the whole operation. Nate and I met with Kingsley Marshall and his top deputies just before I left. I was authorized to brief you from A to Z."
For the next thirty minutes, he did exactly that. When he had finished, Duane shook his head. "I might have been of more help if I'd known all this back early in November."
"Sorry. That wasn't the way the White House wanted it played. The important thing is we can't afford to slip up now. You'd better come along with me to see Jerry. I'll book the flight to Bangkok that leaves a little before noon tomorrow. Hopefully I can get the job done there and get back here the next evening. I want you to study the photos and background on Hwang Sang-sol. If we're right about An Kye-sun, the NSP or whoever's behind this will probably know I'm back before the day's over."
"You want me to tail you on the trip to Thailand?"
"I don't think that'll be necessary. But I want you ready to move the minute I get back from Bangkok. If they're planning any surprises for me, they should have somebody in place by then."
When Duane had gone back to his office, Burke called the Embassy.
"Mr. Hill," said Ambassador Shearing pleasantly, "I understand you have been back to Washington."
"That's right. I intended to check on Damon Mansfield while I was there but didn't get a chance to."
Shearing knew he was being needled and his voice turned cold. "The purpose of my call, Mr. Hill, was to give you a friendly warning. The Korean government is apparently concerned about some of your firm's activities, particularly in relation to the Coalition for Nuclear Freedom. You told me you would be working to improve relations with the Koreans. Surely you don't think getting involved with dissident factions will endear us to the Blue House?"
"No, sir," Burke said. "But it might make us a lot more popular with the people."
"You may not be aware of it," said the Ambassador, "but the people elected Kwak Sung-kyo their president by an overwhelming majority. I feel it my duty to warn you that the government does not take kindly to foreigners interfering in their internal politics. If you run afoul of their laws governing political activity, you're on your own."
Yeah, hanging out to dry, Burke thought, just like Damon Mansfield. "Thank you, Mr. Ambassador," he said. "I appreciate your concern. I'll certainly keep it in mind."
Chapter 60
Jerry occupied a private cubicle in the hospital's Cardiac Care Unit. Identical green angular lines marched like goose-stepping soldiers across the heart monitor, and beside his bed a colorless fluid dripped incessantly through an IV tube that trailed down to his left hand. Otherwise, he appeared relatively unscathed for the ordeal he'd been through.
"You scared the hell out of us, Jerry," Burke said with a sympathetic grin. "But you're looking good."
"Thanks. If that character would quit shoving knives in my back when I move around, I'd be in great shape. Sorry I caused you to have to run back over here."
Burke shrugged. "Just so we wind this thing up in a hurry. I promised Lori I'd be back for Christmas."
Jerry smiled. "Good luck. I hope to be lounging around my apartment by then." He glanced about the room at all the fancy electronics. "I can't vouch for these things. They may be listening to us, maybe not. Just keep your voice low and we'll hope for the best. Where do we stand?"
"For one thing, you should know I've brought Duane up to date on the whole situation," Burke said. "He'll be my backup. Tomorrow I go to Thailand. What can you tell me about contacting this Ahn guy you mentioned?"
Jerry said the man's name was Ahn Pom-yun. To set up a contact, he should go to a gem shop on the second level of the Chiangmai Night Bazaar, a big mall-like open air complex of shops and stalls and eating places that didn't open for business until around six p.m. He should ask for the proprietor, Yves Caron, a Frenchman who was an old Indochina ha
nd.
"You'd do well to keep a low profile," Jerry added. "I'd suggest you stay at a cheapie place I used in Chiangmai called Top North Guest House. I heard about it from some Army guys. They have a few airconditioned rooms, but you won't need one this time of year. It won't be like anything you ever saw in the States, though. It ain't a Hilton. Hell, it ain't even Motel 6, but it's livable. You'll find a lot of trekkers heading out of there for the hill country."
"If Ahn's involved in narcotics traffic, wouldn't I run into a problem snooping around after him?"
"You won't be snooping. Just come right out and tell Caron what you want. Ahn likes to see and be seen. He's a Mafia-style character, one of the town's better-known citizens, contributes to good causes and all that. It'll just make things quicker and simpler to work through Caron."
"I guess a taxi driver can find the Top North Guest House for me."
Jerry started to laugh but choked it off with a grimace. "Damn those knives. Forget the taxi. You won't find anything but tuk tuks and trishaws around Chiangmai. Call Top North from the airport. They have a van that'll pick you up."
"How do I get around?"
"You'll be in walking distance of the business district. If you need to travel any farther afield, you can take what in Thai is called a samlor, a three-wheeled motorcycle with a canopy and a bench seat in back. The slang term is tuk tuk. Just hang on and be ready for a wild ride."
He gave Duane a few instructions on things to be done around the office, then turned back to Burke. "I almost forgot. You'll find a phone number in my middle desk drawer for Lieutenant Yun. He wanted you to call him if you came back to Seoul."
Burke had instructed Miss Song to make his plane reservation while An Kye-sun was out of the office. He also arranged a little disinformation campaign with the rest of the staff. After he left for Thailand, if An should want to know his whereabouts, they would tell the inquisitive Korean writer that Burke was making a call on the Bartell Engineering manager at the Taesong Nuclear Power Plant near Pusan. Duane reinforced the deception with a call to Mitch Steele, advising him that an agency bigwig from Washington would be in the area and "might" drop by to see him.
The Poksu Conspiracy (Post Cold War Political Thriller Book 2) Page 39
