The Reluctant Prophet_A Love Story

by Karl Morgan

Tigre laughed again. "That's all any of us can do, profeta."

  Chapter 8

  Captain Han Ji-hun stepped out of the bathroom in the hotel suite and walked toward his leader, Colonel Park Seo-Yun, who was sitting on a couch with his back to the other man. As Han came around the side of the sofa, Park set down his cell phone. He was trembling and holding back tears. Han sat on a side chair and asked, "What is wrong, Colonel?"

  The older man looked up at Han and rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "I'm afraid our Dear Leader is not pleased with our failure, Ji-hun."

  All the color drained out of Han's face. "Colonel, there was nothing we could do. Thompson had already been taken and the compound was overrun with agents, police, and ambulances when we arrived at the time Marcus requested! Surely, he recognizes that."

  Park frowned at his friend. "Ji-hun, don't be a fool. You know it doesn't work like that. Suffice it to say that our families are now in custody until we return with the target. If we fail again, all of them will live out their lives in prison, and we will be executed."

  "Now what?"

  "We simply must not fail, Captain. What is the status of our search?"

  "We believe that El Tigre has Mr. Thompson at his ranch outside Guanajuato. We are to fly to Guadalajara this afternoon and start meeting with the other cartels tomorrow morning," Han reported.

  "I am certain we'll be able to enlist a small army within a day or two. Each of the cartels hates the others. El Tigre is probably one of the most despised of all. My biggest concern is that our group may turn on itself. Ideally, we should try to use only one cartel in this matter," Park replied.

  "The incident last night makes me wonder if another cartel might want to keep Mr. Thompson for themselves. This could start a new cycle of incidents, Colonel."

  "That is precisely why we must be on the raid as well. General Kim is moving a squad of elite troops to the area, just in case. If the cartel turns on us, or the raid fails, they will complete the job themselves."

  "And make sure that you and I are dead," Han said.

  "And our families too."

  "Sir, if our Special Forces attack a home on sovereign Mexican territory, won't that be seen as an act of war?"

  Park smiled. "Do you think our Dear Leader cares about that, Han? Don't be a fool. The Dear Leader wants Thompson. Nothing else matters."

  "Colonel, do you think this man can really see the future?"

  "No, but our opinions on this matter are irrelevant. We serve our Dear Leader. If he wants Thompson, we must bring him to Pyongyang," Park replied. He stood, walked over to the window and pulled open the drapes. It was a beautiful morning in San Diego. People were filing into Horton Plaza, and cars were pouring into the city for another day of work. "Tell me, Ji-hun, what do you think about the decadence of the Americans?"

  "It is a sin that these inferior humans have so much wealth. They live only for their sexual gratification and do not care if the rest of the world starves," Han replied.

  Park was not so certain, although he could never let the words out of his mouth. Everyone had a car here and the stores were full of merchandise and foods he had never seen. If the Dear Leader did not have his wife and children held as hostages, he might just seek asylum in this amazing city. "Yes, Han, I agree. This city is repugnant. I can't wait to get out of here."

  Although he would never admit it, Han was also amazed by the Americans. None of the propaganda he had been fed all his life matched this place. With his parents and siblings locked up, he had little choice either. "We should have some breakfast, Colonel. It is going to be a long day."

  The two men walked out of their room and closed the door behind them.

  §

  "What a freaking disaster!" Agent Tyrone Baker exclaimed. "One hour, just one hour was all we needed. Our containment team would have been there in twenty minutes for Christ's sake!"

  "Calm down, boss," Agent Gina Preston urged. "You're going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep this up."

  "And where is the hell is Agent Branson anyway? Did they kidnap him too?"

  Gina cleared her throat and focused her eyes on the carpet. "Sir, we believe Steve was involved with the kidnappers. You know who his brother-in-law is, right?"

  "Yeah, we all know that, but up to now, he has distanced himself from El Tigre and acted with the utmost integrity. What makes you so sure?"

  "First, he's gone. Steve hasn't missed a day of work in years. Now, Thompson is kidnapped, four agents are dead, and Steve has disappeared. Second, Steve was one of only a handful of agents who knew Thompson was going to be at the ranch. Four of them died there. Stephanie was shot. That leaves you, me, and Steve. I know I can ignore you and me since we set up the sting."

  "But why would he turn on us?"

  "Well, there was one thing . . ." she started.

  "Oh, shit, I can't wait to hear about this one."

  "Steve tried to file a report that Marcus and Jackson were going to sell Thompson to the North Koreans, but it was stifled, if you know what I mean," she said, squirming in her chair.

  "Didn't anyone tell him about the sting?"

  "It was top secret, need to know basis only, boss. I couldn't get clearance from Washington to tell him. They were too concerned about his ties to El Tigre," she replied.

  "So, the numbskulls in Washington keep him out of the loop. He doesn't want the Koreans to get their hands on Thompson, so he enlists his brother-in-law to break him out. You really want me to believe that?"

  Gina opened her folio and removed a letter and handed it to Agent Baker. "This was put in my inbox after midnight last night. I found it when I got here this morning."

  Baker read the letter. It was Agent Branson's resignation. It said he could not stay knowing that Ezekiel Thompson was being sold to the North Koreans, and the Bureau was not doing anything about it. At the end, he listed the names of the four agents who were behind the scheme. "Oh, boy!" he groaned at last, "the director is not going to be happy about this. If they had let him in on the sting, he would still be here, Thompson would still be here, and the four agents and the North Koreans would be in jail. Now, we've got nothing but bodies, a wounded agent, and another who is in the cartel."

  "Yes, sir," she replied. "There is some good news though. We bugged the suite where the Koreans stayed last night. They are flying to Guadalajara to set up a team to take Thompson back. They believe he is at El Tigre's ranch near there. The North is also sending a military unit to Mexico in case the raid fails."

  "Gina, pardon me for being skeptical, but it's hard to believe the North would launch a military attack inside Mexico to get this man. What is the big deal with him anyway?"

  "Marcus said the guy might be a psychic or something," she replied.

  "Come on, now! That stuff is all just hokum. That's why Marcus went to Hawaii? He wanted to pick up a fortune-teller? This is just stupid."

  "It is crazy, boss. But the North Koreans are willing to pay millions for him."

  "What a bizarre world!" Baker said and then began to laugh.

  §

  Zeke sat beneath a large shade tree behind El Tigre's home. The backyard included a massive swimming pool, two Jacuzzis, and a formal garden edged with trees. There was a swing set close by, and El Tigre's two children were playing on it. Maggie and Miguel were sweet kids. At eight, Maggie was a year older than her brother. She was blonde with blue eyes, just like her mother, who was swimming ten yards away. Miguel was not as fair as his sister, and seemed the spitting image of his father, who was laughing with some of his friends near a large outdoor grill. El Tigre had given Zeke a margarita over ice. He sat with his back against the trunk of a tree and watched this seemingly normal family at play. He closed his eyes and thought about Bea Watson. He wondered if she was looking for him, or just going about her normal workday in the future. A beautiful vision slipped quietly across his mind. She was in his arms and they were kissing. When he released her, a crowd of people began to applaud. Bea was
wearing a wedding gown covered with beads and stones. She reached up to wipe her lipstick from his lips. He looked out at the crowd, but did not recognize anyone and wondered why his parents did not attend his wedding. He tried to hold onto the image of her smiling face but it faded away quickly.

  He opened his eyes to see Maggie and Miguel shot dead and bleeding on the ground. Dozens of armed men were charging them from the wall at the end of the formal garden. Bullets zipped by his ears and he jumped to his feet and ran for cover. Tigre and his men were firing back with machine guns. A hand grenade landed at Zeke's feet and he threw it back toward the intruders. It exploded, blowing several men into pieces. He ran again, trying to get away from the attack. He saw Evelyn's dead body in front of him and jumped over it. He ran around the side of the house, desperate to reach the road and run away. Just as he came into the front yard, a Korean man knocked him to the ground. Before he could move, the man fired a Taser at him. The needles pushed into his chest and the shock made him shake uncontrollably. Before he slipped into unconsciousness, he heard two men laughing and speaking in Korean.

  "Oye, profeta," Tigre said. "Are you taking a nap already? How do you want your steak?"

  It had been a dream, a nightmare really. "Medium," he said weakly.

  Tigre knelt next to him. "Are you okay, man? You look like shit." Zeke dropped his head. Tigre turned to his friends and yelled, "Hey, Nacho, make his steak medium, okay?" The other man waved back. "Tell me everything, Zeke." Zeke followed orders. He told him in graphic detail about his dead wife and children, the grenade explosion, and the Koreans. "So, how many did you see, profeta?"

  He pointed toward the wall in the distance and said, "They were coming over that wall. I saw at least fifty men with rifles and pistols. It looked like you had no more than ten men to fight them off. When I ran around the front of the house, the two Koreans were there with at least another thirty men."

  "Do you know when the attack happens?"

  Zeke shook his head. "Not the day, no. The sun was high, so it had to be around the middle of the day. When I saw the Korean's face, I had the impression that he is currently on a flight from San Diego to Guadalajara with the other man. I also felt they hadn't hired anyone yet. So maybe as soon as a couple days from now."

  "You see, Zeke, you are already repaying me for rescuing you. I will make sure I have at least one hundred men here by tomorrow morning and three hundred the day after that. My army will scare those bastards away, don't worry," Tigre replied.

  "The Koreans won't give up, jefe," Zeke noted. "I felt the terror in that man. His family is being held hostage until they return with me."

  "You want me to turn you over to them?"

  "I didn't say that. I just feel terrible for his family."

  "I feel the same way, profeta, but we can't save the world," Tigre replied. "Or maybe you can."

  "Don't give me that much credit, jefe," Zeke laughed.

  Tigre stood up and offered his hand to Zeke. "Come on, let's eat. Maybe you can tell our futures while we dine. I really want to know what Maggie and Miguel will be like as adults."

  "I honestly hope I can tell you that, jefe," Zeke said as he climbed to his feet.

  Tigre put his mouth near Zeke's ear. "Profeta, let's not share any visions of death and destruction with my wife and kids. I don't want to freak them out."

  "Of course, jefe, I would never do that. Have you thought about sending them out of the country until this blows over?"

  "I think about that every day, profeta. Whenever I ask Evelyn, she tells me no. She says we are a family and a family stays together, till death us do part."

  "You have a great family, jefe," Zeke said.

  "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you, Zeke." The two walked back toward the house.

  Several hundred yards away and unseen by anyone in El Tigre's compound, Fola Untor spied on them with his binoculars. After the two men stepped into the house and closed the door, Untor shimmied back down the tree and considered his situation. In four days, his other target would go to the coffee shop and meet Watson, initiating a series of events that would lead to his disgrace. He pulled a small tablet device from his backpack and pressed a series of contacts. The screen flashed green and Untor smiled. There were no other travelers within range of the device. He had already failed to kill Thompson twice, each time foiled by other travelers. This time would be different. He had a nagging feeling in his gut that his stranding Brewster on Solander would somehow fail. Untor had planned to travel even further into the future to find out until Thompson's lucky shot disabled the time sequencer on his power pack. He had managed to patch it, but its power supply would not last much longer. He needed another two days here until the Koreans arrived. Their assault on the compound would give him cover to sneak in and kill Thompson. His power pack should still have enough energy to jump him to San Diego, if his calculations were correct. If he could kill Thompson here, that trip would not be necessary, although the thought of blasting Brewster out of existence would salve his ego and secure his revenge. He put the binoculars and tablet into his backpack and set it on the passenger seat of his rented Jeep and then drove off.

  §

  The sun was beginning to set as the Aero Mexico flight touched down in Guadalajara. Han and Park filed off the plane and headed to the baggage claim area. From the end of the line of people moving up the gangway, Bea Watson kept her eyes on the Koreans. She was beginning to doubt her decision to come here alone. Kally had begged her to take him along, but she did not want to risk his life as well. When the passengers arrived at the baggage claim, she walked over to a row of chairs and sat down. She pulled out her copy of “A Simple Life, Volume One” and opened it to the bookmarked page. The words were the same as she showed Abe and Sarah. She smiled, knowing that the future had not been changed yet. She paged through the tome for a few pages and did not find any mention of the North Koreans. That was another good sign. She heard a commotion and looked up. Several police officers were confronting the Koreans. They showed their South Korean passports and argued with the officers. A crowd of people formed around them, wondering what would happen next. Bea lost sight of the men in the crowd and considered going over there to find out what was happening.

  It became deathly quiet. Bea looked to her left to see a tall, dark-skinned man walking into the terminal, followed by four other men. The leader had a big smile on his face, but his companions looked stern and unhappy. As the leader approached the crowd, the people moved away quickly, many even leaving their luggage behind. In the center of the thinning crowd, the police were still arguing with the Koreans. The leader said something she did not understand and the officers stopped talking and turned to face him. Even from this distance, Bea could tell the men were trembling. Han and Park were confused by this turn of events. The leader said a few more words to the police. They smiled at the man, bowed and hurried away.

  The leader walked up to the Koreans and offered his hand. "Buenos tardes, gentlemen! I am El Tiburon." After they shook hands, he continued, "I had a call from your Dear Leader and he requested that I give you a hand. Unfortunately, the FBI notified our government that you were traveling with forged passports."

  "You talked to our Dear Leader?" Park gasped.

  "Mr. Kim is a very gracious man," Tiburon said. "When he explained the situation, I offered to help you get Thompson." He laughed. "I owe El Tigre a bullet to the head, and the money your government will pay me to help is fair. Show my men your bags and we'll leave. I'm sure more soldiers will arrive very soon, so we need to hurry."

  Bea watched them as they grabbed their bags, exited the terminal, and climbed into two large white SUVs. They drove off. Within a minute, twenty soldiers wearing black uniforms and balaclavas rushed into the terminal carrying automatic weapons. The policemen came to talk to them and they started to argue. Bea rose slowly, grabbed her bag and headed toward the taxi stand.

  El Tiburon opened a bottle of whisky and poured into two g
lasses and then handed one to Park. "Welcome to Mexico, Colonel Park," he said as he touched his glass to the other. He swallowed the whisky and refilled his glass. "Tomorrow we will plan the details of the assault, which we'll execute the following day at noon. How does that sound?"

  Park sipped his drink. "Your plan is fine. Mr. Tiburon, I still cannot believe that our Dear Leader spoke to you. You must be a very powerful man."

  "I do all right. I will have some men keep an eye on the compound. Mr. Kim believes this Thompson fellow can see the future. Do you think that is true?"

  "Mr. Tiburon, I would never question anything from our Dear Leader."

  Tiburon laughed again. "I'm sure that is a safe answer, Park. But this is Mexico, not North Korea." The Korean just stared at him. "Frankly, it seems like a load of bullshit to me. But who am I to argue with a man who will pay me fifty million dollars for a one-hour job?"

  "Fifty million?" Park gasped. "For a fortune-teller?"

  "I thought the same thing, Mr. Park, but business is business. If we're lucky enough to get rid of El Tigre too, that will give me control of half of the drug traffic and prostitution in Mexico. That's what I'm really after. Mr. Kim must have a lot of confidence in you, Park," Tiburon said.

  "I doubt our Dear Leader knows who I am, sir."

  "Yes, he does, Park. He mentioned you by name."

  "The Dear Leader mentioned my name? What did he say?"

  Tiburon downed the rest of his whisky and replied, "He said that Park is in charge of this operation and I need to do as you say."

  "He really said that?" Park asked.

  Tiburon nodded and said, "And then he said that if we fail or if Thompson is killed by accident, I am to execute you and your friend, Han." Park stared at him in disbelief. "Come on, Park, I won't let you come to harm. This is Mexico! If the plan fails, it will probably be my fault. How could I kill you for something I did?" What he didn't bother to tell Park was that he would receive five million if the plan failed and he sent the heads of the Koreans back.