Park kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead, both because the terrain was growing rougher and so David wouldn’t see the gleam in her eyes. The westerner’s rich reward would be, if he was lucky, a quick death by firing squad and not the labor camps. Either way, he was doomed. But better he did not know that quite yet...not while he was still useful.
13
Burke pushed himself to his hands and knees and looked back at the flaming remains of the laboratory. Then he turned to Charlie.
“You all right?”
Charlie winced, trying out the movement in her arms and legs. “I seem to be all in one piece. What the hell was all this about? Your name isn’t Markham, is it?”
Burke smiled. “Nope.”
Her eyes hardened. “Why the ruse?”
“All you need to know is that I’m one of the good guys.”
Charlie stared at him. “You’re a spy.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“A spy who loves footy. Does this mean you have to kill me now?”
“Normally, yes, but I have too many things to do.”
“Bloody hell, what a day. Well, I tell you what, Mr. Good Guy. I’m sure there’s going to be an ass-load of people who are going to want to ask us questions. I hope you have a good story to tell them.”
Burke shook his head. “Sorry. Like I said, too many things to do. Just tell them you saved the day and deserve a raise. You’ll be fine.”
“That’s it? You’re just...leaving?”
Burke ignored the question. “Do you mind if I make a quick call?” Without waiting for permission, Burke pulled out his phone and, now free of the building’s countermeasures, punched in Dot’s number.
“Jesus Christ, Burke!” Dot said in lieu of hello. “Every damn place you go! Every damn place!”
“I take it you’ve heard.”
“The whole world’s heard, you jackass! What the hell?”
“I’m fine, Dot. Thank you for asking.”
“I’d almost rather you’d gotten blown up. You’re way more trouble than you’re worth. Has anybody ever told you that?”
“Pretty much everyone who knows me.”
“Alright, I’ve got a lock on your phone’s GPS. Move to a more neutral area and I’ll be there in five.”
“Alright. And, Dot, this wasn’t really my fault, you know.”
“You can give me your lame ass sob story when I get there,” she said angrily before suddenly switching to her grandma voice to add, “Bye-bye, Pumpkin!”
The line went dead.
“Who was that?” Charlie asked. “Your boss?”
“She thinks she is. Listen, I have to go. Will you be all right here?”
Charlie shook her head. “Hell, no. I’m coming with you.”
“What? You can’t just—”
“Listen, Mr. Good Guy, whoever you’re after clearly means business. And now that David’s involved, I feel a little responsible. After all, he paraded right under my eyes for months, bringing that Dr. Wu and you right past me.”
“Fine,” Burke said, shrugging. “It’s massively against protocol, but I don’t have time to argue. We have to go right now and move fast.” Burke took a moment to pull on his pants, still wishing he had his shirt, and began walking. Charlie matched him stride for stride.
“So how did Dr. Wu get past you?” Burke asked. “Were you taken in by her encyclopedic knowledge of Australian table wines?”
“No,” Charlie said, hurt by Burke’s humorous condescension. “I scanned her bloody badge. Everything checked out.”
Burke silently assigned points to the North Koreans. They’d gotten Park’s cover into the mainframe.
On Wiley Street, they hung a left and reached the intersection with Myrtle, and less than sixty seconds later, Burke spotted Dot’s monstrous vehicle plowing toward them. It came to a screeching stop at the corner.
Dot leaned out the window. “What the hell are you wearing?”
“Business on top, party on the bottom. I dropped my shirt running for my life, thank you for asking, again!” Burke gave Dot the quick version of everything that had gone down.
“David’s a rat? That actually hurts a little bit,” she said when he’d finished.
“You liked him, huh?”
“Fuck that! I wasted a good bottle of Pappy on the ginger prick!”
“Sorry, I know how much you valued David. And your booze.”
“Mainly the booze.” Dot jerked a thumb at Charlie. “Who’s the squeeze?”
“That’s Charlie. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her.”
“Am I supposed to thank her or slap her face?”
“I wouldn’t try the slapping thing. She’s pretty tough.”
“I think I’d survive the day. But you may not.”
“Meaning?”
“I reported this to Moore.”
“Dot, you didn’t.”
“I didn’t have much choice, what with you running around being an idiot and elevating things to international incident level! The QNM is shit-knows-where, but almost certainly on the way to the North Koreans. Moore needed to know the score so he could take action.”
“And what action would that be?”
“He called the Prime Minister.”
Well, shit, Burke thought. He knew how much Moore hated relying on government intervention. If he’d called the Australian Prime Minister, his faith in Burke must have been shaky indeed.
“So the cat is really out of the bag.”
“Out? Hell, it’s already had two litters of kittens. Fortunately, the PM has shown he can keep a secret, but that will only last so long. For now, the airports and harbors are being closely surveilled for any signs of Park and that little bitch David. They’ll have a hell of a time getting out of the country.”
“What about a private jet?”
“All grounded for the time being. And the Royal Australian Air Force is standing by to intercept any planes that defy the grounding order.”
“Efficient, but not practical for the long term.”
“Exactly. Which is why we’re not going to sit around with our thumbs up our asses.”
“It sounds like you have an idea.”
“I always have ideas,” Dot said salaciously.
“I mean about the QNM.”
“There you go again, trying to ruin an old lady’s fun.”
“Sorry, Dot. You’re too good for me.”
“That’s for damn sure. Now stop jawing and riddle me this, Nancy. If you wanted to get a piece of technology out of the country, but you couldn’t fly or take a boat, what would you do?”
Burke thought for a moment. “That depends on my resources.”
“Go on.”
“If I was on my own, I’d probably shelter in place—wouldn’t leave the country. At least, not until things settled down.”
“And let’s say you had a rogue nation behind you?”
Burke smiled slowly. “Then I’d have a goddamn submarine pick me up.”
Dot returned the smile. “Maybe there is something on your shoulders besides finely chiseled features and rice pudding for brains.”
“More than you might think.”
Dot stopped smiling and surveyed Burke with a suspicious eye. “You’ve seemed awfully smug since I picked you up, not to mention surprisingly calm for someone who just boned up the most important espionage mission in recent memory.”
Burke sighed, playing the aggrieved genius to the hilt. “Oh, Dot-Dot-Dot. Ye of little faith.” He pulled out a phone and tapped at it a few times. Then he turned it so Dot could see the screen. The old woman’s eyes widened as she saw a tracker signal, the red dot moving toward the coast.
“Why, you son of a whore,” she breathed. “How’d you manage that?”
“I had a scuffle with our tiny agent friend. She pretty much knows every martial arts move ever invented, so I got the worst of it. But not before I dropped one of her own little tracking beauties into her jumpsuit po
cket and took her cell out.”
“Ha!” Dot cackled. “A pickpocket! I knew you were some kind of lowlife. This classy spy gig is just a cover.”
“I have all kinds of hidden talents.”
“Oh, really?”
“I didn’t mean that, Dot! Now step on it!”
14
Ji-Woo Park stopped the car on the edge of the beach and got out. She’d shown the necessary bravado to David, insisting she’d memorized the coordinates. She hadn’t and now she hoped she had remembered the location well enough. She cursed herself for losing the cellphone. A stupid mistake, but thankfully not a fatal one. Park knew she would be reprimanded for her carelessness—how severe her punishment would be remained to be seen. Working as an espionage agent for North Korea was not a job for the faint of heart. Failure was simply not an option. If captured, your future was grim. In the case of mission failure, one faced potentially greater retribution at home. Park knew, however, that the unforgiving standards were for the good of the homeland. She was not important, as long as she managed to bring glory to the Great Leader.
David got out as well and stood beside her. “You think they’ll come?”
“They’ll come.”
“How long do we wait?”
“As long as it takes,” Park said flatly. “They’ll come.”
DOT’S CAR bumped off the pavement and hit the dirt road with a thud that bounced the rear bumper off the ground.
“Hot damn, this is what I live for!” she shrieked.
Burke gripped the sides of the passenger seat. “Dot, don’t you think you should slow down a little?”
“Time is of the essence. Don’t be such a pussy.”
“Time won’t mean anything if you flip this land yacht.”
Dot glanced in the rearview mirror to where Charlie sat in the back seat, rocking back and forth in a challenging attempt to remain upright. “Looks like your girlfriend has bigger balls than you do, Burke. She hasn’t let out a peep.”
Charlie leaned forward. “Oh, we’re not together. We only met for the first time at the lab.”
“Ha! If what I’ve heard about our little Casanova is true, he doesn’t need to be too well acquainted.”
“And who’s this Burke? I thought his name was Markham.”
Dot scoffed. “That’s only the first of the lies he’ll tell if you two hang around each other much longer. He loves to spin a yarn or two, this one.”
“For God’s sake, Dot,” Burke said. “You make me sound like a complete asshole.”
“Oh, don’t get your feelings hurt. You have your redeeming qualities. I haven’t figured out what they are yet, but I’m sure you have them. You’re a partial asshole at worst.”
Burke turned to Charlie. “Don’t pay any attention to her. She has a crush on me and tries to deny her attraction with cutting remarks.”
Charlie nodded in mock understanding. “Kind of how little boys torment the girls they like the best.”
“Precisely. I think Dot is going through some sort of second childhood.”
Dot laid on the horn to get everyone’s attention. “Would you stop talking as if I’m not here? You know, with one jerk of the wheel, I could flip this jalopy and kill us all. Then we’d see how funny you two are.” As if to emphasize her point, the old woman stomped on the gas and the car surged forward like a schooner with a sail full of wind.
PARK SCRAMBLED across the rocky beach with David close behind. Every so often, she stopped and looked around, shielding her eyes against the bright sun.
“What are we looking for?” David asked, his breath coming in great, heaving gasps. He was clearly more used to undercover lab work than gallivanting around the expanses of sand.
Park didn’t answer, instead continuing to move across the beach. She stopped once more, shielded her eyes, looked, and then pointed.
“There. It’s there.”
She ran forward. At first, David tried to keep up but soon gave up and lagged farther and farther behind. Park suddenly dropped to her knees and began digging into the side of a large sand mound. She motioned for David to hurry. He finally caught up and fell to his knees as well.
“You must be in amazing shape,” he said. “My legs are screaming.”
Park shook her head. “No time to rest. I found it. Help me dig it out.”
The “it” turned out to be a huge wooden crate buried in the mound. Fortunately, the sand was soft and loose, and came away quickly. Soon, the entire front end of the crate was revealed. Park reached down and pulled a knife from her boot and used it to pry up the nails, which screeched in protest as they came loose. At last, the end of the crate fell open.
David peered inside at a large mass of what appeared to be folded rubber sheeting. “What is it?”
“Our ride out to the submarine. Help me get it out.”
Together, they wrestled the unwieldy contraption out of the crate. It lay on the sand, looking like the skin of a massive sea creature. Park reached under the pile and turned some sort of nozzle. Instantly, there was a loud whoosh and the placid creature came alive as air rushed inside. It was an inflatable boat—a large, sturdy craft that looked as if it could handle itself on the choppy water.
David looked once more into the crate. “Hey, it looks like there’s something else in here.”
“That’s the motor,” Park said. “It attaches to the back. You didn’t think I was going to row this monster all the way out to sub, did you? Now help me get it all down to the water. Then we’ll install the motor and await the sub. It can’t be long now and I don’t want to miss our only way home.”
BURKE SQUINTED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. “I see water ahead.”
“It’s the ocean, genius,” Dot said. “Any sign of the two bitches we’re after?”
“Not yet.” Burke looked at the tracker. “They should be here, though. We’re closing in fast.” He looked again. “Wait! Yes, I see them. Off to the side and partially hidden by that sand hill.”
Charlie leaned forward between the two front seats. “What are they hauling?”
“I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count,” Dot said. “It’s a goddamn boat. They’re clearly not planning to putter their way to North Korea in that thing, so it would appear Nancy’s sub theory was right.”
“Of course it was,” Burke said. “I’m never wrong.”
Dot huffed. “Well, you’re wrong about that. Any sign of the sub?”
Burke scanned the ocean. “No, nothing.”
Even as he spoke, there was a sudden swirling on the ocean surface some distance out and past the reef.
Burke tensed. “Wait...I see something!”
The swirling turned to a roiling trough and then the water thrust upward as the conning tower of the submarine burst into view.
Burke pointed, almost stabbing his finger into the windshield. “There! Yes, I see it! David and Park are scrambling into the boat!”
“Can you make the shot?” Dot asked, gripping the steering wheel with both hands.
“I think so,” Burke said.
“Damn it, Nancy! I didn’t ask if you thought you could. Can you make the shot!”
“Yes, I can make the shot!”
Dot slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a swerving, rocking halt. The back end swung around and they stopped exactly broadside to the beach. “Then get the hell out of my car and make it!”
Burke tumbled out, coughing in the huge cloud of dirt the Chevy had thrown into the air as it screeched to a stop. He ran forward two steps, knelt, and aimed.
Blam!
David, who had just been climbing into the boat, fell backward into the shallow water and lay still. As soon as the shot rang out, Park had thrown herself into the boat and Burke heard the roar of an outboard motor. He adjusted his aim but couldn’t get a clear view of the enemy agent.
Blam! Blam!
Burke fired into the boat, hoping the bullets would deflate the craft. He knew it was a long s
hot; the boat looked military grade and would be able to absorb a couple of shots from his pistol. It would at least stay afloat long enough to reach the sub. He tried again to draw a bead on Park and had just seen the top of her head pop over the side of the boat when something whistled past his head and he heard the report of a shot as Park returned fire. Instinctively, he dropped to a prone position and shot back. But it was useless. From that angle, he could scarcely see the boat, much less get a clear line on Park.
More shots rang out from the direction of the beach and Burke heard the thunk thunk of bullets hitting metal—Dot’s Chevy.
She is going to be so pissed, Burke thought.
“I hope you got good insurance, bitch!” Dot shouted, confirming his musing.
The shooting stopped abruptly and Burke assumed Park had turned her attention to navigating the reef. He stood up cautiously and looked back. Dot was at the back of the Chevy, working with something. Charlie was sitting on the ground, leaning against the side of the car...and her head was bloody.
“Charlie!” Burke ran toward her, dropping down and holding her face in both hands. “Are you alive? Speak to me!”
Charlie gave him a smile. “I’m okay. The bullet just grazed me. I’ll have a monster headache, but other than that, I’ll survive.”
“It’s just a scrape,” Dot shouted as she leaned halfway into the trunk. “Crazy loon got out of the car. Thought she could help in some way. Lucky, that’s what she is. But I know someone who isn’t going to be quite so fortunate.”
There was the heavy click-clack of weaponry and Burke looked up to see Dot holding an assembled sniper rifle.
“Burke!”
The weak voice had come from the beach. Burke stood up and saw David feebly waving to him. David had managed to pull himself from the water and now lay on the sand. Burke couldn’t make out his features, but it appeared that the shot, while not immediately fatal, had struck something vital.
“What do you want?” Burke shouted back. “I don’t have a lot of time for traitors right now.”
“Don’t...shoot Park. I need...to tell you...something. It’s...important.”
Assignment- Danger A SpyCo Collection 4-6 Page 9
