by Laura Scott
So many secrets and endless danger, all because the regime would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
There wasn’t time to worry about that now. She and her mother were holding on to Kim Jong-il, but they needed a plan.
There was still a nuclear bomb to find.
“Mack? Call Jordan, see if he can come take Kim Jong-il into custody.” Sun couldn’t come up with a better option of keeping Kim Jong-il out of their hair. Besides, the knife was still sticking out of the woman’s shoulder, and she didn’t dare remove it without medical advice. The vision of Chandler bleeding out on the sidewalk in front of the coffee shop was still far too clear in her mind.
Where had Mack learned that knife-throwing trick anyway? If they survived this, she planned on making him teach her how to do it. The skill would come in handy if their FBI consultant kept handing them impossible jobs like this one.
“Custody? I’m the Supreme Leader of North Korea!” Kim Jong-il shouted.
Sun tightened her grip on her aunt’s arm. “Then act like it,” she hissed. “You don’t kill people because they leave your country and because they might do something you don’t want them to do. Besides, the information that my mother took from your country eventually helps you too. Don’t you understand? The longer you hold us up here, the more likely your country will be blamed for this bomb going off.” A thought occurred to her. “And maybe the information about my mother’s location was leaked at this specific time to assist in helping to blame your country. Can you imagine if they found out that an heir to the regime was killed during the nuclear blast?”
The more she thought about it, the more she believed all of this happening at the same time was no coincidence. Especially if the rumors of Kim Jong-un’s severe illness were true. The conductor of this plan had covered all the bases.
“Stop wasting time and begin searching,” Kim Jong-il commanded. At least her aunt had the whole issuing orders part of being in charge down pat. “And remove this knife from my shoulder immediately.”
“I would keep searching, except I can’t trust you. And you’ll lose more blood if we remove the knife without medical help being nearby.” As it was, Sun wanted to punch the woman in the stomach for hurting her father. Wanted to, but wouldn’t.
Mack spoke quickly into his phone, then nodded and disconnected. “He and Sloan are on their way, they just returned from their meeting with Yates.”
“And is Yates going to talk to the president?” she asked.
Mack grimaced. “He is, yes. But Jordan didn’t sound hopeful that the ceremony would be called off.”
Sun swallowed a surge of annoyance. Whatever happened to being hyperalert to possible terror attacks? Haven’t they learned anything over the past year?
A wave of frustration hit hard. Complete idiots ran their country, no matter what side of the political fence they happened to sit on.
When Jordan arrived, Sun quickly filled him in on the highlights. The North Koreans that had attacked them were struggling to their feet, looking at Sun and Hana warily as they held their leader captive.
“You need to take her someplace for the next few hours,” Sun told Jordan. “Get her medical attention while keeping her from calling any more reinforcements in yet another attempt to take us out of commission. I don’t even know what happened to the two North Koreans who attacked me and Mack near the Smithsonian Museum of History.”
Jordan frowned. “Four North Koreans total?”
“Five if you count her,” Sun said, jutting her chin in Kim Jong-il’s direction. “Oh, and take my parents with you, they’ve both been injured. My mother in particular needs her wounds looked at by Natalia. As you can see, she’s already lost a lot of blood.”
“Got it,” Jordan agreed. “Let’s go, Ms. Jong-il.”
“Commander,” Kim Jong-il shot back. “I will be addressed as Commander.”
“Okay, then, Commander,” Jordan replied smoothly. “We will be happy to put you on a plane back to North Korea once this is over.”
Sun could tell her mother didn’t want to go with Jordan for medical care, but this time she wasn’t taking no for an answer. “You and Jarek both need to be looked at by Natalia, she’s a very experienced critical care nurse. You’re bleeding from two knife wounds, Mom, and Jarek’s arm is still numb. If the injuries are bad enough, Natalia will make sure you get the hospital treatment you and Dad need.” She hesitated, then added, “Please, Mom, I need you to do this for me. I need to know you and my dad are all right.”
Hana nodded. “Sun, everything I have done was ultimately to protect you. I’m sorry you had to learn about our blood relation to the regime like this.”
“We can discuss that more later,” Sun said.
“You must find this device, Sun. Please,” her mother urged. “I can’t bear for all of this to have happened for nothing.”
Sun nodded, especially because she felt the same way. “That’s the goal. Now go, get some help.”
Her mother nodded and accompanied Jordan and Kim Jong-il, along with Sloan and her father, away from the Hirshhorn National Mall area.
Sun stood for a moment watching. Mack came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Are you okay?”
The sweet concern in his voice was nearly her undoing. So much had happened in the past few hours, but the biggest shock was learning she was actually related by blood to the North Korean regime.
When she didn’t answer, Mack came around and pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay,” he soothed. “Your parents are going to be okay. Natalia will take care of everything, better than any doctor.”
Curling her fingertips into his winter jacket, she clung to him, resting her forehead on his broad chest. Mack may have broken her silly heart years ago, but he’d been nothing but incredible over these past thirty-six hours.
She’d never have made it this far without him.
“I . . . don’t know what to say,” she whispered. “I mean, to be related to a communist dictator regime? How insane is that?”
“You’re still Sun Yin-lee, the most brilliant, talented, and lethal woman I know,” Mack said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. “Don’t let this mess with your head.”
She let out a choked laugh, thinking that being held in Mack’s arms like this was far more likely to mess with her head. It felt so good, so right to be in his arms, but they couldn’t just stand here clinging to each other.
There was a bomb to find.
With reluctance, she lifted her head and loosened her grip on his jacket. “Thanks,” she murmured. “I needed that hug.”
“Anytime. And I need this.” He swooped in and kissed her. His lips were warm and sent a thrill of anticipation washing over her. She angled her head to deepen their embrace.
Mack’s kiss warmed her from the inside out, and she leaned against him, returning his kiss with all the emotion she’d been keeping bottled up inside.
And trying not to think about the fact that they may not live to have a future.
“Hey, you guys can’t be here,” a deep voice said, rudely interrupting their kiss.
Sun leaned back and glared over her shoulder. Sure, now the Capitol police showed up. Talk about being a day late and a dollar short.
“We have clearance to be here,” Sun said, pulling out her security badge.
“Why, so you can neck with your boyfriend?” the cop asked snidely without bothering to look closely at her badge. “I heard a ruckus over here and came to investigate. What’s with all this red paint on the ground?”
It wasn’t paint, it was blood. Her mother’s blood. The cop was lucky she was feeling mellow after Mack’s kiss or she may have been tempted to have him arrested for being stupid.
“We’re checking things out for the FBI,” Mack said. “Excuse us, we have more work to do.”
“Work, yeah, sure,” the cop said in a snarky tone.
Sun held her tongue with an effort, but as soon as they were out
of earshot, she turned to face Mack. “What kind of cop doesn’t inspect our security credentials on Inauguration Day?”
Mack smiled. “The lazy kind, but let’s just ignore that for a moment. Do we keep checking garbage containers or do we move onto another theory?”
She blew out a breath. It was a good question. “How many more are out there to check?”
“Lots, if you go the entire length of the mall,” Mack said wryly. “But I just don’t see this bomb being triggered from a distance as far away as the Washington Monument.”
Sun glanced around. “We’re about halfway between the Capitol and the monument now. If none of these garbage containers are hiding the nuke, then I’m not sure where else to look. Every one of these buildings is closed because of the ceremony, so I don’t see how anyone could have hidden a bomb inside.”
“I agree.” Mack sounded completely dejected, and she understood.
Dawn was still a good hour away, so there was still time for them to stop the attack from happening.
If they had any clue where to look next.
Chapter Twenty-Three
January 20 – 6:23 a.m. – Washington, DC
He’d heard nothing from the Russians, which could only mean bad news.
How could they have failed him? After he’d paid their astronomical fee?
Curling his fingers into fists, he tried not to panic. He’d been listening to the local news since he’d crawled out of bed, and so far there was no indication whatsoever that the upcoming inauguration ceremony had been canceled.
Either Yin-lee and Remington had been taken care of or they hadn’t found the bomb.
Unfortunately, it was still too early to claim victory. He wanted to believe the Russians would deliver, but he was already regretting the deal he’d made with the devil. And if he tried to protest, they might try to silence him too.
His stomach was so tied up in knots he couldn’t eat. Instead, he sipped his coffee to ward off the overwhelming fatigue. He hadn’t gotten a decent night’s sleep since everything started to unravel, and he needed to be on his toes.
Today was the day he’d been preparing for over the past few weeks.
His presence was required at the inauguration, but he had an escape plan lined up. Of course, his wife knew nothing about that, but there was no need to worry her pretty little head about the main event that would take place in roughly six hours. He’d simply get them both out of there and pretend to be shocked and horrified like the rest of the country. There would soon be new leadership, as was the plan he and two others had created.
After finishing his coffee, he went into the bedroom to dress. He’d wear his power suit, as this certainly was the beginning of a new era.
One in which only the very strong and the very smart would survive.
* * *
January 20 – 6:37 a.m. – Washington, DC
Mack and Sun had wasted almost an hour searching for the possibly fictitious bomb. Maybe it was time to call in the K-9s, although she wasn’t sure the average bomb-sniffing dog would alert on nuclear material such as uranium and plutonium. As far as she knew, they were trained to detect TNT and gunpowder.
The semicircle area surrounding the Capitol was now teeming with people. Those who had come to watch this moment in history, those with press passes, and far too many governmental officials for his liking.
“We need to keep an eye out for the blond guy that spoke North Korean and disappeared into the building yesterday.” Incredible to realize that twenty-four hours hadn’t even passed since he’d followed the guy.
Sun grimaced. “I’ll try, but trying to pick him out of this crowd will be like finding a penny in the Potomac.”
He knew she was right, but what else did they have to go on? They’d walked the entire area of the National Mall, hoping some brilliant idea would come to him.
But there was nothing. Jordan had asked the Secret Service to double-check the rooftops of the Smithsonian museums, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the National Gallery of Art.
They hadn’t found anything.
There were other buildings located outside the National Mall, and he had requested those be searched as well. But he doubted they’d find anything significant there either.
Deep in his gut, he felt certain the nuke would be close. Otherwise, there was no guarantee of success.
He shivered and stomped his feet to increase circulation. Being out in the cold for the past several hours had chilled him to the bone.
Which meant Sun was likely even more frozen. She didn’t have the excess muscle on her frame that he did.
He could always kiss her again. The idea made him smile, despite the grimness of their situation. But the smile quickly faded as he realized if they didn’t find this thing, they would never have the chance to kiss again.
To explore these feelings that had developed over the past day and a half.
Well, to be honest, his feelings toward Sun had always been complicated. But now they were clear as day.
He loved her. Why he’d ever dated Abigail, he had no idea.
Sure, both of them were beautiful, yet Sun was everything Abigail wasn’t—maddeningly independent, competitive, and stubborn. Three traits he found oddly endearing.
Most of the time.
He gave himself a mental shake. He needed to remain focused or they’d never have a future together.
Where in the world was that bomb?
“Are we just going to stand here for the rest of the morning?” Sun asked with a shiver. “I’d like to warm up a bit.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.” He gripped her hand and threaded through the crowd. His gaze narrowed on a small coffee and hot chocolate stand. “I didn’t realize they’d have sidewalk vendors. Don’t forget to take your antibiotic too.”
“I will, but speaking of vendors, you think that one of them may have the bomb?” Sun asked. “I would think they’d be screened by the Secret Service prior to being allowed in.”
“I don’t know, but let’s take a look. And get hot coffee while we’re at it.” Mack quickened his pace. Was this the key? Had one of the vendors managed to smuggle in the nuke?
And how many vendors would be allowed in anyway?
He found himself hoping and praying they had time to check them all.
* * *
January 20 – 7:12 a.m. – Washington, DC
Sun swallowed her antibiotic and clasped her cup of coffee close to her chest in an attempt to soak up the minute bit of warmth. Mack was going through the small vendor cart, returning a few minutes later.
“It’s clean.” He took a sip of his coffee. “We should split up to check the rest.”
She gave a jerky nod, knowing he was right. Who knew they allowed vendors? A flash of annoyance hit hard. Yates should have prepared them better.
Then again, Yates hadn’t really bought into the whole nuke theory. If he had, she felt certain he’d have convinced the president to postpone the ceremony.
She’d never been to an inauguration ceremony before and couldn’t believe how crowded the place was already, considering the main event was still several hours away.
Plenty of time to find the bomb. Except that every single idea they’d investigated had proved fruitless.
“I’ll take the north side of the mall,” Mack said. “You take the south side.”
She’d held her coffee for so long it was already growing cold. She nodded and tossed the cup into the garbage. “Let’s do this.”
Mack pulled her in for a quick kiss. Before she could kiss him back, he released her and wove his way through the crowd to the other side of the mall.
She lightly touched her mouth, realizing how much she’d come to enjoy kissing Mack. Something to think about, if or rather when they put this case to rest.
Spurred by fierce determination, Sun lightly jogged to the next sidewalk vendor. Flashing her security badge, she eyed the man serving drinks warily. “I need to check your cart.”
&nb
sp; “Why? I have been granted permission to be here.” He had dark skin, much like Jordan’s, and spoke with a hint of an Indian accent.
“Security check, and the sooner you let me in, the faster you can get back to selling coffee and hot chocolate.”
The man looked annoyed but stepped back to let her in. The setup was efficient, yet small and tight. No additional space to hide a nuke, even one as small as the potentially new and improved Davy Crockett. Still, she checked the small cupboards and looked into the large vat of coffee before stepping back.
“Thank you.” She left and quickly moved onto the next one, even as she sensed they were on the wrong track.
Again.
It was incredibly frustrating.
She was on her fourth vendor when her phone rang. Recognizing Jordan’s number, she quickly answered. “Please tell me the ceremony has been called off.”
“I wish I could, but no. Everything is still a go at this point.” Jordan sounded as exhausted as she was.
“How are my parents?”
“Okay, Natalia is taking good care of them.” Jordan hesitated, then added, “We were able to arrange for a private plane to take Kim Jong-il back to North Korea, with several stops along the way.”
She’d almost forgotten about her aunt. “That’s good except there’s no telling she won’t make another attempt to come after my mother.”
“We’ve taken care of that,” Jordan assured her. “We secretly videotaped her and let her know that if anything ever happened to you or to Hana, we would release the video.”
Sun found herself smiling at the news. “Well, that’s one bright spot for the day.”
“Natalia has just finished suturing your mother’s injuries,” Jordan continued. “She told me to tell you that the wounds were not as deep as yours and not to worry.”
“What about my father?” Sun had only just found the man who’d sired her, and she desperately wanted more time with him.
With both of her parents.
Time they very well may not have.
“He’s okay, still in pain from the nerve damage Kim Jong-il inflicted upon him, and he has a mild concussion too.”
