he’s waiting for something to happen. Doesn’t seem to be afraid for his life though. He’s a cool customer.”
“A professional.”
“Yeah, but a professional what?”
“Mr. Kwan, is that your real name?” Pak asked the prisoner.
“No.”
“What is your real name?”
“Huk Soon.”
“Well, Mr. Huk, why did you come to Chosun?” Pak asked.
“To assassinate a Chinese intelligence officer,” Soon replied.
“That was too easy,” Ri said. He was staring at the prisoner and Pak could see that his sergeant was also bothered by something.
“It’s too bad we had to shoot your partner,” Pak said. “But who hired you to come here and kill General Ho?”
Soon smiled, more saliva sliding down his chin from the corner of his mouth. “No, you didn’t,” he said, his words slurred and his South Korean accent thick.
“You were right there, and watched the whole thing,” Ri said.
Soon’s smiled widened and he shook his head. “You waited too long. She’s already home.”
“What are you talking about, you crazy bastard?” Ri demanded.
Soon just looked up, a silly grin on his face.
“We arrested the wrong man,” Pak said. The more slender of the two figures in the shadows outside the Chinese Embassy had been a woman. It had never occurred to him.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t shoot this one instead,” Ri said.
“Find out if any of the passengers on that plane are still in Beijing for whatever reason. Maybe we still have a chance.”
“They’ll be long gone by now,” Ri said.
Pak was impatient. “Just make the call, please. Maybe there was mechanical trouble, or a problem with someone’s papers, or a weather delay.”
“It was the wrong guy,” Ri muttered as he left the interrogation room.
Pak pulled a chair over and sat down close to the prisoner. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the man’s chin. “What is her name, Mr. Huk, can you tell me that?” he asked pleasantly.
“Huk Kim,” Soon replied, and Pak was startled.
“Your wife?”
Soon nodded. “Yes.”
“Were you working for the South Korean government? Did the NIS send you here to assassinate General Ho?”
“No.”
“But you’re in the military.
“Not anymore,” Soon said. “We quit.”
“Who hired you? Was it the American CIA?”
“Alexandar,” Soon mumbled. He was starting to fade, and was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
“Alexandar who or what?” Pak prompted.
“Used to be KGB, I think. But he’s in Tokyo now. Rich bastard. Mafia.”
Soon’s head started to loll. Pak slapped him lightly on the cheek to bring him back. “How do you contact him?”
“Internet.”
“What’s his address?”
“Too complicated. Kim knows.”
Pak sat back. The Russians? It made no sense for them to want to destabilize relations between Chosun and China. So far as he knew no problems existed between Putin and Dear Leader.
Soon was on the verge of passing out again, and Pak slapped him harder. “Alexandar is a KGB agent. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“He’s a businessman now,” Soon mumbled.
“Who does he work for?” Pak demanded.
Soon’s eyes focused for a moment. “Just like us, I suppose. For the highest bidder.”
Pak nodded, trying to work out the possibilities. The prisoner was not lying, that was impossible under the influence of the cocktail of drugs that had been injected into his system. But he’d talked too easily. Answered every question without evasion. It was as if he was proud of himself.
The light faded from the prisoner’s eyes and he slumped forward, the straps holding his wrists to the arms of the chair keeping him from falling to the floor.
Ri was just coming down the stairs, a sour look on his face, when Pak emerged from the interrogation room. “No luck,” he said. “The flight to Seoul landed two hours ago.”
“Have someone get our prisoner cleaned up and back in his cell, I’m through with him for now. But I want him treated
“A professional.”
“Yeah, but a professional what?”
“Mr. Kwan, is that your real name?” Pak asked the prisoner.
“No.”
“What is your real name?”
“Huk Soon.”
“Well, Mr. Huk, why did you come to Chosun?” Pak asked.
“To assassinate a Chinese intelligence officer,” Soon replied.
“That was too easy,” Ri said. He was staring at the prisoner and Pak could see that his sergeant was also bothered by something.
“It’s too bad we had to shoot your partner,” Pak said. “But who hired you to come here and kill General Ho?”
Soon smiled, more saliva sliding down his chin from the corner of his mouth. “No, you didn’t,” he said, his words slurred and his South Korean accent thick.
“You were right there, and watched the whole thing,” Ri said.
Soon’s smiled widened and he shook his head. “You waited too long. She’s already home.”
“What are you talking about, you crazy bastard?” Ri demanded.
Soon just looked up, a silly grin on his face.
“We arrested the wrong man,” Pak said. The more slender of the two figures in the shadows outside the Chinese Embassy had been a woman. It had never occurred to him.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t shoot this one instead,” Ri said.
“Find out if any of the passengers on that plane are still in Beijing for whatever reason. Maybe we still have a chance.”
“They’ll be long gone by now,” Ri said.
Pak was impatient. “Just make the call, please. Maybe there was mechanical trouble, or a problem with someone’s papers, or a weather delay.”
“It was the wrong guy,” Ri muttered as he left the interrogation room.
Pak pulled a chair over and sat down close to the prisoner. He took out his handkerchief and wiped the man’s chin. “What is her name, Mr. Huk, can you tell me that?” he asked pleasantly.
“Huk Kim,” Soon replied, and Pak was startled.
“Your wife?”
Soon nodded. “Yes.”
“Were you working for the South Korean government? Did the NIS send you here to assassinate General Ho?”
“No.”
“But you’re in the military.
“Not anymore,” Soon said. “We quit.”
“Who hired you? Was it the American CIA?”
“Alexandar,” Soon mumbled. He was starting to fade, and was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
“Alexandar who or what?” Pak prompted.
“Used to be KGB, I think. But he’s in Tokyo now. Rich bastard. Mafia.”
Soon’s head started to loll. Pak slapped him lightly on the cheek to bring him back. “How do you contact him?”
“Internet.”
“What’s his address?”
“Too complicated. Kim knows.”
Pak sat back. The Russians? It made no sense for them to want to destabilize relations between Chosun and China. So far as he knew no problems existed between Putin and Dear Leader.
Soon was on the verge of passing out again, and Pak slapped him harder. “Alexandar is a KGB agent. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“He’s a businessman now,” Soon mumbled.
“Who does he work for?” Pak demanded.
Soon’s eyes focused for a moment. “Just like us, I suppose. For the highest bidder.”
Pak nodded, trying to work out the possibilities. The prisoner was not lying, that was impossible under the influence of the cocktail of drugs that had been injected into his system. But he’d talked too easily. Answered every question without evasion. It was as if he was proud of himself.
The light faded from the prisoner’s eyes and he slumped forward, the straps holding his wrists to the arms of the chair keeping him from falling to the floor.
Ri was just coming down the stairs, a sour look on his face, when Pak emerged from the interrogation room. “No luck,” he said. “The flight to Seoul landed two hours ago.”
“Have someone get our prisoner cleaned up and back in his cell, I’m through with him for now. But I want him treated
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