Chapter
60
IT WAS A DILAPIDATED GOVERNMENT building. The paint was cheap, the furnishings cheaper still. The bulbs overhead dimmed and brightened as the shaky electricity made its way through the corroded lines like blood through clogged arteries. The smell was sweat mixed with cigarettes. The packs of cigarettes available here carried the typical skulls and crossbones on them, but apparently no one in North Korea cared. They smoked. They died. What did it matter?
Chung-Cha stopped at the door indicated to her by one of the men who had come for her. The door was opened and she was ushered in. Then the two young men left her. She could hear their polished shoes tapping down the faded linoleum.
She turned to face the people in the room. There were three of them. Two men and one woman. The black tunic was one of the men. The general who had been Pak’s good friend was the other man. The woman looked familiar to Chung-Cha. She blinked rapidly when she remembered her.
“It has been a long time, Yie Chung-Cha,” she said, rising from her seat. Her hair was white now instead of black. And her face was creased with age and worry. But it had been many years. Time did that to all. There was no escaping it.
Chung-Cha did not answer her. All she could think of was the woman’s screaming at her all those years ago at Yodok.
You will stick this knife inside the red circle. You will then pull it out and stick it back in…Do it now, or you will die here as an old woman.
The woman resumed her seat and smiled at Chung-Cha. “My predictions of your rising far certainly came true. I can always tell. It was in your eyes, Chung-Cha. The eyes never lie. I saw that clearly enough at Yodok that day.” She paused. “And you follow orders. You always follow orders. The sign of a good comrade.”
Chung-Cha finally pulled her gaze from the woman and looked at the black tunic.
“You have summoned me?” she began.
“The Americans,” said the black tunic. “They have struck.”
“Struck how?” asked Chung-Cha as she took a seat directly opposite him. She did not look at the general. She did not look at the woman. She would not give either the satisfaction. She knew the black tunic was the de facto leader of this group. Her attention and perceived respect would flow only to him and to hell with the others.
“General Pak’s adopted son and daughter, Pak Du-Ho and Pak Eun Sun, have escaped from Bukchang. They have done so with the help of the Americans.”
“A man and a woman,” added the general.
The black tunic added, “It may be the same pair that was sent to kill General Pak in France. But we cannot be sure. We are attempting to obtain a positive identification.”
“Does it matter?” said the woman. “The Americans have legions of agents who do their evil bidding. The fact is, they came onto North Korean soil. They invaded this country and took from it two of our prisoners.”
The general nodded. “Yes, Rim Yun is right. They are barbarians. They killed many North Koreans. It is an act of war.”
“So we are going to war with the Americans?” asked Chung-Cha. Now she looked at all three, one at a time.
The black tunic said hesitantly, “Not precisely. They may want us to be so foolish. But we will counterattack in our way. In the way we had planned all along, Comrade.”
“The American president’s family?” said Chung-Cha.
Rim Yun said, “That is correct. We will kill them. You will kill them, Chung-Cha. Can you imagine the glory that the Supreme Leader will bestow upon you?”
“If I am alive,” pointed out Chung-Cha.
“There is far more glory in death than in living,” barked Rim Yun.
“I appreciate that fact one thousand times,” replied Chung-Cha. “So would you like to accompany me to America where we both can share such glory after our deaths? What a wonderful thing, as you said.”
The black tunic and the general said nothing. They glanced at each other and then at Rim Yun.
“You still have the defiant heart of Yodok in you, Chung-Cha,” said Rim Yun coldly.
“I have many things from Yodok inside me. And I remember them all. Quite clearly.”
The women locked gazes for a long moment before Rim Yun finally broke off and looked away.
She said in an oddly casual tone, “The administrator of Bukchang was shot this morning along with a half dozen guards for allowing this disgraceful escape to happen. I am sure that more will be shot as time goes on.”
“I am sure that he deserved it,” said Chung-Cha.
Rim Yun shot her a glance. “You killed the former administrator of Bukchang, did you not?”
“On orders, I did. He was corrupt. An enemy of this country.”
“Did you know that he was recently replaced with the administrator from Yodok? Comrade Doh? You knew Doh, did you not? He was at Yodok when you were there, is that not so?”
Chung-Cha had to work hard to keep the smile off her lips. “Comrade Doh was executed?”
“That is what I said.”
“I am sure that he deserved it,” she said again.
Rim Yun gave her a piercing look before turning away and saying, “We waste time. Tell her what is needed.”
The black tunic said, “Our timetable has been accelerated. You will leave for America within the week.”
Chung-Cha hid the sudden panic she was feeling. “Within the week?”
“Is that a problem, Comrade?” said Rim Yun quickly.
“I have no problem serving the Supreme Leader with the sacrifice of my life.”
“Then all is good.”
“I do have a suggestion.”
“How can that be? What nonsense,” said Rim Yun dismissively.
Chung-Cha ignored her and said, “The Americans will be on the lookout for anyone who looks Asian, Korean; it does not matter. If they have our eyes, they will be suspect.”
“We have a solid background for you,” said the black tunic.
“Their scrutiny will be considerably heightened. They will be on the alert. We must be equal to the task. We must be better than they are.”
“What do you suggest?” asked the general.
“The Muslims who blow themselves up?” began Chung-Cha politely.
“We are not Muslims,” snapped Rim Yun. “We do not blow ourselves up.”
“If I may be allowed to finish?” said Chung-Cha.
Rim Yun gave her a surly look followed by a curt nod.
“The Muslims use children as cover. It lowers suspicion. The Americans are often fooled by this, because they are softhearted. They do not like to think ill of the small ones.”
Rim Yun tapped her long fingernails on the table. “Get to the point, Comrade.”
“I have a young girl, Min—”
“I heard of your visit to Yodok,” interrupted Rim Yun. “And you taking the little bitch home. I thought you must be insane to take on such a burden all by yourself. Explain to me how you are not.”
Chung-Cha gazed directly at her. “I did so with the Supreme Leader’s full knowledge and blessing. I am sure I do not interpret your words to suggest that the Supreme Leader is insane.”
Rim Yun’s face turned the color of blood and she sat up straighter, all of her casual disdain stricken clean from her. “I suggest no such thing. How dare you—”
“That is good,” said Chung-Cha, interrupting her this time. “But we waste time, so let me explain. Min will accompany me to America. She will be my younger sister, or my daughter, whichever you think best. This will provide me excellent cover to fool the Americans. After the act is done, I will leave and travel back here with Min. If I die, then Min will go back with the others who will accompany us to the evil empire that is America.”
“That is a foolish plan,” said Rim Yun as soon as Chung-Cha had stopped talking. “Taking a child with you? And one from the camps? It’s ridiculous. She would ruin everything.”
Chung-Cha said calmly, “Because she was in the camp she knows nothing of the world. She will be very easy to control.”
“Out of the question,” snapped Rim Yun.
However, the general was looking thoughtful. “I am not so sure of that,” he said. “In fact, I think it is a brilliant thought, Comrade, truly brilliant. You read the Americans just right. They are weak and sentimental. They assuredly will be fooled by the presence of the young one.”
The black tunic nodded. “I agree.”
All eyes turned to Rim Yun. She gave Chung-Cha a dark look but clearly knew she had been outmaneuvered and outvoted.
“I wish you good luck, then, Comrade Yie,” she said, though her tone contained nothing “good.”
“Whether I live or die, luck will have nothing to do with it,” replied Chung-Cha.