CHAPTER 44
EARLY THURSDAY
Incheon, South Korea
Jiyeon had heard the commotion start with what sounded like a book being dropped on the first floor. Actually it sounded like two books falling. She had thought nothing of it at first. But she soon heard one of her captors running on her floor.
What is going on?
Now she heard voices on her floor yelling. She could not make out what the voices were saying. She suddenly had an urge to break free of her handcuffs. She wanted the freedom to move her arms and legs more than anything. She wanted to be in control of her limbs. A terror took hold in her chest as she realized she could not move and was at someone else’s mercy. Jiyeon started to wiggle around. She tried to pull her arms and legs apart from each other. She knew it would be fruitless, but doing so was the only thing that temporarily relieved the sensation she was experiencing. But at the same time it made her realize how confined she was. She felt even worse terror cut into her chest.
When she grew tired, she stopped and tried to look out of the window. She now heard an explosion. She could almost feel a hand grab and squeeze her abdomen. Then she heard gunshots. The small pops of the gunshots snapped her into reality. She felt the claw on her abdomen tighten.
She mouthed Tom’s name. She wondered if it was he who was downstairs trying to save her. He would know exactly what to do, she thought. When he was in the military, this was exactly what his job was. Maybe he had wrapped up his mission quickly and had come in for her. She wanted to get out of this room so that she could call Mr. Park and tell him all about Mr. Kim. She wanted to get back to that dinner with Tom and tell him more about herself.
She suddenly heard a second explosion. She knew now that fifteen minutes from now she would either be dead or alive and free. That was no different than each moment during the rest of her life, she realized. But it seemed so tangible and palpable now, for some reason. It seemed like the chance of death was more real than ever.
She stared at the door in the opposite corner. Something was going to come through it in the next few moments and it was going to decide her fate. Through the wall she heard more yelling and the snaps of some more gunfire. She noticed that the doorknob started turning. She sat up straight. Her feet were sticking out in front of her and her hands were on her lap. The door opened. The young girl who had been wearing an old lady’s outfit entered the room, without looking at Jiyeon. Now she was wearing a dark outfit. Her hair was out and flowing down her back.
Jiyeon watched as the girl closed the door in a rush and bent down to make sure it was locked.
Jiyeon knew now that Tom was not there. Tom was not coming. Maybe he had been captured as well, she thought. She wondered if there was some interrogator closing the door to his cell now as well.
If two close souls die at the same time, would they get to be with each other right after?
Now the girl fixed her attention on Jiyeon. She looked directly at her as she walked towards her. Jiyeon wondered if in another life, they might have been friends. What was the ultimate purpose of all this, she thought. What was the point?
The girl stopped right in front of Jiyeon. More gunshots rang outside the walls of the room. The girl pulled out a pistol and aimed it straight at Jiyeon’s face. Jiyeon stared into her eyes.
Devil's Fork Page 53