John: The Senior Killer

by Robert C. Waggoner

  The weather in South Korea in May has nice warm days. June begins the hot and muggy weather of the Monsoon season. Sujin, having lived on the coast of Oregon for so long didn’t like the humid summers in Korea. However, her visit pleased her mother and her agent as she could finish up her collection of photos for a showing she had promised months ago. Her parents were not poor. Quite the contrary, they were well off and kept both bedrooms and her dark room at the ready in case either daughter came home. They lived in the ubiquitous apartment buildings you see in any city in South Korea. In Sujin’s father’s apartment was not just one four bedroom apartment, but it was connected to another two bedroom apartment for the future when grandkids would come stay along with their daughter’s husbands.

  Brad sat with his father in law’s apartment enjoying a visit and more tasty Korean food. His father in law spoke passable English and was well connected from his government position that Brad had no idea what department he worked for. He’d found that secrecy as to what a lot of high ranking officials did or didn’t do was very complex. His father in law, Taejin, or Mr. Kim as he preferred to be called, was typical of that hierarchy. He knew what Brad’s mission was and now as they sat eating and drinking some soju, which Brad detested, some general conversation about the current events was going around the table with another government official present. After dinner the real discussion would begin. But now they enjoyed the visit of their daughter and Brad, and of course the welcome news of the baby coming.

  After dinner the men retired to Taejin’s study. Sujin stayed with her mother and grandmother. Brad would tell her later what transpired at the meeting. Taejin was the first to speak. He said, “Brad we have an office in one of our buildings from which your team can operate from. Accommodations are nearby in a hotel that caters to foreigners. Now if you please, tell us your plan.”

  Brad thanked them for the hospitality for his team and went on to say, “I will assume the role of a monk and my area of operation will be the border city of Dandong. If there is any intelligence to be discovered it will be there. As you know, obtaining reliable information is slim to none. However, sometimes we get lucky and maybe among the large population of North Koreans hiding out, an official might be found who has some factual information. If you have or know something I should know, now is the time to tell me. If not tomorrow I will get a haircut and see into the space you have for my team. After that, I will make my way into China through my usual contacts. The team will arrive in a few days and they know what is needed and what to do. Contact from me will be limited and through my hand phone I will stay in touch as often as I can. Do you have any questions and if you do I would be glad to answer them, but not much else I can tell you until I put myself in place.”

  Both men looked at one another and Taejin said, “We don’t have any questions, but tomorrow we can have you meet our North Korean expert and maybe then some questions might arise. Thank you Brad for coming to our rescue; the world I fear doesn’t realize the dangerous situation it's in at the present time. The leader of North Korea has some funny ideas and is playing a dangerous game with half of a once great nation. We have continually given freely our aid and have promised further aid if they would only discuss rationally today’s need for a nuclear free peninsula.” Brad nodded his agreement and stood up following his father in laws rise to end the meeting. Bows and handshakes with formal manners put the final touch on a short but effective meeting.

  That night, in their own room, Brad talked about the meeting expressing his doubts of much success in finding intelligence to affirm or deny the existence of nuclear weapons in North Korea. Sujin said she was happy to be home and that she missed her family. She said, “Brad I’m so scared for my family living so close to the border with the North. I want them to come to our house, but you know my father, he will not leave his beloved Korea. He and his kind, old members so conservative still believe that not even a madman like Jong il would destroy the peninsula just to prove he could do it in front of the United States. Maybe I can talk mother in coming to the States while I have our baby.”

  “I’d like that,” Brad said with sincerity. “Your father and my father have never met so maybe we can put the two of them together for some past reflections of his beloved Korea.”

  “I will tell mother tomorrow about what we talked about. I have a full schedule for the next couple weeks. In about a month my agent tells me we will have a showing that he says will,” and she laughed, “rock the socks off the people.”

  Brad held her close and laughed with her. She thought he was so sensitive and thanked her lucky stars she met him so long ago on a rocky mountain trail not knowing whether he would live or die. Now she knew he was going back in harm’s way. Never had she met a man who cared for his fellow man like Brad did. His continuous battle against evil would one day prove his undoing, but to her, that would be all right. Meanwhile the world should pay homage to someone who gives unselfishly to others. And with those thoughts they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  The next day, after Brad called home and talked to his team, who were anxious to join him in South Korea, gave them the go ahead. Brad, once he thought about it decided it would not be unusual for a monk to have a dog. He told Mike to bring Rocky with him when they came. Not long after that sitting in a downtown office around a conference table with government officials Brad listened through a set of headphones for translation of the opening statements and introductions. His knowledge of Korean was good, but it was always a good idea to have a professional back up his hearing. Now as he listened to some bureaucrat ramble on and on about what a good sport they had been sending countless tons of rice and cement to the North he was getting a little fed up with listening to the old man with thick glasses speak. Spittle was flying and he had the bad habit of adjusting his glasses when they were perfectly level. By adjusting it made him look queer with one side higher than the other. Finally he sat down, adjusting his glasses once more and taking a long pull on bottled water.

  The next man to speak, from a dozen or more men sitting around the table, was a young man in his early forties. Soft spoken and when he stood up, said, “For our honored guest I will speak his native language.” Quickly the others picked up their headphones and listened. Brad was impressed with the man. Later he found out he was educated in America and England. Political Science was his field and he gave Brad a succinct account of what he knew of the North Korean’s attempt to go nuclear. There was in fact nothing new in his report, but Brad liked him for his straight forward account of his knowledge of the subject.

  After the meeting a long lunch was endured by Brad and his father in law apologized later for the boring afternoon. Brad assured him he wasn’t bored as he needed time to digest and sort fact from fiction. Brad always made the person he was talking to feel he or she was the most important person for the moment at least. Cross the line and he would cut your heart with his subtle sarcastic remarks you would have to think about while he was long gone from your presence.

  Now waiting for his team to arrive Brad went to the local bath house known as a Mok Yuk Tong. There he enjoyed a hot water bath and a haircut. The barber thought he was strange to cut off all his lovely blonde hair. Brad knew he was gay and inwardly smiled when he saw tears well up in his eyes while he ran the clippers across his head, he felt he should have gave him a tip. But in Korea, tips are not allowed and it is bad manners to offer a tip.

  Back at home Sujin raise an eyebrow when she saw her husband hairless after he took off his ball cap. He looked ridiculous and then she laughed and said, “Wait until Rocky sees you and the rest of the team.” He laughed with her and gave her a hug, but looked around first to make sure mother or grandmother didn’t see him showing affection in public. Her father didn’t come until later, which is usual for a Korean man, and the rest of them spent a quiet evening looking at her photos. Brad sat on the sofa looking at his wife scamper around on the floor arranging here and there until she was satisfied all
was in order.

  Suddenly with Sujin scampering around the floor reminded him when they were in place looking down into a very small valley at the terrorist training camp. The afternoon sun was behind them so any reflection or movement would be difficult to see. Brad was trying to get a fix with his handheld GPS and moving around for a better look see. Then without warning Sujin leaped up and with her feet took out a guard who was on the lookout above the camp. Before Brad could move to help her, he lay dead with his throat cut. From that day forward, he knew she could take care of herself. She looked up at him and without a smile, wiped her knife off on the dead man and placed it back in its sheath located in the small of her back. Brad had been so preoccupied with is GPS, without her he might be dead today and the mission a complete failure.

  He woke from his flash back when his wife was shaking his legs. He looked into her eyes and she knew he was back in the mountains fighting his demons. She handed him a cup of strong tea and went back playing with her pictures.

  About midnight his phone rang with Mike telling him they were at the airport waiting on Billy who was having a nicotine fit while waiting for their bags to show up. Mike laughed and so did Brad about Billy needing four nicotine patches for the crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Brad told them the address and Mike said not to worry as someone was here from the government to pick them up. Brad signed off saying he would meet them at their hotel in the morning for breakfast.

  Rocky went a little crazy the next morning when he saw his master and Sujin. He made sounds from his throat of affection and greeting. Sujin let him lick her face and Brad gave him a big hug telling him words of greetings back to his long tall black ears. A Korea guide accompanied them and Sujin explained the role of the big black dog. Koreans as a rule love animals and have many dogs living with them, but not usually this big. Billy was standing outside having his morning injection of nicotine and followed them into the restaurant. The restaurant was set up for both Koreans and foreigners with tables without chairs and with chairs. For everyone’s convenience they sat at a table with chairs.

  Brad cut to the chase when he asked about any news of the serial killer. Wendy spoke first and said, “We have him on tape in Arden. When he left he winked at the camera. That is all we have at this time.”

  “What is your take on what he is doing or what he might be thinking of doing next, Wendy.”

  “I, we think he is holed up somewhere doing some inner reflection of the last adventure in Anacortes.”

  “I think the same thing and let’s concentrate on this operation assigned to us for the time being.” He went on to tell them his plan to operate on the boarder of China and North Korea as a Buddhist monk in the city of Dandong. He would take Rocky with him and Sujin would stay here and have a photograph showing at a local photo clubs place. He also told them of where they would headquarter and set up their communication system and computers. One more thing, he told them, “Keep working on the serial killer and let’s see if we can a lead on his whereabouts.”

  After breakfast they left for the office and at lunch time all was to their satisfaction due to the fine hospitality of the Koreans. Billy was especially happy as a lot of Koreans smoked and he had no trouble satisfying his habit among them. Brad took Mike aside and they took the next three hours going over a plan for him to join Brad in Dandong a few days after Brad established a place to hang their robes. After the meeting Mike left to get a haircut. Things were taking shape and Brad were happy about the way the team was working together so well.

  Later in the evening they had dinner at Sujin’s mother’s house. Koreans are used to a big family eating and all were especially happy to share their time with Sujin’s parents. This was Rockies first trip to Asia. He wasn’t happy until he nosed and smelled the entire house over before he finally relaxed by his master. At first the Korean family was a little scared of the big dog, but when he minded his own business and was so well trained, they enjoyed his company. It was late into the early morning hours before all went either back to their hotel or to bed. Brad had told his father in law all about the famous Senior Killer is roaming the Pacific Northwest and California. The whole family was shocked at the news they had been watching on TV about the killer. Sujin's father knew about Brad and teams tenacity when on an operation and thought the Senior Killer hadn’t seen the last of Brad’s team.

  The next day, aboard a South Korean fishing boat Brad and Rocky left for China. All had been arranged by the government of China for his and his team’s arrival in China. They’d been told it was simply an intelligence operation and no violence would be expected. Brad felt a little uneasy about this operation. Not enough information to base his usual well thought out plan existed for his liking. Rocky sensed his discomfort and rubbed his nose on his master’s leg telling him he was there for when he needed him.

  It was close to the end of June when Brad, Rocky and Mike entered China searching for some concrete evidence of the North having the ability or the actual possession of a nuclear weapon.

  Meanwhile across the Pacific Ocean in a small town at the foothills on the east side of the Cascade Mountain, John enjoyed the summer and towards the end of August decided it was time to continue his madness to punish the old for punishing him and his brothers for no reason other than being kids and adults.

  John left for Arden on the first of September with a plan in mind. Of course he knew some agents of the FBI were in the area and by now the residents of the town had calmed down with nothing in the news about the serial killer in months. Most thought he moved on or was still in Canada. However, he was very much in the game as he drove up from Spokane to Arden complete with a new look and a new ploy for the unsuspecting.

  Back in Seattle, Nancy was pacing the floor of her office. Her agents had nothing new to go on and the two agents in Arden were bored to tears. The two agents had been camped out in an old used RV parked behind the convenience store run by the two Koreans set up by Brad. It was early in the morning and it was sure to be another hot one as summer refused to move way for fall. The two agents lay one on a bed and the other one sitting at the small table listening to the sound of the a/c run. An electric cord ran from the store to their RV and if the dude showed up again, a button would alert the agents with a door bell ring.

  Not far away at the post office a white car with a US Mail placard stuck in the window showing a mail car owned by an employee of the postal service with a yellow flashing light attached to the roof with the cord running to the cigar lighter, sat waiting for an old person to exit the post office. Behind the wheel sat the Senior Killer dressed in blue pants with a postal service light blue shirt on. It was easy enough to acquire from a uniform store in Spokane. Next to his leg sat a clipboard with a fresh new envelope marked certified waiting for an address to make it look official. His plan was to follow a senior to his residence, show him the envelope and sign his clipboard acknowledging receipt of said documents. Unfortunately for the resident, his pen doesn’t work and asks to borrow a pen. While the person goes looking for a pen, he follows him in and close the door.

  John continued to wait listening to the occasional logging truck going by and the birds chirping in the morning shade of the trees. His thoughts turned ugly as he flashed back to his youth where among the squealing pigs and the familiar smell of the pig pen, his father whipping the hell out of him and his brothers. His father was drunk as usual and the all too familiar smell of his rank beer breath returned to him like a slam dunk of an NBA player. God how he hated the smell of pigs and beer; and he had lots of time to think about it in the pitch black room of their cell under the kitchen.

  Then a smile crossed his plain face when he remembered taking a shovel to his father when his back was turned feeding the pigs. He felt now the vibration of the wooden handle and the sound when the metal met his skull reminded him of a hollow watermelon when it was tested for ripeness. After that they cut him up and fed him to the pigs all but the head and that they buried in the middle of
the pig pen.

  A car drove in and parked; a lanky guy in farmers bib overall stepped out slowly and ambled to the door struggling to open it from lack of strength. He had his mark. Time to rock and roll, he thought. Five minutes later he comes out looking at a bunch of junk mail. It took him another five minutes to start up his car and back out slowly due to his neck not being able to turn around enough to let him see what was behind him. John thought the guy must be pushing eighty five at least. It was time for him to say bye – bye to this world and take a trip to the next one.

  Blue smoke from his exhaust nearly choked John as he followed the guy out of town. The car was obviously on its last legs as was the driver. Three miles north of town he pulled off the highway onto a short gravel road. An old mail box gave John his name and address. He quickly wrote the name and address on the envelope and pulled into the driveway a few minutes after the old man did sitting in the middle of the car like a mailman would look like delivering the mail on country roads.

  He put on his hat and climbed the old creaky steps to a shallow covered porch. He noticed two old rocking chairs the color of bleached blonde. Like a skeleton, he mused. A knock on the door produced the old man after a two minute wait. The door opened to a face that had more lines on it than a city map. Sorrowful eyes, a milky gray stared at the envelope in John’s hand. John said, “Are you Pete Chandler?”

  “Yes, and do you have something for me,” he asked with a voice to match his wrinkles. Sunlight was filtering down through the giant old tree guarding the house from the sun during the hot days of summer casting shadows across the yard.

  “Please sign here,” as John gave his pen that wouldn’t work. The man tried to write his name and John said, “Oh that darn old pen. I don’t have another so could you maybe use one of your pens to sign my sheet?”

  “Yes, just a minute while I find one,” he said turning around and walking back into the small house leaving the door open. John the Senior Killer quickly walked in and closed the door. From the kitchen he could hear the old man ask where a pen was with another person. Must be his wife, he thought. Well, a two for one sale this month I guess, as he moved to the opening to a small kitchen. The woman looked up from her sink of breakfast dishes and was a bit startled by seeing the postman in her doorway. The old man was still rummaging around in a junk drawer for a pen when the old lady dropped a dish she was drying onto the floor when she saw what John had in his hand: a shiny new Marlin spike.