Justification For Killing
Page 32
Chapter Twenty-Nine
BANGKOK, THAILAND
The whine of the huge turbofan engines of the plane from Hong Kong had been silenced for only a brief couple of minutes when Sam Lin and Si Lei walked from the dim lights of the Gate C boarding walkway into the bright lights of the main terminal building. Exiting the jet bridge they entered into Concourse C at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand.
The time was 6 a.m., Saturday, December 1, 2012. It had taken them a little over a week to reach Bangkok from their departure from New York on November the 23rd; however, they did not anticipate they would have to factor into their itinerary a crash landing in the frozen, snow covered, tundra of Russia; however, both Sam Lin and Si Lei were now willing and able to continue with the Captain’s mission: the investigation of Mr. Ryan Rousseau.
Beige, light blue and red floor tiles echoed the sounds of their leather soles as they walked quickly across the floor of the main pavilion. They stopped briefly to plot their next movements under the Thai Pavilion in the center of the beautifully structured grand concourse. The momentary halt interrupted their haste to descend the escalator to the taxi stands on the lower level.
“Sam Lin, isn’t this a beautiful building, the ceiling reminds me of a spider’s giant web. What do you think?”
Looking around the room, Sam Lin responded, “Si Lei, I do not think beautiful is an extravagant enough word to describe this structure, but it looks just as majestic as it did the last time you and I left Bangkok, remember? But we must get on with our assignment. We need to get downstairs to street level, find a taxi and get over to CIA headquarters.”
“Right you are brother, but I still have to say this place amazes me every time we pass through it.”
Before they had finished their conversation, Sam Lin noticed a tall, seductive looking woman approaching. Her hair was jet-black, shoulder length and the ends were cut straight as a ruler. It had a warm, glossy sheen like oil had been applied to it. She was fashionable dressed in a chic jacket with matching skirt, black high-heeled shoes and sunglasses. Sunglasses! Why dark glasses so early in the morning? Even above the hustle and bustle of Concourse C’s main terminal they could hear the sound of her heels clicking on the beautifully parqueted floor.
As she approached the two Kim brothers, Sam Lin had the impression this stunning beauty must be from the U.S Ambassador’s office. He reasoned she was sent as a guide – something the Captain surely must have arranged.
Reaching the two American’s she extended her hand, “Hello, you are Mr. Sam Lin Kim and Mr. Si Lei Kim? Your headquarters has requested my office assist you in any way we can.” I was right, thought Sam Lin, she is a liaison from the Ambassador’s office. “Do you mind? There is a cafe over there,” she said motioning to a number of secluded food courts to her right, “We need to talk in private before leaving.”
“Sure... I guess… okay,” Sam Lin replied puzzled. He and Si Lei followed the mysterious woman across the broad expanse of the grandiose concourse to a small Thai restaurant with the catchy name - Taste of Thai. Walking inside she selected a secluded table in a back corner and motioned toward the waiter. Holding up three fingers, she said, “Cha-dum-yen.” Turning to the two brothers she began to translate... “Hot — ”
“Hot tea, yes, we love it,” Sam Lin said finishing her sentence.
Mumbling to himself Si Lei said, “I don’t. I wonder if they have milkshakes?”
“Oh, I see you speak the Thai language.”
“No... well yes, Si Lei and I understand a few words.”
“CALL ME KAT”
The waiter brought three cups of the hot requested beverage. Removing the cup of tea from her lips she said placing the cup in her saucer, “Sorry, where are my manners? I am your connection with the Bangkok office of the Central Intelligence Agency. My name is Katrina Ryabov. People call me Kat - I have never understood if it is because of my name or because of my skills.”
Skills? Thought Sam Lin. What skills? Before he could formulate an answer to this intriguing though he blurted, “Forgive me for asking, but exactly what do you do? Miss... Mrs —”
“Just Kat – I am called Kat.”
“Okay... Kat, why are you being so secretive? Are we being watched?”
“Watched? Since you are in Bangkok seeking information on your “friend” then yes, “they” are probably watching.”
“Yes, wait, how did you comprehend we came here looking for someone?”
“From your Director. Obviously he has a great deal of political pull. The Director of the CIA instructed the European Director, who instructed the Thailand Field Office who talked to my station here in Bangkok to provide any and all assistance you two may need on our mutual acquaintance.”
Without thinking Sam Lin asked, “Why? Why would the Agency be interested in our investigation of Ryan Rousseau?”
“Oh, I see, Ryan Rousseau, hmmm, you DON’T know anything about him?” she responded.
“No not much; however, Si Lei and I worked with him back in the late ‘60s. He was a supervisor helping us on a project, but we saw and heard nothing indicating he was nothing but red, white and blue through and through. Certainly nothing that would continue to interest the Agency. We believed at this late date anyone who had worked with him had long since retired. We were just hoping to find someone who still remembered him and could help us in any way possible.”
“Do you have an idea where he is now?” asked Kat.
“Yes, he currently works with SCAR, our facility, as the Chief of Experimental Design. He is due a promotion and our Director wants to make sure nothing in his past might damage the unit’s reputation. His new position would require him to testify before Congress and other high-level government agencies. Bottom line, we need to ‘just check him out’.”
It was getting late in the morning, luckily this terminal never closed; fortunately neither did the cafe in which they were sitting. The cafe’s interior was dimly lit. Sam Lin could see there were a couple of tables occupied as he and Si Lei talked to this mysterious woman. Kat, nervously, kept looking around the room. Who is she looking for, thought Sam Lin? Are the people at the other table intelligence agents sent to watch us? “Kat, you seem apprehensive. Are there people watching or following us?” Nervously she glanced over her shoulder, but did not bother to answer. Kat moved closer to the table, leaned over and softly spoke to the two brothers for the next few minutes, explaining the facts about Ryan Rousseau as she knew them. Sam Lin and Si Lei sat perplexed at the knowledge the CIA had on him. Why had they been so interested in him? Sam Lin and Si Lei thought he was just a low level supervisor in the immense Bangkok CIA complex. The CIA Bangkok Station was the post for the entire Southeast Asian region with hundreds and hundreds of analysts and operatives who worked all over the Asian domain; however, as large, and multifarious operation as the CIA had in Bangkok on the surface it appeared as an exemplary example of the American spy community.
In the next few minutes, Kat had painted an entirely different picture of the operation that took place at the CIA address on 126 Wireless Road, Bangkok, Thailand. The information she divulged, Sam Lin and Si Lei had never known existed, and they had worked in the same CIA building for over two years.
Clandestine cliques existed within the organization, which was common; however, one operation was so... so... detestable such a... a... nefarious affair even she was hesitant to talk about it. This was the world Ryan Rousseau had operated in, the man they had come thousands and thousands of miles to investigate.
Sam Lin, glanced suspiciously across the room toward the occupied table and quietly said to Kat, “I guess our examination of Mr. Rousseau has begun. Tell us about this... this... atrocious project Mr. Rousseau worked on. Can you provide us with its name?”
“Yes, gentlemen, I have its name, but once I divulge it, you will wish it had never been revealed to you. You must also remember, even though this project happened over forty years ago there are those still
alive today who want this secret to stay buried. I use the word ‘buried’ literally. Those who have unknowingly found out about what I am about to divulge now reside in unmarked graves, in dark, secluded places in the dense forest as their reward. I want to tell you two beforehand, I wash my hands of any consequences resulting from my disclosure.”
Si Lei turned nervously to Sam Lin, “Brother, lets return to the U.S. and tell the Captain we were unable to find out anything about Ryan Rousseau. I’m afraid! Miss Kay... sounds... serious!”
“Mr. Kim, you are correct it is serious... DEAD... serious!”
“Come on brother, suck it up. We were given a job... an important job, we must trudge ahead and find the answers Captain Scarburg tasked us with. He is depending on us.”
“You continue, Sam Lin and let me dis-continue and go home. I don’t like the looks of this. I know... I just know... this is going to do nothing but get worse! I feel it in my bones. The hair on the back of my neck is telling me Death’s sharp sickle is somewhere on the horizon waiting for us. Sam Lin I don’t want my bones buried in a lonely, weed grown, unknown place in the dense forest.”
“He’s just like that Miss... uh... Kat, pay no attention to him. Please continue. What was the name of this secret project?”
“It was called... I do not like to say the words —”
“Please Kat, the name...”
“MK-ULTRA.”
The time was 9:00 a.m. Saturday, December 1, 2012.