by Alana Terry
“I understand.” Juliette took the money. “Will you want to stay here for a while longer, then?” Hannah furrowed her brow at her benefactress. Juliette tried to reassure her with a smile. “I could talk to Mr. Stern about hiring you in his factory.”
Hannah widened her eyes. “Are you saying I’m not ready to return home?”
In spite of her grasp on the Korean language, predicaments like these still frustrated Juliette on a regular basis. “I thought you had changed your mind about crossing the border.”
Hannah recoiled slightly. “No. Not at all.”
“Well then, if you’re returning to North Korea, this money is for your expenses. It’s part of the agreement. You’ve earned it. Besides, you’ll need it to complete your first mission.” Juliette offered the envelope back.
“I just don’t think I should take it.”
Juliette tried to hide her exasperation. “You’re going to need this, honey. Trust me.”
Hannah bit her lip but kept her hands clasped together. “When Jesus sent out his disciples, he told them not to take a money bag with them.”
Juliette adjusted her Prada glasses. A dozen arguments ran through her mind, but she doubted any of them would change Hannah’s resolve. Juliette slipped the envelope into her pocket. “If you won’t take the money, at least let me put some extra snacks in your pack, then.” She picked up the backpack, led Hannah into the kitchen, and placed some granola bars in the front zipper pouch. “There.” Juliette cleared her throat, which had started to constrict.
Hannah wrapped her arms around her mistress. “I will never stop praying for you.”
Juliette hid her surprise. Since she arrived at the Sterns’, Hannah had always shied away from intense displays of emotion. Juliette hugged the young woman back. “God bless you,” she whispered in Korean.
After she cleared her throat once more, she added in English, “I love you.”
***
The special agent pulled out the government-issued cell phone and dialed the secure number. “This is Agent Ko. I need the director.”
The slightest trace of static popped in Ko’s ear as the operator transferred the call. “What’s going on there, Ko?” The director’s voice was as tense and rushed as always.
“The students left Yanji this evening.”
The following silence bore witness to the director’s unease. Ko knew better than to blow this assignment. The director wasn’t forgiving. Neither was the Party. “What else did you find out?”
“The itinerary of one of the students. Goes by the name Levi. He’s crossing at Tumen then going directly to Hoeryong. Meeting with a pastor there.” Ko gave a thorough physical description.
“If your information is correct, the Party thanks you.” The director’s voice was a low growl. If you fail, you’re as good as dead. He didn’t say these last words, but he didn’t need to.
Ko already knew.
CHAPTER 14
Juliette rummaged through her kitchen cupboards.
“Can I make something for you, Mrs. Stern?” Startled, Juliette sucked in her breath and saw Eve.
“It’s late. What are you doing awake?”
Eve lowered her gaze. She wasn’t even in her nightclothes yet. “I heard you out here and wondered if you needed anything.”
“Tea would be lovely.” Juliette didn’t want to admit she was only looking for chocolate. “Something decaf, please.”
While Eve got the water boiling, Juliette clicked on the lamp at her writing desk and booted up her computer. With as busy as she had been getting the Secret Seminary students ready to cross the border, she hadn’t taken the time yet to respond to her daughter’s most recent email.
Kennedy had only been back in the States for a few months. Juliette felt her daughter’s loss more keenly than any homesickness she’d experienced during her past ten years in China. Mingled with her anxieties over Kennedy’s well-being was a deep sense of guilt for having a daughter safe at Harvard. What opportunities would the Secret Seminary students have when they returned to their homeland? What future could they look forward to, except one of constant fear and danger?
“Would you like honey in your tea tonight?” Eve placed two mugs on the table. Juliette took off her designer glasses and massaged her temples. Would Hannah and the other students taste honey again before they died? No one spoke it, but everyone involved understood the future for a Secret Seminary graduate wasn’t very promising, at least not when gauged by life expectancy.
“Not tonight.” Juliette sighed. “Thank you for asking.”
Eve placed the honey jar back on the cupboard shelf.
An hour later, Juliette plopped on her bed and stared at the ceiling and wondered if her husband would be coming home at all. Sometimes when things got busy, Roger would work through the night and stay on the next day to oversee another twelve-hour shift.
The Sterns never planned to become missionaries. When they moved to China, the decision was strictly based on good business. Roger could do the same work he had been doing in New York City for a small fraction of the cost. Even the extra expenses for international shipping didn’t compare to the money they saved on labor and supplies by relocating overseas. Having grown up in eastern Asia, Juliette considered herself better adjusted and equipped than most of the other expat wives in her husband’s business circle.
Juliette and Roger eased into life in Yanji, and business boomed. They could afford to send Kennedy to the All Girls American School, where test averages were twelve points higher than those from the public schools back in New York. When it came time for her to graduate, Kennedy had her pick of top-tier colleges. She finally settled on Harvard when they invited her into their early-admissions medical school program. She’d spend the next four years in the library or some science lab, and once she got her bachelor’s degree, she’d transition right on to Harvard Medical School. Juliette was proud of her daughter but still found it hard to be so far away. Was Kennedy eating well? Was she getting along with her roommate? How was she settling in to the States after spending almost half her life on foreign soil? Was she making friends?
Juliette sighed and adjusted the blankets on her bed. She felt guilty she wasn’t praying for Hannah and the other Secret Seminary graduates. She tried to focus her mind on prayer but wondered all the more about her only child.
A timid knock sounded on the bedroom door. Eve poked her head in even before Juliette could respond. “Benjamin sent me to tell you there’s someone outside.”
Juliette reached for her robe. “Did he let them in?”
Eve shook her head, keeping her eyes toward the floor. “No. It’s past ten, and Mr. Stern’s out.”
Juliette tied her sash around her waist and sighed. Roger was a policy man. He created regulations for everything, including when the security guard could or couldn’t open the door. What if it was a refugee? What if it was one of the Secret Seminary students? Juliette hurried downstairs, forgetting to put on her slippers.
She heard Benjamin’s booming voice even before she saw his towering frame. “No one’s awake. Go away.” He stood in front of the closed door, his arms crossed impassive, his feet spread apart.
Juliette hurried up behind him, careful that her footsteps wouldn’t be heard outside, and placed her hand on his arm. She was a tall woman but had to tilt her face up to reach Benjamin’s ear. “What if it’s about one of the graduates?”
The door rattled. Someone outside was trying the knob. “Get out of here,” Benjamin bellowed.
“How do you know it’s not one of ours?” Juliette strained to see through the tiny peep hole, but Benjamin’s sturdy girth was firmly planted in her way.
“Trust me.” Benjamin’s voice was low like a snarl. “They’re not with us.”
She put a hand up to the top of her robe. “How many are out there?” Benjamin held up three fingers. This was the part of ministry Juliette hated the most. With the Chinese police scurrying around to catch North Korean r
efugees, the Sterns always had to be on guard. That was one reason they hired Benjamin to take care of security in the first place. That’s also why her husband said they couldn’t open the door at night, not unless he was home. Juliette had argued the rule was ridiculous. As long as Benjamin was around, they were safe from just about any threat. Besides, what if a truly needy person did come looking for help? But Roger was adamant. On nights like this, it seemed, perhaps he had reason to be.
“What are they doing?” Juliette asked.
Benjamin shrugged. “Don’t know. But they’re not doing it here.” She made a move toward the peep hole, but Benjamin stretched his arm out, blocking her way.
“You’re sure they’re not refugees?” she questioned again. He nodded. She would feel better if she could get a fair look herself, but Benjamin was immovable.
Eve fluttered up to her side and gripped her arm. “Is everything all right?”
Juliette peeled her eyes away from the door. “Probably just some trouble-makers. Right?” Benjamin grunted his assent. “Go on upstairs, sweetie,” Juliette prompted Eve. “I’ll be up in just a few minutes.” She gave the girl’s hand an assuring squeeze and shut her eyes for a moment.
Benjamin stretched his neck up to the peep hole. “They’re going now.”
Juliette finally managed to make her way to the door. From the porch light, she saw the backs of three young men. One of them pointed to another house down the street, and the gang headed toward it. She squinted. No, they weren’t dressed like refugees. She straightened her hair. “What do you think they want here?”
“Trouble.” Benjamin flicked some invisible dust off his shirt. “Would’ve got it, too.”
Juliette gave him one more pat on the shoulder. “Thank you for being so diligent.”
Benjamin turned down the small hall that led to his bedroom. “That’s my job.”
***
Back in his bedroom, Benjamin kept his ears strained just in case the hooligans decided to come back. He wasn’t about to let thugs in. He heard a quiet knock on his door and grunted, putting down his training weights. “Mrs. Stern?”
“No, just me.”
He reached for a shirt to throw on and propped open the door. “Yeah?” He wondered what Eve was doing here. Probably Mrs. Stern sent her down to deliver a message or something. He stepped out into the hall, careful to shut the door behind him. “What?”
Eve nibbled the tip of her little finger. “I don’t know.” She turned and glanced toward the front door. “Think Mr. Stern will be home soon?”
He crossed his arms. “You worried?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I mean, they were kind of loud at the door. Like they weren’t going to leave.”
“They left.”
Eve turned one shoulder, her teeth still working on what was left of her nail. She paused once and then looked back at Benjamin. “All right. Well, guess I’ll go upstairs.”
He was already back in his room, his door half closed by the time she could say good-night.
***
Juliette laid her glasses on her nightstand and pressed her throbbing temples. It had been a long day. She knew Benjamin was right to send the men outside away, but she hated the idea of refusing anyone who might genuinely be in need. She took deep breaths, telling herself that the young men were nothing but riff-raff, probably coming up to the expat neighborhoods to see if anyone was foolish enough to keep a window or car door unlocked, not refugees from across the border looking for shelter. Still, they might need help. Should Juliette have ordered Benjamin to open the door? What if they were hungry? At the very least, she could have given them some of the spending money she always kept squirreled away. Roger refused to give cash out at the door; it would only cause more headaches down the road, he insisted. But sometimes a few wads of bills found their way out of the Sterns’ house, nevertheless. Juliette rolled her neck in slow circles, rubbing her shoulders to ease the tension. At the very least, she didn’t plan to tell Roger about the visitors. Benjamin would probably mention them tomorrow, but if he forgot, there was no reason to give her husband an additional cause for stress.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and saw Eve flit past the open door. The girl’s bare feet fell soft as velvet on the carpet. Eve glanced up for just a moment and caught Juliette’s eye. She looked down, the barest trace of a blush coloring her face. “Everything all right?” Juliette asked.
Eve bit her nail and stood in the doorway. “I was just getting ready for bed.” She sounded the same way Juliette’s daughter did when she made up excuses for coming home late from a school dance. “But would you like me to make you tea?”
Juliette studied her quizzically. “I don’t need anything. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t too shook up. From those guys downstairs, I mean.”
Eve let out a tiny giggle. “I’ve been working here long enough to not get worried.”
Juliette put her glasses back on to study Eve’s features better. “Well, then I guess it’s time for bed, isn’t it?”
Eve’s tense shoulders relaxed. “If you’re sure you don’t need tea. Good-night,” she sang out, a little faster than etiquette demanded. Once Juliette heard her light footsteps recede down the hallway, she shut her bedroom door and headed straight to her walk-in closet. If she ever deserved a treat, it was tonight. Where was her stash? She wasn’t afraid her house staff would steal from her, but she certainly didn’t want to feel compelled to share, nor did she care to have everyone realize just how deeply her habit ran. Juliette’s hands trembled as she rummaged through old journals and boxes of books that never made it onto the shelves in the den. She needed to calm down.
“There it is.” Ever since sending Kennedy off to Harvard, Juliette had started talking to herself. She heard her daughter’s voice in her head, teasing her for her late-night cravings. “You’re going to split that with me, aren’t you?”
Juliette opened up the white-chocolate Godiva bar. It was almost a full pound. Of course there would be enough to share if Kennedy were still here. Juliette sat on her bed, breaking off dainty bites of bliss and wondering what Roger would do if he knew she was eating chocolate alone on their Egyptian cotton sheets. She thought about the nights she and Kennedy stayed up in bed while Roger worked late. They watched classic black-and-white films together, laughing at the wimpy heroines and swooning mockingly over the characters’ love interests. Juliette hadn’t watched a single movie since Kennedy returned to the States.
Her hands were steadier now. She looked at the bar, easily large enough for two to split, and heard rustling from the next room over. Eve was still up. She called the young housekeeper in.
“Yes, ma’am? Did you decide to have some more tea after all?”
“No, thank you.” Juliette held out half of the chocolate bar. “I just thought you might like some of this.”
CHAPTER 15
Roger walked into his bedroom in time to see his wife shove a cream-colored wrapper under the pillow. “That kind of night, huh?” Roger winked.
“You don’t even want to know.” Juliette smiled and scooted herself over in the bed. “How did everything go at the office?”
Roger slid into his pajamas, his limbs heavy from the day’s work. “Looks like we’ll probably get things out on time.” He slipped in bed next to Juliette and put his arm around her robust frame, softened and rounded by decades of late-night snacking. He could tell by the way she positioned herself something was wrong. “You worried about the graduates?”
Juliette shifted her weight. “I should be.”
“What’s keeping you up then? I mean, besides Mr. Godiva?”
She paused but didn’t smile. “Just thinking of Kennedy.”
Roger rolled his eyes, careful she wouldn’t notice. North Korea could cross the Demilitarized Zone, World War Three could break out next door, and his wife would worry herself sick about whether or not Kennedy was brushing her teeth every night before bed. He massaged Juliette�
�s shoulder. “So did anything exciting happen while I was out?”
Even after he tried to curl himself around her like a spoon, she wouldn’t relax. “What kind of excitement are you talking about?”
Roger let out a mix between a humorous snort and a sigh. “The typical, I guess. Ragged refugees hunted down by the Chinese police, banging on the door, seeking asylum. You know ... the usual.”
Juliette’s laugh would have been more convincing if she weren’t so tense. Roger closed his eyes and breathed in heavily. It was nice to finally lie down, even though he’d have to get up in just a few hours to check on the printing order. He thought about the Secret Seminary graduates and wondered how they were managing their first night out on their own. When Roger and Juliette started the training program for North Korean refugees, they prayed together nearly every night, begging God to anoint and protect their students. A year ago, they started classes with eleven trainees. Today they sent out the six that completed the entire program. With their daughter away at college and the Secret Seminary students gone to whatever fate awaited them, Roger figured the house would feel pretty empty in the days to come. He wouldn’t be surprised to see his wife gain a few more pounds, either. Boredom and loneliness were not friends to her figure, as Juliette herself liked to joke. Roger kissed her and rolled over, remembering to say a silent prayer for the graduates before he fell asleep.
***
Juliette closed her eyes. She frowned in concentration, trying to recall the last song the Secret Seminary students sang before they left. Was it How Great Thou Art? The Old Rugged Cross? She hated not remembering. Why hadn’t she paid more attention? Juliette took a deep breath. She couldn’t think about the graduates at this time of the day. Tomorrow she could wake up and begin a whole new sixteen-hour worry session anew. For now, she had to focus on happier things.
Like Kennedy. Juliette had gotten an email from her daughter just a few hours earlier. She was off to take another midterm. It was chemistry, one of Kennedy’s strongest subjects. She wasn’t too nervous, or if she was she didn’t show it in her note. Juliette wished they could talk more by phone. She could hear in Kennedy’s voice what she couldn’t always read between the lines of her emails. But with the time difference, catching her daughter in her dorm was like playing a Vegas slot machine. The Sterns always had to be careful on their home phone, too. With the Chinese government, you could never be sure if your lines were tapped. Juliette couldn’t talk to Kennedy about the graduates. She couldn’t refer to them directly in her emails, even though Kennedy had known them all before she flew out to Massachusetts.