by Laura Scott
A warning tingle snaked down her spine. If they could get in so easily, certainly others could as well.
The thought of someone within the Capitol building pulling strings even to the point of messing with security was sobering. It didn’t make any sense, although again, maybe it was just too early for the police to be out in full force.
Sun hurried to the center of Fourth Street, standing directly in front of the Capitol. The lights were bright here, yet not nearly as much as she’d hoped.
“I suggest we start looking at the garbage containers closest to the Capitol building itself,” Mack said. “We’ll need to fan out to cover more ground.”
“What exactly are we looking for?” Jarek asked. “I’m sure the bomb will be disguised in some way.”
“We have reason to believe it may be in a backpack or some other carrying case,” Mack said. “Small enough for a man to carry but big enough to be noticed.”
“And if you do find something suspicious, don’t touch it,” Sun warned. “Once we verify something is here, we’ll call the Feds and NSA, along with the bomb squad and any other local agencies that need to be involved.”
“I understand, Sun,” Hana said, resting a hand on her shoulder. “We do not want to be responsible for a nuclear tragedy.”
This time, Sun couldn’t help herself. She threw her arms around her mother, giving her a big hug, then moved on to do the same with her father, the tall man with graying temples who had clearly won her mother’s heart.
“Stay safe,” Sun whispered before releasing him. She glanced at her mother. “Both of you.”
Her parents nodded and moved off to the right of the Capitol building.
She looked at Mack who was looking at her with a strange expression on his face. “What?”
He shook his head as if to indicate nothing was wrong, but then he hauled her into his arms for a kiss. A long, intense, powerful kiss that had the ability to wipe away all thoughts of the Russians, nuclear bombs, and even the regime.
When they came up for badly needed air, she leaned weakly against him. “Wow,” she whispered.
“Ditto,” Mack murmured back. “I need you to stay safe too, Sun.”
She lifted her head and smiled up at him. “Ditto.”
For a long moment, neither of them moved or said anything more. Reluctantly, she pulled out of his arms and drew in a ragged breath in an attempt to clear her muddled thoughts. “Garbage cans.”
“Yeah. Let’s hope we find something soon,” Mack said.
She headed off to the left, with Mack going in the same direction but not as far. When she approached the first garbage bin, her pulse kicked up into triple digits.
It was the perfect size to hide a small nuclear bomb. Holding her breath, she peered inside, but then let out a soundless sigh.
Nothing. The can was empty.
Refusing to become discouraged, she went over to the next garbage can. Also empty. She leaned over, patting the sides to make sure she wasn’t missing something.
She wasn’t.
Sun swallowed hard and moved on to the next one. She glanced around, noticing a few Capitol police officers were gathered in the center of Union Square.
Odd that they hadn’t noticed her or Mack or her parents moving from one garbage container to the next. Then again, they were also moving farther and farther away from the Capitol itself. Maybe the darkness broken only by the lights of the Capitol and the moon was enough to put them in the shadows.
As she checked yet another garbage can without success, the niggle of doubt grew larger.
What if they were on the wrong track?
* * *
January 20 – 4:45 a.m. – Washington, DC
The knot in Mack’s gut tightened as he searched garbage containers that were so far back from the Capitol he had a hard time believing the nuke was hidden in any one of them.
The four of them had been searching for the past hour without success.
Which meant this brilliant idea was nothing but a big, fat dud.
He figured they should finish searching the garbage cans before trying to come up with another plan. What that might entail, he had no clue.
The Russians had tried to take them out at the motel, which meant there had to be a Russian nuke here somewhere. And how would they place the blame on North Korea? No clue.
After finding two more empty garbage cans, he turned and stared back at the Capitol. The building seemed far away from where he stood near the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, yet he knew it wasn’t.
How much farther back should they go?
He pulled the satellite computer off his shoulder and powered it up.
What was he missing? The garbage can concept had seemed the most likely scenario, but he was forced to admit he was wrong.
But if not hidden in garbage cans, then what? How could anyone sneak a nuclear bomb into one of these heavily secured buildings?
The sound of some sort of scuffle reached his ears. He froze, then quickly shut the computer and slid it back into the case. He was so far back he’d lost sight of Sun and her parents.
Should he call out to her? Some deep intuition warned him not to.
Listening intently, he moved toward the direction he thought he’d heard the scuffling noise, staying hidden in the shadows as much as possible. He couldn’t see any sign of a struggle, which was good and bad.
Good if he’d only heard Sun going through garbage cans. Bad if someone was under attack.
What if someone had managed to get the drop on Sun?
His instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong, but he did his best not to overreact.
Sun had proven herself more than capable of holding her own against any threat. Even two Russian thugs.
The scuffling sounds grew louder now, so Mack gave up trying to keep in the shadows. He darted toward a small group of trees and nearly choked in horror as he watched two men who appeared to be North Koreans fighting with Sun.
And from here? It looked as if they were winning. Why hadn’t Sun simply shot them?
“Sun! Stop! Police!” Mack shouted, hoping the Capitol police who should be ensuring the safety of the area could hear him. He joined the melee, swinging the sat computer at the Korean’s head, hitting him with a loud whack.
His shout must have provided Sun with a much-needed advantage because she slammed the palm of her hand up and into the nose of the North Korean he hadn’t hit.
He finished off the guy he’d hit with the computer, chopping him in the back of his neck with enough force that pain shot up his arm. When the guy slumped to the ground, he quickly moved forward to help Sun.
Thankfully, she already had her guy under control as well. For a moment they stood, breathing heavily as the two North Koreans lay sprawled on the ground at their feet. He stepped forward, wanting nothing more than to haul her into his arms, but she pushed him away.
“My parents,” she whispered.
A chill settled over him. Sun was right. If these two Koreans had come for her, there would be others going after her parents. “Where are they? At the Hirshhorn Museum?”
“I think so. Hurry!”
Chapter Twenty-Two
January 20 – 5:12 a.m. – Washington, DC
Hana felt the person behind her and spun away seconds before the attack. Still, she felt the slice of the blade along her arm but ignored the pain. She managed to kick and deflect the second blow, but then she felt another slice along her back. Not as deep as it may have been but enough to cause a flash of pain.
Two men flanked her now in the shadows of the Hirshhorn Museum, and she tried not to feel desperate in her attempt to fight them off. She was well trained, but still a woman, while these men had knives.
“No!” Jarek’s scream caused one of the men to pause just long enough for her to plant her foot in his face. He stumbled back, reaching up to the blood gushing from his nose.
Inwardly she prayed for Jarek to stay away,
knowing he’d likely be killed if he tried to help. She attacked again and again, moving instinctively, even as her heart squeezed in her chest for the brief love she was about to lose.
Better for her to die than Sun, who had her whole life ahead of her. She’d made peace with her decision to infiltrate the land of her birth. Sun’s future was here in America.
Blood congealed on the ground, the cold air turning it to slush. She slipped and went down, just in time to evade another thrust of the knife.
Anger spurred her into action. She gracefully leaped up, kicked the man in the groin, then chopped down on the wrist holding the knife. Hearing it clatter to the ground gave her a sense of satisfaction.
But the second man was on her now. She tried twisting from his grip, but he didn’t budge. She stomped on his foot and threw her head back into his face, hitting his broken nose for the second time.
He swore at her in North Korean, and his hold loosened just enough for her to wrench free. But the first man was swooping up the fallen knife, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to hold them both off much longer.
Suddenly two figures came onto the scene, each going after one of the two North Koreans. It took Hana a moment to realize Sun and Mack had come to their rescue.
She staggered backward, trying not to cry out in pain. Now that she was no longer under attack, the two knife wounds burned as if she were on fire.
Jarek, she needed to help Jarek.
Within moments, Sun and Mack had the two North Koreans flat on the ground, their weapons confiscated. Breathing heavily, Hana turned, sweeping her gaze over the area.
There was no sign of Jarek.
A stab of fear hit hard. “Jarek? Jarek!”
Nothing.
Sun crossed over. “You’re bleeding, we need to get those wounds taken care of.”
“Not until we find your father.” Hana reached out to grab Sun’s arm. “There’s more I need to tell you, but not now. Hurry! We must find Jarek.”
“Mack?” Sun called out. “We need to find my father.”
“I have him,” said a female voice. Hana froze when a slender woman stepped from the shadows with Jarek at her side. She was pinching the trigger point in his neck that basically rendered him useless to fight back. His face was twisted in agony from the pain the woman was inflicting. “So we finally meet face-to-face, sister.”
Hana’s blood ran cold. “Kim Jong-il. I can’t believe you came all this way yourself just to execute me.”
“You and your daughter.” Kim Jong-il was the younger sister and second-in-command behind Kim Jong-un. Hana’s real name was Kim Jong-ki, she was twenty years older than her younger sister.
And had never met her face-to-face until now.
“You being here must mean our brother is not doing well,” Hana mused, trying to buy time. “I’ve suspected he’s on death’s door, his health has been terrible. Where did you find the imposter anyway? He is very skilled. Yet here you are. I’m sure you’ve come to tie up loose ends so that there is no one else who can take away the command of the country from your greedy little fingers.”
“Yes, exactly,” Kim Jong-il said as if they were talking about meal planning rather than a straight-up execution. “I’m glad you understand.”
“But I don’t understand.” Hana took a subtle step forward, avoiding the fear and pain in Jarek’s gaze. “I am no threat to you, sister, and neither is Sun. We want nothing to do with our homeland. There is no reason to kill us.”
“There is every reason,” Kim Jong-il hissed. “You have brought shame to our family, turned your back on our country, and worse, infiltrated the regime to leak information to our enemies! A swift death is too good for you. You deserve to die slowly and painfully.”
Hana swallowed hard. Clearly, she had underestimated her younger sister’s need for power. She wished she knew how her spying had been uncovered, not that it mattered. Still, Hana couldn’t help wondering if she hadn’t defected, she could have helped Kim Jong-il become a better person. To see the regime for what it was.
But it was far too late now.
“Let him go, sister,” Hana said. “It’s me and Sun you want. We will go with you peacefully.”
“No. You will all need to come with me.” Kim Jong-il tightened her grip on Jarek’s neck, making him cry out in pain.
“Sister, listen carefully. If something happens to you, who will take over as the Supreme Leader?” Hana asked, risking another step forward. “Our brother is on death’s door, the rumors are too many to ignore. I promise you on our mother’s grave that I will never return to our homeland, that I will never attempt to take over or to gather information for your enemies. But if you don’t leave now, then you risk failing the entire regime, all those counting on your leadership.”
For a moment, Hana thought she’d finally gotten through to her sister. But then her sister pulled out a small yet lethal-looking gun.
“You will do as I say, or I’ll shoot you all right here.” Kim Jung-il smiled, but it wasn’t pretty. “I am an expert marksman, sister.”
Hana didn’t dare tear her gaze away from the woman holding captive the man she loved and took another step forward, surrendering herself.
She would have given her life, and had in a way, so that Jarek could live his.
Yet despite their best efforts, Hana knew with sick certainty they would both die here today.
Sun too.
* * *
January 20 – 5:28 a.m. – Washington, DC
Mack still had his weapon, but the idea of shooting the successor to the North Korean regime gave him pause. The political fallout was beyond comprehension.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Sun’s mother was the older sister of Kim Jong-un. The stunning news was quickly followed by the realization that Sun was the ruler’s niece.
Both mother and daughter had blood ties to the regime that couldn’t be ignored.
And where were the Capitol police anyway? A gunshot would likely bring someone running, but Mack feared it would be too late.
“There’s something you should know,” Sun said abruptly. “There’s a small nuclear bomb hidden somewhere in this area that will be set off during the inauguration ceremony, and the blame will be placed on North Korea.”
“That’s a lie. We haven’t tested our nuclear rockets in over a year,” Kim Jong-il said haughtily.
“I understand, however, the Russians are attempting to cause a problem for our respective countries,” Sun continued. “If we don’t find this nuclear bomb, North Korea will come under swift and ruthless retaliation from the United States government. Just before you have time to take over as Supreme Leader.”
Mack had to give Sun credit, the soon-to-be leader of North Korea appeared disturbed by this news.
“She tells the truth, sister,” Hana said softly. “This is the information I uncovered during my recent trip to North Korea. You must know there is a faction of countrymen who will do anything to cause you and the regime harm, even if that means cooperating with a plan of this magnitude. And while I despise the regime, I cannot condone a global war.”
“No,” Kim Jong-il whispered. “That’s not possible.”
“Your men can vouch for the fact that we have been searching garbage containers in an effort to find this device,” Hana continued. “If we are unsuccessful and it goes off, my death and Sun’s will be meaningless. Do you really want to be in charge of a country that will be at war with the United States of America?”
For a long tense moment Kim Jong-il said nothing.
Mack decided to jump in. “We learned the Russians are responsible for smuggling in the nuclear bomb, but they have somehow set it up so that North Korea will take the blame. We’re not exactly sure how, but we have been attacked several times by Russian men in an effort to stop us from finding the bomb. I can have you speak to my boss, Ken Tramall, in the National Security Agency if you want to corroborate our story.”
“Why else
would we be here in this place at this hour?” Sun added. “There is no reason for us to lie to you.”
Kim Jong-il was silent for a long moment, then narrowed her gaze and abruptly nodded. “Okay, fine. I will take this man as my hostage as you continue searching for the device.”
“No, let Jarek go, we will search regardless,” Hana pleaded.
“Stop wasting time.” Kim Jong-il waved her gun. “Go now.”
Mack wasn’t about to leave Jarek in this woman’s hands. They’d already wasted enough time fighting off attackers. Time which would have been better spent searching.
Hana turned away, and Sun stepped up to embrace her mother. Mack was farther back, but he hefted the knife he’d taken off one of the North Koreans in his hand, wondering if he should take a chance. When Sun moved with Hana away from Kim Jong-il, he had a clear shot at her.
It was now or never.
In a swift movement, he threw the knife at Kim Jong-il, aiming for the vulnerable area between her clavicle and her right shoulder.
Her gun hand.
The knife blade spun tip over handle, then landed in the hollow of her shoulder. Kim Jong-il recoiled, letting go of Jarek and dropping the gun. Sun and her mother went over to grab her.
He had to give the woman credit, she didn’t scream or cry out in agony. Apparently, those in the regime did not show weakness. Mack went over and helped Jarek to his feet, but the man was pale and shaky, and he hoped he wasn’t having a full-blown heart attack.
The danger from the regime was over, at least for now.
But the nuclear bomb was still out there, somewhere. And Mack had no idea where to begin searching next.
* * *
January 20 – 5:59 a.m. – Washington, DC
Sun was still reeling from the news that she was actually related to Kim Jong-un and the long-presiding family ruling the entire North Korean regime. Easy to understand now why her mother had sent her away to Mensa school, stayed far away, and had begun to spy on her homeland. It also explained why her mother never told Jarek about her.