The Target

Chapter 52

She’s back home and safe,” Robie pointed out.

He and Reel were sitting outside at a café in D.C. having an early breakfast.

“By a miracle, Robie.”

“Miracles happen by chance. This didn’t.”

She put her coffee down and stared at him. “You know what I mean. You know how many things could have gone wrong. Any one of them could have cratered the mission and Julie would be dead.”

“But she’s not dead.”

Reel put her shades on, sat back, and stared off.

“And Earl?” he said.

She smiled grimly. “Back on death row and talking to himself. They don’t expect him to last a week.”

Robie’s phone buzzed. He looked at it and then sat up straighter.

“Blue Man.”

“At least it’s not Evan Tucker. I couldn’t take him, not today.”

“He wants us to come in.”

“Something up, you think?”

“He doesn’t usually call to chitchat.”

Reel rose and threw her cup of coffee into a trash can. “Then let’s not keep the man waiting.”

“Rumblings,” said Blue Man. “But distinct ones.”

They were seated in Blue Man’s office at Langley. The skies had darkened on the ride over and rain was starting to fall.

Reel and Robie glanced at each other.

Reel said, “Distinct how?”

“We have numerous contacts in South Korea, China, and Taiwan. These contacts in turn have a smaller number of resources planted in North Korea, mostly in Pyongyang.”

“And adding them all up, what do these rumblings say?” asked Robie.

“That the North Koreans are planning something.”

“Retaliation, you mean,” said Reel.

“I doubt it’s anything else,” said Blue Man. “The North Koreans are not known for either their tact or their compassion.”

“But they can keep secrets,” Robie pointed out. “Do we have any clue what form this retaliation might take?”

“It seems clear that they have discovered the level of Pak’s actions. And now his family has disappeared.”

“I didn’t think he had any family,” said Reel.

“So they’ve either been killed or sent to the labor camps,” said Robie with a resigned sigh.

Blue Man nodded. “Appears to be the case.”

Robie added, “If so, they’re beyond help.”

“I would have to agree with that. Any attempt to free them would create an international incident that we cannot afford at present.”

“He said to protect his family,” observed Reel quietly. “Well, we failed him on that.”

“We were talking retaliation?” said Robie quickly, noting Reel’s depressed look.

Blue Man nodded and opened a file on his desk. “It’s why I called you two in really. Now the DCI—”

“Is he still in denial?” Reel interrupted.

“Apparently so. Head in the sand, hoping the other shoe does not drop.”

“Great plan,” said Reel with disgust.

“Perhaps. But options are limited.”

“Surely we can take some defensive measures,” said Robie.

“We can and are,” replied Blue Man. “We feel that since our target was at the highest level in North Korea, any retaliatory action on their part will be aimed at the same level here.”

Robie looked doubtful. “The president? They have to realize they can’t get close to him.”

“The Secret Service has been made aware of the need for heightened protection, although the president already enjoys the best protection in the world.”

“So if not the president, what then?” asked Reel.

“The vice president? The Speaker of the House? A prominent cabinet secretary? A Supreme Court justice perhaps? Maybe even a dirty bomb in a populous area. And the target would be largely symbolic and the message would be, ‘We can get to your leaders or people anytime we want.’ It would definitely be a blow to this country should they succeed.”

“But what’s the endgame on this?” asked Robie.

“After they strike back Pyongyang may release to the world whatever evidence they have about a plot led by this country to assassinate their leader.”

“The world won’t believe the North Koreans. They hardly have credibility,” Robie pointed out.

“But in this case they would be telling the truth, wouldn’t they? And we don’t know what they might have discovered. From Pak. Or from Lloyd Carson. The DCI doesn’t think there is anything there. But his judgment has not been infallible.”

“Quite the opposite,” said Reel icily.

Robie said, “You didn’t call us in here to tell us to do nothing.”

“No, I wanted to warn you,” said Blue Man.

“About what?” asked Reel.

“At the cottage where you saw Pak kill himself?”

“Yeah?” said Robie warily.

“You may have been seen.”

“That’s impossible,” said Reel. “We didn’t see anyone and our surveillance cameras showed no activity.”

“Nevertheless, the rumblings we’re hearing indicate you may have been seen. And if so, you may become targets as well.”

Robie looked over at Reel. “Well, it won’t be the first time. Although I think I’d take the neo-Nazis over the North Koreans.”