“At which time you’ll want to return home.”

  Kane shrugged. “Perhaps. By then anything of use that I know will have long expired, and your country, thanks to the help I will provide you over the coming months and years, will have progressed rapidly. You’ll have nuclear power to keep the lights on, nuclear weapons that can reach anywhere in the world to protect your borders, and if you let me, I’ll get you scientists that can increase your productivity, your food supply, and anything else you need. North Korea will be a modern state that hasn’t had to cave into this democracy nonsense where every uninformed idiot gets a vote.”

  Pak regarded the man. He wanted to believe him. He wanted to trust him as much as you could ever trust a man who would betray his own country, yet he couldn’t. This was all simply too good to be true. This man just shows up with no announcement, no preliminary contact, no informal outreach to see if his overtures would be accepted? This wasn’t how it was done.

  His government was approached all the time by people interested in defecting, but the vast majority of the time, after some initial vetting, they were found to be crackpots. Those that weren’t, more often than not, were of no use to his country. They were failed citizens of their own state that wanted to relocate to another they believed would provide them with everything. While the communist state did provide, it still expected the citizen to work, to contribute positively to the collective.

  Freeloaders were not welcome, no matter what country they came from.

  But this man was different. He appeared to be the real thing. What little they had found out about this Dr. Burkett matched Kane’s story. His superiors had expressed concern there wasn’t much information out there on this so-called prodigy, but that wasn’t a concern to him. The American government would have done everything it could to scrub its prized asset from the Internet. According to the team that had extracted him, he had correctly answered all the questions that North Korea’s top nuclear scientists had come up with on short notice, though as the commander had said, none of his men understood the questions asked and certainly couldn’t comprehend the answers. Pak had a feeling the assessment of the accuracy of the responses was more based on the confidence in which they were delivered by Burkett. A recording of the Q and A session had been made and would be reviewed by their scientists to confirm the accuracy.

  If Kane were telling the truth then his defection could indeed be one of the most damaging in American history, for there was no way to protect against the havoc he could unleash on his abandoned homeland. Most defectors came with specific knowledge. An intelligence asset might know the names and locations of spies or handlers or some other thing temporarily valuable, but Kane had come to them with a unique proposition—identifying sources of knowledge in the scientific community that could prove valuable for decades to come.

  If Burkett was who he appeared to be, the North Korean nuclear power program faltering for sixty years might finally bear fruit, something that would benefit his country for generations, far more than identifying a spy in their midst that could be replaced the next day. Knowledge was key, and Kane just might bring his country back from the brink.

  He tapped his pen on the pad of paper in front of him. “We need an expert in ICBM rocketry, including submarine-launched. We want to be able to hit any target in the world should it become necessary.”

  Kane smiled. “Those are actually two different areas of expertise and I know people in both.”

  “And their names are?”

  Kane shook his head. “No, you get one for free. When Burkett checks out and we come to an agreement, then I’ll give you as many as you want. But right now, I’m still in a prison cell with none of what I’ve asked for.”

  Pak frowned, disappointed in the answer despite the fact it wasn’t unexpected. He would do the same if he were in Kane’s position. “Very well. Dr. Burkett should be here within the next half day. Once he’s been vetted, and assuming all goes well, I’m sure we’ll be able to come to some sort of agreement.”

  “I’m sure we can. However, in the meantime, would it be possible to have me in better quarters? You could throw as many guards on me as you want, and a tracking device if you feel it’s necessary. But I’d just like to be in a room where the walls aren’t crumbling concrete, the floor isn’t wet, and the mattress isn’t something from the war.”

  Pak chuckled. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

  Kane extended a hand and Pak shook it. “Thank you very much, Major. It’s truly appreciated. I hope that one day you and I will call each other friend.”

  Pak rose and headed for the door. “I’m afraid, Mr. Kane, that as soon as you have been cleared, our time together will be finished and you will never see me again, unless you betray your new home.”

  Kane’s shoulders sagged slightly. “Am I to have any friends here?”

  “In time, I’m sure, but expect to be alone for a while. You’ll find it takes time for my people to trust someone who believes so differently from them.”

  “I understand. Then perhaps part of the bargain will have to be paid, shall we say, companionship?”

  Pak peered at him. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

  “Women, Major. Prostitutes, hookers, escorts, whatever you call them here. Paid companionship.”

  “We don’t have that in North Korea.”

  “I believe that’s the first lie you’ve told me, Major. I haven’t lied to you yet, so I highly suggest you save the lies for when they really matter. You have women trained for this, just like we do. I’m looking for someone to be my live-in girlfriend. Beautiful, of course, willing, but also someone to just talk to so I don’t have to spend the days and nights alone.”

  Pak eyed the man. It was one of the most frequent demands made by people in this position. They assumed that their new host country would be so grateful, they’d be willing to throw their women at them in thanks. It was rarely granted, and as most defectors the world over eventually discovered, their lives as they knew it were over and would quite often be spent alone. Yet this was an opportunity to introduce a spy into Kane’s home environment, where he might slip up and say something he shouldn’t, that might reveal any hidden truths. And Kane was right. They did have women trained for this, women they would send into foreign countries to seduce men and women of power and catch them on camera in compromising positions.

  Perhaps the request wasn’t so unreasonable after all.

  He opened the door. “I’ll see what can be arranged.”

  Kane smiled but held up a finger. “Just remember, if I don’t like her, you have to get me a new one and keep getting me new ones until I’m satisfied.”

  Pak closed the door, his skin crawling at the thought that one of his female comrades would be forced to have sex with this man, perhaps for years to come. Yet if she kept him happy and he kept providing the names of those they would need, she would be recognized as a hero of the homeland and perhaps even the mother of its future.

  Though it still disgusted him.

  17 |

  Director Morrison’s Office, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  Leroux entered Morrison’s office, and before he could take a seat in front of the desk, the Chief held up his cellphone, a message displayed. Leroux stepped closer to the desk and bent over, peering at the screen.

  Burkett was just the first of many to come. You better kill me soon.

  Leroux stepped back and sat. “Who the hell is Burkett?”

  Morrison shook his head. “No idea, but I want you to find out. I’m more curious about the rest of the message. It’s like he’s taunting us to kill him and to kill him quickly. Could he be suicidal?”

  Leroux threw his hands up. “He certainly gave no indication to any of us that he was unhappy. Hell, I’ve never seen him happier since he’s been with Fang. He’s got his self-destructive behavior under control, he’s finally faced the nightmare that’s been haunting him, and for the first time in his life, he’s actually in love.”

  Morrison tossed his cellphone on the desk then leaned back. “So, no indication whatsoever?”

  “None. I’ll have Sherrie talk to Fang, though. If anyone would know, it would be her. Certainly Sherrie and I haven’t noticed anything.”

  “I’m having Thorn brought in. There are some things that operatives share with their handlers that they share with no one else.”

  “Have you spoken to her yet?”

  Morrison shook his head. “No. In fact, she doesn’t know she’s coming in.”

  Leroux cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if she’s in on it, I don’t want to give her any opportunity to destroy evidence.”

  “You mean―”

  “I mean, she’s being taken in against her will.”

  “Are you bringing her here?”

  “No, there’s no time for that. She’ll be taken to a secure facility in Europe where a trusted asset will interview her.”

  “Who’s the asset?”

  “Someone we’ve worked with before, someone who knows both her and Kane. Someone I can trust to keep their mouth shut about what’s going on.” Morrison checked his watch. “Someone who should be paying her a visit right about now.”

  18 |

  Thorn Residence Wiesingerstraße, Vienna, Austria

  Beverly Thorn sipped her Turkish coffee. She had perfected the proper preparation method years ago, resulting in an always satisfying brew, yet it was never as exquisite as the real thing in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul—the Turks just seemed to have some secret ingredient that she couldn’t replicate in her apartment in Vienna. Despite years of attempting to figure out what was missing, she had never succeeded, and was now convinced that it wasn’t an ingredient or a method at all, but merely the locale. Baguettes were always better in Paris, beignets always better in New Orleans, and barbecue always better in Texas.

  Turkish coffee was always better in Turkey, and fortunately for her, her business took her there frequently. It was the intersection of East and West, bordering on so many of the enemies she dealt with on a daily basis, yet with the safety of a NATO country. Turkey was a perfect meeting spot for many of the operations officers and various other assets she managed for the CIA, men and women she had known for years, some for decades, many she thought of as her children.

  An uncustomary knock at her door had her briefly tensing. She received few unexpected guests. Whoever was on the other side of that door likely had something to do with the message she had received minutes ago from one of her dearest operatives. She was just surprised they were here so quickly.

  She sighed and rose then headed for the door. She didn’t bother peering through the peephole. If whoever was on the other side of that door wanted her dead, she’d be dead. She unlocked then opened it, and smiled at the man standing in the hallway. “Quentin Jackson. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

  Jackson smiled warmly at her and bowed his head. “It’s great to see you again, Ms. Thorn, especially looking so well.”

  She stepped aside and beckoned him in. “Yes, I suppose the last time you saw me I wasn’t in the best of condition.”

  “No, you weren’t.”

  “I just made coffee,” she said as she closed the door. “Do you have time?”

  “Of course.”

  Jackson sat at the kitchen table where she had been relaxing moments ago. She poured him a cup and topped up her own before sitting across from him. She logged into her phone and brought up the message she had received, then pushed it across to her guest. “I assume you’re here because of this?”

  Jackson leaned forward and read the message. “I’m sorry if what I’ve done causes you any problems. You were always good to me, and this has nothing to do with you.” He sat back. “When did you receive it?”

  “Barely ten minutes ago.”

  “When was the last time you heard from him?”

  Thorn shook her head and tapped the table beside the phone. “First, I want you to explain this.”

  Jackson leaned back and folded his arms. “You don’t know?”

  “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking. What’s going on?”

  He eyed her for a moment. “You really don’t know, do you?”

  “I think we’ve established that. What’s going on with my asset?”

  “He’s defected to North Korea.”

  She had prepared herself for any number of answers, but never in a million years would she have come up with the one she had just been given. Kane defecting to North Korea? It made no sense and there was no way it was true. If he were to defect to an enemy, which she couldn’t imagine him ever doing, he would go to China. At least there he could have a good life, and he did have a penchant for their women. He might even swing a deal to have Fang forgiven for her past transgressions so she could return to her homeland. But North Korea? It was insane. The country was a hellhole. Even the elite suffered, and there was nothing the North Koreans could do to help Fang. He would live a lonely, meager life there. But all of that was irrelevant.

  There was no way Dylan Kane had defected.

  “Bullshit,” she finally replied.

  Jackson grunted. “That appears to be the prevailing opinion.”

  “What proof do you have?”

  “Besides all kinds of key people receiving messages similar to what you received? We have him on video parachuting onto the Bridge of No Return in the Joint Security Area, then walking willingly onto their side of the border and exchanging pleasantries. This happened. He is there in their custody, and every indication is he went there willingly. Hell, the last briefing I got from the Chief just before I came said Kane challenged him to send the best we’ve got to kill him.”

  Thorn’s eyes narrowed. Kane was cocky. It was one of the things that made him a great operative, but he knew how and when to turn it off. Was he show-boating because he didn’t think he could be touched now that he was under the protection of the North Koreans? Or did he have a death wish? Was this all an elaborate ploy to get himself killed?

  “Has he given any indications that he’s been upset with anything? Depressed, suicidal?”

  Thorn shook her head. “No, otherwise I would have pulled him from the roster. You can’t have an asset like that in the field.”

  “So, he gave you no indication he was going through anything.”

  Thorn shook her head. “Nothing whatsoever, which is why I think this is bullshit. What does the Chief have planned for him?”

  “I’m not privy to that, but I would assume a team is being sent in to either extract him or eliminate him.”

  Thorn bit her lip. “They won’t risk personnel trying to extract him. Besides, it could create an international incident.”

  “A single shot to the head from a safe distance then?”

  “That’s how I’d do it.” She sighed, her heart aching. The young man was like a son to her. She had been his handler for years, and while she worried about him every time she sent him out on a mission and prepared herself for the possibility he might not be coming back, this was something entirely different. He had betrayed his country and would be killed for it, quite likely by someone he knew.

  And yet she didn’t believe it for a second.

  “We need to find out what’s really going on, before that shot’s taken.”

  “I’m sure Langley’s working on it, but I have a team waiting to go through all of your stuff.”

  She chuckled. “My dear, the moment I received that message, I knew something was wrong, so I initiated standard protocol. All my data has been wiped. All I kept was the message.”

  Jackson cursed. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because if my asset was compromised, he could have given me up under torture then a team could have been sent here and gained access to all my data. That could have compromised all of the assets I manage.”

  Jackson sighed. “I suppose you’re right. So, you have nothing?”

  “Just the message.”

  “Do you mind if my team does its sweep regardless?”

  She flicked her wrist. “Knock yourself out. I followed my standard procedure, you have to follow yours. But tell the Chief this, I don’t believe for one moment that Dylan Kane has defected to North Korea.”

  Jackson rose from the table and headed for the door. “Neither do I.”

  19 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  Leroux entered the operations center and headed immediately for Tong’s station. “Anything yet on that Burkett?”

  “Yes. We just got a report of a kidnapping outside of Seattle. One Dr. Leonard Burkett was abducted from the parking lot of a top-secret Nuclear Regulatory Commission facility by unknown individuals in a van.”

  Leroux whistled. “Holy shit. Who is he?”

  “According to the bio that was attached to the report, he’s some sort of genius nuclear physicist. Way ahead of his time. This guy is like Sheldon Cooper smart.”

  “Huh. Well, if the message Dylan sent the Chief is any indication, it was the North Koreans that nabbed him. Any word on the investigation?”

  “It happened less than an hour ago. They found the vehicle that was used during the abduction in a camera dead zone, and they managed to figure out what vehicle they switched into. It was found at a charter airport nearby.”

  “And let me guess, where the occupants boarded a private jet that was already waiting for them?”

  Tong grinned. “It’s like you’ve seen this before.”

  Leroux rolled his eyes then sat at his station. “A few times, I’m sure. Okay, where’s the plane now?”

 

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