The Hermit Kingdom, page 29
But being able to break zip ties wasn't the point. They were all acting, pretending to be prisoners of Jin-Tak Yeon as he extradited them from North Korea. The journey would take over six hours, only if they stayed on highways and major thoroughfares. Yeon had assured them they wouldn't be stopping at any bases or checkpoints along the way, as these convoys were usually regular supply caravans sent down to the DMZ.
The truth of that lay at Evans' feet. Dozens of smaller boxes and crates had been arranged on the floor of the truck. Straps had been thrown over the tops of the piles, collecting them and holding them together for the bumpy ride. The seats had been left open, and the six soldiers inside this truck had all moved, save for the two guarding them now, split between the other two trucks and jeeps.
So far, Yeon's word had held. But Evans kept an eye on each of the men just in case. They reached a long stretch of highway and the trucks and jeeps accelerated. The engine noise rose in volume, loud enough for Seong and Michaela to talk quietly. They were seated next to one another, next to Jin-Tak Yeon, and his head blocked their faces from view of the other guards.
Evans couldn't hear what they were saying, obviously, but he knew they would be discussing what they had learned about the facility they had just escaped from. They would be talking about the prion disease, its cure, and all the villagers they had left behind.
Jin-Tak Yeon’s people. His family and friends, people who had raised him. Evans shuddered as he considered all that he had learned while standing on the field next to the group of crazed villagers. When Jin-Tak had appeared, they had all fallen away, once again docile and harmless. At the time, he had assumed it had been Yeon’s sniper rifle they had been scared of, but now he knew the truth.
They recognized him, knew him. They had trusted him. Perhaps that was enough for Evans to trust him now. He had saved their hides once already – twice considering Grudowski’s betrayal and Yeon’s assassination of him — and he was ostensibly trying to do it again. His story checked out, and Evans believed Jin-Tak’s words — that he wanted nothing more than to find those responsible for enslaving his village and people.
He took solace in all of those facts.
He let out a deep sigh, for the first time in over 24 hours feeling a bit of relief. Their mission was done – their job successful. Sure, they still needed to get out of the country, but every mile they marched on, he felt confident they would do just that.
85
SHANE
True to his word, Jin-Tak Yeon led the group towards the demilitarized zone that separated the contentious North and South Korea. There they passed through a minor North Korean checkpoint, an inconspicuous, flat building, set against the vast expanse of the desolate terrain. The checkpoint was embodied by a single, unassuming building, guarded by a handful of watchful soldiers whose steely gazes scanned the horizon in anticipation of some elusive adversary.
Stretching across a menacing crevasse that acted as a natural, hostile separator between the two countries was a drawbridge, the only pathway out of the North Korean territory.
The convoy leader hopped out of the jeep, heading towards the building that housed the checkpoint controls. In the meantime, Jin-Tak was busy orchestrating the exodus of the Westerners from the confines of the truck. His movements were quick, driven by an unspoken urgency that Shane immediately picked up on as he climbed down from the vehicle.
Breaking the tense silence, Yeon leaned in, whispering quickly, "The people I worked for... they'll know about what happened by now. They'll know I'm the culprit. I suspect we have less than an hour before they broadcast the alert and the entire army is on my tail."
Shane matched his tone. "Sounds like we better keep moving."
Shane, despite the inconvenience of having his hands bound in front of him, turned and offered his shoulder to assist Michaela down from the truck. He felt the mild irritation of the restraints, but the trust he'd grown to have in Yeon kept him from snapping the bonds. For now, he'd continue playing the prisoner as long as Yeon played the captor.
Their plan was to slip into South Korea under the guise of captives discovered in the university by Jin-Tak Yeon. Since Jin-Tak was military but connected to a shadowy part of the government that generally drew no questions, they'd managed to evade heavy scrutiny on their journey so far. Shane guessed that lack of scrutiny would continue.
One of the soldiers turned to assist Seong Park out of the truck, before quickly reverting back to his watchful silence, eyes locked on the distant horizon. In this country, it wasn't the fear of the dictator that gripped people; it was the fear of his power, his ability to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Shane understood that here, one didn't do anything to draw attention to oneself.
It was a rule he was forcing himself to follow.
Shane met Yeon's gaze, giving a quick nod as he fell in line with Evans, Michaela, and Seong. With a gentle push of his rifle, Yeon nudged Shane forward, and the small group began their trek towards the drawbridge.
Every step brought them closer to the border, and to their freedom.
86
SHANE
"I understand now," she said.
Shane Riley looked across the small table at Michaela Everly. He had always been fond of his late wife's best friend, he had always enjoyed being around her. Her smarts, beauty, her effortless humor. It made Shane want to be a better man.
Kate had had that same effect on him, and looking at Michaela now only made him miss his wife even more.
But there was something different in the air now, something unspoken. He wasn't sure what to call it, how best to phrase it.
He got the sense that it might be better left unsaid.
He played with his mug, savoring the deep, rich chai. He still wasn't much of a tea drinker, but he had to admit, this was good. It was less tea and more spiced hot water.
They had met in the same coffee shop they had been at before, in South Korea near Michaela’s house. After escaping North Korea, they had parted ways with Seong Park and others.
Seong would confront her father, putting a plan together to make him answer for his sins. At the same time, she didn't want to hurt him. After all, the man was her father. He had made mistakes, misjudged. It had almost gotten his only daughter killed, and it was the very reason she wanted to confront him.
They had seen how conflicted the young woman was upon leaving her at the train depot just north of town. They had offered to bring her into the fold, to give her a place to stay and get back on her feet. But Seong was strong-willed and capable, more than ready to begin the next chapter of her life. She told them she would be reaching out to a friend of a friend, somebody who had worked for the military of South Korea and was politically opposed to her father.
If she needed muscle, he would be the man to call.
She would also continue researching the prion disease the North Korean government had created. The perpetrators were still at large, but she knew what to look for. She was convinced she could find where they were headed next, where they would regroup. None of them believed they had defeated the North Korean researchers. They would build the program back up again somewhere else, working faster to bring the project to a close.
Jin-Tak swore to Seong Park and the rest that he would be on the trail as well, still having connections to many of the people he had previously worked for. With luck, he would be able to maintain the illusion that he was still working for them, that he had simply been duped by Jonathan Evans and his team.
For his part, Evans had wanted to help others and Seong Park, but he understood that their current mission was over. Their job in North Korea was done. They had taken him to a hospital in Seoul, where he had been patched up, his wounds cleaned even better than what they had done at the small field clinic. He was currently on his way back to the states, needing some time to regroup as well. He had lost a man and he had been betrayed by another, and Shane knew he would be licking his wounds for a while.
Men like Evans took things like this hard – he was a good man, committed and loyal to his team and friends. It wouldn't be easy to compartmentalize their deaths and move on, but he knew Evans would pull through.
As he played with the mug in front of him, Michaela continued.
"I mean, I understand your rule."
"My rule?"
"You don't retrieve people."
He forced a smile but was only able to raise one side of his mouth. "That's just one rule. I also work alone."
"You broke two rules on one mission, Shane," Michaela said, smirking. "Is that a record for you?"
"I always heard rules were meant to be broken," he said.
"They're good rules. As I said, I understand them now. You don't retrieve people. You work alone. Anything else besides that gets a little…"
"Complicated."
"Complicated,” she confirmed.
"Where did those rules come from, anyway?" she asked. "I'm assuming there’s no merit badge for Retrieval Specialist that teaches you all this stuff."
"I wish," Shane said. "It would sure make things a lot easier.” He took a sip of tea. “It was a decision I made when I first started doing this. Just seemed like it made sense."
She looked at him then, scrutinizing him where before she had simply been listening and paying attention. He paused, waiting for her next question. "Where were you when you made that call?" she asked.
"Switzerland, actually. My very first time out in the field as an official retrieval specialist."
"Official?"
"Well, as official as it could be. It was my first job, or – I guess I should say, I was trying to land my first gig. Big art auction type thing, full of rich fancy people. I figured they’d be the type to hire somebody to acquire something for them without getting their hands dirty."
"I see. Did you get the job?" she asked.
He shook his head, smiling. "No, didn't. I had to make a pretty quick exit from the premises, if I recall."
"If you recall…" Michaela said mischievously. "Something tells me you recall just fine."
Shane smiled then, more genuinely this time. He pictured the narrow escape from the top of the resort’s hotel, the lunge off the edge of the infinity pool situated at the edge of the cliff. The hastily donned BASE jumping suit that miraculously did what it had been designed to do and deposited him safely at the bottom of the valley.
"International Man of Mystery: Shane Riley. Retrieval Specialist. Kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?"
"It does not."
He took the mug of chai and lifted it to his lips, taking a deep sip. When he set it back down, Michaela was leaning forward, her chin resting on her clasped hands.
"I've got another mission for you, Shane," she said.
He arched an eyebrow.
"I know you said you don't retrieve people, but…"
"Michaela, if this is about me and you…"
She stopped. He didn't say more, and neither did she. For a few excruciating seconds, it looked as if she was going to cry. She reached out suddenly and grabbed his hand that he had let rest on the table.
It was warm, soft.
Comfortable.
"Michaela, I –"
"I love you, Shane. I'm sorry… I don't think I've always loved you, and I would never do this to Kate on purpose. But I just need to say it. I just need to come clean or I'm going to kick myself for the rest of my life."
“I…”
"I don't need you to say anything," she said. "Really. I just know that when you leave here, you're going to try to disappear. You're going to fall off the face of the earth again, and I know damn well I may never see you again, Shane. So regardless of how you feel, I need you to know how I feel."
There was a question in her words, an inflection. He stared at her, then let his eyes fall down to his mug.
When he looked back up, tears moistened the corners of her eyes, one collecting and rolling down her cheek. Her voice was a mere whisper. “Can you just… can you just promise me something?"
He raised his eyebrows even higher.
"Can you just come back for me? When you're done with whatever it is you need to do, can you promise me you'll find me? Promise me that no matter where I am in the world, you'll find me when you're ready."
"Michaela ––" he started, then stopped himself. He was choked up, trying to hold back tears himself. "Michaela, I came out here for closure. I came out here to understand my wife's death. To find peace."
He had a feeling she knew where he was going with this, but it didn't matter. He needed to say it.
“But I didn't find that, at all. I'm no more at peace than I was a week ago. I just – I just can't understand any of this right now, so…"
"Don't say it."
"No."
Their eyes met once again as the barista walked by, noticed their emotional state, then kept moving.
Shane continued. “No, I can't promise you that. I wish I could… at least, I think I wish that. But I just can't. Michaela, you're a huge part of my life. The closest person I’ve got. But you're also the closest remaining thing I have to Kate. I hear you, I truly do – it's just that I can't make a promise like that. And I don't expect you to understand, I just –"
"I do understand."
Her words were short, clipped, and she was biting back sobs. Still, she had forced herself through them. When she’d finished, she nodded once, then stood up.
"Michaela, let's just –"
She pushed her chair back and stepped away from the table. She turned around, facing the doorway to the small coffee shop.
As he sat, his mouth hanging open, his own tears now flowing freely, he watched as Dr. Michaela Everly walked out of his life.
###
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AFTERWORD
If you liked this book (or even if you hated it…) write a review or rate it. You might not think it makes a difference, but it does.
Besides actual currency (money), the currency of today’s writing world is reviews. Reviews, good or bad, tell other people that an author is worth reading.
As an “indie” author, I need all the help I can get. I’m hoping that since you made it this far into my book, you have some sort of opinion on it.
Would you mind sharing that opinion? It only takes a second.
Nick Thacker
BOOKS BY NICK THACKER
Six Assassins Thrillers
Primary Target (Book 1)
Subtle Target (Book 2)
Unstable Target (Book 3)
Captive Target (Book 4)
Vendetta Target (Book 5)
Final Target (Book 6)
Mason Dixon Thrillers
Mark for Blood (Book 1)
Death Mark (Book 2)
Mark My Words (Book 3)
Harvey Bennett Mysteries
The Enigma Strain (Book 1)
The Amazon Code (Book 2)
The Ice Chasm (Book 3)
The Jefferson Legacy (Book 4)
The Paradise Key (Book 5)
The Atlantis Artifact (Book 6)
The Book of Bones (Book 7)
The Cain Conspiracy (Book 8)
The Mendel Paradox (Book 9)
The Minoan Manifest (Book 10)
The Napoleon Job (Book 11)
The Embers of Siwa (Book 12)
The Epsilon Event (Book 13)
The Cerberus Protocol (Book 14)
The Russian Betrayal (Book 15)
Harvey Bennett Mysteries - Books 1-3
Harvey Bennett Mysteries - Books 4-6
Harvey Bennett Mysteries - Books 7-9
Harvey Bennett Prequels
The Icarus Effect (written with MP MacDougall)
The Severed Pines (written with Jim Heskett)
The Lethal Bones (written with Jim Heskett)
Gareth Red Thrillers
Seeing Red
Chasing Red (written with Kevin Ikenberry)
The Lucid
The Lucid: Episode One (written with Kevin Tumlinson)
The Lucid: Episode Two (written with Kevin Tumlinson)
The Lucid: Episode Three (written with Kevin Tumlinson
Standalone Thrillers
The Atlantis Stone
The Depths
Relics: A Post-Apocalyptic Technothriller
Killer Thrillers (3-Book Box Set)
Short Stories
I, Sergeant
Instinct
The Gray Picture of Dorian
Uncanny Divide (written with Kevin Tumlinson and Will Flora)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Thacker is a thriller author from Texas who lives in Hawaii and Colorado. In his free time, he enjoys reading in a hammock on the beach, skiing, drinking whiskey, and hanging out with his beautiful wife, two dogs, and two daughters.
For more information and a list of Nick’s other work, visit Nick online:
www.nickthacker.com
The Hermit Kingdom: Shane Riley Adventures, Book #1
Copyright © 2023 by Nick Thacker
Published by Conundrum Publishing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance of fictional characters to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All right reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, photocopying, mechanical, or otherwise—without prior permission of the publisher and author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
