Lethal Force (20 page)

“I can only imagine.” She ran her hand across Jake's left arm. “Be careful.”

It had been a long time since anyone said that to him. He wasn't sure how he should take it. He checked out his watch and said, “Gotta get going. Stick with Kim.”

“There's a lot of security in this building,” she assured him.

Jake left Lori with Kim and he went down the elevator alone. As he approached the conference theater, he instinctively scanned the area for those who didn't belong. Like the two Koreans on the train that morning. But Lori was right, the place was crawling with security types. Ear buds gave most away. The rest by stature and disposition.

He showed his credentials and passport to get into the theater and then walked down the left side corridor, thinking the place was packed with those from at least five countries—the U.S., Japan, China, Russia, and the host nation. Since he hadn't prepared any comments, he would have to wing it. Not unusual for him.

Checking his watch for the last few feet before stepping in front of the podium, he saw that he was a couple minutes late.

An older Korean man smiled at Jake and said, “Are you the speaker?” His English was nearly flawless.

Jake nodded and simply headed toward the podium. He looked out over the crowd and figured there had to be nearly two hundred people in attendance. When his eyes met the congressman from California, he pretended not to recognize the man. Then he saw Lori enter the theater with Kim and take a seat near the back in the center.

“Good evening. My name is.” He smiled. “Never mind my name. I'm here this evening to talk with you about Pacific Rim security. This is a unique situation for me, since for many years I spent time doing everything in my power to destroy some of you. Raise your hand if you're from a communist country.” Nobody complied. “Come on comrades. Be proud of your failed ideology. It's not your fault that you were brainwashed by corrupt leaders who followed the insane teachings of Marx. By the way, you would have been better off following the Marx Brothers.” A few laughs. “Right. At least you'd have some talent and something to laugh about. I don't mean to pick on my former communist colleagues. Many enemies of our past have become friends or at least trading partners. I've heard that more billionaires are coming from China and Russia than from all western nations combined. Not exactly what Marx had in mind. So, what does this have to do with Pacific Rim security?” Jake pointed his arm to the wall behind him. “Well, there's a crazy bastard to the north who wants to take all that wealth away from you and your country. He wants to kill you. He wants to destroy your way of life.”

Jake paused to gauge the audience. Most were sitting on their hands. Some looked downright annoyed at Jake. Tough crowd.

He continued, “So, what do we do? Kick the can down the road some more? Say pretty please. . .give up your nukes? Or we might just sign another stern warning in the U.N. Sanctions are the first and last tool for uninspired nations full of pussies. What should we do? That's easy.” He pointed toward the north again. “We cruise off the coast with two of our nuclear aircraft carriers and their escorts, along with a couple of boomer subs. We include ships from all five countries in this room. Then we simultaneously have the Chinese position troops to his north. Once we have all the players in place, we give that crazy bastard twenty-four hours to surrender. If he doesn't surrender unconditionally, we do a blitzkrieg that would make Nazi Germany look like a Boy Scout troop. Shock and awe would suddenly become holy shit! I would say we bomb the place into the Stone Age, but I think they're already one step below that now. War is never a great option. Many innocent people in Seoul could die. But if you allow the north to continue to develop and deploy nuclear weapons in greater numbers, you will guarantee that some crazy bastard will eventually decide it's a cool idea to use them. Now, mutually assured destruction might have been a reasonable concept for the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, because, although some will disagree, there were reasonably rational people in charge of those nukes. But at some point we must all stand up and say enough. We cannot allow despots and crazy people to have nuclear weapons. Even if we have to use our nukes to ensure they don't get theirs.”

With that pleasant thought relayed to the crowd, Jake simply walked off the stage. About three people gave him a courtesy clap.

As Jake walked toward the exit, an older gentleman with gray hair, wearing a somewhat crumpled brown suit, stopped him with a raised hand.

“You're Jake Adams, right?” the man said.

Considering the man more carefully now, Jake waited a couple of seconds as the people streamed out and probably headed toward the bar.

“You look somewhat familiar,” Jake said, although he wasn't sure where he had seen the man. A relatively unknown occurrence for Jake. His memory of facts was surpassed only by his recall of faces.

The old guy reached out his hand and said, “General Tom Graves. Retired.”

Jake shook the man's hand. “Jake Adams. Retired.”

The former general laughed. “You don't seem very retired. Not after what happened in Sicily recently.”

Okay. The guy had some inside knowledge. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

The general smiled. “Right. Well, I've kept track of your work over the years. Berlin, Austria, Kurdistan, China. You get around.”

“Yeah, I'm kind of a slut. What can I do for you?”

“I was Air Force intelligence,” General Graves said. “We served together.”

Jake racked his brain now, trying to extrapolate how the man's face would have looked a couple of decades ago. But he was coming up with nothing.

The general continued. “You were a captain, while I was a lieutenant colonel. I ran a tactical intelligence squadron in the U.K. while you were stationed in Germany. I don't think we ever met, but I was briefed on your activities there. I was disappointed when you left the Air Force for the CIA.”

“Life is full of disappointments,” Jake said.

The two of them stood for a moment, the only two people left in the theater room. Jake wasn't sure where this was going.

Finally, the general said, “I now work for a think tank, where we've been lobbying the government to take a tougher stance on rogue countries like North Korea, Iran, and others.”

“Good luck with this government,” Jake said. “They have a hard time finding their own asses in the dark with both hands.”

The general laughed. “I agree. But we won't always have a Marxist in that position.”

“Yeah, well we don't have time to wait. And nobody believes false bravado.”

“General Graves. What do you want from me?”

“Everything you said tonight was spot on,” the general said. “We need people like you.”

“For what?”

“To work with us.”

Jake laughed and started to walk away.

“Just a minute, Jake.”

“You don't know me as well as you think,” Jake assured the good general.

“I know you don't need financial support,” General Graves said. “I know you love your country enough to come back time and again when the Agency needs your help. I know you've put your life on the line more times than anyone will ever know just to do the right thing. I know you can't be bought.”

“You could describe most former military that same way. Most former Agency officers as well.”

“True. But you have something special. I watched your most recent testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. You cut through the bullshit quicker than anyone I've seen. We need a no-nonsense guy like you on our staff.”

Jake thought about what Lori had said in her room that evening, about how the un-named speaker was probably just speaking to make a name for himself. Although this was not true, she was not far from the possible outcome.

“I appreciate the offer, General Graves. But I really don't see myself living in Washington.”

The man raised both hands in protest. “No, no. You could live anywhere in the world. You would just be a consultant. We would just want to pick your brain on certain issues.”

Jake considered the offer. He was about to surprise himself. “All right. With two provision. First, you leave my name out of everything. I won't be on your roster of personnel. I won't physically lobby anyone. Especially politicians. Because my idea of lobbying is grabbing the dumbasses by the throat and shaking them until they come to their senses.”

“And the second provision?” the general asked.

“I won't do company picnics or Christmas parties. I lied. Here's a third thing. I'm not a political operative. I'm not a Democrat. Not a Republican. I'm about as independent as they come. I have no use for any politician. We need term limits on every one of the bastards.”

The general laughed. “I'm right there with you, Jake. You got it. But we must pay you.”

“Nothing directly to me,” Jake said. “I'll provide you with a list of charities where you can send my salary. But you will never attach my name to any of this. Understand?”

The general reached out his hand and Jake shook on the deal. “Thank you, Jake. You'll hear from me soon.”

Jake half smiled and walked out of the theater, his eyes scanning for Congresswoman Lori Freeman. He wasn't sure if what he had just agreed to do was right. But if things with the think tank took up too much time away from his fly fishing, he could just tell them to take a hike.

He found Lori and Kim in the bar area, she with a glass of white wine and he with a bottle of water. Good to see the young Agency officer was taking his job seriously.

“Everything all right?” Lori asked Jake.

“Yeah.”

She smiled at him. “That was quite a speech you gave. I can only imagine how it would have sounded in German. Do you really think we're heading for a conflict with North Korea?”

“Not if our current administration has anything to do with it,” Jake explained. “They're acting just like Neville Chamberlain in the late thirties. They have their heads so far up their asses the Chinese are recruiting them for their contortionists skills. I wouldn't be buying a condo in Seoul right now. No offense, Kim.”

“Hey, I'm right there with you, Jake,” Kim said, his eyes suddenly making a double take on the bar entrance.

“What's the matter?” Jake asked Kim. He turned and saw Pam Suh, the Seoul CIA station chief, enter the bar and head right toward them. What was she doing in Gyeongju?

Pam tried to smile slightly, but her grave disposition gave way.

Jake introduced the congresswoman to Pam Suh, leaving out in this setting her position with the Agency. “Everything all right?” he asked.

“We need to speak privately,” Pam demanded.

He looked directly at Lori and said, “I'll be back in a minute.” Then he shifted his eyes at Kim, saying keep an eye on her. Kim nodded understanding.

As Jake and Pam walked out of the bar, he couldn't help but let his mind roam. Had someone somehow found the professor?

Out in the lobby area, away from others, Pam stopped and turned to him. Her eyes were red and puffy and a tear formed at the edge of each one now.

“What's the matter?” Jake asked.

“It's Toni Contardo,” she said solemnly. “She's dead.”

Jake felt like somewhat had just kicked him in the gut. A wave of adrenalin coursed through his body. “How?”

Pam Suh sobbed and then pulled herself together. “She was tortured and then shot in the head. Her body was dropped outside of Langley.”

Jake wasn't sure how to react. He and Toni had started off as CIA colleagues. Then they had become lovers. Most recently they had been friends. Toni had saved his ass more times than he could count. He always thought that if things could eventually change, if she could have just left the Agency, then maybe they could be together again. The hit to his gut was followed by a great feeling of dread. He would never hear her voice again. Never see her beautiful face again. How does one deal with such loss? He wasn't sure if that was possible.

Finally, Jake said, “Someone was sending the Agency a message. They couldn't make Toni break. Let me guess, the killers were looking for the professor or his work.”

“Kurt Jenkins thinks they were trying to get her to open the files you gave Toni.”

Jake shook his head. “Those were encrypted to five twelve. And Toni wouldn't have opened the files for them.” He ran his hands through his hair. “They'll be coming for me next.”

Pam nodded agreement.

“Good. Then I'll get to kill the bastards.”

The two of them coordinated their efforts for the near future. Both knew they would eventually have to travel back to the States for Toni's funeral, assuming they would be done with this current situation in time. But if there was one thing Jake knew from his past, something would always come up to deter him from doing what was necessary and appropriate. Maybe he should have been with Toni all these years. But just maybe she had been better off without him.

After explaining to Lori that he had lost an old friend and tucking her safely into her room next door, Jake flipped back and forth in his bed and tried his best to keep his head in the game. He just wished he could cry for Toni. But he hadn't shed a tear since the loss of Anna. And before that? Well, he couldn't remember that far back. What kind of monster had he become? At one time Toni had meant everything to him. Somehow they had transitioned from colleagues to lovers and back again. It was never easy to go from love to simple friendship, but the two of them had made it happen. One thing was certain in Jake's mind. He would find those who had killed Toni and make them pay.

Under normal circumstances he would have been asleep by this time of night, considering he long days he knew he had ahead of him. But Toni's death had sucker punched his ass.