“I know that, Robie.”
“I’m thinking I have about another year of doing this and then I’m calling it a career.”
She looked surprised. “When did you decide that?”
“It seems like just now, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” He stretched his arm where the burned skin was. “Your little booby-trap on the Eastern Shore made me think about my life, I guess.” He smiled to show her he was kidding, but Reel did not return the look.
“I can’t tell you how awful I feel about almost killing you.”
“We were on opposite sides back then. It happened. I made it out. We’re okay.”
She looked at his arm and leg where she knew the burns were. “I’ll make it up to you somehow, Robie.”
“I think you already have.”
“How?”
“Well, most recently, North Korea.”
“Doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Trust me, it was,” he replied.
“Are you really serious about getting out?”
“I am very serious.”
“What will you do?”
He shrugged. “Who says I have to do anything? I’ve saved enough money. I live simply. I’ve seen the world, or at least the bad parts of it. I might just do…nothing.”
“You don’t believe that, Robie. Not for a second.”
“I might do nothing, for a while. And then I’ll figure it out.” He studied her. “What about you? You were all fired up to call it a career.”
“Yeah, but then you said we could continue our careers and have a normal life. You made me believe that was possible.”
“I still think it is.”
“But now you’re quitting,” said Reel in a tone that indicated she felt he was betraying her.
“I said I’m leaving in a year. In our line of work a year can be a lifetime. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I know Evan Tucker had a private discussion with you. What did he say? That no matter how long it takes he’s going to bring you down?”
She let out a long breath and shook her head. “No, he basically apologized for all the stuff he’d done.”
“What?” said Robie, looking stunned.
“He said I was right and he was wrong.”
“Had he been drinking? Did his pupils look normal?”
“I think he knew exactly what he was saying, Robie.”
“Well, how the hell do you like that? I wonder what happened for him to change his mind like that.”
“He said he’d reviewed all the evidence and had given it a lot of thought. Plus you and I had almost gotten killed trying to stop the conspiracy Gelder and Jacobs were involved in. And you and I risked our lives in Syria and in North Korea. I guess it all added up for him.”
“So does that change things for you?” he asked.
“How so?”
“You going to stay on for a while?”
“I don’t know. Probably not. Especially if you’re not going to be around.”
He put an arm around her shoulders. “Well, you’ve got a year to think about that.”
“Yeah, if I live that long.”
Chapter
73
MIN HAD NEVER HEARD OF Halloween.
She had never worn a costume.
She still didn’t understand what Halloween was, though Chung-Cha had tried to explain it to her. But she now had on a costume and she had been given Halloween candy. They were at a small café on the main street of the downtown area that had been turned into a kids’ party room before the parade was to start.
Chung-Cha had taken Min, who was dressed as a frog, her face hidden behind the costume, only her eyes and mouth visible. Chung-Cha was in the costume of a pirate. The café was filled with children in a wide variety of outfits. At first Min had been terrified to have the frog costume on. But once Chung-Cha had shown her it was only plastic and cloth and couldn’t hurt her, she allowed Chung-Cha to dress her up.
At the front of the café, giving out candy, were the Cassions. When Chung-Cha saw this she panicked slightly. She had seen security people roaming outside, but she never thought that meant the first family would be handing out candy.
She said to Min, “Go get your candy, I will be back.” Then she hurried to the far corner of the café, quickly becoming lost among all the other costumed folks.
Min looked around frantically for her. With the frog costume covering her ears, she had barely heard what Chung-Cha had said, and then when she saw that she was gone, she started to panic. However, she was being herded with the rest of the kids to receive her candy from the Cassions.
As she got to the front of the line, Min was badly scared. She could not see Chung-Cha anywhere, and kids and their parents were crowding in on her from all sides.
When she looked up she was standing directly in front of Tommy Cassion, who was, as he had said, dressed as Wolverine. She looked at him and he looked at her.
“Nice frog,” said Tommy as he held out a handful of candy.
Out of Min’s panicked mind came one thought. She said, “My name is Min. I am ten. Will you help me?”
Tommy looked at her strangely as he dumped the candy into her pumpkin bucket.
Then Min said something else, but it wasn’t in English. She had reverted to Korean.
“Are you okay?” asked Tommy.
“My name is Min. I am ten. Will you help me?”
Tommy started to say something, but a hand reached out and pulled Min away so that other kids could get their candy.
Min looked around the room and breathed a sigh of relief when Chung-Cha rushed over to her. Before she could say anything, Chung-Cha knelt down and hugged her.
“It’s okay, Min. I’m right here. It’s okay.”
Chung-Cha led her outside and then down the street away from the crowds. They reached an alleyway where there was a little brick stoop. Chung-Cha perched next to Min on the bottom step. She had made certain that none of her team had seen them. They also didn’t know that Min was dressed as a frog. Chung-Cha would carry out her mission, but Min would be safe. Min was not going to die. Not by Chung-Cha’s hand.
“Min, you have to listen to me very carefully, okay?”
Min nodded, the frog head bobbing up and down.
“I have to go away for a little bit.”
Min started to jump up, but Chung-Cha held her back.
“Just for a little bit.”
From the alleyway she looked across the street where the town police station was located.
“Do you see that place over there?” She pointed.
Min looked past her and nodded.
“I want you to take my watch.” She slipped it off her wrist and handed it to Min. “Now, when this little line gets here, I want you to go over to that place and tell them what I told you to say. You remember it? In English? Can you say it for me?”
“I am Min. I am ten. Will you help me?”
“That is perfect, Min. Perfect. Now, remember, when this line reaches this point, that is when you will go.”
Chung-Cha was indicating an hour from now.
“But where will you be, Chung-Cha?”
“I have a few things to do. But I know those people over there will take care of you until I get back. They are good people, Min. They will help you.”
“But you are coming back, aren’t you?” said Min fearfully.
“I will be back,” said Chung-Cha, forcing herself to smile. And then she thought to herself, Please forgive me for that lie, Min. And please don’t forget me. I only want your life to be a good one.
Min reached out and wrapped her arms around her. Chung-Cha returned her hug, fighting back the tears.
“I love you, Chung-Cha.”
“And I love you, Min.”
Fifteen minutes later Chung-Cha joined her team near the target location. They were all dressed in costumes.
Jing-Sang came up to her. “Ready, Comrade?”