“Welcome to the Bistro Garden,” said the hostess as he approached.
“Thanks,” said Jake. “I’m supposed to meet someone and I’m not sure if she’s here yet.”
“Are you Jake?” asked the hostess.
He nodded guardedly.
“She’s already seated. Please follow me.”
With that Jake accompanied the hostess to a table in the back corner. Olivia rose as he approached, offering her hand and a smile.
“Thanks for coming,” said his boss. She was wearing a chic, well-tailored, navy blue Elie Tahari pantsuit. Though he thought, She’s trying to look younger than she is, he had to admit she was a picture-perfect representative of the FBI management team.
The contrast with his attire, a clean but faded Polo shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots, was stark. He said, “Please pardon me for being underdressed for this occasion, but when the ADIC says ‘meet me for lunch, come as you are,’ I figure it was a good thing you called after I was dressed.”
“I’m glad you were wearing pants,” she said with just the hint of a smile. “I appreciate you being here on such short notice — and am very aware how engaged you are right now with this investigation. I didn’t want to put you in jeopardy by having you come to the office.”
“Thanks. Under the circumstances it’s probably best I steer clear of the federal building.”
“I think it’s safe here. I didn’t see any Korean crime lords, suspected terrorists, or defense attorneys.”
Jake offered a cautious smile.
“I understand you and Hafner went at it the other night.”
Here it comes, a counseling session or at least her way of saying they are ordering an emergency psych evaluation. He could feel the bile churning in his stomach but had the self-discipline to remain silent.
“We are all under a lot of pressure with this investigation and maybe I’ve been pushing Charles too hard.” She paused, taking a sip of water, then said, “I have some bad news and I wanted you to hear it from me.”
Jake stared, waiting for her delivery.
“The LAPD found Gabe Chong’s body early this morning. He was tortured and murdered.”
Jake was stunned, his mind racing to find the right words, but nothing came. After a prolonged moment he said, “Have you told Brian Carter?”
Knox was confused. “No, why would we?”
“They were best friends in the Marine Corps.”
“Oh no,” she said with genuine sympathy, sorrow gripping her face.
The server approached. “May I get you something from the bar?”
Knox shook her head and ordered iced tea. Jake ordered a Coke. When he left, Knox continued: “I’m not sure under the circumstances we can tell him. This is extremely sensitive and if it gets out he was with the Agency there will be ramifications, both in D.C. and overseas.”
“Where’d they find him?”
“An LAPD patrol unit found him in an alley off Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown after a call on their tip line. At first they thought he was passed out drunk, but when they turned the body over they saw the carnage. He’d been beaten, his legs broken, his femoral artery slit, and he was shot in the head.”
Jake swallowed hard. “How long had he been dead?”
“The coroner hasn’t pinpointed an exact time but at least forty-eight hours, based upon rigor. He said it would have been an excruciating death. I don’t understand how anyone could inflict such torture on another human being.”
Jake sat there without saying a word, trying to comprehend all he was hearing. Almost in a whisper he said, “I think every human is capable of evil, given the right circumstances.”
“We need to pull you out immediately.”
Jake was silent for a moment, then said calmly, “That would be a mistake. I’m deep into Park and he may be responsible for what happened to Gabe. It’s possible Gabe was a reprisal killing in the turf war between Park and Yeong. At least give me a chance to discover why Gabe was murdered and turn his death into a victory.”
“Jake, we have our orders from back east.”
“I thought my orders were to find out everything possible about the North Koreans flooding the globe with Supernotes,” said Jake with a little too much force.
“It was, but the mission’s changed. Gabe’s death changes a lot. We can’t risk the same thing happening to you.”
His voice rose slightly. “But I can risk it. I know how far I can push. You have to trust me on this one.”
She shook her head. “The safest course of action right now is for us to terminate the operation. Headquarters agrees. That’s why they’ve ordered you to come in. They’re getting their marching orders from State. I’m sorry I even invited Gabe to the meeting in the SCIF. I wish he hadn’t been read in on our project. He probably gave you up.”
“He didn’t,” said Jake without hesitating.
“How do you know?”
“He’s a Marine. Semper Fidelis, always faithful.”
“You’re putting a lot of trust in a man you just met the other day.”
“It’s a brotherhood thing. Besides, if he had given me up I’d be dead by now.”
The server returned with the drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Knox said they needed a couple of minutes. As soon as he left, Jake continued. “I am meeting Park this afternoon when I deliver a container to his warehouse. Let me meet with him and see where we stand with the kidnapping and Tommy’s murder. The whole thing will be recorded and I’ll be armed. I would think our Headquarters and the Agency would want to know if Park is behind Gabe’s murder. I don’t know if I can find out, but at least we have a chance.”
“I don’t know,” Knox said, shaking her head as she maintained eye contact.
“Look, Park has already told me he needs this container to pay the ransom for his daughter and granddaughter. If we pull out now, if we go overt, or refuse to deliver the container, both Jenny and Gracie die. I don’t think you want to explain that to OPR or State or the press.”
“Jake, Hafner’s already gone over my head calling for your removal as the undercover agent in this investigation. He called Headquarters early yesterday morning—”
Jake interrupted. “That must have been before he learned Gabe was missing. He called me yesterday, asking for help, all polite and proper. What a piece of work! Where do you find these guys?”
“Jake, that’s not important. What is important is if anything happens to you or to the kidnap victims while you are involved in your undercover capacity, we will be subjected to all kinds of second-guessing,” she said as she took a sip of iced tea. “If we tell Park we know of the kidnapping, we remove ourselves from any legal liability.”
“What about moral responsibility?”
“Jake, I just don’t think we can allow you to continue. We have our orders.”
Jake shook his head slowly. Without being confrontational, closer to a plea, he said, “Come on, Olivia. Don’t go Bureau on me. Trust me. You have in the past and I’ve always come through for you.”
She laughed. “Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights you’ve given me?”
“Call me. I don’t sleep, either,” said Jake with a slight grin.
She smiled, pausing before speaking. “As you’ve probably figured out, this is a highly unusual and sensitive case. The Director has been briefed daily and is keeping the Attorney General and the President updated. Up until today, it seemed like everyone in Washington wanted to know what the North Koreans are up to. Now it seems as though there are some in the administration and Congress who want this operation shut down.”
Jake shook his head and said, “Sounds to me like this is becoming another bad case of political indigestion — just like Fast and Furious, the IRS Enemies List, and Benghazi.”