The clerk gave Jake a “cheapskate” look. “A lot of customers initially want the prepaid, minimal-use phone but quickly learn it’s not the ideal plan. Let me show you some free phones that I can give you merely by adding your grandmother to our new family and friends plan. For less than a visit to Starbucks I can make your grandmother always available.”
“Nice try but you don’t get it. I don’t want her always available. I want her to know this is limited use and only in the event of an emergency,” said Jake, admiring the kid’s persistence.
Without much of a fight, the young salesman selected a no-frills cell phone, which served the purpose but meant pennies in the young man’s pocket.
Jake thought he’d ease the pain for the salesperson as he rang up the sale and was genuine in his next statement. “I’m in a hurry but I may be back. That three-year contract on a 5 sounds enticing. I’m looking to upgrade.”
The clerk gave Jake an entrepreneurial grin. “I’ll give you my card. I hope when you come back in you’ll ask for me.”
“You can count on it,” said Jake as the teenager handed him the bag with the prepaid cell phone and a business card with his name and phone number on it.
Before Jake went to his car he stopped at the liquor store.
“You got aspirin?” Jake asked the clerk behind the counter. The man was short and dark, possibly Indian or Pakistani.
The clerk responded but Jake had no clue what he said. Jake repeated the question and the clerk pointed to shelves at the back of the store, where Jake found an assortment of high-priced over-the-counter drugs. He was looking for the largest bottle of aspirin and shook each bottle to make sure it met his needs. When he was satisfied, he found a roll of overpriced Scotch tape on another dust-covered shelf and stopped by the cooler to grab a Pepsi before heading to the cash register.
Once inside the car he popped three aspirin, washed them down with a swig from the Pepsi, wrapped the cotton from the aspirin bottle around the mouthpiece of the prepaid cell phone, then taped it in place with a couple of inches of tape from the roll he had just purchased.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Jake called Park as he approached the residence. When the gate opened he drove up the long driveway. Park was standing in front when Jake arrived, the Green Hornet and Kato by his side. As Jake hopped out of the car he said, “I don’t have much time. I need to get back to the other side of town and I don’t trust the traffic.”
“I understand,” said Park.
Jake handed him the cell phone and Park gave an inquisitive look.
“Just follow the directions on the card,” said Jake, handing Park a three-by-five file card. “At the time specified on the card I need you to call this number and read exactly what I’ve written. Do you understand?”
Park nodded but asked, “Why the cotton?”
“I want your voice muffled.”
“You mean in case the police have voice-recognition software?”
Jake hesitated with a response. That wasn’t his reasoning but it sounded good. “Yes, exactly. You are a wise man, Mr. Park. Make sure you call exactly at seven forty-five tonight and read the message as I’ve written it.”
Park smiled, sincerely appreciative of all Jake was doing to recover his daughter and granddaughter. In a final logistical act for tonight’s drama, the North Korean intelligence agent handed him the two large burlap bags containing the three million in Supernotes. Jake recognized the grand gesture of trust it represented. Even if the counterfeit money cost Park nothing, the contents embodied the lives of Jenny and Gracie. Their safe return rested upon the shoulders of a man Park had met less than forty-eight hours earlier.
As Jake prepared to leave, Park grabbed him and gave him an uncharacteristic hug. “Thank you, Jake. You first approached me because you had been hired to kill my daughter. Now you are willing to risk your life to free my family. You are the only non-Korean I have ever allowed inside my organization. You know the most important thing tonight is to free Jenny and Gracie — after that we will worry about how to get the money back.”
Jake nodded and said, “Yes, sir, I understand.”
“Are you sure you do not want some of my men to follow you at a distance in case you need help?”
“The kidnappers said to come alone,” the FBI agent replied. “If they spot your men, they will kill your daughter and granddaughter.”
Park pondered that for a moment, nodded, and said, “You are right.” Grasping Jake’s hand, the North Korean intelligence officer whispered, “I will never forget you.”
As Jake pulled away from the residence, he spotted the candies he had taken from Yeong’s restaurant sitting in the cup holder. He unwrapped a piece and popped it in his mouth. As he let the confection rest on his tongue, the familiar smells of peppermint flooded the car. The memory took him back to the night of the kidnapping and the piece of candy he found on the floor following the melee. “Yeong’s gotta be involved somehow,” said Jake out loud.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Jake turned into the alley where Trey and Brian were waiting in a Bureau car. He pulled alongside as Trey rolled down his window, shaking his head. “This is never going to work.”
Jake offered a confident smile and said, “Of course it will.”
“I’m not sure I can go along with this,” said Trey, hesitation in his voice. “There are too many moving parts.”
Jake’s extortionate smile continued. “Trey, do you remember yesterday morning when you told me about those top-secret matters?”
Trey looked puzzled. “Yeah.”
In a tone half serious Jake said, “Well, if you don’t go along I may have to tell Hafner about our conversation. Then we’ll both be doing background checks in Adak.”
Precisely at 7:45, Park picked up the prepaid cell phone and punched in the number Jake had written on the card. When Yeong answered, Park slowly read the words: “The round-eye will be at the Shanghai Hotel, room 212 at eight p.m. tonight. You can get even then but you must hurry. Don’t be late or you will miss him.”
When asked, Park repeated the name of the hotel and the room number.
Jake, Trey, and Brian walked down the alley, their vehicles parked on a side street just off Olympic. All were wearing worn, paint-splashed coveralls Jake picked up at a used clothing store. Jake and Brian were also carrying oversized, mismatched plastic toolboxes. As they approached the rear entrance of the Shanghai Hotel, Trey said, “What’s with you and the alleys? Why don’t you ever use the front door?”
Jake snapped, “Knock it off.”
“Whoa. Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts.”
“No, but this is serious. We need to focus.”
“This isn’t serious. This is crazy. You are diving into the shallow end, my friend. If you want to call this thing off I’m behind you all the way. We phone up the cavalry now. I drop a dime on SWAT or just make a call to LAPD. Tell them we have a kidnapping in progress.”
Jake was focused as he opened the rear door. “This will work.”
“Yeah, just keep thinking that,” muttered Trey.
Jake paused before entering, then said, “Trey, we’re in the business of worst-case scenarios.”
“Oh, that’s comforting.” The sarcasm was evident.
The hallway smelled of stale sweat and the hotel had no shot of being mentioned in the AAA guidebook. Jake had been here before and knew his immediate destination.
“I did a couple of dope deals here several years ago,” said Jake to Brian, excited but apprehensive as to what was about to happen.