We believe she is an American agent. We believe that she arrived with the other man. There was a report of one being a female. And I saw these two together at the White House after Bukchang was attacked.”
Chung-Cha stared at the picture of Jessica Reel. She was tall and lean and in her hardened physique Chung-Cha saw much strength.
“I understand there was a traitor with them?” she said.
Bae nodded. “He talked with one of the guards. He was North Korean. He was undoubtedly brought with them for his language skills and perhaps knowledge of Bukchang.”
“He might have been a prisoner there,” said Chung-Cha. “Some have escaped and fled to America.”
Bae spit on the floor. “Filth!”
Chung-Cha looked at him. “And why am I being shown these people?”
Bae looked at the others and then back at her. “They must be killed too.”
“But not by me?”
“That remains to be seen, Comrade Yie.”
“I cannot be in two places at the same time.”
“We will see,” said Bae. “We will see. But whatever the course, I will be behind you all the way, Comrade Yie.”
The two locked gazes until Chung-Cha again stared Bae down. As he looked aside, Chung-Cha returned to the files, but her mind was a long way away.
Chapter
64
CHUNG-CHA AND MIN HAD eaten some dinner prepared by the woman who had come with them here. Then Bae had departed and the man and woman had gone upstairs to their rooms. That left Chung-Cha and Min. Min’s eyes were droopy but she said, “Can we go for a walk?”
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” said Chung-Cha.
“Please, just for a few minutes?”
Chung-Cha looked out the window. It was dark, but that held no fear for her. It was true she had no weapons with her. Those would be provided later. But she was a weapon. She had heard that America was crime-ridden, with gangs on the streets attacking people, killing, raping, and robbing. She had seen no sign of this at all, either in New York City or here. Still, they might be out there.
“Just for a few minutes,” she said to Min, and the girl smiled.
They walked hand in hand around the residential development, which was well lit by streetlamps. Min looked at all the parked cars and said, “Americans must have much money.”
“I suppose,” said Chung-Cha. She had been thinking the same thing. She looked at all the houses, where the lights burned bright and steady. In Pyongyang one was lucky to have an hour’s worth of light at night. And there were more cars in this one parking lot than she had seen in all of North Korea.
They watched as a man and woman and their two small children came out of their house and headed to their car. The man smiled and said, “Hello.”
Chung-Cha greeted him back.
“Are you moving into the neighborhood?” asked the woman.
“What?” asked Chung-Cha.
“We saw you arrive earlier. Are you moving in, or just visiting?”
“Just visiting,” said Chung-Cha automatically.
The woman looked at Min. “What’s your name?”
“Her name is Min,” said Chung-Cha. She added in a more polite tone, “I’m sorry, she does not speak English.”
The woman smiled and said, “I’m sure she’ll pick it up right away. I wish they taught foreign languages here sooner, like they do overseas. Most kids don’t get going on that here until middle school. Way too late in my opinion.” She looked at Min again. “She looks to be about ten. Same age as Katie here. Katie, can you say hello?”
Katie, a small girl with blonde curls, was partially hiding behind her dad.
The woman said, “Katie’s our shy one.”
“Min too,” said Chung-Cha.
“If you’re doing the touristy thing and need any help or anything, let us know,” said the man. “I work downtown. Take the Metro in. I know it like the back of my hand. Just give a shout. Glad to point you in the right direction. Definitely do the Air and Space and the National Archives. Pretty cool stuff.”
“Thank you,” replied Chung-Cha, though in truth she had no idea what he had just said.
The family got into their car and drove off while Chung-Cha and Min continued their walk.
“What did they want?” asked Min.
“Just to say hello. And see if we needed help.”
“Were they pretending? So maybe they can try and hurt us later?”
“I do not know,” said Chung-Cha. “They seemed nice.”
“What was wrong with the girl’s hair?”
“Wrong?”
“It was all bent.”
It took Chung-Cha a moment to grasp what she was referring to. “Oh, some Americans’ hair is like that.