Ratio(64)
Seong-min tried to sit up, then flopped back onto his pillow. A look of defeat spread across his face.
Harper folded her arms. “I need your answer. Now.”
Seong-min closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. “Yes,” he said. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
Carter smiled. “You ever talk to anyone about what you were planning?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
Seong-min shook his head. “I don’t know. I swear. He sounded American.”
“You’re not from South Korea, are you?”
He didn’t reply.
Harper jumped in. “They don’t let people out of the North without official clearance. Where’s yours?”
“I never had official papers.” Seong-min screwed up his face again.
Harper sensed she was getting somewhere. “Someone had you smuggled out,” she said, listening to her gut. “They knew it was important that you were from the north, make it look like a plausible threat against the US. And impossible for us to verify with your government.”
No reply.
“And I’m guessing your government doesn’t know anything about what you’re doing, do they?”
“I believed what I was told.”
“You’re not answering me straight, here,” Harper said. “You know not to screw with me.”
Seong-min nodded grimly. “I’ll answer your questions, but it won’t make any difference.” He looked Harper in the eyes. “You’re already too late.”
Chapter 44
LIGHT STREAMED IN from behind the blackout curtains and June knew it was still early afternoon. With a sigh, she punched and fluffed her pillow, turned over on her other side, and cuddled up to Jack’s back, basking in the warm glow of his body. Just as she was dozing off again, a hammering came at the suite door. Both she and Jack looked up and before they could even move, the bedroom door crashed open.
“Up and dressed, now!” Jerome said. He was looking down at Jack. “We need to get you out.”
Jack pulled off the covers, looking for his boxer shorts. June pulled the comforter up to her chin and blinked the sleep away.
“What’s going on?” Jack asked. He slipped his underwear on, and started looking for a shirt. To June, it was as if it was something he had practiced, an emergency drill rehearsed countless times.
“External threat just called in to the hotel. Special Agent Harper made the decision to move everyone out.”
“What was it?” Jack asked.
“Something about a potential attack on the building. She’s not giving us much detail. The hotel is locking down. We need to hustle.”
“Okay, so turn around so I can get dressed,” June said, pushing over to the side of the bed.
“You’re not coming,” Jerome replied. “We’ve told you several times that if the shit hits the fan, Mr. Melendez is our primary focus. I’m sorry, but you’re on your own. But rest assured, as soon as we have Mr. Melendez out, we’ll come back for you.” He looked at her, regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be.”
“I’m not leaving her here,” Jack said.
“You’re the more likely target. She’ll be in more danger if she’s in close proximity to you.” Jerome paused. “It’s safer to leave her behind, away from you.”
Jack didn’t reply.
“But what the hell am I supposed to do here?” said June. “Wait for terrorists to invade, or some damn bomb to go off? Been there, done that, remember?”
“Mr. Melendez is our number one priority,” Jerome said. “We can’t look after you and keep him safe at the same time. If we can get him out of here, we should be able to come back for you.”
June shook her head. “How do I know someone already isn’t inside? Or that a bomb isn’t right here on the seventh floor? Or in this room?”
“We’ll be back for you as quickly as we can,” Leopold told her. “Just stay in the room and keep the door closed and locked. I need to have a little chat with Special Agent Harper.”
Jack was fully dressed by then and heading for the door, Leopold and Jerome on either side of him.
“Hey!” June called after him. “Don’t I at least get a kiss?”
Jack turned back to give her one, but Leopold pulled him away, slamming the door shut behind them. June stood alone in the suite for a moment, then wrapped a comforter around herself and went to the door. Peering through the peephole, she was just in time to see the three men disappear around the corner. Jack was gone, and as quickly as that, their weekend together was over.