“It no look like that! Look what you did to men!”
“I had no choice. You shot my partner. You started a riot. I had to defend myself.”
“No!” he shouted. “I defend myself!”
Payne nodded, taking a small step forward. “I know you are. That’s why I’m not upset. You were scared, so you did what you could to protect yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s instinctual. You felt threatened, so you fought back.”
Park stared at him, his gun still trembling.
“Unfortunately, sometimes a problem can be so big, you can’t face it alone. Sometimes you need help to survive. Which is why I’m here. I’m here to help.”
“How you help me?”
Payne stepped closer. “First of all, I can take you somewhere safe. That’s most important. Wherever you want to go. To the mainland. To Japan. To the States. Anywhere you’d like.”
He paused, letting that sink in. “Then, once I know you’re okay, I’m going to hunt for the men who attacked your village. No matter what, no matter where, I will search for them. And when I find them ...” His voice trailed off for just a second. “Let’s just say what happened here tonight is nothing compared to what I’ll do to them. I promise you that.”
The wail of sirens cut through the night, somehow rising above the fireworks, gunshots, and screams from the crowd. Payne heard the sound and realized what it meant: Park had to decide immediately. No way they could risk police involvement. Not with so much on the line. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure if Park felt the same way. For all he knew, Park might view the cops as a better option. Safer than talking to Payne. It was a risk Payne couldn’t afford.
“Mr. Kim told me horror stories about your village and all the atrocities that have happened in the cave. Through it all, the thing that surprised me the most was his hatred of the local police. The way they killed innocents during the massacre, the way they betrayed their own people. Until that point, I couldn’t understand why you had decided to run. Then it made perfect sense. This island isn’t safe for you. And it isn’t safe for your son.”
The sirens grew louder, coupled with the glow of flashing lights.
“I know you don’t trust me. And the truth is you probably shouldn’t, considering all that’s happened in the past week. But in my heart I know you trust your neighbor Mr. Kim. That’s why you ran to him in your time of crisis. You trusted his wisdom and guidance above your own.”
Payne lowered his gun, going for broke.
“So tell me this. If he was here right now, which would he recommend? The police or me?”
The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) is the only police organization in South Korea. Based in Seoul, it is divided into fourteen local bureaus, including one in Jeju.
During the Sunrise Festival, most on-duty officers were assigned to crowd control, helping the flow of traffic, arresting drunks, and doing what they could to make the celebration safe. Seongsan was a small village with very little crime, so the last thing they expected was a series of shootings. Not only at the marina, but at the theater as well.
By the time they were notified, crucial time had been lost, made worse by the hordes of people who blocked the roads. Sirens sounded and lights flashed, but the streets were so narrow that people had nowhere to go. A journey that usually took a minute suddenly took ten. Way too long to make a difference.
The first officers at the scene—proudly wearing the new police insignia, a Steller’s sea eagle carrying a Rose of Sharon—checked the theater for gunmen before rushing to the aid of six victims, all of whom had black ninja outfits and a number of bruises. One was missing a knee, and the others were visibly shaken.
Their Tiger-Strike teamwork had been ineffective against a more worthy opponent.
Other witnesses were rounded up. Some Koreans. Some Japanese. Even a few Europeans. When questioned, all of them said the exact same thing. A crazed American had started the brawl. A tall, muscular guy who carried a gun and wiped out half the crowd.
Then again, they said, his violent behavior should have been expected.
Why? Because he played in the NBA.
Payne knew the main roads would soon be blocked. So they left town to the east, taking Jung’s fishing boat to the open sea.
The hardest part of the journey was the first thirty minutes. Sneaking the Parks into the marina. Convincing Jones, who was bleeding from his biceps, to play nice with the guy who’d just shot him. Hot-wiring the boat, since they didn’t have time to wait for Jung’s guide. And keeping the Parks calm as Payne steered past hundreds of boats that filled the harbor. Kia played a major role in the last one, speaking to the Parks in Korean, doing whatever she could to reassure them of their safety. Still, despite her best efforts, Chung-Ho refused to part with his gun.