The USN LHA-5 Peleliu was an assault ship, a veritable floating city that could deliver an entire marine expeditionary unit ashore in a matter of hours. Looking like an old-style aircraft carrier, it had enough hovercraft, airplanes, and helicopters to re-create a good portion of the Korean War’s famous landing at Inchon, a bold stroke by 261 ships that broke the back of North Korea’s army in 1951.
To Rankin, though, the USS Peleliu was a claustrophobic tin can that smelled like a floating gym locker. The navy people had strange names for things, and funny places to eat. The idea of being surrounded by water was not very comforting. And it was tough to sleep with the weird noises that echoed through the ship: bells, intercom whistles, and metallic groans that half-convinced him the whole damn thing was being ripped in two.
The Little Birds had come here after refueling aboard a frigate about a hundred miles off the Korean Coast. A CIA debriefer was due out any minute to meet Rankin and their “guest,” who’d said very little before going to sleep earlier that morning.
“Helo’s landing now, sir,” said the ensign assigned to liaison with Rankin. “If you follow me, you can meet your party on deck. You’ll want to watch those knee knockers.”
Knee knockers. What the hell were they?
Rankin followed the woman out to the flight deck, lifting his feet carefully over the metal thresholds—knee knockers—that came up from the deck to make the doors watertight.
A cold wind punched him in the face as he stepped outside. He turned to the side and was almost knocked down as a pair of marines passed quickly inside. The ensign grabbed hold of him and, smiling, pointed him in the direction of the helicopter as it landed.
The chopper was a bright blue Sikorsky, civilian, leased especially for the purpose of bringing the interrogators to the ship. The pilot was a CIA contract employee who had retired from the navy and was used to shipboard landings; he’d put down marine MH-53s on this very same deck. The helo swooped in, hovered for half a second then settled gently on its wheels.
The rear door opened, and two men in light jackets hopped out, holding their heads down as they ran out from under the still-rotating blades.
The helicopter lifted off before they reached Rankin.
“You Colonel Rankin?” said the first man.
Rankin, who was wearing civilian clothes, snorted, but decided not to correct him. “Yeah, I’m Rankin.”
“You got a prisoner?”
“He’s not a prisoner; he’s a defector.”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant. I’m Gabe Jiménez. This is John Rhee. He’s a Korean language specialist.”
“OK.”
“Can we get goin’? I’m freezin’ my nuts off here,” said Jiménez.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Rankin said, turning to the ensign to show them the way.
The touch seemed to come from the other side of the world. It pulled Tak Ch’o from a deep sleep, almost as if he had been ripped from the womb. He woke startled, unsure where he was.
“Sir, there are some people who would like to see you,” said the young man standing over him. “I brought some tea. I can get you some breakfast.”
Ch’o stared at the sailor.
What had happened to the IAEA people? Why was he on a military ship?
“I have some fresh clothes, sir,” said the man. He pointed to a set of Western-style khaki pants and shirt on the desk. “If they’re not your size we’ll get you some. Some slippers and socks as well.”
Ch’o nodded slowly.
“Are you all right, sir?” asked the sailor. “Sir?”
“Yes.” Ch’o’s voice sounded thin and weak, even to him.
“I’ll just be outside when you’re ready.”
The sailor, who knew nothing about the Korean scientist except that he was to be treated with the greatest respect, smiled and went out to wait for him in the narrow hall outside the cabin.
Ch’o put his hands on the clothes. As he did, a heavy sense of doom gripped him.
What had he expected? He thought the girl would be there, the other scientists he had met. Not soldiers.
He’d seen the world; he knew America wasn’t in charge of everything. They didn’t run the IAEA or the UN.
But here they were.
What should he do? All his life, Ch’o had heard that the Americans were evil incarnate, the enemy not just of his country but of the entire world. And now they had him.
They’d been kind last night. But of course they would be—it was a trick.
The enormity of what he had done paralyzed Ch’o. He’d always been a logical man, but now his emotions overwhelmed him. He thought of his ancestors’ graves, never to be tended again.
Their spirits will turn their backs on me, he thought. I’ve shamed them and cut myself off from my family.
He sat back on the bed, unable to move. After a few minutes, the sailor outside cleared his throat.
“Sir?”
Ch’o stared at the wall in front of him. Perhaps if he stared long enough, he would slip into a hole where nothing he did mattered any more.
Rankin found Ch’o sitting motionless on his cot, exactly as the sailor had described.
“Sir? Mr. Ch’o? It’s Stephen Rankin. I’m the guy that picked you up last night.”
Ch’o didn’t respond. He barely heard the words.
“These are some friends of mine. They can help you,” said Rankin, gesturing over his shoulder. “All right?”
It was like talking to a wall.
John Rhee, the Korean language specialist, took a try, telling the man that he was among friends and would feel better after he had something to eat. His valuable information would not be wasted, added Rhee; he would be rewarded by the U.S. government.
Ch’o winced.
“We’re friends,” said Rhee. “We can help you.”
Ch’o shook his head. That was the most Rhee got out of him.
“Did you have a doctor look at him?” asked Rhee outside the cabin.
“Last night,” Rankin told him. “He was tired and cold, but he said he’d be fine.”
“You better have him take another look. Guy’s catatonic.”
“Yeah,” said Rankin.
“We can break down his resistance,” said Jiménez. “Soften him up and—”
“You aren’t breaking anything down,” Rankin snapped. “This guy is a defector, not a prisoner. Something’s wrong with him. He’s sick or he’s in shock or something.”
“Relax, Colonel. All I mean is, we’ll get him to talk to us. I’ve dealt with this before.”
“Leave him alone until I tell you different,” said Rankin, going to find the doctor.