60

The tension in the room was palpable.

Martha Dell wondered when Stephens was going to get to the point.

Suddenly Pete Hwang stood up, walked over to the windows, and gazed out over the forest that enveloped the CIA campus.

“Tanch’ŏn was the only mission you’ve been part of, and frankly, that was a disaster,” Stephens continued, clearly unamused. “You guys didn’t get the files. Didn’t get the mole. And lost good men, including Nicholas Vinetti, who I understand was one of your closest friends going back to your first days with the Corps. On top of that, you were injured. Rather seriously. Multiple surgeries. Now you’re confined to a desk job. Hardly seems worth it. Or am I missing something?”

“I’m not sure what you want me to say, sir.”

“Tell me the truth, Doctor—why are you here?”

There was a long pause. “You’ve got the whole story in that file, sir. I’m not sure what I can add.”

“Context.”

“Sir?”

“You heard me, Dr. Hwang—I’d like some context.”

“Context?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of—?”

Dell watched Pete stop himself midsentence. Then he looked at her and back at the director.

“What can I tell you, sir?” he said. “I’ve always been a patriot.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“My parents came to this country from Korea. They arrived just after the war. I had the privilege of being born here, and I love this country, sir. It’s given me everything. When we were attacked on 9/11, I decided to join the Armed Forces. Ended up becoming a Fleet Marine Force Navy Corpsman embedded with a Marine unit. The Navy eventually sent me to medical school. I became a surgeon. Once I’d paid my dues, I mustered out and tried my hand in the private sector.”

“Where you did quite well.”

“Professionally, perhaps,” Pete conceded.

“Not personally?”

Dell noticed Pete stiffen.

“Let’s just say my life with the girl next door didn’t exactly go as I’d hoped.”

“I understand your ex-wife had an affair with one of the partners in your medical practice.”

Pete winced, and Dell could see the immense effort he was making to stay calm.

“She did, sir.”

“And cleared you out.”

“Yes, sir. Took everything, including my kids.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“How did Hobbes put it, sir? Life is nasty, brutish, and short.”

“So you packed up and moved to D.C.” It was not a question.

“Senator Dayton’s an old friend, sir,” Pete replied. “He called and offered me a position doing domestic policy for his PAC. Sounded like interesting work. A chance to start over. Plus, there was a beautiful girl who worked on his staff. So I figured, why not?”

“Then everything went sideways.”

Pete said nothing as Dell continued to study him intently.

“Ryker got in trouble,” Stephens continued. “Asked you for help. You agreed, and the rest is history.”

“Not to mention the girl wasn’t exactly interested,” Pete added.

“Sorry to hear that.”

“Par for the course apparently.”

Stephens took a sip of coffee as he measured his next words. “Look, Dr. Hwang, I’m sympathetic to the curveballs you’ve been thrown. Truly I am. But right now, I need a little less attitude and a little more team spirit. Understood?”

“This thing on the Israeli-Lebanese border?” Pete asked.

“It’s bad,” Stephens said, getting up, coming around his desk, and pulling up a chair at the conference table. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Marcus Ryker and two of his colleagues have been taken hostage.”

Pete looked stunned. “Where? How?”

Stephens glanced at Dell.

“As you know, they were doing a recon trip along the border,” said the DDI.

“Advance for Secretary Whitney.”

“Exactly. And there was an ambush,” Dell said. “Ryker and his team fought back valiantly. But they were overrun, seized, and taken deep into Lebanon.”

“Agent Curtis too?”

“Yes, and an Israeli as well.”

“Who?”

“I can’t say,” she replied.

“Why not?”

“It’s classified.”

“I’m cleared.”

“Not for that,” said Stephens. “We’ve told you what we can for now, but I asked you to come in because we need your help.”

“Of course,” Pete said. “Anything.”

“Good. For starters, we need you to contact Ryker’s mom. POTUS wants someone who knows the family well. McDermott recommended you.”

“Done,” said Pete. “Just let me know what I’m allowed to tell her, and I’ll fly out there immediately.”

Stephens shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. A call will suffice for the moment, because there’s something else we need from you.”

“Name it.”

“I’m assembling a crisis management team, and I want you on it. You know Ryker better than any of us. We need to know how he’s going to react, how he’s going to handle himself under tremendous pressure, how long he might be able to go before giving up highly classified information, etc. And you know his family better than any of us too. We need to know how they’re going to react, how best to take care of them, and how to keep them quiet. We absolutely cannot afford them going to the media. Hezbollah doesn’t know they have Ryker. He’s operating under an alias, but one comment to the press, and this thing is going to go from bad to terrible in no time flat. I don’t have to tell you, Dr. Hwang, how badly the Iranians would love to get their hands on your friend. It’s your job to help us make sure that never happens. So can we count on your help?”

“It would be my honor, sir.”