HWANGJU, NORTH KOREA
SOUTH OF PYONGYANG
As midday in North Korea approached, Dewey was increasingly gripped by the realization that he was running out of time. He’d struck Yong-sik sometime after ten P.M. He forced himself to look at his watch. It was almost one in the afternoon.
Since talking to Jenna, Dewey had run for another hour. Finally, he saw sky in the distance open up and knew the forest was done. He came to the end of the tall pines. The trees stopped at a tall chain-link fence. Down an embankment, across a wide dirt shoulder, a paved road cut east–west.
Dewey crouched, holding the rust-covered fence with one hand as he tried to catch his breath.
There wasn’t much traffic, but there was some. Cars and trucks rumbled slowly by in both directions. Dewey watched for several minutes, trying to figure out what to do.
Perhaps Talmadge owned a vehicle? Langley could lock in his location again and Talmadge could meet him. It was risky, he knew. As a Westerner, Talmadge was likely followed wherever he went. A better plan would be for Talmadge to bring it with him and leave it somewhere nearby. Even packaging the antidote so that it wouldn’t break and driving by and dropping it from the window would work, if Talmadge did it right. That way, Talmadge would not need to risk exposing himself. Yes, there was a chance the syringe might break if it wasn’t packaged correctly, but it was Dewey who’d be taking the risk, not Talmadge. Dewey was willing to take that risk.
“Son of a bitch,” he said.
As his breathing calmed, Dewey realized that the fever had returned. Running for so long—the pain from the running—had cloaked its return, but there it was. He felt like he was on fire, a flu-like heat that occupied every part of his body.
No more, he thought, trying to collect his thoughts and gather the energy to keep going. Please, no hotter than this.
He reached for the SAT phone and was about to dial when his vision suddenly blurred and then went black. He instinctively lay down on his back, in case someone looked over from the road. He put a hand on the fence, squeezing hard, as if doing so might make his sight return. He waited, trying not to panic, yet feeling torched by a high fever and now blind. Talmadge would have to come and find him. There was no alternative. Either that or he would … die.
He felt for the keypad on the SAT phone and dialed two digits connecting him to Langley. A steady chirping noise indicated he’d misdialed and he tried again. This time, he heard a half ring, then a voice.
“CENCOM, go.”
“I need Jenna.”
“Hold on, please.”
A moment later, Jenna’s even, aristocratic British accent came on the line.
“You’re getting closer. You’re within a few miles of the city.”
“I can’t see, Jenna.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fever’s back. I blacked out. You need to have Talmadge come and get me.”
There was a long pause. Finally, Jenna broke the silence.
“I have very bad news,” she said. “Talmadge was found out and they killed him. His body was just recovered in the DMZ.”
Dewey lay on the ground, phone against his ear, breathing in short, rapid bursts. He was burning up. With his other hand he rubbed his eyes.
Suddenly, Jenna started to cry. Dewey remained silent.
“It doesn’t matter how they found out,” he said finally, a touch of resignation in his voice. “It’s irrelevant. We can’t change what happened.”
“Dewey, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” said Dewey quietly. “I have to go.”
“No,” said Jenna. “Please wait, so Talmadge is dead? That’s simply a piece of the puzzle we don’t have to figure out. Thank God we know. Otherwise you’d be searching Pyongyang for him.”
“Good point,” said Dewey derisively. “I can’t fucking see! I’m blind!”
“It will pass,” said Jenna. “Any minute, I promise. The blackouts are designed into the poison. They last a few minutes and then go away.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in a town called Hwangju,” she said, “south of the city. I’ve mapped out the route to Talmadge’s apartment. It’s uploaded to the phone.”
“Describe it,” said Dewey. “Where is it, what floor is he on, where’s his door. Got it? Right now. That’s what I need.”
“Will you be on foot?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, either way, you keep going north until you reach the river. It runs right through the city. Move along the river, continuing north. There are three islands in the river. They’re all large, with buildings. When the river splits for the third island, that’s when you need to cross. His apartment is behind the triumphal arch. The building is off the main road, south of the arch. It’s called Moranbong. The buildings all look the same but this one has green lettering on the front door. The number is forty-seven. His flat is on the fourth floor, second door on the right. There’s a Star of David scratched into the upper corner of the door. Talmadge would’ve hidden the second antidote somewhere inside the flat. All of this is uploaded to the phone.”
Dewey saw vague traces of light, like stars, and soon he was looking up at the fence. His vision had returned. Slowly, he pulled himself up, crouching, phone to his ear, staring at the road.
“I have to go.”
“There’s one other thing,” said Jenna. “The flat is likely under watch. Expect KPA there. As for the antidote, Talmadge was well trained. You’re going to make it and you’re going to find the antidote. I know you will.”