Ratio: A Leopold Blake Thriller (A Private Investigator Series of Crime and Suspense Thrillers) (24 page)

“What if we get caught?” Jun-yeong said. “Sit in some prison somewhere for the rest of our lives getting tortured? We get neither death with martyrdom nor praise from our comrades. They’d probably deny they’ve ever heard of us, or we get labeled as spies.”

Seong-min turned down another side road. “Terrorist, spy, what difference would it make to Americans?”

“As soon as they find out we’re from the north, we’re dead,” Jun-yeong said. “You ever heard of Guantanamo?”

“You want out of the van? I can let you out. Take your chances without my help.” Seong-min laughed. “You’d last five minutes. At best.” Struggling to keep composed, he tried another side road. Then another. The streets looked unfamiliar. A third attempt and they hit the main road out of town, no way back. A few hundred feet ahead, familiar red and blue lights filled the horizon, a dense row of police cruisers blocking the way through.

“
Gaesaekki dul jokka ra kuh hae!
” Jun-yeong swore. “What the hell do we do now? We try to get through, we’ll get caught for sure. I can’t see anywhere to turn off.”

“Only one thing we can do now.” Seong-min made a U-turn in the middle of the wide road, several cars screeching to a stop behind him, sounding their horns in a haze of burnt rubber. The police must have noticed, two cruisers breaking off from the barricade, racing in their direction. The cars ahead slammed on their brakes, clearing a path. 

“
Shipjanseng!
” Seong-min joined in the profanities. He mashed his right foot to the carpet, the van’s four-cylinder diesel engine screaming and rattling in protest. The turbo finally kicked in and the van surged forward, heading against traffic. Seong-min wrenched the wheel from side to side, weaving and bobbing through the oncoming cars, flashing his high beams. The other vehicles swerved, a few of them losing control and careening into the central barrier with a deafening
crunch
of twisting metal.

“Way to make a quiet getaway,
jot dae ga ri
,” Jun-yeong said, holding on tight as the van rocked violently from side to side. “Why not just drive us into the damn harbor and get it over with?” 

“So help me I will throw you out of this van,” Seong-min screamed back, taking his eyes off the road.”

“
Shib seki
, look out, you - ”

Seong-min stomped on the brakes, but too late. Ahead, a beat-up SUV had lost control and was headed straight toward them, horn blasting. Jun-yeong screamed something incomprehensible as the older man heaved the wheel to the side, hoping to avoid a direct collision. He caught the turn badly, feeling the van start to lose traction. He felt himself lifted and stared out the side window. Both wheels were off the road, spinning feverishly in the air. The van tilted on its side and Seong-min forced the wheel back the other way, hoping to get the wheels back onto the asphalt. 

Too late, the beat-up SUV slammed into the passenger side. Seong-min felt his body forced forward, his internal organs forced up against his ribcage. The airbag deployed, sending a cloud of white powder into his face. He couldn’t see, only the sensation of tumbling through the air. A sickening, gut-wrenching feeling, as though someone had reached down through his throat and turned him inside out. 

A split second later Seong-min felt a crushing blow reverberate through the van and then only darkness.

Chapter 42

MARIEL SUCKED DOWN on her third cigarette, filling the tiny room with smoke. Jonny stood in the corner. The basement storage room wasn’t fitted with smoke detectors, but someone was bound to notice the stink eventually. He waved his hand in front of his face. 

“Is this really the time?” he said. The smell of tobacco had already sunk into his clothes. “We need to start thinking about getting the hell out of here.” 

“Are you freakin’ insane?” Mariel said. “If I leave early, the police are going to start asking questions.” She took another drag. “I need to stay here and come up with a good story.”

“Those aren’t going to help.” He pointed at the packet of cigarettes on the shelf. 

“They help me relax.”

“Sure, you look real relaxed right now.” 

“Shut up. You’re not the one who’s got to face the police. They’re going to ask about the pillows.”

“So, tell them you don’t know what happened.”

Mariel crushed out her cigarette. She lit another. “I need to come up with a good story, or they’re going to start digging. We don’t want that.” 

“Fine. Just say you were on a break or something. There’s enough confusion that someone could have sneaked into the rooms. They can’t charge you with anything unless they’ve got proof, so just don’t give them any.”

“Yeah, great. Thanks a lot,” she said. “But what about you? You don’t need to be here.” 

Jonny rubbed his jaw absent-mindedly. It still ached. “I have to see this through,” he said. “People are watching.”

“You mean you need to make sure I don’t screw up.” 

“Take it however you want.” He held up his cell phone. “But I can’t be too far away, or the receivers won’t pick up the detonation signal. And I’m not leaving you in charge.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” 

“I need you to be my eyes. There’s no point setting off the detcord if Kato’s not lying on the bed.”

“How am I supposed to know that?”

“They’re confined to their room, right?”

“Yeah?”

“So, sooner or later, they’re going to get bored. Maybe take a nap. I dunno, maybe even fool around some. I need you to figure out when that happens, then let me know.”

Mariel shrugged. “I can drop by, see how they look. Maybe they’re already at it like rabbits.”

“Good. Just be careful not to look like you’re spying on them. Don’t screw this up.”

“I know what I’m doing,” said Mariel. “And remember, you need me more than I need you.” 

Jonny folded his arms. “Don’t misunderstand me,” he said. “This goes wrong, even a little, and you’ll be thrown in a dark hole for the rest of your natural life. If you’re lucky. They might even decide to send you back to the Philippines, let them deal with you. You want that?” 

Mariel’s face flushed red. “You asshole. You wouldn’t.”

“Either of us get caught, I’m going to need some leverage. And I’m not the one with an international warrant in my name. They won’t look twice at me, some college kid who overstayed his visa. Worst they can do is send me back to Japan, which is where I’m headed anyway. What do you think they’ll do to you after they run a little background check? I’ll look like Mother freakin’ Theresa compared to you.” 

“You son of a bitch.”

Jonny laughed. “Now, now. Just do your job and we’ll get through this. Screw anything up, and I’ll send you back to that shit heap you came from. Back to your messed-up family.” He smiled. “What’s left of them, anyway.”

“I’ll kill you.” 

“Must be second nature to you by now.” 

“You know that’s not true.” 

“Doesn’t matter what I know,” Jonny said, taking a few steps forward. “Only matters what the police can prove. And, right now, they can prove a hell of a lot where you’re concerned. So I’d act with a little more respect, if I were you.”

Mariel glared at the floor. Her cigarette burned down to the filter in her hand. 

“What’s that?” Jonny cupped his ear.

Mariel whispered something.

“I can’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry,” Mariel said, a little louder. “I’m sorry.”

Jonny smiled. “That’s my girl.”

Chapter 43

HARPER FELT HER heart rate soar, thumping an irregular beat against the inside of her chest. She lived for moments like this. Seattle PD had made the call a little under an hour ago: two Asian men had been involved in a pileup on the I-5, matching the description the anonymous tipster had given. One had died in the collision, the other was being treated for head wounds. The Seattle police chief had put pressure on the hospital to let them question him, and the treating physician had caved. The chief had made an immediate call to Harper’s private line. He had given her the address after she’d dropped Assistant Director Hunt’s name. 

 Harborview Medical Center loomed into view and Harper headed for the parking lot. Found an empty space, killed the engine. Left her government parking permit out on the dashboard and headed for the main entrance. The receptionist directed her upstairs after she flashed her ID. A few minutes later, Harper found the room. It was a private ward, the door flanked by two police officers. They checked her ID and waved her through. 

Inside the room, a single bed with a drawn curtain. A Seattle police detective stood nearby, wearing a shabby-looking suit and a light raincoat. He had short dark hair, a little gray round the temples. A notebook and pen were on the table next to him. 

“You Harper?” he said. 

She held up her badge. “Who are you?”

“Detective Carter. We’ve got the place to ourselves, I asked the nurse to leave us alone.”

“He talking?” She stepped over toward the curtain. 

“Not yet. Chief said to wait for you. Suspect’s a little out of it.”

“Condition?”

“Shattered collar bone, fractures to the arms and legs. Concussion.” Carter sighed. “He was lucky. His partner was dead on the scene.”

“Anyone else hurt?”

“Driver of a pickup also involved was pronounced dead on the ride to the hospital. Massive head trauma.”

“Shit.”

“Shit is right,” Carter said. 

“He awake?”

“Just about. The doctor’s said not to cause him any stress.” Carter smiled grimly. “Like that’s ever gonna happen.” 

“We need him to talk,” Harper said. “There could be something we’re missing. Lives could be at risk.”

“You’re the boss.” Carter pulled back the curtain. 

Harper stared at the figure on the bed. Roughly five-eight, skinny, the man was Asian, maybe Korean. He looked middle-aged, wrinkles starting to set in around the eyes and mouth, hair flecked with gray, large veins in the hands. He was hooked up to a morphine drip and heart monitor. Eyes open, he stared vacantly at the ceiling, one ankle shackled to the bed frame. 

“He got ID?” Harper asked. 

“Yeah. Name’s Robert Kim. Works for a company called LS Coventry.”

Definitely Korean.
“The company check out?” 

“Found a website, but the number’s disconnected.”

“You think it’s an alias? A sham company?”

Carter bit his bottom lip. “Smells like one.” 

“Then the ID’s probably fake too.” She sighed. “Let’s see what we can find out, shall we?” 

Carter nodded and Harper took another step forward, leaning over the patient. His eyes flicked over to meet hers, before glancing away again. 

“Good afternoon, Mr. Kim,” Harper said. She leaned in a little closer. “You and I have a lot to talk about.”  

The man’s eyes focused a little.

“That’s it. I know you can hear me.”

He said something Harper couldn’t understand. 

“And it’s no good pretending you don’t speak English,” she said. “I already spoke with the operations manager at the hotel. He was kind enough to show me some video footage of you and your friend.” She paused. “You two have caused quite a mess.” 

The man closed his eyes for a moment. He mumbled something. 

“What’s that?” Harper said. 

He sighed deeply. “You have no evidence. You have laws. You can’t keep me here.” 

Carter took the opportunity to step forward. “Actually, buddy, we do. We take terrorist activity very seriously in America. As a foreign national, we can declare you an enemy combatant and hold you indefinitely. That little loophole strips you of pretty much every civil right you can think of. Or, maybe you help us out a little and we see what we can do about getting you a lawyer.” 

The man stirred. “Seong-min,” he said.

“What’s that?” asked Carter. 

“My name. Seong-min.” 

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” said Harper. 

“Where’s Jun-yeong?”

“Your friend? I’m sorry, he didn’t make it. Neither did the driver of the pickup you hit.” She paused. “You killed a man in the process of committing a federal offense. That’s a murder charge under federal law, a capital offense. You know what that means?”