Sword Of God (16 page)

Matthew spoke. “I think I see it.”

John punched a few buttons and zoomed in closer on the room that Matthew was pointing to. He spotted another keypad, just to the left of the metal door, but couldn’t read the sign since it was written in Arabic. The walls were reinforced with extra concrete, plus there were no windows. From his perspective, it seemed like the right place.

Why add extra protection if this room wasn’t important?

“Thoughts?”

Matthew looked back at the camera and shrugged.

“Can you hear anything?”

He put his ear next to the door. Not a sound.

He dropped to the floor and looked under the door. But the room was dark, at least from his limited perspective. From his knees, he shrugged again.

“While you’re down there, say a prayer to Allah. Because if we punch in the wrong code, we might sound an alarm.”

Matthew looked at the camera and flipped it off.

“Was that to me or Allah?”

He ignored the question. “Listen, there’s no way this system is one-and-done. There has to be a margin for error. People hit wrong buttons all the time.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Then give me the code. I’ll try it once. If it doesn’t work, we can try something else.”

John nodded and glanced at his list. He read the numbers aloud.

Carefully, Matthew entered them into the keypad, each sounding a tiny beep.

One.
Beep.

Nine.
Beep.

Eight.
Beep.

Seven.
Beep.

Then, as if by magic, the door popped open with a quiet click.

Yesterday, Kia had warned Payne and Jones about the threat of speeding tickets. Traffic cameras and detection units were spread evenly across Route 12. But on this day it wasn’t a concern, not as long as they followed the old man and his truck, which smoked and wheezed more often than a fire-breathing dragon with asthma. It was simply unable to speed.

Jones drove, once again, while Payne studied a road map of the island. Kia hovered over his shoulder, answering questions and explaining the significance of certain areas, including the Jungmun Tourist Complex, which sprawled for several miles along the southwestern coast of Jeju. It featured several dozen attractions—including Cheonjaeyeon Falls, where they had stopped the day before—with Americanized names that he could barely read let alone pronounce.

Yeomiji Botanical Garden was reputed to be the largest in Asia, growing more than 2,000 varieties of tropical and subtropical plants in 150,000 square yards of indoor and outdoor fields, all of it centered around an observation deck that stood more than 125 feet high. Down the road was Jusangjeolli Cliff, a series of 60-foot stone pillars that formed when lava from Mount Halla poured into the raging sea. Jungmun Beach lined the nearby shore, filled with white sand that contrasted sharply with the surrounding black hillside, home to Haesikgul Cave, a natural sea cave featured in dozens of movies because of its scenic beauty.

Unfortunately, none of these sites could be seen from the highway; they were blocked from view by parasitic volcanoes and thick blankets of trees, a surreal mix of pines and palms sprouting up through the black core of the island. Payne followed their progress by watching road signs, tracing their route with his finger, looking for auxiliary routes in case they needed to escape.

They continued their journey along Route 12 until the old man approached the exit for Daeyu Hunting Ground. He eased his truck onto a secondary road and started driving north to the base of Mount Halla, its snowcapped peak rising six thousand feet above the rocky shore.

Jones stared at the mountain and sighed. “Bet you ten bucks he doesn’t make it.”

Payne laughed, even though it contradicted the anxiety he felt for the first time since they’d left the resort. To him, hunting grounds meant guns. Lots of guns. People legally armed, carrying weapons in full view. And there was nothing he could do about it. No time for advanced scouting. No way to secure the perimeter. It was three of them against an entire lodge of potential threats. Never knowing where a fatal shot might come from.

He turned toward Kia. “What do you know about this place?”

“Not much. I’ve never been here before.” She flipped through her tour book, hoping to find something useful. “It says it’s the only official hunting range in all of Asia. There’s bird hunting, clay shooting, target ranges for pistols and rifles. You can rent guns. And guides. And even bird dogs. Plus there’s a breeding farm with more than fifty thousand pheasants.”

“Damn!” Jones said. “That’s a lot of birds.”

“I’m more concerned with the guns.”

“Me, too. But still, that’s a lot of birds. I’m talking
Hitchcock?

Payne ignored him. “What kind of restrictions?”

She scanned the information. “None. It’s a private resort. Beginners are welcomed.”

“No licenses or permits?”

“Not according to this.”

“Good.”

“Why’s that good?”

Payne smiled. “Because we don’t have any.”

The main facility was straight ahead, at least according to the road sign. But instead of continuing forward, the old man turned onto a narrow dirt path that curved to the right and disappeared into the surrounding trees. The old truck rumbled and shook as it left the pavement, its bald tires struggling for traction in the mud and fallen leaves. Yet the damn thing never stopped. Not once. It just kept chugging along.

As Jones made the turn, Payne rolled down his window and listened to the cacophony of gunshots that filled the air. Rifle blasts to the left. Handguns to the right. All of them too close for comfort. Discreetly, he tilted his side-view mirror and made sure no one had turned in behind them, a sure sign of an upcoming ambush. Thankfully, the path remained clear.

A quarter mile later, a large hunting cabin came into view, nestled among a grove of pines that towered above it. A Korean man dressed in khakis and a plaid shirt stood in the doorway. He smiled and waved at his father, who pulled into the driveway, did a three-point turn, then drove back toward Payne and Jones. They slowed to a stop, expecting the old man to pull alongside of them to deliver further instructions, but the old man just waved and kept going. Late for another day of fishing.

Payne shrugged. “Guess he was busy.”

“When you’re
that
old, you don’t have time to waste,” Jones joked as he backed into a parking spot. Just in case there was trouble. “How do you want to play this?”

“I’ll talk, you snoop. Kia stays near me.”

The three of them exited the
SUV
and walked onto the front porch, where they were greeted by Chi-Gon Jung, who was in his midforties and spoke perfect English. He was the owner of a hunting and fishing service that worked closely with the resorts on the island, providing tourists with boats, guides, and whatever else they needed. He handled logistics from the cabin, taking advantage of its proximity to Mount Halla and the Daeyu lodge, but mentioned that customers rarely stopped by. This was his personal office, nothing more. Most of his employees were scattered around the island, manning booths in hotel lobbies or guiding tours in the field.

Jung led Payne and Kia inside his spacious cabin, which was decorated with an assortment of mounted animal heads that would have looked at home in any hunting lodge in the States. Meanwhile, Jones opted to stay outdoors, claiming he needed some fresh air after their long drive from the Black Stone. In actuality, he wanted to snoop around and make sure they were alone. To warn them of potential danger. To protect them from interlopers.

“How did you meet Mr. Lee?” Payne asked as he took his seat in front of Jung’s desk. “Was it through your business?”

“Yes,” Jung said with a smile. “Mr. Lee is a wonderful man who takes care of his guests. We’ve been helping each other for years. Referring clients and so on.”

“And he called you about me?”

Jung nodded, his grin quickly fading. “He called me late last night, asking for my help. Hoping I would fax the photo of the Parks to all of my guides. So we could keep an eye out for them in all our locations.” He paused, measuring what he was going to say next. “But I told him it wasn’t necessary. I already knew where they were.”

“You do? How is that possible?”

“They came to me earlier in the week, looking for a guide.”

“A guide? Why did they want a guide?”

“Honestly,” Jung said, “they wanted to disappear.”

“And you could help them with that?”

There was a long delay. “Yes.”

Payne nodded, noticing the stress in Jung’s face. The tension in his voice. The indecision in his eyes. In a heartbeat he had gone from a cordial host to a nervous one, a metamorphosis that concerned Payne. If Jung got spooked, there was a chance he would lie and give them bad information about the boy. In the long run, that could prove disastrous.

So Payne did what he was trained to do when dealing with an anxious witness. It was a simple trick, but one that worked quite well. He made him feel comfortable by talking about something less threatening. Something to brighten his mood. And in this case, it was the first innocuous thing that popped into Payne’s mind. Something he knew would make him laugh.

“Out of curiosity,” Payne asked, “what’s the deal with your father’s truck?”

Jung’s smile returned. “He’s married to that thing. It’s much older than I am.”

“That’s what I figured. Honestly, I didn’t know what to think when I saw him pull into the Black Stone this morning. Especially after his phone call.
That
made me so jumpy.”

“My father made you nervous?” Jung laughed for several seconds before he could continue. “How could such a little man make you nervous?”

“He didn’t sound little on the phone. He ordered me into the lobby in twenty minutes. Then, when I tried asking him a question, he hung up on me. I thought the guy was crazy.”

Jung laughed louder. “My father isn’t crazy. He hangs up on me, too! The man can barely hear. I doubt he heard a word you said!”

“Oh,” Payne grunted, pretending to be embarrassed. “That would explain a lot.”

“I’m sorry if I worried you. I would’ve met you myself, but this is my busy time of year. Not only is it hunting season, but thousands of tourists fly in for our New Year’s celebrations. And tourists mean money.”

Payne waved him off. “Not a problem. I’m just thankful for the lucky break. I didn’t know whom to turn to until Mr. Lee offered to help. He’s been a savior.”

“I will tell him you said so. He will be honored.”

“It is / who is honored. Both of you have been so gracious and friendly.”

Jung bowed, showing his appreciation.

“Anyway, I know you’re a busy man and I feel guilty for taking up so much of your time.”

“Not a problem, Mr. Payne. I am glad I could help.” He paused for a moment, once again struggling for the right words. “But before I do, there is something I need to ask. Why are you looking for the boy?”

It was a question Payne had anticipated, one he’d been thinking about all night. In his mind he had two options: he could tell the truth, or make up a story. Obviously, both had risks. The fewer people who knew about the village, the better. Not only for national security but also for international relations. There was a chance the South Korean government knew what was going on in the cave, but if they didn’t, he didn’t want to be responsible for spilling the secret. On the other hand, if the Parks had told Jung about the violence, then Payne couldn’t afford to lie. One misstep and Jung was liable to point him in the wrong direction. Or notify the Parks. Or both.

In the end, it was something the old man had said to Payne that helped him decide. He mentioned his son needed to look him in his eye. He needed to judge his character. That’s the reason they couldn’t talk on the phone. He needed to trust him before he would speak.

Based on that, Payne made a gut decision and opted to tell the truth.

“Recently a prisoner escaped from American custody and killed several islanders, including some members of the Park family. We believe Yong-Su witnessed much of the violence. Anything he can tell us will be useful, not only to capture the killer but also to protect the Parks and everyone on this island. The sooner he is caught, the safer Jeju will be.”

Jung paused, studying Payne long after he had finished speaking. Several seconds passed—several excruciating seconds—before Jung nodded his approval. He believed what Payne had said. “Are you familiar with Seongsan? It is a massive peak on the eastern side of Jeju.”

Kia spoke up. “I know where it is.”

“Tonight there is an important festival honoring the New Year. The entire coast will be jammed with boats from Japan and Korea. That is how the Parks are leaving Jeju. Masked by the large crowds. Under the cover of darkness.”

“And you’re sure of this?” Payne asked.

Jung nodded. “I am positive. They have rented
my
boat.”

Seongsan Peak is a picturesque landmass on the eastern end of Jeju that was formed more than 100,000 years ago when a volcano erupted under the sea. The resulting peak stands 600 feet above the blue water below, its crater stretching more than 325,000 square feet, adorned with 99 natural peaks along its outer edge, creating the illusion of a majestic crown—an image that is heightened in the early morning when the sun rises above the Korea Strait, bathing the volcanic cone in golden light. The view is so breathtaking it was described nearly 800 years ago in the
Tripitaka Koreana,
the most complete collection of Buddhist texts still in existence.

Every year thousands of revelers flood the local village, nestled near the base of the peak, to participate in the Seongsan Sunrise Festival, a massive celebration that begins on New Year’s Eve with a ritual known as a
gut
— where a shaman offers a sacrifice to the spirits—and continues well beyond sunrise on New Year’s Day. In between are massive amounts of eating, drinking, gambling, and fireworks, none of which Payne and Jones would be enjoying. Their sole purpose was to find the Parks as quickly as possible and gather as much information as they could,