“Dr. Eichmann!” came a thickly accented voice behind him. Smith turned to see an older Korean man in an immaculate lab coat come through the glass doors. “I’m so pleased to see you again.”
Introductions between them and the facility’s director went fairly smoothly, with Eichmann’s queasy expression and weak voice easily written off to jet lag and turbulence on the way in.
Dr. Nang led them inside, where they found still more gaunt workmen using hand tools to tear out everything that had even a remote chance of being recycled: drywall, insulation, plumbing. Even the floor. In a country where labor was virtually free but materials were at a premium, they would undoubtedly strip everything right down to the ground.
“As you can see we’re on schedule with closing the facility,” Nang said, leading them down a long corridor lined with empty doorways labeled in Korean. Smith looked into each one, finding rooms of various sizes with little left in them beyond the odd IV pole and the marks left by beds long since scavenged.
“Most of the equipment is being sent to other government research facilities,” Nang continued. “And about eighty percent of the personnel have already been reassigned.”
They passed a large space that still had a few things in it. Oddly, playground equipment.
“What was here?” Randi said, breaking her promise to let him do the talking.
“It was part of our childhood behavior modification effort.”
“Where are they?” she said, ignoring an angry glance from Smith.
“Some were released back to their families but the most severely impaired had to be euthanized,” he said casually. “Between the drug therapies and surgeries, many wouldn’t have been productive in their villages. We had a great deal of success, though — it’s unfortunate we’re abandoning this area of research. The brain grafts between subjects created significant changes in intelligence and behavior. And our experiments using chimp tissue were fascinating.”
“Chimp tissue?” she said, the horror on her face now visible enough that it would be impossible for Nang to miss if he were to turn around. Smith fell back a bit and grabbed her arm in a grip calculated to be painful.
“We actually were able to generate some simian behavior in a few of the children. Of course, rejection happened very quickly, even with our strongest immunosuppressive drugs. A shame. Did you read the report?”
Eichmann had drifted so far from Randi that he was nearly sliding against the left wall as they walked.
“I did. Fascinating work,” Smith said. When he looked over at Randi, her face had become a death mask. It was an expression he’d seen before.
“We’ve gained a great deal of knowledge that could be useful to Mr. Dresner if I could continue the research. We’re on the verge of a number of breakthroughs.”
Undoubtedly Nang was interested in a job and a ticket out of North Korea — something Smith could take advantage of.
“Mr. Dresner is very impressed with your work here and agrees that there are some aspects that might be worth further investigation. Now, how is the dismantling of Division D progressing?”
“According to schedule,” Nang said. “Everything is either on time or ahead.”
“Obviously, D is extremely important to Mr. Dresner. He wants it specifically included in our report.”
Nang nodded a vague acknowledgment. “Unfortunately, I don’t have permission to allow you into that area. I assure you, though. There are no problems.”
“You understand that we’re Mr. Dresner’s representatives,” Smith said, deciding to push a bit. They were already in the middle of North Korea with no official authority or backup. How much worse could it get?
“I would need direct authorization.”
Randi pushed past and, before Smith could react, shoved her pistol into the back of Nang’s head. “How’s this for authorization?”
“Damnit, Randi,” Smith said, looking behind them. There was no one else in the corridor and the only evidence of the security cameras that had once been there was a few wires hanging from the ceiling. But there was no way to know when someone was going to come strolling around the corner.
Randi seemed to read his mind and pushed Nang through a door to their right. Eichmann looked like he was going to bolt or pass out but Smith grabbed him before he could do either.
By the time they made it into the large, dormitory-style bathroom Randi was drowning Nang in one of the few remaining toilets. Smith yanked her back, allowing the terrified scientist to twist around and raise his hands defensively as he crammed himself farther into the stall.
“Division D,” Smith said, looking down on him.
“I can’t get you in there!”
“You’re the director of the facility,” Randi said, coming for him again, but being blocked by Smith’s outstretched arm.
“I don’t have authority over security — the military answers directly to the government. I’m just a researcher.”
Smith frowned. It was almost certainly true. The North Korean government was obsessed with security. Orders would come from central authority — maybe the supreme leader himself.
Smith grabbed the man and pulled him to his feet. “What kind of work went on there?”
He remained silent.
“Listen to me, you don’t want to—”
Randi came around him and slammed the butt of her.32 into the side of Nang’s head, knocking the man from his grip.
“Randi! For God’s sake—”
She jumped on top of the fallen academic and pressed the barrel of the gun against his forehead. “Did you hear him, Jon? Were you listening? He experimented on children’s brains and then executed them. Children!”
Eichmann had apparently reached his limit and ran for the door. Smith barely managed to get hold of him before he could dart into the hallway. This was getting out of hand fast.
“Tell us what you did in Division D,” Randi said, grinding the gun into the prone man’s head.
He remained silent, staring her directly in her eyes. It wasn’t courage, Smith knew. It was just that the threat she posed wasn’t as great as the one posed by his own government. She could kill him. Maybe even torture him. But she couldn’t get to his family.
Randi pulled the hammer back on the gun and Smith was about to intercede when Eichmann spoke.
“Wait!”
They both looked at him as he backed slowly toward the wall.
“Do you know something?” Randi said. “Because I’d talk fast if I were you.”
“I don’t know anything. But I suspect.”
“What?” Smith said.
“The research related to autonomic brain functions — something that’s beyond my expertise. Lower functions like balance and respiration.”
Randi actually laughed. “So they’re downright proud of sticking monkey brains into kids’ skulls but they’re too ashamed to admit that they were looking into breathing? You’d better do better than that, Doc—”
A deep thud sounded and the entire building shook around them. Smith ran to the door, yanking it open and looking into a hallway billowing with dust. The second impact was closer and completely unmistakable. A bomb.
“Randi! Come on! Let’s get the hell out of here!”
He grabbed Eichmann and they ran back the way they’d come with the old man stumbling along behind. When Smith looked back, he saw that Randi was in the hall but with a much less cooperative prisoner. Nang used his momentum and superior weight to break free, turning and running deeper into the complex while she lined her sights up on his receding back.
The next blast almost knocked the fleeing scientist off his feet and part of the ceiling caved in, ruining her aim but undoubtedly crushing her target. She seemed to think justice had been done and began running toward Smith.