Sword of God

to last him a lifetime.

Trembling, his father held him tight. One hand on Yong-Su's head, the other on his gun. He tried aiming at Payne but was doing a poor job. Adrenaline made him shaky. Emotions made him unstable. Tears flowed from his eyes as he grasped the situation. Four shots fired. One man down. Cornered and unable to run. No other options in sight.

Thankfully, Payne recognized the mind-set. The desperation. The feelings of hopelessness. Many of his former enemies had felt the exact same way. So he knew how to deal with it.

'Chung-Ho,' he said. His voice was calm, steady. 'My name is Jonathon Payne, and I'm here to help. I know it doesn't seem that way, but I am.'

He waited for a response, but none was forthcoming.

'Can you understand me? Do you speak English?'

Several seconds passed before Chung-Ho nodded.

'Good. That's good.' Payne lowered his weapon six inches, a gesture of goodwill. 'Your neighbor Mr. Kim told me what happened to you. I'm sorry for your loss. I truly am.'

But Park said nothing.

'He's worried about your safety. Same with Yong-Su's.'

'You no talk about my son! Leave him alone!'

'Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to …' He bowed his head slightly. 'I'm sorry.'

'How you find me?'

'I talked to Chi-Gon Jung, the man who rented your boat. He told me where to find you.'

'Why? What you want?'

'I want to help. I simply want to help. I'm not here to hurt you. I swear I'm not.'

'It no look like that! Look what you did to men!'

'I had no choice. You shot my partner. You started a riot. I had to defend myself.'

'No!' he shouted. 'I defend myself!'

Payne nodded, taking a small step forward. 'I know you are. That's why I'm not upset. You were scared, so you did what you could to protect yourself. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's instinctual. You felt threatened, so you fought back.'

Park stared at him, his gun still trembling.

'Unfortunately, sometimes a problem can be so big, you can't face it alone. Sometimes you need help to survive. Which is why I'm here. I'm here to help.'

'How you help me?'

Payne stepped closer. 'First of all, I can take you somewhere safe. That's most important. Wherever you want to go. To the mainland. To Japan. To the States. Anywhere you'd like.'

He paused, letting that sink in. 'Then, once I know you're okay, I'm going to hunt for the men who attacked your village. No matter what, no matter where, I will search for them. And when I find them …' His voice trailed off for just a second. 'Let's just say what happened here tonight is nothing compared to what I'll do to them. I promise you that.'

The wail of sirens cut through the night, somehow rising above the fireworks, gunshots, and screams from the crowd. Payne heard the sound and realized what it meant: Park had to decide immediately. No way they could risk police involvement. Not with so much on the line. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if Park felt the same way. For all he knew, Park might view the cops as a better option. Safer than talking to Payne. It was a risk Payne couldn't afford.

'Mr. Kim told me horror stories about your village and all the atrocities that have happened in the cave. Through it all, the thing that surprised me the most was his hatred of the local police. The way they killed innocents during the massacre, the way they betrayed their own people. Until that point, I couldn't understand why you had decided to run. Then it made perfect sense. This island isn't safe for you. And it isn't safe for your son.'

The sirens grew louder, coupled with the glow of flashing lights.

'I know you don't trust me. And the truth is you probably shouldn't, considering all that's happened in the past week. But in my heart I know you trust your neighbor Mr. Kim. That's why you ran to him in your time of crisis. You trusted his wisdom and guidance above your own.'

Payne lowered his gun, going for broke.

'So tell me this. If he was here right now, which would he recommend? The police or me?'

The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) is the only police organization in South Korea. Based in Seoul, it is divided into fourteen local bureaus, including one in Jeju.

During the Sunrise Festival, most on-duty officers were assigned to crowd control, helping the flow of traffic, arresting drunks, and doing what they could to make the celebration safe. Seongsan was a small village with very little crime, so the last thing they expected was a series of shootings. Not only at the marina, but at the theater as well.

By the time they were notified, crucial time had been lost, made worse by the hordes of people who blocked the roads. Sirens sounded and lights flashed, but the streets were so narrow that people had nowhere to go. A journey that usually took a minute suddenly took ten. Way too long to make a difference.

The first officers at the scene-proudly wearing the new police insignia, a Steller's sea eagle carrying a Rose of Sharon-checked the theater for gunmen before rushing to the aid of six victims, all of whom had black ninja outfits and a number of bruises. One was missing a knee, and the others were visibly shaken.

Their Tiger-Strike teamwork had been ineffective against a more worthy opponent.

Other witnesses were rounded up. Some Koreans. Some Japanese. Even a few Europeans. When questioned, all of them said the exact same thing. A crazed American had started the brawl. A tall, muscular guy who carried a gun and wiped out half the crowd.

Then again, they said, his violent behavior should have been expected.

Why? Because he played in the NBA.

Payne knew the main roads would soon be blocked. So they left town to the east, taking Jung's fishing boat to the open sea.

The hardest part of the journey was the first thirty minutes. Sneaking the Parks into the marina. Convincing Jones, who was bleeding from his biceps, to play nice with the guy who'd just shot him. Hot-wiring the boat, since they didn't have time to wait for Jung's guide. And keeping the Parks calm as Payne steered past hundreds of boats that filled the harbor. Kia played a major role in the last one, speaking to the Parks in Korean, doing whatever she could to reassure them of their safety. Still, despite her best efforts, Chung-Ho refused to part with his gun.

He clung to it with one hand, his son with the other.

The waters of the Korea Strait were notoriously tough to handle, especially in the dead of night. The sea was deep, the currents were strong, and all the boat's gauges were in Korean. After some translation help from Kia, Payne called Jones to the wheel.

'How's the arm?'

'It's fine. I found a first-aid kit and patched myself up. I'm sending the bill to Harrington.'

Payne laughed, glad to see Jones's sense of humor still intact. 'Any mobility problems?'

'Jon,' he stressed, 'I'm fine.'

'Good. Glad to hear it. Because we have a decision to make.' He pulled out a map of the East Sea. 'We don't have many choices. Either Japan, mainland Korea, or one of the islands along the way.'

'Forget the islands. We could never blend in.'

'What about Korea? We could make it in a few hours.'

'That depends. How many people did you hurt back there? I hear Korean prisons are kind of brutal on pretty boys like yourself.'

'Good point. In that case, what about Japan?'

Jones studied the major ports along the Korea Strait. There were several options. 'Fukuoka is the closest big city. Roughly two million people. Plenty of places to sneak ashore. That might be our best bet…. Then again, what