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yourself with the data in that folder until you leave for Seoul this afternoon. “Good luck.” He then turned to Mac and said, “Take care of the details. Mac, it’s in your hands,” Hemphill exited the room, closing the door behind him. Everyone in the room looked at each other without uttering a word.
    Mac leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table forming his hands into a steeple. He focused on Jim with strong eye contact. “Besides the military, Bill Nickerson will be there to help protect the secretary. He’s DS.”
    “DS?” asked Jim with furrowed brow.
    “That’s Diplomatic Security. They’re actually responsible for his safety and security.”
    “Then why am I going?”
    “Look, Frank Henderson thinks he’s untouchable. Secondly, Bill Nickerson is headstrong and thinks he’s superman. It’s imperative we protect Henderson at all costs. We cannot involve ourselves in another war.”
    Jim wrinkled his face. “Okay, you have DS, Embassy guards and security. Then why do you need me?” He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.
    “Everyone else is reactive where you’re proactive. You can get things done. Just go to Seoul, snoop around and eliminate the threat period…easy.”
    “Yeah, easy-peasy alright,” Jim said as he felt his stomach flutter.
    “There’s not much I can tell you,” said Mac. “It’s pretty much a learn-as-you go plan.”
    “I need something concrete,” said Jim.
    “Concrete doesn’t exist.”
    The telephone on the table rang. Darrell Richling picked up the receiver and said, “Hello?” No one stirred. “It’s for you, Mac,” and he slid the telephone over in front of MacDonald.
    Mac picked up the handset and held it to his ear, “Mac here.” After a short pause, his eyebrows drew together while he stared at the rotary dial. He softly drummed his fingers on the table then said, “when…where…who?” The faces of the others all seemed to represent fear of the unknown. After another brief pause he said, “I’ll be right there,” replaced the receiver on the telephone and rose to his feet. He looked at Cormier and said, “I have an urgent matter that demands my immediate attention. Please finish up with Jim. Don’t keep him too long, He needs to study the data before he leaves in a few hours.” He didn’t wait for a reply but turned and exited the room.
    The men stared at the door with a dazed look, Cormier said, “The embassy is expecting you, Jim. That’s it. You know what your mission is--do us proud.”
    “Where will I be staying; who will be my contact?”
    “You’ll be staying in the Bando Hotel which is currently the site of the U. S. Embassy. You’ll like it Jim, it’s the tallest building in Seoul…nice place. It’s located in the Jongno-gu district. Palmer will be your contact at the embassy. He’ll give you anything you need, no questions asked. One more thing, we need you to make contact with a North Korean agent while you’re there. He’ll be a valuable source of needed information.”
    “Now it’s also a North Korean agent,” said Jim as he softly slapped the table. “And how in the hell am I going to do that? Are there any other surprises you haven’t told me?”
    With a sly grin, Cormier responded, “You’ll find a way. That’s it, all…simple, simple, Jim.”
    “What agent am I to meet and how do I meet him?”
    “Rich Palmer will fill you in on those details. But it’s important to develop some type of relationship with the North Korean and gain his trust.”
    Jim looked down in silence collecting his thoughts for a few moments. Then he looked up at Cormier, pointed his finger at the data and said, “All of this in five days? How am I going to do that? At least when I was in Europe, I could pass as a local, but North Korea? I’d be out of place. I could never blend in with the locals. That would be like a man from Korea trying to blend in with the folks in the Louisiana Bayou.”
    Simple, simple stuff,