Skating Free

"I'm sorry," said Scott. "You don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to. I don't want to bring up bad memories."

"I assume your leaders will wish to hear of it, yes?"

"Maybe, but that's their decision," Scott shrugged. "I just want to help you however I can."

"You are very kind," Chin-sun said with tiny smile. "Down in the alley, you spoke Korean very well. Where did you learn?"

"My grandmother," Scott replied. "She was born here in South Korea. My grandfather fought in the Korean War and met her during his time here. They fell in love and she decided to return to America and marry him, eventually having my dad. She taught us all to speak Korean, said we needed to learn a second language."

"So wonderful!" Chin-sun smiled. "She is still with you?"

"Yep, she and my grandfather are still alive and well, and stubborn as ever."

"Hmm... it seems strange," Chin-sun said. "Your grandmother is Korean, but you look very American."

"My dad definitely looks half-Korean, but my mom is your typical blonde-haired blue-eyed American girl," Scott explained. "I got a lot of my looks from her side of the family, but if you look closely, you can see the Korean in me."

As Scott spoke, Chin-sun saw exactly what he meant. He was tall like many American men, perhaps six feet in height, but she could now see the subtleties he was talking about. His jaw was rather prominent and his face thin, as it was with many Korean men. He also had the high cheekbones and smaller eyes common amongst her people. His short dirty blonde hair certainly helped mask these traits, but now that she knew what to look for, his Korean heritage was clear as day. One other thing that was clear as day was his appearance; Chin-sun couldn't deny that he was a handsome young man. Just looking at him like this was making her squirm in her seat, forcing her to look away to maintain her composure.

"I have to say, your English is impeccable," Scott said, sensing her discomfort.

"Thank you. I work hard at it, but don't get much real practice. My studies help."

"What do you study?"

Chin-sun said, "When not attending official events as a Spirit Ambassador, I study at Kim Il-sung University to become a diplomat. They selected me as a Spirit Ambassador to train me for this, but they lie, of course. I was only chosen because of my beauty."

"Well, you are beautiful, but in more ways that I suspect your superiors could ever appreciate," Scott grinned.

She cocked her head at this. "How do you mean?"

"In America, women are not only valued for their physical beauty, but also for their inner beauty. Intelligence and determination are desirable traits, at least to men like me."

"And you think me intelligent and determined?"

"Of course!" Scott chuckled. "You're smart enough to know when your superiors are lying to you and brave enough to try and get away from them."

Chin-sun gave a sad smile. "I have my halmeoni to thank for that..."

"Your grandmother?" Scott asked, recognizing the word as one of the first ones he learned in Korean.

"Yes. She was raised in a tiny village just south of what would become the border between the North and South. When the war broke out, she was a young woman of eighteen, but was taken captive by North Korean soldiers and made a trophy bride. To this day, she lives with my grandfather, the man who took her..."

"That's terrible!"

"It could have been so much worse for her," Chin-sun continued. "As she tells the story, my grandmother was at first claimed by one of the lower soldiers moving through her village, but before she knew what had happened, that soldier's commander, my grandfather, had stepped in and claimed her for himself. He later told her that the man who wanted her was violent and evil; she would not have survived a year as his bride. For all his faults, my grandfather treated her well. It took years, but I believe my grandmother even came to love him."

"It's still terrible," Scott muttered.

"I know," Chin-sun sighed. "My grandmother would always tell me stories in secret about her childhood, how wonderful and peaceful those times were. Every day after school, she would tell me of the wondrous things she experienced growing up, trying to counteract the things they taught us in school. All Korea was free and prosperous in those days, and she knows the world outside our borders is a far better place than our government claims. It was thanks to her that I have never allowed my heart to be tainted by the State. I play the part they wish me to play, I say the proper things, but I wish for nothing more than freedom."

"Wow... you've mastered the art of double-thinking. You must be an incredible actress if you have managed to fool them."

"It is not about fooling them so much," she explained, "more than it is using my grandmother's stories as my anchor against the tides. The words of the State are powerful and persuasive; I would have had no chance without my grandmother's efforts. It was, in fact, her idea that I should use the games as my chance to defect."

"And the rest of your family is ok with this?"

"My grandfather and mother have no idea; my grandfather is a high-ranking official in the government, after all, one of Kim Jong-un's advisors. The less he knows, the less the State can interrogate him should something go wrong. My father worries, but he grew up with the same stories as I did. He wishes this for me, too."

"Why hasn't he tried to defect?" Scott asked.

"Father is too visible. He is the son of a war hero and one of the best strategists in the army. Any attempt would be snuffed out before it got started, and he knows he would not be the only one to pay the price. His family would suffer most of all. Father loves us too much to risk our lives. Thankfully, we have some small amount of safety with his status in the government."

Scott pursed his lips at this. He liked to think that he would have found a way to get his family out, even if he didn't survive the process. Then again, nobody in America really knew just how bad things were in North Korea. Who knows how he would react, or even how he would be able to react, if he found himself in such a predicament? As he pondered all this, he wept inside for everything this poor girl had suffered.

"Do you think your superiors will believe me?" Chin-sun asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"I can't speak for them, but as for me, I believe you, and I'll vouch for you. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. You deserve your freedom, and I'm going to help you get it."

Chin-sun smiled at this. Seeing Scott's hand resting on the table between them, she felt the urge to lean forward a bit and touch her fingers to his. It was an odd sensation; intimate moments like this were discouraged or even forbidden in North Korea. Still, she couldn't deny her attraction to Scott. In the days leading up to her defection, Chin-sun had dared to dream some wonderful dreams. She imagined escaping into South Korea, meeting a kind man, marrying him, cooking for him, bearing sons for him, and not once would she be in fear of her life. Her grandmother had always insisted that such good men existed in the world. Now, her imagination began to replace her faceless Korean husband with Scott.

Hearing a knock at the door, Scott broke their touch and said, "Wait here."

Scott peered through the peephole for several seconds before at last opening the door, revealing two men. One was even taller than Scott with flaming red hair, the other was a shorter black man wearing a tailored suit.

"Willie, thanks for coming," Scott said to the redhead.

"No problem," said Willie, shaking his hand.

"Major Parker, sir," Scott continued to the other man.

"I've told you a thousand times: you can call me Leon after everything we've been through together. You're not under my command anymore," said the black man. "Now, I understand we have someone to meet?"

"Yes, sir." Standing aside, Scott gestured to the table in the corner. "This is Park Chin-sun. I found her in the alley by the hotel being beaten by some punk with a North Korean uniform. She was trying to defect; that's why he was beating her." Taking Chin-sun's hand, Scott brought her to stand beside him and introduced his friends to her. "Chin-sun, ideul-eun nae chingudeul-ida, Major Leon Parker gwa Willie Wallace. Geudeul-eun neoleul doul su-iss-eo."

Chin-sun gave a slight bow and spoke in English, "Major Parker, Wallace Ssi, my name is Park Chin-sun. I am a citizen of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and it is my wish to defect from my homeland due to the horrors my people endure every day. I humbly request asylum and sanctuary, be it here in South Korea or in America."

Both men's eyebrows shot up at hearing her clear English. "You are very well-spoken, young lady," said Leon. "Is English a normal class for your people?"

She nodded. "It is for those of us sent abroad as Spirit Ambassadors. We are to speak with all who will listen to our troubles about the fear we have of the great evil, the United States of America. This is what our State tells us to do, but I know my own government to be capable of incredible evil."

"And how do you know this?" asked Leon.

"There are any ways. When friends on my team disappear a day after making a mistake, I know it is the State who took them. When a teacher forgets to speak of the South with great contempt and hatred, the State comes and replaces them. They are never seen again. But most of all, I know this because of my grandmother. She grew up in a free Korea but was taken to the North as a trophy bride during the war. She knows how things once were and how free the rest of the world is. Every day, she would tell me stories of her childhood and wish for me to know this freedom one day. It is our secret between us. It was she that told me to defect during this visit to the South."

Leon studied her face for several seconds, his own face expressionless. "Your story is touching, Ms. Park, but you'll have to forgive our being cautious."

Without a word, Chin-sun peeled back the gauze taped to her forehead. "This is what my guard did to me when he caught me trying to escape. Had Scott not arrived when he did, it would have been far worse. I would probably be dead, and I can see in your eyes that you know this. I am no spy. I only wish to be free, Major Parker."

Leon again remained quiet and contemplative. "Mr. Wallace," he said after a few moments, "what do you think?"

"I believe her, sir," Willie replied. "The wound itself speaks volumes, but there's no way she could have lied about her grandmother like that. We'd have seen a tell if she were making that up."

"Yes... I agree," Leon grinned. "Ms. Park, I report directly to the Secretary of State. He made it clear to me before these games that we could not accept any defectors of our own accord without South Korea's permission. We are on their soil, after all, but if they are agreeable, you will be free to travel to America and make a new life there."

A tear of happiness leaked out of Chin-sun's eye and rolled down her cheek as she heard these words. "Thank you, Major Parker."

"Don't thank me yet," Leon said, pulling out his cell phone. "Let me call our contact in the Korean Immigration Services and bring him into the loop."

As Chin-sun's emotions welled up within her, she turned to Scott and threw her arms around his neck, thanking him for everything he had done for her. He accepted her touch happily, though he did have to shift his lower body to keep from scaring Chin-sun with the bulge that was beginning to form in his pants. It had been quite a while since he had held a pretty girl like her in his arms, after all, and his body was just a little sensitive. After a moment, his distraction was broken by a knock at the door.

"Who's that?" Willie asked.

"No clue," said Leon, stopping in the middle of dialing his contact.

After checking the peephole, Leon opened the door to reveal a young Korean man a bit older than Scott. His suit was cut to perfection and appeared more expensive even than Leon's. The man smiled a warm smile as he spoke.

"Major Parker, yes?"

"I am. And you are?"

"Yoon Suck-chin, Korean Immigration Services," he replied, producing an ID badge.

Leon inspected his credentials, commenting, "Vice Chief? At your young age?"

"Yes, sir. Feel free to contact my superiors if you have your doubts, of course."

Handing the ID back to Suck-chin, Leon said, "No, that won't be necessary. What are you doing here?"

"I am here regarding an alleged incident that took place a little while ago outside this hotel. I am told that a North Korean may have been involved."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Leon replied, "How would you know about that? I hadn't had a chance to contact the KIS yet."

"My office was contacted by someone with direct knowledge of the situation," said Suck-chin. "You may come in," he then said to someone in the hallway.

Scott felt Chin-sun cling to him tightly as a woman entered the hotel room. She was in her early thirties and wore a fitted blouse and a knee-length skirt. Her face seemed pleasant enough, but Scott sensed something sinister lurking beneath the surface. After a few moments, he at last recognized the woman from the news reports since the start of the Olympics.

"Hello, Major Parker. My name is Kim Yo-jong," she said. "I represent my brother, the freely elected leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Jong-un."

"I know who you are, Ms. Kim," Leon replied stiffly.

"Ah, there she is!" said Yo-jong. "Chin-sun, naneun nega musahadago gippeohanda. Wa, jib-e gal sigan-ida."

As Yo-jong tried to pass through Willie and Leon, Chin-sun clenched Scott's arm in a death grip. She was not fooled by her words of concern and promise to return home safely.

"Do not let her touch me! She will kill me!" she protested.

"My dear Chin-sun, you wound me!" Yo-jong replied. "I would never do such a thing! We are gajong. Family."

"NO! Please, do not let her take me!" Chin-sun begged Scott. "You promised you would allow my defection!"

"Oh my, the poor girl is delirious," Yo-jong said, shaking her head.

"Ms. Kim, you'll have to forgive me for not believing you," said Leon as he and Willie closed in to shield Chin-sun. "This young lady came to us of her own volition seeking asylum, and I'm of a mind to grant it."

"Not your call, Major Parker," said Suck-chin, stepping up beside Yo-jong. "This is our land, and you arrogant Americans have no say as to our immigration decisions. You may not value the good will that has been gained between the North and the South during these Olympics, but I do. Our nations have signed an agreement to disallow any defections during these games, as I am sure you are aware. Besides, our northern neighbors have behaved most properly in this matter. Ms. Kim came to me in peace seeking my help in finding one of the North Korean Spirit Ambassadors that had gone missing. She is fortunate she only received a minor injury and not anything worse."

Scott snorted. "Ms. Kim should know. It was one of her own men that did it."

"Oh dear! Her own handler did this to her?!" Yo-jong gasped. "Major Parker, you have my word that I will personally investigate this matter and find the individual responsible for harming this poor girl. He will face justice for his actions."

"In any case," Suck-chin continued, "it is my full intention to allow Ms. Kim to take her citizen back home with her tomorrow as soon as the Olympics come to a close."

"She came to us seeking asylum!" Leon seethed. "If you won't grant it, then we'll bring her back to the United States with us!"

"You will do no such thing," Yo-jong rebuked him. "That would be considered an act of kidnapping against one of our citizens, an act of extreme aggression. I can assure you that our government would take swift and decisive action against this."

Suck-chin agreed, "And even if you decided to do this, good luck getting her through customs. The KIS will make sure she cannot leave the country unless it is with her people across the northern border."

Leon gritted his teeth at hearing this. If Suck-chin had enough influence to ensure Chin-sun couldn't leave the country, Leon had underestimated his overall power. And with the threat of international kidnapping charges from Kim Yo-jong, they had no means with which to hold Chin-sun.

"You don't want to do this," Leon at last seethed.

"Actually, I do," Suck-chin replied. "Everything I do is with the best interests of my citizenry at heart. To become taken in by the delirious cries of one traumatized girl while incurring the loss of all goodwill with our northern neighbors would not only be irresponsible, it would be stupid. Chin-sun is not granted asylum and will return to her homeland with these representatives of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

At that, two men in North Korean jackets entered the room and flanked Kim Yo-jong, who proceeded to push past Leon and Willie. Scott backed himself into a corner, trying to shield a weeping Chin-sun as best he could, but the men soon restrained him and moved him aside. Yo-jong looked at Chin-sun as if she were a long-lost family member, but Scott saw how roughly she grabbed the girl's arm.

"We will be leaving for home tomorrow. That will be the end of this," said Yo-jong. "Major Parker, in spite of your hateful demeanor, know that I hold no ill will against you or your nation for the events of this evening. I am only happy to have our beloved Chin-sun back."

"NO! NO, PLEASE!" Chin-sun cried as she was dragged out the door.

"Let her go!" Scott roared, but it was no use. The men had him pinned. The last thing he saw of Chin-sun was the red ribbon in her hair. Once they were gone, the North Korean goons released him and left to follow. Scott as about to chase after them, but Willie's firm hand on his shoulder managed to deter him. Once Suck-chin had left, Scott glared at Leon.

"Don't look at me like that," Leon said.

"How could you let them do that?!" Scott berated him. "She came to us for help and you threw her back to the most oppressive government in the world!"

"My hands are tied!" Leon insisted. "I never imagined the KIS would be uncooperative! I figured they wouldn't allow her defection to South Korea due to the treaty, but I thought they'd let us to take her with us. At least now my suspicions are confirmed..."

"What suspicions?" Scott asked, barely managing to avoid strangling Leon.

"I tried not to let on, but I've been watching that Suck-chin character for a few years now. His meteoric rise in the KIS has not gone unnoticed, and I've long wondered if there was something else behind it all. Now, I'm positive there is."

"What are you talking about?" said Scott.

Leon sighed. "I think Suck-chin is a North Korean plant."

"Are you sure, boss?" Willie asked. "I know he's an ass, but espionage? That's a serious charge."

"You didn't hear it, did you?" Leon grinned. "He slipped up there. No true South Korean would refer to North Korea as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, certainly not in the tone that he did. He almost did so with reverence. Every South Korean I've met simply calls it the North, or the DPRK in official matters."

"So, what are we going to do about this?" Scott wondered. "We've got to expose the bastard and get Chin-sun back!"

"I'll work on a way to expose him, but you need to forget about the girl," Leon replied. "As much as I want to help her, Suck-chin bested us this time."

"Bullshit!" Scott spat. "If they get her back to North Korea, they will kill her. I won't just sit by and let that happen!"

"I sympathize and agree with you, but she's beyond our reach," said Leon. "There is nothing I can do to help her at this point."