Skating Free

"Nothing you can do or nothing you're willing to do?" Scott shot back.

"You watch your mouth, Erickson! I may not be your direct commander anymore, but I will not hesitate to put you in your place!"

"What happened to you, Leon?" Scott asked in disappointment.

"What are you babbling about?"

"Come on, we all know the rumors. The legendary rescue staged by Lieutenant Leon Parker during his time in the Army Rangers."

Leon sighed. "That was a lifetime ago. I was young and stupid..."

"And your youth and stupidity led you to rescue two-dozen hostages from the Taliban in a tiny Afghani village," Scott pressed. "Against orders, I might add."

"What's your point?"

"You did what needed to be done, orders be damned, because you knew it was the right thing to do. Leon, don't try to stop me from doing the same."

"You know he's right, Leon," Willie chimed in.

"Don't tell me you're in on this, too!" said Leon in exasperation.

"I'll follow Scott anywhere on this," Willie replied. "That girl deserves our help."

"Jesus Christ... fine. Let's say hypothetically I decide not to have you both arrested for this. What exactly is your plan? You have no idea where they've taken Chin-sun."

"Maybe not, but we know where she'll be tomorrow: at the Closing Ceremony," said Scott.

"Why would they let her go to that?" Leon asked. "They already know she's a flight risk. Why take the chance of her running?"

"They'll put her in the very center of the cheerleading squad," Scott replied. "What safer place to keep her than in the middle of over two-hundred girls brainwashed into absolute loyalty to North Korea? Find the center of the cheerleaders, and that's where she'll be."

"Hmm... all right, I'll give you that. You know where she'll be, but how do you plan to get her away from them?"

"All I have to do is catch her eye," Scott insisted. "Once she sees me, she'll know I'm there for her. All she has to do is slip away from the group in the mass confusion of everyone leaving the stadium, and we'll be gone before Kim Yo-jong even knows what happened."

"In other words, you're making this up as you go," Leon sighed.

"Leon, we have to try!"

"Scott, as much as I want to, there's just too many unknowns. Hell, you're not even sure you'll be able to get near her! You'll be down on the arena floor with the rest of the Olympic athletes!"

"You let me worry about that," Scott replied with a grin. "Look, Willie goes to scope out the North Korean vehicles during the ceremony, make sure they don't get ahead of us. While he does that, I'll stay close to Chin-sun and wait for our chance. Once I've got her, all you have to do is come around with the getaway vehicle."

"We still won't be able to leave the country with her," Leon pointed out.

"Maybe not right away, but the North Koreans won't be able to pursue her, not without overstaying their welcome in enemy territory," Scott countered.

"He's right about that," Willie nodded. "The North Koreans are expected to be out of the country within hours of the Closing Ceremony. They'll have to keep to that, even if they're missing a person. And all this will give you time to smooth things over with the KIS and secure Chin-sun's clearance to leave."

"Assuming everything doesn't go to shit!" said Leon. "You two are incorrigible... fine. We'll give this a shot. But you have to find a way to get close to the North Koreans without being noticed, Scott. If you can't do that, the deal is off."

"I've got it covered."

*****

Standing outside room 512, Scott took a deep breath and knocked three times. Several seconds passed, but the door soon opened.

"Hey, Doofus," said Scott.

"About time you showed up, Bonehead," replied Tom, greeting his twin brother with a head-slap. "Get your ass in here. If you were as slow on the ice as you are in real life, you'd never even make it to the starting line."

"Sorry, man. Something came up. That's actually what I need to talk to you about."

"Uh oh. Everything ok?"

"Uh... depends."

Taking a seat on one of the beds, Scott related to his brother the events of the last hour, from meeting Chin-sun to the plan to get her back from the North Koreans. Tom listened in silence, almost unable to believe it was all happening. But with everything he knew about his brother's inability to walk away from someone in need, he knew it must have happened as he described it.

"Dude... that's a hell of a story," Tom said.

"Yeah, and I need your help."

"What do you need? I mean, I'm not ex-military like you are, so I don't know what I could do to help."

"Be me."

"Oh, hell no..."

"C'mon, Tom! One last time!" Scott pleaded. "Just do this for me and... and I'll owe you for life. Please. This girl's counting on me."

Tom paced the room and considered his brother's request. Throughout middle school and high school, they would often switch places to try and figure out what people were saying behind their backs. The twins pretended to hate each other in public, but in reality, they were the closest of confidants. But they hadn't pulled this in years, and never in a situation that could result in jail time should they be discovered.

"What would you need me to do?" Tom asked.

"Nothing special. Just dress as me, hang out with the athletes during the Closing Ceremony, be seen, maybe give an interview or two. All I need is plausible deniability."

"And when would we switch back?"

"I'm hoping at the airport. But if something goes wrong... it could be once I get back to the States."

"Are you insane?! You're asking me to lie to customs!"

"I would never ask if there was any other way. But I've run through every scenario in my head, and there's not. Please, Tom. You're my only chance."

Tom stared at his brother before inching into his face and saying, "If I do this and you live through it... you name your kids after me."

"Dude, you're full of shit!" Scott laughed.

"Oh, I'm serious," Tom replied, his smile growing bigger. "And not just your firstborn son; you gotta name all of 'em after me, boys and girls!"

"That makes no sense!"

"Sure, it does! George Foreman did it with his kids, right?"

"I'll give you my firstborn son, will that work?" Scott shot back.

Tom pretended to agonize over the decision, finally replying, "Deal."

After a quick trip to his room to retrieve his belongings, Scott returned to Tom's room and gave him his instructions for the next day. What clothes to wear, the itinerary for the ceremony, and most importantly of all, his gold medal. Thankfully, both brothers had packed only a single suitcase, allowing Tom to take both bags back to America with him. Tom then gave his passport to Scott and took possession of his brother's ID.

"One more thing," said Scott. "If you don't hear from me within a week of returning to the States... destroy that."

"Scott..."

"I'm serious, Tom. This plan of mine could go south. If it does, destroy my passport and resume your old identity. You've still got your driver's license back home, right?"

"Yeah, I do. But-"

"If something happens to me, you can use that to get another passport," Scott replied. "You'll be fine. Just keep your head down and don't do anything I wouldn't."

Tom smirked. "And what exactly does that put off limits?"

"Smartass," Scott snorted.

"Bro, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah... yeah, I am. I promised that girl I'd help her. If they get her back to North Korea, she'll be dead on arrival. I have to try..."

Tom nodded, seeing the determination in his brother's eyes. "You be careful out there, Bonehead," he said, giving him a hug.

"You too, Doofus..."

With that, Tom took all the bags with him and made his way to Scott's hotel room, ready to assume his identity in the morning. Meanwhile, Scott stripped nude and crawled into bed, knowing he would need his strength for what was to come tomorrow.

*****

"Any movement?" Scott heard Leon say in his earpiece.

"Nothing yet," Scott replied, whispering casually into the microphone hidden in his coat collar. "Looks like the Spirit Ambassadors are staying put until the official end of the ceremony. Willie, how's things looking on your end?"

"All quiet. Just the bus drivers and an official or two."

"Ok, keep us posted."

Scott took a deep breath and tried his best to keep calm. Two sections over from him sat the North Koreans, the gaggle of cheerleaders in the middle of it all. Though they all wore identical red and blue coats and hats, he knew he would have to find Chin-sun before they started moving. Otherwise, they'd have no chance of getting to her.

"Find Chin-sun... easier said than done..."

Not only were the cheerleaders dressed identically, but they all wore the same style of makeup and had the same hair color, making picking out Chin-sun a daunting task. But after scanning their faces for most of the ceremony, Scott finally saw her. It wasn't a certainty, but the look of worry and fear in her eyes was unmistakable. Upon closer inspection with his binoculars, Scott could tell that her forehead appeared to have makeup in the same spot where her gash had been the night before. What finally sealed it was when they all removed their hats for the Olympic Anthem, revealing Chin-sun's signature red ribbon. None of the other cheerleaders had one.

"I've got eyes on her," Scott said.

"Ok, keep it that way and stay close once they start to move," Leon replied.

Through the rest of the ceremony, Scott maintained eye contact with Chin-sun, hoping against all hope that she would look his way and see him. For the longest time, she only looked straight ahead, but as they were performing one of their hand-clapping routines at the end of the night, she turned his way and saw Scott smiling at her. Chin-sun didn't know what to think at that point; she had seen Scott on the video board as he entered with the rest of the athletes. All the same, there he was. She had to break eye contact a moment later to continue with the routine, but she found him again the next time they turned his way. This time, Scott pantomimed as if he was jogging, then pointed at his chest. It all happened in an instant; none of the other girls would have been able to see it if they weren't looking for it, but Chin-sun's heart leapt. He wanted her to run away with him. She smiled and gave a slight nod just before she had to turn back to face the front.

"I've made contact. She saw me," Scott said.

"You sure?"

"Positive. I sent her a signal that I wanted her to run away with me. She smiled and nodded. She's on board with this."

"Holy shit, this may actually work," Leon chuckled.

*****

As soon as the ceremony ended, Chin-sun glanced over to her left and saw Scott climbing the stairs to the exit ramps. He gave another look in her direction and winked; she could hardly believe it. Her hero was still trying to save her!

"Jigeum idong!"

The rough orders to move from a nearby handler broke her concentration. When they were out of the public eye, every single member of the Spirit Ambassadors had their own individual handler to keep an eye on them. It was nothing short of a miracle that Chin-sun had managed to elude hers the night before. But in a public setting like this one, such a ratio would be counterproductive for two reasons. First, it would distract from the overwhelming display of beauty their squad sought to portray. But more importantly, it would show to the world just how fearful the State was that one of them might run away and defect. This would take away from the narrative that North Korea's citizens were among the happiest and most loyal in the world. As such, the number of handlers they had for this event was severely reduced.

As she climbed the stadium steps, Chin-sun took inventory of the soldiers mixed in with their group. Though they dressed in plainclothes for the public, these men were some of the most vicious members of their military. There were three soldiers assigned for each row they occupied in the stadium, one to guard each end and one to keep an eye on the middle. With her failed defection the night before, Chin-sun had been placed in the very center of the middle row of cheerleaders, ensuring she was surrounded by as many bodies as possible. But now that they were exiting up the stadium steps single file, there were not as many people blocking her in. She could find an opening to run, but she would need a distraction of some sort. Looking around frantically, she at last saw an opening.

The cheerleader in front of her had tied her shoelaces too loose, and they were now almost undone completely. All Chin-sun had to do was take a large step forward as they walked and step on one of the laces. It came untied with little effort, and the extra second that Chin-sun stood on the lace was more than enough to cause the girl to trip and fall on her face with a yelp. The nearest handler leapt to her aid, kneeling down to help the crying girl. As his back was turned to her, Chin-sun turned and sprinted toward Scott on the other side of the walkway. She clutched her backpack tightly as she ran, knowing her passport, her only chance of leaving the country, was inside. The other girls saw her run and began shouting her name, but she paid them no mind. She knew this was her only chance.

"Chin-sun!" Scott called out, waving his hand overhead.

"Scott!"

Chin-sun pushed her way through the crowd of people, inching closer to her hero. All other thoughts flew from her mind in those moments; all she could think of was her final escape from the State. At last, she reached him, and she could not help herself. Without a second thought, Chin-sun threw her arms around Scott's neck and pressed her lips to his, grateful beyond belief for this man.

"You came back for me," she said with a smile as they parted.

"I promised I'd help you. I always keep my promises." Hearing a commotion on the other side of the walkway, Scott took Chin-sun's hand tightly. "Come on, we have to get out of here!"

The pair took off down the winding ramp leading down from the stadium's upper deck, sliding past people as quickly as they could. After one level, Chin-sun dared a glance over her shoulder and recognized the man following about thirty feet behind them.

"It's Song!" she cried out in fear.

"Huh? What?"

"The man with the scar on his face, the one you saved me from. I only know him as Song," Chin-sun explained. "He follows us!"

"Shit... come on, keep moving!" Speaking into his collar, Scott continued, "Leon, I've got her. We're heading for gate twenty-two. You copy that?"

"Gate two-two. I'll be there."

"Good. Be ready for a quick getaway; we've got her handler on our tails."

"Scott? It's Willie. They're getting ready to load the girls on the busses over here. Looks like they'll be taking off soon. I'm heading your way."

"Copy that."

They pressed on, continuing to push through bodies as fast as they were able. To Chin-sun's relief, Song appeared to be having similar difficulties with the crowds, and they soon managed to put some distance between them and him. By the time they reached the main concourse at the bottom of the ramp, Song was still stuck on the level above them. Scott and Chin-sun broke into a jog as the crowds thinned out, and Song knew his quarry was about to escape. Deciding to make one last effort to end this, he took hold of the railing on the concrete ramp and waited for the pair to pass underneath him on their way out. With incredible precision, Song leapt from the second level and landed directly on the couple, tackling Scott to the ground in the process. The two men struggled for a moment, but Song had the clear upper hand and managed to stun Scott with a punch to the jaw.

"That's for yesterday, Me-gook nom!" Song sneered, calling Scott an American bastard.

While Scott struggled to get to his feet, Song grabbed a dazed and confused Chin-sun and began to drag her off to a nearby parking lot just outside the stadium. She tried to resist, but Song was so much stronger than she was. Tears began to stream down her face as she looked for Scott over her shoulder.

"Scott!"

"No... CHIN-SUN!"

At last regaining his wits, Scott took off after them, but they were too far ahead. By the time he had reached the parking lot, Song had already stuffed Chin-sun into a black sedan and hopped in the driver's seat himself. Before the car sped off into the snowy night, Scott caught a glimpse of another woman in the car with Chin-sun.

"Goddammit!"

"Scott!" called Leon as he pulled up in a black SUV.

"Leon... she's gone. Her handler got her. I think she's in Kim Yo-jong's personal car."

"Scott! Leon!" said Willie, jogging up to join them. "What happened? Where's Chin-sun?"

"Gone," Scott muttered. "Kim Yo-jong has her."

"That's checkmate, then," Leon sighed.

"The hell it is! We can still catch them!" Scott protested.

"And we'd be arrested for assaulting a foreign diplomat!" Leon countered. "Look, we tried, but they're gone. I'm sorry, Scott."

Willie said, "Boss, if I may say so, their car didn't look equipped to handle this snowy weather with ease. It's pretty unlikely they'd be able to make good time."

"Out of the question," Leon said firmly.

With a heavy sigh, Scott replied, "Leon, I get it. You're a man who has built his entire career up from scratch all to provide a great life for your family. You can't have any further part in this. So... just give me the keys."

"The hell you say, Erickson?" Leon snorted.

"You can tell the Secretary of State I took it from you, that I overpowered you and stole your car. Tell him whatever you want, but I have to go after her," said Scott. "I made her a promise. I intend to keep it."

Leon growled and stared daggers at Scott before holding up the key. As Scott reached to take it, Leon held a firm grip for a moment. "If you do this, you're on your own. You are out of favors, out of help. If you get caught, if anything goes wrong, the U.S. will disavow any knowledge of your actions. You will be thrown to the wolves and you will face criminal charges here... or possibly in North Korea. Do I make myself clear?"

"I understand."

"And you still plan to do this?" Leon asked.

"I do. Whatever may happen to me is nothing compared to what'll happen to Chin-sun if I don't get her back," Scott replied. As Leon relinquished the key, Scott continued, "I'll call you when I have her."

With that, Leon turned and walked away. Scott wasn't sure, but he could've sworn he had seen a tiny grin on Leon's face. A moment later, he turned to the SUV, but Willie stepped up and swiped the key from him.

"Gimmie. I wanna drive."

"Huh? Willie, what the hell are you doing?"

"You're worked up and emotional. I'll be a better driver. You just ride shotgun and keep an eye out for that car," he replied with a wink.

Placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder, Scott said, "Willie, this is a hundred-to-one shot at best. There's a strong chance I'm gonna die trying to save her."

"Sounds like you need me, then," he retorted. "Hop in. We need to move."

*****

Chin-sun sat in silence next to Kim Yo-jong, slowly coming to terms with her fate. Scott had done his best, but it wasn't enough. She couldn't blame him. Perhaps it is simply her destiny to be executed as an example, she thought.

"How far are we from the border?" Yo-jong asked in Korean.

"Just under thirty-five kilometers," Song replied from the driver's seat.

"Have you detected anyone following us?"

"None. They would not dare risk it as close to the DMZ as we are."

"Good." Turning to Chin-sun, Yo-jong gave a warm smile. "We're almost home, my little flower. Soon, we'll be able to put all this messy business behind us."