Ji-min by Eric Johannsen

Author:Eric Johannsen [Johannsen, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-12-26T22:00:00+00:00

Think Big

Minister Pak walked the orchard on his estate, the Colonel at his side. The trees cast long shadows over the freshly raked ground and the occasional newly fallen apple. A gardener trimmed a hedge along the orchard’s edge, his gaze fixated on the abandoned fruit that wasn’t his to take.

The Colonel’s hand trembled as he raised a cigarette to his lips. A match's yellow glow revealed a deeply wrinkled forehead. The light faded, replaced by the faint orange of the burning tip. “Dear Leader’s lost his mind.” The first word dripped with contempt.

“If he ever had it,” Minister Pak said.

“How does he think this will end? Is he really going to fire a missile at Hawaii?” His cigarette tip flared.

Minister Pak shook his head. “I don’t know. His mood’s volatile, more so than usual. This morning, he sent an outside team to conduct the ministry audit.”

“He doesn’t trust you,” the Colonel said.

“He trusts no one. Not anymore.”

“What did you do about his inspectors?”

“I welcomed their help. I don’t want to give him any cause to consider me disloyal.” Minister Pak yanked a red-and-green Fuji from a tree and bit in. His face soured, and he tossed the apple aside. “Not just yet, anyhow.”

“They’ll find things. Even if they don’t, they’ll invent something out of fear.”

“The ministry’s a vast organization. I can keep them occupied for a while. I worry more about military intervention. Dear Leader set preparations in motion to target Hawaii. Even if he doesn’t order the attack, the Americans might decide a launch is imminent. That might spark a full-scale conflict.”

The Colonel nodded. “Three American aircraft carriers could reach us within a week. The US Marines doubled their contingent in Seoul thanks to the recent saber rattling. Even the Chinese are amassing troops on the border.” He exhaled a cloud of smoke.

Minister Pak snickered. “At least the Chinese wouldn’t attack. Probably. They most likely want to prevent our people from seeking refuge across the border if tensions escalate to war.”

“This is madness. We must stop it.”

“Yes, we must,” Minister Pak said in a whisper.

In a hushed voice, the Colonel said, “What should we do? Assassinate Dear Leader?”

The men walked the length of the grounds, dry leaves and twigs crunching under their steps. They reached stone stairs leading up a knoll atop which stood a traditional garden pavilion. A plate of chocolate-coated dried persimmons awaited them.

Minister Pak sat in a rattan chair, absently nibbling refreshments and staring at the stars twinkling on the horizon. “If we kill Dear Leader, the generals are most likely to fill the vacuum. None of them look favorably upon us. You need to think big. Dear Leader’s folly creates an opportunity if we’re bold enough to seize it.”

The Colonel lit a new cigarette from the embers of his old one.

“I can’t have you promoted to general,” Minister Pak said, “but I can pull strings to place you in charge of a nuclear missile battery.”

“To what end?” the Colonel asked.

A wry smile formed on Minister Pak’s lips.

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