Robert Waggoner - John - The Senior Killer

The next man to speak, from a dozen or more men sitting around the table, was a young man in his early forties. Soft spoken and when he stood up, said, “For our honored guest I will speak his native language.” Quickly the others picked up their headphones and listened. Brad was impressed with the man. Later he found out he was educated in America and England. Political Science was his field and he gave Brad a succinct account of what he knew of the North Korean’s attempt to go nuclear. There was in fact nothing new in his report, but Brad liked him for his straight forward account of his knowledge of the subject.

After the meeting a long lunch was endured by Brad and his father in law apologized later for the boring afternoon. Brad assured him he wasn’t bored as he needed time to digest and sort fact from fiction. Brad always made the person he was talking to feel he or she was the most important person for the moment at least. Cross the line and he would cut your heart with his subtle sarcastic remarks you would have to think about while he was long gone from your presence.

Now waiting for his team to arrive Brad went to the local bath house known as a Mok Yuk Tong. There he enjoyed a hot water bath and a haircut. The barber thought he was strange to cut off all his lovely blonde hair. Brad knew he was gay and inwardly smiled when he saw tears well up in his eyes while he ran the clippers across his head, he felt he should have gave him a tip. But in Korea, tips are not allowed and it is bad manners to offer a tip.

Back at home Sujin raise an eyebrow when she saw her husband hairless after he took off his ball cap. He looked ridiculous and then she laughed and said, “Wait until Rocky sees you and the rest of the team.” He laughed with her and gave her a hug, but looked around first to make sure mother or grandmother didn’t see him showing affection in public. Her father didn’t come until later, which is usual for a Korean man, and the rest of them spent a quiet evening looking at her photos. Brad sat on the sofa looking at his wife scamper around on the floor arranging here and there until she was satisfied all was in order.

Suddenly with Sujin scampering around the floor reminded him when they were in place looking down into a very small valley at the terrorist training camp. The afternoon sun was behind them so any reflection or movement would be difficult to see. Brad was trying to get a fix with his handheld GPS and moving around for a better look see. Then without warning Sujin leaped up and with her feet took out a guard who was on the lookout above the camp. Before Brad could move to help her, he lay dead with his throat cut. From that day forward, he knew she could take care of herself. She looked up at him and without a smile, wiped her knife off on the dead man and placed it back in its sheath located in the small of her back. Brad had been so preoccupied with is GPS, without her he might be dead today and the mission a complete failure.

He woke from his flash back when his wife was shaking his legs. He looked into her eyes and she knew he was back in the mountains fighting his demons. She handed him a cup of strong tea and went back playing with her pictures.

About midnight his phone rang with Mike telling him they were at the airport waiting on Billy who was having a nicotine fit while waiting for their bags to show up. Mike laughed and so did Brad about Billy needing four nicotine patches for the crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Brad told them the address and Mike said not to worry as someone was here from the government to pick them up. Brad signed off saying he would meet them at their hotel in the morning for breakfast.

Rocky went a little crazy the next morning when he saw his master and Sujin. He made sounds from his throat of affection and greeting. Sujin let him lick her face and Brad gave him a big hug telling him words of greetings back to his long tall black ears. A Korea guide accompanied them and Sujin explained the role of the big black dog. Koreans as a rule love animals and have many dogs living with them, but not usually this big. Billy was standing outside having his morning injection of nicotine and followed them into the restaurant. The restaurant was set up for both Koreans and foreigners with tables without chairs and with chairs. For everyone’s convenience they sat at a table with chairs.

Brad cut to the chase when he asked about any news of the serial killer. Wendy spoke first and said, “We have him on tape in Arden. When he left he winked at the camera. That is all we have at this time.”

“What is your take on what he is doing or what he might be thinking of doing next, Wendy.”

“I, we think he is holed up somewhere doing some inner reflection of the last adventure in Anacortes.”

“I think the same thing and let’s concentrate on this operation assigned to us for the time being.” He went on to tell them his plan to operate on the boarder of China and North Korea as a Buddhist monk in the city of Dandong. He would take Rocky with him and Sujin would stay here and have a photograph showing at a local photo clubs place. He also told them of where they would headquarter and set up their communication system and computers. One more thing, he told them, “Keep working on the serial killer and let’s see if we can a lead on his whereabouts.”

After breakfast they left for the office and at lunch time all was to their satisfaction due to the fine hospitality of the Koreans. Billy was especially happy as a lot of Koreans smoked and he had no trouble satisfying his habit among them. Brad took Mike aside and they took the next three hours going over a plan for him to join Brad in Dandong a few days after Brad established a place to hang their robes. After the meeting Mike left to get a haircut. Things were taking shape and Brad were happy about the way the team was working together so well.

Later in the evening they had dinner at Sujin’s mother’s house. Koreans are used to a big family eating and all were especially happy to share their time with Sujin’s parents. This was Rockies first trip to Asia. He wasn’t happy until he nosed and smelled the entire house over before he finally relaxed by his master. At first the Korean family was a little scared of the big dog, but when he minded his own business and was so well trained, they enjoyed his company. It was late into the early morning hours before all went either back to their hotel or to bed. Brad had told his father in law all about the famous Senior Killer is roaming the Pacific Northwest and California. The whole family was shocked at the news they had been watching on TV about the killer. Sujin's father knew about Brad and teams tenacity when on an operation and thought the Senior Killer hadn’t seen the last of Brad’s team.

The next day, aboard a South Korean fishing boat Brad and Rocky left for China. All had been arranged by the government of China for his and his team’s arrival in China. They’d been told it was simply an intelligence operation and no violence would be expected. Brad felt a little uneasy about this operation. Not enough information to base his usual well thought out plan existed for his liking. Rocky sensed his discomfort and rubbed his nose on his master’s leg telling him he was there for when he needed him.

It was close to the end of June when Brad, Rocky and Mike entered China searching for some concrete evidence of the North having the ability or the actual possession of a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile across the Pacific Ocean in a small town at the foothills on the east side of the Cascade Mountain, John enjoyed the summer and towards the end of August decided it was time to continue his madness to punish the old for punishing him and his brothers for no reason other than being kids and adults.

John left for Arden on the first of September with a plan in mind. Of course he knew some agents of the FBI were in the area and by now the residents of the town had calmed down with nothing in the news about the serial killer in months. Most thought he moved on or was still in Canada. However, he was very much in the game as he drove up from Spokane to Arden complete with a new look and a new ploy for the unsuspecting.