"Kim--?"

"Hwan. Deputy Director of the KCIA."

"Did you find anything?"

"A water bottle. Some boot prints, North Korean military issue." His voice cracked. "Excuse me."

There was a much longer silence. "Sir, are you all right? You weren't injured, were you?"

"I fell-- nothing broken. It was my wife she was the one that was hurt."

"Not seriously, I hope."

His voice broke again as he said, "They murdered her, Martha."

Martha's hand shot to her mouth. She had only met Soonji once, at Op-Center's first Christmas party, but her charm and quick mind had made an impression.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Donald. Why don't we talk later--"

"No. They're taking her to the army base, and I'm going over when I finish here. It's best we talk now."

"I understand."

He took a moment to collect himself and then continued, his voice stronger. "There were footprints in an alley, made by a North Korean army boot or boots. But neither Kim nor I believe that North Koreans were wearing them. Or if they were, that they were operating with the sanction of their government."

"Why do you think that?"

"The clues were out in the open, no effort made to conceal them. A professional wouldn't have done that. And the North Koreans have never attacked blindly like this."

As he was speaking, Hood walked into his office; Martha touched a button on the screen, scrolled the transcription back several lines, and pointed for Hood to see. After he read the passage about Soonji, he nodded gravely, then sat quietly behind the desk and rubbed two fingers against his forehead.

"Then you feel that someone wants to make this look like a North Korean attack," Martha said. "They've denied having had a hand in it."

"I'm saying it's an option we must explore before rattling any sabers at Pyongyang. For once, they may be telling the truth."

"Thank you, sir. Is-- is there anything we can do for you?"

"I know General Norbom at the base, and Ambassador Hall has promised to do whatever she can here. I appear to be in good hands."

"All right. But if you need help--"

"I'll call." His voice became stronger as he said, "Give Paul my best, and tell him-- tell him that however Op-Center becomes involved in this, I want a part of it. I want to find the animals who did this."

"I'll tell him," she said as Donald hung up.

As soon as it heard the dial tone, the computer filed the conversation, marked the time, and cleared itself for the next call.

Martha placed the receiver in the cradle and slid off the desk. "Shall I call Ambassador Hall and make sure they give Donald whatever he needs?"

Hood nodded.

"You've got eye bags. Rough night?"

"Alex had a bad asthma attack. He's in the hospital."

"Ooo-- sorry to hear that." She took a step forward. "You want to go to him? I'll watch things here."

"No. The President wants us to prepare the Options Paper on this thing, and I need you to get me the latest data on North Korea's financial ties to Japan, China, and Russia-- black market as well as legitimate. If we've got a real situation, my feeling is that the President may want a military solution, but let's see what we can do with sanctions."