Excerpt: Half Life by Paul H.B. Shin
Enjoy reading an excerpt from chapter one of Half Life by Paul H.B. Shin.
HALF LIFE
by Paul H.B. Shin
Excerpt from Chapter One
When James Avery opened the window of the SUV, a gush of searing air rushed into the cooled cabin, as though he had opened an oven prepped for baking. He gagged for a moment, and when he caught his breath, there was a faint scent of water lilies drifting in from the Nile.
A black-and-white taxi pulled up alongside the SUV and idled there. No one got in or out. Avery thought about closing the window to let the cabin cool again, but if the taxi passenger was who he was expecting it to be, Avery didn’t want the tinted windows to block the view.
It was after business hours and nearing dusk. The water lily petals would be closing soon. The SUV and the taxi were the only vehicles on the block – a manicured street in the Garden City neighborhood of Cairo lined with belle époque estates that had managed to resist the encroaching tangle of new apartment buildings. With groomed hedges and tall gates, the houses had a stately appeal. There was also something out of place about the formality. It evoked a kind of pity, as one feels for a waning beauty dressed in defiance of her age.
A man finally emerged from the taxi wearing a navy wool suit – attire that defied common sense for August here, or any month for that matter if you were concerned with comfort more than declaring your status. It had been a restless weekend of anticipation for Avery. He felt his heart thumping as he opened the SUV door to greet the man.
“Mr. Ambassador,” Avery said in Korean. “I’m James Avery from the U.S. State Department. It’s good to finally meet you in person.”
The man nodded and said, “You’re younger than your voice,” then climbed into the SUV and sat next to Avery. Heat radiated off the dark fabric of the ambassador’s suit. The rear seats had been configured carriage-style, facing one another. A gaunt man with silvery blond hair was sitting across from Avery and the ambassador. He straightened himself when the ambassador climbed in.
Avery introduced the two men. “Ambassador Jang, this is Consul General Walter Cronen.”
Cronen offered a handshake, thrusting out his sinewy hand with too much enthusiasm. “Tell Ambassador Jang that the United States government welcomes him into the arms of freedom.”
It was an obtuse greeting. Avery found it awkward to interpret verbatim. This welcome that Cronen offered – it was akin to a marriage proposal even before the ink had dried on an acrimonious divorce, and a marriage of convenience at that.
Jang Sung-Gil was North Korea’s ambassador to Egypt. He was one of the highest-ranking officials from the Workers’ Party ever to defect to the West. That alone would have made this momentous. But it went beyond the treason of single man. He was coordinating his defection simultaneously with his brother, Jang Sung-Ho, a trade attaché in Paris. Both sides of the DMZ would remember the summer of 1997, either as one of infamy or victory.
Jang did not reach for Cronen’s offered hand immediately. He waited for Avery to finish translating even though he understood what Cronen had said. And even then, Jang looked at Cronen’s hand a moment longer, pondering, it seemed, the consequences – ideological or biological – of pressing flesh with this man. Jang finally clasped it and said, “Thank you.”
Cronen nodded to the driver of the SUV through the rearview mirror, and they took off.
BOOK INFO
HALF LIFE
By Paul H.B. Shin
Fiery Seas Publishing
September 6, 2016
Thriller
The year is 1997. North Korea is suffering from a devastating famine that has shaken the foundation of the ruling class. A series of high-profile defections to the West has led the reclusive country's leadership into the grasp of paranoia.
Nuclear scientist Han Chol-Soo is on a tenuous diplomatic mission to the United States. There he is forced to embark upon a high-stakes pursuit after his wife disappears with their newborn son. Paralyzed with fear at the repercussions of her decision, Han turns to his colleague Park Jun-Young for help -- a man that he suspects is an intelligence operative. He soon regrets his decision as Park cuts a swath of mayhem in the name of helping Han, and the chase forces Han to confront the harsh realities of his home country.
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Paul H.B. Shin’s debut novel follows a career as an award-winning journalist for more than 20 years, most recently for ABC News. He previously wrote for the New York Daily News.
He was born in South Korea and lived in London during his childhood. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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