An unlikely leader is chosen to lead the North Korean underground into democracy by way of a revolution, but he is reluctant to lead as he is a political prisoner and an outsider.
An American scientist who, despite his own reservations, develops the most technologically advanced weapon in history, capable of destroying the world. Meanwhile, world events are unfolding such that the American President and General of the Army conspire to use the weapon against communist North Korea in order to avoid a massive deployment of United States troops. Simultaneously and quite unexpectedly, the North Korean government undergoes a democratic revolution which leads to a series of twists and turns in the plot and an exciting and suspenseful conclusion to the story.
The Hidden Enemy is told in a highly personal way through a relatively small cast of characters. The plot evolves primarily through two powerful individuals: James Yargon, the American scientist who strives to save the world from his own invention of destruction, and Chang Chi Lee, who fights for North Korea's freedom from communism only to be faced with a cataclysmic fate as the leader of a newly democratic state.
Excerpt
Pyongyang, North Korea
"There's a ring around the moon," Park Jin Hua said aloud. He was a tall slender man in his late thirties. Appearing gaunt...almost malnourished, but as sharp and intense a mind as Chang Chi Lee had ever encountered.
"There's a storm approaching," Chang Chi Lee responded as the wind wiped through the trees in the park outside the Revolutionary Museum. He continued to adjust his old overcoat, first searching for the pockets that weren’t there, then sticking his hands under the pit of his arms.
Chang Chi Lee, recently released from prison after a decade of hard labor for conspiring against the Chinese government, dreamed of the night where he could walk freely and view the stars without fear of punishment for being awake after hours.
"I cannot see the stars Jin Hua. Perhaps they too are afraid to show themselves."
"Or perhaps they too are storing up energy for the right time to show themselves, Chang Chi Lee...You have nothing to be afraid of. You have the support of your followers as you echo their cries for deliverance. They have lived with the shame of oppression for too long."
"It is not for them to feel shame."
"No, but many feel they should have acted sooner than now. You are only viewed as a catalyst for what has been inevitable for many years. Kim Jong Il..."
"Jin Hua!" Shouted a man approaching after spotting the two in the dim light of the moon.
"Yes, Kwang Soon. Over here!" Jin Hua replied directing his friend over with a wave of his hand.
Yeung Kwang Soon, an old and trusted friend of Jin Hua, approached the two men as the clouds moved past the moon casting eerie shadows in the night. Lightness from the moon faded quickly past the trees and pond and darkened the face of the statue of Kim Il Sung which presided over the park.
A shiver ran up Kwang Soon's back as he approached, gazing at the statue as if it watched his every move. His overcoat could not prevent the cold of the night from slipping through. His hands were in his pockets until he arrived, and with a smile, he greeted the two. "Jin Hua, my friend. How are you?"
Chang Chi Lee watched in unbiased observation. He noticed a day or two of growth on his face, but generally a well-dressed man of apparent wealth. Somewhat rotund, he wore a cashmere overcoat that was probably worth more than Chang Chi Lee’s uncle had earned as an officer in a year.
"Kwang Soon," Jin Hua greeted him, grabbing his shoulders with both hands, "so good to see you, old friend." Then turning to look at Chi Lee, "...and this, this is Chang Chi Lee."
"Who I have heard so much about. It is an honor to meet you Chang Chi Lee," Kwang Soon said as the two men extended hands in greeting.
"The honor is mine, Kwang Soon," Chi Lee began, "Jin Hua has told me of your ambassadorship and has recommended that we enlist your talents. We will need your communication skills, if we are to create strong liaisons with bordering countries and distant ones alike."
"Well, in all honesty,” he stated with shagrin, “Jin Hua has never really seen my work, but perhaps is basing his recommendations on our past friendship."
"We must learn to go on trust Kwang Soon. We have no time for formalities. Jin Hua and I have worked together, not only through our correspondence during my imprisonment, but for the months that followed. If I cannot trust the people whom I intend to lead, then I am not worthy of their leadership."
Jin Hua could hear the distant conversation of two patrolmen on foot at the edge of the park exchanging notes. He gestured to Chi Lee and Kwang Soon to lower the noise level. Outside of the patrolmen though, the streets were empty, and as the surroundings slowly faded from eyesight, only the rustling of trees were proof of their presents, and the smell of the crisp air a solace reminder of the bitter cold.
"Your work is well known to me and those who I have preached to. I would not partake in such a mission unless I had complete confidence in your capabilities."
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