Sunset Empire

This book is a work of historical fiction. In order to give a sense of the times, some names or real people or places have been included in the book. However, the events depicted in this book are imaginary, and the names of nonhistorical persons or events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance of such nonhistorical persons or events to actual ones is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by Josh Weiss Cover design by Philip Pascuzzo. Cover copyright © 2023 by Hachette Book Group, Inc. Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. Grand Central Publishing Hachette Book Group 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104grandcentralpublishing.comtwitter.com/grandcentralpub First Edition: March 2023 Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher. The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events. To find out more, go to www.hachettespeakersbureau.com or call (866) 376-6591. Print book interior design by Marie Mundaca. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Weiss, Josh, author. Title: Sunset empire / by Josh Weiss. Description: First Edition. | New York; Boston: GCP, 2023. | Series: A Identifiers: LCCN 2022047953 | ISBN 9781538719473 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781538719466 (ebook) Classification: LCC PS3623.E45537 S86 2023 | DDC 813/.6—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022047953 ISBNs: 978-1-5387-1947-3 (hardcover), 978-1-5387-1946-6 (ebook) E3-20230216-NF-DA-ORI Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Prologue Part I: December 25, 1959 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Other Part II: December 26, 1959 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Other Part III: December 27, 1959 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Other Part IV: December 28, 1959 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Other Part V: December 29, 1959 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Other Part VI: December 30, 1959 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Other Part VII: December 31, 1959 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Other Part VIII: January 15, 1960 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Other Part IX: January 16, 1960 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Other Part X: February 1, 1960 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Epilogue Discover More Acknowledgments About the Author Praise for Sunset Empire Also by Josh Weiss Navigation Table of Contents To my unbelievably incredible wife, Leora:You are my biggest fan and my harshest criticI’d be lost without your guidanceStill not sure how a regular schmo like me ended up with a swell gal like youLove you to the moon and back! Explore book giveaways, sneak peeks, deals, and more. Tap here to learn more. Prologue I will defend Korea as I would my own country—just as I would California. —General Douglas MacArthur We’re gonna nuke each other up, boys, ’til old Satan stands impressed. —Matt Maltese December 1, 1959 They called him “The Tiger” because of his ravenous devotion to the cause. He approved of the moniker, but not for the reasons they provided. He approved of the title because it reminded him of the bedtime stories his mother would often recite to him as a boy. Korean fairy tales always began not with “Once upon a time…” but with “Back when tigers smoked…” Tigers did not smoke, of course. The traditional opening signified the start of a fantastical journey—one that could never take place in the real world. The memory of his mother’s voice enveloped him, soft and comforting like a beloved childhood blanket. His true name was…wait, what was his real name…? William! Yes, William Yang. That’s right. How could he have forgotten? William Yang, a near-lifelong native of Los Angeles and a…wait, what did he do for a living? Where was he? A pleading, panicked voice that seemed to come out of nowhere screamed: “Wake up, William! Wake up!” The Tiger shook his head. His mind was just a tad foggy, but that was to be expected with the momentous job sitting before him. A job that was mere moments away from being carried out. Nothing else mattered, except the cause. Soft Christmas music brought him back to the hustle and bustle of the department store. “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…Jack Frost nipping at your nose…” crooned Nat King Cole in a tender, fireside tone. Men and women, accompanied by giggling children, cast murderous, side-eyed glances in his direction as they went about their early holiday shopping. He was the enemy to them. It made no difference that he’d been raised in this country—had spoken its language, observed its customs, and fought for its values. The shape of his eyes was reason enough in their minds to loathe him, to lump him in with those fighting a conflict an ocean away. He walked freely among them, and yet he was not free. Not when his very rights as an American were under attack. Not when people who looked like him were ripped from their beds and taken away, never to be