The technician rose. “I will report when I have a solution.”
Jiao and Xiaoping watched as the slight man left the conference room, and stood for a moment without speaking, considering all they’d just learned.
“This could be an enormous breakthrough,” Xiaoping said.
“Yes, but what troubles me the most is that we have no idea what this Liu was doing in the DOD servers to begin with. If you recall, we thought he was trying to sabotage our systems, which is why we took such… swift action.”
“At your recommendation, as I remember it.”
“Which perhaps was an overreaction, in light of his achievement. Our very best have been banging their heads into that wall for a decade, with no success.” Jiao looked off into space. “Hard to believe a single rogue amateur could do what a team of a hundred top programmers couldn’t.”
“There was only one Einstein, too. Occasionally one man sees something the majority misses. I suspect that’s the case this time.” Xiaoping stood. “But we can’t take back what is already done. Our best hope lies with our new prodigy, since we blew the old one out of the sky.”
“At the time it seemed the prudent course. The penalty for espionage is death. We simply saved the tribunal the effort of trying him.”
“As with most things, nothing is ever completely black or white.”
Jiao remained seated as his boss left the room, the only sound the faint hiss of the air-conditioning and the steady ticking of the wall clock. He rubbed his eyes, which constantly burned from the pollution that was a regular feature of China’s large industrial cities. The rebuke in Xiaoping’s tone had been as plain as a backhand, although delivered subtly, as was his way. Jiao had made an informed decision to sabotage the plane in which Liu had been fleeing the country. There was no way he could have been expected to second-guess that the dead man had posed no threat they could find, at least not to China. To the U.S.?
The first thing they needed to learn was what Liu had been doing in the DOD system. Once they understood that, then they could take appropriate action. But at the very least, having a clandestine window into the Americans’ deepest military secrets would be of incalculable value to the MSS.
It could well shift the balance of power, wherein the U.S. presently held most of the cards. With ten aircraft carriers to China’s one, and a military budget that dwarfed the next twenty-six industrialized nations combined, the U.S. projected its agenda through superior firepower as well as through its financial system. If China had access to its plans, it could take steps to block those most harmful to China’s interests, and prevent the American war machine from dominating at least China’s piece of the global pie.
What had Liu been after?
The question haunted Jiao as he rose and moved to the door, his tread that of a far older man than had entered the room only minutes before.
Chapter 11
The Airbus A330-300 jet banked on approach to Suvarnabhumi International Airport and slowed as the pilot cut airspeed. The flight from Hong Kong, the connecting point for the trip from Los Angeles to Thailand, had been mercifully calm compared to the uncomfortably rough slog across the Pacific. Allie yawned and peered out the window, and Drake tried not to be too obvious in his admiration of her charms, which were still holding his attention as they neared their twentieth hour of travel.
“How are you doing?” Drake asked.
Allie shrugged. “Okay. I wish we had gotten more sleep. That part completely sucked.”
“Yeah, well, it is what it is. We’ll be on the ground soon.”
“I was reading about Bangkok on our layover. It’s supposed to be pretty modern.”
“Probably the last we’ll see of running water or flush toilets until we’re back out of the jungle.”
“Still a romantic, huh?”
Drake was momentarily at a loss for words at Allie’s ability to throw him with her abrupt shifts. By the time he’d decided on a response, he’d lost her to the Bangkok skyline glittering below in the morning sun.
The landing gear lowered into place with a thunk, and then they were dropping toward the ribbon of tarmac that stretched before them. The big plane seemed to float for an instant just above the runway, and then landed with a rough bounce before steadying as it slowed.
Spencer smiled at them from across the aisle as the aircraft neared the gate. “It’s showtime,” he said with a theatrical flair. “Bangkok awaits the great white hunter.”
“If you’re referring to me, it’s not necessary to flatter,” Allie said. “Although you can use ‘Goddess’ if you absolutely must.”
They disembarked and filed to the immigration area, where stern clerks stamped their passports. Once finished with the formalities, they waited by the baggage carousels. Alex joined them, and after collecting their things, they moved out to where the drivers were gathered, holding signs and jabbering loudly. Alex turned his head toward Drake as he led them to the barrier that separated travelers from the waiting Thais. “We have a guide. I’ve worked with him before. He’s a character, but knows the ins and outs of Thailand like the back of his hand.”
Allie and Drake nodded, wondering what a CIA veteran would describe as being a character, and didn’t have long to wait. A gaunt man of indeterminate late middle-age, with pecan-colored skin, his gleaming ebony hair slicked back with gel, and a Fu Manchu mustache that would have been the envy of any B-movie bad guy stood behind the barrier, watching them approach expectantly.
Alex’s face relaxed for a split second as he neared the short Asian, who offered a crisp bow, the traditional wai greeting. Alex returned it and introduced them, and the guide bowed in turn to each.
“This is Uncle Pete. Uncle Pete, meet Allie, Drake, and Spencer,” Alex said.
“Most honored,” Uncle Pete said in heavily accented English, and then turned and snapped at a porter, who ran over and began stacking their luggage on a rickety hand truck. “My truck parked outside,” he explained. “I have policeman watch it. About only thing they good for these days, besides take bribes and shake down innocent driver.”
“Can you fit everyone?” Alex asked.
“Of course. I rent SUV just for you.”
“Lead the way.”
Uncle Pete marched briskly toward the departure terminal exit and then slowed so the porter could catch up. He nodded to Alex and grinned, revealing tobacco-stained teeth. “Been long time, no?”
“We can catch up later. What’s the word on the permits?”
“Still wait. You know how that go. Someone holding out for more baht. But we promise we have tomorrow.”
“Plan was to get into the field this afternoon,” Alex said.
“Missionary man say, man propose, God dispose, right?” Uncle Pete said, his English suddenly improving. “In the meantime, I book you into top good hotel.” He regarded Allie. “First time in Thailand?”
“Yes. I’ve heard lovely things.”
Uncle Pete gave the porter and then the throng of locals meeting travelers a sour look. “Not from me. Lazy crooks.”
Alex laughed, the first time he had since they’d met him. “Uncle Pete’s a perpetual optimist.”
“Bangkok full of snakes in grass,” Uncle Pete snarled, and then cautioned the porter to hurry up.
“He’s the hospitality committee?” Spencer asked in a low voice. “Couldn’t they find a hungry crocodile?”
“Pete’s charm grows on you,” Alex said. “Like fungus.”