“Let’s go, Robert,” Mark yelled from the meeting room to the cubicle area, “Deputy will be here soon.”
“Okay, two more minutes!” Robert yelled back.
Robert then pulled up the current status page, just to see if the Wu Lee cell phone was powered up and being tracked by a cell tower. He pulled up a Google Maps and fed in the connection from the phone network that could display active phones. The phone he was looking for turned up blue in color on the screen as a dot.
“He’s inside a U.S. Consulate?” Robert said out loud. “What the hell?”
Robert then pulled up the same Google Maps program and searched for the Ford Stevens phone, just to see if that was powered on. While that program was working and searching, he went back to the known associates’ cell report from earlier, to see the Stevens phone number list. That would take a few more seconds.
He switched back to the map.
“Hold everything. Crap! Are you freaking kidding me? The Stevens phone is not only powered up, but he’s at God damn Verizon Center!” Robert said.
“He’s here, Robert. Deputy’s here.” Mark yelled, laughing, from the meeting room doorway, when he really wasn’t. Mark just wanted to hurry Robert.
Robert was able to log into the slides from where he was in the cubicles, updated the slides in the meeting room remotely, and hurriedly walked down the hall with the new info. The rest of the group waited for him to arrive.
Jason arrived two seconds later and saw the team waiting patiently. He leaned on the doorway.
“Sorry gang… looks like the Deputy wants to call the Director to back brief him on the previous call he just had with the DNI. Will be just a bit longer,” Jason announced, then turned away and went back down the hall.
Robert came in excitedly. “Mother lode! Let me bring you guys up to date with what I just found. I cross-referenced the raw data and got names and locations for the Chinese pilot, and a new connection for the Rapid City, South Dakota number. Wait till you hear this. Our Chinese pilot is named Wu Lee, and I have his phone located and powered up at the moment. No shit, he is sitting inside the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu, China,” Robert told them.
“Fuck. He’s inside the Consulate right now?” Mark asked.
“Wait. It gets even better. The Rapid City 605 area code cell we found is owned by someone named Ford A. Stevens.”
Emily looked at Robert with horror, and turned her head a bit. “What names did you say?” she asked.
“Wu Lee. Chinese guy. And Ford Stevens. Ford A. Stevens. Spelling is S-T-E-V-E-N-S. I tracked Stevens’ powered up cell phone, and, believe it or not, he is right fucking here in DC at the moment. His ass is right over at the Verizon Center. Right God damn now,” Robert said, excitedly.
“Why? Emily, you know these guys?” Mark asked, puzzled at her facial expression.
“Bugger me. Oh my God,” Emily said.
“What is it? Emily? What is it?” Robert asked.
“Ford Stevens. Ford Stevens. That’s my boyfriend. Ford Stevens of Rapid City. He’s the Air Force pilot I just told you about. Wu Lee is his Chinese pilot best friend. Yes, I know these guys. Ford is visiting me this weekend and we are supposed to go to the Capitals game tonight. Right now. He’s there waiting for me right bloody now,” Emily said, bothered at the recent news.
“You have got to be shitting me,” Mark said.
Jason came down again, entered the doorway, “two minutes.”
“Emily. Are you fucking for real?” Mark stared at her. “Does Ford know who you are? How well do you know this guy? Wait a second. What… what’s he doing talking to the Chinese, Emily?”
Part 4 — Deceived
“Hey. Just received a text that we’re going across the river to DIA Headquarters. They have a video teleconference room available,” Agent Collins announced.
“Aw, man,” Ford out loud, and asked if he would be missing the game. “Frigging great.”
“Yup, let’s go,” Agent Collins told him, as they walked through the crowd, exited the Verizon Center to a black sedan with dark tinted windows that sat curbside. Collins shot down 6th Street, got on the I-395 heading north, passing Nationals Park Stadium and crossed the Anacostia River to I-295 south on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. The trip wasn’t more than 10 minutes in length this time of night.
As Ford sat in the back seat of the sedan, his mind was racing. He wondered if Emily would be alright without him being there at the game, and what she would think. This better be good, Wu. Ford looked at this watch, and figured this wouldn’t take more than 30-minutes or so, then back to the game. The other thing pressing his thoughts was the B-1 fire, and him possibly being blamed by the Air Force for something he possibly couldn’t prevent, which was still on his mind. Ford just stared out the window, and watched the U.S. Park Police Bell 412 turning it’s rotors on the pad.
Radio station WMAL 105.9 FM was tuned in and playing The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman radio show. Ford had actually read a few of his personal finance books, but wasn’t that interested in hearing about mortgages and retirement advice at the moment. He took the phone out from his front pocket and decided to call Emily. As soon as he pressed to dial her number, he hung up. Ford had second thoughts about bothering her, especially since she was called back to the office after hours, so he went the texting route. It would take longer to explain than to just do this and get it over. He opened up the text icon and started writing.
Ford: Emily, I’m running late for the game. Stuck doing something, but will be there. Will explain. Love, Ford
“Based upon your situation, your cash reserves should be at least 12 months’ worth of spending, 24 even better…,” Ric Edelman told a caller on the radio.
Ford was barely listening as looked away from the phone and outside the window again, down at the reflections on Potomac River and into the night.
“Captain Lee, your story checks out regarding Captain Ford Stevens. He admits he knows you,” Chris told Wu, standing near him in the room at the Consulate.
“I told you he would. Will we get to talk soon?” Wu asked, coughing, “also, if it’s not too much trouble, thank you for the soda, but may I have some water?”
“Of course. We’ll get you some water,” Chris told him. “Are you feeling well, Captain Lee?”
“Actually, no. No, I am not,” Wu answered. He then deliberately delivered the news. “I’m actually….dying… of cancer,” Wu said quietly and emotionless.
Chris sat silently, looking at Wu. He didn’t know what to say. It suddenly made the interview much more humanitarian.
“And please, keep that between us. My superiors are not aware of my disease.”
Chris was sure Vic was watching, but his own life flashed before his eyes. Chris thought Wu was so young. “Captain. I am truly sorry to hear that,” he said slowly and as sincerely as he could.
“Please call me, Wu,” then a pause, “Just now. You’re the first person I’ve told.”
There was a knock from outside the door, and Chris walked over and knocked back. The door opened, and water appeared. Two bottles with blue American labels.