The elevator dinged loudly, and the doors swished apart. Zheng stepped out and was approached by two guards whose faces were etched with permanent scowls. He’d almost forgotten the protocol for those visiting the fortieth floor. Remembering the drill, Zheng lifted his arms as one of the soldiers waved a paddle over every inch of his body. There were no threatening beeps, so the soldier grunted that he was clear.
Zheng was wondering what to do next, when he heard the click of heels. An attractive woman in her thirties strode toward him. She was dressed in a gray business suit and was speaking into a headset.
So this is where all the good-looking ones work.
“Good evening, Colonel Zheng,” said the woman after ending her other conversation. She bowed slightly. “Follow me, please.”
As they walked, Zheng asked, “Do you know what the general wants?”
The girl turned and smiled but said nothing. He doubted she even knew but figured it was worth a try.
At the end of the hall, they turned right. A few seconds later, they arrived at Kong’s door on the left.
The woman turned her head away from him and spoke into the mic of her headset. A moment later, she turned and said, “The general will see you now.”
The woman turned the knob and opened the door, motioning him in. After he entered, she bowed and closed the door behind him.
Kong’s office was like his personality, simple and no nonsense. A desk, two bookcases, and two chairs that looked like they’d been purchased at a yard sale. It was exactly as Zheng had pictured it.
“Have a seat,” grunted the portly general from behind his desk.
As Zheng sat down, he noticed the incredible view out of the window behind Kong. If not for the gathering darkness, Zheng figured he could see Chengdu from here.
Kong beat the keys of his laptop a moment longer before finally pushing it to the side. The general then sat back and crossed his arms. “Zheng, thank you for coming. Can I get you something to drink?” Zheng opened his mouth to speak, but Kong continued without waiting for an answer. “You are here because of your experience in South America.”
Zheng frowned. What on earth could this be about? He had worked in Peru for three years in the 1990s, but they were three of the most uneventful years of his career.
“I was only there for—”
“The Americans have found something in Brazil, north of the Amazon.” He raised his eyebrows and said, “We don’t have all of the details, but we believe it may involve alien technology.”
Zheng’s eyes widened. “Aliens? As in extraterrestrials?”
“Is there another kind?” Kong asked pointedly.
“Surely we don’t believe it’s true,” Zheng asked. “The Americans are known to chase all sorts of silly things.”
Kong drew in a deep breath and said, “Whether it’s true or not doesn’t really matter. What matters is the Chairman of the Central Military Commission thinks it’s important, and if he thinks it’s important, then we think it’s important.”
Zheng stiffened at the mention of the chairman. “I understand. But how could there be alien technology in the middle of the jungle?”
Kong shrugged. “The chairman believes a craft may have crashed there, something like that. He believes we could find some sort of new metal, new propulsion system… who knows what.”
“Interesting.”
A phone vibrated on Kong’s desk. The general picked it up and stared at the screen. “That is the chairman. He probably wants to make sure everything has been communicated.” Kong rose from his seat. “You will now go to see Lieutenant General Huang, who will brief you on the details of your operation.”
Zheng stood, a frown forming on his face. “My operation?”
Kong fixed his gaze on the colonel. “You’re leading a team to Brazil, Zheng. You’re the highest ranking officer with experience in that part of the world.”
Zheng felt a rush of panic. He hadn’t been out in the field in years, which had suited him just fine. “Do we know the dates?” he asked. “I want to make sure I’m back from my vacation in time.”
Kong frowned. “Vacation?” He gave a brief chuckle. “There will be no vacation, Zheng. You can take it when you get back. Your mission begins in two days.”
“Two days. I—”
“That will be all, Zheng.” Kong nodded toward the door.
Zheng turned slowly, scarcely able to believe the strange turn of events. It would do no good to argue. If the chairman had appointed him as team lead, then there would be no way out. He grabbed the knob and turned it.
“Oh, and Zheng,” Kong said.
Zheng turned back toward the general.
“You should feel honored to lead this operation. You’re going to have a special guest.”
Zheng’s brow furrowed. “Someone I know?”
“You’ve probably heard of him.” He paused for dramatic effect then said, “Ho Chen.”
Ho Chen. Where had he heard that name before? Zheng searched the recesses of his mind but was unable to bring anything to the surface.
Seeing his confusion, Kong smiled. “You may know him better by his other name, Jùrén.”
Zheng’s pulse quickened. The Giant. So, all the whispers were true. He did exist. The man, if he could even be called that, was said to stand seven-and-a-half feet tall with arms the size of tree trunks. Some believed he was an anomaly of nature, while others believed he was the product of genetic manipulation. Whatever his origin, he was said to be the most powerful man on earth. Those who believed he’d been cooked up in a lab said that he was likely a forerunner to soldiers of the future, massive men who could move as quickly as a leopard. One officer had even told Zheng that Ho could lift the end of a car as easily as others could lift a coffee table.
“I guess he wasn’t just a rumor after all,” Zheng finally said.
Kong smiled. “I can assure you that Jùrén is quite real, Zheng. In fact, you’re going to meet him tomorrow morning.”
CHAPTER TEN
Amanda Higgs let out a long sigh as the cab driver used his nicotine-stained fingers to count out her change for the third time. Could this get any more frustrating? The last twenty-four hours had been a nightmare, and the driver’s cigarette smoking and incessant chatter during the ride over had been the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back.
The two-stop journey from Austin to Manaus had been fraught with problems. The first round of trouble came in Houston, when the airline published the wrong terminal for her connecting flight. Then in Miami there was the unexplained hour-long wait on the tarmac. And if that weren’t enough, her five-hour flight to Brazil provided the clincher: she spent the entire flight next to a man whose snores could drown out a foghorn.
Then the hotel in Manaus proved to be only slightly better. It was clean and possessed a friendly staff, but a group of Dutch ecotourists in the suite next to hers had drunk and partied until the wee hours of the morning.
The driver gave a little grunt of satisfaction, drawing Amanda out of her thoughts. After counting for the third time, he’d finally been able to get the money right. He handed her the stack of bills with a meaty paw and said, “It has been pleasure. I always like to practice English! Thank you!”
“No, thank you,” Amanda said, handing a few of the bills back as a tip. She couldn’t help but like the man. Yes, his cab had been filled with smoke. And yes, he’d talked non-stop since she’d entered the car. But he seemed kind and had managed to get her where she was going.