“No. She’s just a local girl of questionable morals who happens to work here.”
Victoria glanced at Plug.
“She puts out, boss.”
“Thank you, Plug. I understand.”
The chief switched exercises to sit-ups. The group sat in the dirt and began counting.
“One!”
“One!” the group replied.
“Two!”
“Two!”
Plug continued whispering to Victoria. “So Skanky Laundry Girl works nights. Apparently, her parents frown on the relationship. So Fat Venezuelan Soldier Guy and Skanky Laundry Girl are looking for somewhere to… you know…”
“Plug, what does this have to do with…”
“You know the mess hall lady? The cute pregnant woman? She’s the only woman here with the research team. The Chinese have got her husband and his researchers working around the clock, so she’s got her barracks building all to herself.”
“And…”
“I happen to communicate with both women, when I’m in the mess hall. My Spanish is really coming in handy. My high school teacher would be proud. Anyway, I worked something out with them. Well, technically I just overheard them talking. I made my deal with the cute pregnant woman, and then let her work out a deal privately with the skanky laundry girl.”
“So how’s it going to work?”
Plug said, “I’ll give her the message and instructions. While the two lovebirds are in her bedroom, the pregnant lady will go to his jeep. She’ll broadcast on guard frequency. I gave her a sixty-second Morse code transmission to make. The one we agreed on.”
“Prisoner names?”
“Yes. A few names and the total count. If the SIGINT guys are good, they’ll be able to triangulate our broadcast.”
“If they hear it…”
Plug said, “After pregnant lady finishes her broadcast, she’s to shut down the equipment, burn the Morse code note, and sit outside her barracks until the love birds finish.”
“What if she’s spotted during the transmission?”
“She’s willing to take the risk. Chinese SIGINT will be slow to catch on, if they even do.”
“We don’t really know that.”
“Boss, this is the best way.”
“Fine, just make sure you guys take precautions. And be sure that she’s not telling anyone else what she’s really up to.”
“Wilco. The Venezuelan soldier guy’s going to park his jeep behind her barracks, where it won’t be easy to see. He doesn’t want anyone knowing he’s there either.”
“How can you trust them?”
“Well, the only one who knows what’s going on is the pregnant mess hall girl. She and I have an understanding.”
“An understanding? Plug, tell me you didn’t…”
“What? No. Skipper, come on. I mean, my schedule doesn’t allow it for one thing. We’re locked up most of the day. Besides, I have my chivalry to uphold. She’s obviously in love with her husband, the head scientist.”
“Her husband is the head scientist?”
Plug looked at her like she was living on another planet. “Yeah, you know. She has been trying to convince all of us that he’s super-valuable to the American military or something. How have you not heard about this yet? Jeez. Our tap code telephone game is failing.”
Victoria said, “Plug, can you find out what her husband is working on over in that building?”
“Maybe, why?”
“I might want to change the Morse code transmission.”
22
Lena walked down the hallway toward her father’s office. Armed guards stood at attention on either side of the entrance. Seeing Lena, one of them held open the door as she passed into the waiting area. Inside, multiple secretaries and staff officers hustled every which way, making phone calls or speaking urgently.
The waiting area was crowded with military personnel, each nervously awaiting his meeting slot. Doors opened and closed in the outer offices. The comings and goings of round-the-clock appointments with the senior staff. Or, if the patrons were very important, they might just have an audience with General Chen himself, the highest ranking general in all of Asia.
“Hello, daughter.”
General Chen stood in his inner office doorway. Lena noticed that everyone in the waiting area was standing at attention in silence, respect and fear reflected in their eyes. Her father was becoming more powerful. She must remember that.
“Good morning, General.” She stood at attention as she greeted him, fingers straight, in the fashion of the Chinese military.
“Come,” he called, and turned to enter his private office.
She nodded and followed, closing the door behind them.
“It is so good to see you.” General Chen gave a rare smile.
Lena remained stone-faced. His motives were transparent to her. Any affection he displayed for her now was a charade. She had become important to him, maybe for the first time in her life.
But the moment that changed, his false affections would end. Men like her father didn’t care about anything, even their only child. General Chen was consumed with self-aggrandizement and the need to amass power. In her experience as an intelligence operative, such men made excellent targets.
“Chairman Cheng is pleased with your progress with the Russians.”
“I serve China, General.”
“The Russian president has asked to meet. He wants to discuss terms.”
Lena raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
General Chen continued. “We must send a representative. I am delegating that task to you.”
Lena’s mind raced. Her father watched her reaction.
“The chairman wants me to go?”
“I said I am delegating the task to you.”
Jinshan would have given her this information in person. He must have given this assignment to her father.
“As you command, General. Will anyone be accompanying me?”
“You are not a child anymore, Li. You should not require an escort.” He shuffled papers on his desk, looking away from her piercing eyes. “And I am not a servant, sent to do the bidding of a dying man. And I haven’t the time to negotiate with that Russian egomaniac.”
The last part was quickly muttered, but it explained everything. This was classic behavior for her father. He didn’t like being told what to do. Jinshan’s short time remaining was no longer sufficient to command his fear, and fear was her father’s only true motivation. Right now, he feared the Russian president defeating him in a diplomatic negotiation.
General Chen snapped, “You must make sure we get the Russians to share the weapons research I have requested.”
Lena said, “I understand, General. Chairman Jinshan has military objectives he wants the Russians to assist us with. Given the importance of the meeting, I request some time with your senior staff to go over our military details so that I may better serve.”
General Chen waved his hand. “Yes, yes. Of course.”
Lena said, “Then I shall be going…”
“Wait. There is another matter we must discuss. Dong.”
Lena’s heart skipped a beat. Did her father already know what she had seen?
“Well?” he asked. “What have you found out?”
Lena felt her father studying her face, gauging her loyalty. She knew that one day soon, Jinshan would die and she would be forced to choose a side. General Chen or Minister Dong. The two factions of power beneath Jinshan were both licking their lips, waiting for his death so they could transform Secretary Ma into their figurehead puppet.
Her father wanted Lena to remain in both blocs. He wished to use her as his spy, and her actions over these next few weeks would decide her fate. The image of her child once again flashed into her mind’s eye. A child she had left behind in a land that China could soon invade.