As a spot under her ribs began to knife with pain, she wondered how long a barracuda could survive in such dangerous waters. She doubted the personal loyalty of her subordinate chiefs in East Lightning, knowing that many of them yearned to take her position, as she had moved up in rank against the former Police Minister. Certainly, the Chairman secretly communicated with most of them. No. She must continue to step delicately, wary of traps and hidden plots against her.
Implicit obedience to the most dangerous beast—Chairman Hong—had extended her life and won this position. To change tack at this point would verge on madness. Yet who had the greater power now: Hong or Army Marshal Chao Pin? The Chairman appeared to hold the upper hand in most matters, although only slightly. Marshal Chao Pin ran the North American War as if it was his kingdom, and in America, at this point in history, China would stand or fall as the premier world power according to the military outcome.
Catching Shun Li by surprise, the Lion Guardsmen halted in unison. How had they signaled each other without her noticing? Her heart rate quickened. Such a lack of awareness on her part was disturbing.
You must use your eyes and ears, Shun Li. You must observe correctly and make the right correlations or you will surely die.
The highest-ranked guard knocked on an iron door. A blue light flashed above it. From behind, strong hands gripped Shun Li’s wrists. Were they going to rape her?
Stay calm, Shun Li. Whatever happens—
The first guard opened the door. She tensed. They marched within, the hands on her wrists tightening their hold.
Darkness filled the chamber. Fear swirled within Shun Li. Will the Chairman watch? How have I wronged him? I don’t understand.
She did, though. Hong was cunning and unbalanced. To call him insane would be inaccurate. He moved to his own logic, and it had won him the highest post in the world. Yet his rationality was unique to him, and had little to do with normality.
With a whomp of noise, bright lights snapped on overhead, flooding the room brighter than the noon sun. Shun Li squinted. She feared to close her eyes.
A soft chuckle let her know the Chairman indeed watched.
How can he see in this brightness?
“I will tell you a truth, Shun Li,” Hong said. “If you would maintain power, it is wise to always confound others. For instance, when deep underground where the moles dig, you must blind your enemies with light.”
Does he truly consider me an enemy? Panic threatened. She sought for calm, thinking fast. To plead for mercy would only encourage him. No, she must—ah, of course.
“I am here to serve you, China,” she said.
“Oh, I like that. You are, of course, referring to me as China.”
“Yes, Leader,” she said. “You are the heart, the very soul of our nation.”
“Hmm, you are frightened, I see. You attempt to win your way to the surface through flattery.”
The guard holding her wrists used his right thumb to rub her skin. Terror squeezed her heart and turned her mouth dry.
She wanted to banter, to show Hong that she had nothing to fear because she had a clean conscience. Instead, the words blurted out of her, “Have I ever lied to you before, Leader?”
“No,” Hong said in a silky voice. “But you are not here to question me, Shun Li. I am here to question you.”
While squinting and tilting her head just so, she was able to make out someone behind a huge desk. That must be Hong. The man wore a black suit and dark sunglasses, why he could see, no doubt. He dyed his hair black and had pale skin as if he never went outside under the sun. In most regards, he was average, although she knew he had a pot belly from eating too many ice cream cones, about ten a day.
“Stand at attention when you address your nation,” he said.
She did, even though the guardsman continued to hold her hands behind her back.
“I find it instructive addressing someone in this manner,” Hong told her. “It helps me to assess the truth about them. Sometimes, pain reveals even more. Should I order my men to inflict pain against you?”
Her throat constricted, and she found breathing difficult. Yet she managed to say in a relatively normal voice, “If China orders it, I shall happily endure it.”
“Hmm, I would like to believe you. I need someone on the Ruling Committee I can trust.”
“Let me be the one, Leader.”
“Yes, you played your part a year ago. I rewarded you well for it, did I not?”
“You rewarded me more than I deserved.”
“I do not believe that. You are a good Police Minister. I much prefer that to an excellent one. If you were a better policewoman, I would let my men tear you to pieces like bears. You are cunning and hardworking. Fortunately, you are not too devious or overly ambitious. Even better, you know how to fear the right man: me.”
Shun Li decided to take a risk. “I wish to state, Leader, that I disagree with you in one particular.”
“Yes?” he asked in a dangerous tone, making the word almost impossible to hear. Hong hated disagreements.
“I am excellent in one area,” she said. “I can—” she almost said “judge.” As in, she could judge character. Yet that would be the wrong way to say such a thing to him. Who could judge Chairman Hong? Even the implication could be deadly. “Leader,” she said, “I am able to correctly sense those who have the greatest abilities.”
“Can you indeed?” he asked.
“Yes, Leader, I most certainly can.”
“Hmm, I wonder if that’s true. Your words sound like sycophancy to me, boasting to save your skin. I must give you a test and see how well these excellent senses really are.”
The barely visible man behind the desk adjusted something. The harsh lights dimmed several degrees.
Shun Li could finally make him out. Hong had blotches on his face, making him seem unhealthy.
“Look at my guardsmen. Tell me which one I trust the most.”
Shun Li glanced from man to man. There were small variations among them, slight differences in features and in their physiques. They were all bulky and hard-eyed. Twisting around, she glanced up into the face of the guard holding her wrists. While peering into his orbs, she shuddered. Evil craziness stirred there.
“Leader, I have found him. The guard holding my wrists is your chosen instrument.”
Hong drummed his fingers on the desk, and he gave the barest of nods. “What point did you wish to make then concerning your excellence?”
“I sense your greatness, Leader. You cause China to shine like the sun. Your decisions will guide us through the difficult days ahead. It is the reason I follow you without hesitation.”
“I see. That is an interesting point. Of course, I knew this about you. I was not aware that you knew it about yourself.”
Shun Li didn’t know how to respond to that, so she remained silent.
“Release her,” Hong said.
The guard’s iron grip relented, and the man moved away from her to stand against the far wall. The others did similarly.
“Sit,” Hong told her.
There was a single chair low to the ground. Shun Li took it, feeling like a child sitting in the principal’s office. This bordered on the ridiculous. How could Chairman Hong indulge in such antics and rule the greatest nation on Earth? Part of the answer was his keen political shrewdness and deadliest of intrigues.
Hong sat back in his chair, regarding her. “Do you recall the last meeting?”
She nodded. He referred to the most recent meeting of the Ruling Committee. It had been bitter. Ever since the siege of Denver in the winter of 2039-2040, Hong had lost military control of the invasion. His dictatorial power had slipped as a military-run clique headed by Marshal Chao Pin gained ascendancy. In her opinion, Chao Pin had made a deadly mistake in letting Hong live. Maybe the marshal didn’t feel politically powerful enough to eliminate Hong or the man thought he needed Hong as a figurehead to unite the nation during a time of world war. The latest meeting concerning the pullback in Oklahoma had forced Chao Pin to put his reputation on the table for every minister to see. If the Americans achieved anything better than a tactical success there, Chao Pin’s days might well be numbered.