Hu appeared dazed. “I’ve never considered it in such terms…”
“History teaches us that armies don’t win wars with soldiers and weapons,” Chen said. “It’s the feeding of those armies. The creation of those weapons. Do you think the global outsourcing of manufacturing to China was an accident?”
“You’re saying you played a part in that?”
“Myself,” Chen admitted, “and others. The fall of the Soviet Empire should have come as a warning sign. Now we partner with them. Proxy wars are fought on multiple continents. Terrorism is a simple way of redirecting the world’s attention while China takes its rightful place.”
Hu looked ill. “The chairman—”
“The economic crisis will make the chairman look weak. For all his supposed power, he depends on the military and economic leaders in China. He must shore up their support. In the meantime, companies around the world under control of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will carefully manipulate the stock market. When the markets rebound, China will find itself in a better position.”
“What about the Americans?” Hu asked. “How long will it take to recover? What if they suspect we helped Huang Lei?”
Chen ignored the question. “Huang Lei has more planned for the Americans. Something dangerous.”
“Something worse? Will he tell the Americans of the Lotus Blossom?”
“I’m afraid it’s much worse than that.”
“We must do something!”
“I am,” Chen said. “As we speak, information is being delivered to the OTM. The Americans have a phrase, I believe. Two birds with one stone?”
Hu wiped at the sweat on his brow. “This is unbelievable.”
“If you desire real power, you must learn to play the game. I will teach you.”
“Why me?” Hu asked. “I’m no fool. You dislike me.”
“I have no children,” Chen said with a shrug. “I will be missed by no one. I will teach you to play the game, and you will carry on my work. Open your eyes, my young friend, to a world full of splendor. If you are brave enough to grasp it. If you truly desire it. Do you?”
A range of emotions played across Hu’s face, until he finally said, “Yes.”
Chen sipped the last of his tea. “Excellent.”
Chapter Eighteen
Barbara Novak leaned back in her chair and regarded the man in the cheap suit with contempt. “Tell the D/CIA that we are already opening the investigation.”
Bill Bernedetto shook his head, but his expression never changed. “I’m not here in an official capacity, senator. The D/CIA wants you to know this is a bad idea.”
Novak glanced through the glass doors to the front of her office. Even though it was the dead of night, her staff was working diligently to prepare press releases. “Who leaked the investigation? Was it one of them?”
Bernedetto frowned. “The director didn’t say. He just sent me to deliver the message.”
“It was probably Congressman Ford. He’s just the kind of man to betray us.”
“You’re heading down a dangerous path, Senator.”
She leaned forward in her chair and turned her glare, the glare that intimidated weaker men and terrified corporate lobbyists, on the D/CIA’s flunky. “We wouldn’t be doing our duty if we let the president do whatever he pleases. There must be consequences.”
“It’s an unsubstantiated leak,” Bernedetto said. “It could be a Russian disinformation campaign. Hell, it could be a terrorist attack. By releasing half-truths and misinformation, they hurt us worse than any bombing or shooting.”
“Bullshit,” Novak said loud enough that the staffers outside turned to stare through the double glass doors.
“Just… think about it,” Benedetto said. “Nothing has been confirmed. If you go through with your investigation—”
“What do you expect me to do?” Novak demanded. “The Constitution has checks and balances for a reason. My God, you should be jumping on the bandwagon!”
Benedetto slumped back in his chair. “I’ve known you for almost twenty years. You’re a good person. An idealist. If this OTM group exists, they’ve kept us safe—”
“Safety without freedom is a fool’s paradise,” Novak said. “They’re operating out of Area 51. How can that happen without the military being complicit, Bill? Don’t you see? Everyone who should have stopped this just closed their eyes. They didn’t ask the hard questions.”
“Just… let it slide,” Benedetto said. “After the initial hubbub dies down, issue a statement. Maybe there’s a nugget of truth to the OTM. Maybe the group does exist, but they’re just analysts. They don’t operate from Area 51. They don’t… assassinate people.”
“Too late,” Novak said. “This has to happen. It’s not political. I took an oath to defend the Constitution. I know people see me as a hyperpartisan hack. People have been underestimating me my entire life. You think I’m going to back down now? The Gang of Eight is going public.”
Benedetto’s face hardened, and when he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. “You think that protects you? Say the OTM has done all those terrible things. You really think a handful of senators can stop that? You really think the president will let that happen?” Benedetto stood and turned to leave, but before his hand touched the doorknob, he spun back to her. “Listen to me, Barbara. Be careful. Please.”
“I will. Nothing can stop us now.”
There was a long pause and Benedetto’s jaw opened and closed. “I’m praying for you, Barbara. Be safe.”
The Gulfstream was nearing Area 51 when Karen looked up from her inspection of Lila Cavanaugh’s laptop and declared, “There’s nothing here.”
Lila bolted upright in her seat. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
The report of the latest data disclosure was sending ripples through the intelligence community, and the Gang of Eight was especially troubling to Eric. He frowned, tossed his tablet on the table, and said to Karen, “There’s got to be something. Look again.”
“I’ve looked twice,” Karen said, her voice rising in frustration. “There’s… nothing.”
Nancy stood and walked around the table, taking a seat next to Karen. “You did your best. That’s all anyone could do.”
Karen closed the laptop and gave Nancy a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
Eric blinked at Nancy’s uncharacteristic display of support. He almost missed Alexandra’s careful inspection of her daughter, and he wondered what the former spy was thinking.
Alexandra was… different. She watched everything around her with interest, but the longer he was around her, the more he thought she was cataloging those around her — their strengths and weaknesses — for further use.
She’s sharp. Still at the top of her game.
He leaned close to her and said, “It’s time we spoke.”
Alexandra regarded him calmly. “About where I’ve been? I’ll tell you everything—”
“We’ll get to that, eventually. No, I’m talking about why the Russians wanted you so badly. It wasn’t just that you betrayed them. Vasilii Melamid said you knew something that made you so dangerous that they couldn’t allow you to live.”
Nancy turned to her mother, and the silence lingered between them. Nancy turned to him and raised an eyebrow, but he shook his head.