When the Russian was seated, Quan lit a cigarette, exhaled, and studied the smoke as it drifted about the room. Then he leaned back. "You know why you are here, do you not, Comrade Schubatis?"
"I have not been told, but I think it is quite apparent, Colonel. You have the Su-39and now you think you need me."
Quan waited. The smile was forced and empty, almost a mocking gesture.
Schubatis tried to give his voice authority. "Even your, how shall I say it, considerable accommodations cannot muffle the distinctive sounds of the engines on an airplane that I, in large part, built with my own hands, Colonel."
"You have indeed fathered a marvelous instrument of war, Comrade. We applaud you."
For the first time, Schubatis felt as though he had the strength to rebuke the officer. "Colonel, I am being held here against my will. Why?"
Quan tented his fingers and looked up, avoiding the Russian's eyes. "Many years ago, when I visited one of the Sukhoi factories, I read something that you had written. As I recall, you said that your designs, your concepts, your innovations were like children… that they required ongoing nourishment. Do you recall?"
"I do."
"Then perhaps you will understand when I tell you that our adopted children need nourishment as well. You see, Dr. Schubatis, our children are ideologies, and unlike those of Kong Ho and your President Aprihinen, they cannot sustain themselves with mere power. Today, despite our considerable numbers, it will take more than the sheer will of the people. It also requires technology."
"I hear words coming out of both sides of your mouth, Colonel."
Quan stood up and walked around his desk to the far side of the office before turning back to confront the Russian. "Through the centuries, Comrade, my country has chosen to turn its back on the power alliances of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. But the world grows more complicated and alliances shift. Dangers and threats are evident now that were, at one time, of little concern to us. As we learn of such weapons as the American YF-22 and YF-23, and now your Su-39, our once-great distance from opposing ideologies is no longer reassuring to us. The American Stealth, the Russian Covert, and Western Europe's Eurofighter and Rafale place others far ahead of us."
Quan discarded the remains of one cigarette and lit another.
"This, then, is our quandary. We are vulnerable now. To gain parity, we must design, develop, build, and employ state-of-the-art weapons such as our adversaries possess. That takes time… and resourcesresources we do not now possess. So what is our alternative? Perhaps less honorable than developing the technology, but far more expedient, is the method we have chosen, to use existing technologyand that Comrade Schubatis, is where you come in. Now we have the Su-39, and as insurance, we have the man who conceived of this marvel of military technology." When Quan paused, he again manufactured his ingratiating smile.
"But," Schubatis declared, "you do not now have, nor will you have, the cooperation of the man who designed the Covert. Clearly we have differing ideologies."
For a moment, Quan was silent. Then he said, "I would advise you to reconsider, Comrade."
Schubatis's answer was emphatic. "I am here against my will, Colonel. I have no intention of helping you overthrow your government. Kong Ho is the rightful head of government in the People's Republic."
"That is your final answer?"
"It is."
Quan's pinched face was unable to conceal his anger. He returned to his desk and picked up the telephone. He shouted the word "guards," sat down, and waited. When the doors opened, two guards appeared, followed by a young officer. Quan began reciting orders.
"It would appear that our esteemed colleague, Dr. Schubatis, has decided not to cooperate, Lieutenant Yew. Perhaps a change of scenery will alter his somewhat distorted perspective. Put him in the east cell block and demonstrate for our comrade why it is that cooperation would be a more prudent course of action in his case."
Zhun Be checked his watch and waited until he saw Shu Li's Renault pull out of the alley and into the sparse, late-night Haikou traffic before following. The Jinyo Café; where he had instructed the Russians to wait for his report, was less than two blocks away.
When he arrived, he saw the black Subaru parked across the street from the club's entrance. The Russians, he decided, were either careless or blatantly stupid. The car could easily have been spotted by Shu Li or the Jade representative, Cormea, when they left. He made a mental note to advise them against such arrogant behaviorthis was not Moscow or Kiev or even Novgorod, and their GRU status meant nothing on the island of Hainan.
Inside, he ordered a beer and spotted the two men sitting in a booth at the rear of the café;. He elbowed his way across the crowded dance floor and smiled. "You did not trust me, Comrades?"
Kusava, the one with the swollen face and cuts, grunted. "There will be another time."
Andrei Provnosky, whom Zhun Be regarded as the elder in both seniority and rank, and who was the one with whom he had done most of his negotiating, motioned for Zhun to sit down. "He is American, right?"
"On the contrary," Zhun said, "Monsieur Cormea was exactly as my colleague Shu Li Wan represented him." Then he laid the card Bogner had given him on the table and read it for them. "'Marcel Cormea, Representative.'" Then he pointed to the words "Jade, Ltd."
Kusava grunted and spat a mouthful of blood into his napkin.
"And this Cormea, why is he in Haikou?" Provnosky asked.
Zhun Be laughed. "Because he has business here."
Kusava frowned. "What kind of business?"
The fact that the Russian had not heard of Jade did not surprise Zhun. From the outset it had been apparent that both of the men had been ill-prepared for their mission on Hainan namely, monitoring the activities of the Han Ki Po forces on Danjia.
"Their business is that of selling weapons," Zhun Be informed them, "and they have presented me with a representative inventory to show to my associates at Danjia."
"For what purpose?" Kusava demanded.
"It seems that my associates at Jade have recently come into possession of a number of aircraft…"
"French aircraft?" Provnosky prodded.
Zhun was still savoring the sound of "my associates" and linking himself with the Canadian arms cartel. "Tomorrow," he said, "I will visit with some of my contacts at Danjia and make discreet inquiries."
"At the same time you will be seeking information for us?" Provnosky asked. "Correct?"
Zhun ignored the Russian a second time, and Provnosky bent forward until his large frame was leaning halfway across the table. His eyes were hard.
"Do not play us for fools, little man. Play your mercenary games. Comrade Kusava and I are interested not in what you attempt to sell Han Ki Po and Colonel Quan. We are interested in what they actually buy."
Zhun leaned back in his chair to avoid the Russian's glare. He lit another cigarette and finished his beer. Then he looked at Provnosky.
"Do you not find it curious that there is suddenly a great deal of outside interest in Danjia?"
Neither Kusava nor Provnosky knew how to answer.
Zhun decided to elaborate. "You are here. Earlier today, Shu Li Wan was making inquiries for the Americans about the Russian aircraft that suddenly arrived at Danjia. And now the Canadians appear on the scene. I find that curious. Perhaps I should expand my business… either that or take bids for my services."
Provnosky reached into his pocket and passed an envelope across the table. "An oversight," he apologized.
Zhun Be knew the risks in overplaying his hand. The Russians were already on the hook. At the moment, the Canadians were little more than a possibility. If he could open the door for Cormea, he was certain that Cormea would express his gratitude with a "finder's fee," as he chose to think of it. On the other hand, the Russians were a steady source of income. He did not wish to jeopardize his position. He supplied them with informationand they forwarded that information back to their superiors in Moscow. It was the way the system worked.