Through it all, Hua was silent. He stared out at the children in the courtyard. There was nothing to indicate whether or not he had even been listening to Bogner. It was Le Win Fo who spoke up and asked the questions in impeccable English. "I find it curious, Captain, that you did not mention the strange aircraft that has flown on several occasions from the Danjia installation. Is there a reason?"
Bogner looked at Shu Li and smiled. "Bingo." Then he looked back at Le Win Fo. "Describe it."
Le thought for a moment. "It is curious in shape, constructed with geometric angles unlike anything I have ever seen before. Perhaps even more curious is the color: dull black like the eyes of a shark."
Bogner decided to explain further. "Our intelligence sources tell us that Air Colonel General Viktor Isotov has formed an alliance with Han Ki Po. Supposedly this alliance was formed because Isotov, a very powerful figure in Russia, is Aprihinen's adversaryand Han Ki Po has likewise voiced his opposition to the leaders in Beijing. Both men want the Party back in control in their respective countries."
"I am even more curious, Captain," Le Win Fo said, "to know why you think a humble and aging priest and his impoverished nephew can help when we are barely able to feed our children. As you can see, we are dependent upon the mercy of the Danjia leadership. Would you ask us to risk that?"
Hua laid down his pipe and folded his hands in front of him. There was a weariness in his voice that for Bogner defied description.
"Did you see the children playing in the courtyard?" Hua asked. "How many of them were there? Did they number twenty? Or thirty? Or even more? You see, Captain Bogner, I do not see well and I have lost count. I can no longer call each of them by name. Still, this is their home and I am their father. I dare not jeopardize that, even for the American money that has often sustained us."
Le Win Fo stood up and motioned for Bogner to follow him. The two men walked out into the midmorning sun, across the hardpan surface to a small rise that afforded a view of the distant hills. "I sense an urgency on your part, Captain. But you must understand, men the age of my uncle and me are conspirators in the planning phase only. There is little we can actually do to help you accomplish whatever it is you hope to accomplish."
Bogner studied him. "I need to get into Danjia."
"For what purpose?" Le asked.
"To get Schubatis out of there."
"But you have already admitted that you do not know for certain where he is. On Danjia alone there are numerous places he could be."
"That's why we contacted your uncle. We thought he could find out where Schubatis is being detained."
"Locating him will be the easy part, Captain Bogner. Getting Dr. Schubatis out of Danjia will be difficult… much more difficult."
Le Win Fo turned, went back down the hill, and again crossed the playground area toward a small cluster of derelict buildings. The largest, a Quonset hut with a partially collapsed corrugated tin roof and sadly in need of repair, appeared to be abandoned. It was surrounded by a thick growth of kimho and shag saplings. It looked to Bogner as though it hadn't been used in years. Le cleared away the broom brush and opened the heavy doors. When he did, Bogner couldn't believe his eyes. Inside was a small helicopter.
"Do you recognize it?" Le asked.
Bogner nodded. "A McDonnell-Douglas Defenderwith the Hughes thirty-millimeter chain gun removed. What are you doing with it?"
Hua's nephew laughed. "We call her Ki Ling after Father Hua's maternal grandmother. She is the one who influenced Father to join the priesthood. Some of our friends in Washington arranged for it to be sent inin pieces, of coursefrom South Korea after the war."
Bogner looked at the layers of dust, dirt, and bird droppings covering the tiny craft. The landing gear consisted of four crudely fashioned steel struts and two eight-foot-long neoprene and canvas pontoons. It had been painted a muddy black color and stripped of all insignias. "It flies?" he finally asked. He was half afraid Le Win Fo would tell him yesand half afraid he would tell him no.
Le began reciting Ki Ling's pedigree. "It has a 420-horsepower Allison turboshaft, can cruise at 125 to 130 miles per hour, and has a range of 350 miles or soenough to carry three or four Danjia refugees to political asylum in the Anxis, a small group of islands out in the Gulf."
Bogner walked around the tiny helicopter, estimating its overall length. "Twenty-five feet?" he guessed.
Le Win Fo nodded. "The main rotor is slightly over twenty-six feet."
"Who flies it?"
Le smiled. "There is an old Chinese saying, Captain Bogner. 'A man of many talents is longlived.' I enjoy what I do here; therefore, I try not to be one-dimensional."
"How long would it take you to get her up?"
"A matter of minutes, Captain."
"Surely you're not suggesting this as a way to get on the base? That rotor makes a helluva lot of noise."
"Why not, Captain? It has worked before. It is simply a matter of timing. When Quan's helicopters go out on night patrol over the reservoir, one more helicopter draws very little attention."
"Sounds risky."
"Have you not heard that life is a risk, Captain?" Le asked with a smile.
With that, he closed the large rusted door to the makeshift hangar and led Bogner to a small whitewashed structure no larger than ten by fourteen. Two of the children from the orphanage followed him. Le went in while Bogner waited, and emerged moments later wearing a black cassock, sandals, and carrying a Bible.
"For a long time there was a great deal of friction between the Vatican and the leaders of the PRC Captain Bogner. But about fifteen years ago that all started to change. The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association was formed. We do not boast of the numbers of Buddhists or Daoists on Hainan, but despite our meager numbers, we have become a force to be reckoned with."
The children had obviously seen Le Win Fo dressed in the garb of the priest before. They danced around him and referred to him as Father Le.
"What I'm saying, Captain Bogner, is I believe I can find out where your Dr. Schubatis is being detained. Now, what else is it you need?"
"While you're in there, look around. See if you can figure out how to get a strange-looking aircraft out of there," Bogner said, laughing.
Colonel Quan, back in his office following the visit by Han Ki Po's cortege, sat across the desk from the now-uniformed Tang Ro Ji. "You have done well," he advised him.
Tang acknowledged his colonel's brief commendation and lifted his cup of tea in salutation. "It was not without its price. I lost two men."
Quan did not inquire as to their identity.
"And how is the Russian?" Tang asked.
Quan sighed. "He is well, but so far he has refused to cooperate."
Tang settled back in his chair. Quan had requested the audience; now he had to wait until the Colonel proceeded. While he waited, he lit a cigarette and studied the portraits of the Communist leaders behind Quan's desk.
Finally, Quan began. He exhibited a certain amount of hesitancywith long pauses between each sentence. To Tang Ro Ji it was an indication that his leader had not yet worked through all of the details.
"I believe," he said, "we are now ready to proceed with the next phase of my plan, my young comrade. We have the demonstration of Air General Isotov's support, and now we have the plane. Already our engineers are becoming familiar with its construction. I see no need for further delay."
"The training of our pilots is proceeding?" Tang Ro Ji inquired.
"It is," Quan lied, "and now we must turn our attention to Han Ki Po. Less than an hour ago, his plane left Danjia so that he could return to the compound in Huangliu."