“Could it be that the Shang is on a recon mission for the People’s Liberation Army’s 1st Amphibious Mech division, and 164th Marines?”
It was clear that they’d not been spoken to by a female Lieutenant like this before. Each wore an expression like a Prom Queen playing the pink oboe. She placed her fists on the table and looked at each man in turn.
“Let’s take a look at some intel I have. Some of it is via satellite, some I can’t tell you.”
A TAR BLACK DARKNESS lay over the strait. Nikki sat in the rear of the Blackhawk, her eyes closed in rest, not sleep.
A light flashed twice from the darkness below, the pilot indicated the position to his observer who flashed a signal back. The Blackhawk descended toward the flash, there it was again. He moved the aircraft towards its rendezvous.
The crewman prodded Nikki and helped her into the hoist sling. He slid open the side door, the prop downwash and noise filled the cabin. She was lowered over the side and dangled down. Within thirty seconds a submarine’s sail appeared and she was helped down by two crewmen. They took off the sling and it was pulled away. The helicopter pulled up and away into the dark sky. Nikki climbed down the sail’s steps to the main companionway.
“What’s on in the galley?” She asked the waiting crewman.
“Midrats sir.” Nikki smiled.
“I’m on it, Midrats and then hit the bunk, use up some zzees.”
MAY SAT WITH A BOWL of noodles in the expansive front window of the Jade Rabbit café.
There was a view over the river in the Sheshang district of the huge metropolis of Shanghai. The skyline was a forest of glass office towers.
It had been a long journey, she’d showed her MSS pass to the guard at the Lingshui river Naval base. He hadn’t even examined it. She put on plenty of hard faced authority and dominated him. She’d said she was there to check out base security and hit him hard with questions about his routine and what he’d done so far that night. When she’d finished, he was glad to see the back of the bossy Beijing bitch.
It was then a ferry crossing of the Qiongzhou strait to the mainland, a train ride to the large growing city of Guangzhou. Then a China Southern flight to Shanghai. She’d made her way here as she been told to. May looked about the place, there were a few men from some lawyer’s office by the topics they discussed. A couple of middle-aged women chattering away. A few others, nobody stood out. May scooped in the noodles, she was hungry, and the food was good. She was thinking about getting seconds when a young woman with a stroller looked to her.
“Could you help me with the door, it’s a bit heavy and hard to handle?”
“Yes.” She stood and opened the door for the girl, she stepped outside so the girl could lift the stroller over the small step.
“Thanks for that. It’s hard work with a little one.”
“I don’t mind, you’re ok.” The girl looked up at the scudding clouds.
“Weather’s looking up at last.”
May looked to the sky. “Is it? I’ve been away for a while.”
The girl smiled. “Yes, it’s looking better. The wind blows change, it’s time, a balmy change from the East.” May tried to hide her shock, that was the pass phrase.
“Yes May,” the girl nodded, “let’s go for a walk.”
The girl reached down into the stroller’s carry rack and took out two paper smog masks.
“Here wear it. It’s not bad today, but It’ll hide your face.” The two set off and made several turns. They came to a café, The Golden Garden, and May held the door. Men and a few women sat at tables with cups of tea, most were playing the game of Go. The girl walked to the rear of the café and pushed the stroller into a back room. The door hung in drapes.
Sat at two tables were an old man with a long drooping moustache, a middle aged woman and three men in their thirties. One wore a black eye patch over his left eye. They looked at her as if she was from another world.
One of the younger men leaned towards her and scratched his chin. “Well, who are you?”
She knew they’d expect the pass phrase.
“I bring a change, from the sea to the East. I’m with the Tiger.” The man smiled and reached out to shake her hand.
“Welcome to Shanghai. You’ll know me as Hue.”
“I’m May,” she gave him a faint smile.
The younger man sat back and looked at her with a careful stare.
“May, we know who you work for, we consider the NSB an ally. Could you tell us in your own words what you’re here for?”
She glanced at the five of them, the three young men, the old man and the girl. The child was impassive in its stroller.
“I’m to help you in any way I can. My understanding is that you have a mission for an NSB operative and I’ve been selected to help. Anything I see that I think the NSB could be of assistance with, I’m to note and recommend to my superiors.”
“We do have a mission for you,” he looked at her intensely, “it will be difficult.” May nodded. “That’s not much of a surprise.”
“Your mission needs to be carried out tomorrow. May, what we need to do is…”
He described the mission to her. She knew it would be difficult and unpleasant. Tomorrow too, she knew she was deep in it alright.
She looked down and gathered her thoughts, it wasn’t exactly unexpected. But tomorrow? She was being thrown into the deep end, May was NSB and they’re who you call when you’re in the shit. This was her job, the job she’d been trained for, May knew she worked for her nation. If the nation wanted it done then she’d have to do it, no ifs no buts no choice. It was all down to her, the responsibility was hers and hers alone. She then looked at him with a determined stare.
“I’ll do it.”
“You don’t need to actually do it, the act I mean, but you must be there,” Hue replied.
“I said I’ll do it and that’s it” The young man smirked.
“Then this is what we’ll do.”
Chapter 5
A gentle poke in the ribs, she slept on. Another poke. “Ohh, go away.” A softness against her lips. Nikki opened her eyes.
“Morning, Nik.” It was him, it was Nathan.
“Hi.”
“The cabin’s clear so I came to wake you myself.” He smiled. “It’s watch time, get your breakfast and I’ll see you in the CR.”
“Thanks, you do a nice wake up, morning sir,” a playful smile danced over her lips. He glanced back at her and grinned.
SHE WALKED INTO THE Galley and up to the server counter.
“Morning sir, welcome back aboard. Omelette and coffee?”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to a boat’s breakfast. Plenty of onions please?”
“Nice and overdone sir.”
“That’s it.”
She sat with a dark-haired woman.
“Hi Nikki, how was it ashore?”
“Hi, I didn’t get much time to look around, but it looks a happening city.” Kate LeDonns a Lieutenant in Engineering and Nikki had become fairly close whilst aboard the boat.
“Winched up onto a helicopter too. That beat’s the bus Nikki.”
“Yeah,” she grinned, “but being winched back down at night, just a few lights down there and a shit load of sea. That’s not good Kate.”
“You can stay onboard, just come aft and play with a few engines if you like.” Nikki laughed.
“You’re a grease Monkey, that’s your thing.” The women chatted, and after a while Nikki left for the control room.
“WELCOME BACK LIEUTENANT.” Sayers looked up from his console and grinned.
“Hello Lieutenant, all go well?” asked Nathan.