by Stephen Makk
“Thank you, I’ll just have tea.” May sat at one end of a silk embroidered couch. It was adorned with lakes and trees in the traditional style. Ling sat at the other end. He said nothing and very soon the receptionist entered, pulled up a low table and served the tea.
“Thank you.” She left the two of them alone.
“It’s not every day that I entertain an Officer of the NSB. And never one so appealing May. Sorry for my men’s actions, but they just followed orders set down some time ago. So, what can I do for you?”
“Director, I’m here about a great threat to both our countries,” she looked at him and with fear in her eyes, “the 7/12 group.”
He looked at her with an open mouth, he hadn’t expected that.
“How do you know about that?”
“I work for the NSB, as you know we watch you.” Ling shifted in his chair. Many in the MSS didn’t even know about the 7/12 group, and here he was discussing it with an enemy who did know.
“You will tell me just what the NSB knows about 7/12.”
She smiled. “Could I have another tea?”
He scowled but rang his receptionist who brought in two more.
She stood cup in hand and looked out of the window.
“Nice trees and nice flowers on them. You know the tree’s give the Bees shelter because they pollinate the flowers.”
“You didn’t come in here to talk to me about flowers.”
“You said I’ll tell you what we know about 7/12. I’ll do no such thing.” May spun around and faced him.
“As the American Mafia say. I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse. Do you have links into 7/12?” His face told her he didn’t.
“I do Ling. I have two. I’m an NSB Officer, and that gives me some credibility.” He stared at her, she was a sneaky operator, he’d have to be careful.
“If 7/12 got their way what would happen Ling? Civil war in China, with Taiwan drawn in. Probably the US too. We are opponent’s but neither of us want’s that.”
Ling didn’t like this at all, to have his balls on the line and a 粗野Taiwanese girl holding a knife over them.
“Go on make this fucking offer.”
She sat and looked at him with a slightly raised chin. “I’ll infiltrate 7/12 for you and let you know what’s planned, I’ll tell you who and where. You take whatever action you see fit. In return I ask you to downplay any moves against Taiwan. The recent invasion will echo for years. You’re in a position of influence. You can make a difference.” He tried to suppress his anger, with effort he managed to contain it.
“I was using Tang Li’s MSS ID Card. She was a member of the elite counter espionage group Gothic Panda. I need to be recognised as her by the MSS and be able to draw on all resources needed.” She let him think for a little while.
“Ok May,” he shook his head, “you’re now an honorary member of the MSS and in Gothic Panda.” Ling spat the words out.
She suppressed a smirk, leaned over to him and lowered her voice. “I’ll need a firearm, not Chinese. An H&K will do. A new photo ID card and a credit card.”
Ling had to laugh. “You cheeky bitch. Go to building 14, any problems get them to call me. Off you go, while I wring my hands and vomit.” She walked to the door.
“May?”
“Yes?”
“What was all that shit about the Bees and Trees?”
“They work together for the common good. Just as we do now.” He nodded.
She left his office. “Where’s building 14?” she asked the young man. “You don’t need to take me, just tell me. Any questions, see him,” she thumbed his office door.
May left and walked towards the building. She had to smile, but knew it was far from over yet. She grinned and then laughed. “Me, an honorary member of the MSS. What a farce.”
SHE REACHED THE BUILDING and entered. Inside was a small medium office staffed with men and women. She walked up to a woman typing something on a computer with a cigarette in her mouth. “Yeah,” she said without looking up.
“I’m here for a new photo ID, credit card and a gun.” Put your B49 down there and I’ll get around to it.
“I don’t have one.”
“Oh yeah,” the woman looked up at her, “sorry babe.”
“Ling Shimming said to call him if there was a need.”
“Ok, on your head.” She made the call listened and sat up. “Yes Sir.”
It was like she’d turned a switch.
“Please let me have your old MSS card.” She handed over the one she stolen.
“Stand over there.” She had her picture taken.
“Leave these with me. Go through that back door and see Dr Blast.” She walked to the door and opened it. Inside it was a firing range with a workshop in the immediate foreground. A man with half moon glasses worked on something that looked like the innards of a rifle, he looked up and gave her a faint smile.
“Hi, I’m here for a gun, a pistol.”
“They always are.”
“Do you need to know who authorised this?”
“No if you’re here you have permission. They filter out the crap first. I’m Dr Blast. Let me measure you up.”
“I’m here for an H&K.”
“We’ll see,” he said, “we’ve a selection but what you should have said is I want the right gun for me. That’s all your going to get. If you don’t like it, you can fuck off down the quartermasters and pick what shit you want.”
“Ok off you go.” He asked her some questions as he was measuring her up. He looked into May’s eyes with a microscope type device and got her to do an eye test. She had to pick up weights. He timed her. Next, he lined up six handguns of various types Chinese, western and Russian. She fired at targets downrange. He told her how to stand and what to do with her eyes. She’d done all this with the NSB. He shook his head at her scores although they didn’t seem bad. He told May how to get better, it took over an hour, but she did. Frightfully so. Her scores became staggeringly good. Next, he made her wear an eyepatch. This went on. Finally, Dr Blast hung a black sheet down the range sides covering the desk. She could see the guns behind but not their types.
“I know which is you. There are three pistols there, throw some lead down range see which you like.” He showed her how to use each one half an hour later she turned to him.
“Ok I know which I like.”
“Which one?”
“The right hand one. It fits perfectly well, smooth, accurate and my scores are far too good.”
“That’s what I thought,” he smiled, “let’s see what you rejected.”
He uncovered the first, a Chinese Norinco 92. She raised her eyebrows, that had been number two, next a Sig Sauer, it had been number three, but a very good number three.
“And here is what you picked and what you will take away today. He pulled the sheet back. She didn’t recognise it and frowned, he saw her.
“It’s a CZ 75 compact, Czech Republic. Nice gun. My daughter keeps one on her at University in Harbin.”
“University?” He nodded.
“Here it’s yours, look after it and it’ll repay you, good day Miss.”
“Thanks, Dr Blast.”
She pocketed the gun plus two boxes of ammo, two mags and left the room.
The cigarette woman sat facing her. “Here you are May, your pass and credit card.” The pass was her photo but still in Tang Li’s name, the credit card was the same, it sported the crest of Huaxia Bank.
“Your credit limit is $50,000 USD.” She slid over a smartphone and charger.
“Start the Goopy game, select wait and it will call Ling Shimming direct. You have all you need?”
“Yes, thank you.” May left the building and walked towards the compound entrance.
Now it’s infiltration time, now the fun starts.
MAY TOOK A CAB TO THE Hou Hai area and walked into Otto’s hot pot restaurant on Ping’an road. She took a selection of Chef’s specials, small tasters tha
t added up. She needed time to think.
The 7/12 group were a potential disaster for Taiwan, well meaning from a ROC point of view but totally unrealistic. The PRC too would be rent apart by civil war, the US pulled in, a nightmare. They had to be stopped, but she had a soft spot for them too, they meant well by her country. But...
She couldn’t see them destroyed by the PRC either. She knew it was a near impossible task.
Stop them, but don’t lay them open for the MSS to slaughter them.
By right too the PRC deserved punishment for the invasion. She suspected it was failing, the news coverage was too low key for a success. Trouble is she couldn’t discuss it with the NSB. They’d have to call in the government and that would just bury it in debate for weeks.
She watched the guests around her, all manner of types all having fun, all enjoying the meal. She spotted two young women about her age, friends or sisters having a gossip and giggling.
“That’s it, yes.” She finished, paid and crossed the road and found a market mall. May/Tang made her way to a quiet area, remembered a number and called.
USS STONEWALL JACKSON.
“NIKKI IT’S A CALL FOR you,” said Lemineux.
“Who sir?”
“I don’t know but it’s piped in via satellite. It’s a cell phone.”
“A cell phone? Here?”
“Yes, it’s a woman. She says she wants the talk private.”
“Use my cabin Nikki,” said Nathan. She walked aft to his cabin and the call was patched through.
“Yes, this is Lieutenant Nikki Kaminski.”
“Hi Nikki, it’s May.”
“May, good God, where are you? How are you?”
“I’m in Beijing now. I was back in Taiwan for a while, part of the invasion force. Glad to be out of that.”
“Are you up on the news?”
“Nikki I’m in the PRC.”
“Yes ok, the PLAN fleet has been devastated, the PLA are being embarked onto surviving ships. They’re all on their way back home. The invasion is over.”
“I’d thought that’s the way it had gone.”
“It’s great May.”
“Well yes, but it makes my job harder. Believe it or not, I’m kind of working for the MSS now.”
“What?” May explained all she could about recent events and the political turmoil going on.
“I had to speak to someone about the situation, sorry.”
“I wish I could help May. But I can’t. But anything, anything let me know and we’ll be there. You know that.”
“Thanks Nikki, I’ll try to call again.” The connection was cut. Nikki blew out her cheeks and flopped back on Nathan’s bunk.
“What a mess May. What a mess.”
There was a soft knock on the door. It opened, and Nathan walked in. He sat on the bunk’s edge.
“It was May, she’s in Beijing.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. She hugged him.
“We can’t Nik.”
“Sorry.” She let him go and told him what May was up to as far as she could.
“I know we can’t do anything but...I wish.” He knew they couldn’t do much down here, maybe they could prepare for a request for help.
“We’re at Periscope depth charging the batteries. I’ll get a signal bounced down for Frank Pike. If I must, I’ll come alongside and speak to him. We’ll move up into the Yellow Sea, closer to Beijing and the PLAN base at Qingdao. It’s not much.”
BEIJING.
SHE GOT A CAB AND ASKED him to take her to a middle grade hotel, she turned the first one down without leaving the cab. The second looked better, she checked in and got a decent room. Tomorrow would be a big day. May slept.
After a good sleep and a breakfast, she walked off to a quiet corner of the lounge. She ignored the MSS phone and used a disposable pre-paid phone she’d picked up last night. May called a Shanghai number.
“Hello, The Golden Garden.”
“Hi, I’d like to speak with Hue.”
“Please, who are you? Hue is a busy man.”
“Tell him. I bring a change, from the sea to the East. I’m with the Tiger.” She heard a shuffling, thirty seconds later Hue answered
“Yes, how is it? Are you well?”
“I’m OK but I need your help, I need your contact in the chain of command. The one who passes down requests to you. Your superior.”
“May, we operate a cell structure, it’s vital for survival. The MSS are everywhere.”
“I’m aware of that. I’ve got my orders from the NSB. Who is your contact in Shanghai?” She could hear Hue wrestling with the problem.
“He is not here, he’s in Beijing.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Damn. I know him as Rui, the password is: As evening clouds withdraw a clear cool air floods in. Here is the number, do you really need to do this?”
“Yes, I must. I’ll tell him I forced you.” She went back to her room for a little while it was too early yet.
May put her tea down and called him. “Hello yes,” it was rough low and impatient.
“Rui, as evening clouds withdraw a clear cool air floods in.” There was a soft grunt down the line. “Yes. Who is this?”
“My name is not needed, but you can know that I’m with the NSB. I must meet with you today. Tell me where?”
“I have an office in Zhongnanhai, pick a restaurant near there this afternoon, call me and I’ll be there.” May made her way to the imperial city and found a suitable place. She said she wanted a table and her guest from Zhongnanhai would be here soon. The staff ran around after her they knew where her guest would be from.
After a while the door opened, and a man walked in. In his late fifties he oozed command. With him was a woman in her thirties, hair pulled back in a pony tail. They sat. “Hello Rui, and who’s this?
“She’s my assistant in the matters you wish to discuss. You’ll know her as Zhang. Now what do you want Miss?”
“May is my name. Here is my card,” she took out her NSB card.
“Then times are good are they not? The invasion failed, the troops and the fleet are recalled. The word is getting out, we’ll see that it circulates freely. Discontent has started around the naval ports, it will grow and become unstoppable. We are winning.”
She ate part of her starter, a mushroom and noodle soup.
“My government knows the Communist party will fight back, it’s inevitable. Many external powers will be drawn in.”
“Yes, they will and many will be to our advantage. We can cut off the head and replace it.”
“We think you have a chance. But your foes are many. The MSS for instance.”
“Some of them yes, but many in that organisation do not even know of our existence. The regime is so frightened of us.”
“Rui, we have infiltrated many high ranked organisations in the PRC and see great danger for you.” She passed over her MSS card. Rui stared at it wide eyed. “You?”
She smirked. “I’m not MSS, but I move around among them. I’m part of Gothic Panda.”
“God help us. No.”
May leaned forward. “Look the MSS is very close and very determined, they are more dangerous than ever. I need to speak to your superior now. This is vital.”
He pulled his face and scalp back.
“You cannot. No.”
“Then you leave us no choice, the NSB will act alone. There will be assassinations and disruption of the government, some in ways you would like to see, others won’t be. The 7/12 group will not be immune. The NSB is sworn to defend Taiwan, we are allies but we have our differences too. The choice is yours, make it now.” She sat back and continued her meal, after several minutes he took Zhang to one side after a couple of minutes they sat.
“Ok May. You will need to approach him via one he trusts. His son is in the navy and was injured in the invasion.” He wrote on a spare paper he got from the waitress. “Here, this is his name and the hospital he’s in, it’s in the sou
th out the city.” May looked at the details and had to suppress a response. It was Commander Long. Her Commander Long, Jin Long.
She remembered his words in Taiwan as they lay in the shed by the bridge.
“My Father is a part of a large subgroup of the Politburo and other figures in the government and the Military.”
Good God. Part of her would be delighted to see him again, another would not. Where would it end?
“Very good Rui. I’ll act on your advice. Good day.” She left.
“Zhang.” He leant over to her and lowered his voice. “She must not be allowed to interfere, get a team together. Kill her.”
Chapter 18
May stepped off the bus in the Gu’an area south of the city. She turned left and made her way to the Military hospital. A car noisily ran out of a side street and skidded across the road towards her. Two shots rang out. They missed her but one hit a store window and it looked like a shopper inside. She knew it was here they were after. She ran down the street and turned into a mall market, it was old style, two floors and lots of hanging bird cages and baskets. She made her way towards the rear. Who were they? MSS? Unlikely, goons that Rui had called, unlikely but possible. She needed help. May took out the MSS phone and started the Goopy game, pressed wait, soon Ling answered.
“It’s Tang. I’m in a market mall in Gu’an. Xinchang E street, east of the G106. I’ve a team of gunmen out to kill me.”
“Ok.” The line went dead, she hoped that meant help was on the way.
May got to the rear and turned left down a short corridor, there was a door with a window, she looked outside. It looked clear, of course these goons might find it too, but they’d have a lot of searching to do down the back streets. May moved forward, kept herself concealed and took out her gun. She noticed opposite a flight of stairs going up to level two. She climbed them and pushed further towards the front of the market. She saw him. A man with an open jacket and weary expression, he looked around fitfully but not at the goods. A stall holder beckoned him to look at wrist watches. May knew there’d be more, she took aim with the CZ 75 and pulled the trigger, his face took the bullet and the back of his head exploded in a red grey gore. A shopper screamed. Three more men ran in firing randomly, the shopper dived into stalls and took cover. May lined up, crack, crack. Move crack, crack. Two more dropped with head wounds. The third ran into a stall. More men ran in from the front with guns raised. The man who’d ran to the stall shouted. Fire came in her approximate direction. A wood sliver was punched from a nearby post. She took out one of them with another head shot, she saw the man who run into the stall peeking out. The shot took the top of his head off. Damn it, Dr Blast did recommend a fine gun. More men appeared, and the incoming fire got more intense. May was slowly taking them down one shot at a time, but they were advancing. Three made a run for the staircase, she took one out with two bullets in his back, but the others got upstairs. Fire now came from two directions. She knew she had to drop these two upstairs first. A fusillade of covering fire came from downstairs, May screamed. The two opposite her ran out of the stall to finish her off. The CZ came up, crack, crack, crack, crack. They were down, she loaded a spare mag. Fire came from below she was still badly outnumbered.