“Well?” Pete said.
“Hong Kong,” Jake said flatly.
Lacey gasped. “Are you sure?”
“It was the only flight that departed from terminal seven after Marshall was taken. Gulfstream 550. It departed at midnight and flew nonstop. Twelve-hour flight.” It was a thin lead, but it seemed to jibe when Jake considered Doc’s mention of the chatter emanating from Southeast Asia, and the Asian gangs that had pursued Jake in California and Amsterdam, and even the refined colonial accent of the woman who’d interrogated him. He rubbed his chin, recalling the whipping strike of her braid. Plus, hadn’t de Vries made his fortune in Hong Kong? Jake pictured the life-size oil painting of de Vries and his Asian wife. Somehow, it all fit. With one big exception: none of the flights that had left the private terminal at LAX after the kids were taken had been destined for Hong Kong. The closest destination had been Tokyo, which was eighteen hundred miles from the former British territory.
Could they have transferred to another flight? Did they even get on the plane?
“But what if Marshall wasn’t actually on the plane?” Lacey asked.
Then we’re screwed. But no more so than if we sit around here staring at each other.
Shoving aside his doubts, he reached over the console and gripped her hand. “It’s a solid lead, Lace. Marsh was on that plane and we’re going to find him, and then we’re going to find the rest of them. And when I say we, I mean me and you, because there’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight.”
She nodded, and a flash of steel tightened her expression. Squeezing his hand, she said, “I hear that.” Then she reached into her grab bag and pulled out two passports, one blue and one green. “I can play Olivia from Quebec or Gabriella from Milan. When do we leave?”
“As soon as Pete drops us off at the international terminal.”
Pete scoffed and made no move to start the engine. “Do ye really think we’d let ye two go off on yer own just as things are finally startin’ to get interesting?”
Skylar chuckled.
“Besides,” Pete added, “have either of ye ever been to Hong Kong? Have ye worked there on half a dozen shoots like Sky and I have? Because if ye haven’t, trust me—the Pearl of the Orient is far more than it’s cracked up to be in the tourist brochures. Ye’ll have to dig deep beneath the surface if ye expect to find yer family and friends. So tell me, lad, do ye know the back alleys, seedy bars, or any of the low down nasty buggers that yer going to have to enlist in order to get anything done over there?”
Jake hesitated before replying; he’d never been to Hong Kong. He studied his two new friends.
Pete arched an eyebrow while Skylar crossed her arms and cocked her head, as if daring Jake to say the wrong thing. The last thing he wanted was to draw them into his circle of chaos, but Pete and Skylar had stuck their necks out for Lacey—and him, too—and regardless of what he said, they weren’t about to stay behind.
He sighed, breaking their gaze as he fastened his seat belt. “Low down nasty buggers, huh? Sounds perfect.”
Chapter 31
Hong Kong
The Next Day
JIAOLONG PACED ANXIOUSLY as he watched the interrogation through the one-way mirror. It had been forty hours since his operators had abducted Marshall—the only man who’d ever hacked their system—and Jiaolong had wanted answers the moment the prisoner was delivered to headquarters. But Marshall’s physiology had reacted adversely to the drug they’d used to render him unconscious, and the doctor had insisted they allow him to sleep it off before introducing a new drug into his system. He’d finally come out of it an hour ago.
Lin and Marshall sat on a loveseat in the adjoining room, enjoying sips of tea in Jiaolong’s private lounge. So far, the drug-induced conversation had gone well. Although Marshall’s unshaven face was haggard, he seemed content. He’d been led to believe that his wife and other friends had been gathered for their own safety, that a terrorist group had been minutes away from murdering them all.
Jiaolong ground his teeth as he contemplated what had really happened. The plane carrying Bronson’s children and his friend Timmy had disappeared without a trace. Then Jake Bronson had managed to whisk Marshall’s wife from the hospital where she’d been in critical condition, and his men on the scene had allowed Bronson, and whoever was helping him, to escape.
I will deal with their failure later.
Marshall had been nearly brought to tears when Lin told him his wife and the others were all fine and would be joining him soon. In the meantime he’d been more than happy to talk to the woman who represented his benefactors.
Lin had guided the conversation with a masterful touch, the cocktail of hypnotic drugs in Marshall’s system opening his mind to her suggestions. They’d gathered some excellent footage of his comments regarding the launch of the pyramids, the Grid, and the destruction of the island, including a heartfelt admission that Jake Bronson had triggered it all. Coupled with what they’d captured from Bronson’s interrogation in Amsterdam, as well as the footage Jiaolong expected to get during the upcoming interviews with the others at the village, and the pieces on the final game board would soon be in place.
But it would be all for naught if he couldn’t uncover TurboHacker’s deeper secret.
Marshall had grinned when Lin mentioned his online handle. “That’s me,” he had freely admitted, before diving into a long-winded story about how he’d earned the name in high school. But when Lin had asked him about the Spider game, they’d gotten nowhere, the man claiming he’d never played. She’d continued to probe, but it was as if the portion of Marshall’s mind dealing with the game had been cordoned off, protected by an impenetrable firewall of its own.
Lin glanced at the mirror as if to ask, What now?
Jiaolong kicked over a chair as he paced, a part of him wanting to strangle the truth out of the man. Until they discovered how Marshall had breached their network, Passcode could not be levered to its full potential; the risk of exposure was too great. Jiaolong forced himself to steady his breathing as he considered his next move. If the hypnotic drug wasn’t enough to bring down all of the man’s barriers, perhaps a more subtle approach would work.
“Put him back to sleep,” he said into his headset microphone. All memories of the session would be wiped from Marshall’s brain in the process. “And see that he gets a clean shave before he’s taken to his dorm room.”
***
Lin heard Jiaolong’s instruction in her earbud and nodded. She’d grown accustomed to following his orders over the years, though doing so lately was testing her patience. She offered Marshall a demure smile. It was one of hundreds of looks she’d practiced since she was a child, passed down to her by her mother, who’d taught her that a woman’s expression could pierce a man’s armor more effectively than the sharpest blade.
She tilted her head and allowed a look of concern to shadow her features. Though Marshall’s eyelids drooped from the effects of the drug, his gaze remained fixed on her face. He never noticed the powder that spilled from her ring into his cup.
“Your lips look dry,” she said softly, running her tongue along her own lips. She handed him the cup and raised hers in a silent toast.
“Thanks,” he said. He sipped his tea, eyes on her.
“Your wife will be here soon,” she said, guiding the conversation to a topic that would keep him talking. The drug would take effect in a few minutes.
He blinked several times, as if commanding his brain to change gears. His expression softened and his mouth lifted into a dumb grin. “I can’t wait to see her.”
“How did you meet?”
He looked at the ceiling a moment. “She was a server at Sammy’s back home, and the guys and I always sat in her section. We were just friends then. It grew to something more when...”
She tuned him out as he rambled on, feigning interest as her mind drifted to her meeting with her grandfather two days earlier.
***
; Out of respect, Lin and her sisters were dressed in ritual Hanfu attire as they knelt on the floor of Grandfather’s study in his home on Victoria Peak. Each of them wore a shen yi, a wide-sleeved silk robe that tied at the waist and draped to the floor. Lin’s was red, representing the fire element, with an embroidered azure phoenix that spilled down the front fold from shoulder to knee. Sister Min’s robe was green, the wood element, and included a sparkling design of the Dragon of the East. Zhin wore yellow, the earth element, with a stalwart depiction of the Guardian Beast. Grandfather sat on a cushion in front of them. His black shen yi set off his white hair and long goatee.
“I grow more frustrated with each passing day,” Lin said.
Her grandfather raised an eyebrow, studying her with a calm authority honed during a lifetime of working his way up the ranks of one of Hong Kong’s most feared triads. He’d been a rising star in the organization during his early twenties, and it was then that he’d first become acquainted with Jiaolong’s grandfather, Frederik de Vries, who’d just inherited the reins of his father’s arms-dealing empire. Lin had never been told the entire story of their history but knew there had been a strong alliance between the two men, and that the bond had been sheared when de Vries chose to steer his wealth toward legitimate ventures.
Her grandfather had lost face as a result. It had cost him dearly.
She tensed under his scrutiny and wondered at the manner in which his mind seemed to be constantly shifting the pieces of a massive puzzle. In addition to his current esteemed position within the triad, he was also a long-standing member of the Order. It was in this latter role that he’d kept track of de Vries, whose family had all along been high-echelon members of the secret organization. Frederik de Vries had sold off his father’s empire piece by piece, educated himself in the neurosciences, and gained favor as a wealthy philanthropist. He had residences in Amsterdam and Hong Kong, and strong ties to the village in Fujian province where he’d met Jiaolong’s grandmother.
Lin’s grandfather had watched. And waited.
She knew his patience had finally been rewarded when he learned of de Vries’s groundbreaking research into neurocybernetics, especially his progress in the area of thought-controlled interfaces between man and machine. And when he had discovered that the man’s grandson, Jiaolong, exhibited extraordinary cyber talents of his own, it had sparked the plan that had changed Lin’s life.
“Frustration?” Grandfather asked sternly. “We have no use for such feelings.”
Lin bowed her head at the rebuke. She loved her grandfather. He’d guided her and her sisters ever since their father had died when they were children. She always obeyed Grandfather’s wishes. To do otherwise was unthinkable. But her role in his plan was taking a toll.
“Time is our friend,” Grandfather said. “And patience is our ally. You have done wonders managing the de Vries boy and your efforts will bear the ultimate fruit soon enough. In the meantime, savor the victories you have achieved along the way. If it weren’t for you and your sisters, Passcode would have been destroyed on the island, and everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve would have been lost.”
Lin nodded. It was true. Like Frederik de Vries, her grandfather had remained home when the Order’s worldwide exodus call had gone out. But she and her sisters had accompanied Jiaolong on the journey, not because of any love for him but as a double-edged insurance policy. On the one hand, if the Grid destroyed civilization, then at least they’d be saved for what was to come. And if not, they’d be in a position to safeguard Passcode. But when Grandfather’s agents on the island had reported it was under assault, he’d commanded the triplets to turn back. The command had paralyzed Lin and her sisters because Jiaolong’s parents hadn’t been the only family members awaiting their arrival; their mother had been there, too. In any case, Jiaolong wasn’t about to turn around. He’d ordered the boat’s captain to proceed at maximum speed. It had been sister Min who’d finally found the strength to do what was required, and by her hand the boat suffered its mysterious mechanical breakdown just two miles offshore.
Lin and her sisters had stood with Jiaolong on the bow, bearing witness to the explosion that had obliterated their loved ones. The experience cemented their shared hatred for Jake Bronson and his friends. What they didn’t share was Jiaolong’s convoluted plan for vengeance. It was a foolish and frustrating distraction. If it had been up to Lin, Bronson and his allies would have been executed as soon as they’d been located. This desire continued to simmer in her and her sisters’ minds.
As if sensing her consternation, Grandfather leaned forward and covered Lin’s cupped hands with his own. It was a rare sign of affection from the old man. “You are Chinese,” he said softly. “Patience is in your blood.”
She felt a flush of warmth. “Yes, Grandfather,” she said, bowing again.
The moment passed and he released her hands. “Do you remain certain of your control?”
Lin hesitated. Jiaolong had become so obsessed with the pending arrival of TurboHacker that her advances had been ignored that morning. That had never happened before and it had worried her. But it was not something she was ready to share with her grandfather or her sisters. So she said, “Of course.”
“Good. Managing the boy is critical, especially at this juncture. Until Passcode is fully secured, he serves a valuable purpose. More importantly, keep in mind that his elaborate plan for revenge is laying the groundwork necessary to ensure that our triad establishes control of the arms race to end all arms races. We need both Passcode and the alien technology that nearly destroyed our planet. That can only be obtained through Jake Bronson, and only through his family and friends shall we achieve the leverage necessary to pry what we need from his grasp.”
The sisters nodded.
“So, until Jiaolong’s plan brings Bronson to our feet, you will bury your frustrations and continue on your current path. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Grandfather,” Zhin and Min said together.
The old man looked pointedly at Lin.
“I know, I know,” she finally said. “I will perform my duties to my utmost abilities, as always.”
The old man’s eyes narrowed as if he knew there was more.
She sighed. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t wait until I am allowed to finally shed the whelp!”
Zhin and Min gasped but the old man grinned. He patted her head with his pink, frail hands.
“Soon, Granddaughter. Very soon.”
Chapter 32
Fujian Province
I WAS OUT OF BREATH and worried sick when we reached the ridge. After we flattened ourselves, I pulled out the binoculars and panned toward the three sets of headlights spearing upward through the trees. I was still focusing the lenses when a resounding crunch of metal against metal echoed up the hill and pulled my heart into my throat.
Sarafina gasped.
The nearest set of lights had gone out during the crash, but the trailing pair of headlights came to a stop and backlit the scene. The truck and the SUV had crashed head on, their noses accordioned against one another. There were shouts, and several flashlight beams bounced and weaved around the crash site.
“He gave his life,” Ahmed said under his breath.
No, it couldn’t be. Timmy might not be a genius with weapons, but my dad always said Timmy was one of the smartest guys he knew. And even though I believed he wouldn’t hesitate to put his life on the line for our safety, he wouldn’t have given it up without a good reason, and simply crashing into the truck didn’t make sense. It would’ve bought us a few minutes at best. So—
“Look!” Sarafina whispered, pointing to a silhouette dashing toward the boss man.
“It’s Timmy,” Ahmed said. “He must have rigged the SUV and jumped out.”
My skin tingled with relief.
Timmy grabbed the bag of cash and slid to a stop beside the boss man. He crouched and slapped the man across the face. The man moaned and Timmy slapped him again. Words
were exchanged and Timmy smacked the man a third time. Then he grabbed the duffel and sprinted across the clearing—in the opposite direction of where we were headed.
The boss man sat up, waved an angry fist after him, and then collapsed back to the ground. The flashlight beams were about to break into the clearing.
“He’s leading them away,” Sarafina said, her expression pained.
Ahmed nodded. “Yes, and we dishonor his sacrifice by staying here.” He pushed to his feet and hurried us toward the game trail we’d been on the day before.
***
An hour later we stopped at a stream to refill our canteens. I was sweaty, sore, and out of breath.
Sarafina seemed dazed, her eyes unfocused as she crouched down and dipped her canteen in the water. Tracks of dried tears lined her soiled cheeks. Timmy hadn’t caught up as he’d promised. We’d heard gunshots at first, each one twisting my stomach. A few minutes had passed and there’d been more shots, and more after that, leading me to hope Timmy had remained out of reach. We pushed through the foliage in the opposite direction, each shot fueling my hope. But after fifteen minutes or so, they’d stopped altogether.
We hadn’t talked about it but I knew we all feared the worst.
The jungle was alive with noises, each one taking its toll on my senses. At one point I’d heard a branch snap and was sure we’d be caught. I’d sensed someone—or something—lurking in the shadows nearby. But he, or it, had elected not to reveal itself.
Ahmed had accepted the lead role without complaint, encouraging and helping us along the way. The entire experience since we’d left home had transformed him, and I had the sense he was drawing on survival lessons he’d learned as a child in Afghanistan. His fears were still there, of course, under the surface. I could feel them and I knew Sarafina could, too. But Ahmed didn’t allow those feelings to take over. I loved him for that.
“We have to keep moving,” he said, hooking his canteen to his belt. He took Sarafina’s hand and helped her up. She pushed to her feet, avoiding eye contact with either of us.
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