by Andrew Watts
Chase grudgingly said, “I understand.”
“Meet with Gorji. Soon. Let me know when you go to see him. I need to run this one up the chain. This is turning out to be much bigger than I thought.”
“And about Pakvar?”
“We’re trying to locate him. See if Gorji can help with that when you meet.”
“Will do.”
They got up and walked back out to the living area, where the equipment was set up. Lisa stood across the room, speaking to a group of CIA surveillance technicians. Her eyes locked onto Chase. They held each other’s gaze for a moment. Busy conversations went on around them. Neither of them showed any emotion as they looked at each other. But Chase could feel a craving inside himself. He wondered if she was thinking of the same things. Then a landline phone rang loudly, the spell broke, and they continued on with what they were doing.
Chase turned to Elliot and said, “May I ask what is all this for?” He motioned toward the electronic eavesdropping equipment.
Elliot pointed at the big TV screen, the one showing the live feed of the hotel conference room. “There wasn’t US representation at the Dubai Financial Summit. It’s a closed-door session among the big investors. But the Director wants us to make sure we know everything that is going on there.” The Director he referred to, Chase realized, was the actual Director of the CIA. This must be getting a lot of attention back in Washington.
Lisa appeared next to them. She said to Elliot, “There have been sweeps of the room by three different intelligence services so far.”
Elliot said, “I’m guessing that you would have told me if anyone found one of our devices?”
She gave a coy smile. “Oh, was that important?”
He smiled and said to Chase, “You see what I’m dealing with here?”
Lisa gave a sly wink. “Relax. I’ve got you covered.”
Chase looked at the TV screen. It was HD-quality video from two different angles, and while the volume of the TV was low, there were captions being typed at the bottom of the screen.
“How did you guys pull this off?” Chase asked.
Elliot looked at Lisa. She didn’t answer. Then she said, “Well, tonight’s show is about to begin. Chase, I’ll give you a ride back when we’re finished. Why don’t you have a seat?”
Elliot sat back down and Lisa pulled up a chair. Chase remained standing, reading the captions at the bottom of the screen.
The conference room filled up and different groups began speaking. Chase picked up the gist of it. A large Chinese investment was being made into the new financial exchange in Dubai. It would open up more opportunity for global investment in the region. So far nothing stood out to him that would be suspicious.
He watched as an Arabic man in a flowing white robe finished speaking. The man then walked down from the podium and sat in the front row.
A short Chinese man hobbled up to the stage.
Chase asked Lisa, “Who’s that?”
“That is the man everyone is here to see.”
*****
Cheng Jinshan was ready for this moment. This was the culmination of decades of careful planning. His meteoric rise in the business world, and equally impressive—although unpublicized—rise in the world of Chinese government power brokers had made this all possible. But this was not just business. It was not just politics. This was war.
He took a drink of water from his glass and looked out at the room. There were only fifteen or twenty men here. No women. The American ambassador had no doubt been quite irritated that she had been not invited to this gathering, but it would not matter.
“Gentlemen, thank you for allowing me—a mere investor—to speak and dine with such great statesmen and economists as each of you. It is you who are the nation builders, the thinkers, and the world makers. I am but a humble businessman.”
There were smiles on the faces of the spectators. Many of them knew Jinshan well, including the Chinese ambassador. Those who did know him were aware that he was a very accomplished individual. The word mere would never be used to describe one such as him.
He gave a devilish grin. “What is money?” He grasped the edges of the wooden podium and looked around the room. “There are some that would tell you that money is only created by men who produce. It is the great equalizer in this world. These same people would have you believe that money can only be exchanged in the fair trade of goods, because both parties must agree on the price. The novelist Ayn Rand, in one of her books, said, ‘To trade by means of money is the code of the men of good will. Money permits no deals except those to mutual benefit by the unforced judgment of the traders.’ And I think that this could be true, except for one thing. We don’t all use the same type of money. And of that great king of currency, the US dollar…none of us in this room have any control over its regulation. I suggest that the world is not currently set up for mutually beneficial trade.
“While I am only a simple businessman, I am a businessman that knows a great opportunity when he sees one.” His audience smiled, some of them with a few seconds delay after the translation finished in their earpiece as Jinshan spoke in his native tongue, Mandarin.
“What we are about to embark on is a great investment for the bankers of the world, but also, what one can only hope will be a great rebalancing for the citizens of the world. Each of you, no doubt, is now well acquainted with the details of cryptocurrency. A few years ago, when bitcoin first came to us, I thought it to be nothing more than a passing flavor. How simpleminded that thinking was. The great transformations of technology always seem preposterous at first glance. Especially to simple old men like myself.”
He looked down at the wooden podium, then back at his audience. More polite smiles.
“There are representatives here tonight from many countries. Each of our countries claims its own national currency. We trade our goods, services, our stocks and our bonds in each of these national currencies. And then we trade the actual currencies themselves. We trade our yen for dollars and our euros for rubles. Back and forth and forth and back again.”
He raised his voice. “A shell game. And a fickle one at that, with few real advantages. But there is one big one. If you control the king of all currencies, the world is yours to rule. This major advantage is claimed by a nation that is not represented here tonight in this dining hall. The United States dollar is king.”
He paused for effect.
“We can complain all we want, but we know it in our hearts to be true. As long as the rest of the world rushes back to the dollar as the global reserve currency, we are slaves to America.”
He took another sip of water. He could see that some of them were on guard. Everything had been cordial and superficial in the speeches that came before Jinshan took the stage. Now he was upping the ante. Ears perked up. The nations friendly to America probably didn’t want to be associated with someone who wasn’t. Well, that notion wouldn’t last much longer.
“Gentlemen, I’m an old man. I’m tired of this game. Because unless you can control the dollar, which none of us in this room can, then we’re each at a disadvantage.”
Some nods from the Russians and the Iranians. There was no love lost to America from those groups. The Emiratis looked torn.
“But I’m not here to put any country, even America, at a disadvantage. What I propose to do, with the help of everyone in this room, is to rebalance the field. In the past few months, my country’s currency has decreased in value by quite a bit. Our stock market has suffered devastating losses. Around the world, we are likely on the verge of yet another economic downturn. And in many countries, inflation pummels the value of our money.” He motioned to the Iranian delegation. “A loaf of bread in Tehran was much cheaper a few years ago, was it not?”
One of the Iranians nodded somberly. Another nudged him and he stopped.
“But I say to you, no more! We now have the first volley in the battle for global economic stability. A digital currency reserve. One wit
h no national master, its value rooted in indisputable mathematical fairness, not the whims of the bureaucrats. Iran and the UAE will begin backing their currency with bitcoin reserves. As we all know, the Dubai Financial Exchange, which will also trade raw bitcoins, will open within the next forty-eight hours. This has spurred growth in the value of bitcoin itself, and these two brave nations will prosper.”
He took another drink of water. He clasped the edge of his podium and leaned in as he spoke. “Now I have some news. I am very excited to announce here today that we have begun negotiations in Beijing for our own country to follow suit. I wanted those of you in this room to hear it first. China, too, will begin holding reserves of bitcoin. Over the next year, we will begin a transition from central regulation of the RMB to a bitcoin-backed currency. It is our hope that the rest of the world will follow. No longer will one nation dictate financial terms to the rest of the world. Bitcoin is as fair a currency as gold. It is scarce, it is secure, and most importantly, it is not regulated by any one government. It is our hope that this practice of using bitcoin to back national currencies will evolve into a single, global, decentralized currency. When that happens, an economic rebalancing will follow.”
*****
“Holy shit,” Elliot said. He was on his phone and walked away, into the other room.
Phones began ringing in their room. Everyone began speaking more loudly. Chase could tell something very big had just happened, but he didn’t fully understand it.
Elliot looked at Chase and waved him off. He covered the receiver on his cell phone and said, “I need to take this. Call me or text me when you have something more.”
Chase gave him a thumbs-up.
Lisa stood up next to Chase. “Well, I knew it would be entertaining, but I didn’t realize quite how much so.”
“What are the implications of this?”
She raised her eyebrows. “If what Jinshan just said is real, that would be huge news. China shifting to a bitcoin-backed currency would be a game changer.”
“How so?”
“When this gets made public, which will probably be any minute now, the sheer volume of Forex trading will drive the value of bitcoin through the roof. That will virtually guarantee stability for other countries that want to follow suit.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean, follow suit?”
She said, “Let me put it this way. This could be the first domino in a chain of events that would ultimately dethrone the American dollar. If everyone starts shifting to a bitcoin-backed currency, and then eventually to a single global currency, that could really hurt the United States economically.”
“I see.” Chase watched the others scramble around the room, speaking on phones and to each other in anxious voices.
Lisa said, “I can take you back now. These guys will be busy getting copies of this speech to everyone who needs it in our government.”
“You’re leaving? Amidst all of this?”
“Yup. My work here is done.”
“And what work was that?”
She smiled. “Who do you think got the video feed in there?”
On the TV, the crowd of dignitaries rose to their feet. They exited the conference room in groups of twos and threes. The screen shifted to a view of a very fancy-looking bar. There were ornate gold-decorated marble pillars, crystal chandeliers, and rows and rows of liquor. So much for the Muslim rules on alcohol.
Chase said, “Where are they?”
“Atlantis—The Palm.”
Chase felt like it was wrong for them to leave now. “Isn’t there something we could be doing?”
Lisa said, “Just let it play out. This part is neither of our jobs. Come on. Let’s get out of here.” She brushed her hand up against his, ever so slightly. “Now, are you ready for that drink?”
*****
Three hours later, Lisa lay naked on top of him. Strands of her long black hair hid one of her eyes. Her smooth skin glistened with sweat. They had caught their breath, their session of lovemaking finished for now.
Blue moonlight illuminated her apartment bedroom. Chase could hear the late-night sounds of the waterfront out the window. The beach tourist district lay several floors below.
Her fingertips traced the muscles from his shoulder to his bicep. A slow, admiring caress. She said, “I don’t mean to ruin the moment, but I need to say something.”
“Yes?”
“I just want to make sure you understand that we can’t tell anyone about this. Especially not Elliot. You know that, right?”
He looked into her eyes. “I haven’t told anyone. And I don’t intend to.”
She didn’t smile, but her eyes did. She said, “I know very little about you.”
“I think you’ve obtained quite a bit of knowledge.”
“I mean personal things. I know very little about you personally.”
“Have you read my file?”
She said, “I always read up on my marks.”
“Is that what I am?”
She got up suddenly, her glorious bare body standing over him while he remained on her floor mattress. She held out a hand. “Come on.”
She grabbed the sheet from the bed and a water bottle from the refrigerator. A few moments later they were sitting on chairs on her balcony.
It was a private overhang. No one could see them. Chase could just barely make out the outline of waves crashing against the shore. They sat there, drinking water in silence and looking out at the stars.
She said, “Why’d he bring you here?”
“Elliot?”
“Yes.”
Chase looked at her. “A special project.”
“I know about the leak.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Did he tell you not to talk to me about it?”
He felt an uneasiness come over him. A conflict of interest. He already had a pretty big one of those to worry about with his brother.
Chase said, “I’m not supposed to talk about what I’m working on.”
“I won’t place you in the horrible position of answering the girl you were just sleeping with whether you trust her or not.” She wasn’t smiling.
“I appreciate that.”
She said, “Elliot didn’t turn off the cameras in the consulate interview room. One of my subordinates reviews all of the interviews that take place there. He brought the one with Gorji’s assistant to my attention.”
“Why didn’t you tell Elliot?”
“He probably already knows that I know. But everyone must follow the process, right? He’s following procedures. He can’t talk to anyone about it who works in Dubai Station until counterespionage clears them. Tomorrow or the next day I’ll be cleared and he’ll brief me on everything. Then maybe I’ll come to your closed-door meetings.”
She winked. Her feet were perched up on the small glass coffee table. The sheet that she was using to cover herself fell a bit to reveal one of her long, toned legs.
“So then what do you think I’m doing here?”
“I’m not completely sure. But if I were him, I would need immediate help with any operations related to the leak. Or to Iran.”
“Isn’t that everything?”
“He can’t shut all of the operations down. Procedure says that he is to only isolate the operations that are directly compromised by the leak. Therefore, my money says that Elliot’s got you working with the Iranian—Gorji’s guy—to find out what information he’s got and what he wants for it. Blink twice if I’m close.”
He smiled. She was too smart. A thought occurred to him. “Is this why you took me here? To ask me about this?”
She feigned a look of hurt. “You couldn’t really believe that.”
“I don’t.”
She smiled. “Oh, alright, my dear. I’ll quit pumping you for information.”
Then she rose up and walked over to him, the white sheets falling down to the floor. She climbed on top of him, not saying a word. He felt her han
ds caress the back of his neck.
She whispered, “Well…maybe a just bit more…”
Chapter 6
Chase opened his eyes to the sound of Lisa grunting nearby. A black pull-up bar was fastened to her closet door. She was cranking out sets of pull-ups. A lot of them. She changed grips every few seconds, swaying, and then starting up again. Her back muscles were very well defined. She wore only a black sports bra and tight runner’s shorts. Not the type of outfit that she could get away with if she was to go outside on the streets of Dubai.
He got out from under the covers of her bed and found his clothes strewn about the floor. He grabbed them and headed towards the bathroom. He threw the shower on and found a disposable razor in one of her sink drawers.
“You got any shaving cream?”
“It’s under the sink,” Lisa replied, all business. She was on to a set of pushups. She didn’t look up at him.
Steam fogged up the mirror. He wiped it away with his hand. He shaved and showered, wondering if she was going to join him. She didn’t.
He got out of the shower, dried off, and got dressed in the clothes he had arrived in. He checked his watch. The Truman should be moored by now. It was supposed to reach the pier at dawn.
Chase walked into the bedroom. Lisa held her body in some sort of plank yoga move on the floor. She watched him as he walked up to her. He said, “I’m going to get going.”
“Would you like a ride? I’m almost finished.” No hint of emotion in her voice. She was like a machine.
“No, that’s alright. I’m going to just grab a cab. I was actually going to run an errand before heading back to the hotel.”
“Alright. I’ll see you later, then.”
No kiss. No embrace. Chase had no clue how to treat this. He had never met a woman that had been this detached the morning after. “Okay. Thanks.” He walked out the front door and took the elevator to the bottom floor.
He headed out of the lobby of the residential high-rise and into the sweltering heat of the city. There was a coffee shop across the street. He ordered a cup of black coffee with two sugars and picked up an English-language version of a newspaper called the Khaleej Times.