He sat silently in contemplation. When he spoke, his voice was thoughtful. “Your plan sounds crazy, but I have to admit I’m of the same mind when it comes to Romano and the Martinez boys. If they can kill you without reprisal, they will. At the same time, what you’re proposing is very risky.”
“That’s why I need the vest. These men will only behave themselves as long as they believe killing me is detrimental to their health. I really don’t think anyone will be stupid enough, or crazy enough, to commit suicide along with me. At least, I hope not.”
Lee didn’t immediately commit to building the vest, but Bai could tell he was already thinking about it. She explained in detail what she wanted and why. He nodded and smiled in response. He loved the challenge of putting together clever gadgets. Assembling the vest would test his skills, especially with an injured arm.
“All right,” he said reluctantly. “I’ll do it. But only because I know that if I don’t do it, you’ll find someone less competent who will. I might have a couple of ideas to make the vest even more intimidating.” He looked thoughtful. “How do you feel about ball bearings as a fashion statement?”
The question caught her off guard. “As long as you don’t make the vest too heavy,” she cautioned. “If worse comes to worse, I need to be able to run while wearing the vest.”
“Then maybe I’ll go with aluminum instead. The jacket will still have the same visual effect, but it’ll be much lighter.”
“I’ll leave the details to you. While you’re doing that, I need to get my hands on an armored truck, the kind banks use to transport money. Also, Robert will need to prepare the paperwork for the exchange.”
“He may not like the idea of trading Benny’s life for money, Bai.”
Lee had a valid point. It would be up to her to convince Robert she was handling the situation in the best possible way. She would need his help with the exchange.
Her cell phone rang, interrupting the conversation. She looked at the display and was surprised by the caller ID. “Hello, John. How are you?”
“Alive,” he replied.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Are you angry with me?”
“You mean for saving my life and getting blown up in the process? Yeah, I’m furious. Who do you think you are, anyway?”
Ranse didn’t respond. Bai wondered if the call had been disconnected.
“Sorry,” he said, “the nurse was checking my vitals. It seems just talking to you makes my blood pressure go up.”
“Are you sure it’s me and not your nurse causing your blood pressure to rise?”
“My nurse’s name is Bill.” There was another prolonged silence. “What I’m trying to say, Bai, is that I’m sorry I lied to you. I wanted to tell you I was a federal agent, but . . .”
“I understand you were working under cover, but why me? What did the FBI hope to achieve by having me followed?”
“It wasn’t you we were interested in, Bai. When you came to Dan’s school with Jason Lum, my superiors saw a chance to get someone close to organized crime in Chinatown. We’ve been trying to get inside information on Sun Yee On for years. As it turned out, we didn’t find exactly what we’d hoped to.”
“I’ve been telling federal agents for years that I don’t have anything to do with Sun Yee On’s business.”
There was a protracted silence on the other end of the conversation. “I believe you, Bai. I’m sorry.”
“You saved my life. I owe you one.”
He jumped at the opening. “Really? Then I want to collect.”
She smiled and wondered where the conversation was headed. “What do you have in mind?”
“I want you to go out with me.”
“I don’t think you’re going anywhere for a while.” She tried not to laugh. “What does your doctor say?”
“My doc says I’ll be out of here tomorrow. My leg will take a week or two to heal. My head was grazed by a piece of shrapnel, but the wound is only superficial. Mostly, I’m just bruised by the blast.”
She couldn’t afford any distractions until the exchange had taken place. She needed to keep focused until then. “Why don’t you call me later this week, and we’ll make a date?”
“You won’t be sorry. I promise. No more lies.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she cautioned him.
“I always keep my promises.”
The thought of dating an FBI agent made her head swim. Two people coming from such different worlds would make having a relationship difficult. She didn’t think Ranse had a clue what he was asking of her.
“Are you still there, Bai?”
His words brought her back from her musings. “Yes, I’m still here, John. Remind me to kiss you the next time I see you.”
He chuckled. “That’s a promise. I’ll call you Friday.”
“Be well,” she said, ending the call.
Lee scrutinized her.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he replied, a glib look on his face. “Is falling for an FBI agent a good idea?”
“‘One can’t refuse to eat just because there’s a chance of choking.’”
“I think I hear the sound of sirens in the distance,” he chided.
“I’ve already decided to change the way I live. Maybe he’s just what I need.”
“Jason may not see it that way.”
She wasn’t as concerned about Jason as Lee was. She knew he was seeing other women—Dr. Shannon Brian, for one. “Don’t worry. He has other interests.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I met one of them, a long-legged redhead in Vancouver by the name of Shannon.”
He shook his head. “You shouldn’t jump to hasty conclusions. You make a habit of doing that.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Just what do you know about his love life?”
Lee avoided eye contact. “He loves you. He’s loved you since we were kids. He protects you by staying away.”
She stared at him, her suspicions aroused “You’ve been talking to him, haven’t you?”
It was Lee’s turn to be silent.
Her voice was chilled as she leaned over the coffee table to get into his face. “At least I now know how he’s getting access to my security system.”
Her remark hit home. He was decent enough to look contrite. “He’s my friend, Bai.”
She looked at him and shook her head in denial. “If he’s your friend, he’s not a very good one. Friends aren’t ashamed to be seen with each other.”
His head jerked up. She could tell her words stung by the hurt expression on his face. Words flew out of his mouth. “Did you ever stop to think what it was like for him to grow up in your home as the son of a governess? Look around you, Bai. You’ve always had wealth and privilege. Tommy and your grandfather showed him what he needed to become to be a part of that life. How could you expect him to walk away from the only family he knew, the only life he knew?”
His words shook her. What he said was true but didn’t alter the fact that Jason could have turned away from the money and power. He’d chosen not to.
“He made his decision,” she stated without rancor. She waited for Lee to meet her gaze. “I’m not saying the choices were easy for him. And it isn’t easy for me to make a life without him.”
He nodded his head, but she didn’t think she’d changed his mind. She was reminded that everyone has secrets and everyone has weaknesses. Jason had a weakness for money and power. She and Lee, apparently, shared a weakness in Jason.
Bai stood at the edge of the old Alameda Naval Air Base to look out over the gray, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay. A cold, wet wind swept across broken asphalt to set water-filled potholes shimmering in the late-afternoon breeze. Weeds thrust green spears through the cracked runway as nature reclaimed the abandoned airstrip while a grizzly sky overhead threatened rain.
Lee turned to her. “Do you think they’ll show?”
“They�
��ll be here. They have too much to lose by not showing up.” Her cell phone read ten minutes to three. “They still have time.”
Tommy’s bulletproof limousine rested on the tarmac directly in front of them to serve as a shield. Negotiating the use of the vehicle had taken some hard bartering. Behind Bai idled an armored truck bristling with manned gun ports along its armored sides. Two black SUVs bracketed the armored truck. Four men stood outside each vehicle wearing flak jackets and carrying semiautomatic weapons.
She’d hired private security for the meeting. Tommy had provided contact information for reliable men. They hadn’t come cheap.
Chilled to the bone, Robert and Lee stood on either side of her. Robert held the papers for the property exchange. Lee carried a pump-action shotgun cradled in his good arm. The pink flamingo sling cradled his other arm. Neither of them looked particularly happy to be there.
Robert hadn’t been pleased when she’d explained her plan to him. He’d wanted retribution for Benny and Park. His desire for revenge had surprised her. It revealed a bloodthirsty side she hadn’t imagined him to have.
She turned to glance at him. He wore a deep frown. “Are you sure you want to be here, Robert? It isn’t too late to step into the armored truck where you’ll be safe.
He turned to look at her and attempted a smile. “This is where I need to be. I know I’m not a brave man, but I owe Benny and Park at least this much. I need to confront the people who killed my friends.”
Lee grinned at her when she turned to look at him. The suicide vest fit snugly over her leather jacket where everyone could see it. Rows of pockets had been sewn around the garment. Wires ran from pocket to pocket, each of them leading to a battery pack mounted on her back. True to his word, he’d fashioned the vest to be light enough to run in.
Another fifteen minutes passed before a line of cars advanced along the road leading to the airstrip. The cavalcade swung around in a curve to travel in Bai’s direction. She counted ten large SUVs. Romano and the Martinez brothers were bringing a small army with them.
When the line of SUVs approached to within forty feet, the vehicles swung around in an arc to face the limo. The doors on the vehicles opened. Forty men wearing fatigues and carrying assault weapons disembarked with military precision. Twenty of the men advanced to within twenty feet of the limo and stopped. They dropped to one knee and trained their weapons on her and her entourage.
“I’m having a WTF moment here,” Lee said cleverly, looking aside at her with a smile. “You really know how to stir up shit, don’t you?”
She shrugged in response and turned back to survey the enemy troops. The pointed weapons were an attempt to intimidate. Their show of force just made her angry.
The doors of the idling SUVs remained open. The rear guard positioned themselves behind the doors that formed a metal barricade. There was no sign of Romano or the Martinez brothers. She was beginning to get really annoyed when a black sedan approached.
“They’re not taking any chances, are they?” she said, glancing at Robert and then at Lee.
“I am so nervous,” Robert replied. “I’m sweating and freezing at the same time. Why are they pointing their rifles at us?”
“They’re just trying to scare us.”
“It’s working,” Robert informed her.
The sedan drew her attention as it swung in behind the line of SUVs. Three men got out of the car to walk around and stand in front of the vehicles. All three wore flak jackets over business suits. Two men in fatigues carrying large duffle bags joined them. When a sixth man in battle dress joined the group, they started to slowly walk forward.
She’d done Internet searches to better know her enemy and studied the men as they approached. Romano looked nervous, fidgety. The man she recognized as Ray Martinez Jr. walked toward her, his face set in an angry scowl. The other Martinez brother, Oscar, smiled when he saw her looking at him. He was handsome and knew it. The man in camouflage showed no emotion. His head turned from side to side as he walked, his eyes constantly assessing the situation.
When the small delegation reached the front line, they stopped. Ray Jr. and the man in battle dress exchanged words. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but the discussion became heated. Finally, the man in fatigues broke off the dialogue by dropping his hand in a curt motion. Whatever Junior had wanted, the man had denied. Anger reddened Ray Jr.’s face.
“Things might get a little tense during this exchange, Robert.” She glanced aside to see if he was listening. “No matter what anybody says or does, just remember to stay at my side. I’ll see you don’t come to any harm.”
“If you turn and run,” Lee added. “I’ll shoot you myself.” He pointed two forked fingers at his eyes and then pointed them at Robert to get the message across.
Robert turned to confront him. “I wouldn’t run away and leave Bai.” He took offense at Lee’s dig. “I’m not brave, but I’m not a coward either.”
“Settle, boys,” she ordered, as the contingent with the money separated from the line of soldiers. “It’s showtime.”
The six men walked to within five feet of the limousine and stopped. The two duffel bags dropped to the tarmac. The soldiers who’d carried the bags took one step back and placed their hands behind their backs to stand at parade rest. Romano and the Martinez boys looked at her expectantly.
She nodded in the direction of the waiting money, then led Robert and Lee around the limousine toward the exchange. She smiled as she walked to show the enemy she wasn’t afraid. The swap had to take place on her terms for the plan to work. She needed to be in control of the situation.
The man in fatigues smiled as she came to stand before him. Widening her smile in response, she was mindful that some cultures consider a grin to be a predatory gesture. She bared her teeth. The symbolism didn’t seem to be lost on the uniformed man. His eyebrows raised in silent appraisal.
“Gentlemen,” she said, gesturing at the bags lying on the tarmac. “I assume the duffle bags contain the money.”
The man in military garb replied, “They do. You’re welcome to inspect the currency.”
She looked at him, curious. “And you are?”
“You may call me ‘The Major.’ Let’s leave it at that. There’s really no reason for introductions.”
She looked at The Major a long moment before turning to nod at Lee, who handed his shotgun to Robert and knelt down next to the bags. He opened the first one and rummaged to the bottom, pulling out stacks of bills at random for inspection.
While Lee inspected the money, she spoke to The Major. “I believe we have a mutual acquaintance.”
“And who would that be?”
“I didn’t get her name, but she carried a garrote—a chunky woman with blonde hair.”
His face tightened and his lips drew into a thin line, but he didn’t reply.
When Lee was satisfied the money in the first bag was genuine, he checked the second bag before standing.
“Satisfied?” Ray Jr. asked, anger written across his features.
Lee nodded his head to let her know the money was acceptable.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Then I want to check your vest,” The Major said. “As an act of good faith, I’d like to see that it’s real.”
The request didn’t come as a surprise. She carefully opened a pocket on her vest to pull out a square of Semtex, a high-grade explosive. It was embedded with solid aluminum balls the size of marbles. She pulled the detonator cap out of the clay-like substance and tossed the explosive to The Major for inspection. “You can keep that. I have lots more.”
The Major inspected the Semtex and pulled out one of the aluminum balls.
He tossed the ball bearing in his hand and seemed surprised at how light it was. “Very ingenious.” He looked at her and nodded. “It would appear we’re ready to finalize this deal.”
“Not quite,” she said forcefully. “I want to hear the apologies.”
Martin
ez Jr. blurted out, “What are we apologizing for?”
“To start with, which one of you killed Benjamin Chin?” she asked. “I want an apology from the man who killed my friend.”
He answered angrily, “You want me to say I’m sorry for killing that jerk? It’s his fault he’s dead. He put his nose where it didn’t belong.”
“Just do it,” said his brother Oscar, looking uncomfortable. “You knew it was part of the deal coming out here, Ray. We all did.”
Ray Jr. stared at her, petulant and hateful. Without wavering, she patiently met his gaze.
“Fine!” He shouted the word while turning to give his brother a dirty look. “I’m sorry I killed the guy. When he saw the property, he threatened to go to the authorities. I couldn’t let that happen.” He turned back to look at her. “Are you happy now?”
She looked aside at Robert, who nodded his head subtly. He’d been determined to hear the truth about what happened. Now he had it.
She turned back to the men confronting her. “To answer your question, no, I’m not happy. But then, I’m not nearly as unhappy as Benny Chin’s mother, who’ll never see her son again. And what about Benny’s secretary, Park?”
The men looked at one another a moment in confusion before The Major answered. “We had nothing to do with the death of Park,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “The woman performed a task on our behalf and was paid handsomely but didn’t know who we were. We had no reason to kill her.”
She stared at the men. They seemed sincere, which didn’t really mean much. It had occurred to Bai that Sammy Tu might have killed Park to silence her. Then again, Park was an alcoholic gambling addict who’d come into a windfall. They might never find out who killed the woman.
“And the attempts on my life?” she asked.
“I’m sorry we tried to have you killed,” Oscar Martinez said lamely. “But what’s done is done. You’ve got your money.” He put his hand out for the papers.
“There’s one more thing,” she said, looking at Romano. “I want to know why John Romano’s son assaulted my daughter at her school.”
She watched as the men exchanged glances with one another. Apparently, no one, other than Romano, knew what she was talking about.
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