by Andrew Watts
His eyes bulged with fear. Her fingers tightened around his neck. She squeezed hard enough that it hurt. He felt the blood pressure around his face and neck begin to rise. He squirmed with all of his might, but she was incredibly strong and had too much leverage. Bill’s vision grew dark. It felt like she was choking him, but he could still breathe…he could still fight…he could…
Lena rose and walked to the phone, lifting the handle to her ear. She spoke in Mandarin. “Contact the destroyer Lanzhou. Tell them that they must send their alert helicopter. It must land on the north end of the runway at one a.m. Be prepared to take a passenger in restraints. Call me if there are any problems. Once he is on the ship, await my further instruction. Keep him under observation. Do not let him speak with anyone.”
She looked at Bill’s limp body on the floor. Before hanging up the phone, she said, “Also—send a message to Mr. Jinshan. Inform him that I may need to move up our timetable. I have my doubts that the voluntary extraction of information will last a full three weeks.”
5
I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. —Alexander the Great
Present Day
David’s internal clock was all messed up. His nap earlier hadn’t helped. He tried to sleep but couldn’t. He checked his watch. It was almost 1 a.m. A cool sea breeze drifted in from the screened window. A bright half-moon lit up the sliver of sea that was visible from his room. The thunderstorms had passed.
He wanted nothing more than to be able to shut his eyes, fall asleep and then wake up and realize that this had all been just a bad dream. Like in the movies. David could open his eyes and see his wife lying next to him. His girls quietly sleeping down the hall. There would be no CIA operative named Lena, no Red Cell preparing for a future war with China. In his perfectly safe alternate reality, David would have never met Natesh or the Major or any of the consultants on this island.
David sighed. He had too much energy to sleep. And he still had remnants of jet lag from the flight halfway around the world yesterday. Screw it. He was going to take a walk outside.
He threw on his clothes and sneakers and headed down the concrete stairs and outside the barracks. Outside he could hear loud bird songs coming from the jungle-covered mountain. A few large moths fluttered around the light positioned above the barracks door.
David walked along the sandy path towards the beach. He had nothing better to do. Why not? The runway was in between the shore and where he was now. It was a beautiful night. He loved the way the air looked and felt so clear after a storm came through. It was like they sucked up all of the haze and humidity and left nothing but pure crisp air behind.
David walked past the Communications building and heard a rumble in the distance. At first he thought it was the buzzing of an air-conditioning unit or some generator attached to one of the buildings. Then the rumble grew into a reverberation. He recognized that noise. The reverberations got louder and changed pitch. A helicopter. And it was getting closer by the sound of it. Why would it be coming here in the middle of the night? An uneasy feeling grew inside him.
David stood on the gravel path and tried to look into the black sky above the ocean for any sign of an aircraft. Nothing. It was like looking into a black hole.
A set of dim blue lights flickered on at the end of the runway. He could just barely see them, but it was enough for him to notice. Had someone turned them on for the helicopter to land? David heard the sound of a door opening directly behind him, coming from the Communications building.
He hid. He didn’t know why he was doing it, but every instinct in his body pushed him behind a group of tall palms and bushes. He then spread himself flat on the ground and held his breath. The moon was out, but he was in the shadows.
The sounds of the rotors grew and David finally spotted the helo as it passed in front of the moon. Its lights were off. Usually helicopters only did that when they didn’t want to be seen. It was probably military.
David didn’t even hear her. Lena walked right by him, only a few feet in front of his hiding spot. She was alone, wearing some sort of helmet with a clear visor over her face, and walking straight toward the runway. A moment later the helicopter touched down, blowing sand and small shells into the air with its rotor wash. Someone from the helicopter ran out to Lena and then followed her back into the Communications building.
They emerged only seconds later, carrying a large man slouched over their shoulders. It looked like the man was completely limp: either unconscious or worse. If David could have pressed himself completely underground, he would have. Something felt terribly off about this. It was hard for David to see clearly in the darkness. The sound of the rotors made it impossible to hear much more. He held his breath and lay completely still as they passed the bush.
Then he saw the man’s face. It was Bill, the man David had eaten dinner with just several hours earlier. Bill was supposed to have told Lena that he wanted to be sent home to see his sick wife. The moonlight illuminated his thick mess of white hair. They were dragging him to the helicopter. Holy shit. Was he alive?
Lena and the man from the helicopter slowly carried Bill under the spinning rotors and into the cabin of the aircraft. She then left the helicopter and walked back up toward David. His blood chilled. It looked like she was heading right toward his bush. Each step took her closer and closer. The sound of the helicopter was still loud. If he yelled, no one in the building would hear him.
Just as David thought that Lena had spotted him, she stopped and turned toward the runway. The helicopter lifted off and dipped its nose, accelerating and climbing into the night. David could just barely make out the outline of the aircraft, but he was pretty sure that it wasn’t a Seahawk, like the one his sister in the Navy flew. This helicopter looked different. It was smaller and had an enclosed tail. Like the Maryland State Police helicopters that he saw around DC. Or maybe a Coast Guard helicopter. Could that be a Coast Guard helo? No way. Not this far from home. So who was it? And what the hell was Lena doing dropping off an unconscious Bill into the backseat?
With the helicopter out of sight, Lena walked back towards the Communications building. David couldn’t see the entrance from his hiding spot, but he lay in the bushes for a full ten minutes to be sure she was inside.
What did this mean? What was going on? Had Bill gone to her and tried to get off the island? Was this their way of moving him? Had they killed him? David was less sure of who he could trust now than at any time since his kidnapping. He definitely could not trust Lena. Was this Red Cell even legit? Should he try to get off the island or get word out somehow? He had no idea how he could do that.
David finally got up and quickly dusted some of the sand off his clothes. He walked as quietly as he could back to the barracks, looking at the Communications building as he went by to make sure Lena didn’t pop out. There were no windows that he could see through, but there were glass slits at the top of the building that were emanating light.
He arrived at the barracks and opened the door as slowly as possible. He did not want to be seen.
He heard the crunch of someone walking on the gravel coming from the path behind him.
David’s heart raced as he slipped inside and closed the door. He didn’t know if he had been spotted, but it sounded like someone was following him. He tiptoed up the stairs onto the second floor. Coverless halogen bulbs lit the hallway. The brightness ruined his night vision and forced him to squint. He fumbled for his room key as he got to his door.
Footsteps echoed from the concrete stairway David had just walked up. He was almost inside.
“Hello, David,” Lena said. She walked towards him.
There was nothing he could do about the look on his face. That look of instant shock and fear at seeing the one person he hoped not to. He then gave the best impersonation of nonchalance he could muster.
“Hello. What are you doing up here?” He didn’t know what else to say
.
She was all business. “I would ask you the same thing, David. Why are you up so late outside your room? Were you outside?”
“Um, yes. I thought I heard…a helicopter.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. It woke me up. I just went to the door on the ground floor to see if I could see it.”
“And did you? See it?”
“Nah. It was too dark. Do you know what it was doing here? The helicopter?” His fingers hovered around the metal door handle.
“Did you go outside?”
“No. I just looked from the door. Why? Is that okay? I don’t want to break any rules.”
She cocked her head and said, “The helicopter was taking Bill back to his family. His wife is sick. He wanted to get home and see her. I helped him to do so. The helicopter was the best way. I can’t say more. Security. You understand.”
“Oh, sure. Sorry. Well, that’s great that you were able to help him. I’m feeling pretty tired. I should get to bed. This jet lag is playing havoc with my circadian rhythm. Thanks, Lena. See you tomorrow.”
Lena took a step toward him and he instinctively cringed.
She said, “David, it looks like your outfit may have gotten a bit sandy. Better brush off.” She swiped particles of dark island sand off his shirt. He was covered in a thin layer of the stuff from lying on the ground outside. Her face was inches away, and her emotionless eyes peered into his own. He felt his palms sweating. In another place and time, it may have been a come on. But here, it was chilling.
He whispered, “Thanks. Goodnight.”
With that, he turned and entered his room, shutting the door behind him. He stood on the other side of the door sweating, and listening for her footsteps. He heard nothing. Was she just standing there too, listening for his movements? If he stayed still that would be suspicious. He winced as he locked his door, about thirty seconds later than seemed appropriate. A dead bolt had never sounded so loud. He then turned out his lights and got into bed. He could hear noises coming from outside for the next few minutes. It sounded like Lena was going into Bill’s room and rummaging around. Probably packing up his things. A few minutes after that, there was silence.
His thoughts drifted back to his family. Two days earlier David had been captive in a car trunk, his future safety unknown. He’d wanted nothing more than to get home to his wife and children. But he had begun to trust his surroundings and the people that brought him here. He had been convinced of their noble purpose. Until now. Now, he had no idea what to believe.
There was no way he would get any sleep tonight. He wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring. Were they prisoners here? Who could he trust? Had Lena killed Bill? Even if he wasn’t dead, had Bill been removed unconscious just for asking to leave? Was secrecy so important that the CIA would imprison them all? A worse thought: was Lena even CIA? He never saw the face of the man who’d helped her carry Bill. It had been concealed by his helmet and mask. But that helicopter didn’t look like any he had seen in the Navy. Was she even American? David was only certain about one thing: he must figure out how to get off this island alive.
14 years earlier—Washington, DC
* * *
Lena sat in her car and looked at her watch. He should be here any minute. She tried not to be nervous. She told herself that there could be many reasons why he would make contact with her. She was almost finished with her undergraduate degree. And she had performed a few small tasks around the DC area. Mostly surveillance or eavesdropping—things that she had learned from her initial training on how to be an intelligence operative. By all accounts she had performed admirably. Was he here to give her praise? Perhaps this meeting was a simple checkup? Or to discuss future duties? Still, she knew this man’s reputation. Mr. Cheng Jinshan was a very important businessman, and a legendary puppeteer for his network of spies. This visit would not be for a trivial reason.
She parked at the corner of thirty-sixth Street and Prospect. At exactly noon she got out of her car and walked to The Tombs, a swanky Georgetown bar across the street. The inside was dark and empty. It was a weekday and most people wouldn’t arrive until happy hour. A bartender was at the far side of the room, wiping down the glossy tables.
Lena scanned to see if Jinshan was already here.
The bartender spotted her. “You ready to order?” he asked.
“No. Just—”
“Two Dewars on the rocks. We’ll sit by the fireplace.” The hardened voice from behind froze her. She was sixteen when she had last heard that voice. The day that he had recruited her. She tried not to think about that day of tears.
She turned and held out her hand. “Hello, sir.”
“Hello, Lena.” He studied her for a moment and then walked on, disregarding her outstretched hand.
They sat at a long wooden table tucked beside a large brick fireplace. The flames blazed and crackled. A dozen crew paddles formed a semicircle on the stones above the fire.
The bartender brought two heavy glasses of light brown liquid and went back to cleaning.
“Do you drink?” the man asked, taking a sip.
She gave a weak smile. “A little. Not like the others at my school. I have more important things to do with my time.” She felt like this was half evaluation, half job interview.
“I see,” was his only reply.
They sat for a few moments. The silence made her uncomfortable. She tried to think of something appropriate to say but nothing came to mind.
“You’ve done well here,” he said finally.
“Thank you.”
“Your grades and athletic performance have been exemplary. Your linguistic skills are superb. Also…your extracurricular performance has been noted.” She was pretty sure that he didn’t mean school clubs. Her small contributions to the spy trade were likely what he was referring to.
“Thank you.” She nodded, pursing her lips. She was humble. Compliments made her uneasy.
“Still…we’ve watched you closely, Lena. You’ve had specific guidelines on how you can interact with others here.”
The tone of his voice told her that he was going somewhere with this. Her heart stopped. She had been careful. They couldn’t possibly know about him. It had only been a few months. Maybe she had slipped up on something else. Filed a report wrong, possibly? But the pit forming in her stomach told her otherwise. She took a sip from her glass.
“And we’ve observed a few…deviations.”
Her face reddened. They knew. She had hoped to God that it wasn’t about this. She hadn’t meant for it to happen. He was on the track team with her. They had both been at a hotel and had spent some time alone. He was a quiet boy. She liked the attention. She knew that it was against the rules. Just like she did years ago. When she was sixteen.
“You’ve taken a lover.”
She looked at her feet. The taste of whiskey heated her throat.
“It’s alright, Lena. I’m not judging you. You are human, after all. But still, we need to know that you will be able to abide by our strict guidelines in any environment. This program isn’t for everyone. We need deeply committed personnel. You are still in training here. It may not always seem like it. But you are. And you need to keep a minimalist lifestyle. That means no relationships of this nature. You must sacrifice, lest you grow sluggish. Or worse, compromised. We don’t want relationships to inhibit future placement. And we don’t want to ever put you in a position where you could slip and say something to the wrong person.”
She looked at him. For a split second, she thought of denying it. She could deceive him. Say that it was nothing. But with Jinshan, she could not risk it. Never lie to Jinshan. That’s what she had been told by the others. She must take responsibility and hope for the best. “Of course, sir. Of course. It’s my fault. I just—I’m sorry. I’ll break it off at once. I will do better. I’m sorry. Please—”
“No, no. Lena, this isn’t about a relationship.” He took a deep gulp from his glass and laid it on th
e table, ice clinking the edges. “It’s about trust.”
“You can trust me, sir.” She saw all of her hard work slipping away. It was a terrifying prospect. She had spent years training to be here. She didn’t want to go back to what could await her if she failed out of the program.
“We have invested a lot of time and energy into you. As I have stated, your performance has been very high quality. I personally have followed your development, and I see great things in store for you, Lena. But I have to know that I can trust you.”
“Yes, yes. Of course. I am so sorry. Please.” She shook her head. She hoped that she had not jeopardized her career.
“Lena, I am here for two reasons. First, to tell you that I have selected you for a special program. I want you to follow a particular career track. One that many don’t even know exists. If you do this, you will be working on our most covert and most important assignments. You’ll receive a lot more specialized training. And your contribution to your country will be of the utmost importance. In future assignments, you’ll report directly to me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. He was going to let her continue. She could keep moving up. She would retain her honor. Lena nodded vigorously, trying to hold back her emotions.
“The second thing I am here to tell you is that I need you to perform one final act in this segment of your training. I need you to demonstrate your loyalty…your dedication…and your ability to put the mission above all else in your life. If you can do this, I will know that I can trust you. And we can move forward as I described.”
“Of course. Anything. Please just let me know—”
He leaned forward and whispered, “You will kill your boyfriend.”
Her world stopped.
He spoke but she barely heard him. “Please understand: this is not because I think you told him anything about your role with us. I believe you when you say that you have kept your secrets. No, Lena, this order is a way for me to know that you are capable of this kind of thing. If I select you for this special assignment, your future career will require a level of emotional detachment from your professional endeavors that few possess. Some could refer to this quality as heartless, ruthless, cold, calculating. Call it what you will. Lena, you must be all of these things if you are to be a weapon. I don’t need you to be just a listener. I have many listeners. I need you to be, at times, an assassin. You have been trained in many techniques. Now you will put them into action. Show me that you can effectively perform this task.”