Dead Promise

by Linda Wells

  “I will. I promise,” she said, knowing it wouldn’t be soon.

  8

  Dr. Eric Adams was pissed. He was sick of all the questions. His attorney, Dan Sloane, one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Maryland, had given him instructions not to answer any questions, but that wasn’t Eric’s style. He knew he was talking too much, but he wasn’t going to be falsely accused of some bullshit charge.

  Eric was lucky to retain Sloane on such short notice. It would cost him, but the charges were serious. He wasn’t dealing with a parking ticket. He was dealing with possible charges of espionage, treason, and even murder. He wondered what the bitch, Suzy Chen, had said about him. She was the one they needed to be questioning, not him. He had given her the position of assistant director of the lab, and God only knew what her involvement had been in this whole thing. He had fucked her over, but love affairs don’t last forever. Suzy knew that going in, or should have. And the FBI let her go home. Lab security had been breached, and he had full responsibility for everything that happened on his watch. But damn! He wasn’t going down for something he didn’t do. His thoughts were all over the place. Maybe he had been a little lax lately, with the long lunch breaks, but Suzy had been a trusted employee, his right hand at the lab. They may have had their personal problems, but she had always been the utmost professional. If anything, she had been supportive, covering for him whenever he asked. Even after their unfortunate, ill-timed breakup. She resented him, but it had not affected their working relationship. At least, he thought it hadn’t. She had moved on to someone else; that’s what he had heard. So what was her fucking problem?

  He wondered if Suzy had planted some evidence implicating him. So he had cheated on her when they were dating. He knew she was pissed off, but would she act so irrationally that she would jeopardize lab security and her own career just because of one small indiscretion? He hadn’t wanted to lose her. She was the most exciting lover he had ever been with. Plus she was smart and beautiful. He had slipped, a minor dalliance, and she had overreacted. She’d snuck into his house and found him in bed with Beth, Chen’s personal assistant. What kind of crazy bitch would sneak into his house to check up on him? She didn’t see who he was with, but it didn’t matter. She had seen enough. Suzy had gone berserk. He’d tried to explain, but she wouldn’t listen. He would never plead with any woman again. He didn’t need that kind of possessive personality in his life. How could he have known she was serious? Maybe she thought he was going to marry her. He had told her he loved her, but he didn’t think she was expecting a commitment. No self-serving bitch was going to put a chokehold on him.

  “My God,” thought Eric. “What kind of insane person would commit such a sick and deadly act of terrorism?”

  He still couldn’t believe that all of this was happening, and that it had happened at his lab. Someone had stolen samples of the H5N1 virus, mutated it, and released it on a Manhattan subway platform. It appeared to him that more than one person was involved. But whoever had stolen the virus from his lab, if that was what had happened, had to have been a scientist who knew the lab inside and out and knew exactly what he or she was doing. But who delivered the agent? How was it stolen? Security measures were tight, and only someone on the inside could have done it.

  The more questions they asked him, the more incredulous he became. Even his attorney seemed shocked. Perhaps he was becoming more convinced of his client’s innocence. Eric knew his own reputation was without question, and he was renowned in his field. But the FBI must have something, or they wouldn’t have been interrogating him like a common criminal.

  Eric tried to remember what had happened that day, the “lunch meeting” he’d had with Karen from Human Resources. “Lunch” had taken a little longer than he had planned. She had been flirtatious and eager to have lunch with him, but she seemed surprised when they arrived at the hotel. He didn’t know why. She seemed to be begging for it. He had coaxed her into the room, saying they would have just one drink, and he promised to let her call the shots. He had taken a bottle of scotch with him, and she seemed to enjoy the drink. He’d hoped it would loosen her up. He knew she wanted him, but she kept holding him off. He got sick of her cat-and-mouse game pretty quickly. He would not put up with her shit, and after a struggle, he got what he wanted. If the bitch had cooperated, he wouldn’t have been late getting back to the lab. Stupid, stupid, stupid! When he returned, Chen had been pissed off because she’d had to field questions from the FBI. He should have been more discreet about his nooners, but what the hell. It was no one’s business but his. Until now. A major shit storm had hit the fan, and he wasn’t going down for a federal crime he didn’t commit. He would kill whoever set him up. He kept thinking of Chen and how she had reacted to him when he had returned from his liaison earlier that day. That cunning bitch. And where the hell was she?

  9

  Wally Weber had gotten some sleep, but he was stiff from being curled up on a bench seat in the back of the van for six hours. And he was hotter than hell. Plus he needed coffee. He reached forward, grabbed the thermos from the console, and gulped down the last of the stale liquid. He would get some more inside the lab. He brushed his thinning gray hair with his hands, buttoned his collar, and straightened his wrinkled tie. His hand automatically went to his hip, making sure the Glock 22 was still in its holster. It was a reflex after thirty years.

  “What the hell,” he thought.

  He felt as if he hadn’t slept at all. He didn’t give a shit. He wanted to stay close to his team, so he’d slept in the van in the parking lot at the Edgewood lab. Two of the field agents had stayed with Dr. Adams, the lab director, pushing him during the interrogation, and so far they had come up with zip. Adams was smart, but not that smart. Weber figured that the guy was an asshole but not a subversive. But he was still a suspect. Too early to be sure, but all of Wally’s bets were on Chen.

  The tech guys would find out fast, through phone records and e-mails, who did what at the lab and with whom. And someone would talk. Someone always did. Plus the team was searching Chen’s town house. She had a secret lab that could contain the evidence they needed to wrap this up. The twin-sister angle was the leading motive. His opinion. Revenge is sweet, too. He’d seen women like Chen before. Someone had a grievance, bottom line. Could be a terrorist group, but the evidence so far didn’t add up. It all pointed to Chen. A lot of money had been spent, and only a limited number of people had the amount needed to pull this shit off. Chen may have been the technical asset, but someone knew what buttons to push and paid her big bucks. Wally knew the money trail would lead them to whoever did this. And it wouldn’t take long.

  Wally Weber worked out of Quantico and was part of the FBI National Counterterrorism Task Force. He had been the lead bureau investigator in the anthrax attack in ’08. When he closed in on the perpetrator, the asshole had offed himself. Weber was still totally pissed. He had a solid case against the guy. He had been happy when he got the call from Special Agent Reed, asking him to assist in this investigation. Nothing would slip past him this time.

  He checked his cell and read the text saying that George and Mark were on their way. Wally stepped out of the van, his body aching from the cramped sleeping position. He grabbed his gray sport coat, slipped it on over his damp shirt, and headed into the lab, wanting to get out of the heat and get some coffee before Reed and her partner arrived.

  Wally walked past the security guards with a courteous nod and entered the lobby of the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center. The receptionist had been replaced by a member of the bureau security team, laptop open on the desk.

  “Good morning, Wally,” said Steve, one of the agents.

  “Morning, Steve,” answered Wally. “They still have Adams in the conference room?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Thanks.” Wally headed to the coffee room, filled a cup with fresh brew, and sat down at one of the break tables. He pulled out his smartphone and brought up the NCS ev
idence file on Chen. He studied the cryptic note that Graham had found in Chen’s desk.

  4.7: D-Day.

  10 mil. 842-66895. D + 1.

  + L

  Failure unacceptable.

  The Organization.

  He closed the file and stuck the phone back in his pocket. He walked into the lobby and was sucking down his coffee when Mark and George arrived.

  George said, “What have you got?”

  Wally replied, “We don’t have much yet. Adams is sticking to his story. That he was set up. That’s it.”

  “Let’s put the attorney and Adams on hold for a while and have a little chat with the interrogators in the conference room,” said George.

  Wally followed Mark and George as they strode down the short hallway to the conference room.

  George’s cell rang. She looked at the caller ID. “I have to take this call.”

  The guys waited as George picked up. Wally glanced at this watch. It was early, nine thirty.

  “Shit.” She was listening, expressionless. “Get back to me when you have more. Damn.”

  George turned to Wally and Mark. “Let’s talk privately. Outside.”

  Wally followed them out to the van. He knew he wasn’t going to like what he heard. Something was up.

  George said, “Colonel Graham found his friend, NCS agent Greg Hammond, this morning in Graham’s kitchen. Gunshot to the head. We don’t know when it happened. Sometime last night. From forensics, looks like he’s been dead for a while. They’ll let us know the details as they come in. Graham said he’d had too much to drink last night, heard a noise, but things were pretty blurry. Our guy says he’s still drunk and messed up pretty bad.”

  Mark said, “Guess the hit was meant for Graham.”

  “Sounds likely,” said George. “They’re going to keep him under surveillance. I want to talk to him after we wrap things up here.”

  She headed back into the lab. Wally and Mark trailed after her. No one said a word.

  10

  Lee Chen was crying. Her heart was breaking. She hated having to leave the only life she’d ever known, and her true love, Lou E. They had made love that morning. She had felt the longing and emotion in his touch. His kisses were more than passion, an expression of the deep love he felt for her. His hands had touched her intimately, as though memorizing every detail of her body. Afterward, her tears fell on his cheek, and he held her as though he would never let go. Neither could ever say goodbye.

  He had come to her room early that morning, before the other girls were awake, carrying a black nylon suitcase. She’d asked what she had done wrong. He had remained silent, placing the suitcase on the foot of the bed. He’d filled it with her belongings from the rattan dresser drawers and her small closet. Lou E was more than just her lover; she thought of him as her husband. When her questions became pleading, he had wrapped her in his arms and pulled her against him.

  “Lee, my darling, it is not my choice but by government order that you fly to Hong Kong immediately.”

  She held him tighter, more upset than ever by his words. “Why?” She trembled with fear. “Am I going to be executed?”

  She knew prostitution was illegal and thought she was going to be arrested. Lou E and Mick had always protected their charges and paid large sums of money to local government officials for that protection. The girls entertained them lavishly and felt honored to be with such notable and important guests.

  “No.” Lou E was reassuring but solemn. “You’re going on a wonderful trip to Hong Kong. Someone will be awaiting your arrival at the gate, and you will be safe and well cared for. Don’t worry. You must have no fears or concerns.”

  The sadness was there in Lou E’s eyes as he looked at her. She cried as he pulled her even closer, knowing they were sharing their last intimate moments together.

  He kissed her forehead and said, “Shower and prepare yourself. You’ll be happy when you see the new clothing, shoes, and other items that I’ve bought for you.”

  Lee trusted him to do what was best for her. She looked up at him, into his loving eyes, and kissed his mouth. The love between them was everlasting. She went into the bathroom, removed her silk dressing gown, and stepped into the warm shower. As the water flowed over her, she felt an excitement and trust, that there could be a new world, something wondrous in her future. She had read about Hong Kong, and the idea of going there was like a dream. The unknown still frightened her, but Lou E had always protected her, and she knew he always would.

  11

  The crowds at the modern airport in Shanghai overwhelmed Lee. Lou E pulled her aside before they reached security. She looked beautiful in the long-sleeved, knee-length red knit dress and fashionable brown leather boots that Lou E had bought for her. She blended into the cosmopolitan atmosphere, with many staring at the lovely Asian beauty. Lou E held her close to him, her face in his hands, and stared into her eyes. They kissed and embraced, and he promised to see her again. She loved him, trusted him, and believed all the words he had spoken to her. She was naive and childlike, although a strikingly beautiful young woman.

  Lee had lived a different life, isolated in the worn but comfortable hotel that she’d shared with the other girls who pleasured men for money. Lou E ran the hotel, but he’d protected Lee and the girls who lived there and worked for him and Mick. And Lou E eventually had become Lee’s lover. She believed his professed love and trusted that he was doing what was best, putting her on a plane bound for Hong Kong. She didn’t know the reason, only the words he had spoken to her of a new, happy life. She had a happy life with Lou E and her many friends at the hotel, but she trusted him and always did as he asked. He had never harmed her, having brought only good into her life.

  What Lee didn’t know was that Lou E had been paid a great deal of money to ensure her transport to Hong Kong. The Chinese government had also threated retribution if he didn’t. He had no choice. He didn’t know the extent of the Chinese interest in Lee. He just knew that he would face severe repercussions if he didn’t do as they wanted. Lee also didn’t know that he was devastated, losing the true love of his life, and that his only comfort for his broken heart was the knowledge that she would be happy in a way that she could never imagine, and in a way that he could not provide.

  Lee Chen knew no other life, retaining only faded memories of her childhood in the orphanage. She remembered the loving arms of her weeping mother, who had clung to her, and her own attempts to remain in this woman’s grasp for as long as possible. But it had not been possible. Another woman dressed in a white uniform had torn her away. With the cries of her mother still ringing in her ears, Lee was taken to a large room filled with cribs and daybeds, with many other children, some crying, some sleeping, and some just talking. She cried herself to sleep that night, alone, a thin sheet covering her, cold rails of the crib surrounding her.

  She would always remember the day that Mick and Lou E had come to the orphanage. They’d purchased her, she found out later, and taken her to Shanghai, to live with them in their hotel with the other girls who became her family. She survived, doing what she had to do to live and function in the forbidden world of the sex trade. The other girls had told her what was expected, and eventually life became routine. The nights of strangers touching her, the abhorrent acts, the loneliness and sadness. Lee still missed the beautiful woman who had loved her, the mother she had clung to. And the other faded memory, the image never clear, but a missing part of herself. She wanted to know the mysteries of her past, and she believed Lou E’s reassurances that she would find happiness in her new world, along with the answers she had been seeking.

  The government official was waiting for Lee at the security check-in. He was wearing a dark business suit, white shirt, and black tie and carrying a briefcase. He appeared to be an ordinary traveler, going to Hong Kong on business. Lou E gave him a subtle nod, knowing that the Chinese official had recognized Lee. He would accompany her on the long flight from Shanghai to Hong Kon
g. Before they reached the escort, Lou E handed Lee a sealed envelope.

  “Open this after takeoff,” he said.

  She looked down at the envelope and began to cry. He held her close, kissed her, and walked away. She tried to wave goodbye, but the escort grabbed her arm and steered her toward security. When they’d gotten through and grabbed their bags, Lee turned once more, trying to see Lou E, but he was gone. Her heart felt broken, but she knew she couldn’t go back. The only world she’d ever known had just walked out of her life.

  Lee boarded the plane, the escort guiding her to her seat. Lee had a window seat, her escort on the aisle. He’d introduced himself to Lee and told her to let him know if she needed anything. That was all he’d said to her since they’d met. Lee Chen did not know what awaited her in Hong Kong, but her world would be forever changed.

  Lee remembered the envelope Lou E had given her. She pulled it out of her purse and opened it. A photo was tucked inside a folded note. She studied the photo, awestruck. The resemblance was startling. As she read the note, she began to cry. Could all of this be true and not a dream? She would soon find out. She stared out the small window, watching as the plane pushed away from the gate and began its slow taxi to the runway. Lee clutched the envelope to her chest as the plane began to accelerate, the noise deafening. Her heart pounded as the plane took off, leaving everything she’d ever known behind her forever.

  12

  “Art, she’s home,” Betsy said, before swallowing the last bite of her turkey sandwich. “And she sure seems in a hurry.”

  Elizabeth “Betsy” Field and Art Anderson had been sitting in the air-conditioning-and-heating-repair truck all afternoon and evening, two driveways down from Dr. Suzy Chen’s condo. Her neighbors were away on vacation, and no one would pay attention to the HVAC truck, especially in this early June heat wave.