by HN Wake
“He stopped professor when there were ten boys standing. He spoke. It was first time I ever heard him. A deep voice. And it…” she gestured with her hands, a wideness, an expanse.
Mac helped her, “Resonated?”
“Yes. Resonated. Even though I was in back row, I hear him clearly. He said, ‘You will come with me. We have exciting project for you.’ I watched the boys. They smiled. I wondered if they knew what he was offering was exciting or dangerous.”
“Why dangerous?”
“He looked very senior. Very much PLA. They stand straight, shoulders back. I knew he was PLA.”
Mac nodded.
Lily continued, “So, ten boys put together their books and bags. He is walking up aisle. I am watching him, this big man. Then he is there. Next to me in the aisle.”
In the hotel suite, Lily turned to her right, remembering the scene when Fang Gaoli approached her. In her mind, he was striding up the rising aisle toward the back of the hall. Lily’s eyes rose, he was standing there, next to her.
“He stopped.” Her face was raised now, looking into his. “He said, ‘I will take her too.’”
Mac asked softly, “How old were you?”
“Eighteen. My first year at BeiDa.”
“You went with him.”
“I had no choice.” Lily took a sip of her champagne.
Mac sipped as well. It was dry and expensive. Lily was running up Fang’s bill with this bottle.
Outside, the bridge was still lit, and Mac wondered if they ever turned off the lights. She said, “You never went back to University.”
“No.”
“You’ve been with him ever since.”
“Three years. He pays for apartment. He pays for my parents. They are sick now. My father has lung cancer. My mother…” Lily hesitated. “The factory where she worked extra to pay for my tutor, they used chemicals. Her brain is no longer. She is also dying. But, she does not realize this. A small blessing.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“He pays for the medical bills for both parents. But, they will be gone soon. This is reality. This is their life, parents of only a girl.”
There was a long silence in the cold room.
Lily placed her hand over her wrist. “I have no choice but to come to the Americans. He is done with me. He has new girl, new apartment. Either way, I have no choice.”
“How long ago did he get the new girl, the new apartment?”
“Three months ago.”
Another long, silent moment passed between them.
Lily made one, final comment. “If I do not make this negotiation with the Americans, if I do not get out, then my parents’ lives were meaningless. If I do not succeed, there is no trace of my family on the world.”
Mac stood, slipped on her black wig, and adjusted her croupier vest. “Give me fifteen minutes. Then, text him and ask him to send the bodyguard. Tell him you heard something that he needs to check out.”
Mac entered Salon 1 for the second time unnoticed. There were now eight Chinese men around the poker table. Four of the players wore dark suits, two wore button-down shirts including Fang, another wore a black sweater under a khaki blazer. Five players had folded their hands, and were leaning back, smoking. At the far end of the table, Fang was one of three players still in the current hand. His long fingers rested flat on his cards atop the green felt, his clear gaze observed his opponents, his demeanor more shrewd politician than evil, military strategist.
Nearest her, four large men and Gorilla gazed blankly at the TV screen where an announcer called a horse race. It must be a very boring job to be a bodyguard.
She began cleaning off a tray of pastries. She swept a rag over the side table slowly. At the poker table, the dealer dealt the last of the hand. Fang’s eyebrows raised in acknowledgement of his win, then he began scooping up a huge pile of chips.
Fang paused, slipped one hand into his breast pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and read a text message. He motioned for Gorilla. Something Fang said in Gorilla’s ear sent the big man heading out the door.
The dealer began dealing a new hand. Mac pulled the plastic bag from the trash bin, tied it off. Next to her, one of the bodyguards, an unusually thin man, glanced at the poker table. Khaki Blazer gave the thin bodyguard a nearly imperceptible nod. A moment later, the thin man followed Gorilla out.
The operation just got a whole lot more crowded. And complicated.
Hiding her cell phone under a draped linen and a tray of dirty glasses, Mac shot a rapid series of photos of Khaki Blazer at the table as she followed the thin man out.
Odom picked up quickly. “Odom.”
“It’s me. I’m waiting.” From her position inside the Starbucks, Mac stared over the vast, glittering casino hall.
“I don’t have news, yet.”
“I can’t wait much longer. There is a tail.”
“What?” Odom’s breath caught.
“I don’t know who he is but he looks official. He’s good. And, he travels with a second. He was in playing poker with the boyfriend.”
“Christ. Uhm--”
“What?” she asked.
“Remember when I said I wasn’t totally confident about this op?”
As she looked out over the casino floor, the din of voices, clanging machines, and muzak faded. She could almost make out the hum of electricity, authentic against the phony vitality.
Odom continued, “Well, Woodall Ratner at Beijing Station communicated an hour ago that he now has more intel from his sources.”
She thought of the many hopeful faces to whom she had made many fake promises. Odom’s voice sounded far away.
He continued, “Apparently Fang Gaoli has recently been promoted inside Military Intelligence, as we suspected. But, the scuttle butt has it that he was promoted because he has promised a big reveal soon.”
She could almost feel the cold, filtered air rushing from the ceiling vents, settling down around the soulless crowd.
Odom concluded, “So it would seem your guinea pig is the big reveal.”
There was no humanity here. It was a sea of falsehoods.
She rallied to convince him. “Odom, don’t you see? This confirms she’s an incredibly valuable asset.”
“Mac, the point is that Fang has staked his career on her. Ratner believes we may be playing with something too hot.”
Her eyes closed. She knew this had been coming.
“Listen, Mac, we didn’t know this.”
“Nine hours ago.”
“Yes. Nine hours ago we didn’t know that this operation could cause an international dispute. If they find out it was us that extracted her, we’re going to catch some serious heat. The ‘supposed’ sample may not be worth it.”
She pinched the corner of her eyelids to her nose.
He said, “Sit tight. The powers that be are debating this. As we speak. I’ll get you an answer--”
She hung up. The cold air was finally chilling her.
There was a message in the chat room from 89.
“First, I found a buyer. Second, he said what you’ve got is some scary ass shit. It could go sideways, very quickly.”
She typed back, “Does he have an offer?”
“US$10M. To a Bahamas account.”
“Any instructions on moving the sample?”
“You have to make the adhesive rigid. It can’t bend or flex or it will destroy the sample. He won’t buy it then.”
She scanned the casino floor, her mind spinning.
“How rigid?”
“The skin has to remain in a solid form.”
“Roger that.”
The escape hatch had just opened.
7
02:40
Moving quickly, Mac closed the suite door behind her. Lily had been catnapping, her head slumped against the back of the chair. Mac noticed that her lips had tiny cracks. She woke her, “We’re going. It’s time.”
Mac strode to the bathroom and flicked
on the light. She rummaged through Fang’s toiletry case and found his razor. She pocketed this as she pulled out a bundle of beige fabric.
She dialed Herbie, said, “Herbie, it’s Mac again.”
“Hi there.”
“I’ve got two more favors to ask.”
“A good night for it. I just got some snarky ass email from Langley about you.”
It just kept piling up. “Yeah? What did they want?”
“They reiterated that I needed approval before I handed over the passport,” he snorted.
“Who was it?”
“Some jackass named Odom.”
“Crap. I’m sorry, I’m not looking to get you in trouble.”
“Yeah, here’s the thing, it’s the middle of the night and that email just dropped into my inbox. No telling when I’m going to see it. As far as HQ knows, I’m in bed. I won’t likely see that email till tomorrow morning.”
Thank God for the quirky, independent thinkers in the Agency. “Thanks, Herbie. I seriously owe you.”
“What’s this second favor you need?”
“I need a fast ride to Hong Kong. Not public.”
“Understood. What time?”
“Soon.”
“I’ll get it organized now. You call me when you’re ready.”
“I seriously owe you.”
“I know. It’s great. What’s the last favor?”
Mac looked at the photo on her phone of the man in the khaki blazer. “I’m sending you a photo. Let me know if you know him.”
“I’m on it.”
“Now I seriously owe you big-time.”
“I know.” She could almost hear his grin. “Listen Mac, from what I understand, you’re just doing the job we were sent out here to do. It’s so fucking rare these days.”
“Thank you.” She glanced at her reflection in the fogged window. She wanted to look strong, gritty, solid, but instead she just saw herself.
Back in the living room she tossed the fabric to Lily. “Put this on. Including the head scarf. And, wipe off your makeup.”
Five minutes later, Lily stepped out of the bathroom transformed into an Indonesian Muslim in full beige from fingertip to toe, a head scarf wrapped tightly around her face.
“And these.” Mac handed her big, dark sunglasses. “Is there anything you want to take with you?”
Lily picked up her purse, pulled out a worn manila envelope. “Only this. Photos.”
“Leave any identity documents and your cell phone.”
When they left the suite, Mac put her hand under Lily’s arm, steadying her. They hurried toward the elevator bank down the empty, silent hallway, their footfalls cushioned by plush carpet. Mac pressed the elevator button and they watched the display as the car traveled upwards. The elevator doors opened with a ping. Inside, Gorilla stared blankly ahead.
Lily stiffened. Mac grabbed her arm, swung her around and braced her, as she rushed them back down the hall.
Behind them, it took Gorilla a moment to recognize Lily. Just as they reached the suite’s door, he yelled out a command in Mandarin. Lily gasped and let out a tiny squeal. He called again, launching himself down the hallway.
At the suite’s door, Mac swiped the key card, hurled Lily inside, and slammed the door.
“Move aside,” Mac hissed, as she reached into her bag and stepped behind the door.
A minute later, the door handle clamored up and down. It went silent. Gorilla must be digging for his key card.
Before Lily could hide in the bathroom, the door lock pinged, the light turned green, the door swung open, and Gorilla burst into the room. He stopped short, surveying the suite. From her hiding place behind the door, Mac nimbly advanced toward his back, placed the Taser under his armpit, and squeezed.
Gorilla stiffened. His body seized wildly. Mac leapt aside as he slumped, landing listless and faceup on the carpet.
Mac dropped down next to him, fished in his jacket pocket, and threw his cell phone to Lily.
“Drop that in the toilet.”
She rolled his bulk over and positioned his head sideways so he could breathe. She yanked zip ties around his wrists and ankles.
“We need to go now. We’ve got fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.” Her phone rang. The display read Herbie’s telephone number. She picked up, “What’s up?”
“The photo you just sent me?”
She stood still over Gorilla. “Yeah?”
“I ran it through our local database. That’s goddamned Song!”
“Who is Song?”
“He’s the Chinese State Security’s—Guabao’s--top cleaner. You are in some serious shit right now, Mac. I mean, when you have State Security breathing down your neck it’s one thing. When they send in their top cleaner, they’re ON your neck. This is tangible, my friend. This is off the charts. I don’t know what to tell you other than get yourself extricated alone, and I do mean alone. This is your only safe bet.”
Mac glanced down at the collapsed hulk of Gorilla at her feet, then up at Lily’s terrified face. She said, “It’s too late for that.”
Herbie responded immediately, “Roger that.” Bless the quirky ones.
“I’m gonna need that passport and that ride.”
“I’ll track you in the lobby.”
“Give me twenty.”
“Roger that.”
On the casino floor, Mac circled them around to the Starbucks. “Wait here,” she said, as she stepped into the coffee shop. From the display, she picked up a steel travel mug, paid for it, then led Lily to the staff elevator.
In the basement, they hurried down the long hallway to the third door. Inside the cavernous mechanical room, it was dark except for a blue light glowing from a fire alarm high on the wall.
Mac led Lily to a ten-foot-tall gas canister standing in the far corner. It had a spout at waist level and a brass gauge affixed to the top that sprouted flexible, plastic hoses extending for twenty feet before disappearing through the ceiling. The pipes led through the floors above, mixing bubbles with the soda dispensers at the casino’s bars. In its natural state carbon dioxide was an easily manipulated gas. Under increasing levels of pressure—as in a canister--it transitions first into a liquid then into a solid called dry ice.
A release valve on the gauge suddenly opened and a powerful plume of gas shrieked out.
Lily gasped, “What is that?”
“It’s just a release, letting out the gas buildup.”
The gas geyser shot upwards three feet, billowing out and dissipating into a fog that swirled around them. The corner of the cavernous room was soon filled with circling whorls of blue-gray movement.
From her bag, Mac pulled out Fang’s razor and the duct tape. She handed Lily the razor. “Take out the razor blade and hold it ready for me.”
“What are you going to do?”
Mac faced her. “I’m going to release some of the liquid CO2 into the mug, then I’m going to freeze the skin around the sample on your wrist. It will keep it from bending. Then, I will cut it out.”
Lily blinked, trying to focus. She swallowed and held out her forearm.
Mac handed her a linen napkin. “Bite into this.”
Lily swallowed, placed the napkin in her dry mouth.
Mac placed the mug under the spigot and turned it on. The liquid was accompanied by a gas cloud as it poured into the mug.
She looked up at a pale, frightened Lily who nodded, fear on her face. Mac placed Lily’s wrist on the top of the open mug and turned them both over. Lily bit down on the linen and squeezed her eyes shut, her arm stiffened in pain, her face contorted. Mac counted out three seconds then flipped the wrist back over and set down the mug.
With the razor, Mac sliced a millimeter deep into Lily’s wrist. The skin was frozen, blue, and crackled but did not bleed. She extended the first slice an inch long, followed up with three more perpendicular slices to form a square. Turning the razor on its side, she sliced under the skin, releasing the square from Lily�
��s wrist and letting it rest it on the blade.
She dropped the blade and the skin into the mug, topped it off from the spigot, and tightly twisted the lid on. She set the folded napkin against the wound and wrapped it tightly with duct tape.
Lily lurched forward slightly then righted herself, unsteady on her feet. She nodded through tears.
Mac held up the steel travel mug. “The square I just removed has frozen in the liquid CO2 into an ice cube. It will float in here safe, solid, long enough for us to get it to its destination.” She whispered, “It’s out of you. You’re free.”
8
03:10
With Lily at her side, Mac stepped from the elevator into the Wynn lobby. She saw him immediately, a tall, thin, white man with flaming red hair and a huge, caterpillar mustache. He was watching them. She pulled out her burner phone and rang Herbie Linen’s number.
Mustache looked away as he answered his phone. “You good?”
She turned toward the lobby door, ignoring him, and led Lily across the marble floor. “You have a car?”
“Of course. Shining. Steed. Knight. All that jazz. I’m your man.”
“Can you follow us? We may have that tail. I want to throw them off. We’ll head to the ferry terminal.”
“Done.”
His long legs beat them to the lobby door and he disappeared around the corner.
Mac and Lily followed closely behind, cleared the hotel door, and stepped into the short taxi line. Within minutes they were being directed into a taxi. As they jumped in, the old, weathered driver asked, “Where you go?”
As Lily closed the taxi door, Gorilla appeared at the window. She whelped.
Mac leaned across her, snapped the door lock down, and urged the old driver with a raised voice. “Ferry terminal. Now.” She dropped two $100 bills on the black leather seat next to him.
Gorilla grabbed the taxi door handle and wrenched it up and down. Behind him, Fang Gaoli glared at Lily, stiff and livid.