by Jack July
Cai nodded as his father stood, gave him a little bow then left the room.
Cai was working his way through the five stages of grief. He remained isolated for a few more days before stage two, the anger, began to flood his body. He never visited the last three stages. Nurtured by his new tutor, a lovely Chinese woman steeped in the ways of Chinese nationalism, his attitude began to change. When Cai would do well, she would do as Cho had instructed. She would disrobe and teach Cai about women and sex, building him up, praising his power as a man and a lover, then hinting revenge against those who had wronged him. She was very effective.
Cai made a new friend, a son of an embassy employee, Kang Hu. Hu took Cai places where Chinese kids discussed nationalism and listened to heavy metal music that they made with messages of violence and dominance. Then Cai experimented with some things he had never before experienced, drugs and alcohol. He particularly enjoyed cocaine and meth. Those drugs gave him the feeling of invincibility, heightened his rage and fueled his need for revenge. He would have his revenge.
After a night of drug-fueled partying, Cai stood along a jogging trail watching and waiting. She came here every Saturday morning to run. There had been a time when Cai would wait for her at the beginning of the trail. He would take her a sports drink then walk her home. Not today, today Cassidy would not go home.
He saw her coming around a narrow bend and stepped out of the bushes. Cassidy was startled then smiled. “Cai, it is so good to see you, I miss you. How are you?” She said with that perfectly white-tooth smile. Cai gave his own smile in return then motioned her behind the bushes to a small clearing. Cassidy caught the look in his eyes and knew there was something wrong. He slowly moved toward her violating her personal space. She felt unease, but not fear. Then he slammed the six-inch blade of the knife into her stomach. “Who am I?” he growled.
Cassidy made a small grunt and surprise registered on her face followed by panic. She started to back away when he stabbed her again and screamed, “WHO AM I?” She fell backwards and he landed on her with the fury of a starving predator. With each stab of the knife he screamed, “I AM LONG CAI!”
He stabbed her until his arm became unable to lift the knife. He rolled off of her and sat up. The knife fell from his hand. Cai looked at his hand with wonder, blood dripping from it where his hand had slid off the handle down to the blade leaving several slices on his palm. He sat, watched, and listened to her final moments before death. He smiled at her body; even covered in blood it was perfect. He became aroused and for his last act of brutality, he pulled of her shorts and took what he wanted. It was at that moment Cai’s bloodlust was born.
It took the police less than six hours to figure out the likely perpetrator. By then Cai was on a jet at thirty-five thousand feet headed for China. The local police were forced to hand the investigation to the Feds. The Chinese would not co-operate and expressed little concern. To them rules were rules and Cai had diplomatic immunity. Cassidy’s mother raised so much hell at the NSA she was forced to resign. Cassidy’s father pulled every string he could think of as a lobbyist but in the end alienated so many politicians that he too lost his position. Cassidy’s parents divorced and went their separate ways. Cai never knew his destruction was complete.
A little known CIA operation was executed without knowledge of the sitting President. A two-man team went after Cai in China. One of the men was Cody Harrick’s friend and mentor, Goutin Ho. Neither man returned from the mission.
Cai was given a twenty-five million dollar trust fund at 18 years of age. He traveled the world satisfying his bloodlust, buying women through the human slave trade. Most were third world natives with dark skin and hair. Europeans were rare, and blondes even more rare. He was stabbed and nearly killed by a German prostitute while he attempted to beat her. He started looking for younger and weaker women who he could handle without fear. While hosting a small party for some of his slave trade “friends,” he jokingly wondered out loud to a leader in a Mexican cartel, how much would a blonde eight-year-old American cost. The man shrugged his shoulders and said, “two hundred thousand dollars.” Two weeks later, he had his first pretty little blonde American girl.
CHAPTER 38
November 26th 9:00 A.M.
Edie handed out copies of Long Cai’s picture. It was from a high school yearbook. “He should be around twenty-four years old,” said Edie.
“Okay, Cody, Elle, let’s take a little walk around the Chinese Embassy, let them know we‘re looking and see what they do.”
Danny shook his head and said, “Be careful poking the dragon.”
Tatiana snarled at him, “Fuck them, they shouldn’t have poked me. Let’s go.”
An hour later Tatiana and Elle got off the train at Holzmark Street. They quickly separated. T went left and walked across the bridge at Alexander Street over the River Spree. The Embassy was located on the right on the other side of the bridge. Elle waited until T made it to the bridge then waved down a taxi. She requested to be taken to the Brazilian embassy a block and a half east of the Chinese embassy. The embassies were separated by the Markisches Museum. Elle began to stroll toward the museum as T made a lap around the embassy stopping and smiling at each camera. The Chinese knew who she was. They had no idea about Elle. Elle bought a soda and a paper from a street vendor and sat on a bench on the east side of the museum. She had clear view of the west side of the Chinese embassy.
After Tatiana completed her lap she made her way to a park located behind the museum. Elle went the other way around the museum. They passed each other on the main paved walk in the park, then Elle took a seat on a bench. She immediately began to scan the park. On this workday there were not many people. Elle saw an older Chinese man in a worn gray suit walking with a cane. A jogger approached, wearing a fanny pack, and was quickly gaining on Tatiana who stopped to look around as the jogger passed her.
The old man walked by Elle as she sat on the bench. She looked at him, smiled, and he returned the smile. She thought about something important. In Europe, unlike America, people rarely smile at each other. He had smiled back. She also noticed something else, something that made her pause. As he approached Tatiana, she turned away and continued to walk. Elle got up and walked quickly, catching up to the old man. His hand went into his coat and Elle’s went into hers. It would be a race to get off the first shot.
Elle double tapped the old Chinaman, one between the shoulder blades and one to the back of the head. The man went down. The gun fell out of his hand and made a clinking noise as it bounced across the side walk. T spun with her weapon drawn and fired two shots past Elle’s head. A man behind Elle fell to the ground, his weapon also falling out of his hand. Elle didn’t know which way to turn. Suddenly a squeal of tires got their attention as Cody stopped along the road about thirty yards away. They both took a quick walk to the car, climbed in and Cody sped away.
As they put distance between themselves and the embassy Tatiana smiled at Elle and asked, “How did you know it was the old man?”
“He smiled back at me. And he had a manicure; I saw his nails shine. That just wasn’t right.”
“Very good. Now, why didn’t you see his partner?”
“I don’t know; I don’t know where he came from.”
“He was walking parallel to me the whole time. He was walking in the grass on the other side of the trees to my left. He was dressed as a park worker. Remember, they work in pairs; sometimes there are three of them. It’s not the first one that gets you. It’s the second one. Nice job.”
Elle began to shake, “Why am I shaking now?”
“Adrenalin, you’ll be fine in a few minutes. Now we know, it’s the fucking Chinese. This just got real interesting.”
Danny was bored so he kept going over everything they had, looking for something, anything that could give a clue. He went back down the list of things found in the photos of the room and saw
a flower. “Hey Edie, where is this flower on the list?”
She grabbed the master list with the items numbered that coordinated with the pictures. “What’s the number?” asked Edie.
“Item 77.”
“That shows it in the corner on the floor.”
Danny looked at it for a moment then said, “Can we blow that up?”
“Sure.”
Edie pressed a few buttons and a blurry picture that looked like a flower appeared. “Can we clean it up?”
“Let me play with it for a few minutes.”
After about fifteen minutes Edie said, “How about this?”
“That’s not a flower. That’s the painted knob on a valve. Do you have anyone here that knows anything about valves?”
“Yes, Atila Kis, he’s been doing maintenance since the Third Reich. I’ll get him down here.”
A half hour later there was a small knock on the door. The spry old German walked in and smiled at Edie. He only spoke German so Edie pointed to the picture and asked, “What is that?”
“A valve.”
I deserved that, thought Edie. “What kind of valve?”
“An old one.”
“Okay, can you tell me anything about it?”
“No, but I know someone that can. Do you have a picture I can have?”
Edie nodded and printed off a screen shot. “I’ll be back in awhile,” said Atila.
After days of interrogation, Reyes finally cracked. He told them the truth in return for immunity. Kristy was on the Constantinople headed for Germany. He didn’t know which port. The officers in charge phoned Adele.
“You can’t offer him immunity.”
“He doesn’t know that,” said the officer.
“Okay, stay on him and when we find Kristy, kill him,” said Adele, then she hung up.
Adele picked up the phone and called Director Dotson. “Tell the CNO and the NSA that she is on the Constantinople.”
The hunt was on.
A soft knock on the cabin door got Aida’s attention. She opened the door and Louis the cook had a grilled cheese sandwich for Kristy. Kristy was asleep so Aida took it, nodded and shut the door. Then she ate it.
On the bridge Captain Sanjay was still trying to plot the best course to stay out of the sea-lanes. The sat phone rang with his final destination. “Captain, there is an old World War Two U-boat pen not far from Cuxhaven with one operational crane. That’s where you will drop your final shipment. I have sent you the co-ordinates.”
“Aye aye,” said Sanjay. He would run north at full speed out of the sea-lane past the port, then hug the coast coming south. Hopefully he would not be suspected coming from that direction. He was racked with guilt over Captain Bastos. But maybe, just maybe he could some how find out if the little girl Bastos adored was in danger. It was the least he could do for him.
CHAPTER 39
November 26th 6:00 P.M.
Cai walked into the Chinese embassy, past security with a wave and then to his fathers office. “Cai! come in,” his father exclaimed happy to see him.
“Hello Father.”
“Have you eaten?”
“I’m fine,” replied Cai.
Cho’s face became more serious then he asked, “Cai, other than your movies, are you involved with anything else?”
“No, Father, nothing.”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think you are being hunted by a very dangerous person. The Americans call her T. I want you to hide, stay out of sight until we know what she wants.”
“I am not afraid.”
“You need to be. I am. Please, this is important, listen. Okay?”
Cai nodded his head and said, “Okay Father, if it is your wish.”
“It is my wish, please.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Now, tell me, what have you been doing…?”
Elle, T, and Cody returned to the underground communications center to find Danny and Edie hard at work. They were putting still photos up on the screen taken of personnel coming and going from the embassy. They were comparing these photos to Long Cai, so far without any success.
“Anything?” asked T.
“No,” replied Danny. “We are waiting for a call about the origin of the finances. Thing One ran it down.”
“Put Long Cai’s picture on the left screen, then let’s look at them one at a time. He has been there, I’m sure of it.”
A light flashed on the console signaling an incoming message. It was Virginia, who seemed bored and disinterested as usual. Tatiana looked up at the screen on the far right and asked, “What do you have Virginia?”
“The money is split up in accounts all over the world. Different names, although one seems more common than the others, Lew Hong.”
“Anything else?”
“Nope,” then Virginia laughed.
“What?” asked Tatiana.
Virginia could see the pictures being compared on the other wall. “Those Ching Chongs sure like their nose jobs,” said Virginia.
“You are a racist piece of shit,” said a disgusted Danny.
“Danny!” Tatiana looked over at him and shook her head no.
“How do you know that?”
“Read it in People Magazine. The CHING CHONGS,” she put on an emphasis just to piss off Danny, “love looking like Americans.”
T nodded her head and said, “Thanks Virginia, good job.”
Danny punched the hang up button a bit too hard. Edie spoke up and said, “She’s right you know, as nationalistic as many Asians can be they are paying lots of money to look European. Especially the Chinese, for some reason, they don’t like their faces. They have big cheekbones, big mandible angle and a low profile nose. They want to have a westernized face, high profile nose, slender cheekbone, and mandible bone. If Long Cai had work done, it would not be unusual”
“Do you think we could take Long Cai’s photo and transform it using the types of surgical procedures that are common?” asked Tatiana.
“I can’t, but I know who can. Give me some time,” said Edie.
“Okay, but we are running out of time. Danny, put the name Lew Hong out to various agencies, see what we get.”
“Roger that T.”
A faint knock was heard on the door. Edie looked at the camera monitor and saw Atila. She hit the button and let him in. Edie asked him, “What did you find out?”
“It’s an old valve made by a Dutch company in the late thirties, early forties. It’s special because there are not many of them. This is why the knob is of such a unique design. They were very proud of it. This particular valve was made to handle extremely corrosive liquids.”
Tatiana spoke enough German that it got her attention. “How do you know this?” she asked in German.
“My friend works for Franz Joost and sons. It’s the oldest valve distributor in Europe. That is his job to know these things.”
“Where would they use such a valve?” asked Edie.
“I thought to ask him that,” said Atila with a smile, “Here is a list.”
Edie walked around the console and gave him a hug that made him blush. She took the list and said, “Thank you Atila.”
Atila smiled and left.
Edie started to read aloud, “U-boat batteries, refineries, metal plating, the V-1 and V-2 rocket programs, chemical manufacturing and other smaller specific industries. That’s a lot of buildings to look through.”
“How many of those are in Berlin?” asked Elle.
“Are you sure you want to focus on Berlin?” asked Danny.
“It’s where the stuff was bought for the little girls’ room. It has to be close,” said Cody.
“We have to focus somewhere. Okay, Edie, narrow it down for us,” said Tatiana.
Edie too
k the list and started tapping on the computer.
Aida was snoring, so Kristy knew she was sound asleep. Kristy’s stomach was growling; she hadn’t eaten in over a day. As quiet as a mouse she crept to the door and slowly opened it. She had to go really slow so it wouldn’t creak too loud, but eventually it was opened enough for her to squeeze through. She slowly closed it behind her.
She ran down the passageway, up a ladder and to the other side of the ship where the galley was located. No one was eating but she heard someone in the kitchen. She peeked around the corner and saw Louis.
“Mi angelito” said Louis.
“Hi,” said Kristy.
Louis understood very little English but he knew hungry when he saw it. He put his fingers to his mouth like he was pretending to eat. Kristy nodded her head yes. He picked her up and sat her on the counter across from the stove. That’s when he saw the black and blue mark on her cheek. His demeanor changed quickly although Kristy didn’t understand why. He gently tilted her head back so he could see it better. He could see fear in her eyes because his expression changed, so he began smiling again.
“Flip cakes?” asked Louis with a smile. Kristy nodded her head yes. He began to lay the ingredients on the counter, when a furious Aida barged into the kitchen and reached for Kristy. He stepped in between them, pulled a carving knife from the butcher block and laid it next to her head then growled “No le hagas daño a esta niña.”
Captain Sanjay was getting coffee when he heard the commotion. He yelled at Louis to stop. Louis pointed out the bruise on Kristy. Sanjay’s head snapped around looking at Aida. He said, “You have beaten this child? That’s a crime on my ship. You will be confined to quarters until we make port.”
Aida snapped back, “You can’t do that, I work for the cartel.”
Captain Sanjay got in her face and said “So do I, and I am responsible for you and her. You can go on your own, or I can drag you.”