by Ron McGee
John’s expression clouded. “Wait—are you talking about Tasha Levi?”
“Yeah. We got separated.”
“Why is Tasha here?”
“She’s trying to help me find you. Which may have gotten her captured or killed!” Ryan knew he must be exhausted because it was hard to keep his emotions in check. Now that he was with his dad, part of him just wanted to let go and be a kid. To throw a tantrum or even cry, which he almost never did. Instead, he asked, “When were you gonna tell me about the ERC?”
“When you were ready.”
“You didn’t think I could handle the truth?”
“Mom and I wanted you to have a normal life. We’ve been training you practically since you were born. But you needed to be old enough to make your own decisions before you chose whether to get involved or not.”
“I don’t want to be involved. And I don’t want you to be, either. I just want to go back to our regular lives and forget all this.” Ryan could see the disappointment in his father’s eyes, but he didn’t care. He’d believed if he could just find his dad, then everything would be all right. John Quinn would figure out what to do. He always had.
But looking at him now, Ryan knew his father wasn’t in any condition to fix this situation. Not in time to help Mom. Only three days were left before Aung Win carried out his threat to kill her if he didn’t get Myat Kaw. And it would take a whole day just to fly back to New York.
Which meant that time was running out fast.
Ryan and Lan locked eyes across the room. He had the feeling she could tell exactly what he was thinking: He’d make whatever sacrifice was necessary if it meant saving his mom.
CHAPTER
34
NEW YORK,
USA
Danny and Kasey met after school, sitting close together on a courtyard bench so they could share Danny’s computer. He had uploaded the video recording Kasey shot of the warehouse, making it easier to see on the bigger screen.
“What is all that stuff?” Kasey asked, pointing to the boxes stacked all around. “I know they weren’t hiding Ryan’s mom there, but they sure seemed like they were being secretive about something.”
Danny highlighted the area of the screen with the boxes and hit a couple of keys. The image enlarged so they could see the side of one of the boxes, which was labeled: LTV Technologies. Danny Googled the company. “Looks like LTV does a lot of work with the US military. Wow—missile-guidance systems, lasers—this is super-high-tech.”
“The United States would never let LTV sell that kind of stuff to a dictatorship like Andakar. It’s too dangerous.”
“Which means they’re probably stealing the technology, then shipping it back to Andakar secretly.” Danny fast-forwarded the video to another section showing a small forklift moving a stack of crates. “Yeah, see there? Those crates are marked with a Red Cross logo. I bet that’s how they get it all out of the country.”
Kasey was excited. “We could use this with the police. I bet this is enough for them to arrest those guys. Maybe they can force them to tell where Ryan’s mom is?”
“But what if they don’t know? Or what if this Aung Win finds out the police are asking questions and just kills her?”
Kasey wasn’t ready to give up on her idea, though. “He could do that anyway. We can tell them they have to be careful.”
Danny thought about it and finally nodded. “Maybe you’re right. But let me email Ryan first. Make sure he’s cool with it.”
“Deal.”
As Danny typed the email, Kasey stood. “But we’re still checking out that other address tonight, right?”
“Will you be able to sneak out?” Danny asked.
“I think so. My dad’s got some event, so it’s just me and my brothers. I’ll tell them I’m crashing early and close my door.” Kasey seemed unsure, admitting: “I’ve never snuck out before.”
Danny nodded. “Me, neither. My mom’ll ground me for a year if she finds out.”
“Then maybe you’d better not do it.” Danny and Kasey both jumped at the voice behind them. The African American woman was tall and imposing, dressed in a dark blue suit and wearing sunglasses. “Sneaking out can lead to all kinds of trouble.”
Kasey recovered first, facing the woman. “It’s really rude to eavesdrop on people.”
“But you hear such interesting things.” The woman smiled, taking off her sunglasses and staring at Danny. “You’re Danny Santiago?”
“Nope. Never heard of him.” Danny stuffed his laptop into his bag and stood next to Kasey.
“Danny, my name is Agent Calloway.” The woman flashed her credentials, revealing the bald-eagle logo of the Central Intelligence Agency. “I’m concerned for a friend of yours.”
“For Kasey?” Danny widened his eyes in mock surprise. “Kasey’s fine—aren’t you, Kasey?”
Agent Calloway smiled, but she wasn’t at all amused. “You know who I mean. Ryan Quinn. He may be in trouble, and I’d like to help.”
Before Danny could deny it, Kasey cut him off. “What do you know about Ryan?”
The agent turned her cool gaze on Kasey. “I know that he hasn’t been seen since Monday evening. Neither has his mother. And his father’s been associating with some bad men. I’m afraid that somehow Ryan and his mom got caught in the middle.”
“Wait,” Kasey said. “You think Ryan’s dad is some kind of criminal?”
“I’m not sure. That’s why we want to talk to him. But maybe you know something about him that I don’t?”
“He’s a hero, not a criminal—”
Before she could say anything more, Danny jumped in. “That’s right—a hero to all of us kids who like to hang out at their house—and order pizza and sodas!” Both Kasey and Agent Calloway were perplexed by Danny’s outburst. “Because John Quinn orders great pizza! And buys tons of soda. To drink. Which is totally heroic.”
Agent Calloway regarded the two of them. “Your friend could be in danger. You sure there’s nothing you’d like to tell me?”
“Ryan’s just sick,” Danny said, with a warning look at Kasey. “But if we hear from him, we’ll tell him you’re looking.”
Agent Calloway pulled business cards from her suit pocket. “You do that. Here’s my number.” She gave a card to each of them. “I really do just want to help.”
She stared at them each a moment more, letting her words sink in, then moved off. When she was out of earshot, Kasey turned to Danny. “Why do they think Ryan’s dad is a criminal?”
“Ryan said they had some pictures of Mr. Quinn with this notorious smuggler in Thailand. He was probably paying the guy to smuggle him into Andakar, but they don’t know that.”
“So let’s tell them. I mean, what are we doing? This is crazy—we’re being questioned by the CIA! If they know the truth, maybe they’ll help him.”
“We can’t, Kasey.” Danny suddenly realized he might have made a mistake getting Kasey involved. She had a point—this was out of hand, and now he’d made her a part of it.
“Why not?”
“Because what they do—this whole Emergency Rescue Committee thing—it is illegal. They use fake passports to sneak into countries. Probably bribe officials and hack into government records. Sneak across borders. Who knows what else? They could get arrested for any of those things.”
“That’s stupid—they’re helping people,” Kasey insisted.
“I know. And they could pay a terrible price for it if we’re not careful.” Danny understood her frustration. “Look, don’t worry about checking out that building tonight. I’ll probably just blow it off anyway.”
“No, you won’t,” Kasey said. “You’re just saying that because you think I’m freaking out. And I guess I am a little.”
“It’s a completely justified freak-out.”
“Hey, Kasey!” They both turned to see Drew Stieglitz, Kasey’s brother. “Come on, let’s go!”
Kasey grabbed her backpack. “If I can get out, maybe
I’ll see you tonight.”
“You don’t need to,” Danny said, and he meant it.
“Text me if anything changes.” She took off, running to join her brother. Steeg glared at Danny like he wanted to rip his head off. Danny smirked and waved, just pissing off the muscular jock even more.
And that gave Danny the only smile he’d had all day.
CHAPTER
35
MOUNT BANA,
ANDAKAR
Wake up. They’re coming.”
Ryan turned over as Lan shook him. He was groggy and his body ached from sleeping a few hours on the stone floor. But the alarm in Lan’s expression snapped him into focus.
“Soldiers?”
Lan held up the radio they had taken from the jeep. “I had to go outside to get a signal. But I heard them talking. The two guards we tied up didn’t report in, so they’re sending a squad.”
Ryan realized that Lan was whispering. She also had her backpack on. “What are you doing?”
“Making a run for it before they get here.”
“That’s crazy. We’ll stay here—they didn’t find you before.”
“That’s only because they thought we’d escaped. That we were heading to the border. I know the ASI. If they think there’s a chance we’re here somewhere, they’ll burn all the temples to the ground.” She looked over at John, who was still sleeping. “And your father can’t travel yet. He needs at least another day or two.”
Ryan knew she was right, but he still didn’t understand her plan. “So what’re you gonna do?”
“Lead them away,” Lan said. “I’ll make sure they see me. If they follow me, then they’ll leave you and John alone. They won’t even know you’re here.”
“They’ll kill you.”
“Maybe. I just don’t want them to catch me. That would be much worse.” Lan stood and Ryan got up, going after her.
“Don’t do this—we can all wait it out together.”
“I made the choice to become Myat Kaw, not you or your father. I’ll deal with it.” She turned back. “Tell your dad thanks.”
Ryan didn’t know what to do as she disappeared into the tunnel that led to the exit. This was suicide. Or worse—he’d seen the kind of torture the ASI used. What would they do to someone who had spilled all their most-guarded secrets? Ryan didn’t even want to imagine.
This wasn’t his problem. So why did he feel responsible? He’d just met this girl! But it didn’t seem right. She’d been so brave, standing up to these tyrants and risking everything. And now they were probably gonna catch her and make her suffer and—
Ryan reacted without thinking. He grabbed his own bag, stuffing a flashlight and a couple of the meal bars inside. He heard the grinding of the stone moving at the entrance as he closed the bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“What’s going on?” Ryan turned to find his dad sitting up. “Where’s Lan?”
“The ASI’s coming. We’re gonna lead them away from here.”
“No, you’re not!” John tried to stand, but Ryan went to him. He put a hand on his dad’s shoulder, keeping him from rising.
“I am, Dad. Lan’s already gone and I can’t let her try to do it on her own. She’s got a better chance if I’m there to help.”
“It’s too dangerous—you’re not ready.”
“I found you, didn’t I? I got here on my own, and, somehow, I’m gonna get Lan out of Andakar. Besides, what choice do we have? If the ASI catches Lan, what do you think Aung Win will do with Mom? You think he’s really gonna just let her go?”
John wanted to argue, but Ryan could tell that he agreed. Once Aung Win had what he wanted, he’d make sure there was no one left alive who could reveal what had happened. They had to keep Lan safe, not just for her own sake, but for Jacqueline’s.
“Get my bag,” John barked.
John sat against the wall as Ryan grabbed the pack and handed it to him. John dug inside, pulling out a passport, some Baggies, and a roll of fabric tape. “This is Lan’s passport. It’s fake, but it’s top-quality. It’ll get her across the border into Thailand.”
“Okay,” Ryan said, about to put it in his bag.
“No.” His dad stopped him. “Always keep everything important wrapped up tight and taped to your body. Passports, cell phone, emergency money.”
Ryan nodded, glancing toward the exit. “I have to go.”
John held his arm tight. “You need to make your way down the mountain to the town of Hodaw. You should get cell reception once you cross to the other side of Mount Bana. Memorize this number.” John spouted out a ten-digit number.
“Why?”
“Just do it.” John was all business, giving Ryan the sense of what he must be like on a mission. He said the number once more, then made Ryan repeat it.
“Tell the man who answers to initiate the extraction out of Hodaw. His name is Simon McClelland. He’ll tell you what to do next.”
“Is he the smuggler?” Ryan asked, remembering the CIA’s questions.
John was obviously surprised Ryan knew, but didn’t waste time on it. “You can trust Simon. I helped him out of a bad situation once.”
Ryan stood. He had to go now or risk losing Lan. “There’s enough food and water here for a week. Will you be okay?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll follow as soon as I can put pressure on my leg. When Aung Win calls, try to stall him. See if you can buy us a couple of more days so I can deal with him.”
“I’ll try.” Ryan headed for the tunnel.
“Ryan.” Worry and fear were etched across his dad’s face. “Be careful. You know how much I love you, right?”
Ryan remembered his father’s same words all those years ago when he was a boy. He tried his best to offer the reassurance his dad had once given him: “We’ll be together again before you know it.”
But neither one of them seemed convinced that was the truth.
CHAPTER
36
MOUNT BANA,
ANDAKAR
They had been traveling since just before dawn. As the temperature rose, the sun finally burned off the morning fog. This side of the mountain was rockier, the descent slippery and treacherous. Lan had boots, but Ryan’s high-tops sucked for this kind of climbing, and they still had another four hours of trekking ahead.
They didn’t talk much, hiking together in silence. Lan had pretended to be upset when Ryan joined her, but he was pretty sure she was secretly relieved. As they left the temple grounds, they made sure the tied-up guards saw which direction they headed. They needed the squad to follow them so Ryan’s dad would be safe.
Lan had the soldiers’ radio turned low. “I’m sorry about what’s happening,” she said. “It’s my fault your mother and father are in danger.”
“No, it’s not. They chose this kind of life. I think danger comes with the territory.”
“Sounds like you don’t approve.”
“I just want a normal life. Getting chased by soldiers with machine guns is definitely not normal.” As they continued along the rocky path, Ryan realized he knew almost nothing about Lan. There was undoubtedly a lot more to her than her blog posts. “Where are your parents?” he asked.
“They died. A car crash.” Lan kept walking, not looking at him.
“That’s terrible. I’m sorry.” Ryan didn’t know what else to say. Maybe he should’ve just kept his mouth shut.
After a few steps, Lan spoke. “I think the idea of a ‘normal’ life is a lie. It was for me, anyway. It’s like living inside a bubble. All these horrible things are going on around us, but we just pretend they’re not there.”
“We can’t solve everyone’s problems,” Ryan said.
“We can’t just pretend everything’s fine, either.”
Ryan had seen a lot in his travels. He knew firsthand how hard some people had it. He had to admire that Lan had actually done something to help. And it had cost her—she was on the run from the only home she’d ever known. He was s
tarting to understand the sacrifice she had made when she became Myat Kaw.
“I think what you did was really brave,” he said.
“Brave or stupid.” Lan smiled as Ryan offered her a hand, helping her down from a ledge. “I’m still not sure.”
“Sometimes brave and stupid aren’t that far apart.”
Over the next half hour, they talked. She told him about living with Aung Win and how she learned to sneak around the Kali Thawar. He told her about New York City and the kids who went to his school. Lan was fascinated by all the places he’d lived around the world.
“That’s what I want to do,” she told him. “Travel everywhere. See new things all the time. It sounds great.”
“There were a lot of cool things about it, I guess,” Ryan admitted. “Definitely better than living with your uncle.”
“Anything’s better than that. He was so angry when he found out I was Myat Kaw.”
Ryan stopped short. “He knows it’s you?”
“That’s why he’s desperate to get me back. He doesn’t want his bosses to find out who I am. If they learn Myat Kaw is his niece, they’ll know exactly where all that top secret information came from. He’ll be ruined. Probably even executed.”
They could use that to their advantage, Ryan thought. “Maybe if you agreed not to post anything else, he’d agree to let my mom go? As long as he leaves you alone, you promise not to tell anyone who Myat Kaw really is.”
Lan didn’t respond, but it was clear she didn’t think much of that idea.
“It might work,” Ryan added.
“I wish it were that easy. It would be safer for me if the world never found out who I really am. But my uncle won’t ever stop. Not if he thinks I pose a threat to him. Eventually, he’ll find me.”
Ryan knew in his heart she was right. He’d seen Aung Win in action. He was ruthless and not the kind to leave loose ends.
Lan’s hand flew to her mouth as she thought of something. “Oh my god … the phone.”
“What phone?”
“Your dad’s.” Lan turned to him, looking horrified. “I’ve been trying to figure out how my uncle discovered your father was involved. We were always careful—all our messages were encrypted. But the night he was shot, I was so scared. I wasn’t thinking straight, just trying to get away. We barely made it to the temple and it was too dark to see. I felt the phone inside his pocket. So I grabbed it and turned it on—just for the light, to be able to find that secret door. When John saw what I’d done, he made me shut it off immediately.”