The Second Chinese Revolution (The Russian Agents Book 5)

by Ted Halstead

  Lin looked at Xu as though he were seeing him for the first time. Xu could see the quick calculations being made and the result he expected.

  The cost of generosity to the families of the men killed at the Indian border would be trivial, particularly since nearly all were unmarried, with at most one or two parents to support.

  But a promise to see to the families' welfare would be very popular. And help rally the country for a conflict with India.

  Lin smiled. "What you are asking couldn't be easier, Sergeant, because I had already planned to see to those families. But thank you for mentioning it because I will now take this opportunity to guarantee their welfare to the nation."

  Xu had to admit he was impressed. No wonder Lin had made it to the Presidency.

  But what was Lin going to do with that power? Did war with India make any sense at all?

  Before Xu had a chance to think any further, his room was suddenly flooded with men holding lights and cameras of all shapes and sizes. He blinked in the sudden glare.

  A sharp voice from a man Xu couldn't see said something, and some of the lights cut off, so at least he could see.

  Now Lin was standing right next to him, holding a medal, and saying words Xu didn't follow about his bravery and heroism.

  Xu was thinking, don't forget dumb luck. If I hadn't been inside that bunker at precisely the right moment, there'd be nobody in this bed to receive a medal.

  Suddenly Lin had stopped talking, and everyone was looking at him. Xu said what he knew everyone was expecting.

  "Thank you, Mr. President."

  Lin patted Xu's shoulder and then said more words about how he would personally see to the families of the men killed at the base on the Indian border.

  Then the lights all went out, and everyone disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.

  Xu turned his head and saw the two medals in their cases on the small table next to his bed.

  The first was the one he'd expected. The Medal of Loyalty and Integrity was for soldiers wounded in combat. Now that he was on his second hospital stay, Xu thought he'd earned that one.

  The second one was a surprise, though. The Medal of Army Brilliance was for victory in combat. Did a single kill really qualify?

  After a moment's thought, Xu realized that the medal wasn't actually for him. It was for a leadership looking for any victory to celebrate after his base's destruction.

  As Xu drifted off to sleep, one thought kept circling around and around in his head.

  Didn't the Indians have nuclear weapons?

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Shanghai, China

  Chen Li Na had, against her better judgment, agreed to meet Wang Yan again at her apartment. Again, the reason given was to deliver a USB drive containing the information she would need to craft entry to a new target.

  Chen had no idea what that target would be, nor did she care. Her main worry was how to get Wang out of her apartment as quickly as possible. Especially since her girlfriend Tan happened to be out of town at a business conference.

  I love Tan, Chen told herself fiercely. I'm going to take the USB drive from Wang and then show her the door.

  A soft knock announced that Wang was right on time. Swallowing hard, Chen walked to the door and opened it.

  Wang looked just as she had last time. If anything, her clothes might have been a little plainer.

  It didn't matter. Chen briefly froze as she fought to keep her reaction to Wang off her face.

  Wang said nothing. But her smile told Chen that Wang knew exactly what was passing through her mind.

  With an effort of will, Chen gestured brusquely for Wang to enter.

  And flushed with embarrassment. Wang had done nothing to merit such rudeness.

  Chen turned away and rushed to her tiny kitchen, saying, "Please have a seat. I will make us tea."

  Make us tea? What happened to taking the USB drive and shoving her out the door, Chen asked herself.

  Well, I had to make up for my earlier rudeness, Chen told her interior voice.

  Sure you did, came the mocking answer.

  Trying to silence her inner turmoil, Chen busied herself with the familiar routine of making tea. Far too soon, it was ready, and Chen walked the few steps towards her sofa and small table.

  Wang was lounging comfortably on the sofa as though she was perfectly at home there. She smiled and said, "I appreciate your going to so much trouble. It's very kind of you."

  Words from a guest that were nearly as much a part of the tea ceremony as the tea itself. From anyone else, Chen would have barely heard them.

  So why did these routine pleasantries make Chen's smile so wide?

  Chen nodded quickly and said, "You're welcome. Please, drink your tea while it's still hot."

  And so I can get you out the door, which I should have done already.

  And where is that USB drive, anyway?

  Wang answered that question before Chen had the chance to ask it.

  "I especially appreciate the break because you and I are going to be working together for hours. I'm the only one Director Pan trusts to do so. We must complete our work today because the access codes are changed daily," Wang said.

  Then, she took a delicate sip of tea and sighed with pleasure. "It is good to know that in this way, too, your skills are admirable," Wang said with a smile.

  The tea was nothing special, and Chen's mother had berated her many times for rushing its preparation. And one voice in Chen's head told her so.

  That didn't stop a warm feeling of gratitude from sweeping over Chen.

  Stop it, she scolded herself. Think about all the questions Wang has just raised.

  Chen asked one first because it was the most important.

  "Very few access codes are changed daily, so this must be a high priority target. What is it?"

  Wang nodded gravely. "You're right. It's one that we know will get the attention of the Party. We're going to cut power to the entire Beijing district that includes the Zhongnanhai Compound."

  Chen spluttered and nearly dropped her teacup. "Where the President and many other top officials live and work? Nothing could shock and embarrass the Party more!"

  Wang smiled gently. "Yes, of course. You know that such a bold step will help us move closer to our goal. Did you think we would take longer to achieve it?"

  So many questions crowded Chen's head, she hardly knew which to ask first.

  To her horror, the one she heard herself asking next was, "You said Director Pan trusts only you to work with me. Is that because you're his lover?"

  Wang's musical laughter was magic to listen to, and oddly Chen was sure it was genuine.

  Then Wang shook her head and leaned towards Chen as she whispered, "No. I only like women."

  Chen trembled, and only one thing kept her steady.

  Wang had said the work had to be done today.

  "You have the USB drive with the information?" Chen asked.

  Wang nodded, and now her accompanying smile was different.

  Chen didn't know why, but she felt as though she'd just passed some kind of test.

  "Let me clean these things away, and we'll get to work," Chen said as she busied herself moving the remains of the tea service to the kitchen.

  By the time Chen returned with her laptop, Wang had her own laptop set up. Wang then handed Chen the USB drive with the access codes.

  "Entry to the system with the access codes will be fairly straightforward. I will take care of that part. The real challenge will be to keep them from restarting power, and you will need these codes again for that part. Just as important will be to ensure no attempt to trace the origin of the attack is successful. Of course, we expect you to launch this attack via a SpaceLink satellite, as we did for our last two. If possible, though, we would like to conceal that fact this time," Wang said.

  "Why?" Chen asked, frankly puzzled. "I thought we wanted the Party to know that it was Forward attacking them. Don't we plan to cl
aim credit if we're successful?"

  Wang shrugged. "Director Pan didn't tell me the reasons for this instruction or whether Forward will claim this attack. Maybe he thinks it's good to keep the Party guessing? I didn't think about it much because no matter how hard you try, if we succeed, I'm sure the Party will know it was Forward."

  Well, Chen thought, she was probably right about that.

  "Very well," Chen replied. "We'd better get started."

  Wang finished first. Chen was so deeply engrossed in her work that she hardly noticed.

  At the same moment Chen finished, she smelled something oddly familiar but couldn't place it.

  Wang put the teacup she had just filled in front of Chen with a smile and said, "It won't be as good as yours, but at least it's hot."

  Chen's eyebrows rose as she drank thirstily. She wasn't sure how long she'd been working but knew it must have been hours.

  "Did you add osmanthus?" Chen asked.

  Wang nodded. "Yes, I found some in your cupboard. I hope that's all right. I haven't had it myself since I was a child, so I couldn't resist."

  Chen smiled. "I keep it on hand for whenever my mother comes to visit. It's her favorite. It's funny. I hadn't made it for myself since I was a child, either. Maybe the peach-like flavor was too strong a reminder of a happier time."

  Then Chen shook herself and said, "Speaking of time, we’re running out of it. To get the maximum effect, we need to cut power while everyone is still at work. You look over my code while I check yours."

  Wang simply nodded and passed her laptop to Chen and then slid Chen's to her side of the table.

  It didn't take long before Wang was shaking her head with frank admiration. "So clean and simple! I'm just barely good enough to appreciate how much better you are. They'll be chasing their tails for quite a while trying to figure out what you've done."

  Chen had been praised for her work many times before. Including, she realized with a guilty start, by her girlfriend Tang Yanfei. Tang also coded software but had nothing like Chen's skills.

  So why did Wang's praise make Chen feel so much better?

  "I like the work you've done, too," Chen said, meaning every word. Tapping the screen of Wang's laptop, she said, "I don't need to fix anything. What you've written should get us into one of China's best-guarded networks. I work with some of the country's best programmers, and I don't think I've ever seen completely error-free code before. And that's from software engineers who had days, not hours, to do their work."

  Wang's answering smile was warm and genuine. "Coming from someone with your skills, that's high praise indeed. Now, your phone is connected to your old government monitored Wi-Fi network, right?"

  Chen nodded, puzzled. Why would they need it?

  Wang saw her confusion and laughed. "No, of course, we're not using that to launch the attack. I want you to access the President's public website. That's something, at least, that nobody watching online will find suspicious."

  Chen shrugged, still confused. She almost asked Wang why but then realized she'd probably find out soon enough.

  "I would have told you to turn on your TV, but I already saw you don't have one," Wang said.

  Chen shrugged. It was true. Nothing shown on China's heavily censored broadcast TV had ever held any interest for her. That was doubly true now that she had access to the entire Internet through her Gateway, not just the fraction that made it through the Great Firewall.

  Moments later, Chen's phone was displaying the Presidential website. She set the phone on the table sideways between the two laptops. Her case's built-in kickstand held up the screen, but so far, Chen saw nothing of interest.

  "I don't understand. Why are we waiting? Shouldn't we execute the attack now?" Chen asked.

  Wang shook her head. "Not yet," she said, holding up her phone. "Director Pan will let us know soon."

  It didn't take long. A few minutes later, the screen on Chen's phone was refreshed, and the National Emblem appeared. It contained in a red circle an image of Tiananmen Gate, the entrance to the Forbidden City. Above the gate were the five stars found on the national flag.

  Tinny patriotic music began to play from the phone's small speaker.

  "The President will soon speak about the situation on our border with India," Wang said.

  Chen frowned. "Really? I've heard nothing about it."

  Wang just smiled.

  "Of course," Chen sighed. "I'm sure Forward's leaders know about many things the rest of us don't. But…"

  Before Chen could say more, the emblem disappeared and was replaced by President Lin's stern expression.

  "Get ready," Wang said quietly.

  Chen nodded and moved her hand over her laptop's keyboard.

  Ready? All she had to do was hit one key.

  President Lin began to speak.

  "My fellow countrymen, I come to you tonight with grave news," Lin said.

  Wang's phone vibrated to announce the arrival of a text.

  "Now," Wang said.

  Chen hit the key to execute the hack.

  Seconds later, the phone's screen went dark.

  It only took a few more seconds but seemed much longer before the National Emblem reappeared on the screen.

  A voice said that there were technical problems that would soon be fixed.

  Wang and Chen sat silently, staring at the National Emblem on the screen, as one minute became two.

  And then three.

  Finally, Chen heard Wang say in a soft, wondering voice, "You actually did it."

  Chen turned to Wang and was surprised to see tears spilling from Wang's eyes.

  "Why are you crying?" Chen asked as she gently brushed the tears away from Wang's face.

  "I'm so happy," Wang said. "A part of me never really thought we could win. But that was before I met you."

  Chen had left her hand on Wang's face while she spoke. Now Wang's lips moved to that hand, and she kissed it softly.

  Chen felt as though an electric shock had just passed through not just the hand but her entire body.

  "Thank you," Wang whispered.

  Chen's other hand seemed to move by itself to the other side of Wang's face and pulled it towards hers.

  Hours later, Chen woke up and saw Wang's sleeping form beside her.

  What happened?

  You know very well what happened, a fierce voice inside her said.

  The sofa they had been sitting on had been pulled out into a bed. The table that had been in front of it had been shoved to the side. Laptops and phones were stacked on it haphazardly.

  What time is it?

  Chen's blood froze as she realized she had no idea whether the government had made any progress in finding out who had attacked it.

  Well, nobody was pounding on the door.

  The same fierce voice said that doesn't mean they won't be here in the next few minutes.

  Chen's laptop was still powered and connected to the Gateway router. She shook her head.

  I didn't even take the time to turn it off.

  Now, though, that was a good thing. It took her only a few minutes to confirm that there had been no successful backtrace.

  And five hours had passed since Chen had launched their attack. If the authorities hadn't succeeded in finding her by now, they never would.

  Chen shut off the laptop.

  Then she noticed Wang's phone was still on, too.

  The text on the screen said, "Well done. Stand by for further instructions."

  The time stamped on the text was over an hour after the attack had started.

  Had it taken them that long to regain control of power at the Zhongnanhai Compound?

  Did the President ever complete his address?

  Why weren't there more texts after Wang failed to acknowledge this one?

  Chen jumped as the string of questions flowing through her head was interrupted by Wang's arms encircling her from behind.

  "Good morning," Wang said quietly.
/>   Chen's blinds were closed, and it was too early for any light to penetrate them.

  Still, Wang was right. Technically, it was morning.

  Wang's arms were warm and comfortable. Why not just sit like this for a while?

  Chen sighed and started to lean back.

  Then she shook herself. No. What was she doing?

  Chen turned and started to speak.

  Wang's hair was tousled, and her makeup was smeared. Chen could still see traces of the tears Wang had cried hours ago.

  None of it mattered. Wang was still beautiful.

  Oh, no.

  Not this fast.

  Wang smiled and put one finger on Chen's lips.

  "Breakfast first, talk later," Wang said.

  Then Wang rose, dressed, and began cooking breakfast as though she had been living with Chen for years.

  Chen shrugged, and began to tidy her living area. Sheets removed, sofa folded, table in front. Laptops and phones neatly side by side.

  Then Chen went to her single bathroom. After a quick shower and change, she felt as though she were emerging from a fog.

  Does Wang actually have any feelings for me, anyway? Maybe this was just how she reacts to a big success, Chen thought.

  Wang was waiting as Chen emerged from the bathroom.

  "My turn," Wang said and slipped inside.

  Chen had barely had time to admire Wang's performance in the kitchen when she was back. The food she'd cooked smelled amazing. And she'd just used what Chen happened to have on hand.

  Wang's appearance when she stepped to Chen's side was now perfect. But her makeup was just slightly different.

  Because Wang hadn't taken her purse into the bathroom. She used my makeup.

  Not even Tang did that, Chen thought.

  And then immediately felt guilty.

  Yet at the same time, pleased. Was this Wang's way of saying there should be no boundaries between them?

  Stop grasping at straws, the fierce voice in her head said. You'll find out what she wants soon enough.

  "Let's eat," Wang said.

  Chen nodded and sat at her tiny kitchen table. Wang had filled it with so much food Chen had to be careful as she lifted her teacup.