Surviving Spies (Irving Waters, Spy Fiction Series)

by Irving Waters

  “Calm down, Casey.”

  Casey mouthed a string of expletives.

  “Casey?”

  “Sorry Marcus, you cut out there for a few seconds. I’ve got to go. Talk in a week.”

  Casey put the phone down much harder than necessary, and stood there in the bedroom, hands on her hips, frowning.

  Lu Lei hung on tightly from behind as Matt maneuvered the motorcycle through traffic, heading toward the house. She was taking the evening off from kung fu class. The class was preparing for a tournament anyway, and she didn’t like to compete since the incident at her first competition a couple of years back. One of her opponents had landed a punch to her face during the first round. She responded by breaking his nose with her heel. Despite the referee’s efforts to stop the bout, she made contact again, giving him a concussion with a firm kick to the side of the head. She walked straight to the dressing rooms without bothering to wait for the ref to expel her from the competition.

  Matt parked on the gravel in front of the house. Lu Lei got off the bike, surprised at how overgrown everything was. The smell was the same, but everything appeared much smaller. She led the way to the front door, averting her eyes from the spot where the Master had fallen.

  Matt unlocked the door and pushed it open for her. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust, but the house looked exactly the same as it had been that horrible evening.

  She flicked the light switches on and off, but nothing happened.

  “What do you think? Do you want to get this place up and running?”

  Lu Lei shrugged. “How long would it take? A few months? It would be better than the studio where we have class now.”

  “Yep, I would say three months tops if I get the right guys. When it’s finished, maybe you and I could show each other a few moves. Do you remember that time Casey and I had a sparring match here before dinner?”

  “Yes. I remember.”

  22

  A Video Camera

  Lu Lei’s thirteenth birthday arrived on a Sunday in November. She’d been getting around her neighborhood on a long, California-style skateboard. For her birthday, she had asked for a video camera. A specific model.

  There were a few other skateboards shared among her friends, and they were starting to learn tricks. Lu Lei wanted to bring videos back from La Jolla so they could copy what the Americans were doing.

  Camera technology had improved. Image quality and digital zoom capabilities had leaped ahead. Being pushovers, Matt and Casey bought her the camera she had asked for. After breakfast she opened her present and hugged them both, which oddly, had made Casey cry. Lu Lei spent the rest of the morning making sense of the manual while the camera charged in her bedroom.

  Lu Lei could tell that Casey felt torn about something. When she cried in front of Lu Lei, it always seemed as if she wanted to tell her something, and it had been happening more often lately. Lu Lei had come to know her well over the last seven years, but she was still waiting for some kind of breakthrough. It was obvious that she and Matt were smart and enormously disciplined. She had become aware at an early age that they differed from the other kids’ parents. She used to chalk it up to cultural differences, but lately her suspicions had grown.

  At the beginning of each school year, Lu Lei made it understood to the teachers that she and Wei Bao were to be seated together at the front of the class. Their quiet friendship had strengthened, and they had become fiercely protective of each other.

  Though neither of them spoke about what was going on at home for each of them, they suspected enough to worry about each other. Lu Lei could tell when Wei Bao had received a beating from the Chief even though the bruises were almost never on the face. Wei Bao missed his mother, and knowing that Lu Lei had lost both her parents and her mentor, he felt a powerful urge to watch over her, and to make sure nothing else bad happened in her life, particularly at the hands of his own father.

  Today, Wei Bao had the appearance of a beaten dog, and Lu Lei decided that they were to talk in the schoolyard after eating lunch. She had once heard bits and pieces of a conversation at home concerning the Chief and his wife, but she still didn't know enough to put the story together. She wanted to know. Wei Bao had kept it inside long enough.

  “Did you ever ask your housekeeper what happened to your mother? Was she working at your house back then?”

  “I didn’t have to ask her.”

  Lu Lei was silent. Maybe he knows where she is, she thought to herself, frowning.

  “Talk.”

  “My father gets drunk at night. Sometimes he gets so drunk he talks too much. He likes to tell me secrets when he is hitting me. I think he is trying to hurt me with his words, too. It took me a few years to realize that he almost never remembers anything the next morning. So I know quite a lot.”

  “I think your father has a drinking problem.”

  They both laughed. Lu Lei was relieved to see him smile.

  “Where’s your mother? Is she dead or something?”

  “No, she’s not dead. She’s in a re-education camp. She cheated on him... with a student of your Master.”

  “Oh... That explains a lot.”

  “That’s part of it, but my father talks about your dad a lot too.”

  “Go on.”

  “Since you are finally asking... my father was a few years ahead of your father at school. I think my father was very jealous of him; I’m not sure why. Must be something to do with tai chi because he won’t shut up about how much he hates it and anyone who practices it. Did you know that he was sent off to the military because of your father?”

  “No.”

  Lu Lei waited.

  “Are you going to tell me?” she asked.

  “This is my father’s version, okay?”

  “Whatever. I’m listening.”

  “He said that your dad told on him for slapping him in the face, instead of defending himself like a man. The school called my father’s parents in, and that was it. He was sent to the army.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, and then you come along and beat the crap out of me over some doll. Twice. That didn’t help him to forgive your family.”

  “Sorry about that. I had a bit of an anger problem back then.”

  “Yeah, not like now. Now you’re completely calm.”

  “Are you talking about that stupid kung fu competition?”

  Wei Bao shook his head, but was waiting.

  “The swimming coach?” she asked.

  Wei Bao nodded and laughed at her. Lu Lei laughed hard.

  “Meet me after school. I brought my new video camera. We can go skate. I’ll film you falling on your butt.”

  They both laughed, but Lu Lei was certain that Wei Bao had much more to tell her.

  23

  Jimmy

  Matt set into motion a cycle of what he called his ‘Saturday night blowouts.’ This time, the objective was to find and soften potential assets for recruitment; specifically people working in China's defense sector. The mandate from Langley was to find a long-term asset. The budget allowed for compensation of up to $100,000 per year.

  Matt and Casey’s training had covered different methods of recruitment, but experience had taught them that the choice of method depended on the asset. The virologist was a stereotypically geeky scientist who had a great deal to lose, so they went with a dirty photo operation and threw in some cash to wipe away any resentment. Matt knew that with Chinese business executives, this method was useless. Prostitutes were a natural part of doing business, so the hooker-blackmail approach would backfire and get them captured.

  Casey’s fancy luncheons had unearthed the name of a young soldier who had risen quickly from the rank of sergeant in the People’s Liberation Army. He had been brought across to the Chinese equivalent of the secret service. The rumor was that the promotion had come through a relative. The clincher was that he had recently joined the security team of the Secretary of the Communist Party, and he was n
ow the Secretary’s driver. It was potentially a stroke of good luck for the CIA.

  Matt played his usual slow game of working his Saturday nights until his connection to the guy was direct enough to extend a second-hand invitation: "Bring your friend along. Somebody cancelled."

  The Saturday night arrived and the group of ten young men started respectably in an expensive cocktail bar with beautiful waitresses. Forty minutes into pre-dinner drinks, Matt’s special guest had not yet turned up.

  Matt looked around at his group. Chosen for their likability and relative wealth, they were all young, in their late twenties and early thirties. Nice suits, nice watches, good haircuts and aspirations for the extravagant. Matt’s process was to show the asset how pleasant life could be. Give him a taste, remind him what was out of his reach on his current government salary.

  Matt kept his back to the door to avoid being tempted to look. He kept the drinking pace slow, hoping that the guy would show up soon. A guest’s wave toward the door gave away the arrival of the asset, and Matt ordered the barmen to start lining up three rounds of shots.

  Matt stood near the bar and let the introductions go by, allowing the asset to come to him of his own accord. There were to be several more evenings like this one before Matt would decide whether to make a hard approach. He had to be dead-sure before committing.

  “Hello, I’m Matt. It’s a pleasure to have you along with us tonight.”

  “Hello, thank you for the invitation,” he said, smiling, already enjoying himself. “My name is Jimmy Chin.”

  Matt was sure that he’d spotted a microsecond of recognition in Jimmy’s face during the handshake.

  Casey listened to the ice clink in her glass. She allowed herself to relax. Lu Lei was polishing off some homework in her room. Speaking English had been their best tool in preventing Lu Lei from finding out what they really did. Her school-level English was currently no match for their shop talk vocabulary, but they knew that they may soon have to stop discussing agency business when she was at home.

  Sitting near Matt on the couch, Casey kept her voice down. “Why do you want to be the one to meet with Jimmy? Why change now? The way we have always done it works.”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling he recognized me at our first little party. It was as if he had seen me before, or had seen a photo of me. I have to look him in the face when I make the offer. I need to ask him directly and see his reaction. It’s possible that we might have to take him out. If he reacts badly to the offer, it will be him or us.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “Would you just trust me on this, Casey? I have a gut feeling about it.”

  “Care to share a theory?”

  “Let’s not forget that he’s Chinese Secret Service. We can't rule out the possibility that there’s a nice juicy government file on us. Maybe we are on a list. It could be that he merely did some personal research on me. In any case, it’s risky, and I need to be in his face when the offer is made. On the positive side, he ticks all the boxes. He’s corrupt, he loves money, he doesn’t have enough of it, and he knows that he never will. Not without us. He loves a drink, and I've taught him about good bourbon... Can you just let me have this one?”

  “Fine, but don’t offer him the whole 100K straight up. He’ll haggle.”

  “Okay, honey, so eighty?”

  “Fifty. Oh, I should be doing this part. You’re going to mangle it.”

  Matt laughed despite his awareness that both their lives depended on a favorable result, as always. It was one reason that he loved the job.

  Matt replied, “Alright then. Noon tomorrow. Location two. You’re on overwatch. Prep the rifle, please. I’ll brown-bag a cash deposit for good faith, and... what else? Charge comms tonight in our bedroom so Lu Lei doesn’t see them.”

  “How’s your back been?”

  “It’s fine. It only hurts when I’m awake.”

  “Lu Lei?” Casey called out.

  Whispering to Matt, “I thought I heard her door.”

  “Great... all we need, another spy in the family.”

  Casey unlocked the door of the small apartment. Hanging heavily over her shoulder was the double tennis racquet cover that contained the disassembled rifle. It was the first time she thought that she might have to fire it. New assets were easier when they were untrained. This new guy was unpredictable, and Matt had veered away from their normal routine.

  They'd maintained the apartment as a last line of retreat, a safe house that even the CIA didn’t know about. Having somewhere to hide was a comforting feeling while living so far out on a limb in a brutal country. They had accumulated enough food and water to last six weeks. They always moved their older equipment here when they smuggled-in updated gear from the Langley. Also inside they had a safe containing cash, a couple of pistols and Canadian passports for the three of them under false names. Matt had brought them into China in a money-belt on their last trip.

  Casey glanced out the window at the empty block below, and assembled the rifle. Jimmy had arrived even earlier than she had, and was leaning casually against his motor scooter, smoking. She quietly pushed the sliding glass door open, staying low and out of Jimmy’s sight.

  Matt’s car cruised in slowly and stopped in front of Jimmy, leaving the car idling with the scooter in its path. Casey was still mounting the scope onto the rifle when Matt got out and reached out to shake Jimmy’s hand.

  “Radio check,” Casey said.

  Matt coughed in reply and adjusted his sunglasses.

  “Thanks for meeting me, Jimmy.”

  “Very mysterious, Matt Nelson. I like it. I feel like James Bond, without the gun.”

  Matt looked him up and down. “Jimmy, we both know that you have a pistol under your jacket and.. a revolver on your ankle.”

  “Matt. You are very good, bro. You really are a spy. I knew it.”

  “Jimmy, I am merely here as a friend, passing on an offer. Easy money for you if you want it. US dollars in an American bank account. It would be like a salary. Monthly payments as long as you keep reporting in.”

  “I have to keep doing my current job though, am I right?” Jimmy laughed.

  “Yes, that is how it would go. How would you like to make eighty thousand US dollars a year just for making one phone call a week?”

  Casey rolled her eyes and then aimed the rifle for a second at Matt’s head, cackled a little, before moving her aim back to Jimmy's chest. Unprofessional of me, but funny, she thought.

  “What would I be talking about on the phone to your... friend? Wait, I want to guess.”

  Matt interrupted him, “Jimmy, you would talk about anything and everything that you can find out that might help maintain peace.”

  “Okay. I like it Matt, but it will be very dangerous for me. You are being too cheap. I say 150K plus expenses. Your friend is very rich. Am I right?”

  Matt laughed. “That’s another story. Suffice to say that my friend can go up to 100K with extra payments for special projects if you choose to take them. I’m afraid that’s as high as it goes. I am sorry I’m not a fun negotiator.”

  “That’s for sure” Casey’s voice sounded in Matt’s ear.

  Matt continued. “Here’s a joining bonus,” and pulled out an envelope bulging with banknotes and handed it to Jimmy.

  “I like the way you do business, my friend.” Jimmy looked genuinely happy.

  “I’ll be in touch with more details. Welcome aboard. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you: no unusual spending. Questions?”

  “Can you get me some of that nice bourbon?”

  “We will not be seeing each other anymore, Jimmy. My job is done. It will be safer for all of us not to be seen together. Your contact will be the American on the phone. You can call him Marcus. Call him tomorrow night. Here’s a phone. Hide it well. Use it only for outgoing calls to Marcus. It has encryption software that’s automatic. Just press 1 and hold for more than three seconds. The call will go throu
gh directly. Call at ten in the evening, Beijing time. You will get him at the office.”

  “Matt Nelson, you so tense. You need to relax, my brother. Everything is cool. No sweat. I am a professional.”

  Matt smiled. Jimmy was a character. It still remained to be seen how much he could be trusted. Matt was most wary when he was setting up new assets. In a perfect world, he would put a tracker on Jimmy’s bike, but it wasn’t worth risking a breach of trust.

  Matt watched his eyes carefully as he shook his hand. He just seemed like an affable guy, but Matt still couldn’t shake the feeling that Jimmy already knew who he was at their first drinking session. The momentary look of recognition on Jimmy’s face had made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.

  “All clear?” Matt asked.

  “He’s gone, and you are still a terrible negotiator,” Casey said as she took apart the rifle.

  “I talked you into marrying me, didn’t I?”

  “You just keep thinking that, Romeo. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  24

  The Truth

  Lu Lei called out, “Bye. Have fun,” as Matt and Casey headed out for dinner.

  The panel came off the safe more easily than she thought it would and clattered to the floor, chipping the varnished wood finish on the bottom edge. Oh well. No backing out now. She bent down and keyed in the digits, and the door clicked open.

  The safe was deeper than she had envisioned.

  “Wow.” She pulled out a pistol and held it in both hands, weighing it, then the smaller pistol, now one in each hand. She pointed the smaller one at her temple and pretended to pull the trigger, imitating the sound a gun makes.

  Lu Lei noticed that her heart was beating faster. “Who are these people?” she asked the empty apartment.

  She stood up and put the weapons on the kitchen bench, followed by the ammunition boxes and magazines, then the little tangle of communications gear.