Dark reckoning, p.12
Dark Reckoning, page 12
Upon reaching the sidewalk, Amerman turned south down Jan Luijkenstraat. Drenna tossed her cigarette and mashed it with her boot. She waited a half minute then followed at a distance of about a hundred yards. As was her custom, Amerman walked to the next corner then crossed to Drenna’s side of the street. Once there, she traveled another three blocks and entered the Red Bird Coffee Bar, something she had done on the two previous evenings.
To get out of the rain, Drenna stepped under the awning of a nearby jewelry store. As she waited, her thoughts turned to Lina Amerman. She was clearly a creature of habit. She always left the museum at the exact same time, and she always did so with a shopping bag in hand.
While everyone had their daily routines, there was something about the coffee shop visits that Drenna found odd. One thing that bothered her was the time it took for Amerman to purchase a hot drink and leave. On the previous two occasions, it had taken almost a half hour. Even though the place was packed, it shouldn’t take that long to process an order.
Drenna had previously thought that Amerman might be using Red Bird as a place to meet with Kwan. But that theory didn’t pan out. On the previous evening, Drenna had peeked inside the establishment after Amerman left and saw no Asian women at any of the tables.
After some reflection, Drenna concluded that the Red Bird Coffee Bar must be a place where Rijksmuseum employees gathered after work. If that was true, then Amerman probably spent a few minutes chatting with her colleagues before heading home.
Amerman emerged from the café twenty-seven minutes later, hot drink in hand. Drenna waited until she was a block away then set off after her. As she passed by the Red Bird’s storefront, she paused and looked through the glass. As usual, the place was packed. Despite scanning every face, Drenna saw no one who looked remotely like the photos of Mei that Ho Kwan had provided.
Drenna’s frustration was growing by the hour. She had to admit that her search for the Chinese defector had hit the proverbial brick wall. Maybe she had been wrong about Lina Amerman being Kwan’s contact. Drenna had always assumed the classmate was Dutch because she lived in Amsterdam. But that didn’t have to be the case. It could be someone of a different nationality. If another day passed without any results, she would have to go back to the list and start from scratch.
As Drenna was about to walk off, a couple came out of Red Bird.
The man turned to the woman and spoke to her with an Irish accent. “Can you wait here? I need to go to the restroom.”
“Sure.” The woman pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Bridget while you’re in there.”
Drenna stiffened as the man’s words echoed in her thoughts. “I need to go to the restroom.” The restroom. What if I’ve been looking at everything the wrong way? If Kwan and Amerman were meeting at the coffee bar, Drenna had assumed they would have done so at one of the tables. But they could have been meeting in the ladies’ room. That would certainly give them the privacy they needed to quickly exchange information. It might also explain why Amerman brought a shopping bag every day. She could easily pass along a few items to Kwan, who was undoubtedly trying to avoid being seen in public.
Still, Drenna had a few questions. First and foremost, where was Kwan now? Shouldn’t she have come out shortly after Amerman? Not necessarily. She might wait in the restroom for another ten or fifteen minutes then depart when the coast was clear.
There was only one way for Drenna to determine whether her theory was right. She needed to check the restroom. She doubted that would spook Kwan because she wouldn’t know who Drenna was. If Kwan was hiding in one of the stalls, Drenna would simply leave and sit at one of the tables until the defector came out.
Her plan set, Drenna entered the café and was immediately met with a cacophony of noise. The place was even louder than she had imagined. The word bar in the name was quite appropriate.
She scanned the faces around her in case Kwan had already emerged from the ladies’ room. Seeing no one who matched her description, Drenna set off through the maze of tables. She had seen the Irishman head to the back, so she made her way in that direction.
As Drenna reached the rear of the shop, she came to a sudden halt. Directly ahead was a glass door. Another exit? The bar had been so crowded that she hadn’t noticed it when looking in through the front window. Drenna’s heart beat faster. Maybe that was how Kwan got away without being seen.
Needing answers, she opened the door and stepped out into a large courtyard. Buildings rose up on all sides. Based on the size and number of windows, she guessed they were apartment buildings.
Apartments.
Drenna realized what was going on. Amerman and Kwan weren’t meeting in a restroom stall. They were meeting in Kwan’s flat.
Chapter 19
Drenna spent the next half hour examining the buildings surrounding the courtyard. One of them housed the offices of a local architectural firm. Another was unoccupied and listed for sale. All of the rest appeared to be apartment buildings. Drenna was certain Mei Kwan was staying in one of them.
Not surprisingly, the lobbies could be accessed only with a code or a key card. When the time came to go inside, she would have to find a way to enter without drawing attention to herself. She usually just waited for one of the residents to open the door then ran up behind them. Drenna had learned that women—particularly those who were attractive or well-dressed—were often able to get away with those types of tricks.
Having gathered as much information as she could, Drenna decided it was time to call it a night. While on the way back through the coffee bar, she made a quick check of the restroom. As she suspected, Mei Kwan wasn’t there. Her absence seemed to confirm Drenna’s theory that Lina Amerman was simply using the Red Bird as a way to access Kwan’s apartment building. She had to admit it was a clever setup. If anyone was following Amerman, then they would assume she had gone inside to get her daily coffee. The ruse had almost fooled Drenna. In fact, if she hadn’t heard the Irishman talking about needing to relieve himself, then she might not have figured everything out.
Drenna purchased a decaf espresso then began the long trek to her hotel. She was staying at the Barbizon Palace, which was located across the waterway from Amsterdam Centraal, the massive railway station that served as a hub to much of Europe. She liked staying at the Barbizon Palace because it offered rooms overlooking the cavernous atrium. If she wanted to scan the lobby to see if anyone looked out of place, all she had to do was peek through her blinds.
Drenna arrived at the hotel a little before seven. Her phone buzzed as she stepped into the elevator. After pressing the button for the second floor, she glanced at the screen. It was an incoming call from Ho Kwan. He and his wife were staying in Haarlem, a picturesque town about twenty miles west of Amsterdam.
In light of their bizarre behavior in Manchester, Drenna had warned Ho that he and his wife needed to stay away until it was time to pick up Mei. She made it clear that if she saw either one of them in Amsterdam prior to finishing the job, then she would take their initial deposit and disappear.
Unfortunately, Ho had been reaching out to her several times a day. The man was obsessive about getting updates. She understood the concern for his niece—particularly if she was being pursued by the Dragon Fire assassins—but at some point, he needed to let her do her job.
The phone continued to buzz as the elevator began its ascent. Drenna debated whether to answer it. She had ignored several of Ho’s calls earlier in the day, so perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to give him a quick update, particularly since she had some news. She could also let him know how often they would communicate going forward.
She engaged the call. “I’m in an elevator, so the connection may not be good.”
“I’ve been trying to reach you all day,” Ho said by way of greeting.
Drenna did her best to suppress the irritation rising up inside of her. “I told you before that I’ll let you know when I have anything new to report. What part of that don’t you understand?”
“I’m sorry. But the longer this takes, then the more likely it is they’ll find her.”
“Don’t you think I know that? Interruptions only slow me down.”
“But I’m only—”
“I’m putting a new rule in place. I’m only going to give you an update when there is something new to report.”
“How about at least sending me a text once a day?”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Drenna said as the elevator came to a stop.
Ho sighed on the other end. “Okay. I understand.”
“Anyway, I do have something new to report.” Drenna stepped off the elevator then checked to make sure the corridor was empty before continuing. “As you know, I’ve been following Mei’s old classmate.”
“Miss Amerman.”
Drenna already regretted giving Ho her name. “That’s correct.”
“So Mei’s staying with her?”
“No. But after following Lina home for the last couple of days, I believe I know where Mei is at.”
“That’s wonderful,” Ho said. “Where is she? Is she safe?”
Drenna arrived at her room and pulled out her key card. “I’ve already told you that we aren’t going to discuss specific locations over the phone. To be honest, I shouldn’t have even given you the name of her classmate.”
“We’re using burner phone.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Drenna used her key card to unlock the door and enter the room. “If Chinese intelligence were to locate one of us, then they’ll figure out a way to listen in. Their digital surveillance is second to none.”
“I see,” Ho said. “So when are you going to pick up Mei?”
“It’s not that easy. I know where Mei is staying in general but not specifically.”
“What do you mean? You just told me you found her.”
“Look, you need to let me do my job.” Drenna paused to let that sink in. “I should know where she lives by tomorrow.”
“And you’ll call me when you find her?”
Drenna turned on the lamp next to her bed. “Yes, I will.”
“It’s a miracle that you found her. Thank you for all your help.”
“You’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some rest.”
“I understand. Thank you again.”
Drenna disconnected the call. She felt good about how the conversation went. Ho seemed to finally understand that he needed to leave her alone until the job was finished. Then again, it wouldn’t surprise her if he didn’t comply.
Before getting into more comfortable clothes, Drenna decided to check the lobby to make sure no one had followed her in. While her tradecraft was second to none, it was extremely difficult to pick up watchers when traveling on foot in Amsterdam. The cobblestone streets that ran parallel to the canals were crammed full of tourists. In some places, it was impossible to see all of the people behind her. Not only that, but she had to keep an eye on the opposite sides of the canals and bridges as well.
Drenna went over to the window. She had purposefully asked for a room overlooking the hotel’s ground-floor atrium. She parted the blinds and looked down. As was usually the case, at least two dozen people were scattered across the lobby. Some stood at the front desk, but most lounged in the multitude of plush furniture pieces scattered across the space, sipping drinks and chatting. After scanning every face, Drenna was satisfied that no one had come there to watch her.
After letting the blind fall back into place, she walked over to the dresser. She was about to set her phone down then stopped. Something was wrong. Like most professionals, she had a particular way of placing her belongings when out of the room. She did so in order to see if anything was out of place when she returned. It was an easy way to determine if someone had come in and looked through her things.
Before leaving that morning, she had placed her toiletry bag on the dresser with one side barely touching the base of a lamp. Currently, the two objects weren’t touching and had a half inch of space between them.
She frowned. Had she simply made a mistake? She was usually meticulous when arranging her things, but she certainly wasn’t perfect. Maybe one of the maids had come in. But that didn’t seem likely. She had hung a Do Not Disturb sign on the exterior door handle, and hotel staff were normally good at honoring the occupant’s privacy.
Drenna spent the next minute checking all of the other items she had laid out that morning. Every one of them seemed perfectly in place. If someone had come into her room, then why would they carefully put everything back into place except for the toiletry bag?
She must not have been careful enough. She remembered her phone was buzzing with an incoming call from Ho about the time she left. Even if it was his call that distracted her, she needed to be more careful going forward.
I need a drink.
Drenna retrieved one of the disposable cups from the bathroom and peeled off the plastic cover. She then went to the minibar and pulled out a tiny bottle of Jameson whiskey. It would cost a small fortune, but she needed something to take the edge off.
Chapter 20
Two Days Later
Drenna entered the Rijksmuseum gardens at 4:55 p.m. Playing the role of tourist, she strolled along the landscaped walkways, stopping occasionally to take photographs of the shimmering pool and the well-manicured plants. As usual, throngs of people took in the sights. Drenna scanned the many faces that passed her but saw no sign of any watchers, Chinese or otherwise.
After wandering for a few minutes, she went to a predetermined spot that would give her a clear view of the museum’s employee entrance on the northwest side of the building. She then leaned back against a wrought-iron fence and pretended to read something on her phone.
While Drenna wasn’t in panic mode yet, she was concerned that the operation had reached a crisis point. On the previous evening, she had waited outside the museum, but Lina Amerman never came out. Drenna assumed she must have had the day off. But even that theory came into question when she checked Amerman’s apartment and discovered the Dutch curator wasn’t there either. The interior was dark, and it remained that way until well after midnight, at which point Drenna finally gave up and returned to her hotel.
Drenna glanced at the time on her phone. If Amerman was back at work, then she should appear in about two minutes. If she didn’t come out, then that would mean she had been absent from work for two straight days. In Drenna’s mind, that would be cause for concern.
Earlier in the day, she had briefly considered calling the museum to ask for Amerman. If they confirmed she was there, Drenna would simply hang up. But after weighing the risks, she decided not to take such a bold step. If Amerman was already suspicious that she was being followed, then having an unnamed person ask for her might set off an alarm.
Drenna’s biggest fear was that the Chinese had gotten to Amerman first. Under ordinary circumstances, they would never kidnap a Westerner on foreign soil. Then again, these weren’t ordinary circumstances. If Mei Kwan held something that was critical to their interests, then they would do whatever it took to stop her.
Distant movement drew Drenna’s gaze down the side of the building. A woman had just emerged from the employee exit. She had light-brown hair and walked with a familiar gait. Lina Amerman. Drenna felt a sense of relief run through her.
As was her custom, Amerman turned south on Jan Luijkenstraat after reaching the sidewalk. Drenna pushed off the fence and walked back through the gardens. She needed to get to the courtyard behind the coffee shop before Amerman did. That would allow her to see which building the Dutch curator entered.
Drenna arrived at Red Bird six minutes later. She went straight through without making a purchase. Once in the courtyard, she went to the right and sat down on a concrete bench she had picked out earlier in the day. The bench was flanked by a hedgerow on either side, providing some measure of cover. As long as Amerman didn’t turn right after coming out of the coffee shop, she would likely never see Drenna sitting there. The bench also provided a clear view of every apartment building.
As she waited, Drenna realized she could be very close to finishing the job. In order to receive final payment, all she had to do was convey Mei’s precise location to Ho Kwan. He would then attempt to contact his niece without blowing her cover. Ho had asked Drenna to stick around in case he needed additional help, and she’d told him that would be fine.
Drenna’s thoughts soon turned to the subject of what Mei Kwan might have in her possession. If the Dragon Fire team had truly been dispatched to find her, then she must have taken something that was extremely valuable to Chinese interests. Mei was a computer scientist who specialized in artificial intelligence, which meant she had likely run off with information related to that technology.
But if that was true, then what did she plan on doing with it? Drenna didn’t think she was going to sell the information to the highest bidder. Ho had been adamant that his niece was an honorable person. It also wouldn’t make sense for Mei to defy the Chinese Communist Party just to make a profit. Even if she managed to make the sale, she would never be able to enjoy her earnings. She would spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder because Chinese intelligence wouldn’t stop looking for her.
That left only one option—Mei must be planning to pass the information along to a Western government. But even that theory had holes. If she wanted to pass the technology on to the Dutch, then why was she hiding in an apartment? There was something about the whole thing that didn’t make sense.
The door to the coffee shop clanged shut. Drenna turned and looked to her left. A moment later, Lina Amerman came into view. She held a drink in one hand and a shopping bag in another. It appeared to be the same shopping bag she carried with her every day.
