Dark reckoning, p.17
Dark Reckoning, page 17
Mei frowned. “What are you doing?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“I’d like to get out of here alive.”
“That’s exactly why I turned on your phone.”
Mei shook her head as if frustrated but said nothing.
Once they arrived at Prins Hendrikkade Street, Drenna noticed several taxis coming toward them, exactly what she’d hoped to see. She held up her hand and waved at the nearest one. The cabbie pulled over to the curb.
Drenna opened the back door and leaned inside. “We need to go to Alkmaar.”
Alkmaar was a small city about a half hour north of Amsterdam.
As the driver considered the request, Drenna furtively placed Mei’s phone on the floor of the car then pushed it under the seat.
“If you want to pay that much, then sure,” the man finally said. “But you’d probably be better off taking a train. A lot cheaper.”
Drenna hesitated then nodded. “You know what? You’re right. I appreciate the advice.”
“No problem,” the driver said.
Drenna closed the door.
Mei looked at her as the taxi pulled off. “Did you just do what I think you did?”
Drenna ignored the question. “Come on. We’ve got a train to catch.”
Chapter 27
Drenna entered the train’s bistro carriage a little before eleven p.m. After a brief look around, she walked to the bar at the far end. An elderly man sat on one of the stools, enjoying a neat whiskey as he read something on his phone. The bartender, who doubled as a barista, wiped down the counter with a rag.
“Good evening,” Drenna said.
The bartender looked up. “What can I do for you?”
“One coffee and a hot chocolate, please.”
“Cream and sugar for the coffee?”
“Black.”
He tossed the rag aside. “Coming right up.”
As he went off to make the drinks, Drenna used the opportunity to look around the car. Despite the late hour, a few people sat at tables, sipping drinks as they talked in hushed tones. Drenna scanned the faces for signs of anyone who looked like trouble. None of them appeared to pose a threat.
As best she could tell, they had managed to slip out of Amsterdam without being detected. She hadn’t seen anyone following them to the train station, nor had she seen anything on board that triggered her spidey senses. She hoped their pursuers had wasted valuable time tracking Mei’s phone, which was currently being transported around Amsterdam by a taxi.
Two minutes later, the bartender returned with the drinks. After paying for them on a point-of-sale device, Drenna thanked the man and departed with a cup in each hand. She took several sips of coffee as she made her way through the train. The hot brew tasted bland, but that didn’t matter. Her goal was to get some caffeine in her system. She needed to stay up and keep watch until they arrived in Berlin.
Their seats were in the train’s third car. Drenna had insisted they sit on the back row because it afforded a view of the other passengers. She also liked the fact that most of the rows around them were empty.
When Drenna arrived with the drinks, Mei still occupied the seat closest to the window. She hugged herself, a clear indication she hadn’t been able to shake off the chill that gripped her slight frame.
“Still cold?” Drenna asked.
Startled, Mei turned and looked at her. “I’m a little better.”
Drenna took some responsibility for her discomfort. They had both been soaked by the deluge that passed through Amsterdam, but Drenna didn’t want to take the time to go shopping for new clothes. Instead, she purchased a hair dryer at a department store. The two then entered a public restroom in the train station and did the best they could to dry off.
Drenna held out the hot chocolate. “Here you go. Maybe this will help warm you up.”
Mei took the cup with both hands. “Thank you.”
Drenna slid into her seat. Other than the gentle rattling of the train, the car was quiet. The overhead lights had been turned off so that most of the passengers could get to sleep. A few used the small seat lamps to read by.
“I want to ask you something,” Mei said after taking a sip. “Do you think we’re safe now?”
“I think so, but we need to stay vigilant.”
“Stay vigilant? What am I supposed to be looking for?”
Drenna smiled. “Nothing. That was more of a reminder to myself. I’ll keep an eye on things while you get some sleep.”
“I doubt I’ll be able to.”
“Your body has been through a lot. I think you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll doze off if you just close your eyes and try.”
Mei took another sip of hot chocolate then asked, “What about you? You need rest too.”
“I’m used to going without sleep for long periods of time. I’ll probably shut my eyes for a bit during the flight to Milan.”
Drenna had booked two train tickets to Berlin because it was the quickest way to get out of town. Once in Berlin, they would have a short layover before boarding a flight to Milan. In hindsight, she wondered if they should have rented a car for the trip to Germany. If they were pinned down on a train, there would be nowhere to go. On top of that, Drenna wasn’t armed.
“You’ll shut your eyes for a few minutes on the flight?” Mei said. “That isn’t much.”
“It’s all I’ll need.”
“What’s the plan after we arrive in Milan?”
“We’ll rent a car and drive to Genoa,” Drenna said. “My friend was going to pick us up at the airport, but after looking at the map, I realized it was too far out of the way for him. I told him to go straight to Genoa and find a place for us all to stay.”
The train swayed slightly as they rounded a turn. Drenna glanced out the window. The city lights were no longer visible outside, which meant they were somewhere in the rural expanse east of Amsterdam.
“Do you think they can track us using CCTV?” Mei asked.
“It’s possible, although they probably think we’re still in Amsterdam. Even if they realize we’re gone, they may assume we rented a car.”
Mei nodded then took a sip of hot chocolate.
Drenna knew it was possible the Chinese had placed watchers on all outgoing trains, but she decided to keep that possibility to herself. She didn’t want to stress out Mei any more than she already had. Still, she needed to be honest. “At some point, they may be able to pick up our trail. Hopefully, we’ll be long gone by that time.” Drenna took a sip of coffee. “We’ll have a better idea of where things stand once we arrive in Milan.”
Mei frowned. “What do you mean?”
“If they were able to track us, then we’ll probably have some company waiting for us when we touch down in Italy.” Drenna decided it was time to change the subject. “Tell me about your defection. How did you get out of China?”
Mei took a moment to begin her response. “As you probably know, I was a chief software engineer for the PLA, the People’s Liberation Army. Earlier this year, my division received word that we were going to attend China’s first annual conference on artificial intelligence. As an expert in that field, I was chosen to be one of the featured speakers.”
“That was quite an honor.”
Mei nodded. “Yes, it was. The conference was being held in Nanning, which intrigued me because I had already been planning to defect for quite some time.”
“Why would Nanning intrigue you?” Drenna asked.
“Because it’s only two or three hours from the border with Vietnam. I live in a suburb of Beijing, which is far from the nearest border. And my job keeps me busy seven days a week. In other words, it would be almost impossible for me to defect under ordinary circumstances.” She paused, her eyes gleaming with emotion. “When I heard that I would be attending a conference so close to the border, it almost seemed like divine intervention.”
“You were close to the border, but I assume you can’t just enter Vietnam without a visa.”
Mei wiped her eye with a sleeve. “Technically, I could’ve applied for one. And based on my position within the government, it probably would’ve been approved. But it might have set off some alarms. The CCP is very controlling. If you have access to sensitive military information, they don’t like you traveling outside the country.”
Drenna nodded. “I can imagine. So how did you get across the border?”
“I had already been in touch with a smuggler I found on the dark web. He had given me the basics of how it might take place, what the risks were, and how much it would cost. Unfortunately, our discussions had never really gone anywhere because of my situation in Beijing.” She paused. “Then everything changed once I knew I’d be traveling to Nanning in March. I reached out to my contact and put everything in motion. ”
“So you just walked out of the conference?”
“Sort of. I had to sneak out through the kitchen because the front entrance was being watched by security personnel. As I said before, the CCP is very controlling, and attendees were told in no uncertain terms that they were to stay for the entire event.”
“Was your smuggler waiting outside?”
“Yes, he was in the parking lot. He gave me everything I’d need to travel to Europe. Two passports with my photo. One was Vietnamese and the other Canadian. He also gave me quite a bit of cash and a few other things as well.”
“What then?”
Mei took a sip of her drink before answering. “Then I hid in the back of his box truck, and I didn’t get out until we were safely inside Vietnam.”
She spent the next several minutes describing the rest of her journey. She’d used her fake passports to travel through a variety of countries, including Thailand, India, the UAE, and Spain. Her final flight was from Madrid to Charles-de-Gaulle Airport in Paris, where she was picked up by Lina Amerman.
“Why Paris?” Drenna asked once she had finished.
“I figured that someone might be able to track my movements on flights, so I decided not to land in Amsterdam. I wanted them to think France was my final destination.”
Drenna had to admit that was smart, even though it hadn’t worked. “How did you pay for things?”
“Mostly through a prepaid Visa card that my smuggler obtained for me as part of my fee.”
“The cost for all that traveling must have been astronomical.”
“Fortunately, I was well paid for my work in the military.”
“There is something I’ve wanted to ask you,” Drenna said. “The man who was posing as your uncle knew that you were staying with an old classmate in Amsterdam. It seems strange that he knew that, and yet he didn’t know her name. How did he get his information?”
“I’m not sure I have an answer.” Mei paused as though considering the possibilities. “They must have tapped the phone of my real Uncle Ho, who lives in Tampa. We spoke briefly after I defected. I was afraid that someone might be listening in, so I only shared some very basic information.”
Drenna knew the Chinese had tentacles all over the world, but it was alarming that they had been able to tap a phone in the United States. It was also possible they had used an alternative method, such as breaking into Ho Kwan’s home and planting a bug. Either way, it spoke of their ability to conduct covert surveillance on foreign soil.
“You reached out to an uncle who lives overseas,” Drenna said. “What about your family in China? Did you share your plans with them before you left?”
Mei’s eyes welled with emotion. The question had clearly triggered something inside of her, perhaps a painful memory.
Drenna felt a pinch of guilt. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“No, it’s okay.” Mei wiped away a tear that had run down her cheek. “Normally, I wouldn’t have such a strong reaction, but with all that’s been going on…”
Drenna wanted to make a comforting remark but decided to let her speak when she was ready.
“I don’t really have much family in China. I have a few distant relatives that I never talk to.” Mei paused to wipe her face again. “I need to tell you something because it relates to why I defected.”
“Don’t feel like you have to tell me if you aren’t comfortable.”
“No, I want to tell you this. It’s important.” She sighed. “The Chinese government killed my brother. He was falsely accused of being a spy simply because he traveled to New York for a brief meeting with my uncle.”
Drenna put a hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry. When was this?”
“Three years ago.”
“He was executed? I was still working for the CIA at that time, and I never heard about any convictions for espionage.”
“He was never convicted of anything. My brother heard that he was about to be arrested, so he slipped away to Indonesia. He had a few friends there.” Another tear ran down her cheek. “He was killed outside a hotel in Kuta, one of the famous beach towns. Indonesian authorities claimed it was a robbery. They even arrested a man who was later found guilty. But I know that’s not what happened.”
Drenna nodded. “Agree. That’s too much of a coincidence. What were the circumstances?”
“He was killed when walking along a path from the beach to the hotel pool at night. Initially, several witnesses had claimed to see another man in the same area around the same time. Not surprisingly, the description didn’t match that of the man who was eventually arrested. And the witnesses who had seen this other man were never called at trial.”
“That’s strange,” Drenna said.
“I think the Chinese government must have pressured Indonesia,” Mei said. “Perhaps they offered them something in return for finding a scapegoat. That’s the only thing that would explain the fact that they stopped looking for the man witnesses had seen prior to my brother’s death.”
“Who is the man they arrested?”
Mei shrugged. “I don’t remember his name. He was from Laos and had a criminal record. As I said, he was just a scapegoat.”
Drenna nodded. “This man that was seen near your brother around the time of his death, did they ever publish any photos of him?”
“I don’t believe so. They never even gave his name. I think the CCM intervened too quickly. But all of the witnesses gave the same description. Early forties, very short hair, and lots of acne scars.”
Acne scars. Drenna frowned. Something about that feature rang a distant bell, although she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Had she recently run across someone fitting that description? She made a mental note to give it more thought later.
“A friend of mine in Chinese intelligence told me the Dragon has acne scars.” Mei shuddered. “The Dragon is the leader of our Dragon Fire assassination unit. He’s said to be cruel and sadistic. Even his government officials are afraid of him.”
“A lot of people have acne scars,” Drenna said. “I’ve also found witnesses wildly unreliable.”
Mei shook her head vigorously. “I’m sure it’s him.” She looked at Drenna. “I’m also certain I’ll meet him one day.”
“What makes you think that?”
“A premonition. And in case you think I’m crazy, I’ve had several premonitions over the years, and all of them have come true. It’s like God has given me that warning system.”
Drenna squeezed her arm. “I would never think you’re crazy.”
“It’s going to happen. I’m going to meet him face-to-face.”
Silence fell between them. Drenna wasn’t about to critique Mei’s belief that she would one day meet the man who had killed her brother. Drenna had occasionally experienced a feeling that something was going to happen, and then it did. Some of the events seemed to defy description.
“He also killed my parents,” Mei said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“The Dragon?” Drenna asked.
Mei spoke while staring off into space. “They supposedly died in an automobile accident about six months after my brother was executed. Just ran off a mountain road.”
“Why would they kill your parents?”
“Because their passports showed they took a lot of trips to Indonesia. We used to vacation there when I was a kid.” She looked over at Drenna. “I think the CCP assumed my parents had arranged for my brother to live there.”
“What makes you think their crash wasn’t an accident?”
“No skid marks. They claimed it was foggy that night, but I could find no evidence of that online. Someone ran them off the road. He ran them off the road.”
Drenna had to admit the details of the accident did sound strange, as did the timing. Had the same thing happened to Drenna, she would have certainly looked into the matter further. She just hoped Mei would be able to move on. Knowing your own government had wiped out your family had to be a horrible burden to carry. It was no doubt a key factor in her defection.
Mei clearly struggled to keep her eyes open. “You were right. I think I need some sleep.”
Drenna was glad to hear her say that. “Get as much as you can. I’ll wake you up when we’re in Berlin.”
Mei nodded then closed her eyes.
Chapter 28
Istanbul, Turkey
Fang Chen emerged on the office building’s roof shortly after ten p.m. As he closed the door behind him, a cool breeze caressed his face. He took in his surroundings. A half-dozen large air-conditioning units stood in front of him. They were the size of small vehicles, making it impossible to see every part of the roof. Fortunately, there was almost no chance that anyone would be on top of the building at night.
Chen usually brought a team along with him but had come to Istanbul alone. A group of Chinese men would stand out in a country that was primarily populated by Turks and Kurds. It would be much easier for one man to slip into the country, eliminate the target, then disappear.
Chen listened for several seconds but heard nothing beyond the sounds coming from the street below. Satisfied he was alone, he walked to the east side of the building and knelt behind the low concrete wall that ran around the roof’s exterior. Directly across the street was the eight-story apartment building where his target currently resided. The target’s name was Han Chih-ming. He also used the English name David Han when traveling abroad.
