125
'Your call interested me personally,' Hood replied. 'You had questions about Henry Genet?'
'Yes,' Fujima replied.
'Let's see if I can help you,' Hood prompted.
Fujima was silent for a moment. Within seconds the men had gone from empty, free-flowing compliments to the taciturn dance of intelligence personnel. This business was unlike any other Paul Hood had ever encountered. When the Japanese intelligence officer spoke, it was with care and precision.
'We have been watching Mr. Henry Genet because of several recent investment and business undertakings,' Fujima began. 'Over the past few months, he has increased the hiring of personnel in Botswana. At least, that is what it says on the tax forms filed in Gaborone.'
'But you don't believe it,' Hood said.
'I do not,' Fujima said.
'What kind of personnel is he supposed to have hired?' Hood asked.
'Diamond buyers, security personnel for his purchases, scouts for new purchases-'
'In other words, the kind of employees that would not raise any flags,' Hood said.
'Yes,' Fujima agreed. 'Yet we saw no evidence of such personnel in our surveillance.'
Hood was curious what kind of surveillance the Japanese were using. HUMINT resources might be helpful to OpCenter. Yet even if Hood had asked, Fujima would not have told him. Putting the man on the spot would have served no purpose. Sometimes a man gained respect by not asking things he wanted to know. That was certainly true when dealing with the Japanese.
'During that same period, Genet has also withdrawn nearly one hundred million dollars from banks in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States,' Fujima went on. 'Genet has used some of that money to lease large tracts of land and invest in factories in both China and North Korea.'
'That could simply be an investment decision,** Hood said.
r
126
OP-CENTER
MISSION OF HONOR
127
'The Chinese economy is expected to grow exponentially over the next twenty years.'
'A reasonable assumption,' Fujima agreed. 'Except that Mr. Genet established several international holding companies to share the ownership of the property and apparently to conceal his involvement.'
'What are the names of the companies?' Hood asked.
'The only one we know is called Eye At Sea,' he replied. 'It's incorporated in Holland and lists its business as venture capital. We believe that Mr. Albert Beaudin is part of that investment group. He should not have to conceal his participation. It is not illegal for Frenchmen to invest in China.'
'Where in China has Genet leased land?' Hood asked.
'The property is in Shenyang in the Liaoning province,' Fujima replied. 'Are you familiar with that region of China, Mr. Hood?'
'I am,' Hood said. 'That's where the Chinese manufacture their advanced J-8 II fighter jets.'
'That's right,' Fujima said. 'And that is why the purchase concerns us. They have a highly skilled, relatively inexpensive labor pool there. An international munitions manufacturer could make a great deal of money using that talent. Obviously, it's an area of enterprise that Japan must watch closely.'
'Of course,' Hood said. 'Do you have any indication that Albert Beaudin himself was involved in the purchase or that he is looking to expand his operations into China?'
'None, Mr. Hood,' Fujima admitted. 'But we cannot ignore those possibilities.'
'Of course not,' Hood said.
Hood went back to the computer file on the Beaudin corporate structure. He reviewed the biographies of each individual. The entries were short and did not show the common origins, traumas, national agenda, or even ages that typically formed the basis for what was classified as PIGs-political intervention groups. Hood had always felt that was a fitting acronym for groups that backed terrorists, rebels, and coups.
'Have the other members of Beaudin's team made any significant financial transactions?' Hood asked.
'To date, we have only been watching Mr. Genet and Mr. Beaudin,' the intelligence officer replied. 'But you were in finance, Mr. Hood. Consider some of the names on Beaudin's board. Richard Bequette. Robert Stiele. Gurney de Sylva. Peter Diffring. Are any of them familiar to you?'
'They weren't until now,' Hood admitted.
'You have files on them?' Fujima asked.
'I have very thin files,' Hood said. 'I'll forward them when we're done. They all appear to be low-profile French, Belgian, and German financiers.'
'These are extremely low-profile gentlemen,' Fujima agreed. 'But directly they control nearly one billion dollars. Indirectly, through partnerships and through individuals who follow their investment leads, they control four to five billion dollars.'
