circumstances. I'm going to be in my office in forty minutes. I
suggest you be there when I arrive.'
'Yes, ma'am,' Michaels said.
He cradled the receiver. Great. Just great. He had a federal marshal
and John Howard shot up and the director of the FBI ready to tear him a
new asshole. Great way to start the day, wasn't it? Maybe if he was
lucky, a big meteor would fall on him.
'Alex?'
Toni.
'Hey,' he said.
'What's up? The place feels as if it's about to explode.'
He rubbed at his face with both hands.
'Walk with me and I'll fill you in.'
In the air over British Columbia
Because Ventura wanted to have a few words with the Chinese, he had
Morrison's phone when it rang. He used the headset, the engine and
wind noise of the DC-3 being enough to interfere with hearing.
'Dr. Morrison?'
'No. Ventura.'
'Ah, Luther. How are you?'
'Why, I'm just fine. Chilly. Though I can't say the same for your
people. The feint was pretty good, but the follow-through was, well,
sad. I expected better.'
There was a moment's hesitation. Then Wu said, 'Much as I'd like to
turn this to my advantage, I have to confess I don't know what you are
talking about, Luther.'
'Come on, we're professionals here, I don't hold it against you, I
realize it was just business.'
'Nope, sorry, I'm not tracking.'
Ventura considered it. There was no real reason for Wu to be coy. He
knew that if they tried to snatch Morrison and failed, Ventura wouldn't
care; it was how things were done, they were men of the world here.
'So you didn't send people to, ah, have an informal chat with my
client?'
'No.'
Ventura heard the 'Not yet' in that single word, but he also had to
stop and think real hard about the implications.
Of course Wu would lie if it was to his advantage, that was to be
expected. But Wu had to know he couldn't gull anybody into believing
that the Chinese were benevolent businessmen who'd never stoop to such
a thing as kidnapping and torture. Sure, they'd pay if they had to
pay, but if they could get what they wanted for free, they'd do it.
They were as cheap as anybody else.
So lying wouldn't serve him at this point--Ventura didn't trust Wu as
far as he could fly by flapping his arms, and Wu knew it. And if Wu
hadn't sent a team, then who were those men?
Had he just shot a couple of real federal marshals?
'Dr. Morrison is okay, isn't he?' Wu asked.
'No problems with our little transaction? We were quite impressed with
the test. We are ready to get down to brass tacks.'
