“Anything else, Gov?”
“I’ve got news from the US consulate in Hong Kong. Randy Zhang is on his way to the US.”
“He just decided to present himself to the consulate?” This was a good question.
“Granted … a little odd but he has indicated he is willing to speak to us.”
“I’ll ask Mandy to deal with that. She’s really hot on that stuff.”
“You mean biotech I presume?” Pole smiled at his reflection in the large window of the airport boarding lounge. The stewardess waved at him. It was time. “Got to go. I’ll call you as soon as I land in Hong Kong.”
Pole killed the call, grabbing his burner phone as he was walking towards the ramp that led to the plane. He mouthed a thank you to the stewardess who had been patiently waiting for him. She returned a smile.
Pole walked at a measured space. They were waiting for him but he had a call placed. “Harris … I’m boarding a plane in less than a minute. The formula that was on Ollie Wilson’s USB key is not a password. It refers to the genetic code of a virus and the way to disrupt its replication.”
Pole’s mobile was buzzing in his pocket as he spoke to Harris. Ferguson’s number appeared. “Got to go, Harris … Just make sure Randy knows. I’ll wager that is our missing link.”
Pole pressed the red button on his other mobile. Ferguson would have to wait until his return.
* * *
The stewardess offered Nancy some tea. “Xie Xie.” At least she could say thank you in Chinese.
The scene of the previous night replayed in her mind in a continuous loop.
As soon as the women start to mix with the crowd of coming and going through the various service entrances, they start running for their lives.
Mingmei leads the way. Nancy follows close behind. They duck, left, right, left, through a number of narrow streets that separate the towers arranged along them. It would be easy to lose track of where they were but her sister looks back several times to make sure Nancy is following.
Out of breath they stop near a cluster of trees and collapse on a bench. There is a strip of water in front of them. It looks like yet another artificial lake that loops around a manmade island.
Mingmei takes her phone out of her jacket pocket and when the call goes through, simply says that they are ready. She gets up, still a little breathless. Nancy stands up too and they start walking along a pavement lined with trees and flowerbeds. Although it is dark, she can see that the landscaping is well-tended.
They walk into a small square, bordered by large flowerbeds. A car approaches and Mingmei’s phone rings three times, stops, then rings three times again.
“Your car has arrived.” She goes forward in the direction of the car headlights.
“You’re not coming?”
Mingmei cocks her head. “It’s better if we’re not seen leaving this place together.”
The two women face each other awkwardly.
“Remember what I said … I want to help.”
Her sister doesn’t reply for a moment. Then she makes the first move, closing her arms around Nancy in a firm hug.
“He said you would come one day … he was right.”
Air turbulence started to shake the plane. The contents of the cup she had been holding distractedly spilt onto her leg. She swore under a breath and wiped away the liquid with a paper napkin.
Prof Licot was reading his book. The seats in club class were comfortable and he had left Nancy to decide to talking if she wished. He knew there was a lot she needed to think about on her way back to Hong Kong. He hadn’t asked Nancy about her evening with Mingmei and she was grateful for that.
It was almost 7pm when they landed in Shanghai. The transit to the international airport took only a few minutes. Passport Control was a little tense for Nancy. The officer asked a few questions. She talked about meeting artists and gallerists.
- Had she bought anything?
- No
- Why not?
- Too many good people, difficult to choose … she would come back.
He looked at her with a combination of coolness and dislike. Still, she looked the part … designer jeans, expensive leather jacket, brand new trainers. He let her through.
Nancy took a seat for the final leg of the journey on the Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. Her body relaxed in one go. She noticed how tense her shoulders had been since she’d arrived in Chengdu. Her back felt like a block of wood. She would indulge in a long soak in a warm bath as soon as she reached her hotel.
As the aircraft took off the relief faded. She had left behind someone she had started to care for.
After the plane had been in the air for a few minutes, it banked left over the China Sea. Nancy looked through the window. There were a few spots of lights on the vast dark expense … fisherman trying to scrape a living.
The boat’s rocking has become scary. She and her friend have burrowed underneath the tarpaulin the fisherman insists they stay under. Her mother has her arms tightly around her.
There is a loud smack from the bow every time the waves hit the front of the boat. The fisherman is fighting the ocean as best he can but the boat is too small and there are too many people for such a small craft.
The struggle with the sea has been going on for hours. She can’t tell how long but she wants it to stop. Her stomach is somersaulting and she feels almost sick but not quite.
Her friend is not as fortunate. She has been throwing up and her mother is trying to hold a small bucket to catch the bile her daughter brings up.
The wind increases abruptly.
