“You trained for it; it’ll come back to you. Plus, you’ll have the best of the best by your side. We won’t let you fuck up too bad,” said Deck.
“I hope you’re including K19 in that group,” said Doc.
“You know I am, especially since I can’t come along. Mila—”
“Say no more,” said Doc. “Even if you said you wanted to go, no one in this room would allow it.”
I chuckled at the look on Decker’s face. As if he’d permit anyone to say no to him—except maybe Mila.
“He’s here,” he said, pointing to a map on his computer screen.
“Shanghai?” I asked.
Decker zoomed in. “Within Gongqing Forest Park, along the Huangpu River, there are at least three ‘cottages’ used as hei jianyu or black jails.”
I’d heard the term that referred to a network of detention centers established by Chinese security forces and private security companies where detainees were held without trial, often without knowing the reason for their incarceration. As seen on the screen, many of these facilities looked like cottages; some were even set up within hotels. Regardless of what they looked like on the outside, within, they were referred to as the “alleyways to hell.”
Since they were often manned by private security personnel, there was no oversight of treatment. According to many human rights activists, the majority of the guards were hired specifically for their sadistic personalities.
Someone like Harris would likely have believed he was being given a home in the forest where he would be protected twenty-four seven. Instead, it was plausible that he was beaten, deprived of food and sleep, and even of medical attention if it was required.
Decker outlined what he believed would be the quickest and safest way in and out.
Two teams would fly from Los Angeles to Taiwan. From there, seaplanes—the riskiest part of the mission other than the extraction itself—would transport us over the China Sea to the archipelago Zhoushan. Once there, we would travel by car to Gongqing.
Total travel time would be almost forty-eight hours there and back for an extraction planned to take less than fifteen minutes.
“We’ll leave at zero six hundred tomorrow and depart six hours later out of Los Angeles,” said Doc. “While we’re in the air, we’ll review the extraction op Decker and Gunner are preparing for us.”
“Do you need me to be a part of that?” I asked Decker.
“If you would like to be, it’s your call. However, no offense, Irish, but I don’t even need Gunner’s help.”
“Bullshit,” he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “I’m the one who doesn’t need you.”
“Come on,” said Doc, motioning for me to follow. “These two will go at it all night if they have an audience.”
40
Flynn
Is it still early? said the text Paxon sent.
It’s four in the afternoon, I responded.
Where are you?
Sitting on the porch swing, waiting for you.
Be right there.
I didn’t tell him I wasn’t alone. He’d find that out soon enough.
When the black SUV pulled up, two men got out. I was as shocked to see Paxon arrive with Saint as he probably was to see Dr. Benjamin seated beside me.
Saint picked up his pace so he was the first to walk up the steps. “Flynn,” he said.
“Hi,” I responded, looking beyond him at Paxon’s puzzled expression.
“Adam? What are you doing here?”
“I went for a walk…”
“He got a little lost,” I answered for him.
The expression on Paxon’s face didn’t change as he walked closer. I shook my head, just slightly, and he nodded.
“She’s gone.”
“I’m sorry,” said Saint, reaching forward to put his hand on the man’s arm.
Saint looked over his shoulder at Paxon, who turned around and walked back to the SUV. When he got inside, I could see he made a phone call.
“Let’s get you to the cabin, and we’ll make arrangements—”
“I need to go to her.”
“Understood,” said Saint, helping him up from the swing. “Who told you?”
“The nurse.”
I stood too. “Can I give you a hug before you go?”
Dr. Benjamin turned to me, and we embraced briefly before Saint escorted him to the same vehicle Paxon had gotten into. He held up his index finger, which I took as meaning he’d be right back.
I felt so awful for the man I found walking aimlessly down the dirt road that led to the three cabins where our guests were staying.
“Can I help?” I’d asked, pulling up beside him.
“I believe I took a wrong turn.”
“Well, climb on in, and I’ll get you to wherever you were headed.” I never found out where that had been because when he started talking, I drove to the closest place I could think of where we could sit and I could listen to him.
He told me the story of how he’d met the woman who was the love of his life and how, even though they couldn’t be together because of what they both did for a living, they’d never loved anyone else—except for the son they shared that, until earlier today, no one knew was his.
A few minutes later, the SUV returned. This time, Paxon was the only person in it.
“Hey,” he said, walking up and sitting beside me.
“Hey.” I rested my head on his shoulder.
“He said you picked him up on the side of the road.”
“Inside the ranch, but yes. The woman he loved died.”
“I heard.”
“You have something else to talk to me about, though, don’t you?”
Paxon turned and looked into my eyes. “I have to leave.”
“Okay.”
“First thing tomorrow.”
I nodded, unsure what to say.
“Can you stay?”
“With you tonight?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
Paxon stood, took my hand, and led me inside.
41
Irish
Of course I wished Flynn and I could make love tonight. There wasn’t another woman in the world I wanted to be with, could be with, but neither of us was ready. We hardly knew each other. And yet, somewhere deep inside, it felt as though I’d known her forever.
“Just so you know, I won’t ask where you’re going.”
“If you did, I couldn’t tell you.”
“There’s another question I want to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
She shook
