Wired Strong

by Toby Neal

  “She’s always been beautiful,” Sophie murmured. “I bet you were swept away.”

  “Exactly. I didn’t fall in love and marry her as a part of my job; no one required that of me. But was it an additional bonus? Yes.” He flipped the pancakes, plated them, and passed the steaming stack to Sophie along with a glass jug of real maple syrup and a ramekin of fresh butter. “Your mother got pregnant with you right away. Pim Wat was devastated; she said she’d never planned to be a mother. I begged for her to keep you; we struck a bargain that I would be ‘in charge’ of your education and care. That’s how you ended up going to Western schools.”

  “I always felt like there were things going on between you that I knew nothing about.” Sophie doctored the pancakes to her satisfaction and took a big bite. “Mmm. Delicious.”

  Frank flipped his latest batch of cakes. “After you were born, Pim Wat had postpartum depression—and I believe it was genuine. She got better, then relapsed again and again. I know, now, that she used the excuse of her depression as her cover. But when I found out she was not only an agent but an assassin—that was a genuine shock. She’d played me, when I thought I was playing her.”

  “You’re lucky she didn’t kill you.” Sophie forked up another bite of pancakes.

  “I am, come to think of it.” Her father fixed his plate and came around to sit beside Sophie. They ate companionably. “Now. What do you want to do about all of this?”

  “Are you still working with that team?” Sophie set her plate aside.

  “No. I bowed out after those agents tried to grab you. I told them that wasn’t part of our deal. But—Marcella’s on the team, now.”

  “Yes, she told me.” Sophie met her father’s gaze. “And because she did, we could talk freely about what was going on. She proposed that I try to turn Connor against the Master and Pim Wat, since there’s no getting any of them out of that compound.”

  Frank blinked. “What could you offer him to take such dangerous action?”

  “Marcella thinks he might still want to be with me, now that Jake’s gone.” Sophie bit her lip. “We tried to be together when Jake and I were broken up, but it didn’t work. I don’t know. I don’t want to make him any false promises, but I told her I was willing to pass along the offer of immunity for his help in bringing in Pim Wat. That’s who they really want.”

  “Yes. They suspect the Master of being behind the disruption of several governments, but they have nothing hard on him. Pim Wat? They have a case against her, and MacDonald was really burned when the Master yanked her out of Gitmo.” Frank finished his pancakes. He set his fork on the plate, and laid a hand on Sophie’s arm. “Please, honey. No matter what, be careful. I have a bad, bad feeling about this.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Connor

  Day 6

  Connor lowered the heavy wooden bar that blocked the door into the upper room computer lab. The method was crude but effective. He’d also taken the precaution of sweeping the room for bugs, but there were none—and he’d have been surprised if there were. Most of the men in the compound had little awareness or training in the use of such devices; but he couldn’t be too careful with what he was about to say, and to whom he was about to say it.

  He turned around to face the three people he trusted the most in the organization. Seated around the work table he used for meals were his faithful assistant Nine, his former houseman Nam, and Kupa.

  Kupa looked unfamiliar. Nam’s wife had gone away with Pim Wat, looking middle-aged, comfortably plump around the waist, with graying hair she wore in a braid. She had returned with a complete face and body makeover. For all of that, Kupa did not seem happy with the change, and her new, pretty face looked pinched and sad.

  Nam, for his part, sat as close to his wife as he could, one arm slung protectively around her. From what Connor remembered of their partnership on his island, the couple had been private and independent, each engaging in their own hobbies and pastimes, though close and loyal.

  Being brought to the compound and forced into the lifestyle here had made them cling to each other for support, and Connor felt a stab of guilt at the unhappy expression on Nam’s normally serene face. But what could he have done? The Department of Justice would definitely have taken them hostage if they’d realized the couple’s value to him.

  Meanwhile, Nine, who’d been redeployed by the Master to lead morning drills, sat with his hands on his knees in an attitude of expectancy, his dark eyes inscrutable. “You called us here, Number One. How can we be of service?” His English was halting—he’d been studying in his spare time.

  Connor approached the table and sat down, speaking in Thai to ease communication. “Thank you for coming when I asked. You are my most trusted companions, and I need you to swear not to say anything to anyone about what we will speak of here.”

  Three pairs of eyes stared at him unblinkingly. “I swear,” each of them said aloud. Connor almost smiled. Sometimes he forgot how literal his companions were; but on the other hand, it couldn’t hurt to have them take that vow.

  “I know all of you have had your struggles recently, as have I.” He got up again, needing to move, and paced in front of the table. “I find myself trapped in a role and a lifestyle that is not what I intended. I joined the Yām Khûmkạn for several reasons. To evade the FBI, with the hope that the investigation into my online activities would blow over, and to add to my skills in studying with the Master. I also was—heartbroken at losing Sophie. She was with Jake. I needed something else to absorb me, and studying under the Master took everything I had. But I never dreamed that he would choose me as his Number One, or that Jake would be killed.” He paused, drew a breath to gather himself, and sat back down, leaning forward earnestly. “This international investigation is getting more intense rather than less, triggered by the Master’s rescue of Pim Wat. Sophie has had to cut off contact with me, and it appears that Nam and Kupa’s home on Phi Ni could be tied up in litigation for years. None of this is what I wanted when I originally joined the organization.”

  “We believe you,” Nam said soberly. “We have seen all of this firsthand.” He squeezed his wife. “We do not want to be trapped here. We want to go home.”

  “Yes. I want that for you, as well. I have had some time to think. I believe that Pim Wat is a danger to Sophie. The authorities consider her a threat to world leaders—and they’ve been humiliated by her escape. I want to eliminate Pim Wat, and trade evidence of that for amnesty with the investigators on the international team.”

  “I am so glad that you summoned me here, because I overheard Pim Wat and the Master conspiring to kill Sophie!” Kupa exclaimed.

  “What?” All eyes turned to her.

  “Yes!” Kupa worked a bit of her gown nervously in her fingers. “I overheard them through the servants’ tunnel. The room has a narrow place where a servant can come and go or await the Master’s pleasure. Pim Wat likes me to be available whenever she wants something, and she is often in the Master’s chambers since our return, so I went there and sat quietly.” She looked down at her nervous fingers. “The Master brought it up. He said that he wanted Sophie out of the way so that Number One would settle into his duties and his role, and he and Pim Wat could retire to his island in the Philippines. Pim Wat agreed and said that her daughter must pay for turning her over to the CIA. She also said that she wanted her grandchildren. They agreed they would wait until Sophie had the baby, and then kill her—but in a way that Number One would not suspect.”

  A flush of rage blew through Connor. He breathed carefully to manage the emotion. Now is not the time, nor these the people, to unleash it upon. He must use this hot anger to generate strength. “She must die.”

  “But what about the Master?” Nine’s dark eyes were troubled. “If he finds out you have had a hand in Pim Wat’s death, the world will not be big enough for you to hide in.”

  “I was used by Pim Wat to administer a poison to the doctors who did her surgical
reconstruction. I know where she keeps her poison kit. She has many potions, but I know the one that will kill without a trace,” Kupa said.

  “I understand the Master’s reason for wanting Sophie dead. He knows what she means to me. He wants to keep my loyalty and have me be his replacement, with no distractions.” A part of Connor throbbed with pain at the news; but another part wasn’t surprised at all. The Master was ruthless; his agenda was the only one that mattered.

  “The solution is obvious,” Nine said. “They both must go.”

  The four of them sat with the magnitude of what had just been said.

  “I need that poison,” Connor said to Kupa. “Can you get it without endangering yourself?”

  Kupa bowed her head. “I will try. I will see if I can remove a toxic dose from the bottle and replace it with something, so the loss is not discernible.”

  Nam placed his hand upon her arm. “You don’t have to do this, my beloved. We can find some other way.”

  “But how can both of them die and it not be suspicious?” Nine said. “The men will tear apart anyone who has harmed the Master.”

  “I need time to plan,” Connor said. “Kupa, get me the poison. Only I will be responsible for what happens once I have it. I refuse to put any of you in danger, or make you responsible any further for what comes next.”

  Connor lowered the bar that locked the upper room behind his three co-conspirators as they left.

  The revelations of their meeting still ricocheted around inside his head. That the Master would use him, and set him up this way, shocked him. Nine’s willingness to go along with this assassination plot had surprised Connor too; and so had his own deadly resolve.

  How had the Master been so careless as to let Kupa overhear his conversation with Pim Wat? That seemed uncharacteristic. Of course, the Master knew about the servants’ passage. What if the Master had set Kupa up, and this whole thing was a test of Connor’s loyalty?

  Connor’s heart thundered with fear.

  Fear was the enemy. Fear must be dealt with.

  Connor needed a break. He left the upper room to go to the Master’s garden.

  Once he reached it, he mounted the tiger’s eye column with an easy leap, and settled himself into the lotus position to meditate.

  Gradually, the stress of the upper room meeting fell away.

  All he could hear was birdsong and the gentle sound of a warm breeze blowing through the leaves of the garden’s flowering and fruit trees.

  What possible scenario would benefit the Master by setting up Kupa to overhear their plot? There was no benefit to be had that Connor could see, and if it were a test of loyalty, obviously Connor would fail, and that would not surprise the Master. Connor’s devotion to Sophie was why the Master wanted her gone.

  Kupa’s overhearing must’ve been an accident, an oversight. Even the Master made those, on occasion.

  They would proceed with the poisoning plan and look for an opportunity to implement it. He would figure out a way to flee the compound with Nine, Nam, and Kupa after the deed was done. He would reach out to Sophie to contact the investigation team to tell them that he would provide proof of death of both the Master and Pim Wat, in return for asylum in the United States. There had to be a safe place where they could hide from the revenge of the Yām Khûmkạn; without the Master or his Number One to lead, the organization would fall into disarray, at least long enough for Connor and his people to establish themselves in new identities.

  He meditated until his white-hot anger had solidified into icy resolve.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sophie

  After breakfast with her father, Sophie walked the dogs. She sped up as they made their way along the curving concrete path through Ala Moana Beach Park. She took a moment to look over the early morning beauty of the park: mynah birds hopped on the grass; the light morning breeze tossed the coconut palms. Gentle waves made white foam on the surf break outside of Waikiki Beach; children ran into the water while parents watched. A Tai Chi class moved gently and slowly in sync under one of the banyan trees.

  Sophie pressed the number for Connor’s burner phone on her list of favorites before she could overthink it. After her ultimatum cutting him off, she didn’t expect him to answer right away. “Sophie, is this a secure line?”

  “As good as I can make it,” she said. “I’m using my satellite phone out at the park.”

  Connor’s voice seemed to relax, settling into the warmth that brought his smile to her mind.

  “I didn’t expect to hear from you again, after your message.”

  “Things have changed. Marcella has a proposal. She has joined the team that’s after you, so I guess the takeaway from that is we both should know that she’s not in favor of you, in general. But the idea is sound, and I’m just passing it on.” Sophie blew out a breath as she passed a plumeria tree and inhaled its flowers’ delicate perfume. The scent calmed her. “The team is proposing that if you are able to bring in Pim Wat and the Master, that you be granted immunity in the United States.”

  Sophie had expected an immediate rejection, but Connor was silent.

  The dogs smelled something over near one of the trees, and Ginger, always the worse-behaved of the two, dragged her in that direction. Sophie checked Ginger and got them back onto the path. “While you are thinking that over, Connor, there’s something else you should know.” Sophie cleared her throat. “My father was also on the team. He has concerns about your being safe for me to be with. Being who you have said you are. Whoever that is.” She gave a little laugh, but waited tensely for his reply.

  “I don’t blame Frank for not trusting me. I have not been trustworthy. But it’s interesting that you approach me with this proposal right now. I have found that I am . . .” Connor seemed to be considering how best to explain it to her. “In over my head.” He spoke slowly, as if gathering his thoughts. “I joined the Yām to escape the law enforcement net that was closing around me. I joined because I wanted to study under the Master; learn his secrets, add tools and skills to my abilities as the Ghost. And I joined to help you, too. I wanted to make sure that Jake could be with you, because that’s what you wanted. But he’s gone now, and I find myself wondering . . .”

  The distance seemed to hum with things they couldn’t say.

  “I thought we explored that, and it was not meant to be,” Sophie said softly.

  “I know. But you were still in love with Jake, and I was still—I guess you could say, besotted by the Master. I was under his spell. Then, he chose me to be his successor, his Number One, which I never sought or expected. I’m not sure how to get out, now. The Master won’t let me walk away. And since we are having an honest conversation, Nam’s wife Kupa overheard a conversation between the Master and Pim Wat—a plot to kill you.”

  Sophie gasped. Her heart stuttered in her chest. She stopped and pressed a hand over it, feeling its irregular thump. “So much for my mother’s love and forgiveness.” Her head swam, and she hurried over to a park bench and dropped down onto it, grateful for the support. “That’s my mother you’re talking about,” she said. “My mother.”

  “I know. I would give anything if it weren’t true.”

  “No, it is important for me to know. Why?” The question was a cry from the heart.

  “Because you’re a distraction to me. You pull me away from the Yām Khûmkạn and its mission. That’s the Master’s reason. Your mother wants revenge for being handed over to the CIA.” Connor sighed deeply. “I didn’t want to hurt you with knowing that it was the Master’s idea, and that Pim Wat plans on executing you—but not until after you have your baby. She wants her grandchildren.”

  “Foul daughter of the devil!” Sophie cursed. Further words failed her. How could any mother do such a thing to her own child? “She will never have my babies. Never.”

  “Good. You will need that resolve,” Connor said briskly. “So yes, I will take the team’s offer. But here’s the condition: neither Pim
Wat nor the Master can be dealt with separately. They must both be taken at the same time. Proof of their deaths will have to be enough to satisfy the team.”

  “I’m sure that’s fine,” Sophie said woodenly.

  “And I want my immunity agreement in writing.”

  “Of course.” Sophie’s mind seemed to be buzzing with white noise. “I’ll make that clear to the task force.”

  “I have logistical things to figure out,” Connor said. “But I’m working on it. Monitor our chat box and I will let you know when it’s done and provide proof.”

  “Be very careful,” Sophie whispered.

  “And you, too, Sophie. Be well.” The phone went dead.

  Chapter Thirty

  Connor

  Connor was making some tweaks on one of his algorithms when a knock came at the door of the tower room. He recognized that knock: two long, two short: the special knock Kupa employed.

  “Enter.”

  Kupa slipped in and closed the door behind her. She kept her eyes downcast, as was her way. Once again, Connor was startled by the change in her appearance. It was hard not to feel for her, so heavily made over into the image Pim Wat had wanted. He’d always thought she was pleasant-looking in a modest way. Now she had a tight, glossy appearance that didn’t suit her.

  Kupa’s hand slid into the pocket of the lacy white apron Pim Wat dressed her in when she was doing indoor chores. “I have it.”

  Connor didn’t need to ask what she meant. He held out his hand. Kupa walked forward quickly on the balls of her feet, furtive as a mongoose. She slipped a brown plastic bottle into his palm.