by JD Dutra
“Māmā, it’s me, how are you and Bà?” She said, easily slipping into Mandarin.
“Mei Lin, we are great and you? Miss us yet?” The pleasant female voice on the other line was lightly accented and warm, with just a touch of sadness.
“Yes of course, Mom. I’ll come see you and dad soon though. Did you guys have a safe trip?” Mei Lin raised her toned legs and placed her feet on the small ottoman she kept on the side of her desk. She glanced at it for a moment, knowing that the designer piece of furniture was hollow and held a fully loaded .45 pistol inside.
“Yes, the trip was fine. I can’t wait to start teaching at the University of Hong Kong, I thought about my lessons the entire time. How is your work, Mei Lin?”
“Remember I was telling you about being on the cover of the ‘40 Under 40 Magazine’ here in Arizona? The magazine came out today, I’m so proud of myself!” Her voice was so full of excitement, it made her mother smile instantly.
“Oh, Mei Lin, I’m so proud of you! Your father will be too once he hears about it. We have always known you would do great things in this world, even when you were going through those dark times in your youth,” her mother said, sounding well pleased.
Mei Lin swallowed a dry lump in her throat, wondering what her parents would say about her once they found out the truth. “Thank you mom,” was all she could say.
“I’m glad you called, I saw something on the news yesterday that I really wanted to tell you, I am actually changing my first lesson to cover this topic. Seems like the people in China are preparing themselves for the collapse of the American dollar. I don’t know if that is being televised there?” Mei Lin could hear the worry in her mother’s voice.
“Well, The New York Times published an article today only talking about the dollar going over a few bumps on the road but that it’s really nothing. Mainly people are still talking about the murder of that famous actor here. What are they saying over there?”
Her mother could care less about who the famous actor was, she continued.
“The media here is saying that if the dollar collapses, the yuan will rise in value, then the Chinese people will be able to afford buying the things we manufacture ourselves. I haven’t talked to anyone but it looks like the people here are actually excited about it,” her mother chuckled.
“What do you think is going to happen, Mom?”
“Well, I agree. I think if the dollar collapses, the Chinese people’s lives will be much better. Every Chinese person knows that we manufacture and send goods all over the world, but the shipping crates come back to China empty. The world gives us worthless paper they can’t stop printing in return for real, tangible goods, and to say we need that in order to manufacture is an illusion. It’s about time we either ask for something of tangible value or consume all those goods ourselves. When the dollar collapses, the time of the American consumer will end, and the rise of the Chinese consumer will come. You’ll see.”
“That would be a shock to everyone here mom. People here always say it is our consumption that moves the world,” Mei Lin said, agreeing with her mother’s thoughts, but keeping it all to herself. Someone could always be listening in on their conversation.
“Don’t be naïve, Mei Lin, remember that Chinese proverb I used to tell you - “
“Talk doesn’t cook rice,” Mei Lin said with a smile before her mother could finish.
“Yes, talk doesn’t cook rice. Americans should think about what that means.”
“I don’t think America will go down without a fight mom, I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
“Mei Lin, your father thinks that ‘fight’ will be World War III. Soon all America will have left is a thirst for power, worthless paper and a lot of military strength and that combination has driven other countries to war in the past. That exact same thing happened in Germany after World War I and before the world knew what was happening, Hitler came to power and World War II started. America will be in the exact same situation as Germany was back then. Your father and I are preparing ourselves just in case, you better do the same.”
“I will mom, I promise,” she said, wondering what her organization thought about all of this.
The conversation shifted to lighter subjects and they talked about her father’s family, food and the latest Chinese fashion trends. By the time Mei Lin hung up, she missed her mom and dad dearly and she felt the usual sense of guilt that always came after a good talk with her mother. She regretted the amount of problems she got her parents into when she was younger. The shame her father felt because of the things she did, made him sell everything and move his family from China to America for a fresh start. It was only after Mei Lin had proven to be a responsible adult for a few years that her parents decided it was time to move back.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. The door opened and Monica appeared, smiling slightly.
“Oh good, you’re back. Come in please, let’s take a look at our latest applicants.”
“Yeah I just got back, but there is someone here to see you Mei Lin.”
“Who is it?” Mei Lin asked while pouring herself a fresh cup of green tea.
“Ping…” Monica said, with a hint of worry in her eyes. Mei Lin never told Monica anything about Ping, but whenever he came around, her boss tensed up. There was something unusual about Ping that she couldn’t decide what it was exactly. He was like that snake in the barn you knew it was there, but you could never find. After a brief silence, Mei Lin spoke.
“Send him in please, it shouldn’t be long, then you and I can catch up,” Mei Lin said trying to sound in control, but Ping’s presence always made her nervous.
If only I had listened to my parents and had a clean start. Why did I go looking for them again?
She gazed at her small ottoman, finding little comfort.
Monica pushed the door open and stepped back to allow the Chinese man into Mei Lin’s office. She felt uncomfortable and kept her gaze towards the expensive hand carved hard wooden floors in her boss’ office. When the man entered, all Monica she saw were his shoes. They were expensive looking black leather dress shoes with an unusual cap on the tips, they looked like they were made of metal. The scent that came from him was peculiar, some kind of a mix of incense and vinegar. She mulled over it as she closed the door on her way out.
Ping remained silent and undid the first button on his black suit and removed his rounded black sunglasses. His thick dark hair was longer than usual, and she realized she hadn’t seen him in a while. He locked eyes with her and Mei Lin wondered how Ping’s lingering stare along with his expressionless face made Monica feel.
“I’ve asked you so many times not to come to my place of work, couldn’t we have met somewhere else?” Mei Lin asked while putting the 40 Under 40 magazine inside a drawer.
“Do you forget that I work here?” His cigarette damaged throat gave him an unusually deep voice, and his tone was of that of an older brother, trying to get under his little sister’s skin.
“You are on the payroll as a Field Executive for a reason, Ping,” she wondered how she could explain to him that he made people uneasy just by being in the same room as they were without offending him.
“I saw your face on a magazine, I came to congratulate you on your accomplishment,” he said as he looked around her office. “You looked like you enjoy yourself here,” he added, before turning slightly away from her, to admire an abstract painting of the Great Wall of China. The gray wall looked firm and powerful, and it divided an abstract of black and white, as if separating two different worlds.
Mei Lin seized the opportunity and quickly took her compacted .45 pistol from the ottoman and slipped it into her purse.
“I do enjoy my work, Ping, thank you. I was on my way out to grab something from Starbucks. Join me?”
She stood up, placed the strap of her designer purse on one shoulder and made her way to the door before he could answer her invitation. She could feel Ping’s gaze o
n her figure as she turned her back to him. They got out of her office and went down the main hallway towards the exit, Ping slowly followed her, from a few steps behind.
“Monica, I’ll be back soon, please don’t forward any calls to my cell phone,” Mei Lin said with a forced smile while walking out.”
“Sure thing, Mei Lin, be careful out there,” said Monica, and the urge to look into her computer screen to somehow avoid Ping’s gaze was almost too strong to control, but she managed to give him a smile that matched her boss’. He kept on walking as if Monica didn’t exist.
Once they got into Mei Lin’s brand new Mercedes and pulled out of the parking lot, Ping broke the silence.
“I need some fresh air, can you drive to a park first?”
“Yes,” she said. Her flat tone appeared calm but her heart started to beat quickly inside her chest. She knew he had something important to tell her, the ‘fresh air’ being a code among the two of them and their team members. Mei Lin put on a random song while they drove to drown out the awkward silence, and made her way to the closest park near her office, the Encanto Park. The park was an oasis in the middle of the desert, palm trees and greenery everywhere, man-made lakes that looked like they’d been there all along, and wild birds that came and went. The parking spot away from everyone looked perfect, so she took it. Ping got out of the car first and began to walk slowly, she locked her car and followed him.
“I hope you don’t enjoy that little job of yours too much, Mei Lin. Don’t fall in love with something that can never last.” Ping said, slowly pacing towards a lake, the sound of the palm leaves rustling in the warm wind filling the silence between them.
“Well, I know it’s temporary, but it’s been temporary for the last five years. It’s hard not to get attached to it. I have this feeling you have something important to tell me. What’s going on?”
He stopped in the middle of the trail, facing her, and she could feel his gaze even while his dark eyes were behind his round sunglasses.
“It has begun, Mei Lin.”
The way he said it was so filled with certainty, it gave her body rush of adrenaline.
“Are you sure? I’ve been reading the news, watching things. There were many times in the past when I thought it was happening for sure, and then nothing.” She folded her slender arms over her breasts, as if to hold her pounding heart inside of her body.
“Our handlers have the most absolute certainty this time. I came to see you to make sure you are ready to play your part in this. It has already started, and it will unfold itself up to the point of your involvement over the next few days.” He clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes still analyzing her expressions.
“I’m ready to go at a moment’s notice. I have everything in place,” she said, breathing slowly and deeply, part of her wishing this time would never come.
“Your lips tells me you can be relied on, but your body tells me you are reluctant… Why?” She thought she was pretty good at hiding her feelings through body language and speech, but Ping knew.
“You and the team can count on me. I knew this time would come sooner or later, but now that it’s here, it seems kind of surreal. Aren’t you not even a little nervous?” She asked, forcing her arms to her sides, trying to relax.
“No. I am most eager for this life in the shadows to end, and for my true purpose to begin.”
Mei Lin nodded, not knowing exactly what his part was in all of this besides being her boss, and he was the strangest one she’d ever had.
“I have prepared everything over the last few years, all I need is to ‘grab and go.’” Something in her voice made Ping smile, and that smile made her even more nervous.
“They will accept no failures under any circumstances, Mei Lin. Others I know have had worse fates than simply meeting their end.”
“I understand. Is that all you have to tell me?” Mei Lin asked, ready to go back and triple check her preparations.
“Yes. I wanted to see you face to face so that you knew the time to deploy our operation was drawing near. You were my second visit, I still have others to see and check on.”
“How is the team?” Mei Lin asked, wondering if there were any changes since they last spoke.
“Everyone is in place and doing well. I am sure they will be as anxious as you once they find out that the pinnacle of our purpose is finally here and we’ll be activated in these next few days. I can’t stress enough the importance of your role in this. Now is the time when all hesitation must be left behind. I feel I must ask you yet again, can we rely on you, Mei Lin?”
His tone of voice made her nervous. She couldn’t be sure he was threatening her or just being straightforward.
If it comes down to it, I’ll blow half his head off with my .45… Or at least, I would try.
“Of course Ping,” she said gazing into those round dark pits around his eyes. She knew she had everything ready so why was she so nervous? Perhaps it was just a mix of being around Ping and knowing one life was coming to an end, and a very different one would soon begin.
“Good.” The thin lines of his lips curved slightly, he turned away from her and began to walk to the car. He was done. Now she was the one following him just a few steps behind.
He walked in front of her, passed her car and turned his face halfway back to her with a subtle nod for a good bye. She thought about offering him a ride somewhere, but not being in the same car as him was better than being polite. Once she got into her brand new car and turned it on, the vents in the dashboard silently blew ice cold air onto her skin. It was in that simple moment of luxurious comfort that she realized she would miss her life as a prominent CEO more than she should.
Chapter 6
Inova Fairfax Hospital, Virginia
Wednesday, October 21st, 2020
8:05 A.M
The first thing he recognized when he woke up was the IV bag and tube; it’s slow and constant drip an immediate reminder of where he was. He looked around and realized he was alone in his hospital room, it smelled of bleach and some other chemicals as if recently cleaned. A different noise in his ear told him he had more machines attached to him than he had before. He felt something restraining his legs and a pull of the pristine white bed sheets revealed the wide leather straps that bound him to his bed. He recoiled in horror at the sight, remembered hitting the cold granite floor, then nothing.
The door to his room opened slowly.
“Oh you’re awake Mr. President. How are you feeling?” Said the large Hispanic nurse. Her glasses were on the end of her nose like a school teacher and she smiled warmly as she let the door close softly behind her. The look on her face was that of admiration and tenderness, as if she were taking care of someone who was more than just another patient to her.
Probably one of my voters.
“Doing better,” he said, clearing his throat. He returned the smile and sat up a little more.
“That’s great! Can I get you anything, Sir?” She asked while she checked the monitors and adjusted the drip of his medication.
“Would you be so kind as to remove these restraining straps from my legs please? And I’d like to know when I’ll be cleared to leave. Do you have any idea?” He lay back and touched the bandage on his face; it was new, and somewhat smaller than the one he’d had the first time he woke up.
“Sorry, Mr. President, I can’t remove those, that’s for the doctor to deal with; we don’t want you falling out of bed again. As far as leaving, Sir, I’m afraid I wouldn’t know.” She tried to make her answer sound conversational, but the words were clearly rehearsed.
He narrowed his dark eyes at her. It had been years since anyone had told him ‘no’ to anything.
“I’m not just another patient,” he eyed her named tag and continued, “Nurse Carrie. When I ask you for something, I expect you to obey your President. Is that understood?” His one good eye stared at her firmly, his anger clear, but the nurse seemed to let it wash over her.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. President, but I can’t,” she said as she updated his notes. “The Doctor said he would fire me if I or anyone were to do anything to you without his approval first. However, the good news is that I can tell just by looking at your charts that you’re progressing really well.” She smiled warmly at him, as if his sharpness did nothing to cut into her kindness.
“Please have the doctor come see me as soon as he can,” he said, sinking into his bed, heavy with frustration.
A knock on the door interrupted him.
“Come in” Barry said, careful not to yell loud enough to put pressure on his face. The man that appeared by the door made him smile wide enough to ignore the pain that came from his wounds.
“Mr. Woods, come on in please,” Barry said, sounding more than pleased to see him. “Nurse Carrie, have the doctor come in after Mr. Woods and I are done with our meeting. If you could, leave us please, we have important matters to discuss.” The calmness had returned to his voice, Secretary of The Treasury Woods had that effect on him.
“Of course, Sir, if you need anything just press that button next to your bed.” She flashed her pleasant smile to both of them on her way out and couldn’t help noticing the way they glanced at one another. The way they held each other’s gaze made her uncomfortable.
“Hello, Mr. President, how are you feeling this morning?” Secretary of The Treasury Woods asked as he came closer, holding a briefcase. He stood by the window, and the sunlight behind his blond hair made him look like he had an angelic halo around his head. He was a tall, handsome man with a jawline that made Barry’s temperature rise. The President masked his desire behind a sly grin and Woods smiled warmly at him.
“Doing much better thanks, and it’s good to see you. I’ll be out of here in just a few days I’m sure. Give me an update on things please?” There was a lighter tone to the President’s voice that only came out in private with his ‘favorite Secretary’ as his wife referred to him.
