Red Sky

by Chris Goff

  “That’s not up to me. It’s not up to any of us.”

  “Who is it up to, then?”

  It was hard to say. With the U.S. government calling him a traitor and his cousin likely dead, things didn’t look good for Zhen. Still Jordan went with the cliché. “All I can do is put in a good word for you, provided you’ve told us everything.”

  “I have. I swear. What else do you want to know?”

  “Tell us what happened after you met Ping Mu.”

  The story he told fit.

  “Once you doctored the plans, did Ping sell them?” she asked.

  Zhen slumped back against the couch cushions. “He couldn’t. No one wanted to buy them without proof the gun worked. He built two prototypes. Eddie said things were getting too dangerous after he sold one to some Russian dudes and arranged for me to get out. We were waiting for his contact in Guangzhou when the cops showed up.”

  “How did you end up back at REE?” Davis asked.

  “The police asked me what I was doing in China. I told them I worked for Ping. Next thing I know, he’s there picking me up. He wanted to know where Eddie was. I told him I didn’t know.”

  Jordan mulled over what they heard. Letting her eyes wander, she took in the empty plates and the dirty glasses on the coffee table. She could hear Charlie’s anime show chattering on the television, though she knew he’d absorbed every word of the conversation. Outside the windows, the sun was setting, coloring the sky above the Nanling Mountains blood red.

  “Agent Jordan, I’ve told you everything I know,” Zhen said. “Now I want to know where Eddie is.”

  She found it hard to look at him. There was no easy way to break this kind of news, and she hadn’t had much practice doing it. “Kia, I think Eddie’s dead.”

  “What?” The boy’s voice broke.

  Jordan told him about the plane and how it had gone down. How she had reason to assume it was him who had died.

  “Then you don’t know for sure that it’s Eddie.” Hope caused his voice to rise.

  “They’ll run his DNA or pull dental records. Then we’ll know.”

  “Does this mean the Russians tried to kill me?” His voice rose to an even higher octave. “Did Eddie die because they thought he was me?”

  “We don’t know that. Maybe someone knew it was Eddie on board.” Jordan wasn’t sure her words were a comfort. She wished she could give him a minute to process his loss. Unfortunately, the clock was ticking. “Did you or your cousin get a good look at the Russians who bought that gun?”

  “Yeah, we both did. I showed them how to program the weapon.”

  If the Russians wanted to keep the gun under wraps, eliminating both Zhen and Eddie made sense. Ping had to be the one who told them which flight to attack.

  “Were they Russian military?” Davis asked.

  “No, more like mafia dudes.”

  “Do you know what Ping plans to do with the other prototype?” Charlie asked.

  “He’s lined up a Chinese buyer. They’re meeting tonight.”

  Jordan felt a surge of adrenalin but forced herself to stay calm. “Where? At the manufacturing plant?”

  Zhen nodded.

  Davis scrubbed a hand through his hair. “How do you know they’re Chinese?”

  “Because Ping made me create an interface to the Chinese GPS satellite system. I was just finishing when you guys showed up.”

  “What now?” Davis asked.

  Jordan couldn’t make this decision on her own. “I need to make a call.”

  * * *

  It was midafternoon in Ukraine, and Lory picked up on the second ring.

  “We found Kia Zhen.” Without preamble, she filled him in on everything they’d learned, including the bit about the pending weapons sale.

  “Fuck.” He banged his fist down on his desk hard enough to concuss the phone. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.”

  When the line switched over to Muzak, Jordan started pacing the bedroom. She couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow they were missing something in the bigger picture. Hopefully Lory would have some good news when he came back online—or at least some answers.

  “Still there, Jordan?”

  “Here.”

  “After we talked, I spoke with my CIA contact in D.C. He confirms there’s been chatter about a weapons deal. Factions in Russia and China have been cozying up to each other for some time, but you just shed some new light on the situation. At least we know where the deal’s going down. Well done, Agent Jordan.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she said, but she didn’t want praise. She wanted a plan of action. “What happens next?”

  “I’ll update the director and the ambassador and see if I can’t fire up the Ukrainians to find these assholes. Zhen’s word isn’t much to go on, but it sounds like the Russians may be planning a coup d’etat. I’ll also order a new DNA test on our dead fugitive. Another good lead.”

  “Any word on RSO Todd?” Jordan asked.

  Lory hesitated. “She never made it out of surgery.”

  The news about Todd hit Jordan hard. The RSO died because Jordan had come looking for Zhen and then had left her lying on the restaurant floor in a puddle of blood.

  “Jordan?”

  She forced herself to refocus. “Still here, sir.”

  “You need to get back to Guangzhou with Zhen, and you better make damn sure your Reuters journalist doesn’t print any of this. All we need is word getting out to spark a full-scale panic on the part of our Western allies. I don’t know what the fuck you were thinking taking him along, but I’m holding you personally responsible for any leaks or negative repercussions.”

  “I understand, sir.” She knew there was no point in arguing. She had her own reservations. “If it helps, he used to be Special Forces, and he claims to still be in the active reserves.”

  “It’s worth checking out.” Jordan heard him bark something at Mary. “Meanwhile, the PO is working on a way to bring you into the consulate and get you out of China. You need to go to the safe house and be ready to move.”

  “What about the gun?”

  “What about it? The National Security Council has recommended to the president that she initiate a covert action to secure the prototype and the plans. My guy expects he’ll get a green light within the next four hours. Unfortunately, the CIA doesn’t have an operations officer in country. They’re looking at fourteen to twenty-four hours to get someone on site.”

  “That’s too much time. At best the agent would be looking at a recovery mission.”

  “Do you have any other ideas?”

  He was being facetious, but she knew there had to be some way to stop China from acquiring a weapon with such long-range strike and defensive capabilities. Allowing the sale to happen would only increase the vulnerability of Western allies in the region and hamper the ability of the United States and Europe to defend them.

  “What about Special Forces?” she asked.

  “You know as well as I do that we can’t send a strike team into China. It would be a suicide mission.”

  “Well there has to be something we can do. We know the Chinese and Russians are working together. There has to be an end game we’re not seeing. But knowing as much as we do, you can’t seriously expect me to stand by and do nothing.”

  “You and what backup, Jordan? A consulate driver, a Reuters journalist, and the traitor who stole the secrets to begin with?”

  “I’m fairly certain the consulate driver is a CIA asset.”

  “We can check that out, too.”

  “My instincts are telling me they can be trusted. Both Charlie and Davis put themselves in harm’s way today helping me do my job, and Davis saved my life yesterday.”

  “Admirable. Are you going to defend Zhen, too?”

  “Truthfully, I don’t believe he’s a traitor. I think he honestly thought he was helping his cousin, who he believed to be a CIA undercover operative.”

  “Sounds a little naïve.”
<
br />   “Maybe, but it doesn’t change my assessment.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Just what is it you think the four of you can do?”

  She hadn’t really formulated a plan, but he was listening. That was a start. “The security at REE isn’t that sophisticated. It’s possible we could get in, retrieve the plans, and sabotage the meeting. At the very least, we could stake out the plant and document who comes and goes for later follow up.”

  Lory laughed. “Your RSO in Tel Aviv told me you’d be trouble.”

  “You talked to Daugherty again?” Jordan was sure he’d filled Lory in on her exploits. She may have earned a medal for efforts on behalf of Israel, but she’d still gone rogue in a profession where following orders was considered rudimentary. “What did he have to say?”

  “He suggested I ask my CIA contact if he would consider you for the hostage exchange program.”

  The program had existed for years, designed to enable the CIA and FBI to temporarily swap personnel depending on need. She wondered if it really extended to other federal agencies or if it was just Daugherty’s wishful thinking. “He wants to get rid of me, ey?”

  “More likely he wants to absolve himself of any responsibility for your future actions.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “That it wasn’t a bad idea.”

  Chapter 25

  Sounds from the outside woke Kozachenko. Disoriented, it took him a moment to get his bearings. They were on the train car.

  Clicking a button on his watch, he lit up the face. 1:00 PM.

  Glancing across at Yolkin still sleeping in the truck’s passenger seat, Kozachenko wondered how Barkov and the others were doing. He sent Barkov a text, fearing any verbal communication would lead to detection. Until they were under way, their phones and lips would need to remain silent.

  It had grown warm inside the car. Kozachenko stripped to his T-shirt, though he knew he should relish the heat. It would be cold for the next few days. Still, somehow the temperature made his anger rise.

  The noise outside increased, and Kozachenko strained to hear. Was it Dudyk?

  He and the men with him had not returned. Kozachenko had texted Dudyk hours ago, but he’d heard nothing in return. The only thing convincing him they hadn’t been captured was that no soldiers or police had come looking for them. Maybe their luck had returned. Time would tell.

  A jolt rocked the train, and the voice sounded louder.

  Railroad workers! They were coupling the cars. So far it had worked the way Stas had told him it would. Another good sign.

  In a few more minutes, the refrigeration cranked on, and the air began to cool. Then came a jolt. The quick movement caused Yolkin to wake and sit bolt upright in the passenger seat.

  “What’s going on?”

  Kozachenko signaled Yolkin to be silent.

  The voices outside the car paused.

  Yolkin’s eyes widened. He clamped his mouth shut and sat stock-still. Kozachenko froze. It took several moments for the chatter outside to resume, then Kozachenko let out his breath.

  A few minutes later, there came another jolt, but this time the train picked up speed.

  “Okay, Yolkin, now it’s safe to talk for a while.”

  “Sorry.”

  Kozachenko shrugged off the apology. As long as they hadn’t been caught.

  “How far is it to where we’re going?”

  Being just the two of them in the truck, Kozachenko hoped Yolkin wasn’t the type who liked to talk all the time. “About an hour.”

  “Have you heard from Dudyk?”

  “No, but we must hope he made his way back to the west and connected up with the Russian soldiers at the front. The window for rejoining us here has passed.”

  The two men rode in silence from then on. The temperature inside continued dropping, and Kozachenko briefly considered starting the truck and running the heater. The problem was the container was solid, and carbon dioxide buildup might kill them. It wouldn’t pay to be warm and dead. Instead, he slipped his shirt back on, and a few minutes later he added a jacket. Finally, he pulled out his sleep sack.

  True to the timetable Stas had presented, the train traveled for little more than an hour before it slowed to a stop. It jerked forward once or twice as the cars were positioned along the track, and then outside, he could hear a number of voices—Ukrainian soldiers and first responders, perhaps some volunteers.

  He heard the doors of the railroad car slide open and shallowed his breathing.

  “Fill this one with debris,” someone yelled out. It sounded like Stas. “Put any bodies in the first two cars.”

  Kozachenko heard a tractor fire up and then, in a matter of minutes, felt the vibration of debris hitting the floor of the railroad car, rocking it on the track. His stomach turned at the smell. Even with the refrigeration, the stench was bound to permeate. He wondered how much Stas was enjoying their dilemma.

  “Where are they taking us from here?” Yolkin whispered.

  Kozachenko glared, pulling a finger across his throat. Was Yolkin trying to get them caught?

  “Poland,” he mouthed, then made the motion of zipping his lips.

  Most of the passengers on Flight 91 were from Krakow. They would ship the bodies home to where an army of soldiers and volunteers waited to sift through the bits of refuse—separating body parts from artifacts, items of value from trash—with one exception. If all went according to plan, after they crossed the border the train would be missing one car full of rubbish and men.

  Chapter 26

  Jordan stood at the window and watched the lights of the city wink on. Lory had sent her a text. His directive to stay put until morning and then return to Guangzhou had changed. She’d texted him back, and he’d confirmed that Davis had told her the truth about his reserve status, and she’d been right about Charlie’s being a CIA asset. Then he gave her carte blanche on dealing with Zhen.

  Stepping back to where the others were sitting, she sized up the group. “Davis, how much money do you have?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

  “The presidential mandate came through. As agents of the American government, we’ve been instructed to sit on the manufacturing plant, monitor all activity, and do whatever is necessary to prevent the sale of the weapon.”

  Charlie clicked off the anime. “Aren’t they sending a team?”

  “ETA is twelve to twenty-four hours.”

  Davis shook his head. “They’ll never make it.”

  “Which is why we need to be prepared. We’re going to need some equipment.” Jordan hoped Davis had enough cash to cover the cost. She looked at Charlie. “We’ll need you to pick up supplies.”

  “Tell me what to buy.”

  She outlined the items for him. They needed communication devices, four-way and hands free. Dark clothing, pants and T-shirts, and dark caps.

  “What about weapons?” Davis asked.

  “No way,” Charlie said. “The only people who carry guns in China are the Triad and the military. Even the police rarely carry firearms. Under the circumstances, we can’t use the black market. I can get some knives, and maybe some antistab vests, though those might raise a few eyebrows.”

  “Then forget the vests,” Jordan said. “We need to stay under the radar.”

  “Anything else?”

  “We need to figure out how to hack into REE’s IT system.”

  “I’m all over it,” Zhen said, scooping up the laptop on the table. Davis reached forward and plucked it out of his hands.

  “Hands off.”

  “Hey, dude! I’m just trying to help.”

  “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

  Jordan saw the stricken look on Zhen’s face and put her hand on Davis’s shoulder. Her gut told her the kid was sincere. “Why do you want to help, Kia?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Those assholes tried to kill me. They maybe killed my cousin, and they for sure had something to do with all those peop
le dying in the crash. They wouldn’t have the weapon if it wasn’t for me.” His voice cracked, and he swiped his fingers across his eyes. “I just want to make it right.”

  Jordan wished she could tell him it would be okay, but what was the point in lying? Unless he knew how to turn back time, it would never be right. The best he could do was keep it from getting worse. “Let’s let him show us what he can do.”

  “Why not?” Charlie said.

  Davis’s muscle twitched under Jordan’s hand, then he handed over the computer. She squeezed his shoulder, then slipped past him and sat on the couch beside Zhen. Fascinated, she watched as he played the keyboard like a piano, gaining access to the alarm system, cameras, and warehouse specs in under five minutes.

  “Any chance you can get to the weapons plans?” Jordan figured that would be too easy, but she had to ask.

  Zhen shook his head. “Ping is careful. His office is on a separate alarm system, and he keeps the plans in two places. One set on a computer in his office that’s not connected to the Internet, and a backup on a portable solid-state drive in his office safe.”

  Jordan froze. “A safe?”

  “What kind?” Charlie asked.

  “Digital is all I know. It takes a code to open it.”

  Jordan flopped back against the couch cushions. “That’s it. We’re screwed.”

  “Not so fast,” Davis said. “When I was on assignment for a big fire in Canada, one of the human interest stories was on digital fire safes. Ironically, most are made in China. It turns out they aren’t all that secure.”

  Jordan felt a spark of hope and sat up. “Can you open it?”

  “A Canadian locksmith did. He used a magnet. Digital safes have a solenoid—simple coils with a pin that moves through its center allowing the bolts to be locked or unlocked by the coil’s motion.” Davis used his hands to demonstrate, and then picking up a magazine, he circled a spot on the cover. “If this is where the digital keypad sits, you put the magnet here.” He pointed to a spot up and to the left of the circle. “The magnet moves the pin, and the safe opens.”

  “That easy?” Jordan said.

  “He cracked it in under ten seconds.”