by Andrew Watts
David thought about his own kidnapping less than 48 hours ago and wondered if they were volunteers or not. If Bill’s wife was dying, he had to get home.
David said, “I agree. Go talk to her.”
A flash of lightning out the cafeteria window caught their attention. A few moments later, they heard the distant rumble of thunder fill the sky.
Bill said, “Maybe I will. Maybe she can help me out. Yeah, you’re probably right.” He smiled.
*****
It was after 11 p.m. when Lena and Bill walked back from the classroom to the Communications building. The group meeting educating everyone on Chinese military and defense capabilities went for almost three hours. When the meeting ended, people were happy to get back to the “hotel” as the consultants were all calling it now. Raindrops began to fall as the outskirts of a thundercloud grazed the island.
Bill had approached Lena immediately after the night meeting in the classroom. She was very understanding and suggested they go sit down and discuss it further. Bill had a good feeling. Women were just better that way. They understood the importance of family. Maybe that was because they bore children. Bill remembered one of his macho-man, hard-ass commanding officers back in the Air Force that had denied his leave chit during Desert Shield. That forced Bill to miss the birth of his second child. That guy was a jerk. But Lena seemed much more understanding.
They reached the Comms Building and Lena went to type her code into the digital keypad next to the door. She looked over at Bill and then typed with her body positioned so that he couldn't see. The keypad beeped and there was a click as the door unlocked. She opened it and they went into a room that reminded Bill of an airport control tower. Rain started coming down in sheets just as they entered. Bill wiped away the rainwater from his hair as he looked over the room. There were several TV screens, all of them off. Three black swivel chairs were placed in front of computer monitors. There was a second door on the far wall that looked like it connected to the rest of the structure. It too had a digital keypad.
Lena motioned for Bill to sit. He took one of the swivel chairs and looked around the room. He wondered where she slept. Must have been behind that door. The computers looked new. When did they build this place? The technology to open and close these doors was pretty sophisticated. Bill saw Lena sit down across from him and cross her legs. She looked relaxed. She really was a nice woman.
Bill told her what was on his mind. He told her about his wife’s cancer and her history of it. They had a few neighbors that could look after her, but it wasn’t the physical stuff that he was worried about. Bill poured his heart out before he even knew that he had. All of this talk of war and strategy and China had distracted him plenty good, but the thoughts of his wife came tumbling back and they were wrapped in emotion. He hoped the display would be enough.
Lena listened. She was an intense woman, Bill noticed. The kind that leaned forward in her chair at all times. Like she had to be ready to pounce. It was awful funny seeing a woman sit like that. Reminded him of a fighter pilot or something.
When he was done talking he felt embarrassed but was glad to get it off his chest. Bill let Lena know that he felt an obligation to help out, but had a bigger responsibility back home. Lena seemed like she got it. Family had to come first. She said all the right things when he was done, smiling. She understood. He saw that in her eyes. Now she would tell him what he needed to hear.
Bill said, “I mean...Lena, I understand how important this all is. But there must be some other person that can take my place. Maybe someone else at my office. My director will be able to help with that just like he helped get me here. I presume you already know him, since he sent me here.”
She was sitting close to him, leaning in and following every word like she really cared.
Lena said, “Bill, of course. Whatever you need. When would you like to leave?”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank you. Thank you so much. I hate to be a burden. I’d be happy to participate. Maybe I could help out remotely? Through the Internet? I just…I need to get back to her.”
Lena nodded and gave the warmest of smiles. She reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Anything at all. We can arrange for a plane first thing in the morning if you like?”
“Oh thank you so much. I…it’s just. I feel bad even asking. But I don’t want to waste any time. And I don’t know how much we’ve got…me and my wife.”
“Actually, Bill, it’s funny you phrase it like that.”
Bill frowned. “Come again? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
Lena’s demeanor changed. Her smile was a little less warm. Her eyes a bit less glowing. “How much time have we got, Bill?”
Bill shook his head. “What do you mean?”
“Bill, do you have something else you would like to share with me?”
Bill paused. He looked at her and frowned.
“Bill. Come now. Remember, I worked with your boss to get you here. I already have a good idea of what everyone knows. But we brought you here to confirm. I expected to hear you speak up today when they brought up the countdown.”
Bill let out a deep breath and looked at the floor. How could she know this? His manager didn’t even know everything.
He said, “I didn’t want to bring it up. I wasn’t sure if it was exactly what we were talking about.”
“You found a countdown embedded in satellites that you use to connect to Air Force drones halfway around the world. A countdown that was put there by a foreign entity. And you weren’t sure if it was relevant? I’m sure that you’ve been quite absorbed by what’s going on at home. But please...what do you know about the countdown?”
Bill looked at her. If he had told everyone what he knew, he never would get out of there. It was a hell of a selfish thing to do, keeping something like that to himself. But he had to see his wife. If the world really was coming to an end that soon...
“Seven months.” He finally said.
She didn’t blink. She even looked like she already knew. Which was impossible. His manager, the one that had sent him there, only knew that they had found a sequenced countdown. But as far as he knew, Bill was still working out the code.
“We found a code in one of our satellites a week ago. One that we use to relay GPS data to Predator drones. Then we checked a few other satellites. It was in all of them. Whoever put it there knew what they were doing. But we thought it was just a computer virus. Until today I had no idea what it could be for. Honest. You’re right though. We were pretty sure that some foreign agency did it. We knew it was a countdown. My boss was gone when I figured out the timing. It was coded, but I ran it through a decryption program. Then I did the math. Seven months. If this is the same cyber weapon that David was talking about, that’s how long we have until this war starts. And that’s why I have to get back to my wife. I need to be with her, Lena.”
Lena said, “What did the others here say about this when you told them?”
“Who? What others?”
“The other consultants here on the island. What did they say about this?”
Bill was embarrassed. He said quietly, “I haven’t told anyone else. Hell, my boss doesn’t even know all of that. I was going to let him know about the timing next week. He was out for a few days when I figured it out. Then Burns, my director, contacted me about this project. But he didn’t know yet either. Come to think of it, how did you-”
Bill never saw it coming.
Lena twisted her torso around, drove her arm forward, and snapped the bottom of her palm into Bill’s solar plexus with an impossibly strong force. A shot of agonizing pain and a rapid loss of the ability to breathe left Bill crumpled on the floor.
Bill tried to gasp for breath but his stomach muscles were cramped too badly. He vaguely understood that Lena was twisting his large body so that he lay flat on his back, the concrete floor cold on his neck.
He started to wheeze and she slammed her open palm into his nose,
the back of his head beating against the hard stone. Then came a momentary flash of black and white stars and a ringing in his ears. Bill’s vision was a blur of dark computer screens and concrete flooring. The rain poured down loud on the roof. A clap of thunder sounded off outside.
Lena was rolling him and tying his hands and feet with something tight. He just needed a minute to rest. She had to stop. His head hurt so much. Bill didn’t understand what was going on. Lena seemed like a sweet girl. She had smiled and listened to his story. He didn’t understand why she hit him. Bill felt a trickle of blood rolling down the back of his head, where it hit the concrete. The cut must have been bad.
Lena stood over him and hissed, “Are you familiar with the blood choke? Your Marines call it that. I just adore the label.”
She pressed one foot into his chest, eyeing him like he was a prize deer she had just bagged. Her eyes were filled with a terrifying eagerness.
Bill lay on the ground, weak and not comprehending what was happening. He tried to get up but his head hurt, and Lena easily pressed his chest back down to the floor. His energy was gone and his head ached. Her hands crept over his neck. Bill instinctively tried to protect himself, but his hands and legs were tied up.
He watched as she crouched down over him, moving with the grace of a true predator. Her face got close enough that he could feel her breath. He couldn’t understand what was happening. The look in her eyes terrified him. Why was she doing this?
Lena whispered, “It’s alright. Just relax. Shhhh. Here’s what will happen. I’m going to squeeze your carotid arteries and stop the blood flow to your brain. It’s an extremely efficient technique. Much faster than cutting off the oxygen supply via your wind pipe. You’ll then go unconscious, and I’ll have to decide what to do with you. I may kill you. I am not quite ready to make that call. I need to think on it. But with any luck, you’ll wake up good as new under close supervision. Now, it’s time to sleep.”
His eyes bulged with fear. Her fingers tightened around his neck. She squeezed hard enough that it hurt. He felt the blood pressure around his face and neck begin to rise. He squirmed with all of his might, but she was incredibly strong and had too much leverage. Bill’s vision grew dark. It felt like she was choking him but he could still breath…he could still fight…he could…
Lena rose and walked to the phone, lifting the handle to her ear. She switched to a sharp-tongued Mandarin.
She said, “Contact the destroyer Lanzhou. Tell them that they must send their alert helicopter. It must land on the north end of the runway at 1:00 a.m. Be prepared to take a passenger in restraints. Call me if there are any problems. Once he is on the ship, await my further instruction. Keep him under observation. Do not let him speak with anyone.”
She hung up the phone and looked at Bill’s limp body on the floor. She needed Bill gone from this side of the island. This “voluntary” extraction of information could only go on for so long. Sooner or later they would realize that it was a charade. Some may already suspect. She hoped Bill’s imminent departure wouldn’t be the beginning of the unraveling.
*****
14 years earlier - Washington, D.C.
Lena sat in her car and looked at her watch. He should be here any minute. She tried not to be nervous. There could be many reasons why he would make contact with her. She was almost finished with her undergraduate degree. And she had performed a few small tasks around the D.C. area. Mostly surveillance or eavesdropping. Things she had learned from her initial training on how to be an intelligence operative. By all accounts she had performed admirably. Could this be to give her praise? Perhaps this meeting was a simple check-up? Or to discuss future duties? Still, she knew this man’s reputation. Mr. Cheng Jinshan was a very important businessman. And a legendary puppeteer for his network of spies. This visit would not be for a trivial reason.
She parked at the corner of 36th Street and Prospect. At exactly noon she got out of her car, and walked to The Tombs, a swanky Georgetown bar across the street. The inside was dark and empty. It was a weekday and most people wouldn’t arrive until happy hour. A bartender was at the far side of the room, wiping down the glossy tables.
Lena scanned to see if the Jinshan was already here.
The bartender spotted her. “You ready to order?” he asked.
“No. Just—”
“Two Dewars on the rocks. We’ll sit by the fireplace.” The voice from behind froze her. She was sixteen when she had last heard that voice. The day that he had recruited her. She tried not to think about that day of tears.
She turned and held out her hand. “Hello, sir.”
“Hello, Lena.” He studied her for a moment, and then walked on.
They sat at a long wooden table tucked beside a large brick fireplace. The flames blazed and crackled. A dozen crew paddles formed a semicircle on the stones above the fire.
The bartender brought two heavy glasses of light brown liquid and went back to cleaning.
“Do you drink?” the man asked, taking a sip.
She gave a weak smile. “A little. Not like the others at my school. I have more important things to do with my time.” She felt like this was half evaluation, half job interview.
“I see.” was his only reply.
They sat for a few moments. The silence made her uncomfortable. She tried to think of something appropriate to say but nothing came to mind.
“You’ve done well here.” he said finally.
“Thank you.”
“Your grades and athletic performance have been exemplary. Your linguistic skills are superb. Also...your extracurricular performance has been noted.” She was pretty sure that he didn’t mean school clubs. Her small contributions to the spy trade were likely what he was referring to.
“Thank you.” She nodded, pursing her lips. She was humble. Complements made her uneasy.
“Still...we’ve watched you closely Lena. You’ve had specific guidelines on how you can interact with others here.”
The tone of his voice told her that he was going somewhere with this. Her heart stopped. She had been careful. They couldn’t possibly know about him. It had only been a few months. Maybe she had slipped up on something else. Filed a report wrong, possibly? But the pit forming in her stomach told her otherwise. She took a sip from her glass.
“And we’ve observed a few...deviations.”
Her face reddened. They knew. She had hoped to God that it wasn’t about this. She hadn’t meant for it to happen. He was on the track team with her. They had both been at a hotel and had spent some time alone. He was a quiet boy. She liked the attention. She knew that it was against the rules. Just like she did years ago. When she was sixteen.
“You’ve taken a lover.”
She looked at her feet. The taste of whiskey heated her throat.
“It’s alright, Lena. I’m not judging you. You are human, after all. But still, we need to know that you will be able to abide by our strict guidelines in any environment. This program isn’t for everyone. We need deeply committed personnel. You are still in training here. It may not seem like it always. But you are. And you need to keep a minimalist lifestyle. That means no relationships of this nature. You must sacrifice, lest you grow sluggish. Or worse, compromised. We don’t want relationships to inhibit future placement. And we don’t want to ever put you in a position where you could slip and say something to the wrong person.”
She looked at him. For a split second, she thought of denying it. She could deceive him. Say that it was nothing. But with Jinshan, she could not risk it. Never lie to Jinshan. That’s what she had been told by the others. She must take responsibility and hope for the best. “Of course, sir. Of course. It’s my fault. I just—I’m sorry. I’ll break it off at once. I will do better. I’m sorry. Please—”
“No, no. Lena, this isn’t about a relationship.” He took a deep gulp from his glass and laid it on the table, ice clinking the edges. “It’s about trust.”
“You can trust m
e, sir.” She saw all of her hard work slipping away. It was a terrifying prospect. She had spent years training to be here. She didn’t want to go back to what could await her if she failed out of the program.
“We have invested a lot of time and energy into you. As I have stated, your performance has been very high quality. I personally have followed your development, and I see great things in store for you Lena. But I have to know that I can trust you.”
“Yes, yes. Of course. I am so sorry. Please.” She shook her head. She hoped that she had not jeopardized her career.
“Lena I am here for two reasons. First, to tell you that I have selected you for a special program. I want you to follow a particular career track. One that many don’t even know exists. If you do this, you will be working on our most covert and most important assignments. You’ll receive a lot more specialized training. And your contribution to your country will be of the utmost importance. In future assignments, you’ll report directly to me.”
Her heart skipped a beat. He was going to let her continue. She could keep moving up. She would retain her honor. Lena nodded vigorously, trying to hold back her emotions.
“The second thing I am here to tell you is that I need you to perform one final act in this segment of your training. I need you to demonstrate your loyalty...your dedication...and your ability to put the mission above all else in your life. If you can do this, I will know that I can trust you. And we can move forward as I described.”
“Of course. Anything. Please just let me know—”
He leaned forward and whispered, “You will kill your boyfriend.”
Her world stopped.
He spoke but she barely heard him. “Please understand; this is not because I think you told him anything about your role with us. I believe you when you say that you have kept your secrets. No Lena, this order is a way for me to know that you are capable of this kind of thing. If I select you for this special assignment, your future career will require a level of emotional detachment from your professional endeavors that few possess. Some could refer to this quality as heartless, ruthless, cold, calculating. Call it what you will. Lena, you must be all of these things if you are to be a weapon. I don’t need you to be just a listener. I have many listeners. I need you to be, at times, an assassin. You have been trained in many techniques. Now you will put them into action. Show me that you can effectively perform this task.”
