The cafe in the hotel was quiet, running between the breakfast and lunch crowds. They were led to a window table that had an expansive harbor view. He thought to himself that she wasn’t particularly worried about being seen on surveillance cameras or she wouldn’t have chosen this hotel. With her red hair and green eyes, the only place where she wouldn’t stand out might be Dublin.
He looked around the elegant café with its extensive view. “You know, my hotel room doesn’t look at anything except another building.”
“That’s too bad, Mike.”
“I also have an ice machine outside my door that makes a racket all night long.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
“No, that is not what I called you about.”
Franco watched the waitress come up to their table. They both ordered coffee and after the waitress left, he scanned the room again and said to Rorke in a gruff voice, “I wasn’t happy about yesterday.”
“What part of yesterday bothered you?”
“You had at least two different surveillance teams keeping an eye on us. Why?”
“Surveillance teams? Are you sure?”
“Stop it!” he said, annoyed
“How do you know it was me?” she asked coyly.
“Give me a break. Why did you do it?” he asked, starting to be less charmed by her again. “Do you think Sloan is connected with the thieves and you haven’t told me?”
She smiled, looked back out the window and then turned to him. “Mike, first I want to thank you again for agreeing to work with us. I know Sloan is in good hands and that I can trust you to manage him.”
“Sam, you’re not thanking me ‘again.’ This is the first and only time you’ve thanked me.”
“Well, I’m sorry for that. It’s way overdue,” she said, smiling as she turned to look at the harbor again. After a moment, she continued, “No, we don’t think Paul Sloan is one of the thieves. Is he still talking like the thieves are wonderful patriots fighting to save the world and stop all hunger?”
“Well, without the patriot angle, yes he is.”
“You know he’s a terrible security risk with his alcohol problem.”
“Former alcohol problem.”
“No, ‘recovering’ alcohol problem,” she countered. “Alcoholics use that term. They’re the ones who know how hard it is to stay dry and keep functional.”
Her comment hung in the air as the waitress came with their coffees. She continued when the waitress left them.
“Based on Sloan’s past and how far he sank when he was drinking, he couldn’t hold even the lowest security clearance today.” She lowered her voice, “And we’re not talking about a low level of clearance on this operation. This is one of the highest profile industrial thefts we’ve ever had. This isn’t hacking into IBM and walking off with their candy, as bad as that is. This is a physical theft of U.S. government property that we were holding in trust for one of our most powerful citizens. We don’t want that news leaking out. We’d have a serous problem.”
Franco nodded. “I know that. That’s why I’m here, to help prevent Sloan from feeling he needs to discuss this rice project.”
“Yes, Mike. That’s why you’re here. You’re not here to be a one-man surveillance team. You’re here to be Sloan’s friend, if he needs one. It’s why I have a back-up plan if for any reason something happens to you.”
“‘Happens to me?’ Like what?”
“Like Sloan wanting to give you the slip and go off on a bender with one of his old academic pals without telling us. You know, to re-live the good old days.”
“Nigel Fong didn’t strike me as much of a party animal.”
“No, but Sloan has two other old close friends in Hong Kong who are not as temperate as Dr. Fong.” Looking at her watch she added, “As a matter of fact, he’s riding up the tram with one of them right now. Did you know that?”
“Yes, I knew he was taking the tram ride.”
“You didn’t know it was with an old drinking buddy from his faculty days.”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Did you know that this drinking buddy is a divorcee that Sloan was very friendly with even when they both had good steady marriages?”
“No.”
“Did you know that Sloan’s other pal has been away at a conference in Europe, although he’s tried to reach him a few times?”
“No.”
“Do you have any other questions for me about the surveillance on Sloan?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he said, taking a drink of the coffee.
“There was no need. You have enough on your mind ensuring Sloan’s continued cooperation and discretion. Your job is preventing bad behavior rather than monitoring for it.” She turned to look out at the busy harbor.
“How well do you have him wired?” he asked.
She turned back to him. “What do you think?”
“I would guess you went all in with cell phone intercepts, and GPS, and audio transmitters in clothes linings and shoes and wherever else you can hide one of your toys.”
She looked back to the harbor and said very casually, “Yeah, we put an electronic device in pretty much every place we could. We covered it all.”
Franco thought about this. “What about me?”
She turned and studied him closely with those incredible green eyes and asked softly and slowly, “Yes, what about you, Mike?”
Franco felt extremely vulnerable when she used that seductive voice. “Am I wired, too?” he asked.
“Should you be?”
“No.”
“Well,” she said, “Given the fact that Pauling seems to love you like a son, and your history of service speaks to being able to keep big secrets, we gave it a lot of discussion.”
“And?”
“Oh, we still talk about it.”
“What about the fact that I don’t know anyone over here, that I don’t know anything about rice, and that I don’t know where the brothers have taken it? Hell, I don’t even know who they are.”
“We talk about that too, Mike,” she said. “You wouldn’t have much of a story to tell, even if you managed to find an audience, would you?”
Franco drank from his coffee. “I’m also pissed off that you ignored my calls.”
“Oh, please,” she said with mock offense, “I didn’t ignore them. I just didn’t answer them yet.”
“Why not?”
“I‘m sorry, I was busy.”
“Taking one for the team with one of the brothers?”
She looked amused. “Maybe. Would that be a problem for you?”
“No, not at all,” he said, “How long have you been setting these guys up?”
She leaned forward to speak to him, lowering her voice. “Franco, I want you to understand that we’ve been onto these thieves since before they got started with this rice theft. We spent a lot of time watching them rip off technology assets. I’ve been the older brother’s financial advisor for the last eighteen months. It started small; he liked my results and now I run most of his portfolio. Just know that we’ve spent a lot of time on this. We’re almost at the end, and I can’t risk Sloan or you screwing it up now. If I seem a little upset or impatient with you, you must know we have a huge investment in this operation. If I don’t answer your calls right away, I’m sorry. Please don’t be offended.”
“What if there had been an emergency and I was trying to reach you?”
She looked steadily at Franco and smiled before resting her hand on his wrist. “Mike, if there were an emergency, I’d know. Trust me, I’d know all about it.”
Franco spoke again. “I’ve been thinking a lot about this business. This is a big deal for you. There’s something very important here. It’s more than just seeds
being stolen from an USDA outpost.”
Her tone became a little harder when she answered him. “Mike, I didn’t hear a question in there—and that’s a good thing, because you know how I feel about you asking a lot of questions.” She paused, and then continued in the same firm tone. “Whatever you don’t know, you don’t need to know and, believe me, you don’t want to know.”
“The stakes are bigger than a few seeds being stolen.”
“Truthfully, Mike. They’re not. It’s all about the seeds.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“That’s your problem. It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you do your job, and help to make sure Sloan stays on the rails—at least until he goes back home.”
“Okay,” said Franco, “And how much longer is this job going to be?”
“It will be over sooner than you think. We have additional plant specimens coming in for the Professor’s inspection tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”
“Where are these plants from?”
“Mikey, what did I tell you about asking too many questions? I’m going to give you a ‘time-out’ if you can’t behave.”
“When do you need to have Sloan available?” he said, ignoring her tone.
“Make sure he’s in his room tomorrow at 1500 hours. This may be the last we need of Sloan and that means your job will be done, too. You can punch out from the factory floor as soon as Sloan boards a plane back to the States.”
“Should I book his flight?”
“Let’s see how it goes tomorrow. If he can identify Buddy’s rice in these next specimens, you can both leave.”
“Okay, that soon. Great.”
“One thing though, after we’re done. I do want Sloan back in the States. I don’t want him wandering around here without supervision. We’ll likely be pulling our people from his surveillance detail here after he identifies the specimens. It’s critical he returns to Hawaii when his job is done.”
“I understand.”
“Franco, one other thing. I don’t want you all upset if you can’t reach me tomorrow. As you put it, I’m ‘taking one for team.’ I’m going to see our thieves’ rice paddies on the mainland to see our stolen goods in the wild. Don’t bother me. I’ll be strolling about in the rice and mud.”
“I don’t hear a lot of excitement in your voice. You’re not really a country girl, are you?”
“Bugs, oxen, manure—they are not my favorite things. This trip will be an example of extreme loyalty and duty for me. I want you to be impressed.”
“Will you come back with dirt under your fingernails?”
“Shit, I hope not. I’ll see you and Sloan at 1500 tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 21
At 7:00 am, when the phone rang, Jun was sitting on his terrace drinking tea. It was a lovely day and, at that moment just before the ring, he wondered to himself how life could possibly be any better for him. The sun had not yet risen higher than the surrounding skyscrapers and the sky above was flawlessly blue. It was going to be a perfect day. Although the crowds in the streets were starting to build, it was peaceful and beautiful sixteen floors up. He had not brought a phone out to the terrace and it took him several rings to track one down. The only person who called him this early was his brother and that was usually at the end of the night rather than the beginning of the day. When Jun found the receiver on the stand, he did not recognize the flashing number of the caller. He answered anyway.
“Hello,” he said, a little annoyed at being disturbed.
“Jun, this is Zhang Wei. I know it’s early. I’m calling because I have an important invitation for you.”
“Yes?” said Jun, now very interested and no longer annoyed.
“I would like to apologize for the late invitation. I only heard last night that the Minister of Agriculture might be able to meet you and your brother today. His secretary just phoned me to tell me of his availability this afternoon. The Minister will be at a luncheon today in Kowloon, and he would like to visit with you and your brother afterward for a short meeting. He is excited to meet the men who found this Thailand rice and who know how important it will be for the Chinese people.”
After catching his breath, Jun managed to stammer, “I am very honored the Minister wishes to see us.”
“Yes, and to thank you personally. It is a great honor for you.”
“We will certainly accept the invitation.”
“Excellent. You and your brother should be in the reception lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at 1:30. I am at the airport in Changsha now and I should arrive in Hong Kong by about 10:00. I will be joining the Minister in Kowloon for the luncheon. The Minister is having a high-level meeting at the Tin Lung Heen restaurant and will visit with you afterward. I will meet you and your brother and take you to a meeting room to see the Minister.
“1:30 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. We’ll be there. Thank you.”
“Very good. I’ll see you then. Goodbye.”
After switching off the phone with Zhang Wei, Jun immediately called his brother’s number. There was no answer. Jun cursed and called again with the same result. He placed the phone down and left to prepare himself for the day.
After showering and dressing in his best suit for the Minister, he called his brother’s line again and there was still no answer. Frustrated, Jun left his apartment and started out for his brother’s flat. Chao’s building was just three blocks away. Jun managed to call three times from his cell phone while he walked the short distance. The result was the same.
His brother’s building was far more modern than his own. Jun was known to the doorman there, and he had his own security card to allow him to direct the lift to the twentieth floor. When he reached the apartment door, he leaned on the buzzer for a long time. Jun waited for a full minute and there was no answer. He pushed the buzzer again, this time giving it an even longer burst. About half a minute later, he heard noises from within and the door bolt snapped open. The door cracked wide enough to for a face to bend around the door. It was a young woman.
“Chao is still asleep,” she said in a hushed voice.
“I’m his brother,” said Jun, angry now. He pushed the door in and the woman stepped back. She was completely naked and ran to the bedroom as Jun entered.
Jun stood in the room hearing the young woman speak to his brother. He looked around the living room and saw clothes strewn on the furniture and carpet. Without needing much imagination, Jun could determine that she had come to the apartment wearing a dark blue skirt, a white blouse, pink panties, and black strappy sandals. Chao appeared to have been wearing his favorite sports jacket, an open collared shirt, and dark slacks.
Jun heard stirring in the bedroom and moments later his brother walked out in his shorts. “Hey, good morning. Pleasant surprise to see older brother here. What’s going on?”
Ignoring Chao’s question, Jun said, “Had a pretty good night last night, it seems.”
Chao replied. “Oh, well, Daiyu and I are good friends. I saw her at the club last night and it was like old times. More importantly, and I know you will enjoy this; I met this guy who lives in Boston who attended Pelham when I was there. He owns a company there that does some type of fancy holographic, 3D, or whatever, way of imaging products and parts in real time on assembly lines. This company does manufacturing quality assurance for a whole lot of products in the U.S. Their website suggests their technology might be just perfect for exporting to China. I looked this guy up on the Pelham old boy site and he was one smart kid in school. He could be a great client for us.”
“Was he part of this?” Jun gestured around the room as he sat on Chao’s sofa.
Chao laughed. “No, he left the club early to go to bed. It didn’t seem that clubbing was his thing last night.”
“But you carried on?”
“’All work and no play mak
es Chao a dull boy,’ right?”
“I’m not worried that you’ll ever be accused of ‘all work.’”
Jun noticed a half-smoked joint and small plastic bag of white powder on the soft table. “I thought you swore off those bad behaviors,” he said.
“Daiyu brought them last night.”
“And you did not partake?”
“Now that would have been rude, wouldn’t it?”
With that, Daiyu walked into the room wrapped in a towel, and started collecting her clothes. They watched as she walked around the room. She gathered most of them before coming up to Jun. “You’re sitting on my bra,” she said.
Jun stood and she pulled it from the chair and went silently back to Chao’s bedroom.
After she retreated, Jun spoke. “It sounds like this Boston company is a good find. But now, we have a more pressing matter to talk about.”
“Right, what’s so important that you wake me from my beauty sleep at the crack of dawn?”
“It’s 8:30.”
“I work a different shift. What’s your emergency?”
“You have a lunch date today.”
“Yes, I know. Daiyu has to leave town today and I’m taking her to lunch at that Italian restaurant you took me to last week.”
“No, that’s not what you’re doing. We’re meeting the Minister of Agriculture for lunch—or, rather, after his lunch. He wants to thank us personally for the Thailand rice.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, Zhang Wei called me earlier this morning to arrange it.”
“Wow. I guess I won’t be able to see Daiyu later.”
“No, we have to be in Kowloon at 1:30 to meet the Minister.”
“1:30, hmm,” Chao said, and turned to his bedroom, calling out, “Daiyu, don’t dress yet. Change of plans.” He turned back to Jun. “When do you want to go to Kowloon?”
“I’ll pick you up with a car here at 11:00 to be safe.”
The Rice Thieves Page 16
