Dragon Head

by James Houston Turner

  Jingfei and Kai looked angrily away.

  “Please,” said Talanov again. “I’d like to leave with your blessing.”

  Finally, grudgingly, Jingfei and Kai both nodded.

  With an understanding smile, Talanov encircled them with a hug. “You’re Zak’s kids, and that means you’re my kids, too.”

  “Do you mean that?” asked Jingfei, looking up at him.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Then you need to let us go with you. Su Yin is my sister, and she’s a minor, and if you run into legal trouble, I can intercede because I’m her family and I’m legally an adult. Come on, you know I’m right.”

  Talanov laughed. “You just don’t quit, do you? However, if I do run into any legal problems, I promise to phone Zak, and he and Emily will involve you to help solve whatever problems I may encounter.”

  “Promise to call if you have any questions? I can still help, even if it’s over the phone. Translation. Legal stuff. Tech stuff. Anything Spy Bill and his team of trained monkeys can’t handle, which I’m guessing will be a lot.”

  Wilcox growled and rolled his eyes.

  “Absolutely,” replied Talanov with a smile.

  “Don’t forget, the people you’re up against are expert hackers, so do not open any attachments, and if you’re ever unsure about anything, call. I’m available twenty-four-seven.”

  Talanov nodded. “Okay, it’s time to go.”

  “Where do you leave from?” asked Jingfei.

  “San Francisco airport. The Jonsair hangar.”

  Wilcox cleared his throat.

  “Oh, come on, Bill, it’s not like it’s a huge secret or anything.”

  Wilcox responded with a reprimanding glare.

  “Okay, so maybe it is,” Talanov conceded, “but these guys need a point of contact in case of an emergency.”

  “In an emergency, they should call Charlie.”

  “Who’s Charlie?” asked Jingfei.

  Wilcox took a card from his wallet and handed it to Jingfei. “My assistant. If there’s a problem, call her. She’ll take care of it. So do not – and I repeat, do not – make contact with anyone at the hangar. That facility is strictly off limits.”

  “You got it,” said Jingfei, pocketing the card. “I promise not to tell anyone you’re operating undercover and illegally out of the Jonsair hangar.”

  Wilcox forced a clenched-teeth smile that showed his patience was wearing thin. Jingfei grinned and punched Wilcox playfully on the arm.

  Talanov turned to Wilcox and said, “I’ll need your cell phone.”

  “Why?”

  “For Zak. Mine got broken, remember?” Talanov threw Jingfei a quick grin and Jingfei grinned back.

  “My phone is a satellite cell.”

  “Which is why he needs it,” said Talanov. “There’s no coverage where he’s going.”

  “It’s an encrypted cell,” replied Wilcox, enunciating carefully to communicate his implication.

  “It’s your work phone, yeah, I get it. Functional anywhere in the world. Which is exactly what Zak needs. Now, let me have your phone.”

  “And if I need to call Charlie or Diane? Or any of several dozen other people that I know? What if they need to call me?”

  “We’ll buy you a new phone when we get to Hong Kong. You can text everyone your number once we know what that number is.”

  “And if I need to discuss classified material?”

  “Easy,” said Talanov. “Don’t.”

  “It’s not that simple!”

  “Yes, it is. You’re supposed to be on vacation.”

  “Which was cancelled, thanks to you.”

  “Point is, DC was prepared to function without you for two weeks, anyway, so it’s not like we’re inconveniencing anyone.”

  “You’re inconveniencing me!” cried Wilcox.

  “Yeah, well, you don’t count.”

  “Vacation or not, I’m supposed to always be reachable.”

  “You will be.”

  “My directory’s in my phone. Numbers that are private.”

  “I can transfer your directory,” offered Jingfei. “Once you get it, text me your new number and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “My directory is password protected.”

  “Easy. Tell me your password.”

  “And give you access to sensitive information? Absolutely not.”

  “I promise not to look.”

  Wilcox glared at Jingfei.

  “Delete the important things,” said Talanov. “It’s backed up on one of your encrypted clouds, anyway, so it’s not like you’re going to lose it.”

  “What happens if someone needs to reach me before we get to Hong Kong? What if I need to call Charlie? What if the phone we buy in Hong Kong is locked into a different network? What if it can be hacked by the Chinese? What if it’s already been programmed for eavesdropping? The last thing I want is the Chinese government listening in on official calls. This is too risky. I can’t take the chance.”

  “I’ve got a phone,” said Kai. He dug Emily’s phone out of his pocket and held it out.

  “Hey! How did you get that?” exclaimed Emily. “My desk drawer was locked!” She reached for her phone but Jingfei blocked her.

  “We needed it,” Jingfei said.

  “How did you get into my desk?” demanded Emily.

  “Easy,” answered Jingfei. “After Ramona was killed, we wanted to call the police, so Kai crawled in and picked the lock.”

  “Well, it’s mine. I want it back.”

  “Sorry, that’s not going to happen.”

  Taking the phone from Kai, Jingfei stepped around Emily and handed it to Talanov, who smiled his thanks before handing it to Wilcox.

  “There you go,” said Talanov. “Unlimited text and talk.” To Emily: “We’ll return it when this is over.”

  “I am not surrendering my satellite cell,” said Wilcox, handing it back.

  “We’re wasting time,” said Talanov, replacing the phone in Wilcox’s hand. “And Zak needs yours. Now hurry up and do your password thing. We have to go.”

  Wilcox glared hard at Talanov before grudgingly turning his back and entering a lengthy password, then navigating to his directory of primary contacts. And after a slow, deliberate exhale, he handed his phone to Jingfei, who tried accepting it but Wilcox would not let go.

  “I promised I wouldn’t look, and I meant it,” Jingfei said. “I know I give you a hard time, but I would never do anything to violate your trust. Please, this is really important.”

  Wilcox reluctantly let go and Jingfei began working the screen. “That is certainly a colorful shirt,” she remarked.

  “What’s wrong with my shirt?” Wilcox snarled.

  “Simply making casual conversation to put you in a happy mood,” Jingfei said with a grin while still working the screen.

  Wilcox growled and threw Talanov a look of irritation.

  Talanov tried not to smile but couldn’t help it.

  “Emily, what’s your number?” Jingfei asked. Emily told her and Jingfei entered the number into Wilcox’s phone, and after working the screen some more, Emily’s phone chimed. “Okay, you’re set to go,” she said, looking at Wilcox. “Your directory has been installed. Obviously, Emily’s phone can’t utilize your encrypted bandwidth because it contains no encryption software, so keep the spy talk to a minimum. Don’t forget to let your contacts know you’re on a downgraded device, too. If you want, I can send them all a text message in a fraction of the time it would take you.”

  “I think I can manage,” grumbled Wilcox.

  “Do not open any attachments, either,” Jingfei cautioned, “unless you know what you’re doing. Remember, your prisoner over there knows exactly how clueless you and Alex are in that department, never mind that neither of you can read a street sign or will have the slightest idea about what’s going on or what to do if you get lost, because you don’t understand the language.”

  “I wish I could
say I’m going to miss you,” Wilcox replied.

  “Oh, you’ll miss me, all right, but by then it will be too late.”

  “And on that note, I think we’ll leave,” said Zak, ushering Jingfei and Kai toward the door, then motioning for Ginie and Emily.

  “I’ll walk you out,” said Talanov. He paused to whisper in Wilcox’s ear, then followed the others outside.

  With Wilcox remaining in the room to guard Straw Sandal, Talanov accompanied Zak and the others to the van, where the two men embraced while Emily climbed into the front seat, with Jingfei and Ginie in the seat behind, and Kai in the rear seat by himself.

  “Kak odin,” said Zak, repeating their “as one” motto.

  “Kak odin,” Talanov replied.

  “By the way,” said Zak, clasping Talanov on the shoulder. “There’s a wonderful parable in the gospel of Luke, where Yeshua, Jesus, asks this question: ‘Which among you, upon learning you’ve lost one of your sheep, does not leave the ninety-nine and go find the one that was lost?’” He paused to smile, then said, “Like David, we take on the lion or the bear. We go to the ends of the earth . . . to the pits of hell itself.” With a broad grin, he squeezed Talanov on the shoulder. “That is you, Alex. You say you don’t know much about God, but you have more of God in you than you realize. You are fighting for the one who needs help.”

  “Like you did for me in Afghanistan.”

  “It’s what we do.”

  And with a final embrace, Zak climbed into his van and drove away.

  Inside the motel room, Wilcox positioned himself by the door and sent a text message to Charlie. Seconds later, the phone in his hand rang.

  “You’re using an unsecured phone?” asked Charlie.

  “Long story, but, yes. You got my text?”

  “I did, but I want to be sure I understand you correctly. You want me to make it look as though Talanov and Chin Chi Ho are on a commercial flight tonight to Hong Kong?”

  “That’s right,” Wilcox replied.

  “And I’m to do whatever it takes to make them appear to be on that flight?”

  “Correct.”

  “Even if they’re not?”

  “Correct.”

  “So, when you say, whatever it takes, do you mean, literally, whatever it takes?”

  “Correct.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  Wilcox did not reply.

  “Are you keeping your end of the conversation vague because someone is seated nearby?”

  “You got it.”

  “Whatever it takes, then,” said Charlie. “What about you? Are you heading back tonight?”

  Wilcox did not reply.

  “A flight plan’s already been filed that shows you heading back soon,” said Charlie, reading the Gulfstream’s flight plan. “Arriving late tonight or early tomorrow morning, whatever you like calling it. Is that still correct?”

  Wilcox did not reply.

  “Are you heading back at all?” asked Charlie.

  Wilcox did not reply.

  “And if anyone asks where you are and what you’re doing?”

  Wilcox did not reply

  Charlie smiled. “You got it, Boss.”

  At the far end of the parking lot, near the stealth bomber building, a blue sedan was parked in the shadows. Inside the sedan were the two men from the poultry delegation, now dressed in black fatigues and sweatshirts. The driver went by the call sign Alpha and he had a cell phone to his ear. His partner, Bravo, was holding an electronic tablet that showed a digital street map of the area. When Babikov’s van drove away, a blinking dot on the map began to move.

  “Yes, sir, we have them in sight,” said Alpha into his phone.

  “Are they together?” asked Angus Shaw from the sidewalk in front of his Colonial mansion in rural Virginia. In the darkness surrounding Shaw were four armed security guards.

  “They were,” Alpha said, “but they’ve parted company. Babikov, his wife, and three others, including a couple of kids, have just driven away, leaving Talanov, Wilcox, and Straw Sandal at the motel. The GPS on Wilcox’s phone shows his phone to be on the move, but Wilcox isn’t with it.”

  “Wilcox must have given his phone to Babikov, which means Babikov is heading into a region with poor cell coverage, i.e., someplace remote.”

  “What do you want us to do?”

  “Wilcox has already filed a flight plan for DC, which means he’ll soon be headed this way.”

  “Want us to keep him in sight? Make sure he and Talanov get on the Gulfstream?”

  Shaw paced the sidewalk in the darkness. A few fireflies were drifting among the trees. “My concern is why Wilcox would give his cell phone to Babikov. Is it possible you’ve been made and that this is a diversion?”

  “No, sir, no way,” replied Alpha.

  Leaving the sidewalk, Shaw began strolling among the maple trees dotting his spacious lawn. A perimeter of security guards went with him. “Then the only reason Talanov would be sending Babikov and the others away would be for them to go to ground somewhere.” Shaw thought about that some more. “Which means Talanov considers Babikov and the others to be his point of vulnerability.” Shaw thought about that some more. “Have you got your equipment packs?”

  “Of course, sir,” Alpha replied.

  “Good, then stay with Babikov. You’ve got them on GPS, so remain well out of sight. If we need leverage with Talanov, I want you in place.”

  CHAPTER 38

  After leaving the parking lot, Zak turned onto Metro Center Boulevard, heading east. Designed by the same people who designed the office park near the motel, Metro Center Boulevard was verdant with shrubs and trees.

  In a little over a minute, they came to the light at Foster City Boulevard. It was a major intersection with six lanes of cross traffic. Even at this late hour, traffic was steady. Through the intersection ahead was a brightly lit service station. Next to the service station was an IHOP.

  “Can we get something to eat?” asked Kai.

  “How about in a couple of hours?” Zak replied. “I’d like to get through the hills.”

  “You’re filling up with gas, though, right? There’s an IHOP right next door. IHOP equals food, equals I’ll be back before you know it. You get the gas and I’ll get the burgers, and fries, and milkshakes, too. And maybe some of those batter-fried apple pies.”

  “I’d hardly call that food.”

  “Come on, Zak, please? We need comfort food to take our minds off everything we’ve been through. That’s why they call it comfort food. To give comfort. Ginie needs some, too. She got whacked in the face pretty hard.”

  Zak eyed Ginie in the rearview mirror and she smiled and shrugged.

  “They have been through a lot,” said Emily. “And we really do need gas.”

  “All right, I know when I’m licked,” laughed Zak. “Burgers and fries it is.”

  Jingfei and Kai cheered just as the light changed to green. Zak accelerated through the intersection and pulled into the lighted service station, where he steered right and stopped beside the pump nearest the street. Two other cars followed him into the service station. The first, a small red sedan, stopped beside the pump farthest from Zak. The second, a blue sedan, drove past the pumps and parked in a space beside the minimart.

  After switching off the ignition, Zak took out his wallet and handed Jingfei a hundred dollar bill, which was some of the money Talanov had given him.

  “Double meat, double cheese, extra bacon,” said Zak. “Do not forget the bacon.”

  “How come you’re giving her the money?” asked Kai.

  “Because I’m the responsible one,” answered Jingfei.

  “Yeah, right,” grumbled Kai.

  “Large or small on the fries?” asked Jingfei.

  “Do you seriously need to ask?” asked Zak in return.

  By now, Kai had climbed over the back of the seat and settled in between Jingfei and Ginie. The girls protested the invasion because he had to spread o
ut in their laps in order to reposition himself up into a sitting position.

  “You’re like a slithering python,” Jingfei cried. She elbowed Kai, slid open the door and jumped out.

  “I’m going, too,” said Kai. “No way am I trusting you to order for me.” He piled out of the van and rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Okay, who wants what?”

  While the others began discussing food, Zak headed toward the minimart to prepay for a fill-up.

  “Zak, wait!” Jingfei called out, running over and giving him a hug.

  “What’s that for?” asked Zak.

  “I just want you to know that I love you. Me and Kai both.”

  “Thanks. I love you too.”

  “No matter what?” asked Jingfei. “You’ll love us, no matter what?”

  “Of course,” said Zak. “What’s going on?” He leaned back and looked down at Jingfei with a smile of concern.

  “I know we’ve made life hard for you.”

  “I love your kind of hard,” said Zak, “and no one is taking you away, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  “It’s not that.”

  “Then what?”

  “I just want to make sure you’ll love us, no matter what.”

  “Of course I will. What’s this about?”

  “Nothing,” said Jingfei. She hugged Zak again, then ran back to the van, where she and Ginie hugged.

  Zak watched Jingfei curiously for a moment, then turned toward the minimart with a chuckle. She is definitely a handful, he thought.

  On his way across the pavement, Zak instinctively looked at the two vehicles that had followed him into the service station. The driver of the small red sedan was a pizza delivery boy who looked to be sixteen. He had already activated the pump with a credit card and was filling up. His car had a lighted pizza sign on top. The blue sedan was parked in a darkened space off to his right, and from what he could tell, there were two men inside, although neither had gotten out yet.

  Pulling open the minimart door, Zak knew he was probably overdoing it with the precautions. No one knew where they were, or who they were, he thought, stepping up to the counter and handing the attendant some cash. The attendant punched some buttons, activated the pump, and told Zak to come back for his change.