Point of Contact

“No need. It’s my mistake, I’m sure. Sorry for the trouble.”

Jack turned to leave, but Lian stopped him. “One second, please.” She punched the speed dial and engaged the speakerphone.

“Yes?” Yong answered.

“It’s me. Question for you: Do we have a warehouse facility on the west end I don’t know about?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“Just tying off a loose end. Thanks.” Lian hung up. “I hope that clears things up for you.”

Jack smiled, lied. “It does. Thanks.”

“And if you change your mind about riding out there together, I’m happy to oblige.”

“I appreciate it.”

Lian watched Jack leave, more curious than ever about what he was up to.

* * *

Back at the warehouse across town, the tall guard that had turned Jack away stood in the wood-paneled office near his boss’s desk with his arms crossed behind his broad back. He was trying not to listen to the woman’s conversation, but he kept stealing glances at the heart-shaped mole above her upper lip. His blood surged at the thought of her mouth and what he would do to her if she were willing, and the pleasure it would bring both of them.

His boss stood just a few feet away from her, tugging on his collar and patting away the beads of sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. The guard didn’t know the woman’s name, only that she was from Beijing. The guard, however, knew his boss — a ruthless bastard, and a Party man to the core. If his boss was scared of her, the guard knew he needed to watch himself, no matter how desirable she was.

He had reported the incident with the man who identified himself as Jack Ryan to his boss, who in turn reported it to this woman. When she arrived she demanded to speak to the guard and to see the security footage herself before confirming Jack Ryan’s identity.

Whoever this Jack Ryan guy is, the guard thought, he better watch his ass.

* * *

How did he find out?” Yong demanded. He was on the other end of the line.

Meili glanced at the tall guard, studiously ignoring her, judging by the blank expression on his broad, cunning face. She turned around, her back to him.

“No idea. But I don’t have to tell you he can’t come back.”

“Obviously.”

“How can we stop him?”

Yong laughed. “You mean besides running over him with a car?”

Meili didn’t laugh.

“I’m joking.”

“Don’t. This is not good. For either of us.”

“I have an idea.”

* * *

Yong ended the call, but his hand still gripped the receiver. Jack Ryan was becoming a problem, quickly, and he needed to be dealt with.

He told Meili that killing him wasn’t an option, but he wasn’t sure if she agreed with him. If Jack Ryan couldn’t be discouraged from further investigation, he needed to be driven away for his own sake or else she would deal with him, one way or another.

37

Jack and Paul put in a full day’s work at Dalfan, continuing to sift through the mountains of data and reports they were required to examine before signing off on the Dalfan — Marin merger. Jack decided to hold off on further physical investigation of the warehouse facility until he heard back from Gavin.

Given Lian’s harsh reaction to his accusations, Jack was suddenly less confident that what he’d stumbled across today was a Dalfan location after all. But there was something definitely there, and whatever it was, it was kept under lock and key. And if it turned out it was a Dalfan facility, it was better to know who he would be going up against when he broke into it.

* * *

Jack and Paul picked up some Indian takeout food from a nearby restaurant Bai recommended and headed back to their guesthouse.

They unloaded several cardboard containers and filled their plates with spicy chicken biryani on beds of basmati rice and ladled up bowls of rich vegetable curry. Jack poured two glasses of iced mango tea he fetched from the refrigerator as Paul laid out the silverware.

They began eating in silence, both lost in their own thoughts about the events of the day, neither feeling as if they could talk to the other about them. Ironically, they were both waiting for a phone call from Gavin, and neither knew about that, either. The food was quickly disappearing.

“This is great,” Jack said.

Paul forked another mouthful of chicken. “Bai said we wouldn’t be disappointed.”

“Do you still think he’s reporting everything he sees to Yong?”

“No question. But that’s his job and I don’t blame him for doing it.”

“Nothing much for him to report, I imagine.”

“I play dumb, he plays video games. It keeps him out of my hair.” Paul swallowed. “What little of it is left.” He heaped more chicken and rice onto his plate. “You didn’t mention how your trip to the warehouse went.”

“It didn’t exactly go the way I’d planned. I couldn’t get in.”

“You showed them your credentials?”

“Yeah. Didn’t matter. What’s weird is that Lian said she had nothing to do with it.”

“But somebody’s hiding something.”

“No doubt.”

“How do you plan on getting in?”

Jack grinned. “My winning personality.”

Paul picked up the nearly empty box of curry. “You want any more?”

“Knock yourself out.”