The Wuhan Mission

The ambulances arrived, red lights blinking, and the three downed FBI agents were taken to hospital with various bullet wounds, and the girl was put in a body bag and taken to a morgue in Manhattan along with the three dead Chinese agents. A botched operation, and worse, the Chinese agent who had escaped could relay back to China that Wu’s daughter was now dead.

Dr. Wu would not only be upset about his daughter, but he would also be free of CIA control. A lost asset.

*

The Chairman listened sternly with the phone pressed to his ear. He was alone in his office in Beijing.

“This is very good news. You are absolutely sure that she is dead?”

The Chairman lit a cigar as he let the Chinese agent in New York finish his account of the botched FBI operation to get the girl back.

“Excellent, despite losing three men, all of whom died in service of the Party. Well done to you and thank you for your service. Are you staying in America or do you need to come home?”

The Chairman’s puffs of smoke billowed into the wide open space of his enormous office.

“Fine, if your cover is intact you can stay in place and wait for your next assignment. The Party thanks you for your service.”

The Chairman hung up, thinking about in which possible directions this bad news might push Dr. Wu.

He picked up his phone once again.

“Bring me some tea please.”

Outside the door of his office, the assistant relayed the request to her subordinate.

*

Dr. Wu answered his office phone.

“Dr. Wu, I have the Chairman on line one” Wu’s assistant said nervously.

“Thank you honey, put him through”

Dr. Wu waited nervously doodling a cartoon of a corona virus carrying a suitcase on a legal pad.

“Doctor Wu, hello, I hope I am finding you in good health!” boomed the voice of the Chairman.

“Yes sir.”

“Are you sitting down? I am afraid that I have some very bad news about your daughter.”

“Sir?”

“As you know the CIA were planning on detaining her and possibly doing her harm in order to coerce you into doing their bidding”.

“Sir, I knew that they were watching her. I am sorry I did not say anything to you, but I was afraid for her life. They said that they would not harm her.”

“Dr. Wu, as you may be aware, last night my agents in New York took her into protective custody. Our agents allowed her to make a short video that we sent you.

Last night there was a development. The CIA tracked her down and shot her.” The Chairman paused, uncomfortably. “Dr. Wu, your daughter did not suffer.”

Wu stared into space, not fathoming what he had just heard.

“Three of our agents died trying to protect her. The Chinese Communist Party would like to honor her in a ceremony when her body is brought back. My diplomats are speaking with the Mayor of New York today to expedite the process. Again, Dr. Wu, we are very sorry for your loss. I am relieved that you will now be able to carry on your important work, free of the strong-arm tactics of the foreign barbarians.

My assistant will be in touch with any important information as it comes in.”

*

Dr. Wu hung up the phone. He reached up to the cupboard where the rice wine was stored, grabbed a bottle, and calmly left the lab, still wearing his white lab coat. As he drove the familiar route back to his house, where he intended to start drinking, he looked at the mobile phone on the dashboard that had been given to him to communicate with Roet. He picked it up to call him but decided against it. Instead he dialed his daughter’s number in New York City.

“Hi, you’ve reached Ning Wu, but I can’t pick up right now as I am probably in class or with friends. Please leave me a message.”

Dr. Wu’s eyes misted over as he drove home.

His thoughts drifted back to the Americans and the fact that they were now off his back. But what wouldn’t he give to have that CIA pig, Marcus, suddenly come down with a horrible virus and die.

*

Marcus Roet’s chest X-rays showed a broken rib, but no other damage. Upon release from hospital, he took a cab to LaGuardia airport and was on the first flight back to Virginia where he would have to report to the 7th Floor about the botched operation.

“No sweat, I’ve done worse with no consequences” he thought to himself.

The reality though was that he had now lost control of the asset, Dr. Wu, who might now do damage to the United States in retaliation for the loss of his daughter. Roet had to assume that the news would get back to Wu even though the death of the girl and the three agents had been classified. The simple fact remained that one of the Chinese agents had escaped, and he would report back to China that the FBI had killed her. Meanwhile he needed to clear the girl’s apartment of bugs that his team had planted.

Roet ordered a glass of wine from the first class attendant, and proceeded to call one of his guys to go and retrieve the bugs.

Chapter 28 Beijing