Dragon Key

The past week had been a disaster. The deal with the Iranians, the stolen payoff money, the missing guidance system and, most of all, the loss of his personal flash drive, the dragon key. His whole life, as well as his future, was on that device. It contained all the bank account numbers and passwords to his secret accounts in Hong Kong and Zurich, the special accounts his brother-in-law, Yoon, had set up for him. The accounts that assured he would be richer than he ever imagined when he eventually left the PLA, and China, for good.

He silently cursed the woman who’d stolen it from him, and his own stupidity for being so drunk and infatuated with her red-haired beauty that he hadn’t immediately caught the substitution. But she had been so very talented, and the copy was so exact...

The fingers of his right hand momentarily went to the chain around his neck, the chain that always held the flash drive, disguised as a dragon’s head. Now it held the ersatz dragon key—the one the Russian had substituted. How had she known about it, much less taken the real one and replaced it with an exact duplicate?

Although the device was protected with a password, there was a slight possibility that someone might eventually breach the code. The Politburo Standing Committee would certainly have people who could do it. So would the Americans. He wondered which would be worse. The Americans would no doubt blackmail him, but the Committee would publically rend him limb from limb.

“General,” a soft voice said.

Wong looked around, but saw no one except the pretty Chinese girl smiling at him on the opposite side of the nearest obelisk. He could barely hear her above the cacophony of the milling crowd.

“General,” the girl said again.

Wong squinted at her and raised an eyebrow.

“The man you seek awaits inside the Hall of Eternal Harmony.”

She had to be one of Chen’s girls, Wong thought. He took another moment to appraise her. Her dark hair was long and fell like a curtain over part of her face. It was a pretty face, and although she wore pants and a loose-fitting shirt, Wong could tell her figure was excellent. The old, fat Triad leader liked to send young, fetching creatures to do his bidding. The general had no doubt she could most likely slice a man’s throat as soon as seduce him. He tugged the corner of his mouth into a slight smile, nodded to her and went to meet Chen. An interior meeting was eminently preferable to outside, where the prying eyes of the Committee could be hiding among the throngs of tourists.

He strode through the gate, bypassing a line of people at the ticket booth. A guard saw him and immediately came to attention as Wong walked past. Inside, the Forbidden City was divided into a complex of beautiful courtyards and ceremonial halls.

Wong stopped at the entrance to the Hall of Eternal Harmony and shook a cigarette out of his pack. He lighted it and drew deeply as he glanced around. The girl who had whispered to him was walking about thirty meters behind with two men, both dressed in loose-fitting jackets. Obviously they were Chen’s security team. He never went anywhere without one, and Wong could hardly blame him.

The son of a whore is cautious and thorough, he thought.

Wong took a few more drags on the cigarette, waiting for Chen’s trio to get nearer. When they were about five meters away, Wong crushed the butt under his shoe. The security team would no doubt keep any intruding eyes—and cameras—away from the meeting. He smiled slightly at the girl as the three grew closer, then Wong went into the courtyard. She was indeed a rare beauty.

He walked past a fountain with two stone dragons flanked by tigers. The tigers, his zodiac animal, buoyed his spirits slightly. Chen, Wong knew, had been born under the sign of the rat, which meant he was skilled at survival, subterfuge and gathering money.

Wong passed by a series of trellises replete with winding stems of blossoms and caught sight of Chen, who was sitting on a bench in front of a row of cypress trees, holding a flower.

He looked more like someone’s benevolent grandfather than the merciless leader of the Sun Yang Triad, the largest and most powerful of the Chinese crime gangs. Chen had survived the Cultural Revolution, a forced exile in Hong Kong, the internal power struggles of the Triad and innumerable attempts on his life. But then again, he was a rat, and rats were nothing if not resourceful.

Chen’s mouth flickered into a smile, and he bowed his head slightly as Wong approached. Wong did the same and sat on the opposite end of the bench. They were close enough to hear each other’s words, but they wouldn’t look like acquaintances.

They sat in silence for perhaps half a minute. Wong was growing impatient when Chen finally broke the silence. “Is it not miraculous, the way the leaves turn toward the sunlight? Do you ever wonder if they can feel the warmth?” Chen laughed softly, his chuckle sounding like the flow of water over pebbles in a brook.

Wong had little time for the riddles of horticulture. “Have you found out anything?”

Chen’s laugh came again, but this time it reminded Wong of an erosive leak down a wall. Wong’s face twisted into an expression of displeasure as he turned toward the Triad boss.

“I asked if you had found anything.”

Chen turned his head so they were now face-to-face. “Of course I have, Comrade General.”

He turned back, folded his hands over his belly and sat there like a smiling Buddha.

“Chen, I don’t have time for your games. Tell me what you’ve learned.”

Chen continued to sit in silence, a peaceful smile gracing his lips as he twirled the flower in his hand. Just as Wong felt himself ready to explode, the other man spoke. “Do not worry. As the farmer plows the earth, its destruction lays the seeds for a new beginning.”

Another damn riddle. Wong made no attempt to hide his growing anger. “Damn you. Are you going to tell me or not?”

The older man’s smile did not alter. He raised an eyebrow and stared at the general for several seconds more. “Did they not teach you the value of patience in the military academy?”

Wong felt like wringing the old bastard’s neck. He shot a look at the guards—the two males facing outward, the female watching them. Wong considered the risk of giving Chen a hard slap, but the bodyguards would be on him in seconds, general or not. Thus, he refrained and snorted in disgust. “We shouldn’t be wasting time here. Someone might see us together.”

“Did I not say all was well?” Chen said. “My favorite disciple, Lee Son Yin, has watchful eyes. We are safe.”

“What about my money?”

“It has been recovered. It will soon be in my hands.” He paused. “And will be deposited in your special account, when the time comes.”

“And the dragon key?” Wong asked, trying not to sound too eager. Without the flash drive no deposits or withdrawals could be made.

“Some matters are more quickly resolved than others.”

So Chen didn’t have it. Wong swallowed hard and thought about this. “Do you know who arranged the theft? Who paid that woman?”

“I have my number one man working toward this discovery,” Chen said. “And its resolution.”

For a moment Wong wondered if Chen himself was behind the theft. The Triads controlled everything, including the prostitution rings, and had been arranging his Hong Kong liaisons for the past several years. But this was the first time something like this had happened. Surely, if Chen had planned a betrayal, he would have acted before this. Or would he?

“And the missile guidance system,” Wong said. “What about that?”

Chen sighed. “It is in the possession of the British and the Americans.”

“Americans?” Wong said. “We’ve just captured an American. A spy. He is being interrogated now.”

Chen nodded. “A fact of which I am well aware.”

Wong blew out a long breath and reached for his cigarettes. After sticking one between his lips and holding the lighter to it, he turned back to Chen. “What did you find out from that Russian whore?”

“In life, there is sometimes a certain unavoidable unpleasantness. Learn to dismiss it, as the water in the pond rolls off the back of the swimming duck.”

More platitudes, Wong thought. “Did she tell you who paid her to steal the dragon key?”

“She gave us the name,” Chen said.

Wong felt more than ever like lashing out, knocking the old fool to the ground, but he knew better. “Who?” he asked. “I’ll track him down and kill him myself.”

“That is not advisable.”

“What? Why not?”

Chen smelled the blossom. “Is it not a shame that our country’s recent economic progress has so poisoned our air, our land, our water?”

Wong was at the end of his patience. “I asked you a question. Who is he?”

When Chen did not answer immediately, Wong emitted a growl. “I’m waiting. And no more damn riddles, understand?”

Chen smiled and put his palms together in a prayer-like gesture, cupping the blossom in between. “I have offended you, and for that I am truly sorry. But as I said before, a wise man must not lose sight of his goal, lest he act with impetuousness.”

Wong drew deeply on the cigarette. What was Chen getting at?

As if he could sense the unasked question, Chen said, “The man who engineered the theft is familiar to you.”

Wong blew twin plumes of smoke out his nostrils. “His name. Give me his damn name. I’ll get it out of him.”

Chen’s smile did not lose its beatific grace. He shook his head fractionally. “Once again, remember that patience is the supreme virtue. It should first be considered that if something happens to this man, the dragon key could be lost forever, or delivered into the wrong hands.”

“I promise not to act with rashness,” Wong said. “But I need to know who he is. I need to know the name of the man who holds the knife to my balls.”

“As well you should,” Chen said. “Just give me your word you will take no action without first obtaining clearance from me.”

Chen held the ultimate trump card, but Wong still needed to formulate his own plan, just in case the Triad boss betrayed him. “I give you my word as an officer and general of the People’s Liberation Army.”

The smile vanished and Chen’s dark eyes shot toward him, staring from beneath their heavy lids.

“I repeat, the man who betrayed you must not yet be contacted or harmed,” he said. “Do you understand me?”

The Triad leader’s tone left no question as to who was in command. It was not a request. Wong suddenly realized that up until now Chen had been toying with him, allowing him to believe he was in charge. Now it was brutally apparent that the Triad boss controlled Wong’s fate. The general had little choice but to acquiesce.

“Yes,” Wong said. “He will not be contacted or harmed without your approval.”

Chen’s face softened into a smile. “Excellent. When men strive to overcome adversity, they must not work at cross-purposes.”

Wong was sick of the aphorisms, but he held his tongue for the time being.

“The man has been a thorn in your side,” Chen said. “And a problem for the Standing Committee, as well.”

Wong furrowed his brow in concentration, then suddenly he knew. “Han Son Chu?”

Chen smiled and nodded. “You see, oftentimes the answer you seek lies within your own knowledge.”

Han Son Chu, Wong thought. Sammo Han to the Western press. But how did he trace me to that Russian whore? And how did he know about the dragon key? Wong did some mental calculations. The time frame did fit. The one-armed bastard must have followed him to Hong Kong and somehow bribed the whore to steal it. No matter. Han was under house detention. It would be simple to grab him and reobtain the dragon key.

“Is this blossom not beautiful?” Chen held the flower toward Wong. “But just as the rose on the vine is lovely, one must be careful to avoid the accompanying thorns.”

Another riddle, Wong thought. He took one last drag on his cigarette and ground it under the sole of his shoe.

“The Committee is getting ready to move against Han as we speak,” Wong said. “He’s already under house detention, but if he’s arrested and brought to trial for his disruptive activities, he could bring up my indiscretions in a public forum. And then our involvement will surely come to light. We’re both on the line here.”

Chen nodded. “But even the Committee would not move in such drastic fashion at this time,” he said. “The world press is swarming Beijing, and reporters are following the American movie star who is seeking an audience with Han. The last thing the Committee would want is for China to lose face on the world stage.”

Wong nodded. “This gives us time to confront the bastard privately. Get the dragon key back before they initiate a complete arrest.”

Chen shook his head. “Regrettably, there is more. The American spy you mentioned...”

Wong frowned. “What about him?”

“He is being held at Song Jing Prison, is he not?”

“Yes. How did you know that?”

Chen’s smile returned, as placid as ever. “I have my sources.”

Wong’s frown deepened. Was there nothing this old bastard didn’t know?

Chen waited a beat and continued, “The interrogation of the American has yielded a bit of information concerning Han. He is getting ready to defect.”

“That one-armed son of a whore,” Wong said. “I’ll take pleasure in watching him die slowly.”

“Most assuredly. But let us assume Han anticipated his arrest. Would he not keep the device in a secret place? Would he not make arrangements to release it to a confederate if he dies prior to its recovery? We must fully consider this risk, should it fall into the wrong hands.”

Like those of the Standing Committee, Wong thought.

“Thus,” Chen said, “we must move with circumspection.”

This did nothing to ease the growing tension in Wong’s gut.

“Do you understand?” Chen asked.

“Yes.” Wong took another cigarette out of his pack. “What do you want me to do?”

Chen smiled at his acquiescence. “For the moment you can do nothing but stand and await my further instructions. But do not despair. I have a plan in mind, but it will require your assistance.” He heard Chen’s soft chuckle again. “As I said, be patient and trust in me. It shall all be resolved in an expeditious manner, Comrade General. Trust in your humble servant.”

Humble servant. The old liar. Wong forced himself to nod in agreement, and then he lit his cigarette.

Chapter Three

During the flight from Hong Kong to Beijing, Bolan took a combat nap. He was awakened by a pretty flight attendant who advised him to fasten his seat belt and prepare for landing.

“Welcome to Beijing,” she said.

As Bolan looked around and assessed his surroundings, the businessman next to him flashed a nervous smile. He was in his mid-to-late fifties.

“American?” the man asked.

Bolan nodded.

“You a soldier once?” he said, giving Bolan a thorough look.

“Once,” Bolan replied.

“Me, too,” the man said. “I was PLA artillery in our last war. With the Vietnamese.”

“I heard it was short but bloody,” Bolan said.

The man nodded. “Very much blood. Hard fighting, but we won.” He smiled. “War is cruel and sometimes strange. Back then I destroyed things. Now I build them. I have my own construction company. There is a building boom here in China.”

At the expense of the rural poor, Bolan thought. Or so he’d heard. Maybe he’d get a chance to see firsthand.

The plane began a slow descent, and Bolan glanced out the window. They were perhaps a thousand feet up now. Row after row of buildings and houses extended in every direction below, an ever-growing sea of humanity. “Looks like the construction business is good,” he said.

“Business is business.” The man smiled. “Always number one when China number one.”

Bolan nodded politely and braced himself as the pilot sent the plane down the runway with a hard initial bounce followed by several more. The flaps and brakes kicked in, slowing the craft into a noisy deceleration.

Welcome to Beijing, Bolan thought.

* * *

THE MANTIS SAT in the back of a Mercedes limo as the driver headed to a commercial district—a busy area filled with restaurants, tea parlors and bars. The trip from Hong Kong to Beijing had been comfortable on Master Chen’s private jet, but the Mantis had never let the suitcase or the small newspaper-wrapped package out of his sight.

Avoiding the cluster of humanity slowing the commercial airlines was one of the amenities Master Chen’s top enforcer enjoyed. The waiting limousine at the airport had been another. It amused him, however, that a man as powerful as the master would choose to meet in this district of low-grade restaurants. Pedestrians and bicyclists cluttered the roadway before them, and the driver continually blew his horn. The people scattered like unruly chickens.

The Mantis sat back in the comfortable seat and waited, practicing his mental concentration by seeking serenity.

His sifu’s words came back to him: Strive for harmony in all things, and embrace moments of solitude, for the march of time and life is often cruel and unforgiving.

Unforgiving... Just like Master Chen. The Mantis traced his fingers over the tightly wrapped package. He’d tied the twine himself, feeling a slight twinge of regret over its contents. But, as his sifu had said, life is often cruel.

Finally, the Mantis felt the vehicle slowing to a stop. The screen was down, and through the windshield he could see the endless rows of glowing, twisted neon spelling out Chinese characters. He pushed open the door and got out, surveying the scene in both directions. A sea of people moved along the street in the late afternoon, but the Mantis saw nothing out of the ordinary. No sign of police, uniformed or not. Even so, he slipped the package into his jacket pocket, grabbed the suitcase and slammed the car door behind him. He strode to the next corner and turned as the limousine lurched into the street again.

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