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Hawkins glanced at the Briton, a slight frown on his face.
“You’ve got history with this Vic Lerner,” Brognola said. “If you can make contact, maybe it could give us a way into Townsend’s organization.”
“I guess so.”
“No pressure, T.J.”
“Don’t you believe it,” McCarter stated. “Turn him down and he’ll cut your credit-card rating and stop your subscription to the Buffy fan club. By the way, you still got that life-size cardboard cutout?”
Price barely concealed her snort of laughter. She raised a hand to her mouth as she feigned a sudden cough.
Brognola allowed a wisp of a smile to touch his lips before he moved on.
“Able Team will shadow you on this. Find anything we can pin on him, and they’ll move on Townsend.”
“Get me into his computer system,” Kurtzman said, “and we can dig out all his dirty secrets.”
“Tell me how and I’ll do it.”
“I love enthusiasm.” Kurtzman grinned.
Hawkins drummed his fingers on the table. “Sure. Let’s see what we can work out. I need some kind of hook to get me involved with Lerner.”
“You are in the hands of the masters of guile and deceit,” Blancanales said.
Price extracted a file from the stack in front of her.
“Phoenix, you handle China,” she said, and handed the file to McCarter. “That’s your mission brief, guys. Everything you need to know. We want our technology returned or at least destroyed so it’s useless to any potential hostiles. You can bring yourselves up to speed while you’re on your way to Andrews. There’s a C-17 transport waiting to take you to Bagram airbase. Jack’s already on board with Dragon Slayer. He’ll make the insertion into China. The flight will give you the chance to update with Mei Anna. An incident has occurred directly tied in to this whole affair.”
“Whoa,” McCarter said. “Mei Anna? How did she get caught up in this?”
“David, she’s been back with her group for the past few weeks.”
“Didn’t she tell you?” Lyons asked.
“Lover’s tiff maybe,” Blancanales suggested innocently.
McCarter’s dark scowl indicated he wasn’t seeing the humor.
“You forgot where I’ve been the past few weeks? A little busy.”
“The important thing is, David, that Anna has background that bears directly on your upcoming mission. We flew her in from Hong Kong so she could join up with you and go into Xinjiang with you. Read the file and you’ll see why,” Price said. “Hey, I’m sure she would have let you know, but it might have been difficult getting a message to you at the time.”
McCarter slumped back in his seat. “I suppose so.”
“Part of Anna’s Pro-Democracy group has been monitoring the facility the Chinese set up some time ago,” Price said, quickly moving on. “Aaron?”
Kurtzman keyed up a series of images, showing the facility. It was set in rough terrain, with low mountains far to the north. The shots were mostly taken via long-range lens.
“The place is called Guang Lor,” Kurtzman offered. He brought up a map. “Northwest China, province of Xinjiang. It’s close to the border with Afghanistan. Well isolated, away from any populated areas so Beijing can keep it under wraps as much as possible. Intel says this is where they’re developing their new generation of long-and short-range ballistic missiles. There’s a small settlement grown up in the vicinity for workers at the facility.”
“Anna’s Pro-Democracy group has been working the area and picking up what they can,” Price went on. “They have to be careful because the area is pretty well controlled by the Chinese. Current intel says the missile testing has been increased lately. The group has a man inside the facility now, and he’s been feeding them what he can. Pretty thin, but at least it indicates just what the Chinese are up to.”
“Take a look at this,” Kurtzman’s said. “The Pro-Democracy group took these shots a couple of weeks back in Hong Kong.”
He brought up a series of shots that showed a group of men talking together.
“This was shot in Hong Kong. The Chinese is Sammo Chen Low. No surprise that he comes from the facility at Guang Lor. He’s a negotiator and a financial specialist. The Caucasian here is Joseph Riotta, and CIA intel has him linked to Townsend’s Shadow organization. Same with this guy. Ralph Chomski. Ex-Air Force. I managed to filch that information from military data banks. Make of it what you will, folks.”
McCarter leaned forward and poked a finger at the image of another man in the group, sitting a little back, but listening intently to what was being discussed.
“Well, well,” the Briton muttered. “Our old chum from Santa Lorca. Jack bloody Regan.”
James studied the face of the man in the crumpled suit and old Panama hat.
“You are not wrong, bubba,” he said, using the man’s favorite expression.
“Still in the business,” McCarter said. “Regan has good contacts for moving ordnance. Looks like he sub-contracted to Shadow.”
“That going to be a problem for T.J.?” Brognola asked.
“No. He never met Regan on that mission. T.J. was backup on a warehouse roof. They never even saw each other.”
They spent a few more minutes tossing facts back and forth until one of the phones rang. Price picked it up and took the message.
“Phoenix, your ride is ready to take you to Andrews.”
McCarter stuck the file under his arm and stood, the rest of his team following suit.
“We’re gone,” the Briton said. “Hey, hotshots, you look after my mate. He’s a pain in the arse, but he’s my pain. We’d like him back in good working order.”
Lyons nodded. “He’ll be fine. You know our rep.”
“That’s what worries me,” McCarter said, grinning.
“Take care, guys,” Price said.
“Easier said than done,” Manning replied.
“You sure you old boys can manage without me?” Hawkins asked.
“You really sure you want an answer to that?” James asked, a wide grin on his face.
CHAPTER TWO
The aircraft waiting to ferry them to Bagram was sitting on the end of a runway, engines already warmed up. The vast cargo space of the C-17 housed the Stony Man combat helicopter, Dragon Slayer. Jack Grimaldi was inside carrying out detailed preflight checks that would go through everything from the twin-turbine power plant, electronics and computer aids. He would also run thorough checks on the chopper’s impressive ordnance capabilities. Dragon Slayer carried an awesome catalog of weapons, multibarrel chain gun, missiles and pilot-activated aim and fire through a slaved helmet array. Within the electronic heart of the machine were sensors and range-locating instruments. The satellite-linked communication setup enabled Grimaldi to call Stony Man at the flick of a button and also connect in to air-traffic feeds so he could maintain instant locations. Where they were going on this particular mission his sources would be the U.S. Military Communications Net.
The men of Phoenix Force, carrying their gear, crossed in driving rain and climbed on board. Grimaldi raised a hand in welcome as he watched the team arrive, then returned to his checking procedures. As they stowed their gear, McCarter spotted a familiar figure sitting patiently on one of the benches the far end of the aircraft.
It was Mei Anna. She wore a camou-pattern combat suit and boots, the same as Phoenix Force, her jet-black hair pulled back from her face. A backpack lay on the floor at her feet, along with her P-90 assault rifle. She carried a 9 mm Beretta pistol in a shoulder rig. She offered McCarter a brief, silent acknowledgment when he met her gaze. He nodded in recognition, then turned and made his way to the flight deck and immersed himself in the technicalities of the pre-takeoff discussion with the flight crew.
While he did that, James, Manning and Rafael Encizo secured their equipment, then joined the Chinese operatives.
“Where’s T. J.?” she asked.
“Working undercover on another piece of the mission,” Manning said. “We thought it was time he had a grown-up job.”
“It’s good to see you,” Anna said, standing and greeting them all with a quick hug.
They responded warmly. There wasn’t one man among Phoenix Force who didn’t hold Mei Anna in great esteem. Since their first encounter during a previous mission to China, she had proved herself to be a formidable young woman. Her dedication to her Pro-Democracy group was intense, and her fight against the repressions of the Chinese government and the often brutal suppression of civil and personal rights was something she believed in with a passion. Her fight had taken her all over China, and she was a wanted woman by Beijing. She accepted it without making a point over the matter. Her courage was something Phoenix Force was fully aware of. Her being back in action didn’t surprise them. It had been something they had all accepted as inevitable now that she had recovered from the aftermath of a wound that had taken its toll and forced her into a long recovery period.
“We had no idea you were involved in this until a short while ago,” Manning said.
“Things happened fast” Anna told him. “We’ve been monitoring the activity at Guang Lor for some time. This particular incident has given us something definite we can focus on, and it seems to have happened just as you became involved.”
They felt the aircraft vibrate as power was applied to the powerful engines. After a few seconds they felt the plane start to move, the whine of the engines increasing.
“Is David okay?”
James grinned. “He’s being David,” was all he said.
Anna touched his arm. “You don’t have to say any more.”
They braced themselves as the aircraft gained speed, the sound of the engines filling the cavernous interior, and then the deck beneath their feet tilted and they felt the momentary hollowness in their stomachs as the aircraft lifted off.
“No going back now,” Manning said.
McCarter appeared and made his way along the plane.
“Talk to you later,” James said.
They nodded to McCarter as they passed him halfway down the length of the plane and took their seats, leaving the Briton to join Mei Anna.
The woman had sat again and made a point of looking out the window. She kept up the pretence for a couple of minutes before turning to face McCarter.
“What do you want me to say, David?”
“Hello would be a start. Might make up for vanishing the way you did,” he stated.
“I had no choice.”
“Bloody hell, Anna, we all have choices.” McCarter controlled his outburst, lowering his voice. “What do you think I would have done? Locked you in the cellar and hidden the key?”
“Something like that,” the woman replied.
He moved to sit beside her. “Am I that much of an idiot?”
She laid a hand on his. “Of course not. You’re a caring man I have learned to trust and have affection for.”
“So why the disappearing act?” the Briton queried.
“You know why. If you had found out you would have tried to persuade me not to go. I was afraid you might succeed, so I decided the best thing to do was to just go. The last thing I intended was to hurt you. You have to understand my feelings in this. I was doing this kind of thing before we ever met. You know that. I would never change the times we have together, and I want that to go on. Truly. But what I do in China is something I can’t turn my back on. If a matter comes up and I’m needed, I have to respond. That was what happened, and it was why I had to go. Don’t hate me for that.”
McCarter put his arm around her shoulders.
“Hate you? Not going to happen, love. You are the best thing to happen to me in a long time. It’s just bloody hard to watch you haring off on some dangerous trek with a gun in hand and that look in your eyes. Honestly? It scares the pants off me. And I miss you.”
“Really? I haven’t given you a single thought since I boarded that plane out of England.”
“Comforting to know.”
“And not true. It was nice having you around. London can be a dangerous place.”
“Don’t I know it. Talking of dangerous places how was it going back to HK?”
“We have to be so careful now. The authorities have been coming down hard on any kind of antigovernment groups. Beijing is showing its tough face right now. Harsh penalties for anyone getting caught. It doesn’t show them in a good light when corruption or repression is exposed, so they use any means to strike back. Every so often they have a purge. Round up suspects, jail them without trial. Send them off to labor camps for reindoctrination. There are public executions, too. It doesn’t stop the groups though. Just makes the survivors more determined to carry on.”
“What the hell is it with Beijing?”
“The government is scared. They see the people getting restless, wanting change and being prepared to suffer, and die, to get it. The ruling group is terrified of allowing China its freedom because it would signal their end. They cling to power so desperately, the country pays the price.”
“So this missile deal is part of that paranoia?”
“Exactly. America is still the most powerful nation on Earth. Now Russia is updating its missile system, claiming it’s for defense. Beijing sees all this and has to respond, to bolster its own strength and to convince the people they are safe in the government’s hands. It’s all to do with saving face and maintaining the balance of power. No one has learned a thing, David. The wheel goes around and comes around.”
“More or less what we talked about back at base when we got the mission brief.”
“So we’re all after the same thing,” Anna said. “Only for slightly different reasons.”
“Not that different.” McCarter smiled. “I only said yes because I knew I’d see you.”
“Flatterer. But don’t stop, I like it.”
“Tell me about Xinjiang.”
Anna pulled a folded map from her pack and spread it. She pointed out locations.
“Northwest China. Close to Afghan border here. Some pretty harsh country where we’re going. Some desert areas. Rocky terrain. Desolate and isolated. Which is why China’s nuclear test site is located in the area. Here at Lop Nor. It’s a long way from where we’ll be operating, so don’t worry about picking up anything to make you glow in the dark. The missile research and development facility is here at Guang Lor, with a village close by to house outworkers. There is also a military presence in the area because the indigenous population, the Uygur, want autonomy from the rest of China. The Uygur maintain their Islamic religion, and they refuse to relinquish it. Some years back Beijing decided to send in Han Chinese to bring the area under control. The Uygur opposed that, believing it would erase their ethnic identity, which is probably Beijing’s intention. So there is unrest, resistance, military repression.”
“So there’ll be more military than we might normally expect?”
“Not necessarily where we’re going.”
McCarter frowned. “I don’t know whether to take that as a yes or a no.”
“Take it as an ‘I’m not certain either way.’”
He smiled at her firm reply. One thing he had learned about Mei Anna was her refusal to be intimidated in any way, as slight as the intention might be. At her strongest, she took no prisoners.
