The Chinese Woman: The Barbados Conspiracy Read online

  Lai Ho had a rugged handsomeness that made him very popular with women. He had that athletic appeal often seen in western athletes involved in body contact sports. He was always well dressed in business casual, wearing a lightweight tan sports jacket even in the hot muggy weather, but he never seemed to sweat regardless of the heat. Lai Ho was an opportunist who knew how to please his superiors yet well liked and trusted by the members of his Street Intelligence Unit. Only his wife, who divorced him the previous year after realizing he was an incurable womanizer, knew Lai Ho was very short on integrity and very high on self-interest.

  Convinced he was safe from scrutiny, Lai Ho turned into a dark, but familiar alley and parked his car. Looking carefully around him, but in an unobvious manner, he quickly walked the two blocks to the Cypress Tree Foot Massage Parlor, a two-story building of concrete blocks. Unlike many massage parlors located in less than desirable districts in the western industrialized world, the Cypress Tree Foot Massage Parlor was quite legitimate as were most Chinese massage parlors. The massages were not sensuous and the customers did not even remove their clothes. Based on centuries of accumulated knowledge, the Chinese massage stimulated the body’s acu-points plus the muscles, ligaments and tendons, enhanced circulation of the blood, and allowed their patrons to leave totally invigorated. Traditional doctors often sent their patients to these foot massage parlors for this treatment as massage was considered as important to health and longevity as exercise and a proper diet in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

  One of the employees of the Cypress Tree Foot Massage Parlor was not so legitimate. Zheng Li Na was undoubtedly the most attractive woman in the shop. Furthermore, she had great social skills and a warm and friendly personality. Zheng Li Na was born in Guangdong province in a small village just south of the capital city, Guangzhou. She moved to Shanghai shortly after her eighteenth birthday to experience the excitement of the great city of Shanghai. Zheng Li Na, tall and slim, had flawless skin, pronounced cheek bones and large brown eyes which caused most men to take a second look or even to stare, as long as they weren’t accompanied by their wives. While working, she wore here long black hair in a ponytail that reached her waist. There was no question that Zheng Li Na was the favorite of every patron of the Cypress Tree Foot Massage Parlor, however, she had one small flaw; Zheng Li Na was a thief. Many of the patrons realized this, but instead of boycotting the shop, they just left their valuables at home so Zheng Li Na couldn’t get her pretty little hands on them. Besides, better to lose a few small items than to lose the company and delightful massages of the beautiful and charming Zheng Li Na.

  Lai Ho entered through the back door and ascended the familiar stairway to the left and made his way to the second floor encountering no one on the stairway. Due to the nature of his duties on the Street Intelligence Unit, Lai Ho never wore a uniform so none of the customers in the massage shop would know his identity if they chanced to see him. The lighting was dim, but Lai Ho had traversed this route many times over the past several years. Zheng Li Na was not a prostitute but she was very attracted to Lai Ho and willingly provided sexual favors to him, after all, he was a very powerful man and not altogether unpleasant to look at, in fact, most women considered him quite handsome. Lai Ho was forty-two years old, a good fifteen years older than Zheng Li Na. This made him a very attractive prospective husband who Zheng Li Na perceived to have knowledge, wisdom, power, and most importantly, financial stability. She hoped some day to be something more than a secretive girlfriend to Lai Ho, and wouldn’t face the fact that this would never happen.

  Lai Ho entered the second room on the left and found Zheng Li Na sitting alone polishing her fingernails.

  “Come with me my beautiful little sister, and bring a cell phone. Make sure it is a stolen cell phone,” he said in a low, discreet voice.

  Zheng Li Na knew better than to question Lai Ho or to be too curious. She dutifully followed the handsome police officer as he descended the stairs and walked eastward in the darkened alley. When they were about three blocks from the shop, Lai Ho stopped and turned to Zheng Li Na.

  “I am going to dial a number, and I want you to say this to whoever answers the phone…’It is time to meet to discuss our future’. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. No problem,” replied the young woman, without displaying the slightest curiosity.

  “The phone is being monitored so do not speak Shanghaihua. They will detect your Cantonese accent which could be an invaluable lead to a skilled investigator. Speak Putonghua (the national dialect of Mandarin). Your Putonghua is not good but at least I can’t detect a regional accent.”

  The young woman took the phone from Lai Ho after he dialed it. After three rings, a gruff male voice answered, “Wei”. Zheng Li Na replied “It is time to meet to discuss our future.” in her best Putonghua. Lai Ho immediately grabbed the phone from her hand and terminated the connection.

  “I’ll take this phone, my beautiful lotus blossom. It cannot be used again.”

  He kissed Zheng Li Na on the left cheek and the forehead and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway. Zheng Li Na was not mystified by this event, in fact, she wasn’t even curious. During her relationship, as she liked to call it, with Lai Ho, she had been involved in numerous strange activities and learned never to question him. She lost sight of Lai Ho and then slowly made her way back to the Cypress Tree Foot Massage Parlor.

  **********************************

  Wu Xing knew this message would come some day. He hadn’t seen Gao Hui’s detectives in the area of the printing shop which he used as an occasional meeting place, but he always assumed they were around. Wu Xing knew never to underestimate the enemy, especially when the enemy is Gao Hui. Wu Xing feared very few men, but the one man who made him nervous was Gao Hui. He had only seen the Commander of the Organized Crime Unit twice in his life, but he had heard many stories about his dedication to duty, his cunning, his intelligence, and strangely enough, the fact that he seemed to be totally honest. Wu Xing believed that every person had a price, but no one had discovered that price with Gao Hui. Some particularly vicious members of the Mei Hua Triad had disappeared without a trace, and he always suspected that Gao Hui had something to do with it.

  It was well known that attempts to bribe Gao Hui had been unsuccessful, and therefore, some of Wu Xing’s younger associates had suggested that Gao Hui should be killed. One young triad, Wang Lei, had approached Wu Xing with this stupid idea on three separate occasions. Finally, Wu Xing ordered Wang Lei be killed and his body dumped at sea. He could not risk some young fool attempting to kill Gao Hui, or even succeeding, resulting in the wrath of 45,000 Shanghai police officers hunting them down. Police and gangsters seemed content to play the game and make a contest of crime and law enforcement, a catch or don’t catch competition. The Chinese police were too powerful, however, to risk making things personal. Arrest could mean a trial, conviction and execution in about ten days. If some police officers viewed the hunt as personal, an act of revenge, execution could come at the time of arrest, removing the necessity of a trial and conviction. Besides, great wealth can be accumulated much easier and without risk if one maintains a low profile and operates in secret. Bravado and confrontation can have dire consequences in China, and great wealth is certainly not one of the consequences.

  It was time to move to America. The plan had been in place for at least three years. Transportation had been arranged and the necessary officials bribed on both sides of the ocean. Wu Xing did not particularly want to leave China, a country that had provided him with a very comfortable living. Despite his greed and criminality, he was steeped in the culture of China and felt it was part of who he was.

  Leaving the building, despite surveillance by the police, would be no problem. All Wu Xing’s regular haunts had built in escape routes. Tunnels had been built years ago, ready to utilize for a secretive and hasty exit should the time ever arrive when this was necessary. The time was now.

  Wu Xing passed the word to his best friend and trusted lieutenant, Meng Hong, and his very capable and loyal bodyguard, Kang Wen. They gathered up a few personal items, checked their weapons, and descended to the tunnels. Life had become too risky in Shanghai and a better life awaited them in America.

  CHAPTER THREE

  BEIJING, CHINA

  Duan Shumin, Director of the Ministry of State Security, Second Bureau, Security & Intelligence Service, sat at his desk at the MSS. headquarters, across from Zang Ho, Vice-Minister of State Security. He briefly discussed his plan with the baby-faced, plump Vice-Minister who was there for his biweekly briefing, after which, Vice-Minister Zang Ho left his office, and in fact, left the building. Zang Ho was one who insisted the job be done, but didn’t want to become personally involved. The fewer details he heard about matters of operational importance, the more stable his career with the Central Government would be. His philosophy was that you can’t be held to account for things you know nothing about, and so far this philosophy had served him well for his rise within the Party.

  Director Duan chuckled as the Vice-Minister left his office in his usual hasty manner. If he had looked out his window, he knew he would see the chubby Vice-Minister almost sprinting to his car. His expensive, well tailored black suit couldn’t quite hide his portly body, especially when he would break into a fast pace. His chauffeur always left the black sedan running as he knew his boss would soon be jogging to the car, or as the chauffeur called it, a rapid waddle, within ten minutes of his arrival.

  The offices of the Ministry of State Security, Second Bureau, was a beautiful building, even majestic, with walls of marble and floors of very highly polished granite, but very austere, giving the offices a feeling of luxuriousness but lacking warmth and comfort. Except
for within the small, private offices, the customary loud talking of the Chinese staff members bounced off the walls and ceilings making it difficult to hear without total concentration on the person speaking.

  Sixty-year old Director Duan Shumin was of slight build with a small pot belly and a round face, thick salt and pepper hair and friendly eyes. Despite the pressures of his job, he always seemed to be smiling. His suits were expensive, as was expected of a man in his position, but they always seemed in need of pressing, probably resulting from his habit of napping on his office couch every afternoon. Instead of the usual cigarette that seemed to be a fixture with most Chinese males, Duan Shumin smoked a pipe. Although his appearance did not convey the great importance of his position, his mind was as sharp as a tack. There were very few men who were his intellectual superiors, and everyone who knew him was aware of his brilliance. He definitely had leadership qualities as his staff, without exception, respected him and were loyal to a fault. Duan Shumin was a member in good standing of the Communist Party of China but he had little interest in politics and even less interest in achieving high rank within the Party. He had achieved his position as Director within the Security and Intelligence Service through hard work and performance, not through personal contacts or favoritism within the Party. He was one of the rare bureaucrats that the Party needed more than he needed the Party. Duan Shumin had only one interest and that was to be the most efficient spy-master that China had ever had since the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.

  The other man in the room, Hsiao Li, Deputy Director of the MSS, Second Bureau, and the person in charge of agent training and selection, stayed behind to talk in private to Director Duan. Deputy Director Hsiao Li was the polar opposite to Director Duan in appearance. Hsiao Li was tall, handsome and could easily pass as a middle-aged film star. His wardrobe was immaculate and he took great pride in his appearance. His dark pinstripe suit, French cuffs and maroon tie conveyed the impression of both wealth and power. He was well suited for his job in training agents of the S.I.S. because he had a great deal of experience as a field agent and knew exactly what skills and knowledge they must possess in order to carry out their assignments successfully. He was quite aware that many of the junior agents referred to him as the “Chinese James Bond” and he was not at all offended by this characterization.

  “As you are aware, I have carefully scrutinized the ten selected candidates and have chosen Agent 21059 to take on this responsibility. I have summoned her to your office and she should be here momentarily. She knows the assignment is overseas but I have left the details for you to explain. Our colleague from the Public Security Bureau is waiting in another office in the event you wish to have him join the discussions,” said Deputy Hsiao.

  “Thank you, Hsiao Li; I have every confidence you have selected the right agent for this assignment,” replied Director Duan.

  At that moment, there was a knock on the office door. Director Duan asked who it was and his middle-age smartly dressed secretary put her head inside the door and reported, “Agent 21059 is here.”

  “Thank you. Have her come in please.”

  Agent 21059 entered the room and stood at attention facing the Director.

  “Please relax and have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Thank you sir,” replied Agent 21059 as she took a seat in the comfortable chair beside Deputy Director Hsiao. She liked Director Duan, but more than affection, she respected him and his judgment. She considered herself lucky to be under the authority and tutelage of this very sincere, caring, intelligent man.

  Agent 21059, whose given name was Xiaomei, was an extremely beautiful woman by anyone’s definition. She was about 5’ 6”, physically fit and well muscled. She was one of very few women who could actually do one arm push-ups. Nevertheless, she was quite slim, had ample but not overly large breasts and flaring hips. Xiaomei had high, pronounced cheek bones, a small, delicate nose and full lips. Her exotic, almond-shaped eyes drew the first attention of anyone who saw her for the first time. Her hair was jet black, shiny and worn long down her back almost reaching her waist. Her skin was neither light nor dark, but was the golden hue that so many Caucasian women seek when sun tanning. Xiaomei, however, avoided the sun when possible as most Chinese women do. She was dressed in form fitting blue jeans, a white blouse partially covered by a dark green vest, and large round gold earrings. Her makeup was very subdued as it was difficult to tell if she was wearing it or not.

  .

  “Let me give you a brief overview of your assignment,” said Director Duan. “We have accepted a special request from the Ministry of Public Security to go to the USA and bring back a fugitive to stand trial here in China. You are probably aware that we do not have an extradition treaty with the USA, so the job will require a delicate touch. In fact, it will be a dangerous assignment, fraught with great difficulty, because the fugitive is not in American custody. It will be up to you to take him into custody. Under American law, it will be an unlawful abduction.”

  “I understand Sir,” said Agent 21059, but not really understanding. Xiaomei had been promised a posting in Beijing as an instructor, close to family and friends. Her aunt was planning to move to Beijing from Chongqing just to be near Xiaomei. It was not like Director Duan to break a promise. Instead of listening to his proposal, her mind was busy constructing a way to refuse or avoid this assignment.

  “You will be in charge of this operation but you will not be working totally alone. We have two agents already in the city where the fugitive is believed to be and they will render you whatever assistance you require. They are relatively inexperienced but we have every confidence that they are capable enough to carry out whatever you assign them to do. They are presently enrolled at the University of Washington in the city of Seattle on the west coast of America.”

  “Will I too be going as a student, Director Duan?” said Xiaomei without enthusiasm, still trying to get up the nerve to outright refuse the assignment, or at least present a convincing argument as to why some other agent should be assigned.

  “Yes”, we have enrolled you in the Anthropology PhD program at the same university. Since you have a Masters Degree from Yale, they eagerly accepted your application. Your enrollment as a PhD student will give you a great deal of freedom to move about without any obligations other than those you impose upon yourself to get the job done.

  .“Here is a dossier that contains the background information we have invented for you. Your cover name will be Li Mei and you must study this cover story very carefully so you do not make any mistakes that could jeopardize this mission. Of course I don’t have to remind you of that.”

  “Unfortunately, this assignment will start almost immediately,” Duan continued. You will have two weeks to do your research and then we will book you on an Air China flight to Seattle.”

  “But Director, I recently completed an assignment causing me to be away from home for over two years, and I was promised at least one year here at the Academy”, stated Xiaomei with some misgivings.

  Xiaomei was on the verge of anger but still being careful not to show disrespect to the Director.

  “I thought you might react this way. No, I will not insist and break my promise to you Xiaomei,” addressing her by her given name for the first time, “but before you reject the idea, I want you to meet someone who may change your mind,” said Director Duan. He called his secretary on the intercom and told her to have the visitor from the Public Security Bureau come to his office.

  Xiaomei and her two male companions sat in silent agreement that there was nothing to say, at least not until the visitor arrived. Director Duan looked at his computer screen while Assistant Director Hsiao appeared to be reading a text message on his cell phone. Although Xiaomei did not want this assignment, she was curious as to who this visitor could be. The Director’s secretary ushered the visitor into the room and Director Duan indicated that he should take a seat at the side of the desk where he could look at the other three people in the room without having to turn his body.