Darkness Under Heaven by F. J. Chase Page A

refused to do. He sat patiently, not moving a muscle or changing expression, until the silence had run way past the awkward stage.
    Commissioner Zhou had been matching him silence for silence until he finally sighed and said, “Our…people do not believe there was a reconnaissance of the Indoor Stadium.”
    â€œOur spooks think the same thing,” said Avakian. “And in my personal experience, whenever the intelligence community reaches unanimity on any issue you can be absolutely sure they’re wrong.”
    â€œUnfortunately,” Commissioner Zhou replied, “that belief alone is not likely to persuade any who have made up their minds. They feel convinced by the clumsiness of the individual involved. The inability to detect any other accomplices upon review of the closed circuit television. And the absence of any other indications of a reconnaissance.”
    â€œNothing in his notebook?” said Avakian.
    â€œNo, nothing.”
    â€œAll those conclusions you mentioned happen to be the exact same ones our side reached,” said Avakian. “But as for myself, if I needed to work something on the inside of a building that was under pretty effective visual and video surveillance, I might hire myself some half-criminal fool who knew nothing about my team or plans, feed him a cover story in case he gets caught, and tell him to take ahundred pictures of the outside of the building and run away if he’s spotted.”
    â€œAnd the purpose of this?”
    â€œIf no one notices him and the work inside gets done, all the better. If he’s noticed and chased off, everyone’s attention is focused on the outside of the building and my inside people get away. And, if we’re lucky, everyone thinks that because the amateur reconnaissance was blown the plotters were scared off. If he gets caught, he doesn’t know anything except the cover story.”
    Commissioner Zhou mulled that over for a while. “I do not say your theory is not interesting. But there is less evidence to support it than that a Chinese taking photographs was frightened by a foreigner and ran away.”
    â€œI really didn’t expect to convince anyone whose mind was already made up,” said Avakian. “Anything on those people who got in my way?”
    Now Commissioner Zhou looked embarrassed. “You must understand, Colonel, that for many decades the Chinese people were taught to both fear and hate all foreigners. These were just simple people…”
    â€œWho saw a foreigner chasing a Chinese man.” That was just about what Avakian had thought. He understood the ugly side of nationalism. Particularly the Chinese variety.
    â€œEven though my country has joined the outside world, many of my countrymen still fear the outside world. I must apologize.”
    â€œNot necessary, Commissioner. This is also not unique to China.”
    That was all the face Commissioner Zhou was prepared to give up. “We will search the inside of the stadium again.”
    â€œBomb dogs?” said Avakian, though he knew there were a million places to hide something in that kind of building.
    â€œWith bomb dogs,” said Commissioner Zhou.
    â€œI’d consider planting a few cell-phone jammers inside. The spectators will only think they can’t get a signal. If you can’t command-detonate an explosive from a distance, someone’s going to have to try and get in close.”
    Commissioner Zhou did not reply to that. Avakian was pretty sure Zhou could order a search on his own authority, but the jammers would require higher permission. So, being Chinese, he probably wouldn’t ask.
    â€œYou will be attending the gymnastics competition?” said Commissioner Zhou.
    â€œI was thinking about it. If the Chinese government has no objections.”
    â€œI doubt this.”
    â€œThen I wouldn’t miss it.”
    Commissioner Zhou looked at his watch. “Allow me to