pulled into the garage. He turned off the ignition. The engine rattled on for a moment and died with a n erratic cough.
Choy sat in the silence of the parking garage, thinking about the way this day had gotten screwed up beyond anything he could imagine. It was too bad about Li and Chung, but that was the least of his worries. What was he going to tell Colonel Wu? The only person Choy feared in this world was Wu. Wu could make life miserable.
Choy was sweating in the cool darkness, a cold, greasy sweat that formed dark circles under his armpits. He smelled his own body odor. He hated it when that happened. In basic training people had made fun of him, calling him a pig and worse when he smelled like this. That stopped after he had a chance to get them alone. Soon no one commented on how he smelled.
Choy wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket. If he told Wu what had really happened he ' d be lucky if he was guarding camels in the Gobi desert for his next assignment. At least he had the name of the man who ' d fouled everything up, but t he troublemaker was already out of the picture, dead in that mine cave-in.
He got out of the car. A faint, sewer smell emanated from the trunk. It wasn ' t Choy ' s fault Li and Chung had gotten themselves killed. Who would have thought there ' d be someone at that house who could shoot like that while his men were firing at him? He must have been someone well-trained, a professional. Choy had to admit to a grudging admiration.
The thought of the shooter dead in the mine made him feel better. He ' d report in, give as few details as possible and hope for the best. Choy began humming to himself. Everything would be fine.
Chapter F if teen
Colonel Wu smoked and th ought about the failed attempt to secure the Connor woman. Now he had f ive dead agents to explain . There was a knock on his door.
" Yes. "
" Choy, Sir. "
Wu stubbed out his cigarette and opened the door. One look told him he was not going to like what he heard. He gestured and Choy entered the room. Wu closed the door.
" Report, Sergeant. "
" Sir. We ran into trouble. The woman, Connor, was at the house when we arrived but there was a man with her. He was armed and we got into a firefight. Li and Chung are dead. I chased the woman and her companion into an abandoned mine. The entrance collapsed and they were buried inside. They must be dead. I searched the house and the book was not there. I did get the name of the man who was there and confirmed the identity of the woman. "
Choy handed Selena ' s license and the slip from the car to Wu. He had decided to omit the reason the mine collapsed and his thought the book was buried with the Americans. Better to let Wu think it was still out there somewhere.
" What did you do with Li and Chung? "
" Sir, there ' s more. I p ut the m in the trunk of the car. On the way here I was stopped by a policeman. It was some sort of safety check. He was going to let me go when he saw blood leaking from the trunk. He reached for his gun and I shot him. That was about a half hour ago. "
" You shot an American police officer. " Wu ' s voice was flat.
" Yes, sir. I had no choice. "
" Where is the car? "
" In the garage below. "
" Give me your pistol. "
Choy handed over the gun.
" Choy, you have disappointed me. I expected more discretion from you. You are certain the book was not in the house? Did the woman have it with her when she fled? "
" The book was not in the house, s ir. If the woman had it with her, I did not see it. "
It was true, he hadn ' t actually seen a book in the woman ' s hand.
" You are leaving tonight for home, Sergeant. I will arrange passage on one of our freighters. Go to your room and wait there. You will be escorted to your ship. As soon as you arrive in Beijing , report to me. "
He gave Choy a hard look.
" Dismissed. "
" Sir! " Choy snapped to attention, turned and left the room . The door closed behind him.
Wu picked up his phone and began making
Choy sat in the silence of the parking garage, thinking about the way this day had gotten screwed up beyond anything he could imagine. It was too bad about Li and Chung, but that was the least of his worries. What was he going to tell Colonel Wu? The only person Choy feared in this world was Wu. Wu could make life miserable.
Choy was sweating in the cool darkness, a cold, greasy sweat that formed dark circles under his armpits. He smelled his own body odor. He hated it when that happened. In basic training people had made fun of him, calling him a pig and worse when he smelled like this. That stopped after he had a chance to get them alone. Soon no one commented on how he smelled.
Choy wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket. If he told Wu what had really happened he ' d be lucky if he was guarding camels in the Gobi desert for his next assignment. At least he had the name of the man who ' d fouled everything up, but t he troublemaker was already out of the picture, dead in that mine cave-in.
He got out of the car. A faint, sewer smell emanated from the trunk. It wasn ' t Choy ' s fault Li and Chung had gotten themselves killed. Who would have thought there ' d be someone at that house who could shoot like that while his men were firing at him? He must have been someone well-trained, a professional. Choy had to admit to a grudging admiration.
The thought of the shooter dead in the mine made him feel better. He ' d report in, give as few details as possible and hope for the best. Choy began humming to himself. Everything would be fine.
Chapter F if teen
Colonel Wu smoked and th ought about the failed attempt to secure the Connor woman. Now he had f ive dead agents to explain . There was a knock on his door.
" Yes. "
" Choy, Sir. "
Wu stubbed out his cigarette and opened the door. One look told him he was not going to like what he heard. He gestured and Choy entered the room. Wu closed the door.
" Report, Sergeant. "
" Sir. We ran into trouble. The woman, Connor, was at the house when we arrived but there was a man with her. He was armed and we got into a firefight. Li and Chung are dead. I chased the woman and her companion into an abandoned mine. The entrance collapsed and they were buried inside. They must be dead. I searched the house and the book was not there. I did get the name of the man who was there and confirmed the identity of the woman. "
Choy handed Selena ' s license and the slip from the car to Wu. He had decided to omit the reason the mine collapsed and his thought the book was buried with the Americans. Better to let Wu think it was still out there somewhere.
" What did you do with Li and Chung? "
" Sir, there ' s more. I p ut the m in the trunk of the car. On the way here I was stopped by a policeman. It was some sort of safety check. He was going to let me go when he saw blood leaking from the trunk. He reached for his gun and I shot him. That was about a half hour ago. "
" You shot an American police officer. " Wu ' s voice was flat.
" Yes, sir. I had no choice. "
" Where is the car? "
" In the garage below. "
" Give me your pistol. "
Choy handed over the gun.
" Choy, you have disappointed me. I expected more discretion from you. You are certain the book was not in the house? Did the woman have it with her when she fled? "
" The book was not in the house, s ir. If the woman had it with her, I did not see it. "
It was true, he hadn ' t actually seen a book in the woman ' s hand.
" You are leaving tonight for home, Sergeant. I will arrange passage on one of our freighters. Go to your room and wait there. You will be escorted to your ship. As soon as you arrive in Beijing , report to me. "
He gave Choy a hard look.
" Dismissed. "
" Sir! " Choy snapped to attention, turned and left the room . The door closed behind him.
Wu picked up his phone and began making
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