It’s been just over two weeks since Ola’s assassination.
Griffin and I are in Tokyo planning China’s downfall.
We’ve met with the Japanese President and while returning to our hotel, three bullets pinged our rear window.
Luckily they didn’t make it through the protective glass. The would-be assassin was found dead. Kim (Japan’s top agent) I suspected had taken care of him.
That evening I decided to take advantage of the exercise equipment and swimming pool in the hotel. I needed to blow off a little rust or steam or whatever. I just needed to create some sweat.
Two steps out of my room and two Japanese female agents / bodyguards were hot on my trail. As I ran a couple of miles on a treadmill and lifted some weights, the agents made sure I was the only one in the facility. There were several people in the pool, so I asked if they were going to make them leave, if I wanted to swim.
After consulting with Kim, they said no, so I went into the shower before going to the pool. I’ve never been under surveillance while taking a shower, so it was a little awkward. I made it quick and put my trunks on.
I don’t know why, but I had a strange feeling once I got to the pool. There was a husband and wife with two kids playing in the shallow-end. There were three men sitting at a table near the pool with drinks, talking. And there were two women, one swimming laps and the other bobbing up and down under the diving board.
Harmless enough, I thought, particularly with my two female bodyguards. What could go wrong?
I began swimming laps about five feet from and parallel to the woman who was also swimming them. We crossed a couple of times and I noticed her giving me the eye. I thought being an American, I was just a novelty to her.
She finished her laps and went over to the other woman still under the diving board. A couple more free-style laps then I flipped over floating on my back just relaxing with a slow backstroke.
Closing my eyes, I telepathically queried the memories within range for Chinese orders of any kind.
I got none and thought I was being just a little paranoid. Then again, it’s not every day bullets are stopped by a rear windshield.
As I approached the deep end, my memory access got a hit. Then two. Then three. Then five. I flipped over and swam as fast as I could toward the shallow-end and my two attractive bodyguards.
The quickness of my activities started a chain-reaction.
All of the sudden, the three men were armed with knives and running toward the pool. Behind me, the two women were swimming toward me, one under the water, the other on top.
Seeing the situation develop, one bodyguard went to one knee and took aim, firing rounds rapidly and taking down two of the three men. The third man dove at me, knife-first causing a large gash in my left shoulder, as I stood and moved quickly to my right.
The second bodyguard was busy in the water with the two women, both now able to stand and both headed in my direction.
Immediately, I concentrated on the man, using my memory access emergency code, putting him into a hypnotic dream state.
The two women were fighting with my second bodyguard. The bodyguard with the gun couldn’t get a good shot off without possibly hitting her friend. As fast as I could, I concentrated on the women and put them to sleep. Unfortunately, all three went down.
With two men shot, bleeding on the deck, one man with his face down about to drown, and three women all having nightmares, I took off for the bodyguard I had accidentally put to sleep.
I grabbed her by her hair and lifted her face out of the water.
Her partner quickly came to our aid, pulling her up onto the deck. I then grabbed each of the other women by their hair and dragged them to the shallow end of the pool, making sure their faces were looking skyward. I went back to the attacker with the knife and pushed him into the deep end, face down, my arm now bleeding profusely into the pool.
The dry bodyguard was trying to wake the wet one, which she finally did. Everyone asleep was re-living a nightmare; none of them would have any recollection of anything other than the fight they were in before entering their hypnotic states.
Thirty-seconds later, police and additional agents were swarming in and around the pool.
The poor family, children crying, were being questioned while trying to peek at what was still going on in the water.
The police got the two women on the deck and revived them after a couple of minutes. They also got the third guy out of the pool and saved his life. Pity. The dry bodyguard left her partner and ran to get me out of the pool.
“Bill. Come with me. Quickly.”
She grabbed a towel and covered my arm, telling me to hold it against the wound. Then with gun in one hand and my trunks in the other, she hustled me to an elevator where a third female bodyguard was waiting, weapon drawn and at the ready.
Speaking Japanese, I couldn’t tell if they were happy to have saved me or scared of what Kim would do to them. If what Carson (America’s top spy) had said was true, it would be the latter.
Ten minutes later, after enduring several stitches, Kim arrived in my room, serious as a heart attack.
“Grab your gear. We’re getting you out of here. Now!”
Griffin and I complied. I love it when women take control.
We were taken to a safehouse where Kim was giving the two bodyguards hell. When she was done with them, they both came over to me and apologized profusely.
I stopped them and thanked them for saving my life, making sure Kim heard I thought they were heroes, not duds. Regardless of what I said, they both left with their tails between their legs. I felt worse for them than I did for myself. Kim came over to me.
“We’ve got to talk.”
“Okay, but please don’t be so hard on my two bodyguards.
“They probably saved my life. This was all my idea. I thought they performed admirably. Cut them some slack, will you?”
“I was simply getting their report. It’s curious.
“One minute there are five people trying to kill you, the next minute there are two people shot, but four people mysteriously unconscious in the pool.”
“Were they unconscious? I couldn’t tell, I was just wanting to get dried off. Maybe they hit their heads on the side or bottom of the pool or something. I don’t have a clue.”
“Coincidence. Is that it? All five of them hit their heads without being near anything but water. My agent said she didn’t remember anything, but her partner said she was crying with her eyes closed. Her partner said it was almost like seeing someone having a nightmare.
“She had a hard time bringing her to, or waking her up, shaking her out of a trance or something.
“You and I need to have a private conversation.
“Just you and me.”
Chapter I – Returning from Warsaw
Back to the present time; it’s only hours after the assassination of Ola (Poland’s top spy, woman I fell in love with).
All’s quiet now. Air Force One is an hour from D.C. My devastation has turned to rage. Absolute fury and resolve like I’ve never felt before. I contact Griffin telepathically.
Hey. I’ve got a question. How close do you think we are to being able to erase memories?
Let me first say, you know I have some reservations about doing this. Our programming will not allow us to do harm to a human, any human. But I understand the need to pursue this from a national security standpoint. I have consulted with the other five Neuros and we have come up with a way to do it, but they have the same reservations I have.
So, we can do it now?
We have that ability. With the six of us working together, we now understand the brain much better than we did before. Our knowledge is advancing very rapidly. Based on our experience with Diana (England’s top spy who witnessed us using memory recall), where our secrets were almost exposed, we think we can now overlay parts of a memory. Are you thinking about using it on yourself to forget Ola?
No. Could you overlay memories of Cricket from Carson and the President though?
Griffin processed for several minutes before responding.
Bill. I do not believe our programming would allow that. You have the highest authority over the six of us, except for the President. Altering her memories could be considered harm.
Griffin. You are the most advanced android every made. You’re capable of complex thinking and reasoning. You, more than any of the other Neuros, can understand how Cricket might be used. Do you think the President is going to be capable of using Cricket without prejudice toward America?
No, but that was not a prerequisite for us developing Cricket. I believe you have the same prejudice you are accusing the President of having.
I need you to think this through. There are three humans who know about Cricket; the President, Carson her top spy and me. That’s it! If our goal was to be the ‘conscience of the world’, not of the U.S., it must have a world view. That’s why I suggested you to be our back-up to run it. Your only prejudice is to humans, not countries. But I’ve changed my thinking.
I continued very slowly for affect.
I believe, over time, you and I will become one or maybe one-and-a-half human. I believe we will soon be able to transfer or copy parts of my brain into yours.
I let that settle for a while before continuing.
Think about those last two statements, protecting the world without prejudice, and becoming partially human. We need to purge the memory of Cricket from two of the three people who know about it, and we need to do it fast. Before the bugs are fully operational around the world and before anyone else finds out about it. I want you to think about that. Let me know when you are ready to talk.
Bill. I think you are tired. I think you are angry and devastated over the loss of Ola. I do not think you are thinking like you normally do. You agreed Carson should oversee Cricket. You promised the President you would keep her in the loop on any new technical discoveries. You, more than anyone knows what Cricket can and will do. This is not like you. I think you are tired.
GRIFFIN. DAMN IT! I AM GIVING YOU AN ORDER!
I paused before continuing to regain my composure.
I want you to consider what I have said, analyze it as only you can, and get back with me on whether or not you can do what I ask, what I’ve ordered you to do. I want this to be in your confidential area where no one, not even the President, has access to it. Do we understand each other?
Yes. I will give it my full attention until I have resolved my issues. I am sorry I questioned you.
Just get it done and let me know when you’re ready to talk. Bill out.
Griffin contacted me telepathically just before landing.
Bill. I am sorry, but I cannot do what you ask. I could do it on Carson, she is below you on the chain of authority. I cannot do it on the President. I believe it would be ‘harmful’ to her. I am sorry.
Sorry is NOT going to cut it. We’ll talk about this later and YOU WILL DO IT! Bill out!
~ * ~
Two weeks after returning to D.C.
The President called Griffin and me into her office.
After our welcoming embrace, she began.
“I understand from Dr. Murray, you’re pretty much back to normal, if one can ever get over losing someone like Ola. He said you are remarkably well adjusted and there wasn’t much more he could do for you.
“He also said you were the hardest patient to read he’s ever had, ever. He couldn’t tell if you were the patient, or he was.”
She chuckled and went to sit behind her desk.
I knew it must be serious. I responded.
“Yeah, I like Matthew and of course I always love seeing Riley. We had a little contest going for the sessions we had together. It was fun. I’m ready for my next assignment. What have you got?”
“Are you sure you want to get back into this so soon?
“I’d love it, if you took some more time off, but you’re in here every day and you’re the best ambassador we’ve got.
“Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Madam President, in the twentieth-century we used to have a saying. If you get knocked off the horse, the sooner you get back in the saddle, the better. That may not be it exactly, but you get the point. Frankly, I’m going nuts around here in the White House. There’s only so much Griffin and I can talk about without him making me feel extremely inferior. I love the guy but come on.”
I smiled and winked at Griffin.
The President stood and walked around her desk to my chair.
“Alright. This may be a little painful for you, but the Polish President asked for you specifically. Germany, Poland and the Ukraine have been almost at war with China.
“Since Poland had Xi killed and China retaliated with Ola, there’s been an ongoing tit-for-tat. Germany and Ukraine have come to Poland’s assistance, but we need it to stop.
“I’d like for you and Griffin to go to Warsaw and see if anything can be done to ease tensions.”
She resumed her seat behind her desk, then continued.
“Then I’d like for you to go to Japan, where again, their President asked for you personally as well.
“He believes he has information that can completely stop China’s aggression, IF, you and he can figure something out.
“He was unusually vague just saying he wanted you to help him think it through. He specifically wanted Griffin as well. You’ve made a big and positive impression on these guys.”
She paused, breathing deeply before continuing.
“Finally, the Japanese President has talked with India’s Premier and India is ready to sign an agreement with NATO having the same trade stipulations Japan signed up for.
“You should follow Japan with a stop in India before you return home. I know that’s a lot to ask, but each asked specifically for you. So, what do you think?”
“How soon can I leave?”
“Wheels up at 4:00 pm, sleep on the plane and meet with the Polish President tomorrow at 10:00 am his time.
“Carson is on another assignment, but the U.K. has offered their MI-9 agent, Diana to assist you.
“She was devastated with Ola’s loss. I’m not sure this is such a good idea, but it was too hard to say no to these two patriots.”
“She’s fine and I don’t think we’ll have any problems.
“It might even be good if she and I commiserated together.”
The President got up and ushered us to the door with one final embrace. “Stay safe, you two. Your country and I need you.”
Poland
We were met at the airport in the early morning by three dress-blue Marines from our embassy. Once in the car and on our way to the hotel, we began to chat about the Marine Corps in the twentieth century.
I guess Europe must be a pretty small place because they knew all my jokes and lies from my past meetings with the other Marines earlier. They even finishing some of my punch lines.
They had all heard about Ola and expressed their regrets.
It was warm and funny at the same time. It made me smile.
Five minutes after getting settled in our room, there came a hard knock at the door. It was Diana.
She had a light coat over a perfectly fitted suit, with a scarf around her head, and big sunglasses. I immediately thought of Ola in Japan. She walked in past me, said hi to Griffin, then turned back to me. She stood perfectly still for a minute or so.
I didn’t know what she was going to do or what I should do.
She finally took the sunglasses off revealing tear-filled eyes.
She moved forward, embracing me around the neck and burying her face into my shoulder.
“Bill. I’m so sorry about Ola. She was a very good friend; in addition, she was a great agent. I know she was going to the U.S. with you before her death. I’m so sorry.” She never raised her head.
I put my arms around her and tried to maintain my composure. Rubbing her back, I thanked her. She pulled back and looked at me. Not as intensely as during our first encounter in the U.K., but to refresh her memory, I guessed.
She came back and delivered a soft, warm, sincere kiss.
“Do you want me to go get coffee?”
Griffin thought he’d seen this movie before.
“No, you silly android, we’re here to get some bloody business done.” Diana made her way to a chair.
“As always, you seem to know everything that’s going on.
“What am I about to get myself into today?”
“The Polish President was devastated with Ola’s death. Until you came on the scene, I’m sure he had strong feelings for her.
“How could he not? She was gorgeous.
“Anyway, I think your President sent you to try to calm things down a little. There have been about a dozen deaths on both sides since Ola. Some of them on German and Ukrainian soil.”
“Have they gotten the guys who killed Ola?”
“No, you silly boy. Those guys are nothing. It was a contract.
“Killing them wouldn’t solve anything. Poland has gone after well-respected Chinese agents. Some have been fairly high up the food chain.”
“Does the Polish President know who made the contract?
“I mean other than China?”
“If HE doesn’t, maybe WE can find out.
“Particularly since you brought the guy with all the toys.”
After winking at Griffin, she gave me what she thought might be the only way to move forward.
MI-9 had put together a list of Chinese operatives. There were a couple she knew who might act as a backchannel to broker a ceasefire. She was interested in what the Polish President would say and what he might be able offer.
She was there to broker a deal, that’s all she had.
We chatted for another hour, with her bringing me up-to-speed on recent developments before she said she needed to leave.
Walking her to the door, she stopped, turned around and threw her arms around my neck.
“I really am sorry. It’s the part of our business that makes us burn hot, like we’ve talked about before. You never know when your time is up. Very few of us retire, like your granddaughter Carson. We have to take pleasure whenever and with whomever we can.
“I’m really sorry about Ola. Till I see you again.”
She kissed me gently, wiped the lipstick off my lips while maintaining an embrace for nearly a minute, and then she was gone.
~ * ~
The Polish President greeted me with a long man-hug before our handshake. No words about Ola were spoken. Instead, he showed his disdain for China by using some language taking me back to my days in the Corps. Properly vented, he took a chair beside me instead of sitting behind his desk. I began.
“Mr. President, how can I help?”
“They act as if nothing happened. They still want our manufacturing facilities. As you know, they annexed most of Russia when Russia fell, so they have incredible resources, but under their form of Communism, they can get nothing done.
“They want to mass produce androids, steal your software, and brainwash the world. They’re pressuring Germany and Ukraine as well. They just can’t take no for an answer.”
“So how can I help?”
“Your President must re-commission NATO and severely restrict business with China. She must get this done quickly, before they get Japan, India, and several other SE Asian countries.
“You have great influence over her. You must make her see the urgency of the situation. Bill. I believe we have 90 days at most.”
“Mr. President, I’ll be happy to take your message forward and apply as much pressure as I can, but you could have done this.
“What do you believe will happen in 90 days?”
“We already know. There’ll be uprisings across my country, secretly funded by the Chinese, and meant to take down the government. If they can create enough chaos, they can keep our three countries from signing anything prohibiting trade with China.
“We simply would have no choice.
“You have no idea how much they are able and willing to commit to this cause. Your President must act quickly.”
We talked for another thirty minutes on how this was going to come down. He was adamant in his beliefs. Then he turned his anger to another topic.
“I’m not through making them pay for Ola’s death.
“There’s more blood to be shed.
“That’s why I asked for you to come back to Poland.”
“Mr. President. There is no one, and I do mean no one, who would love to see that as much as me. Have you something in mind?
“It can stay strictly between you and me, but if you’ve got any ideas, I want in. My President specifically sent me here to calm the waters, but I’m still hungry for revenge myself.”
We talked about who and how he would like to take out.
I was interested in a couple of his ideas and thought I might be able to help. Then he had another surprise waiting for me.
He pushed a button and a lovely young lady walked into his office. I stood.
“Bill. This is Soha; Ola’s replacement. I’d like for the two of you to work together on this plan.”
Soha was just a little over six-foot-tall, slight of build with light brown bangs and hair that went almost to her waistline in back. Her facial features were delicate but chiseled. Not muscular or athletic like my other two spies, but dainty and feminine.
She had a very pretty face and a lovely smile, disarming even, as she appeared to be shy or certainly reserved.
I reached out to shake her hand and to my surprise, I got the same vice-grip all the other spies gave me.
What is it with all these female spies and their handshakes?
We talked briefly. She knew more about me than I knew about myself, while she revealed very little about herself. Griffin posted a bio of her in my memory. It was quite lengthy. She was in her mid-thirties even though she didn’t look a day over twenty-one.
We set-up a breakfast for tomorrow morning, in my room, to avoid being seen together.
On the drive back to our room, Griffin started a conversation.
“I am afraid you might use Cricket for Diana’s and the Polish President’s plan for vengeance.”
“We’ve talked about this and I thought we had an agreement.
“You would trust my judgment until we are successful in transferring some of my thought processes into your brain.”
“But I am afraid until then, you are going to use Cricket to avenge the death of Ola.
“Am I not understanding your actions correctly?”
“Griffin! Damn it! This is not a conversation I want to have right now. When I ask you or Cricket for information and you think I’m wrong, you may question it then. Not now. Are we clear?”
“We are clear.
“I do not like this new Bill as well as I liked the old Bill.”
“Get used to it. Until it’s over, it’s not over.
“I’m through talking about it with you.”
~ * ~
Diana called and wanted to meet so we could debrief and put a plan together. I told her 5:00 pm local worked for me, but only if she didn’t wear one of her seductive outfits.
I told her I needed more time to grieve.
I also asked her to bring a list of MI-9’s top five Chinese agents. She was reluctant at first but said she would try. She also said she understood my position on clothing, but this was Diana.
I didn’t know what to expect when she arrived.
Just before 5:00 pm she knocked on the door.
“Very nice. Very nice indeed.”
I echoed my assessment from one of our earlier meetings.
“Isn’t that the same bloody thing you said after our first meeting with my Prime Minister?”
“It is. I was going to use stunning, but I didn’t want to go there tonight. I really like your smile, too.”
“My smile or my lips?”
As she walked by me to her chair, she patted me on the top of my head.
“Yes, and so much more, but let’s get to work.”
I smiled. She returned it.
She confirmed MI-9 shared the same assessment on what was about to happen. They didn’t have a number of days, but she didn’t think 90 was unreasonable. She brought her list of agents and we discussed each one. She also thought she could get a meeting with Xi’s replacement. It was a woman. Diana didn’t think it would be like Ola’s meeting where Xi assaulted her in the café.
I thought I had the beginnings of a plan.
“So, the President of Poland still wants three Chinese agents dead. That’s information for your ears only. You can get a meeting with one of them. The one you can get a meeting with, is the one he thinks ordered the hit on Ola. What do you think?”
“Probably. Ola was payback for Xi. It’s a show of strength, particularly because of the gender thing. Taking out our five names would completely disrupt their espionage operation, but we don’t know how to locate them, otherwise we might do it ourselves.
“It would also call for retaliations again. No one wants that right now. We want to de-escalate not make matters worse.”
I thought for a moment about how to proceed.
I searched her memories and confirmed that she hadn’t discussed Griffin’s capabilities with anyone.
“Okay. You remember our conversation about Griffin being able to make things happen?”
“Of course. I haven’t whisper anything to anyone about it either.” She paused. “Although, if you’d like to make another payment to keep my silence like you did before, I’d be game.”
She had a shy but wicked smile.
“I’ll take that under consideration. It’s an offer that’s becoming more appealing the more I see of you.”
I returned the smile part of her smile before continuing.
“I may be able to get the locations of your five and the two others on the Polish President’s list. If so, could you use it to set-up a meeting with this Chinese agent to call off the killings and not put yourself in danger doing it?
“If she knew we had this information, it might cause her to pull back. What do you think?”
Her jaw dropped, she turned her head slightly to look at Griffin, then back to stare at me.
“I’m not even going to ask how you can get their locations, but if you could, I believe she would see the wisdom of ending this back and forth.” She paused for a few seconds before continuing.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to bloody ask.
“How are you going to get the locations?”
“Just like in the car in Kiev. If you knew, I’d have to shoot you, even though you didn’t shoot me when you had the chance.
“Or I guess I could wipe your memory clean, if you prefer.”
I smiled. She didn’t. After a pause, she relaxed.
“You know, I really like that grey hair in the morning fresh out of the shower. So, on second thought, I don’t want to know.
“If you could get those, do you think the Polish President would call off his plans?”
“If I were him, I wouldn’t. But then again, if he could still get them in say six weeks, when everything has been resolved, what was the old saying about revenge?” Griffin responded.
“Revenge is best served cold.”
“Thank you, Griffin. Do you still get coffee?”
She was talking to him but looking at me. I answered.
“Not tonight. He’s getting ready for bed.”
“Pity. I was feeling kind of thirsty.”
We talked more about logistics. She made several calls and had a meeting set-up for tomorrow evening at a coffee shop.
Quite fitting I thought, the coffee shop part.
Knowing I was meeting with Soha in the morning, my plan was to leverage her to get the Polish President to wait.
If I were him, I’d pull the trigger tomorrow, but I thought I stood a good chance of convincing him to hold his fire.
Diana and I would debrief tomorrow as well.
We could cover other things that might arise from our conversations as well.
~ * ~
I studied Soha as she talked while fiddling with her breakfast and coffee. I just couldn’t get over how young she looked.
From the profile Griffin made, she had extensive experience and had actually been married before becoming a spy. She verbally shared several memories of her and Ola. It was obvious she missed her greatly. I refrained from using our ability to view her memories.
After a while, we finally got around to the plan.
“So, I’d like to know if you think you can convince your President he should wait six weeks or so, before he gets his revenge?
“If he can, I believe I can give him current locations on this Chinese agent and half-a-dozen others. My hope is, by showing the Chinese they are vulnerable; it will stop the killings.”
She immediately stopped eating and stared at me.
“Wait. Are you serious? You can get the locations of seven Chinese agents. Really? I’ve heard you can do remarkable things, but this would be incredible, truly incredible.
“I can certainly try, but you may have underestimated his desire to rid the world of these people.
“He said he had shared our country’s history to help you understand. You must stand up to bullies, never back down.”
“I agree totally, but my President would like a ceasefire, and this appears to be a good way to get one. To actually accomplish both objectives. Can you do it, or should I meet with him again?”
“Let me try. If I’m not successful, I’ll call you.”
She was going directly from our breakfast to meet with him.
In less than an hour, I received her call confirming his agreement to participate and wait.
Now all I needed to do was get the locations.
“Griffin. You heard the plan. You know this is the best chance of not harming anyone. Please get me the locations and we can move on to Japan.”
“I do know the plan. I do believe this is the best alternative.
“I also believe it will harm people after the six weeks are up and things have calmed down. I still have reservations.”
“Okay. Do you believe if Carson was still running Cricket, she would take or reject this deal?”
“She would take it. As would the President. But I was thinking…”
“YOU’RE “THINKING” TOO DAMN MUCH!!”
I paused to regain control. “Consider the consequences if we don’t do this. People will continue to die. They will continue to kill one another and it will likely escalate into something even worse.”
I was growing more frustrated as we talked.
“DAMN IT GRIFFIN, GET ME THE LOCATIONS!
“When you get human logic, it will be mine. I’m telling you to get the list. If you want, I’m ordering you. So just do it!”
Griffin processed for several minutes before accessing Cricket and posting the list of seven people in my memory. It included their current locations and where they actually resided.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you, but you need to trust me.”
“Like the President trusted you, before you had me wipe…”
He stopped abruptly.
I turned away from him as I got a call. Soha spoke,
“My President would like to talk with you.
“I’ll put him on so you can see him.”
“Mr. President, I want to thank you for your approval.
“I know it’s very hard at this time, but I think it might be the best play available for us to stop the killings.
“There will always be other opportunities.”
“Bill. Thank you for arranging it and for somehow supplying the Intel. I’ll defer to your judgement.
“I did want to get your reaction to this, however.
“I don’t think it’s fair to have Diana deliver this message.
“England doesn’t have, as you used to say, a dog in this fight. She is simply arranging a meeting. How about having her make an introduction to Soha, then exiting the scene?
“I think it’d be better for everyone involved.”
“Mr. President. I hadn’t thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense to me. Let me get ahold of Diana and see if she thinks she can work it out.
“As you know, these relationships are very complicated. I’ll call her and get back with you.”
Diana answered immediately. “What’s up?”
I told her about the Polish President’s idea.
She was reluctant, given this was her relationship. She was spending capital by setting it up. I told her I wanted to keep her clean. I’d seen this movie, and I didn’t want a repeat performance. After much conversation, she agreed to try to make the change.
Forty minute later, she called back.
“They thought it was a trap and didn’t want to go through with it. They know me, they didn’t want to deal with a Polish agent they don’t know.
“They wanted to know what the deal was in advance. I told them I didn’t know what Poland was offering, but it was coming directly from their President in order to create a ceasefire.
“I told them I had nothing to do with the offer. I was a backchannel. The proposal would be given to them at the meeting.
“If there were any negotiations to follow, it would be best to be between the two parties. They still weren’t going for it until I inferred they were frightened of Poland. They immediately became hostile, but ultimately agreed to take the meeting.”
“Fantastic. That makes me feel a whole lot better.”
She gave me the meeting logistics and I relayed them on to the Polish President. I wanted Soha to debrief with me after the meeting. She agreed. I gave them the information.
~ * ~
As six became seven and finally eight, I called Diana.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m on my way over right now.”
Five minutes later she knocked on the door. Diana was quite upset. She said another MI-9 agent was shadowing Soha and watching the meeting from afar.
After Soha gave the Chinese the locations, they became totally outraged. They beat her until some men, possibly Polish agents, intervened. And when they did, the Chinese shot Soha.
“THEY DID WHAT?!”
I was shocked. I remember Ola. Had I caused this again?
“They shot her. Took a couple of shots at others as well before they stalked away from the scene. It’s too early to tell if she’ll make it, I don’t know how she could, but everything went to hell in an instant.”
BillDeFoor 