The Deaths of Tao Read online

  They started the night sharing a pitcher of white sangria with small cuts of apples, oranges, and peaches floating on the surface. Appetizers were cold potato salads, marinated Spanish olives, and some delicious bacon-wrapped cheese. Jill helped herself to a little of everything. That was what she loved about tapas; she could order half the menu and not feel guilty about it.

  “So, how are things with Marco? He’s a handsome handful, isn’t he?” Paula said as she sipped her sangria.

  Jill furrowed her brow. Well, maybe something else besides politics, monkey climbing, and Marco. She was already seeing too much of him every day. Right now, he was drinking at the bar across the street, probably charming some unsuspecting Georgetown law student bedazzled by his perfect hair and King Tut chin. It’s not that she minded him, quite the opposite actually. It was just that she had never ever spent this much time with any man other than her husband. And while Roen could cause a ruckus at times, he was a pretty low-key guy. Marco was up-tempo and the life of the party no matter where they went. It was draining.

  He is unlike your husband in every way, which is a good thing.

  “He’s just swell,” she replied as she pretended to pick at the fruit in the glass.

  That is an understatement.

  “That’s it? He’s swell?” Paula raised an eyebrow. “No other developments?”

  “None worth mentioning,” Jill shrugged. She changed the topic and slid a stack of papers across the table. “Here’s where we’re at with processed minerals. Here’s the list of over one-ton shipments of processed rares. The United States has a pretty small list of unrefined exports that can’t be had more easily in another part of the world. The commons we can ignore since they can be had anywhere.”

  Just from this list: diamonds, platinum, and iridium from South Africa. Bauxite, thorium, hafnium from Australia. Palladium, samarium, and rhenium from Russia. Nothing in the States that the Genjix cannot obtain from a neighboring country.

  “There’s something,” Paula talked with her mouth full as the first plate of patatas bravas came. She took out a sheet of paper and slid it to Jill. “Here’s a list of Genjix-related industries on the eastern seaboard. Thirty-five are in manufacturing and refinement, fifteen are in electronics. Two are military.”

  “Can you get eyes on them to investigate?” Jill asked.

  Paula shook her head. “Not necessary, nor do we have the manpower even if we wanted to. Ninety percent of them are redundant. China can build or refine everything those places can. The problem with the rest is we don’t know what we don’t know.”

  “I’ll cross-reference these two lists against each other,” Jill said. “Any word from our overseas network?”

  Paula pulled out another stack of notes. “We’ve intercepted communications between Russia and China. They’re screaming up their supply chain, escalating their grievances from the research bases to the ports to a neutral trade hub in a country friendly to Western countries. What that tells me is they need something on the restricted list with the United States and are smuggling it through a third party country.”

  It has to be a country friendly to both the United States and China.

  Jill ticked off her fingers. “My guess is a port on the continent. Cut out the extra sea route.”

  Paula made a face. “That’s a lot of countries that are friendly to both superpowers.”

  Start with the south Asia countries. The recent instability in the region is ideal for the Genjix to set up shop.

  The two continued spinning theories as the waiter brought several more hot and cold dishes. They took a break from work and helped themselves to spiced pork bellies, Spanish meatballs, cheese croquettes, and bacalao fritters. That last plate they ended up placing triple orders of. Six more dishes came in rapid succession until they had fully gorged themselves.

  Inevitably, they moved from white to red sangria, and the night dissolved into a psychotherapy session on Jill’s love life, with Paula playing Oprah.

  “That jerk left me while I was pregnant, jet-setting around the world on Tao’s fool errand,” Jill complained, draining her cup. “What kind of husband does that?”

  “He thought he was doing the right thing for the world,” Paula said. “He always arranged to have someone watching over you.”

  “What are you talking about? He was never there!”

  Paula drained her glass and slammed it down on the table. “You know that conference you had in Paris last year? Roen pulled me away from Beerfest to watch over you. I was on vacation, and he made my entire team babysit you. I bloody love Beerfest!”

  Jill picked at the fruit in her empty cup. “That was an economic summit. Why would I need protection? I had six Prophus with me.”

  Paula shrugged, pouring them both another drink and signaling to the waiter for another pitcher. “He doesn’t trust anyone else to do the job. Roen’s very protective of you.”

  “He has a funny way of showing he cares,” Jill groused.

  Paula looked exasperated. “You want to know how much he cares? Let me tell you. Stephen’s been asking me to take over DC operations for years. I kept turning him down. Had my hands full keeping Europe from falling apart as it is. But three months ago, I took the job. You know why? Because Roen begged me to. Said he couldn’t handle protecting you and working his leads at the same time. He begged me; hands and knees begged.” Paula’s words slurred as she clasped her hands together, shaking them back and forth. “‘Please, Paula, come to the States and watch over my fool wife. They’ve got morons watching her back. There’s no one else I trust!’”

  That surprised Jill. “And you came? I didn’t know you two were so close.”

  Paula shrugged. “Yol and Tao share a special bond. That makes Roen my brother.”

  “I’m glad Baji doesn’t have that with Tao,” Jill said. “That’d be weird.”

  “Has Marco charmed you into submission yet?” Paula asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jill said. “He’s dashing for sure, but he’s constantly flirting, so I don’t know if he’s serious.”

  “He’s so smooth you’ll wake up in bed with him and be unsure how you got there,” Paula chuckled.

  Jill gave her a startled look. “You didn’t. Did you?”

  “Once, maybe three times,” Paula admitted. “Well, I did work with him for five years. Can’t keep up my defenses all the time.”

  “Why did you assign him to me then?” Jill said, exacerbated. “I don’t need someone like him right now.”

  “He’s still one of the best,” Paula shrugged, “and I owe it to Roen to send you the best. Besides, Marco’s not a bad person. He’s just a man of loose morals.”

  And then something clicked for Jill. “You know, for a while, I wondered what it was I loved about Roen. And that’s it. He’s safe and he’s sincere. I worry about a lot of things with him, but never his intentions. He’s always been committed to me even when he does boneheaded things like follow Tao to the end of the Earth.”

  “You have him pegged right about that. He is boneheaded and will follow Tao into hell and back, but he is also committed to you.”

  “So again, why send me Marco?” Jill asked. “There’s got to be other agents who are just as good.”

  Paula poured herself another glass of sangria and looked Jill squarely in the eyes. “Because I’m not daft enough to be completely on his side. You’re your own woman.”

  That gave Jill a lot to think about, and for the rest of the night, Roen stuck in her head. He would never be as handsome or charming as Marco, and she would always have to share him with Tao, but she would always be his. Well, Cameron’s also, but that was a plus. And while she faulted him for abandoning her, she knew that in his mind, no matter how wrong he was, he did it with them in mind. That night, after Paula had dropped her off at home, Jill crawled into bed and called her son.

  “Hello?” Lee Ann’s voice came across the other line.

  “Hey Mom,” Jill said in a smal
l voice. “I know it’s late. Is Cam still up?”

  “Jilly! How are things leading the free world?”

  Jill didn’t have it in her to tell her mother about the situation. She choked up a little. “Good, good. Just wanted to say hi to my little man.”

  “We were about to put him down but he can stay up for a bit. Oh, by the way, Roen stopped by a few weeks ago.”

  Twinges of anger passed through her. It was his fault Cameron was thousands of miles away, and now he was able to see her son before she was? It was unfair. Still, he made the effort, and she would have been more disappointed if he hadn’t.

  She forced a chuckle out. “How did Dad treat him? I hope he wasn’t holding any sharp objects at the time.”

  Lee Ann laughed. “Oh, he got the rifle out and was about to shoot him. He didn’t, of course. You know your father. All bark and bad aim.”

  “How’d Roen look?”

  “Looking a little haggard to be honest. I wonder what he’s been up to. I tell ya, he actually looks pretty distraught about being away from you and Cam. What happened between you two? Why won’t you tell me?”

  Jill sniffled and wiped the tear trickling down her face. “It’s complicated, Mom.” She paused and regained her composure. “Can I talk to Cam?”

  She heard some shuffling and then a squeal. Then a sleepy child’s voice piped up. “Mamma?”

  The waterworks began to flow down Jill’s face. “Hey Cam Cam. Are you being a good boy?”

  “Yes,” he said. “Grandma gave me ice cream and Eva ate it.” Jill laughed through her tears as her son told her the fantastic and exciting adventures of his day as only a three year-old could. It seemed that he and Eva had become best friends and best enemies, and the two waged a never-ending war over his toys. “And then Eva chewed the ear off of Pooples,” he said as he finished the story.

  “I’ll get you a new teddy bear,” she promised.

  “I don’t want another teddy bear,” he protested. “I want Pooples.”

  “I’ll have grandma fix it then,” she paused. “Did you see your daddy?”

  “Yeah,” he said slowly. “Daddy looks dirty.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah, he has dirt all over his mouth. I tried to wipe it off, and it pricked me.”

  Jill laughed. “Daddy’s a porcupine?”

  “Yeah, he’s like a...” He struggled with the word. Then the line became quiet. “I miss you and Daddy,” a subdued Cameron said. “When are you coming home?”

  Jill almost lost it right there. For the next few seconds, it took everything she had to hold it together and to not break down. Finally, after a few deep breaths, she put the phone next to her face. “As soon as possible, Cam Cam. So tell me more about your day?”

  For fifteen more wonderful minutes, she listened to him babble on about his life. She ended up promising to ask Lee Ann if Eva could stay with Cameron once he came back home. That would be a tall order to fill. Jill remembered her mother saying that she would rather give up Louis than part with Eva. But still, it was a wonderful way to end the night. She fell asleep dreaming of sleeping next to Roen and holding their son in between them. The war and all the dangers and trappings of it were a distant memory, at least for one night.

  The phone rang sometime between when Jill’s head hit the pillow and when she was supposed to be at work six hours later. It rang forever, and eventually, the incessant chirping penetrated her subconscious and slapped her awake. Jill was not a happy camper when she fumbled for the source of her disturbance on the nightstand.

  “Yes,” she mumbled, scowling at the clock and plopping her head back down on her pillow.

  “It’s me. Did I catch you at a bad time? You sound tired.”

  “I sound tired because you are calling me in the middle of the night. What do you want, Roen?”

  “Just finished lunch. Wanted to check up on you. So... what’s up?”

  “Did I mention it’s the middle of the night?” She rolled her eyes. What was wrong with him?

  The concept of Greenwich Mean Time escapes him. And why is he chit-chatting? He hates small talk.

  That was true. Hell, Roen hated talking on the phone. He must either be worried or wanted something from her. As much as she hated to admit it, he could be cute when concerned.

  “So how are things with Marco?”

  Ah, of course.

  Jill shot up into a sitting position. “Is this why you called? To check up on me and Marco?”

  There was a pause. “No.” Another pause. “Of course not.”

  “It is!” Jill’s grip on the phone tightened. “Well, he’s fine. In fact, he’s more than fine. He’s a pretty terrific guy!”

  “You don’t have to lie just to be mean to me.” He sounded sullen.

  This made Jill’s blood boil even more. “No, I mean it. He’s nice to me. He opens the door for me. He calls me pretty. All the time, Roen. All the frigging time!”

  “That asshole! I’ll kill him!”

  “No,” Jill hissed. “That’s nice. I like it when a guy says I’m pretty. Now, is there something you want or are you here just to ruin my sleep?”

  There was another long pause. She could tell that he was struggling to keep his voice steady as he swore at someone away from the phone, presumably Tao. He had that habit when he lost his temper.

  Finally, he got back on the line. “Actually, we have a lead. There’s a Genjix op in the Kaohsiung province of Taiwan. It’s a massive harbor though, and too large for us to reconnoiter. Can you cross-reference the port with known Genjix companies?”

  A Genjix trade operation in Taiwan? We assumed all the major ports would be on the main land. We have been looking in the wrong place.

  Jill was wide awake now. “That’s a bit broad. It’ll take some time. Any luck with Dylan?”

  “Not a clue. Been poking around the underbelly of the island. For a guy who sticks out like a sore thumb, he pulled off an amazing disappearing act. Can you check for me? I don’t want to direct my team down there without getting some intel first.”

  “Sure,” Jill got up and threw on a bathrobe. She was all business now. “I’ll dig around and get back to you.” She paused. “And take care of yourself. Cam still needs a father.”

  “Don’t worry about me, hon. And you tell that dick Marco that if–”

  Jill hung up the phone.

  “Baji, how’re the trade barriers in Taiwan?”

  They are an ally of the United States. Barriers are negligible. This could be a major development. Dylan might have stumbled onto the Genjix’s workaround to the sanctions.

  Jill went to the living room and rummaged through several of her files. Twenty minutes later, after skimming through a large stack of US Department of Commerce reports, she jotted down several notes regarding the trade policies and programs, as well as companies that traded heavily with Taiwan that had suspected ties to the Genjix.

  “There are hardly any trade restrictions with Taiwan. It’s an open door.”

  The Genjix must have infiltrated the island after we pulled out. This could be our trade leak. We have been looking in the wrong places all this time.

  She checked the time and called up Tammy, ignoring her assistant’s groan of indignation as she ordered several more reports prepared by the time she got into the office. Then she set up an appointment with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Trade. If the trade list was expanded to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, there was suddenly a frightening list of materials that could pose a serious threat to the Prophus after all.

  NINETEEN

  AMBUSH

  I was in the first wave sent to test these new evolved creatures. Several hundred of us migrated our primate hosts into their valleys and joined Cro-Magnon tribes. Another wave was sent to various Neanderthal tribes. It was then that I realized the potential of this new species.

  To this day, an argument still rages about whether the Neanderthal or the Cro-Magnon was worthier of being raised. Make no m
istake; it was the Quasing who raised your forbearers. We were your evolution. That decision, though, did not come without conflict.

  Tao

  That is your third bowl. Stop eating.

  “You know what, Tao? I have a new rule. As long as I have a six pack, I can eat as much as I want.”

  You have not had a six pack in four years. And when you did, you kept it for less than a week.

  “You know what, Tao? As long as I have a four pack, I can eat as much as I want.” Roen reached out with his chopsticks and picked up a piece of blood pork sausage for emphasis. This stuff was damn good. Over the past three weeks, he had learned the secret of cuisine on the island. The people of Taiwan cared little for aesthetically pleasing food. Half the stuff he’d eaten looked downright indigestible – stuff that Jabba the Hutt ate. The other half looked like it would leap off the table and eat him. After the first week, he had overcome his fear of ugly food and now tried every morsel of Taiwanese food he could get his hands on. He was rarely disappointed.

  We did not come all this way for you to could dim sum your way to obesity again. When this is all over, you are going back on the regiment.

  The consensus was that Ahfu was best hole-in-the-wall restaurant in all of Taipei. Roen knew that to be a fact because there was a sign in front of the restaurant declaring just that. And after discovering this little gem in a side street off the market and eating three meals a day there every single day, Roen wholeheartedly agreed with the assessment.

  The restaurant was in a rickety wooden building that defied gravity just by standing up. The walls were a patchwork of metal, wood, and flaking paint that probably violated a dozen health codes. But the dumplings were delicious, the taro puffs were spectacular, and the sesame balls were... Roen had no words to describe how good they tasted. There was this sticky rice wrapped in khaki green bamboo leaves that could cause world peace.