They drove back to John's loft in a companionable silence, John not speaking
until they were nearly to the Remington Building.
"I must take Liu Shen and Lee Ma to Seattle, soon," he said quietly.
Meg spared a glance in his direction, finishing the thought in her own mind: where they will be safe.
"How soon?" Meg asked, trying to keep her voice equable, it wasn't easy to think of him leaving again.
"Ideally, in the next few days. I will call my mother's brother. He was an officer under my father in the Chinese Army."
And an ideal candidate, perhaps, to make sure John's sister and mother stayed safe, Meg mused silently.
"I've brought my laptop computer with us. I'll do some research on airfares for you on line."
Meg was grateful that airfare shopping would give her a her an excuse to be online. Once Zeedo responded, they might be able to keep up covert correspondence without John being aware.
John was looking at her intently, noting her
word usage--"you" instead of "us".
"You would be welcome to come along with us," John offered, regarding her quietly.
Meg flashed him a smile that she did not truly feel in her heart, "Family reunions are best left to family, John. Just promise me you will come back. I'll be fine here until you return."
John frowned as he handed her the keycard as she turned into the parking garage of his building.
"I will come back, as soon as I can. I would feel much better if you consented to accompany us."
Meg pulled the car into the space reserved for John, and turned to give him her full attention.
She looked at him, hoping that her expression was as inscrutable as his own.
"I need to stay here, get some things done. I've got a livelihood to pursue you know, rent to be paid. Unless," Meg was careful in her choice of her next words, "you feel the need for a bodyguard?"
She looked John directly in the eye then, hoping against hope that he would admit to her, under the florescent lights of the parking garage, the threat looming over him. Then everything could be in the open, protection arranged, strategy formed.
She saw the shadow of indecisiveness pass across his features, his eyes tortured for the briefest moment. But the indecision was soon replaced by resolve. She might have been angry, but that she knew he sought only to shield her. He flashed her one of his most charming smiles.
"No need for that. I will miss you, terribly."
John admitted, once again, as ever, shifting the
subject skillfully. He was determined to protect her from the knowledge, as though being oblivious was its own security.
For Meg's part, forewarned was forearmed. But she did not challenge him. Instead, she replied, "I'll miss you more."
"You will do me a favor?" John couched his thought as a question, but it seemed more a command.
"Depends," she rejoined, keeping her voice light and airy.
"Stay at the loft while I am gone? It is secure, has every service available. I will not worry so much if you do this." John replied.
If the plan forming in her mind was to come to fruition, that was the last thing she could do, but he did not need to know that.
"I'll think about it. But I can't do my job without my computers."
"I will not be gone that long. You do not need to work while I am gone. If money for rent is a problem--" John persisted until Meg made a dismissive gesture.
"I'll think about, it John. We should go up. You need to take your medicine and have a dressing change."
John looked at her closely for a long moment, then nodded his head.
The shadowy figure was back in the phone booth outside the loft building, staring into the parking garage opening where he had seen Meg Coburn's car, bearing John Lee, disappear only minutes ago.
"Target in the nest," his message was terse, "awaiting further instruction."
The quiet voice on the other end of the connection spoke, "Continue surveillance. I am on coming to Los Angeles. I should be there mid week next week. I must see to this matter myself."
"Understood. Will await your arrival information."
The line went dead, the ominous shadow hung up the phone and disappeared into the darkness.
Meg waited until the loft had grown quiet, and John was sleeping deeply before slipping out to the common area and activating her laptop.
They had been welcomed warmly by Liu Shen and Lee Ma, provided with a sumptuous meal ordered from the full service dining room. John had spent at least a couple of hours on the phone, calling Seattle and his maternal relatives.
Most of the conversation had been conducted in Cantonese, and Meg regretted that she didn't understand more than a few words of the language. John's pleasant demeanor had
changed to a deadly serious expression for the bulk of the conversation, and she suspected that he was detailing the situation to his Uncle the former Chinese army officer.
He made another call after Liu Shen and Lee Ma had had a taken turns speaking with various long lost relatives in Seattle. Again, the conversation was in Cantonese, and therefore beyond her ability to understand, but she thought he heard John refer to the monk, Ruong Jie in the course of the conversation.
Lee Ma and Liu Shen had been seated across from her, listening to John speaking on the phone. Their expressions were serious and told her far more of what she needed to know than they were aware.
As John was bidding farewell on the phone, Meg looked at Lee Ma and Liu Shen, her face carefully composed to be as ingenuous as possible.
"I would love to learn Cantonese Chinese--would you teach me?"
The two women looked startled and guilty by turns, then regained their composure and flashed her smiles that echoed John's own for charm.
"Of course!" Liu Shen said in English, and
Lee Ma echoed.
Zeedo had supplied Meg with an e-mail address scrawled on the back of the proffered business card, that she presumed was his home internet address. She hoped therefore that she might have received an answer.
She was not disappointed. When she logged into her e-mail account, the newly familiar e-mail address was blinking at her.
Meg smiled as she read the message:
*Have information you might find useful. Need to meet. When? Z."
Meg typed out her answer, wishing she dared leave now. She was burning to know what Zedkov could tell her.
*Soon. Will be in touch. M.*
She sent the message, then turned off the laptop and returned to bed.
end of chapter 14
until they were nearly to the Remington Building.
"I must take Liu Shen and Lee Ma to Seattle, soon," he said quietly.
Meg spared a glance in his direction, finishing the thought in her own mind: where they will be safe.
"How soon?" Meg asked, trying to keep her voice equable, it wasn't easy to think of him leaving again.
"Ideally, in the next few days. I will call my mother's brother. He was an officer under my father in the Chinese Army."
And an ideal candidate, perhaps, to make sure John's sister and mother stayed safe, Meg mused silently.
"I've brought my laptop computer with us. I'll do some research on airfares for you on line."
Meg was grateful that airfare shopping would give her a her an excuse to be online. Once Zeedo responded, they might be able to keep up covert correspondence without John being aware.
John was looking at her intently, noting her
word usage--"you" instead of "us".
"You would be welcome to come along with us," John offered, regarding her quietly.
Meg flashed him a smile that she did not truly feel in her heart, "Family reunions are best left to family, John. Just promise me you will come back. I'll be fine here until you return."
John frowned as he handed her the keycard as she turned into the parking garage of his building.
"I will come back, as soon as I can. I would feel much better if you consented to accompany us."
Meg pulled the car into the space reserved for John, and turned to give him her full attention.
She looked at him, hoping that her expression was as inscrutable as his own.
"I need to stay here, get some things done. I've got a livelihood to pursue you know, rent to be paid. Unless," Meg was careful in her choice of her next words, "you feel the need for a bodyguard?"
She looked John directly in the eye then, hoping against hope that he would admit to her, under the florescent lights of the parking garage, the threat looming over him. Then everything could be in the open, protection arranged, strategy formed.
She saw the shadow of indecisiveness pass across his features, his eyes tortured for the briefest moment. But the indecision was soon replaced by resolve. She might have been angry, but that she knew he sought only to shield her. He flashed her one of his most charming smiles.
"No need for that. I will miss you, terribly."
John admitted, once again, as ever, shifting the
subject skillfully. He was determined to protect her from the knowledge, as though being oblivious was its own security.
For Meg's part, forewarned was forearmed. But she did not challenge him. Instead, she replied, "I'll miss you more."
"You will do me a favor?" John couched his thought as a question, but it seemed more a command.
"Depends," she rejoined, keeping her voice light and airy.
"Stay at the loft while I am gone? It is secure, has every service available. I will not worry so much if you do this." John replied.
If the plan forming in her mind was to come to fruition, that was the last thing she could do, but he did not need to know that.
"I'll think about it. But I can't do my job without my computers."
"I will not be gone that long. You do not need to work while I am gone. If money for rent is a problem--" John persisted until Meg made a dismissive gesture.
"I'll think about, it John. We should go up. You need to take your medicine and have a dressing change."
John looked at her closely for a long moment, then nodded his head.
The shadowy figure was back in the phone booth outside the loft building, staring into the parking garage opening where he had seen Meg Coburn's car, bearing John Lee, disappear only minutes ago.
"Target in the nest," his message was terse, "awaiting further instruction."
The quiet voice on the other end of the connection spoke, "Continue surveillance. I am on coming to Los Angeles. I should be there mid week next week. I must see to this matter myself."
"Understood. Will await your arrival information."
The line went dead, the ominous shadow hung up the phone and disappeared into the darkness.
Meg waited until the loft had grown quiet, and John was sleeping deeply before slipping out to the common area and activating her laptop.
They had been welcomed warmly by Liu Shen and Lee Ma, provided with a sumptuous meal ordered from the full service dining room. John had spent at least a couple of hours on the phone, calling Seattle and his maternal relatives.
Most of the conversation had been conducted in Cantonese, and Meg regretted that she didn't understand more than a few words of the language. John's pleasant demeanor had
changed to a deadly serious expression for the bulk of the conversation, and she suspected that he was detailing the situation to his Uncle the former Chinese army officer.
He made another call after Liu Shen and Lee Ma had had a taken turns speaking with various long lost relatives in Seattle. Again, the conversation was in Cantonese, and therefore beyond her ability to understand, but she thought he heard John refer to the monk, Ruong Jie in the course of the conversation.
Lee Ma and Liu Shen had been seated across from her, listening to John speaking on the phone. Their expressions were serious and told her far more of what she needed to know than they were aware.
As John was bidding farewell on the phone, Meg looked at Lee Ma and Liu Shen, her face carefully composed to be as ingenuous as possible.
"I would love to learn Cantonese Chinese--would you teach me?"
The two women looked startled and guilty by turns, then regained their composure and flashed her smiles that echoed John's own for charm.
"Of course!" Liu Shen said in English, and
Lee Ma echoed.
Zeedo had supplied Meg with an e-mail address scrawled on the back of the proffered business card, that she presumed was his home internet address. She hoped therefore that she might have received an answer.
She was not disappointed. When she logged into her e-mail account, the newly familiar e-mail address was blinking at her.
Meg smiled as she read the message:
*Have information you might find useful. Need to meet. When? Z."
Meg typed out her answer, wishing she dared leave now. She was burning to know what Zedkov could tell her.
*Soon. Will be in touch. M.*
She sent the message, then turned off the laptop and returned to bed.
end of chapter 14