leaned on his elbows, his reddened nose inches from Jack’s face, stale alcohol on his breath.
“You didn’t see shit, and you don’t know shit, and you’re not gonna try any shit. Understood?”
Jack started to turn toward the other two men. Sands laid a firm hand on Jack’s forearm.
“What would Midas tell you to do, right here, right now?”
Jack stiffened, but Sands’s grip tightened. “Jack, listen. You got no weapon; they do. These are two rough hombres not to be fucked with. Trust me on this.”
Jack was drunk, but not so badly that he couldn’t read the writing on the wall. He nodded curtly, hot shame burning his neck.
The two men stood. The shorter man tossed coins onto the bar and waved a hand over his head as if to say Adiós, and the two of them disappeared into the night.
“What the hell was that all about?”
“A friendly warning to get out of town. I suggest you take it.”
Yeah, a friendly warning. But from them or you? Jack wondered.
The three men obviously knew one another. For all Jack knew, Sands had called them in while he was at the restaurant.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.” Jack stood and reached for his wallet. His head spun. He wanted to puke, but not from the booze.
“Forget it, kid. I’ll put it on your tab and we’ll settle up before you get on the bus. Better yet, let me run you down the hill in my Jeep. I’m heading that way for a resupply anyway.”
“I’ll take the bus. Where’s my room?” Jack picked up his pack, woozy and exhausted.
“Follow me.”
74
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Fung had accepted Dahm’s offer, of course. The chance to build his own empire proved irresistible.
He stood framed in the large picture window of his condo overlooking the bay. Men younger and less talented than himself were billionaires already. Why couldn’t he achieve the same heights? Indeed, why shouldn’t he?
Perhaps then his father would finally approve of him.
His private cell phone broke the reverie. An unknown number. A call, not a text. His tingling spine told him who it was.
“Yes?”
An electronically altered voice answered, male and alien. “This is CHIBI. Lawrence, we have a problem.”
Fung’s heart sank. “Oh, God.”
It could be only one thing.
“I have reason to believe you have been discovered. We need to take action immediately.”
Fung trembled. He’d feared this day for months.
He tried to calm himself and clear his mind. He’d made plans for just such an occasion, hadn’t he?
Time to put it into action. Fake passport, the Cayman accounts, a bug-out bag with important papers, gold coins—
“Are you listening to me, Lawrence?”
“How close are they to closing the net?”
“Twenty-four hours at most. For all I know, they are on the way over to your place right now.”
Fung’s doorbell rang. He nearly jumped out of his skin.
“They’re here!”
“No. I took the liberty of sending over my very best agent. Let her in and follow her instructions to the letter.”
“You’re bringing me to the Chinese embassy, right? I’d be safe there.”
“Federal agents are already there waiting for you.”
“Oh, no, no, no.”
“Do not worry. I anticipated all of this. I have a plan. But you must trust me.”
Fung’s lightning-fast brain made a calculation—another scenario he’d played out if things went sideways. He could testify against CHIBI if he confessed his crimes, even show the government how to defend against men like him. They’d be lenient. Hell, they’d pay him good money to save them billions from cybercrime.
The doorbell rang again.
“Lawrence, now is not the time to improvise. Either let me help you now or face the consequences.”
“How can I be sure you’re not just trying to protect yourself?”
“Lawrence, how can you say that? You are my most important asset and I would never want to lose you. But you are also my friend. You can trust me.”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
“Think about your parents. Think about Torré. How can you help them if you are hanged for treason?”
“Oh, jeez . . .”
Fung took a slow, deep breath. CHIBI was right. Getting arrested would shame his parents, and poor Torré would be utterly lost without him. CHIBI was his best option. His only option.
He headed for the door.
“I’m opening it now.”
“Excellent. Soon your worries will be all over.”
Fung yanked the door open.
A young Chinese woman in dark glasses and a smart suit stood in the doorway, carrying a leather laptop bag and an aluminum attaché case in leather-gloved hands.