Senator Dixon’s stepson and this Chinese partner in Poland.”
“Yeah. Found a little smoke, but no fire.” Jack dropped a couple of pairs of socks into the bag.
“But if I’m reading between the lines, you think there might be something worth digging into.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. But I exhausted all of my online resources. That’s why I recommended Gavin taking over from here. If anyone can find something, it’s him.” Jack ran the zipper, shutting the bag.
“Unfortunately, Gavin and his team are tasked to something else at the moment. That’s why I’d like you to catch a flight over there and see what you can find on the ground.”
“Me? I’ve never been to Poland. I don’t have any contacts there, and I sure don’t speak the language. Why not send Midas? He’s fluent in Polish.”
“Midas is out of country right now. And before you ask, Dom and Adara are at Coronado, training in hand-to-hand fighting with some ex-SEAL instructors there. Ding and Clark are also indisposed at the moment.”
“Which leaves just me.”
“Not to worry. I’ve already arranged an excellent contact for you. An agent with the ABW—Poland’s version of the FBI.”
“Well, to be honest, you already approved my ten days of R-and-R. In fact, I’m heading out tomorrow.” Jack didn’t want to mention that his trip was all about the promise he made to Cory.
“Can’t you postpone it a few days?”
Jack hemmed and hawed. He didn’t like putting Gerry off. But keeping Cory’s promise was important. Damned important. A man keeps his word.
“I mean, I’ve already purchased the tickets—”
“I’ll pay the difference if they charge you for changing the dates.”
“That’s generous of you, but, well . . . it’s important.”
“Is your personal vacation time more important than the national interest?”
Not if you put it that way. “No, of course not. But snooping around for dirt on Dixon reads more like a Raymond Chandler novel than a national security matter.”
“That’s your dad’s call, not ours.”
Ouch.
“I guess I can put off my trip for a few more days. It’s not exactly time-sensitive.”
“Good. I’ve already contacted Lisanne to make the arrangements. You’ll be leaving tomorrow. She’ll be in touch.”
“You know this is a long shot, right?”
“I read as much in your report. But right now it’s the only one we have.”
“Any ideas you can throw my way?”
“I don’t have to tell you that D.C. is a political town. I need you to tread lightly over there. Don’t make any waves, don’t cast any aspersions. If Dixon even gets a hint that somebody is after her, or, worse, that your father is behind any of this, there’ll be hell to pay.”
“Understood. I’ll do my best.”
Gerry chuckled. “I know you will. That’s why you’re on the payroll, son.”
“I’ll find out what I can and stay in touch.”
Gerry rang off and Jack unzipped his bag to unpack.
Poland was going to be colder than where he had been planning to go and a backpack wasn’t going to cut it on a Hendley Associates business trip.
20
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
Fung was at his standup desk in his office at CloudServe. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he punched his way through a new coding algorithm. His phone rang.
Oh, shit.
“Hi, Amanda. What’s up?”
“Do you mind stopping by my office for a few minutes? There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“Sure. Be right over.”
Fung hung up. He swallowed hard. It had been only a couple days since he pulled the most recent data for CHIBI. No word from him, but that wasn’t terribly unusual. The deposited money was all the confirmation he needed that CHIBI was satisfied.
Fung glanced past his glass wall and out at the work floor. The place was packed today. They all hated him, he was sure. Even the members of the Red Team he helped run for Watson. They were all jealous of him. He could only imagine their smirking faces as the FBI perp-walked him in handcuffs out of his office. He couldn’t bear the idea of it.
To hell with them.
Fung pulled out his slim wallet. Four credit cards. One was maxed out. He had Google Pay on his phone, too, linked to a fifth. Two hundred and change in cash. He could march out of his office right now, head home, snag his passport and a few clothes, then get the hell out. But where would he go? Thailand, to be with Torré? No. Too obvious. That would be the first place they’d look.
“Just . . . breathe,” he told himself. He was getting way