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33
For the firstfew hours after their languid meal, Zhang Ru had been intrigued by Liú Zuocheng’s perseverance.
The twins had been most attentive servants throughout the ten-course meal. Their service was elegant: from the most delicate shrimp spring roll to the flaky, succulent meat of the steamed whole red grouper. The final exquisitely simple almond cookies with Hennessey XO French cognac served by candlelight should have done it.
Yet Zuocheng continued to linger at the table past midnight when he should be off bedding the twins.
There had to be a way past the man’s guard. Of course, like himself, Zuocheng had survived many leadership changes and continued his climb to power. Would he be the next President and Chairman of Central Military Commission? Once he had that power, it would become very difficult for Ru to replace him. He would need leverage, but the man continued resisting the temptation of the twins beyond tracking them with that damned half smile.
Now they had been relegated to the background, only occasionally putting in an appearance on the verandah to freshen drinks or offer small digestives.
The conversation had not been particularly illuminating either. If Ru didn’t know better, he would say that the man was simply enjoying a quiet evening. But at their level, nothing was as simple as it appeared on the surface. Even the silence hid a move and countermove.
Zuocheng’s refusal to bed the twins was a statement of control against temptation. Ru’s own peaceable silence declared his unending patience in achieving his goals. The aching need to release that silent tension into an available woman threatened to overwhelm him, but that was not how the game worked.
Instead, he watched. And waited.
The constellation of the White Tiger of the West had climbed high in the night sky and was now plunging down to devour the annoying little countries of Southeast Asia. The hour was so late now that the Black Tortoise of the North had clambered from his bed to tell of the coming winter, though it lay an entire summer and fall away.
And still the silence stretched between them. The city below had mostly ceased its flashy Western nightlife. including its utter disregard for common sense. To teach them reason, they would have to behave for a long time before they were allowed even the minor liberties of neighboring Shenzhen. It had fallen silent with the night. The only sounds, for the twins moved as quietly as the night breeze, were the occasional late-night jets climbing out of Hong Kong International.
The harsh buzz of his personal phone seemed to split the night.
Hehad been the one to disrupt the perfect, delicate balance that had been building since dinner. With his own bare hands, he was going to murder whoever had called him. Slowly and very painfully.
He pulled out the phone and saw that the number was hidden. Only one bastard had this most private number who had dared to hide his own. Of course, his own was also masked from this caller.
“You had best answer it,” Zuocheng spoke for the first time in an hour.
“My apologies, my friend.” But when he started to rise, Zuocheng rested a hand lightly on his arm.
“Don’t keep your American friend waiting.”
The statement chilled Ru to the core. No one, absolutely no one could possibly know of this contact, yet Zuocheng was absolutely right. How? The man was masterful. Perhaps Ru did have more to learn from him.
He accepted the call on the last ring, but he did not set it to speaker.I am still in control here, Zuocheng.
“Wéi.”
“Was it you?” Drake Nason was never one for the niceties.
Normally Ru would drag it out to irritate the man, but he needed to get him off the phone quickly. How in all creation had General Liú Zuocheng known of this connection?
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t fucking play games with me.”
For once, Ru wasn’t. “Enlighten me?”
“At 0513 hours your time this morning, did the PRC attack the aircraft carrier USSTheodore Roosevelt?Be very careful how you answer.”
“Attack your carrier?”
Zuocheng twisted to stare at him. He never should have said that aloud.
“I swear to God, if I trace this back to you, I’ll see that your president finds out and has you executed in the slowest and most painful way possible.”
“I…” It was impossible that he was having this conversation. “I know nothing of this. I am promising.”
