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“Secretary Carver,” I said as I followed Zhang Daiyu through the lobby. “Thanks for calling back so quickly.”
“One of these days I’ll persuade you to call me Eli.”
“One day …”
“I can tell today isn’t going to be that day, Jack. What can I do for you? It’s late here, so I’m guessing it’s urgent.”
“It is,” I replied. “My tech specialist says the NSA maintains back doors into all the major messaging platforms.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that, Jack.”
“I don’t need to know, sir, but what I do need is the location of a device used to coerce one of my employees.”
“Everything okay?” he asked. “I’m told you’re in China.”
It didn’t surprise me that he knew exactly where he was calling me.
“I’m taking care of some business, sir.”
“Like Moscow?”
“It’s shaping up that way, sir.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“So am I,” I agreed.
“Try not to raise too much hell.”
“That I can’t promise, sir.”
“Send me the number of the person being coerced and I’ll see what I can do,” Carver said.
“Thank you, sir.”
Zhang Daiyu and I had reached our room by the time I hung up.
“He’s going to do what he can,” I told her.
She unlocked the door and I followed her inside, conscious once again of just how small the place was. Zhang Daiyu was attractive and, as far as I was aware, single. And we were living in each other’s pockets. I didn’t need to continue to stay with her to make sure she was okay, as I had when we first arrived at the hostel.
“I think I’m going to see if they have another room,” I said.
“I’ll do it, Mr. Morgan,” she replied.
“It’s Jack. We’ve faced too many bullets together for ‘Mr. Morgan.’”
She smiled. “It will be easier if I try for another room, Jack.”
She left and I went into the bathroom, got undressed, and stepped into the tiny shower. The tiles were cracked and broken, and the water was on the chilly side of tepid, but it felt good. I emerged revitalized. I dried myself and got dressed, making a mental note to buy new clothes at the first opportunity.
“You don’t hum,” Zhang Daiyu said when I stepped into the room. “I was told Americans always sing or hum in the shower.”
“I have a special exemption,” I replied, toweling my hair dry.
“They don’t have any rooms available,” she revealed. “Looks like you’re stuck with me for a while.”
“We could go somewhere else,” I replied.
