Point of Contact

16

Lian and Park, her South Korean bodyguard, pulled inside the electric gate and into the driveway of a newly constructed two-story home in a newer and more crowded neighborhood. It was much closer to the Dalfan corporate headquarters near Changi Airport than Dr. Fairchild’s mansion was. The rain had stopped.

Lian’s bodyguard helped Paul and Jack unload and carry their luggage into the foyer.

“It’s a modest house,” Lian said, “but it has all of the modern amenities. We keep it available for visiting guests like you.”

“We’re honored,” Paul said.

Lian pointed at the umbrella stand. “Feel free to use those. It’s monsoon season now, you know.”

Jack had checked the weather before packing, but clearly Paul hadn’t, judging by the stunned look on his face.

“Yes, we know,” Jack said, covering for Paul.

Outside, the home was mostly stucco and glass, with a sloping red-tiled roof — obviously influenced by the architectural style of traditional homes like Dr. Fairchild’s. He had laughingly described the style of his home as “tropical Tudor-Elizabethan.”

Lian gave them a quick tour of the place, including separate bedrooms with private bathrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, satellite television, and high-speed Wi-Fi.

She opened the back door and led them to a detached garage. She activated the automatic garage door opener and handed Jack a set of keys.

“The Audi TT is a company vehicle, completely at your disposal. Of course it has a satellite GPS system, should you need it.” Lian pointed at the far wall, where two bikes were chained up. “Sometimes it’s easier getting around on one of those than driving.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“My father wants you to be comfortable. If you need anything, you have my number. Also, meals will be provided to both of you at the office. Any questions?”

“A hotel would’ve been fine with us.”

“Isn’t this better?”

“Much better, thank you.” And easier for you to keep an eye on us, Jack thought.

“Then we’ll leave you to get settled in. I imagine we’ll see you tomorrow?”

“First thing.”

“Good. We’ll talk about our security arrangements then.”

She didn’t offer her hand, only a curt nod. She and Park marched across the lawn toward a side gate and straight for their vehicle. Jack and Paul headed back into the house.

Paul made a beeline for the kitchen. He found an electric kettle with water and plugged it in. “I need another cup of tea to settle me down before bed.”

“My biological clock is all messed up, too. It’s morning back home right now. We need to get on local time quickly if we want to get any work done.”

“I’m boiling extra water.”

“Sounds good.”

Paul grabbed two cups out of the cupboard and set them on the counter, then limped into the foyer. A luggage zipper zipped open and closed before Paul returned to the kitchen with a box of tea bags. “Chamomile is good to help you sleep.”

“Thanks.”

Paul poured boiling water into the waiting cups.

Jack took a seat. “What did you think of Dr. Gordon Yeoh Fairchild?”

Paul opened up the cupboard doors, doing an inventory. “Nice man, smart. Seems like he really wants this deal to go through.”

“His son wasn’t as keen. I think he’d be just as happy if we got on the plane tomorrow and never came back.”

Paul smiled. “I know the type. He’s defensive because he’s good. In his mind, there’s no need for an external audit because his numbers are perfect and any reports he’s filed are flawless. It’s a good sign, actually. It’s when the accountants are overly cheerful and compliant that you know something’s wrong, because most of the time, there is. There are way too many i’s to dot and t’s to cross, especially on the ledgers of a complex international company like Dalfan.” Paul found a bottle of Glenfiddich single-malt scotch. He pulled it down.

“You’re probably right.”

“I know I’m right.” Paul unscrewed the cap and tipped an ounce into his tea. He pointed the bottle in Jack’s direction. Jack shook his head. No, thanks. “What did you think of Lian, his daughter?”

“Still forming an opinion.” Night had finally fallen. Jack checked his watch. “Let’s hit the ground running tomorrow. We’ll leave here at seven, if that’s okay with you.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Lian’s Range Rover was speeding along the tree-lined East Coast Parkway when her cell phone rang. It was Yong.

“Where are you?” Lian asked.

“On my way home. Have you dropped them off?”

“Just a few minutes ago. What do you want?”

“I saw the way you were looking at them, especially Ryan. I’m concerned.”

“You needn’t be.”

“They’re not our friends. These men have been sent to find something wrong with our company. Rhodes sent them to find a way to drive the purchase price of our stock down.”

“Are you certain?”

“Don’t be naive.”

Lian frowned. “They won’t find anything, will they?”

“Of course not. How can you even ask me that? But that doesn’t mean they won’t lie or make something up.”

“Jack and Paul didn’t strike me as liars,” Lian said. “They’re just doing their jobs.”

“Their job is to screw Father out of his money, or worse. Rhodes isn’t stupid. He sends the President’s son to make a big impression. But it’s obvious what he’s up to.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“You don’t have to be. Just keep a close eye on them, especially Ryan. I’ll have someone keeping close tabs on Brown. Let them do their audit, but let’s not give them the chance to cause any trouble for Father. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“Besides, we already talked about this. If something were to happen to the President’s son while he was here, there would be hell to pay. And Father would be humiliated.”

“Nothing will happen to Ryan. I’ll keep close to him. You have my word.”

“Thank you, Sister. That’s all I ask.”

The bedrooms were upstairs. Paul took the one at the far end of the hall, overlooking the street, Jack the one closest to the stairwell. Paul wouldn’t let Jack help him with his heavy suitcase or duffel as he limped his way up the stairs. Paul was obviously out of shape, but the way he slung the luggage around told Jack that there was still some power left in those flabby arms.

Jack unpacked his suitcase and put his things away, then decided to grab a shower before bed. He felt grimy after traveling in the same clothes for nearly twenty-four hours in closed spaces and breathing recirculated air.

Before stripping down, he decided to do a quick check of the room. He was being paranoid, he knew. But there was something about the way Lian studied him. At first he thought it was because he was the son of the American President. As hard as he tried to hide that fact, it invariably got out. It wasn’t surprising that the head of corporate security would’ve discovered that, but even more likely, Rhodes had told her. He probably thought it was a real coup that Jack Ryan’s son was doing his audit.

The other possibility was that she thought he was a good-looking guy. But she wasn’t throwing off any kind of vibe that led him to believe she was sexually interested in him. Too bad. She was a real looker.

Over the course of the meal he finally figured out that she watched his every move and carefully analyzed his words. She was intensely interested in him, for sure, but in the end, she was just doing her job.

And if he were her and the job were to collect intel on a visitor, he’d bug the joint he put them up in.

Maybe he was being overly cautious, but better safe than sorry. He thought about sharing his concerns with Paul but decided against it. No point in thinking or acting like a spook in front of him, especially if there wasn’t any proof yet. But he didn’t know what kinds of things they’d be discussing regarding their findings at Dalfan, and he didn’t want that information to be shared without his consent.

Jack went to the shower and turned the water on full blast, along with the faucets in the sink. If his rooms were under audio surveillance, the sound of rushing water could defeat all but the very highest grade of noise-reduction software.

He started in the bathroom and moved to the bedroom, running his fingertips along edges of frames and sills, checking curtain hems, zippers, drawers. He didn’t spend more than five minutes searching. It was only a spot check, hoping for a random find, but really all he wanted to do was silence the nagging voice in the back of his head. When he started he doubted he’d find anything anyway, and he was right. If Lian and her team were deploying sophisticated equipment like long-distance laser microphones or electronic bugs wired into appliances, he wouldn’t find them and he didn’t have the electronic countermeasures he needed to defeat them. This was strictly a white-side job, Hendley had said. But Hendley forgot that there was a lot more corporate spying in the world than government spying.

Not exactly satisfied but not willing to exert any more effort, Jack stripped down to his birthday suit and hit the hot, steaming water.

It felt good to be getting clean again.

Paul stuck his head out of his bedroom door to make sure Jack wasn’t out in the hall or moving around downstairs.

He shut his door again and locked it, then headed for his luggage. He unzipped his laptop bag and opened a pocket that contained the USB drive Rhodes had given him with the CIA software he was tasked to install.

He held the USB drive in his hand again. Lian had said that they would be discussing security measures tomorrow morning. What did that mean? Obviously, security measures deployed by Dalfan at Dalfan headquarters. They’d be looking for exactly the kind of thing now sitting in the palm of his hand. If drug dealers got the death penalty here, what was the penalty for spying?

He put the USB drive back in the laptop pouch and zipped the case back up. He’d have to find a way to sneak the drive onto the floor before he could even think about installing it — that would be a whole other headache. He’d think about that later. Right now it was time to floss and brush his teeth.

“Security measures,” he repeated to himself. What would those be? He ran through a list of the protocols he would deploy in a similar situation. It wouldn’t be at all impossible to find a way to get the USB drive past their security, and even if it was found, what would they do? Probably just tell him to leave it at home. But if they seized it and examined the contents? Like Rhodes said, the mission was designed such that if someone had to fall, it was Paul and only Paul. He accepted that. But it would be better to not get caught in the first place. He needed to find a way to get that drive past security and then a way to install it. Might as well start tomorrow.

A thought struck him. He turned off the bedroom light and crossed over to the window. If he were running a security operation, he’d put security people on-site and keep the target under surveillance at all times. Certain that he wasn’t backlit, he carefully pushed the curtain, just half an inch, and glanced out to the dimly lit street.

A sedan was parked in the distance in front of a different house. He couldn’t quite make anything out. He pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and pointed it at the vehicle, then used the 6x optical telephoto magnification. The camera’s lowlight feature and zoom helped him see the shadow of a man in the passenger seat who seemed to be looking up in his direction, but he really couldn’t tell. If he had to guess, he’d say he looked Caucasian. The moonlight striking the windshield created a glare that blocked the view of the driver’s side.

Paul felt like a voyeur. This was stupid. If that was one of Lian’s security teams, so what? Keeping them under observation was for their own protection, wasn’t it? Besides, there were a lot of houses in the area. It was relatively early in the evening. He put the camera down.

Another man dashed into view just then, flung open one of the rear doors, and fell in. The car’s headlights popped on, the engine fired up, and the car sped away down the street.

What was that?

Probably nothing, Paul decided. Just people in the neighborhood. Lian’s security team wouldn’t quit this early.

That USB drive was making him crazy.

Paul flipped the bedroom lights back on and headed for the bathroom. Maybe if he brushed his teeth and put on some pajamas he’d be able to fall asleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow and he was going to need his wits.