The Einstein Papers

CHAPTER 31

Tsing squeezed through the doors of the subway train as soon as they opened at the Astor Place Station, at Eighth Street. He raced up the stairs leading to ground level, clutching the pouch containing Einstein's papers. Running across Eighth Street, he slipped into the Cooper Union just as a crowd of New York City police officers began pouring down the stairs to the Astor Place subway platform. The first of the officers to reach the platform found the train stopped. The doors were open and the inside of the train was already cleared of passengers.

Tsing walked through the Cooper Union building, then out the back, into Cooper Square. Since the Americans had successfully trailed him from Boston, Tsing reasoned, they would also be smart enough to be watching the Chinese Embassy closely. He would need to make his way to a different embassy, he thought. He searched his mind for a backup plan.

"He got away," Taft explained to Benson over the secure phone as he stood on the Astor Place platform. "Do we have the phones tapped into the Chinese Embassy?"

"They're tapped," Benson noted, "but I doubt he'll try to initiate contact."

"He knows he's being followed. If I were him, I'd make my way to a different embassy. What's the next closest Chinese Embassy?" Taft asked.

"I already checked that out," Benson said. "It's here in Washington."

"Let's hope that's what he decides to do," said Taft.

"That would be my guess," Benson said. "He is definitely not going to escape our net this time. I'm ordering a cocoon of men to cover the area near the embassy. Sharpshooters stationed on the roofs with orders to shoot the man on sight."

"You're going to order him killed?' asked an incredulous Taft.

"No, the sharpshooters will be ordered to shoot for the legs," Benson said quietly.

"Just pray he doesn't try to crawl for the entrance."

Taft paused to think. "There's nothing else we can achieve here in New York. Martinez and I should drive south. We'll keep our eyes open for the courier," Taft said wearily. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

"I'll approve that. But when you arrive, if you haven't located the courier, I want you two to take a break," Benson said. "You're not having much luck catching this guy. I think you're too close to the situation."

"Very good, sir," Taft said as he hung up the phone.

Taft turned to Martinez, standing next to him on the platform. "The general's not too happy with us. He wants to pull us from the search once we get back to Washington if we haven't found this guy."

"I guess that leaves us only one choice," Martinez said. "We need to find him and redeem ourselves."

"My idea exactly," Taft said.

They left immediately, following the route they believed the courier would take.