Private Beijing

Chapter 67

“He’s trying to lure me into his trap,” I said to Zhang Daiyu. “But he’s created an opportunity for us. I want you to get Hua and his team back here. We’re going to put everyone on Liu Bao.”

She nodded and stepped outside the van to make the call.

I phoned Mo-bot, who answered after three rings.

“Jack, Justine was just filling me in on what happened.”

“We’ve got a chance to save Shang Li,” I told her.

“So I understand. I’m all ears.”

“I need to call a bad guy and I don’t want him tracing my location.”

“Give me the number,” she said. “I’ll route you off this call.”

I gave her the number Liu Bao had left in his voicemail.

“The line will go dead for a while. Then you’ll hear the normal ringing tones and, hopefully, whoever you need to talk to.”

“Thanks,” I responded.

“Good luck, Jack,” she said.

I plugged my phone into one of the van’s sound recorders, and soon afterwards the line went dead. The muffled noises of Zhang Daiyu talking on her phone came from outside; every so often they faded into the background cacophony of the city.

After a few moments, I heard the ringing tone and the call was answered.

“Mr. Morgan,” Liu Bao said. “You’re ready to trade?”

“What do you want?” I asked.

“Any evidence you’ve acquired in your investigation,” he replied.

I knew what he really wanted, but he needed a reason for us to meet that didn’t involve revealing his true intention was to kill me.

“I want copies of anything you have and your word that the originals will be destroyed,” he said.

“And in exchange?”

“You get your business partner.”

“The police think he’s dead. How do I know you have him?” I asked. “I need proof of life.”

“Give me a number and I will arrange for him to speak to you.”

“A number you can trace?” I suggested. “A recording you could have made any time? No, that’s not how this works. You go to his location, and in two hours I will call you and you will repeat a confirmation phrase and tell him to repeat one too.”

“What phrase?” Liu Bao asked

“‘The sun shines brightly on the Pacific,’” I said, quickly thinking up a unique combination of words that couldn’t be anticipated in advance. “And his phrase is: ‘The moon shimmers on the Atlantic.’”

“Okay,” Liu replied. “But this won’t happen in two hours after you’ve had the chance to prepare surprises for me. You’re a fox, Jack Morgan, but this time you’re facing a wolf. Call me in twenty minutes and you will have all the proof you need.”

He didn’t wait for my agreement but hung up. He was smart but not infallible. He thought we needed time to set up surveillance, but we were already on him. Even so, we were going to have to improvise.

I pulled open the side door of the van and signaled to Zhang Daiyu.

“We need to move. It’s happening right now.”