Red Tide, стр. 76

Kelsey’s thoughts were whirling as she returned to the enormous car and took her place next to same man she’d ridden with before. Seeing Rong in person had been a shock. Not just because of what her half-sister had said. But because of what she hadn’t said. At no time had Rong inquired about her father. He was a given. A figure rather than a person. It would come as a shock to Rong when he died someday.

Kelsey struggled to clear her mind. The night wasn’t over. Far from it. She had another meeting to attend. A meeting with Dragon Head Andrew Soo. How? Where? Kelsey had no idea. “Soo has people everywhere,” the go-between promised. “A person will contact you.”

The fact that the driver took Kelsey to her hotel without asking where she was staying spoke volumes. Every move she made was being tracked by the MSS. The Chinese knew about her plane, they knew about her team, and they knew about her hotel.

And, should Kelsey take a walk, she would be tracked by the country’s ubiquitous surveillance cameras. Cameras that fed images to facial recognition software that would produce her name in a matter of seconds. So, how did the triads not only survive, but thrive? Kelsey was about to find out.

The car dropped her under the stylish portico that fronted the hotel. Kelsey made her way in, crossed the lobby to the reception desk, and identified herself. “Ah, Ms. Parker,” the receptionist said. “Ms. Chaney checked you in. Your bag is in your room. Here’s your keycard.”

Kelsey thanked him, made her way over to a bank of gleaming elevators, and took the first available lift to the third floor. After walking the length of a long hall Kelsey stopped in front of her door, slipped the card into the reader, and saw a green light appear.

The door opened smoothly. And there, sitting in a chair, was a young woman in a maid’s uniform. “Hi,” she said brightly. “My name is Mee-Mee. Mr. Soo sent me. Just so you know, this room is free of cameras and listening devices. Please change into the uniform that’s lying on the bed. A wig and a pair of glasses are waiting for you in the bathroom. And hurry … Mr. Soo will be cross if we’re late.”

Kelsey took the dark blue uniform into the bathroom where she hurried to remove her street clothes and don the one-piece dress. It fit. The wig was black and the bangs were perfect. The fall of hair touched the top of Kelsey’s shoulders. And, in a city where most women had black hair, the “look” made sense.

“Good,” Mee-Mee said as Kelsey emerged from the bathroom. “Let’s go. Help me with the cart.”

The cart was loaded with linen, cleaning supplies, and the complimentary items that the hotel provided to guests. The sight of two maids push-pulling it down the hall wouldn’t attract the attention of hotel security or MSS personnel if they were watching.

Mee-Mee led Kelsey to a service elevator. Once the cart was aboard Mee-Mee pushed the button for the first floor.

The lift stopped on the second floor to let a real maid board. She looked from face-to-face and turned her back. Nothing had been said, nor did it need to be. The maid knew that Mee-Mee and Kelsey were imposters and was determined to ignore the fact.

Maybe she knew who Mee-Mee was, or maybe she didn’t. Either way, ignorance was bliss.

The doors opened onto the first floor. The maid hurried away while Mee-Mee pushed the cart out and into a line of identical conveyances that were lined up against a wall. Then she said, “Follow me.”

Mee-Mee led Kelsey through a maze of hallways to a door labeled “Employee Entrance.” It opened onto a loading dock where three vans were unloading. Kelsey could see the security cameras and assumed that Mee-Mee could as well. “That’s our ride,” Mee-Mee said. “The one with a cartoon on the side.”

The cartoon figure was that of a plumber, judging from his overalls and the humongous wrench clutched in his right hand. They entered through the back. Kelsey sat on one of the bench seats lining the walls and took a quick look around. There were no tools or fittings to be seen. A shuttle then. Used for moving people around.

The doors slammed shut, the motor started, and the van pulled away. Mee-Mee was checking her phone. That left Kelsey free to think. The visit with her sister had left her shaken. Had Rong always been so mean? No. They’d never been close. The age gap had a lot to do with that. But there had been moments of girlish fun. Outings, pranks, and shared secrets.

Then they’d gradually grown apart. And now, after only rare moments together, Kelsey barely recognized Rong. None of that was apparent to George Parker however. Rong could do no wrong. The pun caused Kelsey to smile.

The van slowed, paused momentarily, and rolled down a slope. “We’re about to enter the 1917 Club,” Mee-Mee announced. “It caters to Russians. ChiCom apparatchiks (functionaries of the Chinese communist party) aren’t allowed. But Mr. Soo is welcome, as are his guests, so you’ll be safe.”

Kelsey had never considered the Russian presence inside China before. But it made sense. As did some sort of Chinese presence in Russia. However, even though the two countries were allies, it was with the knowledge that they might be enemies in the future.

The van stopped, someone opened the back doors, and Mee-Mee got out. Kelsey followed. They were in an underground parking garage. Overlapping pools of light led the way to retro elevators with scissor-style gates. A plaque with the number “1917” was mounted above them. “Why nineteen-seventeen?” Kelsey inquired.

“Nineteen-seventeen was the year of the Russian revolution,” Mee-Mee replied, as they entered. “And that’s a big deal.” Kelsey was embarrassed. The date was a big deal and she should have known.

The elevator rattled loudly as it took them up to the