Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3)(32)
“Maybe they realized there was something dangerous onboard,” Collier said sarcastically.
Langford considered it. “It’s possible. But they’re still sending every ship they have to salvage it.”
“So, we try to get there first.”
“Exactly.”
“And you don’t think,” Collier replied, “that our own salvage ships trying to get there before theirs will create an escalation?”
“Not if we don’t send our salvage ships.”
Miller stared at him from across the table with a puzzled expression. “I’m not following.”
“Commander Lawton was the primary researcher of the plant sample we stole from the Chinese. She’s confident that based on its cellular structure, and the fact that salt water is almost the perfect solvent, there isn’t going to be much for China to recover in the Atlantic. Not to mention the area was still burning four days later from thousands of gallons of spilled diesel fuel.”
“I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” Carr said. “If there’s nothing left to recover, how then are you proposing we go after it?”
After a deep breath, Langford turned back to the President. “There may be two other ways to grab what the Chinese are after…before they can. One is through the DNA of a small monkey. And the other may be in a box shipped to Beijing, one that the Chinese government may not even realize they have.”
President Carr, who was leaning back in his black leather chair, suddenly leaned forward.
“What did you just say?”
14
Wil Borger leaned back in his chair with a loud squeak. His heavyset frame filled every inch of space between the armrests. “That’s our man.”
Clay was studying the screen again, staring at the Chinese military photo ID. It had taken most of the night, but they finally identified the individual on the Xian Y-20 who was transporting back what they suspected was the extracted genetic material. If they were correct, the contents of that case could now be the most valuable item on the planet. But, the real question was…where was it now?
“Lieutenant Li of the Chinese Army. Enlisted at the age of twenty-one. Received a direct appointment to officer training after four years and has since then risen from Officer Cadet to First Lieutenant. Pretty impressive.”
Borger nodded with arms crossed over his large belly, mostly hidden by a deep blue and white Hawaiian shirt. “Awarded the Medal of Outstanding Service and the Medal for Outstanding Achievement. What’s the Medal of Army Brilliance for?”
Clay shook his head. “Not sure.”
“Well, one thing is for sure, this guy is highly decorated.”
“He is indeed.”
“So why have this guy Li escort the box home, almost nonstop on a secure military plane? Anyone could have done that. An honor thing maybe?”
“Possibly. Both the Chinese political and military systems are highly class-based…but if you were trying to keep something quiet, especially something this big, would you pick one of the more recognized officers in the army?”
“Not unless I wanted someone to notice.”
“Right. Then why would they want someone to notice?”
Borger shrugged. “Maybe credibility. As in ‘look what I have and you don’t.’ ”
“Maybe. But then you’d have to worry about it being intercepted.” Clay moved his chair closer. “Bring up that picture of him deplaning in Beijing again.”
Borger complied and brought another image up on screen. It was a satellite image, slightly grainier than the first, of Li walking from the giant Y-20 to a large hangar at the Tongxian Air Base in Beijing.
“Do you see any security around the hangar?” Clay asked.
Borger zoomed in. “No.”
“And he’s moving quickly.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“So either the place was empty, which I doubt, or there was no show or display intended here.”
“Okay,” frowned Borger. “Then we’re back to why pick someone that a lot of people on that base might recognize?”
Clay remained quiet for a long time. Finally, the corner of his mouth curled. “Trust,” he mumbled.
“What?”
“Trust,” Clay repeated, louder.
“Trust?”
“Trust.” Now Clay was thinking out loud. “Whoever brought it in was going to be noticed. Especially on that plane. That was unavoidable. To keep it secure meant using the Y-20, which also meant attention. There would be no way to avoid that…especially if it all had to happen fast.”
“So you give up anonymity for speed.”
“Exactly.”