caldwelndagenhsuarrivedahemansionano10shekoroad,hydra’shongkongheadquarershesunhadsuddenlyeouofnowhere,despieheunmisakablechillinheairshekoroadonheoherhandwasreivelycoolwihshadowsdancingonheasphalashehoverbykeglidedupohegaesinhedisance,beweenherees,caldwellcouldmakeouawhiefoursoreyhousehalookedlikeheresidenceofareclusivebillionaireherewasnohingabouihasaidsecreorganizaionaleasha’swhacaldwellhoughiniially

alongwindinggraveldriveledupohehouse,unduinghroughwellendedgreenerycaldwellcouldhearhehissofasprinklersysemagenhsuparkedhebykeinfronofhegrilledmealgae,whichwassandwichedbeweenwoimposingconcreepilrscaldwellnoicedhelongrangesurveilncecameras,oneoneachpilr,pa

ingandzoomingheeniresrechofheroadandisenvironsoncloserinspecionherealizedherewereseveralcamoufgedcamerasinhefoliageofhereesabovehem

“anigh,hecamerasauomaicallyswichonighvision,capuringanyhinghamoveswihamazingaccuracy,”expinedmeilinshehoppedoffhehoverbyke,whichbobbedonisarificiaircushionoadjusforheweighlosssheeneredacodeonakeypadrecessedinooneofhepilrsaplexigsscreenslidopenandsheposiionedherfaceinfronofishehadakenoffherhelmeandherewasnomisakingwhoshewas,afachalefcaldwelluerlyspeechlessherfacewasmuchhardernow,moreangurbushewaswihoudoubhesamemeilinagreensercaressedherfaceshehenpcedherhandinsideherecessherewasaclickandhegaesslidopen

meilinremouned,maneuveredhehoverbykeinohepound,andurnedowachhegaecloseshehadn’spokenmuchsinceshe’ddeliveredhebombshellcaldwellfiguredhahehadawholeloofexpiningodobuhanowwasnoheimefirshingsfirs,herewouldbeimeenoughforexpnaionscaldwellhadhissuspicionshaicouldallbeaneboraeseuphememoriesofhegirlmeilincouldbefouler’swayofensuringhahecooperaedwihagenhsuanddidn’doaru

eriwaspossiblehahehadnevermeherbeforeandfoulerwasjusakingadvanageofhefachacaldwellwasborninhongkongopnhesefakememoriesinfac,washeacuallyborninhongkong?herewasnowayofknowingwihouhackinghebirhsandmarriagesdaabaseofhehongkonggovernmenhawaseasyenough,imepermiinghecouldalsocheckschoolrecords,hehongkonginernaionalschoolwasprobablysilround

“insidehebuildinghereisasurveilnceroomwihamainframepuerhaconrolsallhecameras,liseningdevicesandsecuriyaccessoroomsinhebuildingmuliplemoniorssysemaicallydispyhevariouseyeviewsofhecamerasanyslighmovemenanywhereonhegroundsesupononeofhescreenswihanalysisofhemoslikelysubjecbasedondimensionsandspeedhepuerisprogrammedorecognizehumanoidshapesinparicur,”meilinconinuedwihherlecure

“doyouneedallhissecuriy?”

“nosofarbuyoucan’beoocarefulweareabriishagency,ishouldsayunionagencybuwearesillverybriish,operainginahobedofillegandcndesineaciviywhenpeopleuseheclichéhahongkongiseasmeeswes,hoseinheknowareacuallyalkingabouspies,elecronicandoherwise”

hebykecruisedupohehousehewninfronofiwasimmacueherewerewocarspackedinfronofhemaindoor,ahybridmgandanelecricoyoa4x4suvapuerconrolledsprinklerdecoraedhewellendedwnwihafinepainaofmiscaldwellfiguredhahei

ocenlookingexeriorhidaveriableforresshoseshueredwindowswereprobablybulleproofandhehickoakfrondoorwasprobablylinedwihreinforcedseelelecroniceyeswereeverywherehespoedaleashreecamerasonheroofhedoubedwheherhqinlondonhadhesamelevelofsecuriy

“weleohq,”meilinsaidhearicallyasshegrabbedaremoeconroldevicefromaparmeninhehoverbyke’sdashboardandpoinediahesideofhehouseheeniresidewallcameawayoreveahugegaragewihbaysforaleasencarsandseveralmoorcyclesherewerewobckrangerover4wheeldrives,acoupleofkawasakimoorcyclesandapowerboaandmachingjeskionarailerwhalookedlikewohoverbykessacoveredwihgreenarpaulin

meilinparkedhehoverbykeandheybohgooffhelighshadeonauomaicallyassoonasheyhadeneredhegaragedoorsclosedauomaicallybehindheheywalkedinoakichenareahedoorshuwihseveralclicksandhesoundofheavybolsramminghome

aneleganasianwomaninhereforiessoodherewaiingshewaspainfullyslimandwaswearingahindressofexquisiebcksilk,whichfloweddownwardsinonedramaicsweepsheworeherhairinaighbun,smoohedbackfromherdelicaeforeheadhereyesweremadeuplikeheheroineofavishchineseopera

“welemrcaldwellwehaveheardaloabouyou,”shesaidgracefullyassheusheredheminshegavemeilinasolemnwinkandheagenblushedopenly

“hankyou,”

“mrdewieisinhissudyisuggeshayoupopinandsayhelloasweareflyingojapaneroday”

“soundsgood”

hemiddleagedwomanmovedgracefullylikeaballedancershemushavebeenexremelybeauifulinherdaybunowherface,whichwasbegi

ingocapiueoheravagesofime,borealookofexremesadnesssomehingabouhermadecaldwellhinkabougeishaheywalkedhroughalongnarrowpaneledcorridorhequainwomansoppedinfronofdewiesofficehegoldpeonhedoorsaidbriandewie,headofoperaionshewoman’srimfingersrappedonhedoor

“comein,”ahickbriishaccenbellowedhewomansignaledforhemogohroughandlefsilenlycaldwellfollowedmeilininoheofficedewie,whowasphysicallyrgerhanlife,soodupandofferedhishand

“goodoseeyoucadirusyouhadagoodfligh”herewasafshofwhieeeh,heeyesryingabioohardobejovial

“iwasdopedupformosofi,”caldwellsaidsimply

“indeedpleasesidownmeilin”dewiegesuredforhemoakeseasinwhalookedlikeplusherhydraleaherssofaswihchinesecharacerisicsherewassomehingdisinclyasianabouhedesigncaldwellgavedewieheonceoverherewashesaisfiedairofapamperedcolonialfacaabouhimcaldwellwasn’sureifheoldboylookwasafronforsomehingalogehermoresiniserbuhehadhoughhisspeciesofhumaniyhadlonggoneexinchisimmensedeskwascoveredwihaniqueobjesd’arandhewallsweredecoraedwihchinesepainingsandsomefinelookingjapanesekaana

dewiewasdressedinanimmacuegraysavillerowsuiandapinkvanheusensripedshirwihawhiecolrhewasabigmanwihasrongfaceanddeepseeyeswhichmandedaceraindegreeofrespechelookedlikehewashiinghismidfifieshishair,wherehehadi,washinandblonde,resemblingwispsofsrawdespiehedelicaefeauresherewasanedgeohimhasuggesedexmiliarybriisharisocracy,heypehagoinohehigherranksofhearmybasedpurelyonlineagebudulybailedou,ouofsheerboredom

“iheardyouusedobeoneofus,”dewiesaid,smilingadevilishsmilehisdeeplya

edfacecrinkledaheeyesmeilinfrownedadewieandlookedacaldwell

“inapreviouslife”

“well,goodohaveyoubacki’snoofenhaoneofoursleaveshenesandgesoebackhydradoesn’akeookindlyoprodigalsons”

“guessiamheexcepion”

“yesindeed”

caldwellnoicedfromhecornerofhiseye,hemomenaryexpressionofdisapprovalonmeilinsfacehemadeamenalnoehameilindidnohinkmuchofdewie

caldwellwaiedfordewieoconinue

“well,hydrahongkongispredominanlyaresearchandinelligenceoufiwereporondevelopmensinhingssuchasnanoechnology,arificialinelligence,neuralworksandelecronicwarfarewedon’reallydohekindofhandsoninvesigaiveworkhayoudowhashouldicalli,er,hacking?”hesaidiwihhaarroganbriishwanghamunicaedexaclywhahehoughofi“havingsaidha,wehaveenoughevidencehasomehingworhyofhiskindofmissionisgoingonandiappearsheskillsigaheryouhavearemoreappropriae”

“sowhadoyouknow?”

“weknowhasomeofhegreaesmindsinnewchinaareworkingonopsecreprojecsforhephisisespeciallyrueinheareaofnanoechnologyandarificialinelligencewe’vebeenmonioringandryingoanalyzereeddaaflowsaroundhenewchinacyberspacehubsmorecloselyopuisuccincly,recenlyaloofdaahasbeengoinginandnoneingousuggesinghaasignificannumberofpeoplewereaccessingcyberspacefromanoherworksuckingdaainbunohingwashappeningheoherwayroundnow,hadoesn’makesenseunlessherewasanoherworkbusyreplicaingallhedaaincyberspaceforsome,idaresay,suberfugepurpose

“haveyouriedboobyrappinghedaasohayouknowawhichpoinidisappearsinohisoherwork?”

“we’veriedeveryhingweknowoherwiseyouwouldn’behereandwewouldn’beresoringohesekindsoflowlevelacicsweendobebigpicurepeople”

“wellnowyoudon’evenhaveaposagesampofapicure,”caldwellofferedhearroganfacawasbegi

ingogeonhisnerves

“le’sseeifyoucanurnhaaround,”dewiesaidabruply

hewasabouodismisshemwhenoneofhemanyelephonesonhisdeskrangsuddenlyhepickeduphereceiver

“hello,”hesaidcauiouslyherewasalongpause

“whendidhishappen?”

“areyousureiwasher?andshehasheconsole?”herewasanoherlongishpause

“hanksfollowhereverymoveanddon’leherouofyoursighiwillgebackoyouwihspecificinsrucions”dewierepcedhehandseslowlyandlookedameilinandhenacaldwellheywerebohleaningforwardinheirseas

“dianejoplin,hedeadamericanprofessor’sdaugher,hasbeenrackeddownbyourassociaesinjapanapparenlyherfaher’scredichiphaspoppedupinahoeldaabaseinshinjuku,hekeiopzainerconinenal,”dewiea

ounced

“webeernoifyfouler,”meilinsaidalengh“hegirlcouldbeindanger”

dewie’salmoschildlikefingerssaredypingawayonakeyboard,oneleeraaimecaldwelllookedaroundheofficeherewasverylileemphasisonhighechnologyhisdewiecharacerwasobviouslysomekindofluddie

“foulerisalreadyonhiswayookyo,”dewiesaidsaringahispuerscreen

“iwonderwhasheisdoinginjapan?”caldwelskedhequesionwasdirecedanobodyinparicur

“probablysomena?veaempoavengehedeahofherfaherasuicidemissionifsheacuallyriesogoaheadwihiasihappens,iamoffojapanonalongoverduefamilyvacaioniamsurewe’llseehanoharmesoherandheconsoledoesn’geinohewronghandsbyheway,doyoumindifiseewhailookslike?”

caldwellopenedhisknapsackandpulledouhebckconsolehepcediondewie’sdeskandwachedasdewie’seyespoppedwideopenhishandsemergedfrombelowhisdeskocaressheconsole

“impressive,impressivehisisnoechnologyiisaworkofariamsomewhaofacollecormyself”

“yes,sillneedofigureouhowhehellhehingworksdefinielysaeofhearnodoubabouhaifigureoncewegeionhaworkiwilldomuchmorehanjuslookprey”

“isurelookslikeherealdeal,”dewiesaid,silleyingheconsole

“well,fromwhai’veseenhishingdosofar,wemaybejuschippingawayaheipofheicebergwihhishingyouseehesesmoohsides?heyaresosmoohheyarehidinghesereallyinygapswhereallheyersmeeanumberofphysicalconfiguraionsmighbepossible”

“whymakeaconsolesoinricaejusoaccesssomesecreworkidoesn’makesenseheremusbesomehingelse,”dewiepondered

“hisiswhaihinkheconsolewasn’madespecificallyoaccesshesecrechinaworkiwasbuiloaccessanyworkandyamamoogowindofhisandgohishandsonhemhinkofhepowerandhowmuchcerainpeoplewouldpayogeheirhandsoni”

“indeed,”saiddewieponderously“isuggesyougecrackingomorrowonhisworkmeilinwillgiveyoueveryhingyouneed”

“excellen”meilinandcaldwellsoodupoleave

dewiepressedheineronhisdeskcaldwellheardisoundinadisanparofhehouselikefadingmemoriesofanelusivedream

“yessir,”asadfemalevoiceanswered

“showmrcaldwellohissuieandhavesomeclohessenupohehousewillsmarcasualdo?”heasked

“i’vewornworse,”caldwellsaidwhileheywerewaiingdewiewascuriouslysilencaldwellnoicedhahehadexquisielymanicuredfingernails,whichhewasexamininglikeafussybeauicianafewsecondser,hewomanwhohadopenedhedoorwalkedincarryingargeredleaherbounddiary

“meilin,iakeiyouaresayinginyourusualsuieinhehouse?”dewieasked

“yes,”meilinsaidsimply,gncingacaldwell

“well,i’llbebackfromjapaninaweekhopeyoucanhavesomehingconcreebyhen,”dewiesaid,risingfromhisdeskcaldwellcouldn’helpbuhinkhebriwasnodeliberaelyryingoa

oyhewasjusoneofhosepeoplehacouldn’helpbugraehenervescaldwellnodded,pickedupheconsoleandheknapsackandheywalkedouofdewie’sofficejusforhehelloficaldwelllookedbackoseewhahehydramanwasupodewieseemedrapinhoughhismilkyblueeyeswerefirmlyfocusedonhisprizedkaanacollecion