China 04 - Snakehead by Peter May

Author:Peter May [May, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2002-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

II

Li and Xiao Ling embraced in the entrance lobby outside the Hazel B. Kerper Courtroom. Her face was wet with tears. She was confused and emotional, but aware that somehow the court had released her into the custody of her brother. The sergeant took her gently by the arm and told them that she’d have to go back to the Holliday Unit first to change and pick up her things. He figured she’d be ready in about an hour. Stern had made a hasty departure, saying he had a case in Houston that afternoon, and that he would be in touch about preparing a brief for the hearing next week.

Hrycyk banged out of the court in a foul mood. He hissed at Margaret, ‘You people are putting the whole goddamned country at risk!’

Margaret shook her head calmly. ‘This country’s in far greater danger from people like you, Agent Hrycyk. You’re a dinosaur, did you know that? A relic from another age.’

‘Yeah, sure,’ he said sourly and moved off to engage in a whispered conference with Miss Carter.

Margaret turned to find Mendez standing looking at a flag mounted inside a glass case on the wall. It had green, white and red vertical stripes with the date 1824 crudely scrawled on the central white band. The bottom left of the band was defaced by a single bullet hole. ‘You know what this is, my dear?’ he said. ‘It’s the flag that was flying over the Alamo when John Wayne and Richard Widmark got killed.’

Margaret laughed. ‘Don’t you mean Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie?’

Mendez smiled and tugged at his white goatee. ‘I can only ever see the actors,’ he said. ‘Hollywood spoils history for us, don’t you think?’ He turned twinkling eyes on her.

Her smile faded. She said, ‘Felipe, you took a real risk in there. Putting your reputation on the line like that.’

He laughed out loud. ‘My dear, my reputation is already in tatters. I have absolutely nothing to lose.’

Li approached them and held out his hand to Mendez. ‘I don’t know how to thank you, Professor.’

‘Just take good care of her,’ Mendez said. ‘And make sure she sticks to that diet.’

Margaret had a sudden thought. ‘Shouldn’t we send a copy of the diet up to Fort Detrick for Steve Cardiff?’

Mendez said, ‘I’m way ahead of you, my dear. It’s already done.’

‘Dr. Campbell…Mr. Li…’ They turned at the sound of Agent Fuller’s voice. He was accompanied by Hrycyk and by a well-groomed Chinese man whom Margaret had seen hanging around outside the college when they first arrived. ‘I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Yi Fenghi. Mr. Yi works for Councilman Soong, an elected member of Houston City Council and the recognised spokesperson for the city’s Chinese community.’

Yi bowed stiffly and shook hands with them each in turn. He was a small man, no more that five-six or seven at the most. He had a clean-shaven, round face and dark hair brushed straight back from his forehead and fixed there with gel. He wore an Armani suit, a white silk shirt and a plain blue tie.

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