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The Chineserezidentstops, nods.
Liam halts about a meter in front of him. “Good afternoon, Mr. Han.”
He smiles, and looks like someone’s grandfather who passes out sweets and money at family gatherings. “You have me at a disadvantage. Your name, sir?”
“Mr. Smith.”
“Ah, how dull.”
“But it’ll work for now. How goes it?”
“Reasonably well,” he says, pulling out a gold cigarette lighter and pack of cigarettes. As he lights one, he offers the package to Liam, who says, “No, thanks.”
“Ah, good sense for you. Tell me, Mr. Smith, may I ask what part of America you are from?”
“Nebraska. How about you? Which part of China?”
“Guangdong province,” Han says. “What a world we live in, that a child from Nebraska and a child from Guangdong should meet here, in South Africa.”
Liam says, “Yeah, that’s pretty strange. Tell you what, you leave now, and we’ll go on our way. A year from now, we can have a reunion. Drinks on me.”
Han’s smile widens. “I’m afraid that’s not a possibility.”
“Figured as much. What do you want?”
“Chin Lin.”
“Not going to happen,” Liam says. “You see, that house and bit of property back there belong to the United States of America. She’s asked for asylum. I’m duty-bound to give it to her.”
He cocks his head a bit. “And I’m duty-bound to demand that she return to us.”
“Well, we’re at an impasse, aren’t we?”
“There will be shooting, then, and deaths.”
“Only if you and your folks come closer.”
Han sighs and turns his head, still smoking. “All right, I’ll sweeten the deal.”
“Go right ahead.”
“We take Chin Lin back with us, and you and Benjamin Lucas join her, and stay as our guests for as long as you want.”
Liam can’t help himself, and laughs. “That’s something, that’s for sure.”
Han says, “I take it you haven’t kept up with the news the last few hours, have you?”
His mouth suddenly feels dry. “Some news, not all.”
Han nods. “Your president is a madman, and he is taking his nation to war with mine. Not with bombs or missiles, but through cyberspace. The war will start”—he checks his watch—“in less than two hours. In a day or so, most of the world will slip into chaos, with an economic collapse, riots, and other conflicts breaking out, and in days, most cities will start to starve.”
Liam has a cold moment, thinking of what Han is saying, thinking about not being able to contact Director Abrams, not even knowing if the message to save the vice president even has made it to Walter Reed.
He says, “Guess I missed those headlines.”
Han says, “That’s my offer. We take Chin Lin, for obvious reasons, and you and Benjamin will be our guests, for as long as you want.”
“Does that come with or without torture?”