Page 66 of Into the Gray Zone (Pike Logan #19)

His answer surprised me, as it was his first indication that he was playing a game. He was telling me he knew I had the software,

because he knew what I was, and he and I were the same. It threw me off my game.

I said, “You’re right, I’m not authorized to start waterboarding your ass. Yet. But maybe your own people won’t be so nice.

If you don’t give me anything about the terrorists or the hostages, I’ll have to assume you are simply a businessman, and I’ll drop you off at the Chinese embassy.”

He leaned back, saying nothing. Which was something in and of itself. Last night, he’d stated over and over that he had no

knowledge of the terrorists or the hostages. Now he wasn’t denying it.

I thought maybe I was on to something and said, “They seemed to not like you so much the last I checked. If I were to keep

spitballing, I’d say they’re embarrassed by this entire debacle, and they’re cleaning up loose ends, just like you did with

the bodyguard in Jaipur.”

He said, “That is true. Nobody is more surprised than me. The question I have is, What are you authorized to do?”

Breakthrough . I was beginning to think my idea of letting him sweat his fate was paying off.

I said, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, if I were to know something about this awful terrorist attack, and I were to tell you, what would prevent you from still dropping me off at the embassy?”

Is he asking for asylum?

I said, “Nothing, I suppose, but if it were true information, I wouldn’t do that. Right now, all your people know is that

you escaped. They don’t know we have you. They think you’re in the wind, and I can keep it that way.”

“You would just let me go? On my own?”

I slowly shook my head and said, “As long as we’re being honest here, no, I’m not going to let you go. That, as you say, is

something above my pay grade. I will, however, keep you out of your enemy’s hands.”

He thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t know what enemies you’re talking about. Those men who attacked me were complete

strangers. I’m just a businessman.”

He’d decided it wasn’t worth it and had reverted back to his cover. We were going backwards, and he didn’t care one whit about

the lives in the balance. The gamesmanship cracked open my scab and I felt the rage start flowing through my body.

I said, “If you know anything about where the terrorists are, I would suggest you tell me.”

He saw something had changed in my demeanor, but plowed ahead anyway. “My fate with you is sealed whether I say anything or

not. You’ve already admitted without saying so that you aren’t authorized to decide my fate. You’re not going to turn me over

to the embassy. That decision will be made, as you say, above your pay grade. I’ll wait for them.”

The words split the scab open, letting the beast run free. I snarled and leapt across the table, grabbing his hair with my

left hand and punching him in the face with my right. I managed two strikes before Knuckles pulled me off him, shouting, “Pike,

Pike, back off!”

We struggled for a second and I calmed down. I threw Knuckles’ hands off me, turned to Chin, and said, “You ordered your men to try to kill me. Right now, I’m looking at an enemy combatant. You’re right, I’m not going to turn you in to your embassy, but me killing you in self-defense is something I can justify. I just won’t tell the people above my pay grade that it was in self-defense of the hostages.”

Focused on Chin, I said, “Knuckles, give me your pistol.”

He said, “What?”

My eyes still on Chin, I said, “Give it to me. I’m done with this shit.”

He passed it butt first and I laid it on the table in front of Chin. I said, “You either grab that pistol or start talking.”

He looked at the Staccato in front of him, then into my eyes, recognizing I wasn’t bluffing. He said, “Let me have my cell

phone.”

I picked up the pistol and handed it back to Knuckles. I took a seat again and said, “Why?”

“Because I know the location of one of the terrorists, but it’s in that phone.”

“The phone is wiped.”

“I know. I have to download an app.”

Which was a conundrum. We’d had the phone off since we captured him precisely to keep any of his “friends” from tracking us.

If he turned it on and it touched the cell network, it would be visible for anyone to find.

He saw what I was thinking and said, “I don’t want anyone tracking the phone any more than you do. Does this aircraft have

Wi-Fi? I’ll leave it in airplane mode to do the download, which, given where I’m sitting, seems appropriate.”

I sent Knuckles to get a pilot, since I had no idea how to turn it on, and Mr. Chin gave up all subterfuge, describing a Garmin watch and how he’d modified it to transmit to a special application designed by his “organization,” which I knew was the Ministry of State Security. He went through the entire history of the device, and I didn’t let him know I was somewhat familiar with it, since it was how we’d located the terrorist in Agra and also how we’d found out the rest were in Jaipur.

By the time he was done, the Wi-Fi was operational. I turned on the phone, immediately put it into airplane mode, then handed

it to him, saying, “I don’t have to tell you not to try anything stupid, do I?”

He took it and said, “No, you don’t.”

He manipulated the phone for a moment, then sat it on the table, saying, “Downloading. Understand, the watch was working before

I wiped the phone. I’m not trying to trick you, but it might no longer be transmitting. I can’t predict if the man is still

wearing it.”

“I understand, but that’s just the tactical intelligence. You’re going to get a complete debriefing from Jennifer, and you’re

going to tell her everything you know about these terrorists, to include why you’re involved.”

He looked stricken for a moment, as if he thought the phone app alone was his ticket out. I saw him wavering and said, “Unless

you want me to put that gun back on the table.”

He pursed his lips, nodded, and picked up the handset. He poked the screen a few times, then turned it to me, saying, “It’s

still transmitting, and it has a heartbeat, so someone’s wearing it.”

I was looking at a map. I took it out of his hand and saw a little blue icon in the heart of the Dharavi slum.

I turned to Knuckles and said, “You and Brett pack this place up. Kit up for a dismounted close target reconnaissance. We’re

going to Mumbai. Get Jennifer up here.”

He left and she came in. I said, “Mr. Chin is prepared to give you a full debrief. Start in Goa and have him go all the way through the killing of the bodyguard.”

She showed surprise at his turnaround, then saw his swelling eye. She squinted at me and I said, “It was his own free will.

He wants a ticket to the witness protection program.”