White Ginger (36 page)

She could hear muttering in the background. It was obvious her demands didn't sit well with everyone. But the fact was, even if she were to be eliminated, her demise wouldn't stop the information on their swindle from going public. She'd already seen to that.

His voice no longer attempted to appease. He spoke gruffly. “Do you know who you're dealing with? Are you aware of the consequences of making an enemy of a man of my stature?”

Bai could hear the bluff in his voice. Her reply held a note of disdain. “‘Just as tall trees are known by their shadows, so are good men known by their enemies.'”

Confident they would come around, she waited.

“All right, Miss Jiang. I really don't see that we have any choice. We need some time to put the finances together. Perhaps a week.”

A week would give them too much time. There was no telling what kind of pressure they could bring to bear given a week. She didn't want to find out what they were capable of.

“You have until the day after tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon.” She spoke forcefully into the phone. “We'll make the exchange at the old Alameda Naval Air Station. It's been closed for years. I'll meet you where the runway ends at the Bay. There's nothing but open ground for about a mile in all directions. You can bring as many men as you like. I'll be well-protected. Are you clear as to what I'm saying?”

Blustering, he tried to stall. “I'm not sure I can raise the money that fast.”

“I'm not stupid, Mr. Martinez. You control a bank. Make use of it. You have until three o'clock the day after tomorrow. Don't be late.” She hung up and exhaled.

After she put the phone down, Bai wondered if she'd made the right decision. Her resolve nearly cracked when she considered what she was trying to do. The men she was attempting to extort were dangerous, killers. In two days, she'd confront them. Then she'd find out who had the biggest balls.

 

Bai called Lee to wake him and get him out of bed. She had a job for him. When it came to electronics or anything mechanical, he was brilliant. More importantly, she trusted him with her life.

“Are you alone?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied tartly. “Alone and sleeping soundly. Until rudely awakened, that is.”

She ignored the sarcasm. “Come upstairs. We need to talk. It's important.”

His voice was muffled. “I'm in bed.”

“I'm making coffee. Hurry, I have lots to tell you.”

Five minutes later, he came stumbling up the back stairs in his pajamas. She handed him a cup of coffee, and he staggered into the living room to fall down on the couch. His eyes were only half open as he sipped the strong brew.

“I want you to build me a suicide vest.”

He looked over his cup at her with a frown on his face. “Things aren't that bad, Bai,” he said consolingly. “There will be other men. Take my word for it.”

Appalled, she looked at him. “No! . . . don't be silly. I'm not going to kill myself. I need the vest for insurance.”

“Now who's being silly?” He dismissed her argument with a wave of his broken arm like a flailing chicken wing. “The only thing explosives ensure against is living to an old age.”

She looked at him in exasperation and took a seat across from him. “I've arranged a meet with Romano and the Martinez brothers. I don't trust them.”

Now more alert, he sipped his coffee but looked interested. “I'm following you so far. Keep going.”

“When I make the exchange, I'd like them to be convinced my death would have catastrophic results for everyone concerned, not just me.”

He sat silently in contemplation. When he spoke, his voice was thoughtful. “Your plan sounds crazy, but I have to admit I'm of the same mind when it comes to Romano and the Martinez boys. If they can kill you without reprisal, they will. At the same time, what you're proposing is very risky.”

“That's why I need the vest. These men will only behave themselves as long as they believe killing me is detrimental to their health. I really don't think anyone will be stupid enough, or crazy enough, to commit suicide along with me. At least, I hope not.”

Lee didn't immediately commit to building the vest, but Bai could tell he was already thinking about it. She explained in detail what she wanted and why. He nodded and smiled in response. He loved the challenge of putting together clever gadgets. Assembling the vest would test his skills, especially with an injured arm.

“All right,” he said reluctantly. “I'll do it. But only because I know that if I don't do it, you'll find someone less competent who will. I might have a couple of ideas to make the vest even more intimidating.” He looked thoughtful. “How do you feel about ball bearings as a fashion statement?”

The question caught her off guard. “As long as you don't make the vest too heavy,” she cautioned. “If worse comes to worse, I need to be able to run while wearing the vest.”

“Then maybe I'll go with aluminum instead. The jacket will still have the same visual effect, but it'll be much lighter.”

“I'll leave the details to you. While you're doing that, I need to get my hands on an armored truck, the kind banks use to transport money. Also, Robert will need to prepare the paperwork for the exchange.”

“He may not like the idea of trading Benny's life for money, Bai.”

Lee had a valid point. It would be up to her to convince Robert she was handling the situation in the best possible way. She would need his help with the exchange.

Her cell phone rang, interrupting the conversation. She looked at the display and was surprised by the caller ID. “Hello, John. How are you?”

“Alive,” he replied.

“I'm glad to hear that.”

“Are you angry with me?”

“You mean for saving my life and getting blown up in the process? Yeah, I'm furious. Who do you think you are, anyway?”

Ranse didn't respond. Bai wondered if the call had been disconnected.

“Sorry,” he said, “the nurse was checking my vitals. It seems just talking to you makes my blood pressure go up.”

“Are you sure it's me and not your nurse causing your blood pressure to rise?”

“My nurse's name is Bill.” There was another prolonged silence. “What I'm trying to say, Bai, is that I'm sorry I lied to you. I wanted to tell you I was a federal agent, but . . .”

“I understand you were working under cover, but why me? What did the FBI hope to achieve by having me followed?”

“It wasn't you we were interested in, Bai. When you came to Dan's school with Jason Lum, my superiors saw a chance to get someone close to organized crime in Chinatown. We've been trying to get inside information on
Sun Yee On
for years. As it turned out, we didn't find exactly what we'd hoped to.”

“I've been telling federal agents for years that I don't have anything to do with
Sun Yee On's
business.”

There was a protracted silence on the other end of the conversation. “I believe you, Bai. I'm sorry.”

“You saved my life. I owe you one.”

He jumped at the opening. “Really? Then I want to collect.”

She smiled and wondered where the conversation was headed. “What do you have in mind?”

“I want you to go out with me.”

“I don't think you're going anywhere for a while.” She tried not to laugh. “What does your doctor say?”

“My doc says I'll be out of here tomorrow. My leg will take a week or two to heal. My head was grazed by a piece of shrapnel, but the wound is only superficial. Mostly, I'm just bruised by the blast.”

She couldn't afford any distractions until the exchange had taken place. She needed to keep focused until then. “Why don't you call me later this week, and we'll make a date?”

“You won't be sorry. I promise. No more lies.”

“Don't make promises you can't keep,” she cautioned him.

“I always keep my promises.”

The thought of dating an FBI agent made her head swim. Two people coming from such different worlds would make having a relationship difficult. She didn't think Ranse had a clue what he was asking of her.

“Are you still there, Bai?”

His words brought her back from her musings. “Yes, I'm still here, John. Remind me to kiss you the next time I see you.”

He chuckled. “That's a promise. I'll call you Friday.”

“Be well,” she said, ending the call.

Lee scrutinized her.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he replied, a glib look on his face. “Is falling for an FBI agent a good idea?”

“‘One can't refuse to eat just because there's a chance of choking.'”

“I think I hear the sound of sirens in the distance,” he chided.

“I've already decided to change the way I live. Maybe he's just what I need.”

“Jason may not see it that way.”

She wasn't as concerned about Jason as Lee was. She knew he was seeing other women—Dr. Shannon Brian, for one. “Don't worry. He has other interests.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“I met one of them, a long-legged redhead in Vancouver by the name of Shannon.”

He shook his head. “You shouldn't jump to hasty conclusions. You make a habit of doing that.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Just what do you know about his love life?”

Lee avoided eye contact. “He loves you. He's loved you since we were kids. He protects you by staying away.”

She stared at him, her suspicions aroused “You've been talking to him, haven't you?”

It was Lee's turn to be silent.

Her voice was chilled as she leaned over the coffee table to get into his face. “At least I now know how he's getting access to my security system.”

Her remark hit home. He was decent enough to look contrite. “He's my friend, Bai.”

She looked at him and shook her head in denial. “If he's your friend, he's not a very good one. Friends aren't ashamed to be seen with each other.”

His head jerked up. She could tell her words stung by the hurt expression on his face. Words flew out of his mouth. “Did you ever stop to think what it was like for him to grow up in your home as the son of a governess? Look around you, Bai. You've always had wealth and privilege. Tommy and your grandfather showed him what he needed to become to be a part of that life. How could you expect him to walk away from the only family he knew, the only life he knew?”

His words shook her. What he said was true but didn't alter the fact that Jason could have turned away from the money and power. He'd chosen not to.

“He made his decision,” she stated without rancor. She waited for Lee to meet her gaze. “I'm not saying the choices were easy for him. And it isn't easy for me to make a life without him.”

He nodded his head, but she didn't think she'd changed his mind. She was reminded that everyone has secrets and everyone has weaknesses. Jason had a weakness for money and power. She and Lee, apparently, shared a weakness in Jason.

Bai stood at the edge of the old Alameda Naval Air Base to look out over the gray, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay. A cold, wet wind swept across broken asphalt to set water-filled potholes shimmering in the late-afternoon breeze. Weeds thrust green spears through the cracked runway as nature reclaimed the abandoned airstrip while a grizzly sky overhead threatened rain.

Lee turned to her. “Do you think they'll show?”

“They'll be here. They have too much to lose by not showing up.” Her cell phone read ten minutes to three. “They still have time.”

Tommy's bulletproof limousine rested on the tarmac directly in front of them to serve as a shield. Negotiating the use of the vehicle had taken some hard bartering. Behind Bai idled an armored truck bristling with manned gun ports along its armored sides. Two black SUVs bracketed the armored truck. Four men stood outside each vehicle wearing flak jackets and carrying semiautomatic weapons.