Hanssen smiled. "Talking to the DOJ isn"t going to do a blind bit of good, you know that don"t you?"

"What do you mean it won"t do no good?" "Some times I despair at you Al. You tell me you want to move up to bigger things, but I just wonder if you are ready. I mean, here you are, sitting in the navigators seat of the premier law enforcement Agency in the world, and you have no idea who this Kane woman is."

Borkin leaned in, his bottom lip hanging loose. "What do you mean I got no idea? Who the h.e.l.l is this b.i.t.c.h?"

"She is CIA. A deep cover-operative authorized by the president to use deadly force.

Borkin"s mouth hung wider. He made a guttural noise deep in his throat, finally he said, "You knew about this and you didn"t tell me?" The words came slow and deadly, like a prison-yard threat.

Hanssen, examined his cigar, for a moment, then huffed smoke. "Now you listen to me, and listen good. You get told what you need to get told. And when I tell-you listen. You understand me?

Borkin scowled. "Hey, don"t you give me that bulls.h.i.t Hanssen. We are partners in this thing. This big idea of yours ain"t gonna pa.s.s base-one without my say so-"

"You are a junior partner Al, so dial back the att.i.tude."

Borkin nodded, "The way I see it, this Kane spook is going to blow the lid on the whole operation, so don"t give me that junior partner bulls.h.i.t. If the Agency is involved we got ourselves problems-big dangerous problems. And if you are wanting me to take care of that, your backers are going to have ask nice and pony up and eight-digit increase in my fee, on account of the fact I don"t like being called a "junior partner" by no one-least of all some West-Virginia golf caddy with delusions of grandeur."

Hanssen examined Borkin, with his cold grey eyes, then smiled. He wagged his finger in admonishment. "You got yourself a real smart mouth Al, the kind that"s going to land you in a whole mess of trouble, if you don"t watch yourself. So, you got to think yourself lucky you are a friend of mine. We are living in perilous times, the kind of age where just about anything could happen to a person if they didn"t have friends in all the right places-look at Senator Johnston, or that greedy little friend of his."

"You got me breaking out in goose-b.u.mps Hanssen." Borkin dusted off his pants leg with the back of his hand and Gave d.i.c.k Hanssen a steady look. "The girl has to go. It is just as simple as that."

Vice President Hanssen leaned back in his chair, and took another long slow pull on his cigar. At last he said, "Don"t worry about the girl. I got people working on that already."

40.

Oahu, Hawaii The white-jacketed flunkies marched Karyn to the stern of the Chanchu, to an area guarded by sharp- suited goons, who looked like they were running a presidential-style security operation. The decor was grand but tacky, like a floating Taj Mahal. The interior was garlanded with white drapes, blanc on blanc furniture and a collection of imposing objects d" art that looked like they had been fresh dug from the tomb of some ancient imperial despot. Karyn paused a beat, and looked up at the giant bronze guardian lions looming over of the vast club-like interior.

"Quite some place isn"t it?" said Calista Johnston in a revered tone, as though they were about to make acquaintance with the Pope himself.

"That is one way of putting it," said Karyn. The Tao symbol was everywhere, back lit in bronze and gold like some holy relic. And then there were the portraits-dozens of them on every wall- ancient kings on horse back, brave spear carrying warriors, standing proud above their vanquished enemies, and emperors of old, receiving tribute from their adoring public. At first the paintings seemed to meld with the grandiosity of the decor, but as Karyn looked closer, a sudden chill ran through her. On every canvas the face of the great heroic leader was the same-Deng Tao-emperor, hero, warrior king. This was more than some rich mans dream palace it was a floating monument to megalomania.

Moving forwards now, deeper inside the ship, Karyn noticed more of the sharp suited goons standing ready in the shadows. Her mind raced forwards, as yet another puzzle piece fell into place-this billionaire goofball wasn"t playing president-he thought he was better than that, reining over his international kingdom of limitless avarice like some G.o.d emperor from days of old.

As she walked, Karyn peripheralized the honor guard escorting her. She could take them out if she had to, but what then? Deng Tao had a small army guarding the boat. If she lost her nerve and made a play now, the game would be ruined. The faade of politeness would disappear and the Deng Tao organization would draw in around their master in a protective formation. No, she had to play the amenable guest for just a little while longer.

There were other considerations too of course. Perhaps Deng Tao really did think himself omnipotent? Perhaps he thought his money could buy him a seat at the table of world leadership? Or maybe this vulgar display of wealth and vanity was designed as a challenge to authority-a play to show that the Tao Corporation was a transcendent ent.i.ty; a force so powerful it could rise above the laws and responsibilities that governed more mundane lives? Many had made that mistake before, but perhaps none with the style of Deng Tao. Perhaps the power mad creep figured his empire of avarice was so big he no longer had to answer to the Government of the United States, if so, it would be the biggest mistake he had ever made.

Servants scurried now, as the party led by Calista Johnston paused before a pair of heavy bronze doors. She shot Karyn a perturbed look. We will wait here for you my dear, Mr. Tao requires a personal audience with you."

"Personal, huh? I am honored."

"Indeed you should be my dear, Mr. Tao rarely grants such exceptional privileges, to those who are not followers of the way."

Karyn gave Calista Johnston a hard look.

The older woman looked nervous, her thin hands twisting together like G.o.d himself was going to reach down from the heavens and s.n.a.t.c.h her up at any second. Karyn felt kind of sorry for the spooky old girl, she had swallowed down the Deng Tao rhetoric like some swirlyeyed teen and now she was talking about her hero like he was Jesus Christ himself. Disappointment was coming and soon, no doubt about that. Karyn stood for a moment, thinking wise words of consolation might help. But really, she knew they wouldn"t. Instead, Karyn turned and saw Enrique looking at her l.u.s.tfully.

"Maybe we see you soon pretty lady, maybe not."

He laughed. It was a cruel, meaningless laugh that that offered nothing but contempt.

Karyn winked and shot him a pistol fingered salute.

He didn"t like that-not even a little bit. But as Enrique"s lips quivered with the effort of a snappy come back, the white-jacketed flunkies pulled open the heavy bronze doors and stood back so that Karyn could walk through into the private world of Deng Tao.

As she walked inside, her eyes adjusting to the gloom, Karyn had the sensation that she had entered into a world of almost limitless depth. There was gla.s.s everywhere-the walls, the ceiling and the floor-and beyond the translucent divide, an undersea world swirled with fish of every description-it was difficult to comprehend whether they were now below the water line of the ship looking out on the ocean floor, or if they were encased in a giant fish tank, so large it defied comprehension. At the centre of this undersea realm was an opulent gla.s.s table, almost fifty feet long, surrounded by translucent gla.s.s chairs and illuminated by surreal crystal candelabras that rose from the table like coral.

As Karyn stood, marveling at the strange and exotic s.p.a.ce, a parallel set of doors opened at the other end of the room. And there he stood- Deng Tao, the diminutive ruler of this weird undersea kingdom. As he approached, Karyn saw that he was wearing an exotic Changshan robe, embroidered with golden dragons. On his feet he wore white silk slippers. With his hair clipped close at the sides and oily black on top his cherubic face was accentuated. He looked like a young emperor, risen from the tombs of the past, so that he might once again rule over all he surveyed.

Deng Tao said, "Welcome Ms. Kane. Please, have a seat." As he spoke, the unmistakable scent of jasmine filled the air.

Karyn paused, transfixed by the approaching vision. She remained standing, but Deng Tao was unperturbed. He drifted towards her, in his immaculate white-robes, his uncanny aura of power filling the room. As he reached the end of the table, Deng Tao paused momentarily, his black, intense eyes eating into her. He smiled, his lips parting, to reveal delicate little teeth, glistening with an almost jeweled whiteness. For all their size, they looked sharp and dangerous, like they could tear flesh to the bone.

Karyn said, "Quite some ship you got here Tao."

Again the razor sharp smile broke wide. "Very generous of you to say so Ms. Kane, The Chanchu is perhaps the smallest vessel in my fleet, but she is more than adequate for my needs in this part of the world."

"Interesting. What are your needs in this part of the world Tao?"

"Facilitating the dawn of a new future Ms. Kane. Tomorrow, my newest power plant will go live on the Big Island of Hawaii, providing all who live and work here with limitless free energy. Imagine that Ms. Kane, no more reliance on dangerous nuclear fuel, or dirty coal. No more servitude to the oil economies of the Middle East. We are about to witness the dawning of a new age Ms. Kane, an age were the people of the world will be able to throw off the shackles of their slavish dependence on expensive fuels. Now I ask you, is that not a cause for celebration?"

"The problem with every utopian idea is there is a dollars and cents aftertaste. What"s the angle Tao?"

"No angle Ms. Kane. More and more people are recognizing that world government is unfit to meet the challenges that face us. Rather than providing the social and economic freedoms they promised, the nation states have failed in their sworn duty to the people of the world. Such failure cannot be allowed to continue. The Tao Corporation is a world leader in many fields-but we are always looking to diversify our portfolio- seeking new, exciting and profitable business opportunities. It makes sense therefore that we break in to the highly lucrative new market for world government."

"I didn"t know there was a market." "Oh, come, come. Don"t be coy Ms. Kane. We both now that corporations have been funding world government for decades-particularly in this bankrupt little country of yours. How amusing, that the money-men of Wall Street still speak of free market economics, when really they are nothing but wh.o.r.es, bought and paid for by the new world order."

"So, what are you saying Tao? You going to move in, wearing that hot little pimp coat and b.i.t.c.h-slap the world into doing your bidding?"

"It is time for the hypocrisy to end-time for new and more vibrant leadership," said Tao coldly.

"Let me guess, you are planning a hostile take over."

Tao paused, smiled and said, "You misunderstand me Ms. Kane. I am merely a humble facilitator. When the people of the world come to realize that they are being used as slaves by the parasitic and outdated thinking of the old order, they will rise up in revolt. Take a look at the evening news Ms. Kane-already it begins-the world is coming together, the voices of the people are uniting as one, demanding change, demanding an end to the old, parasite thinking."

Karyn sniffed and said, "History is graveyard of big thinking revolutionaries-Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot-what makes you think you and your smart talking pals have all the answers?"

"Tomorrow, when my new power station opens, providing free electricity for all, it will send a message to the parasite government of the United States. The people will hear that message. And you Ms. Kane will return to your political masters in Washington and serve notice that their time is short."

"You seem to forget, I got work to take care of Tao. The little matter of a United States Senator murdered, along with the Governor."

"Murder Ms. Kane? A word you used once before-and yet you have absolutely no evidence. I would suggest to you that Senator Johnston and his friend the Governor are two very good examples of the failure and corruption inherent in your system of government."

"I am sure Congress and the voters of the United States will give due consideration to your ideas Tao. No doubt you have an army of K-street sleazebags lobbying hard to make sure that happens. But n.o.body does democracy quite like we do here in America. My guess is your kooky little ideas will get short-shrift at the ballot box."

"Democracy Ms Kane? How charming you should think that way. Plato thought of government as ever moving-like a clock, with many differing systems of rule. And I have to tell you Ms. Kane, the hour of democracy has long pa.s.sed-we have moved onwards, into the time of the oligarchs- and very soon we will move farther still, into an even newer and brighter future. So tell me Ms. Kane, do you want to be a part of this new and exciting future, or perhaps you would prefer to maintain your misplaced allegiance with the old and discredited past?"

"That is as close to a tempting offer as I have had all day-and if I refuse, what then? Maybe I end up like the senator, or the governor, or that goofy little rock doctor you had on your pay-roll, name of Brad Verner."

Deng Tao beamed, his sharp little teeth glistening in the reflected light of the ocean. "Mr. Verner, but of course. A most hard working member of my organization, if some what misinformed by his friends in the environmental lobby."

"Misinformed? I had him down as scared, a person tends to get that way when folks are shooting at them."

"Please, Ms. Kane. Your concerns are groundless." Deng Tao clapped his hands, The heavy bronze doors at the far end of the room opened slowly and there standing in the doorway was the sheepish and somewhat rumpled figure of Brad Verner.

41.

Karyn fought back the heavy wave of euphoria that came rushing at her, like a revelation from on high. Here, alive. Not dead in some shallow grave as she had expected. He looked kind of strange though, all dressed up in a high-collared shirt and tuxedo. A bright red bow tie completed the ensemble. He looked rumpled, like a mad professor. The bow tie was strapped on tight and hung at a crooked angle like it would come spinning off at any minute.

Karyn fought the impulse to fire quick questions and establish just how this miraculous and unexpected turnaround had come about. Finally, she sucked a breath and said, "I was worried about you Verner, where on earth have you been?"

"The h.e.l.l you were worried, you locked me in the trunk of my own car for chrissake. I could have died in there, suffocated or starved-or, I don"t know-run out of water or something. If the cops hadn"t rescued me, who knows what could have happened?"

"Rescued?"

"Yeah, they broke open the trunk and pulled me out, I felt so light-headed I thought I was going to puke. Lack of oxygen I guess."

Karyn pursed her lips and nodded. "So the nice policemen broke you free did they Verner?"

"Yeah, they sure did, and I was never so glad to see anybody, let me tell you. I mean, you were acting nuts-all that crazy driving; and shooting at those people like that. I thought you were going to kill me or something."

"I am sure you will forgive me Verner, I was protecting you-acting in your best interests-you understand that right?"

Verner looked pouty. "You kidnapped me." Deng Tao clapped his hands-it was difficult to know whether he did this to show his delight, or whether he was trying to silence Verner"s whining. "I think the important thing that can be gained from this Mr. Verner is a received wisdom. You are, after all, now safe and enjoying a well deserved period of recuperation after your terrifying ordeal."

"Yeah, terrifying," parroted Verner, "Locked in the trunk of my car like that...

Deng Tao steepled his fingers together and flexed them. He considered Karyn carefully, and said, "A most disturbing story, I think you will agree-gunplay, kidnapping, high-speed car chases, all on the quiet streets of this paradise island. Tell me Ms. Kane, are such antics a procedural imperative for the U.S. Department of Justice? " Karyn gave Tao a hard look. "Verner here told me some real interesting stories about that kooky power plant on the big Island Tao. He thinks you are going to blow it up like a giant bomb." Tao raised his eyebrows and let out a soft almost musical laugh. "My goodness, what an imaginative idea Ms. Kane, like something one might find in a paperback thriller-were the idea not so far fetched." Tao"s intensely black eyes crawled over Karyn, with barely concealed amus.e.m.e.nt, his delicate little teeth sparkling as his laughter trailed away.

Karyn smiled back, but the smile was thin and ambivalent, without trace of humor, "You are right of course Tao. There is no evidence to suggest that the Johnston deaths were anything other than a very unfortunate murder/suicide, brought on by an unsavory mixture of greed and stupidity. It would be difficult to mount a prosecution under such circ.u.mstances, but I am sure that the congressional inquiry will be far reaching."

Deng Tao gave Karyn a dead look. "Inquiry?" He almost spat the word.

Karyn nodded. "Certainly. Tex Johnston was the Chairman of the Congressional House Committee on Oversight and Government reform. No doubt his fellow Congressmen will want to a.n.a.lyze his sordid little business dealings in detail-who knows what kind of dirt they will churn up."

"That would be most unfortunate," said Tao thoughtfully. "Perhaps this very same Committee would look into the handling of the investigation into this case? Who knows Ms. Kane, we may see you on television, explaining away your actions over the past couple of days. I am sure that will make most interesting viewing, wouldn"t you agree?"

"Naturally I will co operate fully with any investigation. Cooperation is important. Take Verner here, one day he is slandering your organization from the rooftops, the next he is your biggest advocate. A testament to the righteousness of your cause no doubt, which is impressive, because only the other day he told me that your little power project was on schedule to cause a disaster bigger than Banda Aceh and the f.u.kushima Daiichi crisis at Thoku combined."

"Environmentalists are people of pa.s.sion Ms. Kane, unfortunately that pa.s.sion is often widely misinformed. I think that once Mr. Verner had chance to acquaint himself with the full and incontrovertible facts, he realized that his fears were groundless."

Karyn nodded slowly. She turned to Verner and said, "It is always important to have all the facts, before pa.s.sing judgment. Tell me Verner, how are your folks doing? It must be rather nice in Seattle this time of year. You were going to visit them last time we talked. Did you change your

mind?"

Deng Tao swiveled towards Brad Verner, his black eyes hard and implacable.

Brad Verner ran his thin nervous fingers through his tangled mop of hair and looked anxiously at Deng Tao, "I figured I could stick around just a little while longer. It would be a shame to miss the opening of the plant, after all the hard work I have put in. I am flying out to the power plant in Mr. Tao"s helicopter, first thing in the morning."

Deng Tao gave Karyn a triumphant look. "So there we have it, a most regrettable misunderstanding. I am glad we discussed this. "

Deng Tao paused, flashed his sharp little teeth and said, "Perhaps you would care to join Mr. Verner on the flight over to the Big Island tomorrow. It promises to be an event of world changing proportions. You would receive VIP treatment naturally and a ringside seat as the power plant goes online."

"Sounds fascinating, " deadpanned Karyn, "But switch flipping ceremonies really aren"t my

thing."

Deng Tao looked disappointed. "Such a pity.

Still, the night is long and the party just starting and you must know that both my wife and I can be very persuasive Ms. Kane."

Karyn looked at Brad Verner. He hung his head on reflex. Karyn nodded, slowly thoughtfully and turned to Deng Tao, "I am sure you can be persuasive Tao, very persuasive, but then so can I."