Once everyone was accounted for, I said, “Okay, here’s the deal. Jake Shu is dead, so we’ve probably short-circuited whatever China had planned. Mission accomplished. I’m about to call the Taskforce to give them a SITREP, but when I do, I’m going to tell them I’m not done.”
Knuckles said, “What’s that mean?”
“Chen Ju-Long killed Dunkin. Murdered him. I’m going to take him down. I realize that’s outside our target set and the Taskforce charter, but I’m going to do it.”
Veep glanced between us, looking at Brett, then Jennifer, clearly not liking where this was headed. He finally said, “Hey, Pike, I think we should get sanction for any further operations. I get the loss of life, but last year in Brazil was over the edge. Let’s not do that again. I don’t want to start a trend here. That’s not us.”
I turned to him and said, “That’s why we’re here talking. I want to know where you guys stand. You don’t want to play, no harm, no foul. I’m not ordering anyone to do anything, and this isn’t a Taskforce operation, but actions have consequences, and I’m going to be that consequence. If you want, you can go back to Taipei. I won’t think any less of you.”
Clearly uncomfortable, he said, “That’s not what I meant. I mean, we do what we’re ordered, and sometimes people die. We accomplished the mission, but we don’t do revenge.”
I saw Paul Kao on the outside edge of the group shuffle his feet, wanting to say something, but unsure if he should.
I said, “Veep, I understand where you’re coming from. I honestly do, but that’s not why I’m asking to execute. What I’m saying is that a Chinese intelligence organization killed Dunkin. The Taskforce cared about why, and we solved that riddle. I care about the death. He deserves our support. He’s got a girlfriend in the United States who has no idea why he died. Yes, we stopped the Chinese, but they still murdered him, and there is not going to be any justice without us. Justice isn’t revenge.”
I looked at my team and said, “I’m going to deliver the justice. Chen Ju-Long will kill again somewhere in the world, and it will be some other innocent victim to project Chinese power. It might even be an American. We have the beacon trace of the car, and I’m going to find it. What I want to know is who will follow me. I’m not ordering. I’m asking.”
Veep looked at Jennifer, asking her with his eyes what she thought. For the first time I realized she was someone the team relied on for an answer, and it gave me a small bit of pride. I should have been upset, because basically he was trying to split her from me, but I wasn’t. She had earned that right. I would do what I was going to do, alone if necessary, but she would get a vote.
He said, “Jennifer, come on. You know this isn’t right. We don’t do assassinations. That’s what the Chinese do.”
She looked at me, and I saw the anguish of Dunkin’s death. She still blamed herself. She took my hand in hers and squeezed it, then glanced at Paul, saying, “This isn’t an assassination. Those men are trying to alter the life of an entire country. We stopped one small event here, but it won’t stop the men like Chen Ju-Long from continuing. We don’t have sanction here, but I’m willing to prevent it.”
Veep said nothing, the tension thick, and Paul stepped forward, breaking it with his very presence.
Tentatively he said, “Can I speak?”
I said, “By all means.”
He turned to Veep and said, “Look, this isn’t a vendetta. I can’t stop what’s happening without you. The high command of the PRC are doing something bad. Can’t we just prevent it? Without all this verbal dancing about vendettas?”
A little startled at his comments, I turned to him and said, “You don’t think it’s done? Jake Shu is dead. Whatever he was doing is gone.”
“Maybe, but he just left the NCIST. You told me he was a computer guy, and that was the only reason he was in there. He’s dead, but we don’t even know if that matters. No, I don’t think it’s done. I think it’s still going.”
I glanced around at the team and said, “This isn’t our country, and there is no threat to the United States, but we can deliver some justice for Dunkin and maybe help Taiwan. I’ll do it alone if I have to.”
Knuckles said, “That took some time. Can we get our jihad on now?”
He hadn’t said a word for the entire discussion, and I knew why. Leadership was a one-way road, and he was letting me work the problem. He understood the pressure I was under, but also knew the threat. He was the best of the Taskforce. And his vote meant something to the team.
Veep nodded, glanced away for a moment, and then said, “Okay. Let’s get some.”
I studied him for a moment, then said, “This is going to go bad. You know that, right? I can’t have someone who isn’t fully in, but I could really use your skill.”
He said, “I’m in.” He glanced at Jennifer, and she nodded to him. More forcefully, he said, “I’m in. Let’s go.”
I grinned and Jennifer leaned in, whispering, “Don’t screw this up.”
Chapter 85
George Wolffe entered the foyer of the West Wing for the third time in a week, an absolute record. In the past, all Taskforce business was handled in the Old Executive Office Building, with him rarely stepping into the White House itself.
In truth, this was a double record, because it was closing in on midnight, and he had never, ever gone to the White House grounds outside of working hours. But Taiwan was turning into the biggest mess on the world stage, and he had the only men inside the inferno to give honest feedback. He really wished he’d never agreed to allow the Taskforce to focus on a state system. It wasn’t what they did. Others did that, and they supposedly did it well, but now he was in the cauldron because others apparently didn’t do it that well.
He stopped at the Secret Service desk to wait on his escort, and then his phone went off with the distinctive ring of an encrypted call. He saw his escort approaching and held up a finger, stepping back outside to the parking lot.
“This is Wolffe.”
“Hey, sir, I didn’t think I’d get you to answer the phone at this time of night.”
“Pike? Yeah, well, I’m about to go into another one of those meetings about Taiwan. It’s currently the crisis du jour, and since you’re there, I’m here. What do you have?”
Pike said, “An Oversight Council meeting, or that bullshit National Security Council stuff?”
“National Security Council. Sorry.”
“Why are you going?”
“Because you’re the only thing playing in Taiwan, and it’s turning to complete shit.”
He heard Pike chuckle on the phone. He said, “Is that funny to you?”
“No. I understand what you’re going through. What’s funny is that you’re now forced to have to defend me.”
Wolffe felt the ancient instinct of fight or flight flood his veins. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what was next.
In an even voice, he said, “What’s happening? I’m about to see the president of the United States.”