“Hey!” Harper stood a little taller. She’d been eating like crap since her return from Africa. Plus, all the plane travel made her body retain water.
“Relax, Harper. These gentlemen need all the facts.”
The other agent took a turn at studying their faces. “With a ball cap on to shield her face from their never-ending supply of facial-recognition cams, she might be able to pull it off.”
“We could have the docs printed at the embassy where they’d make the switch,” added the senior agent. “The doppelganger, as Dr. Randolph called her, would have to stay confined to the embassy throughout the operation.”
“She’ll understand. Also, we’ve already discussed microchipping Dr. Randolph so your people can track her.”
The senior agent furrowed his brow. “If they’re onto her, their jamming devices will render it useless. This whole operation depends upon her not being exposed. Not easy.”
“Do you have a better option to determine if this is a biological weapon in the most literal sense of the term?”
The senior agent sighed. “No. Not really.”
“Good, let’s get started,” Harper said with a hint of excitement. “What’s the first step?”
“We have to sell our higher-ups on all this. With a little luck, we won’t be reassigned to a desk job in Argentina hunting down wayward Nazis.”
Harper found the statement odd. “Um, wouldn’t they all be dead at this point?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the younger agent replied. “However, their descendants still carry the flag of the Schutzstaffel in their hearts.” The Schutzstaffel was the enforcement arm of the Nazi Party under Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Known as the SS, they were responsible for more war crimes than any other organization in modern history.
Dr. Reitherman made a suggestion. “I’m going to provide you access to the personnel files of these three employees after I gain the proper permissions, of course. Harper, may they have yours as well?”
“Absolutely.”
Dr. Reitherman continued. “Let me mention something else. We’ve discussed this entire scenario with Dr. Randolph’s husband. I believe he might be working on something that would help her during the investigation. May I message him to advise him of your involvement?”
“Yes,” replied the senior agent. “But, respectfully, we’re going to take you out of the loop at this point.”
“Fine by me,” said Dr. Reitherman. “You guys call it plausible deniability. Am I right?”
The senior agent laughed. “Sorry, Doctor. We’re beyond that level of CYA. Actually, it’ll just make things move quicker. Dr. Randolph has convinced me we have a hell-fire emergency on our hands, and we need to act accordingly.”
Harper smiled. “And to think I really disliked you guys a little while ago.”
“The feeling was mutual,” said the senior agent.
Harper continued. “Since we’re now kumbaya and all that, will you tell us your real names now?”
“Nope.”
With that, the CIA set the wheels in motion for Harper’s investigative journey into the People’s Republic of China.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Changping District
Beijing, China
Hua Chunying, the spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stood before the cameras with representatives of the Chinese CDC standing lined up behind her in lab coats. None of the trio had seen a laboratory in many years. They were, in fact, the buffer between the actual scientists at the CDC and the Communist Party leadership.
“Just as before, the brave workers of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have made a valiant effort to identify the disease in Tibet and other isolated parts of our country. The source has been determined to be a diseased yak.
“Once again, through the heroic actions of our scientists, we have bought precious time for stemming the regional spread of this virus. In fact, only a small number of individuals have been infected. Those who’ve died had serious underlying conditions that resulted in their death.
“During the process of caring for these patients, a treatment protocol has been established, and a vaccine has been identified. Further, we have contained the disease at its source, effectively protecting the people who live in these remote and isolated areas.”
She took a deep breath and looked at her notes before staring at the camera.
“Already, as was the case in the past, Western media and politicians have engaged in a shameless and immoral attack on China. Slandering, smearing and blaming cannot help the fight of infectious diseases. This childish behavior only stifles cooperation between our nations. It must stop, and all nations should focus on their own house before they demand to peer into ours.”
The camera and artificial lighting were turned off, and she immediately left the room with notes in hand. This was act one of the Chinese cover-up of the outbreak. As news broke of the deaths of the four men in Las Vegas, all the attention immediately became directed at China because of their nationality. The world feared a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic. In America, the media, following the lead of President Taylor, immediately sought scapegoats for the disease. Hua’s statement was part of the Beijing government’s global offensive to downplay the outbreak. They would work overtime to push the narrative they had the disease under control and the Las Vegas cases were unrelated, even originating in the States.
Deception had always been central to the Chinese Communist Party’s conduct of international politics, business, and military dealings. Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese general who authored the treatise The Art of War, once wrote—all warfare is based on deception.
China’s deception during the COVID-19 pandemic was the basis for the playbook to be consulted in future outbreaks. First, cover up the outbreak by withholding information on the nature and progression of any new infectious disease. Second, suppress the facts, including the number of infected and the death toll. Third, point the finger of blame elsewhere. In this case, the United States.
It made logical sense. In the minds of the Party leadership, the first reported deaths were in America. The fact that the individuals were Chinese was irrelevant. In fact, they used this as an additional tool of deception by blaming the overworked American healthcare system for the deaths and xenophobia for pointing blame at China.
The media manipulation was highly orchestrated and well thought out. It was designed to deflect attention and bide time while their own CDC tried to find answers. Asking for help was out of the question because it would expose them if the disease proliferated.
The trio of representatives retreated to a quiet office and closed the door behind them. Their leader, a longtime member of the Communist Party leadership and highly respected by President Xi Jinping for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, addressed his subordinates.
His baritone, gravelly voice sounded sinister and was a true reflection of the man. “We will fight long and hard to maintain this cover story. However, that is the job for others. We, like all of China, must stay prepared for the tricks from the West. The first step was removing the Americans from our CDC. The next will be to isolate or eliminate the Europeans.”