Battlefield 4: Countdown to War (25 page)

64

Garrison’s call came in before Kovic could think of a reply.

‘I’ve got something for you.’

‘Go ahead, sir.’

‘Chang’s location – he’s in Shanghai in a downtown hotel. The Pudong Royale. His private chopper’s on the roof. The place is pretty much in lockdown. We don’t know why he’s there or who he’s seeing. But I thought you might like to know.’

Kovic reached out to Hannah and drew her in, held her close, while he continued the conversation.

‘That’s unless you want out. That exfil offer still stands.’

He held Hannah against him, as her body shook with grief.

‘I’m not done here. What’s the overview? What’s the Pentagon saying?’

‘The overview is that China’s southern fleet is pulling in around us, and the Pentagon’s telling me to do zip lest it inflame things further. Which for them is somewhat out of character.’

‘Are they hearing what you’re telling them about Chang?’

‘I’m telling, but I can’t guarantee they’re listening.’

‘And Langley?’

‘Not a peep.’

‘And you’re certain about Chang’s whereabouts?’

‘I only have eyes from above but I’m looking at a live image of his machine on that hotel roof.’

‘Thanks.’

Kovic slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Hannah straightened up, moved away from him, and wiped a hand across her face.

‘I look like shit, right?’

‘Under the circumstances I’d say you look pretty tremendous.’

‘I’m sorry I had to involve you.’

‘I think we’re way past that.’

‘I tricked you.’

‘It was clear from your text that you were – not yourself.’

She managed a faint smile.

‘You couldn’t believe I’m – I was attracted to you?’

‘Let’s say I try to be realistic.’

She looked at him for several seconds, some indecipherable signal arcing between them. Eventually she spoke.

‘My father’s dead, my job’s gone, I’ve just killed a bunch of men – I don’t even know who they were. It’s just you and me now.’

Kovic started to form a sentence in his head:
I can get us out of this right now – we could be on a US aircraft carrier in forty minutes
. . . But the words stayed unsaid.

She took a big breath and slowly let it out. She looked small and vulnerable, but after what he had just seen, he knew that was highly misleading.

‘Jin Jié’s having a rally – the theme is “unity”. I should be there with him.’

‘Jeez, he doesn’t give up, does he?’

‘He feels it’s his last chance to bring together the progressive forces in a show of numbers that will convince any doubters that there really is a future in China for freedom and democracy.’

‘He has no idea—’

She cut him off.

‘Ideas are what he’s all about. Ideas and being able to express them. If he doesn’t, who else will? The others—’ she shook her head in disgust, ‘—are too afraid to step out of line and take a stand; too scared, and too corrupt.’

She stepped over one of the corpses.

‘I’m going to go to him. The least I can do is show him some support – and watch his back.’

She started towards her car then looked down at the state of her dress.

‘Perhaps I’ll go upstairs and freshen up first.’ Then she paused again. ‘You could come too?’

Kovic smiled. ‘Thanks, but I think you’ve got better things to do.’

65

Kovic made no comment on Wu’s latest wheels, a sure sign that his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t even ask him if he was rested after their ordeal up the mountain. All he wanted to know was that he had brought his spare ID. There was no point going in armed, they would never get past security. Wu drove at speed through the deserted streets.

He glanced at Kovic, who was deep in his own thoughts.

‘What’s the plan, boss?’

‘You know me, I don’t like plans. I’ll figure something out when we get there.’

Kovic got as far as the main desk of the Pudong Royale Hotel, waving one of his South African passports.

‘Where’s my bags, hey? I left my luggage here only last week and now you’re telling me it’s gone? What kind of a show are you running here? You get the police on to it now. RIGHT NOW, do you hear?’

The women on the desk looked embarrassed. This kind of behaviour could get them into trouble with their bosses. Wu, standing beside him, pleaded to be allowed to look through the left luggage closet.

‘Only for a moment, just to be sure – we’re not going to touch anyone else’s stuff. It’s just, he’s a bit upset, you know.

‘Upset!’ roared Kovic. ‘Of course I’m freakin’ upset! D’you know what’s in those bags? My wife’s anniversary present, that’s what!’

‘I’m sure they will let us look,’ said Wu. ‘Just calm yourself.’

‘Don’t tell me to calm myself!’

So far so good. A young male receptionist took the initiative and
led them to the inner lobby, where Kovic started to breathe strangely and stagger about.

‘Oh Jesus, oh God! It’s my heart!’

They were beside the main lifts.

‘Get help!’ yelled Wu. ‘Get a doctor! Now!’

As soon as the guy’s back was turned, they slipped into the express lift that took them to the top floor.

‘If only everything in life was that easy.’

‘I thought I was the one who gave the Oscar winning performances.’

‘You are, but heart attacks require someone more—’

‘Worn out looking?’

The top floor, the seventy-ninth, had been shut off. Kovic exited on the seventy-eighth and Wu pressed Down, then just as it started, flipped the Emergency Stop. Kovic forced the doors open and stepped on to the roof of the car. Wu then released the button and pressed Up. The car ascended as far as it would go, just far enough for Kovic to reach the doors of the seventy-ninth and force them open. As soon as they began to part, two guards peered at him from behind the muzzles of their QSZs.

‘Guys, there’s been a hijacking. I don’t know what’s going on but they’re trying to . . . could you give me a—’

Kovic seized the barrel of the nearest guard’s weapon and rammed it against the other guard’s outstretched hand. The first guard’s trigger finger instinctively squeezed and a bullet went at almost point blank range into his comrade’s forearm. Kovic then grabbed the second gun, fired, and both men were down. He climbed on to their floor and shoved the guards through the gap in the doors on to the roof of the car, before letting them close.

Now he was armed and alone.

He set off down the hall and turned a corner into more guards who immediately closed round him.

‘Hey! The fuck you think you’re doing?’

They weren’t buying the indignant guest act. Any unannounced individual, no matter what their nationality, was bound to be a source of suspicion. Their comrade’s gun would be a dead giveaway
and it was too late to get rid of it. He had to think of something else.

‘I’ve brought a message from Jin Jié. It’s an urgent request for talks. I need to speak to a member of the Admiral’s staff—’

‘From Jin Jié? Where’s your proof?’

‘He realises it’s all over. He wants to do a deal.’

When you improvise, be plausible
. That was what he had been taught and it had stood him in good stead. He had the nagging feeling he sounded ridiculous, but then he could almost believe Jin Jié actually was potentially naive enough to try and negotiate with Chang. A more senior official appeared wanting to know what was going on.

‘He claims he’s been sent by Jin Jié.’

‘Trust the jumped-up little prick to send a foreigner. He’s too late anyway. Cuff him.’

Suddenly the doors opened behind them and an official in navy uniform shouted at them to stand to attention.
Shit, I’ve really fucked this up
, thought Kovic. Over the shoulders of the guards he could see a huddle of naval uniforms sailing toward them.
Chang will be with them and he’ll see me, and I can’t do a fucking thing.
He couldn’t move forward or back. He was surrounded, so he bent his knees in the hope that he would make himself less visible and bowed his head. As the entourage approached, he heard the engines of a chopper powering up on the helipad overhead. He felt the bodies around him straighten as the entourage came past. He kept his head down, and heard a muffled exchange of pleasantries. The bodies around him relaxed and parted, just enough to reveal who had just bid the Admiral farewell.

It was Senator Hiram Metzger.

66

The guards holding him hesitated. Surely they couldn’t be taking orders from Metzger? It was impossible, yet he seemed to hold some sway with them.

‘Hey, cut that guy loose – he’s with me,’ he barked.

Kovic shook them off and, and stepped towards the Senator.

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘They’re a little jumpy right now, with what’s going down out there. Come and have a drink.’

Metzger strode down the corridor as if he owned the place. Fighting to hide his incredulity, Kovic followed.

‘Too bad you missed the Admiral.’

Kovic digested this. Indeed, he had come so close to Chang and yet couldn’t do a damn thing except hide. But what was Metzger the Sinophobe doing with him?

‘Yeah, it was too bad, sir.’

The best he could do was play along.

Metzger laughed as he strode ahead.

‘The guy’s a piece of work, I’ll tell you that. But we don’t have to like him, so long as he plays ball. Tell you something, Kovic; wouldn’t hurt us to have a few more like him in our military. The guy knows how to bust a few balls.’

‘Yeah, I guess,’ said Kovic, thinking,
What the fuck—?

Metzger steered him into a banqueting room with a spectacular view of the skyline. He pointed at a magnum of Pol Roger on a table. The champagne glasses strewn about suggested that he, or someone, had already been celebrating.

‘Warrior’s nectar – Churchill’s favourite apparently. Help yourself. No point leaving any for Cutler, the man’s teetotal.’

‘He’s on his way?’

Metzger frowned. Kovic’s heart skipped a beat. He turned away, found a clean glass and poured. It was the last thing he wanted right now but he had to buy some time to work out what the hell was happening here.
Improvise
.

He raised his glass to Metzger.

‘The Station Chief plays his cards close to his chest sometimes.’

Metzger shrugged, looked at his watch.

‘Yeah, well, we’re past that point, now.’

‘Well here’s to—’
To what? Betrayal?
For a second Kovic couldn’t finish the sentence. He came up with a suitably meaningless word. ‘—to progress.’

Metzger nodded, approvingly. Kovic took a swig. It was warm and sickly. He put the glass down. What the fuck was going on? He had to know.

‘Maybe you should bring me up to speed, sir. Anything – more from Chang?’

Metzger waved the question away.

‘Cutler has all the details. All I care is that I’m outta here before kick off .’

Metzger walked over to the window and stood there, surveying the vast nightscape of light.

‘Tell you one thing, when Chang gets his hands on the controls it’s gonna be a whole lot darker down there.’

He gave another of his guttural chuckles.

‘You know what he said? He stood right here and said, “These are going off. Night is for sleeping.” Boy, do they have it coming to them.’

Kovic’s mind was in overdrive. Nothing made sense. He stared down at the city.

‘Sir, I gotta say, I never had you down as a friend of China.’

Metzger wheeled round, frowning.
I’ve blown it now
, thought Kovic.

‘Friend? I hate the little yellow fuckers. They’ve closed down half the factories in the States, flooding the market with all their cheap shit.’

‘Yeah, right.’

Still barely able to believe what he was hearing, it was all Kovic could think of to say.

Metzger turned towards him, eyes ablaze.

‘What you did for us on the border. That was good work. We needed that. Too bad we had to lose a few good men but – that’s how it goes sometimes. You lit the fuse for us.’

Kovic felt a cold, sick feeling deep in his gut. He had been played – by his own side. He summoned all his mental energy to suppress his revulsion. He needed more from Metzger.

‘Cutler’s a clever operator, sir.’

Metzger snorted.

‘Yeah, well he can take the credit if he wants, but you and I, we both know it’s been Chang all along. He’s one evil genius.’

Metzger was in full flow now, the truth spilling out of him. Kovic’s mouth had gone completely dry. He looked round for some water. There wasn’t any so he took another swig of champagne.

‘So how’s the Pentagon taking it? So far.’

At first Metzger just glared. Had Kovic gone too far?

But the Senator just shrugged. ‘Cutler sure does like to keep you in the dark, don’t he!’

Kovic laughed. ‘You can say that again, sir.’

‘The Pentagon don’t know shit. They’re gonna look like pricks when this goes up in their faces and you know what? They’re gonna come crawling to us for hardware and I’m so gonna enjoy that.’

‘You’re going to be very popular back home, sir.’

‘On the button, Kovic. And if I play this right—’

‘The White House?’

‘Well, it had crossed my mind . . .’

Metzger’s eyes were shining with hubris. The guy was completely out of control.

The door opened and in came Cutler, wheeling his case with one hand, his fat briefcase in the other. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Kovic, as if he’d been shot.

Metzger advanced on him.

‘So, we all done?’

Cutler’s forehead reddened. He let the briefcase slide to the ground.

‘Relax, Cutler! I’ve just been bringing our hero here into the tent. Are we good down there?’

He turned to Kovic.

‘You better be off the streets when Chang starts telling the world we iced that whack job Jin Jié.’

The pulsing throb of a descending helicopter filled the air. Metzger’s security detail entered the room, two jarheads with high-and-tight cuts. They stood to attention and held the door open.

‘Senator?’

‘I guess that’s my ride, gentlemen.’

Cutler picked up his case; his hand was trembling.

‘I’m gonna need to come along with you, Senator.’

‘Sorry, Ned, no can do. We’ll catch up in DC.’

Cutler glanced at the security guys who stood either side of the door. They had heard what the Senator said all right.

Metzger picked up his coat, came up to Kovic and pumped his hand.

‘Good work, son. For some kind of foreigner you make quite a passable American.’

He chuckled at his own brilliance and swept out of the room.

Kovic and Cutler were alone.