Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2)(101)

On the bed lay the tools of the modern-day torturer. The would-be torturer, splayed on the carpet, had taken a bullet to the throat. Clearly Chelsea Merrick had had other ideas. Fa regretted shooting such an impressive young woman. But the interesting part of the narrative was that, after freeing herself, Chelsea Merrick had abandoned her parents. Chelsea Merrick had worked hard to put herself in this room with her parents and then brushed by them like strangers. What had she said to him before leaving him to his fate? Judging by Merrick’s stricken, tear-stained face, it would have been worth hearing.

Fa knelt beside the fallen man.

“Hello again, Mr. Merrick. Do you remember me?”

“Lee Wulff.”

“Exactly right. Have you enjoyed your first day of freedom?”

Merrick craned his neck up to look Fa in the eye. “What do you want?”

“Not in the mood to spar with me today? The last time we spoke, you were intent on being clever. I was looking forward to a rematch.” Fa shrugged. “Ah, well. Straight to the point, then. Last we spoke, I made you an offer. You weren’t interested. I thought perhaps you’d had time to reconsider, now that your financial situation has changed.”

“How do you know about that?”

“Who do you think pointed Gibson Vaughn and your daughter in the right direction?”

The head of the unidentified hooded man jerked in the direction of Fa’s voice.

“Who the hell is Gibson Vaughn?” Merrick asked.

“A very rich man, thanks to me,” Fa said.

“Why?”

“So that I could help you, Mr. Merrick.”

“You’re here to help me?”

“Yes, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“What are you offering?”

“To get you out of here. To offer you a comfortable life.”

“How comfortable?”

“More comfortable than dying in that chair when your captor’s men come back.”

“And what do you want?”

“The name of your Chinese collaborator. Merrick Capital had a source inside my country’s Politburo. The real secret to your success. I want the name of the traitor you sacrificed to the Americans to save your skin.”

Merrick’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you? Really?”

“For God’s sake, Merrick,” the other man said from beneath his hood. “He’s a Chinese spy. Shut your damn mouth.”

Fa rose and pressed the muzzle of his gun into the hood. “Who is this man?”

“Damon Ogden. My CIA pimp.”

“Your handler?”

“Not anymore.”

Not that Fa had any doubt, but the presence of the CIA was final confirmation that Merrick knew Poisonfeather’s identity.

Ogden’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“He hasn’t done so well by you, has he?” Fa said.

“No. What are you offering?”

“An apartment in Shanghai overlooking the Huangpu River. The opportunity to be a stockbroker again with one of China’s finest investment firms. Citizenship in the greatest country on earth. And of course a generous consulting fee.”

“How generous?”

“Ten million. US.”

“I want twenty.”

Fa chuckled. Even tied to a chair in a room full of bodies, Charles Merrick wanted to negotiate. The identity of Poisonfeather was worth ten times that amount to his government.

Veronica Merrick interrupted. “I’ll give you the name for nine.”

That was an unexpected development. Fa pulled off her hood.

“How nice to meet you, Mrs. Merrick. You know the name?”

“Of course I know the name. Who do you think ran Merrick Capital? Charles? That would’ve cut into his mirror-gazing time.”

“Veronica, what do you think you are doing?”

“Negotiating my release.”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Negotiating your release. I learned my lesson eight years ago when you changed the passwords on our accounts. Do you think I’m going to sit idly by while you double-cross me again?”

“You want to talk about a double cross? Let’s talk about the fact that we started Merrick Capital together, but somehow your name wasn’t on a single document. You reaped the reward and left me to take the fall.”

“Charles. You wanted to play the big man and cast me as the little lady. Well, big men go to jail.”

Fa watched them in wonder. Despite being tied to chairs, despite the bodies at their feet, despite the surging gunfire, neither Merrick possessed any inkling of the direness of their situation.

“It’s a package deal, or I tell him now for nothing,” Veronica Merrick snapped. “I would have gone to the press before just to see you suffer. I’ll do it again now.”

The Merricks glowered at each other.

“Okay, okay, you win. A package deal.” Merrick looked to Fa. “Get us out of the country, and we’ll give you the name.”

“This is treason, Merrick,” Ogden yelled. “Do you understand that?”

Fa cracked the butt of his gun across Ogden’s head, and the man went limp. He cut Merrick free as a crash in the hall caught his ear. Fa handed Merrick the knife.