Donovans 02 - Jade Island

the way to the wall.” April looked at Lianne again. “Wash the stardust and sex out of your eyes and think. The government can help you more than the Donovans. We’re the ones who put that triad assassin on a plane and sent him back to China.”
    “The government locked me up,” Lianne said. “The Donovans set me free.”
    “You could have walked anytime you decided to roll over on your Chinese connection. That was all we wanted.”
    “That was the problem. I didn’t have a ‘Chinese connection.’ I still don’t.”
    “Bullshit. You couldn’t have gotten something like that jade shroud out of China without mainland contacts. Lots of them. We want them. Then we can confiscate the damned thing under the Cultural Antiquities Act, send itback where it belongs, and get on with the much more important business of Westernizing China.”
    “Good luck,” Kyle muttered.
    “Amen,” Archer agreed. “More likely we’ll be sinecized.”
    “Is that a word?” Kyle asked.
    “Stand-up comics,” April said scathingly. “Jesus. Keep it for the stage, slick. We’ve got serious business to do here.”
    “Are you slick?” Kyle asked Archer. “Or am I?”
    “Must be you,” Archer said. “I’m more an ass-kicker myself.”
    “If I had brought the suit into the U.S.,” Lianne said before April could explode, “you’re right, I would have needed a lot of help. But I didn’t bring in the shroud. I don’t have any mainland connections. Period.”
    “Believe her,” Archer said. “I do.”
    April’s anger faded as she looked right at him, running scenarios in her head, changing attacks in mid-stride because the attack she had been using wasn’t any good.
    “All right,” she said, deciding. “Say I believe Lianne is innocent. Then what?”
    “Then you get out of our face and let us clean up this mess.”
    “How will you do that?” April said quickly.
    “Don’t tell her,” Kyle said, just as fast. “There’s a leak somewhere on her side.”
    She turned on him, all acting gone. Nothing remained but a cold, polished agent who knew more than one way to kill. “Explain that.”
    “I couldn’t figure out why the Feds were dragging their feet after Lianne put up bail,” Kyle said. “The bureaucrat in charge did everything but make forms by hand.”
    “So civil service is a bitch,” April said. “So what?”
    “So someone called about Lianne making bail. Then someone else sent a triad hit man to her apartment.”
    “You’re reaching,” April said, turning back to Archer. “Okay. What’s the deal?”
    “I’ll get back to you on that, too.”
    “You really believe our security is compromised?” April asked scornfully.
    “It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?”
    Small, elegant fists shot up to rest on April’s waist. The result was to outline her body very nicely, but for once she wasn’t thinking of that.
    “Okay, boys and girl,” she said. “Listen up. Some really big elephants are at play. Right now, you’re the grass underfoot, soon to be ground into mud. If the idea doesn’t appeal to you, grab hold of Uncle Sam and climb up for the ride. You’ll be a lot safer.”
    “What about Farmer?” Kyle demanded. “He bought the suit. Surely he can give you a lead.”
    “He says he got the suit from Taiwan.”
    “Then why are you leaning on Lianne?” Kyle asked.
    April didn’t answer.
    Archer did. “Two reasons, I imagine. The first would be that our assets in Taiwan say that the jade shroud didn’t come from there, but Taiwan is more than happy to twist the Chinese tiger’s tail by saying it did and forcing the U.S. to choose sides. Uncle, of course, would rather not play that game.”
    “And the second reason?” Lianne asked.
    “You’re easier game than Dick Farmer. He has wires into enough Congressmen to light up Washington, D.C.” Archer turned back to April. “Right, Ms. Joy?”
    “Right or wrong, it’s not my problem. It’s yours.” She watched Kyle with clear black eyes. “Last chance, handsome. I promise I’ll be gentle with you.”
    Kyle gave April a genuine smile and shook his head.
    She spoke to Lianne in rapid Cantonese. “No matter how strong and beautiful the tiger, it is always safer to walk than to ride.”
    “No doubt,” Lianne said in English. “But I have to say, the ride is incredible.”
    “Yeah,” April said, flicking Kyle a glance, “I’ll just bet it is.” She faced Archer. “Someone is going downfor that jade shroud.