Donovans 02 - Jade Island

by Chiang Kai-shek during the revolution or, more recently, by aperson or persons unknown. If Uncle doesn’t return the stolen property, it will seriously strain relationships between China and the U.S. Human rights will be the first to go. The Chinese government is already screwing down on students and newspapers in Hong Kong.”
    Kyle made a disgusted sound. “The only way China will ever have any human rights worth mentioning is when they have more GNP or less humans. It has nothing to do with a jade burial suit.”
    “Grow up,” Archer said impatiently. “Politics isn’t about reality, it’s about what you can make people believe is real. If you didn’t learn that in Kaliningrad, you never will.”
    Kyle looked away from his brother’s cold, intelligent eyes. Archer was right. Kyle just didn’t want to hear about it. “What is Taiwan’s version of reality?”
    “It’s yelling at the U.S. that Taiwan is a legitimate, separate Chinese government and if Uncle gives anything back to China it will seriously undermine democratic Taiwan in its long, underdog battle against the overwhelming might of the Chinese Communists.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “You’re eighty percent correct,” Archer said, his voice as cold as his eyes. “The other twenty percent is why Uncle is tiptoeing and praying the whole thing will just go the hell away.”
    “Which side are you betting on?”
    “I’m keeping my money in my jeans. Unless something breaks soon, it’s going to be a hell of an international pissing contest, the kind nobody really wins.”
    “They’re big boys. All I want to do is get Lianne out of the yellow rain.”
    “Good luck,” Archer said ironically. “Choosing between the legitimacy of Taiwan and China is a nettle that Uncle really doesn’t want to grasp. If the Feds can pass the nettle off to someone else—anyone else—they will.”
    “Lianne hasn’t earned it.”
    “Maybe. And maybe Uncle tagged the right thief.”
    “No,” Kyle said curtly.
    Archer closed his eyes for an instant, then opened them again. Life had taught him that bad news didn’t go away just because you didn’t look at it. “Any particular reason you’re so sure of her innocence, or do you just like fucking her?”
    “Don’t talk about her like that,” Kyle snarled.
    “Bloody hell,” Archer said savagely. “Bloody, bloody hell.” His fist slammed down on the nearby end table with enough force to make a heavy bronze lamp jerk. “I should have yanked you out of the game the instant I saw you watching the sexy Ms. Blakely like you’d never seen a woman before.”
    “I’m not the one at risk. Lianne is. She’s not hard enough for this game, Archer. She was as shocked as anybody when she saw Farmer’s jade suit.”
    “Do you really believe that was the first time she had ever seen it?”
    Kyle started to say yes. Then he remembered the way she had demanded to see the burial suit up close, and then the fear she hadn’t been able to conceal when he gave Lianne her wish.
    “She didn’t know Farmer had the suit,” Kyle said. That, at least, he was sure of.
    “But the auction wasn’t the first time Lianne saw that suit,” Archer said neutrally, “was it?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “I think you do. I think you just don’t like it.”
    “Damn it, she doesn’t have the apparatus to pull off a theft the size of the Jade Emperor’s Tomb!”
    For the first time, Archer smiled. It was thin and cold as a slice of ice, but a smile nonetheless. “Glad to see all of your brain cells haven’t sunk to your crotch. That’s why Uncle wants someone close to Lianne. To find out who else is involved.”
    “Are you saying that the Feds don’t really want her locked up?”
    “Not particularly.”
    “Then why did they arrest her, cuff her, and haul her off?”
    “They didn’t have much choice. They desperately needed a bone to throw China. Someone gave them Lianne and jade.”
    “Who wants her off the street that bad?”
    “Wen Zhi Tang.”
    “But why?”
    Archer bit back a cutting remark. He would rather have Kyle’s cooperation than the head-thumping brawl his youngest brother was asking for. “People tend to get pissed off when more than a million dollars’ worth of jade goes missing.”
    “I don’t think Lianne stole anything. I think she was set up.”
    “You think? You think? With what? Your hyperactive dick?”
    “Shove it, Archer. I’m serious.”
    “So am I!” And this conversation was going