The Project 01 - White Jade

bite . The crumbs dropp ed on the polyester surf scene he was wearing.
    " What do you think, Nick? Is Yang planning an attack here? He ' s got to be crazy if he thinks we wouldn ' t retaliate. "
    " Crazy as a fox, maybe. Politics being what it is, he might pull it off by setting someone up as the fall guy, like a terrorist group or even the Triads . They ' re right here and a lot easier to go after than whoever is running things in Beijing . "
    " But the Triads would blow the whistle on him. "
    " Sure, but where ' s the proof? It would be their word against his, and he ' d be sitting on the trigger of China ' s nukes. If you were a bunch of our politicians trying to calm everyone down, would you tell the truth? They ' d spin it like crazy. "
    " You ' d think Yang would be satisfied with all the power he ' s already got. "
    " Power is never enough, " said Selena. " At least it seems those who have power always want more. "
    " You ' re a cynic. " Ronnie said .
    " It ' s true here at home. Why would it be any different in Communist China? "
    Carter took a fork full of pasta.
    The buzzer rang. He got up and went over to the intercom.
    " Yes. "
    " Mister Carter , your guest is here. "
    " Send her up. " He looked at Selena. " Your friend is downstairs. "
    " You ' ll like her. "
    Ronnie wiped his plate with bread and downed the rest of his soda . He never drank alcohol . He'd seen families and friends destroyed by it on the Reservation. " I ' ll go next door. Let me know if you need me for something. "
    There was a light knock on the door as Ronnie reached it. He opened it and stepped aside.
    Cathy Chen had long, jet black hair and classic Eurasian beauty. Her golden skin and good looks would fade in a few years , but f or now she was in her prime, radiating vitality.
    She wore a burgundy silk cheongsam, cut low and tight against her body. It showed off her slim figure to perfect advantage. It would have made some women look like a high priced hooker . O n Cathy Chen it provided the touch of elegance and style it was meant to convey. A necklace of delicate white jade graced her throat. She carried a paper bag with a high end shop logo on it . T he neck of a bottle st uck out.
    " Cathy! "
    " Hi, Selena. "
    They moved toward each other and embraced. Ronnie glanced at Nick , shrugged his shoulders, and closed the door behind him.
    " Cathy, this is Nick. "
    She took his hand, her touch cool. Her eyes were bright. He thought he detected something there, but then it was gone.
    " Nice to meet you, Nick. This is your place? "
    " Yes. "
    " Great view. " She turned to Selena. " Hey, girlfriend. What have you been up to, aside from Nick, here? "
    " Oh, not too much. Nick and I have been hanging out some. I ' m working on a translation and doing some consulting work. "
    " It ' s about time you hung out with someone. You haven ' t been seeing anyone since that jerk you tossed in Greece —what ' s his name… "
    " Ted. But Nick and I are just friends. "
    " Oh sure. " She gave him a look. " Well, it ' s great to see you. "
    " How about you, what are you doing? "
    " I just started with a consulting firm here in Washington . They ' ve got a client in China and they hired me as the token Asian. "
    " Oh, come on, Cathy, no one ' s going to take you on as a token. Where are you staying? "
    They began talking away. After a few minutes Cathy broke out the bottle she ' d brought with her.
    " Let ' s open this. I know you appreciate wine and this one is supposed to be excellent. It ' s Australian. They ' re making some really good stuff now. "
    Nick got out an opener, some fresh glasses, and pulled the cork. Cathy poured. She held up her glass.
    " Money, health, love and time to enjoy them. Here ' s to you. "
    They clinked glasses. The wine was good, full bodied and smooth, with an underlying taste Nick couldn ' t pin down. They moved into the living area and sat down, carrying the glasses.
    Cathy glanced over at Selena ' s laptop, still open on the desk.
    " Is that the translation you ' re working on? What ' s it about? "
    " Yes. It ' s an old Sanskrit text on medicine. Nothing very earth shaking. "
    " You always were a whiz at that kind of thing. Working right from the source. I had enough trouble researching the information that was already translated. "
    Carter felt dizzy. The light was fluctuating. Cathy looked at him .
    " I don ' t feel very well, " Selena said.
    " Can I get you anything? " said Cathy.
    Selena ' s wine glass slipped out of