The Spy Who Loved Me

I woke the next morning with a feeling of utter bliss. I knew in the back of my mind that Ibrahim was due to report his findings back today, but somehow, in Tim's arms, in this home where we'd been made so welcome, it didn't seem to matter quite so much.

Tim stirred, and opened his eyes. "Good morning, lover."

I smiled. "Good morning yourself."

He stretched. "I could use a shower. Did you see what the arrangements are?"

I nodded. "Through that arch – there's a tank on the roof that heats up during the day."

He grinned. "Come with me?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

We took our time showering, then helped each other dry with the large towels we found. When we emerged into the courtyard, Suleika was sitting at the table with Akilah, helping her to peel an orange.

"Ammu, amma!" the little girl said, jumping up to hug us. Suleika rolled her eyes. "I hope she didn't get juice on you."

I grinned. "Don't worry."

Suleika looked at me carefully. "You must have slept well," she said. "You seem really relaxed."

I smiled. "We had a lovely time yesterday. I can't begin to thank you enough for your hospitality."

Suleika nodded. "I hope you'll go home with a good impression of our country."

Akilah looked up. "You're going home?"

"We'll have to go soon, little one," Tim said. "Maybe today, maybe tomorrow."

She reached out her arms and clung to him. "Take me too?"

Tim chuckled. "Sorry, can't do that." He kissed her hair, then put her down.

"Akilah, darling, come and sit by me," said Suleika. The little girl obeyed, looking subdued.

We breakfasted on fruit, sweetened rolls and coffee, then Suleika said, "We should go back into the office."

Akilah looked up. "You'll come back and say goodbye?"

I nodded. "Of course."

Suleika called for the car, and once again I remembered to thank her grandmother, sitting in her accustomed place under the tree.

We met the car at the main road, and quickly reached the office. Suleika nodded to the receptionist, and we made our way straight to the conference room.

Ibrahim was waiting for us, and he stood as we entered. "Sayid, sayida, welcome," he said.

"Do you have something for us?" asked Suleika.

Ibrahim nodded. He picked up the projector control and dimmed the lights.

"Tim gave us credit card details and the bank accounts from which they were set up," he began. "As your father –" he nodded at Suleika – "instructed us to override any internal security controls in our search, we were able to trace these back to their origin."

He pressed the control again, and a map appeared on the screen.

I gasped, and even Tim looked surprised. The map showed the original money trail from the USA to Geneva, then the links we'd followed to Dubai. But the onward trail stretched far to the east, the lines converging on Beijing.

Tim spoke first. "Two possibilities. Either this is a deniable attack by the People's Republic, or a powerful faction is seeking to achieve some purpose of their own."

He turned to me. "I have to follow this through. But China will be different – on this evidence, I can't guarantee any diplomatic protection, and the risks may be even greater. I can't ask you to come with me."

I glanced at Suleika and Ibrahim. "This doesn't change anything. I told you after the attack on us, I want to be where you are."

I leaned closer to him. "And more so after last night."

Tim nodded. "Thanks, Jenny."

He turned to Ibrahim. "The memory stick I gave you contains an encryption key you can use to send this information back to the agency. When that's done, I'll make arrangements for us to leave."

He paused. "Please, thank your father for his help. If we find out who sent those men to his camp, rest assured we'll get that information to him."

Ibrahim nodded, and brought the lights back up, then left the room to send the encrypted message.

"When will you travel?" asked Suleika.

"As soon as possible," Tim replied. His phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket. "Beth. You got the message."

He listened for a moment. "I know. But there's no mistake – the bank have given us every facility." He raised his eyebrows at Suleika, and she smiled.

"Yes," he continued. "Both of us, to Beijing."

Beth seemed to be reminding him of the risks. "I know," he replied. "But things are different now."

He listened again. "OK – twelve noon, local time here. Thanks, Beth."

He put the phone away. "We have time to go back to the house to pack – and to say our farewells to a certain young lady, of course. Beth will make sure new papers are waiting for us at the airport."

We went down to the lobby, and Suleika called the car for us. When we reached the house, Akilah and her grandmother were absorbed in a game using the board and the smooth stones we'd seen the previous day.

Akilah jumped up when she saw us, running to Tim to be picked up. She somehow sensed our mood, and said, "You're going now, aren't you."

Tim nodded. "But I promise - wallaahi – we'll come back."

Akilah nodded solemnly. Tim kissed her on the cheek, then lifted her into my arms.

"Goodbye, little one," I said. I thought for a moment, then unclasped the pendant I wore – a tiny enamel bird – and refastened it round her neck. "You can look after this for me until we come back."

She touched the little bird, and finally I saw a tear roll down her cheek. I gave her one last hug, then put her down. We walked with her over to where her grandmother sat, and she climbed into the old lady's lap.

Tim expressed our thanks again for the family's hospitality, then we walked back to where Suleika was waiting.

"I called for the car," she said. We walked towards the main road, and I glanced back at the house, holder of so many happy memories in such a short time.

The car took us to the airport, and Tim was approached by a dark-suited man wearing sunglasses, who handed him an envelope.

"Thanks," said Tim. I noticed the tiny flag pin at the man's lapel, and decided he was from the agency. The man nodded without speaking, and left us.

Tim took a deep breath, looking at Suleika. He spoke a long phrase in Arabic, and I could see from her face that she was deeply touched. She replied, a short phrase. Then she glanced around, and put her arms round Tim for a brief hug, then stepped back, smiling.

I moved forward to hug her in turn. "Go with God, Jenny," she whispered. I nodded.

As Tim and I walked to the security desk, I glanced back to see Suleika still watching us. Then she gave one last wave, and turned, soon lost to sight among the crowd.

Once more we went through the process of bypassing the normal security checks, and as we walked to the plane, I said, "What was the last blessing you gave Suleika? She was obviously very moved."

Tim thought for a moment, then translated. "You are my friend. And a friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

"Wow," I breathed, blinking back tears.

"It's actually a wedding blessing, but she knew how I meant it."

We reached the plane, an Air China 747, and climbed the stairs. The stewardess greeted us, and I had to force myself not to see her as complicit in what her country – or someone in it – had done to mine.

We were seated in First Class again, and I tried to relax as the plane took off, but I felt like a big piece of my heart was left behind, in the quiet courtyard of a house in the city below.

I glanced across at Tim. He reached out to take my hand, and I glanced round automatically.

"Don't worry," he said. "We can relax a little now – though there are some things I'll need to tell you for when we arrive in China."

I squeezed his fingers gratefully, leaning towards him. "How long's the flight?"

"About eight hours, but with the time difference we'll get in at midnight."

I thought for a moment. "So we'll literally be on the other side of the world from where we started."

Tim nodded. "You seem to be coping OK with the time zones."

I flashed him a smile. "I certainly slept well last night."

He put his arms round me and squeezed. "I love you, Jenny."

I felt tears pricking at my eyes. "Same here."

We heard footsteps approaching, and moved apart. Our stewardess arrived, and said, "Are you ready for lunch, sir, madam?"

I nodded. "Thank you."

Wine came with the meal, and I realised we hadn't had any alcohol during the time we were in Dubai. I took a sip, and raised my eyebrows. "The wine's good."

Tim sipped. "Hmm."

He looked at me and winked. "Think it's French, actually."

I laughed, then coughed as my wine went down the wrong way. Tim patted me on the back, looking concerned.

"I'm OK," I managed. "You've cheered me up, anyway."

We finished our meal, and Tim said, "Do you want to try and sleep? We'll probably have to start fairly early in Beijing."

I nodded, and reclined my seat. Tim did the same, and we faced one another.

"Sleep tight, my love," he said.

I woke feeling chilled, and sat up to look around me. The cabin was dark, and Tim was still sleeping. I decided not to disturb him, and unfastened my lap belt, making my way down the cabin to go to the toilet.

When I returned Tim was sitting up, looking through the papers he'd received as we left Dubai.

"OK," he said. "A new cover. Same names, but this time we're just tourists."

He grinned. "I think Beth has cast us as 'hicks from the sticks' – this brief shows us having no language skills, our first time outside the US."

"Well," I said with a smile, "I won't have any trouble with that. By rights I should have died of culture shock by now."

Tim nodded. "It means that we can easily pick up useful information – no-one will have any idea I can understand what they're saying."

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised that you speak Chinese too? Anyway, you'd better give me the briefing before we touch down."

Tim thought for a moment. "This culture is all about 'saving face' – a little like the sheikh's concept of honour, but much more to do with public perception than reputation."

"In fact," he continued, "it's mostly about appearances. You have to make sure you visibly show people the respect they think their position deserves."

"Sounds a bit like a gathering of Washington socialites," I mused.

"Actually that's not far off," Tim nodded. "But there are some specifics. Remember to take off your shoes if you go into someone's home. If we are invited to visit, we'll need to take small gifts – fruit, flowers. When we're out with someone for a meal, if they invited us they'll pay, but we're expected to offer, more than once."

"Strange," I said.

"Last couple of things," said Tim. "If someone offers you something, always take it with both hands. And the number four is unlucky – don't use it."

"OK, got it," I said.

The captain announced that we were beginning our descent into Beijing, and we strapped ourselves in for landing. When the wheels touched the tarmac, Tim leaned over to me. "OK, into character."

I grinned. As we disembarked from the plane, I thanked the stewardess, then looked out across the lights of the airport, trying to imagine this was my first sight of a country other than my own.

"Tom," I said in what I hoped was my best touristy voice, "where's the car?"

"I don't know," said Tim with a hint of a drawl. "Let's find our bags and look for the travel company representative, darling."

We made our way to the baggage reclaim, and as usual Tim found our cases. Suleika had made sure our clothes were washed and pressed so I had the full choice of dresses, more casual outfits, and swimwear for our trip.

We found our way through immigration, and out onto the concourse. I spotted a placard with "Scott" on it, and touched Tim's arm. "Over there, darling."

We were greeted by a young Chinese woman with a warm, genuine smile, and I decided I'd find it difficult to dislike her. I toned down the brash persona I'd been working on, and returned her smile as she put our cases in the boot of the car.

She opened the door of the car for us, and I slid in next to Tim. The car pulled away, and I looked around, genuinely fascinated by the mixture of modern and more traditional buildings.

We arrived at the hotel, and our guide spoke to the receptionist. He held out a key to me, and I saw him perceptibly stiffen as I took it with one hand. At least I was in character, I thought.

A porter took our cases, while Tim filled in the various forms the receptionist had given him.

"I meet you in the morning at breakfast," our guide smiled, and left us to make our way up to our room.

As the door closed behind us, I exhaled heavily. "How are we doing?" I asked.

Tim smiled. "OK," he said. "Now we can be ourselves."

I glanced round the room. "This is nice, actually." The room had a view out over the Old City, and everything in it seemed modern and functional, though nothing like our suite in Dubai.

"Now," said Tim, "let's get some sleep – we'll need to be alert tomorrow."

I smiled, starting to undress. "I'm sure we have just a little time..."

***

I woke in Tim's arms, and glanced at the clock beside the bed. It showed eight a.m., though my body seemed to be trying to tell me it was earlier.

I stretched, and Tim opened his eyes. "Morning, darling."

I leaned over to kiss him. "Shower?"

He nodded, and we helped one another wash, then dry. When we were dressed, we went downstairs and found our guide waiting for us.

"You sleep well?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you," said Tim.

"Breakfast this way," she indicated. "Is it OK, I eat with you?"

"Of course," I said. "You can tell us what you've organised for us today."

"Here is map," she said, producing a folder. "Today you see the city. Cultural attractions, places to eat."

"Do you come with us?" asked Tim, his voice casual.

"Oh no," came the reply. "You have cellphone, you can call if you need me. Otherwise, be free, take your time, I see you at the hotel after dinner to make sure everything is OK."

I could see Tim carefully concealing his relief. "Thank you," he said.

Breakfast was fruit, rolls, coffee, and when we'd finished we went back upstairs to fetch our things.

"Did you bring a camera?" I asked.

Tim nodded. "I'm afraid it's not a big conspicuous one on a strap round my neck, though."

I grinned. "At least we can make fun of ourselves, anyway."

We went out into the street, and I watched the steady stream of bicycles go by. Tim glanced at the map.

"First stop the Imperial Palace Museum, its collection based on the Ming and Ching dynasties," he said.

I nodded. I looked around, then said, "How do you plan to start finding out what's going on?"

Tim smiled. "We have our methods, Watson."

We set off towards the museum, and I did my best to keep up the tourist persona, pointing at various things and urging Tim to take photographs.

The museum was huge, and we spent the whole morning there looking round the collections of porcelain, calligraphy, weapons. At lunchtime we made our way to the restaurant that was marked on our map, and as we ate Tim said, "I have a plan, but you're going to find it a bit unpleasant."

I looked up from my bird's-nest soup and said, "Oh?"

"We have to make out that we've had an argument, and I don't want to spend the evening with you. I'll insist that the guide directs me to a place where I can drink by myself – I already know that some of the secretaries to the senior Party members go out after work, and Beth has emailed me some photographs. I'll try and pick one of them up, get her to drink a little more than she should, and see if I can talk her into letting something slip."

"OK," I said, doubt in my voice. "What happens if she's just a little too amenable?"

"Don't worry," said Tim determinedly. "I know how to get myself out of most things."

We spent the afternoon at the nearby Natural History Museum, looking at the Gallery of Ancient Reptiles – actually an astonishing collection of dinosaur fossils.

Tim glanced at his watch. "OK," he said, "time to put our plan into action."

We went back to the hotel, and made our way to the dining room. As we finished our meal, Tim nudged me under the table with his foot, then said in a loud voice, "Well, be like that then. If you don't want to come out with me, I'll damn well go out on my own."

His timing was perfect – as the other diners glanced across, then returned to eating, I saw our guide walking toward our table. "Darling –" I began, starting to point.

"Oh, you're here," Tim said brusquely. "My wife has decided she has a headache and wants to stay in, but I want to see the night life around here. Where can I go to see the sights, get a decent drink?"

I admired the coolness of our guide. "Very pleasant club just round the corner. Here, I show you on the map."

Tim looked at the proffered map, then at me. "I'll see you later. On second thoughts, don't wait up," he spat.

He stamped out, and I glanced up at the guide, genuinely embarrassed.

"He is not happy," she said, looking at me with concern in her face.

I pretended indifference. "He gets like that sometimes. He'll be fine tomorrow."

"OK. I see you in the morning with program again."

"Thanks," I said. "Goodnight."

I went up to our room, and tried to read, but I couldn't concentrate. I looked out across the city, and imagined Tim talking to some girl, perhaps getting picked up by Chinese counterintelligence agents.

The hours seemed to drag, and I began to wish Tim had left me his phone, so I could call Beth and at least hear a familiar voice.

Finally I heard Tim's key in the lock, and I rushed to the door. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, smiling, his eyes twinkling, and I sagged in relief.

"You found something, didn't you," I said, beginning to grin.

He returned my grin. "Better than I could possibly have hoped."

He sat down on one of the heavily-upholstered couches, and I joined him, leaning into his shoulder and closing my eyes. "So tell me."

"I got to the club and found a seat with a good view of the door, bought a drink. After a while a group of young women arrived, and I recognised two of them from Beth's photos. They got drinks and sat down, and I watched them for a while.

"When they'd nearly finished their drinks, I got up and walked over to their table, doing my 'new in town' act, and asked if I could buy them all another drink, and they could tell me what's really worth seeing.

"There was a certain amount of giggling, and they agreed. So I bought a round of drinks, then another, and made conversation – asking them about themselves, telling them how great I thought the museums were."

I grinned. "I'll have to be careful with you – you obviously have all the moves."

Tim hugged me. "Strictly business from now on. Anyway, after a while a couple of the girls seemed inclined to go on somewhere else, but I said I wanted to stay – didn't want to get too far from the hotel. One girl – one from the pictures – said she'd like to stay and talk some more, and her friends left, making what I have to say were some very suggestive remarks in Mandarin."

"So I talked to her some more, and happened to mention the bombings. She'd obviously been waiting for some opening, because she started to say how terrible it was, how she'd disagreed with it –"

I interrupted. "Are you saying she knew something?"

Tim nodded. "Wait till you hear the next bit. She was taking a huge chance, because she told me her minister was involved with the planning."

I took a deep breath. "What did you do?"

"That was where I gambled. If the whole thing had been set up by their counterintelligence people, right now I would be in some unpleasant cell and 'no, Mr American Consul, we have no idea what happened to Mr Scott, we're afraid even in our well-ordered society there are still criminals, he must have come to some harm, of course we'll investigate.'