someone called Diviner. We don’t know who Diviner is, but we need him. Or her.”
“You’re sure the perp is human?” Nikki asked, thinking of Alexander Wryzynski.
Dana nodded. “We intercepted an instant message, definitely generated by a human. He, or she, thought he was talking to Bryan Ellis.”
“The congressman.”
“The congressman who tried to kill Francesca Thorne two months ago. He’s been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.”
“I remember Chesca. I ran into her once on the firing range.” Nikki frowned. “She didn’t say much but I could have sworn her eyes would cut glass. Like she could see right through me.”
“Quiet and thoughtful,” Dana agreed.
“And scary,” Nikki added.
“Bryan Ellis gave us Diviner as part of his plea bargain. When we made contact, we came away with the signal location, but that was all. I’ll look into Wryzynski. That’s the best lead we’ve got.”
“Where do I come in?” Nikki asked.
Dana pitched the straw into her drink and settled back. “Care for a trip to Hong Kong?”
Nikki regarded Dana for a moment. “I have leave coming up. Might be able to get a couple of weeks if I ask nicely.”
“Then you’ll do it.”
Dana was all business, even when she was being friendly. She knew about Nikki’s origins in Lab 33, just as she knew Jess’s. She also worked for the mysterious Delphi, who herself—or himself—was the mouthpiece for the more mysterious Oracle.
And all these pieces came together around the Athena Academy, where Nikki had found herself surrounded for the first time by women. Not just women. Like-minded women who were driven by a sense of purpose, and who weren’t afraid to sacrifice whatever it took to achieve a greater good.
Like the people on the shrimp trawler this morning, who’d been willing to sacrifice everything—homes, jobs, community—to bring their children to a foreign land for a chance at a better life. For the greater good of the family.
Nikki knew about the greater good of the family. She had her own family full of crazy, laughing brothers and loving parents. She had the Hecates and Jess.
She had Athena, which suddenly faced threats against it, threats against its students, past and present.
The waiter placed steaming platters of food in front of them, but neither woman touched her plate.
Nikki’s jaw clenched. “Arachne has it in for Athena.”
Dana’s silence spoke volumes. It just didn’t give details.
Nikki nodded, satisfied. For the moment. “Hong Kong.”
Chapter 3
The moment Nikki stepped into the Hong Kong International Airport terminal, she turned on the GSM quad-band phone Dana had given her. Not only was Delphi well-informed, Nikki thought, but she provided cutting-edge technology to her field operatives. A built-in scrambler kept messages safe.
Nikki snorted. Field operative. Yeah, that’s me.
Still smiling, she slung her backpack over her shoulder, preparing to shoulder her way through the throng flowing toward the illuminated sign that read Trains to city. A chirping sound started up and it took her a moment to realize it was her new phone. She slid sideways through the slipstream of travelers to a vacant spot by the wall.
Nikki answered the phone with, “Your timing’s good.”
“There’s a problem,” Dana replied. “We lost your contact.”
Nikki settled her backpack between her feet. “What do you mean ‘lost’?”
“Regina Woo’s been killed.”
Shock coursed through Nikki’s veins as she let her back make contact, hard, with the polished stone wall. She didn’t know Regina—she was another Athena student who’d graduated before Nikki arrived—and had had limited contact with her to set up their meeting, but…she was Athena. She was a sister. And having grown up in Hong Kong before moving to the States, she was a natural contact for this mission to find Diviner.
“What happened?” Nikki asked.
“She was ambushed leaving work late last night. It looks like a gang murder to the police, but we think the gang was reporting to someone else.”
“Who?”
“Triads.”
Well, hell. Nikki knew of the triads only by reputation. The gang specialized in cocaine and heroin export with side businesses in extortion and child prostitution. They also had a nasty habit of cutting off the fingers of members who’d disappointed them and giving a traitor the “Death By a Thousand Cuts.”
“What about the guy Regina hired to keep watch for the SHA vessel?” she asked. “Is he still working for us?”
“As far as we know.” Dana was silent for a moment. “Regina worked with several people. Let’s hope Johnny Zhao is one of the less…interesting…ones.”
“I don’t have a way of contacting him. I’ll have to meet up with him in port.” Nikki cursed inwardly. Meet up with a man whose face she didn’t know in a city she’d never visited and without her familiar Smith & Wesson 9 mm in her hand. This didn’t look good. Or feel good. She could be walking toward her death just as readily as Regina had. “I don’t like it.”
“What do you want to do?”
Nikki didn’t hesitate. “Finish the job.”
“You sounded unsure.”
“I was just stating a fact.” She lowered her voice as a tourist couple, English by their tweed slacks, walked by, gawking and dragging heavy suitcases. Nikki tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice as she said, “I couldn’t bring a firearm into the country and I’m stuck now without a weapon. Or a translator in case this guy doesn’t speak English like the rest of post-Brit Hong Kong. I don’t like it. These are facts, but they don’t mean I won’t finish what I’ve started.”
“I might be able to call in some backup from New Mexico—”
“Our window’s closing,” Nikki snapped. “The ship is due in tonight and I need to be on it as soon as I can get on it. I can’t afford to wait for someone else to fly in as backup. Our mark will have disappeared by then.”
“You’re right.”
“I’ll hook up with the contact if I can find him and go from there.”
“Call me tomorrow.” A pause. “If you get a chance.”
Nikki nodded. Dana actually meant if you’re still alive. “Will do.”
She snapped the phone shut.
Her first priority was to locate this Johnny Zhao guy, assuming he was still alive. He was supposed to be stationed at the container terminal, but as she didn’t know his face, she had no idea who to look for.
It’s easy, she reprimanded herself. Look for the armed Chinese guy in black hanging out in the shadows.
Right.
This mission would be a challenge, but she’d faced challenges before. Unbidden, the Cuban girl’s face surfaced in her mind. She ruthlessly shut the vision out of her head. Time to get moving. The sooner she hooked up with Zhao, the sooner she’d get her hands on a sidearm. Or a rifle. Preferably both.
She headed down the wide tunnel toward the trains, and a huge party of Chinese caught up to her, talking amongst themselves in complex, tonal Cantonese. As they swirled around her, dragging their luggage and waving at small children to catch up, Nikki