Spyder Web Read online

  Over the last few years,Wu had increased his contacts with the Chinese Communist government, signing lucrative trade agreements and offering technical assistance. He had even secretly sold technologies to China that Western governments had forbidden. The Chinese, for their part, had assured Wu that both Hong Kong and his company would be left untouched when the Crown Colony reverted to Chinese rule.

  As his relationship with the Red Chinese improved, they became more open to his assistance in acquiring forbidden hardware and software from the West. High-speed supercomputers were always in demand by Beijing, and Wu had been able to supply them with older Cray and Moy computers without arousing suspicion abroad.

  The Red Chinese appreciated his efforts, but both parties knew the machines he acquired were not the same state-of-the-art computers used by the United States government and her allies. The Red Chinese wanted the best, and Wu knew that their lust for technology was the key to securing his future under their rule.

  The intercom phone buzzed softly on Wu’s ornate hand-carved desk. He lifted his eyes from the report that he was reading and answered.

  ‘Yes, Yuying?’

  ‘Kang Fa is here to see you,’ his secretary announced respectfully.

  ‘Excellent. Please show him in.’

  The large black-lacquered door swung open silently as Wu’s secretary led the man in. Kang was a frequent visitor, having become Wu’s primary contact with the Red Chinese in Hong Kong. The two men met in the center ofWu’s office. Both were dressed in finely tailored business suits, crisp white shirts, and silk ties.To an uninformed observer, Kang appeared more like a Hong Kong stockbroker than a Mao-suited Communist from Beijing.

  Wu bowed respectfully to his guest. ‘Kang Fa, how are you today?’

  ‘I am well,’ Kang replied politely. ‘And you?’

  ‘I am also in good health. Thank you for coming on such short notice.’

  Kang sat opposite Wu in one of a pair of ornate chairs. ‘You expressed some urgency when you called. Is there a problem?’

  ‘There is no problem, only an opportunity. Over the years, I have provided Beijing with significant assistance in acquiring various equipment and technologies.’

  ‘And you have been well compensated for your efforts.’

  Kang usually hid his emotions well, but the tone in his voice expressed a hint of annoyance. He had developed Wu as a resource, using the man’s access to the West to help China with its technological leap forward.

  Agents such as Wu are like small children, Kang thought, always in need of constant reassurance that they are appreciated.

  ‘Ah, but your needs were never fully met. That is about to change.’Wu sat back comfortably in his chair, enjoying the puzzled look on Kang’s face. ‘Would Beijing be interested in the next generation of supercomputer technology, a type of machine that even the government of the United States does not yet possess?’

  Kang sat forward in his chair, his calm demeanor replaced by a heightened level of enthusiasm that he knew would flatter his host. ‘Of course! How would this be possible?’

  ‘I recently acquired the technical designs for the new Moy Electronics supercomputer. This machine is not yet on the market, and the first units are not scheduled to ship until March.With the proper funding, I should be able to provide a comparable machine in a few months’ time.’

  Kang knew well his government’s desire for the latest supercomputers, machines whose sale to China was forbidden by the United States. ‘I do not think that you will find any difficulty in financing this venture. What will you require?’

  ‘Here is a proposal, as well as the performance characteristics of the new machine.’Wu handed over a manila envelope. ‘The new device incorporates some rather exotic technologies that will make the reverse engineering a little more difficult.’

  ‘How difficult?’ Kang inquired as he picked up the proposal.

  ‘Nothing insurmountable,’ Wu reassured him. ‘By late spring, Beijing will be in possession of a machine unlike anything they’ve ever worked with before.’

  Kang opened the envelope and thumbed through the proposal. He noticed several of the pages in the appendix were internal documents from Moy Electronics, describing the new supercomputer. This was indeed a coup for Wu.

  In his previous efforts, Wu had obtained computers and software that already existed—items that he could legally purchase through his U.S. subsidiaries and secretly deliver to China. This information was different; it had been obtained directly from the source.

  Wu must have an excellent contact inside Moy Electronics, Kang thought, a source that could be useful on another matter.

  Kang placed the proposal into his briefcase and joined Wu for a cup of tea. The conversation turned away from business as he complimented Wu on his efforts. For his part, Wu modestly accepted the praise, hoping that he had ensured his family’s security in China’s Hong Kong.

  Neville Axton watched the digital VU meters register the sound energy passing through them, checking for at least the tenth time that they were recording the conversation taking place inside Wu’s office. British Intelligence had leased a small office in an older building across from Wu’s suite. From there, they were able to mount an eavesdropping campaign against the Chinese industrialist.

  Axton’s associate snapped off several photographs using a long telephoto lens. ‘Terrible shame I can’t make out what’s on those papers Wu just handed off. Those blinds half-open like that will just bugger any legibility on the enlargements.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Axton said to the photographer. ‘I think Wu has already told us what’s in those papers.’

  ‘Pity we can’t just arrest him, sir.’

  Axton cast a withering glance at the young man. ‘Under the new Hong Kong rules, we’re the ones who should worry about being arrested. Our job here is just to watch and see if we can figure out how Wu is getting the goods on his competitors. Somebody outside Hong Kong is selling restricted technology to Wu, and that’s the bloke we’re after.’ Axton smoothed back his thinning gray hair. ‘A security leak at Moy—the Yanks aren’t going to like that one bit. I’ll bet you a bottle of single malt that Sir Daniel Long will be on the hot line to the CIA once our report reaches London.’

  The photographer leaned up from his camera. ‘Well, sir, it looks like the show’s over for today.’

  Axton observed the scene through a pair of field glasses, watching Kang exchange pleasantries with his smiling host. In his mind, another scene came into view, that of a young woman murdered on a dock not far from here. Lin Mei, her brother, and all the rest had been murdered by the man he was watching. It had taken him over six months to put a name and a face to the person responsible for the deaths of his agents and an innocent girl. Axton just wished this view was through the scope of a sniper’s rifle.

  ‘So, you finally crawled out from under your rock, you bastard,’ he whispered to himself. ‘I know who you are, Kang Fa, and I haven’t forgotten what you did to Lin Mei.’

  22

  LONDON

  February 18

  Wu Zhusheng waited in the London hotel room, just as Kang had ordered. A week had passed since he had made his proposal to Kang, and the response from Beijing was not what he’d expected. Instead of a lucrative contract, Kang had demanded to know how the Moy computer designs had been acquired.

  The interrogation had lasted for over two hours, with Kang questioning him repeatedly on the details of his arrangement with the British business consultant Ian Parnell. Once satisfied that he’d wrung out every scrap of information from him, Kang demanded an introduction to Parnell.

  At 9:10, Wu answered the knock at his door. It was Kang Fa. Without a word, Kang ushered him down to the hotel lobby and into a waiting car.

  Axton’s report from Hong Kong arrived just ahead of Wu’s flight, giving the watchers barely enough time to set up their surveillance, not that their first ten hours of watching Wu had produced much. According to the
report,Wu’s departure from Hong Kong had been sudden and followed a meeting with the Chinese agent Kang Fa. Kang’s appearance in the lobby of the Inter-Continental caught the hotel team completely off guard. This was the only glimpse of Kang that the watchers in London would get today. By 9:20, Kang’s car had disappeared into the crowded streets of London, driven by someone who knew how to evade observation.

  Kang’s car pulled up to the contemporary mixed-use high-rise nestled among the old wharf buildings and tower cranes of London’s Canary Wharf. Kang and Wu entered and took an elevator to the twelfth floor, where they reached the office bearing the brass nameplate PARNELL ASSOCIATES.

  The receptionist greeted Wu and his guest and notified Parnell of their arrival. Both men took a seat in the tastefully decorated reception area, patiently awaiting their audience with the high-priced consultant. After a few minutes, she escorted them into his office.

  ‘Zhusheng, it is good to see you again. I trust that there are no problems with our recent efforts on your behalf?’

  Parnell stood as Kang and Wu entered, towering nearly a foot over his visitors. Wu had declined to tell him the purpose of this visit, other than that he wished to make an introduction for an associate in need of Parnell’s special consulting services. Wu was a valued client and Parnell was always willing to assist him.

  ‘None,’ Wu replied with a crisp bow. ‘Your work was outstanding, and our reverse-engineering efforts are proceeding satisfactorily.’

  ‘I’m pleased to hear that,’ Parnell replied.

  ‘It is in light of your work on that project that I would like to introduce my associate, Ba Xan.’ Parnell shook hands with Kang, who had created a new identity for this meeting. ‘He will be assisting me financially with the development of our products.’

  After everyone had taken a seat around the black granite conference table, Parnell again turned his attention to Wu. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?’

  ‘Ba Xan is a longtime associate of mine with varied interests throughout Asia. He has a project with very specific requirements that I believe you can assist him with.’

  Parnell basked in the glow ofWu’s compliment before turning to Kang. ‘I am certain that Zhusheng has represented us fairly before bringing you here to London.’

  ‘He has indeed.Wu speaks very highly of you and the services you have provided for his corporation.’ Kang shifted from pleasantries to business. ‘Recently, you acquired very detailed technical information from Moy Electronics, information that could only have come from a source within that firm. I also have a need for information that can only be acquired from within Moy Electronics. You are the only person, whom I am aware of, with access to such information.’

  Parnell thought briefly about Moy Electronics and Michael Cole. ‘What do you require?’

  ‘Moy Electronics has developed an advanced encryption technology that increases the security of data moving among computers.My firm is involved with projects across the Pacific Rim and we must ensure that our data traffic remains secure.’

  ‘Why don’t you just buy this technology from Moy?’

  ‘It is not that simple. The technology is restricted by the United States government and may not be sold outside that country. My firm does not qualify as a legal purchaser of that technology. Therefore,we must acquire it through alternate means.’

  If Ba turned out to be as high-paying a client as Wu, Parnell would be happy to do business with him. ‘It’s possible that we may be able to assist you in this matter. How long will you be staying in London?’

  ‘Only a few days.’

  ‘That should be long enough for us to make a determination. Zhusheng has informed you that our fees are nonnegotiable and final for services of this nature?’

  ‘Yes, and I am certain that your fees reflect the full value of your services. So that you understand how serious my request is, I am prepared to offer you one million pounds for discreet acquisition of the cipher system’s hardware design and programming.’ Kang pulled a business card bearing his alias from his wallet and wrote the name of his hotel on the back. ‘This is where I am staying while in London. Contact me when your proposal is ready, and I will draft a check for your retainer.’

  Parnell’s eyes glittered, and then narrowed at the mention of such a fee. He reached over and accepted the card. ‘I look forward to doing business with you.’ Following the meeting, Parnell lay down on his leather couch, kicked his shoes off onto the floor, and phoned Roe in New York with the news. What he didn’t expect was her lukewarm response to Ba Xan’s request.

  ‘Alex, I don’t understand you at all. Ba simply wants a data encryption system that’s not for sale at his local shop. What’s the problem?’

  ‘Think about it. This guy wants encryption technology—that is, ciphering technology. We already know what kind of ciphering Moy has, and whom they made it for. This isn’t business software; this is the kind of thing my previous employer might have sent me after.’

  Roe’s reference to the KGB wasn’t lost on Parnell. ‘So you think we should turn Ba down?’

  ‘That’s your call, but I don’t have a good feeling about this.You don’t know a thing about Ba, and I’ll bet money that some intelligence service is pulling his strings. I think you should pass. Even if Ba is legitimate, he wants forbidden fruit from the U.S. government.’ Over the phone, Roe couldn’t tell if she was making any headway with Parnell. ‘If it helps you decide, we don’t have a secure way into Moy right now, and it’s much too soon for me to do a follow-up interview.’

  Parnell was silent. Roe knew he was weighing a million-pound fee against his cardinal rule of avoiding governmental espionage. ‘I think you’re right. This one is just too hot for us. Shame about the money, though.’

  ‘What good is a million pounds if you’re rotting in some prison for espionage and treason? It’s just not worth the risk.’

  That evening, just before Kang planned to go to dinner, a courier delivered a letter from Parnell regretfully declining his request for services. A deep anger filled him, and he walked for several hours that evening, working out how he would overcome this obstacle.

  Parnell started his morning with an early workout, followed by a light breakfast. Once dressed for the day, he took the stairs from his fifteenth-floor flat to his suite of offices three floors below. This was his idea of a perfect commute to work. As usual, he was the first to arrive, which allowed him some quiet time at the start of the business day.When he unlocked the door to his private office, he found Ba Xan waiting for him.

  ‘What are you doing in here? How did you get in?’ Parnell demanded.

  ‘Close the door and sit down.’ The request was delivered in a tone of voice that thinly disguised a threat. Parnell closed the door and took a seat opposite Kang.

  ‘Can I assume that your presence here indicates that you received my letter?’ Parnell asked sarcastically.

  ‘I did indeed, and I must say that I am disappointed. May I inquire what prompted you to make such a rash decision?’

  ‘Quite simply, I don’t want this kind of business. Normally, a referral from a long-standing client such as Wu would be received with open arms. Your request enters into an area that I have made a strict practice of avoiding.’

  ‘Which area are you referring to?’ Kang asked.

  ‘I do not traffic government secrets. I will not work for, or against, any government.’ Parnell was adamant on this point and spoke with conviction. ‘That field is filled with professionals with whom I have no desire to compete.’

  ‘But my request is against no country,’ Kang assured him. ‘The technology I require from Moy Electronics is no different from that which you provided Wu.’

  ‘There is a clear difference.The information I acquired for Wu was commercial in nature. What you have requested is for the sole use of the United States government.’ Parnell was firm and direct. ‘The information is of no real value to anyone unless they’re trying to decrypt tha
t government’s internal communications. I don’t particularly care whom you are working for, but I will not get involved in this kind of business.’

  Kang seemed unmoved by Parnell’s protests.’I appreciate your position but I would like to make something very clear to you. On several occasions, you have provided illegally obtained technology to Wu Zhusheng for use by his electronics firm. Some of that information was offered to the government of the People’s Republic of China in exchange for considerations to Wu and his family. If you do not agree to obtain the technology that I require, the authorities in London will learn the true nature of your business dealings with Wu. I can assure you that Wu Zhusheng has kept meticulous records of his transactions with your firm.’

  Kang reached inside his pocket and pulled out Parnell’s letter and held it for a moment before sliding it across the table. ‘Your refusal is unacceptable. Since money has failed to persuade, perhaps the future of everything you’ve built here will.’

  Parnell rose and began pacing. He thought best on his feet and needed to project a sense of control over the situation.

  ‘You’re wielding quite a stick against me. Therefore, I must insist that I be appropriately compensated for my efforts. I’ll make an attempt to secure the cipher technology from Moy Electronics. I will not seek to obtain it from any other source, especially the American government. For this attempt,’ Parnell continued to define the terms of the deal, ‘you will pay me five hundred thousand pounds. This is a tremendous risk that I’m being forced to undertake, a risk that deserves its own reward. You will transfer that amount to my offshore accounts now, and another half a million pounds later, if I am able to deliver the ciphers. These are my terms for taking this assignment, and they are not negotiable; either accept them or leave. If you insist on pressing me into service for anything less, I will fold up my business and expose your operation to Her Majesty’s government in exchange for immunity from prosecution. The Americans will, of course, be informed of your interest in their ciphers by the British government, making any future attempts even more difficult.’