CHAPTER NINE

“We’ll need a satellite connection,” China says.

“Upstairs,” the man with the gun says. “We just finished sweeping the perimeter to make sure that you came alone.”

“Understood,” China says. “Now you understand something from me. I am only interested in saving those two kids. Nothing else. If you harm them in any way, the deal is off.” She looks at the man carefully. “I’m an old lady,” she says. “I no longer care about politics or money or anything else. Just my family. Understood?”

“Noted,” the man says. “Now get your old bony ass out of that chair and start walking.” He barks orders at the others, and they grab the two kids and cut the bonds around their feet and march them behind China and her captor back up towards the surface.

China sees the blood on Jane’s face and down the front of her shirt, but it doesn’t look serious and she is pretty sure that it hadn’t happened since they had come back. Probably in the tunnels. Thank God they had found their way back to the cavern.

When they enter the kitchen, they are directed into the garage where computers and tables are set up. The man with the gun indicates a seat in front of a computer for China to sit down. Miguel Angel and Jane are seated on straight back chairs in the corner.

A doctor comes to get another DNA sample from Miguel Angel. His gag is removed, and his face cleaned up and his hair combed. Then he is given a sheet of paper to read out loud while they record him. “My name is Miguel Angel Stroessner,” Miguel read. “I am of sound body and mind and under no coercion, physical or mental. I request access to my family trust. Access codes to follow.”

“Now it’s your turn,” the man with the gun indicates to China. “That’s a satellite phone next to you and the number is pre-programmed into it. All you have to do is press DIAL. You know the rest.” China nods curtly.

She knows what she is doing. She presses DIAL and waits for a dial tone and then places the receiver back into its cradle and connects the phone call to the computer. She doesn’t need to talk to anyone. It is all cryptography and protocol. Things have to happen in a certain order and in a certain way with the right codes.

She had memorized the codes when she left Asuncion on the helicopter. Maybe she doesn’t have a photographic memory like Moises but she used to be a good rival when it came to playing mind games on their long stakeouts through the years. Those were good years.

Stay focused, she reprimands herself. The kids are in danger still. There is no guarantee that they will be allowed to go free after everything is finished. That is the danger point.

China waits for the prompt and then enters in the first bits of code. It is accepted almost immediately. “Now it’s time for the DNA and proof of life,” China says.

The doctor leans over the console and speaks into the computer, recorded by video and audio. He gives his credentials and his testimony and the file number of the lab report stating that the DNA is truly Miguel Angel Stroessner. It will be compared to his father’s DNA which is already on file with the bank. That will take some time.

“Now we need to send the video recording from Miguel Angel as proof of life with the date and time stamp indicated clearly by the phone,” China says.

When that is done, they have to wait. They will check the DNA sample on the other end and process the access codes and proof of life. “It could be as long as an hour, but when they are ready, I have one more code to input and it will be done.”

It only takes twenty-five minutes for the computer to beep that it is done and that the final code needs to be given.

But China is not ready to do it.

“Let the children go,” she says to the man with the gun. “You don’t need them anymore. Once I input the final code, you can give me your transfer code and we can send the money anywhere you want. You get the confirmation from your bank, and we’re done.”

“No,” the man with the gun says. “Not yet.”

“Then I will not complete the final access code,” China says quietly. It is a stand-off, but she will not back down.

The man with the gun thinks about it. “Where would they go?” he asks. “Is there anyone outside to receive them?” China tells him the truth. “Juan Carlos Montoya should be waiting outside with his car. The two families are waiting in an all-night diner on the edge of Bella Vista Norte.

There are no police and no CIA. Like you said. You are only a few kilometers away from the border and you have the ability to hide in the tunnels.”

“Those two kids know about the tunnels,” the man with the gun says.

“You can take me as hostage until you get away across the border,” China says.

She can hear Jane and Miguel Angel grunting their disagreement to that plan through their gags which stay firmly in place.

The man thinks for a moment longer, then he calls over one of the others and speaks to him quietly in German. Miguel Angel and Jane are pulled out of their chairs but before they can go anywhere, China says to Miguel Angel, “give me your arrowhead.”

Miguel Angel looks at her for a moment and then takes the arrowhead from around his neck and gives it to China without a word.

Then they are marched back into the house and out the front door.

“Look on the monitor,” the man with the gun says.

China can see Juan Carlos run out to meet them and hug them and hustle them into the car.

She waits until she sees the car speed off down the dirt road. Then the man with the gun turns the monitor off and indicates to her to finish the job.

China looks at him for a long time. “You know,” she says, “this money belongs to the Paraguayan people not to you.”

“I just work for a living,” the man says.

“You plan to use the money to destabilize the democratic government of Paraguay,” she accuses him.
“I’m not sure I can do this.”

“You have no choice,” the man says, raising the gun and pointing it at her head. “I don’t know what they are going to do with the money, and I don’t care.

“I’m not afraid to die,” China says.

“I know,” the man says. “That’s why I sent four of my men to follow this Juan Carlos fellow back to the restaurant. Now you’ve put the two families in danger.”

China looks at him through narrow eyes.

“Just finish the job and it will all work out the way you want it to,” the man says.

China knows she has no choice. She relaxes her shoulders, resigns herself to doing what the man wants and starts to pull something out of the inner pocket of her jacket. “Careful,” the man with the gun says.

“It’s a Chinese puzzle box,” China says, showing it to him. “I put the access codes in here but you can’t open it without the arrowhead. Each point of the arrowhead has been calibrated to fit into the box perfectly. If you try to open it any other way, an acid is released and the paper is destroyed.”

The man grunts, appreciating the ingenuity of it while China puts the arrowhead into the lock and carefully removes the paper. Then she inputs the final access code.

“It’s done,” China says. “Now put in your transfer code and hit enter.”

She turns the keyboard toward him, and the man takes out a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and starts to type in the code.

“It will only take a few minutes for the confirmation to come back that you received the money,” China says.

It takes almost five minutes, but it finally arrives. The man grunts and stands up. He indicates to China to stand up as well.

“What are you going to do with me,” China says.

“I’m leaving you in the tunnels, in the cavern. There’s enough food and water there for a couple of days and the kids know how to get down there. You’ll be alright.”