The 22nd Secret Page 19

  Patty and Ben walked along the busy Beijing thoroughfare toward their apartment after sharing dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. The late summer evening was pleasantly mild, and the couple walked hand in hand along a popular downtown street.

  “Patty, I think it’s time for me to begin installing our programs at our missile sites,” Ben said.

  “We’re as ready as we’re going to get,” Patty said. She smiled bravely, though she knew what was coming. “I’m looking forward to traveling around China with you. China is such a beautiful, interesting and historic country.”

  Ben stopped and turned to face Patty as throngs of pedestrians maneuvered around them.

  “I have to do this alone, Patty.”

  “Alone? What do you mean? Why?”

  “There are some national security issues and well… people are more used to seeing Caucasians in Beijing. It’s not my decision. If it was up to me, I’d have you with me. But it’s not. The decision has already been made. I do this alone.”

  “Oh, Ben.” Patty threw her arms around Ben and held him close. “I don’t want to be left here alone. I’m afraid.”

  “Everything’s going to be fine,” Ben said with a soothing voice. “There’ll be a security man assigned to you 24 hours a day and I’ll be back every weekend or so.”

  Patty knew there was deception in Ben’s words. She had planted the idea that her value to the Chinese and to Ben was diminishing. He believed that he now would be able to take what Patty had shared with him and expand on it. His ego was easy for Patty to manipulate. He no longer needed her. Patty had methodically planted the notion that he was beyond Patty’s knowledge, that he was the one who had actually developed the Level 21 shield. It had taken several months. He was not aware of the extent of Patty’s manipulation of his thoughts, and the actual function of the Level 21 program he believed he had created. Patty looked forward to a future in which she would not have to be intimate with Ben.

  The next several months marked a steady erosion of their relationship. Patty made a point of getting out daily for a brisk walk. She had certain routes she would follow. Occasionally, she would stop and do some shopping. A group of security men were assigned to follow her constantly. One of them would always follow a short distance behind her on these outings. Ben’s visits grew less frequent and eventually deteriorated to an hour or two every week for lackluster sexual encounters. Patty stopped working to disguise her disinterest in Ben’s lovemaking. Patty could read Ben’s mind and knew he was developing a serious relationship with a Chinese girl. She was a young medical intern from the right family. Unlike Patty, she would be able to share Ben’s prestige in the scientific community and the Communist Party.

  The end came in the first week of October. Patty had returned to the apartment from her daily walk late, having done some shopping. Her arms were full of groceries. She struggled not to drop the awkward packages as she unlocked the door and pushed it open with her shoulder. She was surprised to find Ben alone on the couch.

  “Ben, you startled me. I didn’t expect you.” She set the bags down on the small kitchen counter in the corner. She noticed the bottle of Black Label Scotch that Ben usually kept in the cabinet above the refrigerator. An empty glass sat next to the bottle.

  “What’s for dinner?” Ben asked as Patty stuffed groceries into the pantry.

  “Rice and beans. I didn’t expect you. I have a little chicken too if you’d like.” Her back was to Ben, and she heard him fill his glass again. She knew he was going to get drunk. When he got drunk he could get mean. Ben slowly developed the habit of getting drunk when he came home to visit. As his importance within the Chinese government grew, their relationship deteriorated and the drinking began.

  “Rice, green beans and chicken?” Ben downed another shot of his scotch. “Why do you still eat American food?” She heard the contempt in his voice.

  “They’re Chinese foods too,” Patty said sheepishly.

  “Maybe, but you cook like an American.” He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and held her breasts in his hands. His breath reeked of whiskey. “You fuck like one too,” he said, laughing at her. He began to fumble at the buttons on Patty’s Chinese jacket.

  “After dinner, Ben.” She turned from his embrace to put away more groceries. “Have another drink and relax. I know you’ve been working hard. I’ll start our dinner.”

  Ben could wait. He was as fond of his whiskey as he was Patty, his American mistress. He returned to the couch and his bottle.

  By the time Patty had served dinner Ben was completely drunk. The food sobered him temporarily, but Patty could tell tonight was going to be bad. She was tired of the constant pressure of not knowing what the next day would bring. She knew Ben could give the order at any time. She knew what most of the security men that protected her really felt about Ben’s blond American whore. She knew most wanted to have their turn with her. She was less than human in the Chinese social structure, and Ben had long ago abandoned her as his future bride.

  When they finished eating, Ben grabbed his bottle and glass and staggered for the bedroom while Patty cleared the dishes.

  “Get in here,” he yelled. “Do the dishes later.” Patty dutifully set down the plate she carried over to the sink, sighed deeply, and pulled herself together. She had succeeded in accomplishing what she had come to China for, but at the cost of her mental and physical health. She was prepared to meet her fate knowing what she had done for mankind, wondering what would be the outcome of her actions in a few years. It was a future she would probably not live to see. She slowly walked to the bedroom, not needing to act submissive and beaten. The last few months had turned her into little more than Ben’s whore. He used her to defeat the Americans’ Level 21 technology, and her knowledge of this meant he would not be able to let her live. She stood at the end of the bed and watched Ben down another shot of whiskey.

  “Strip,” Ben ordered as he poured another shot.

  Patty hung her head in shame. She slowly unbuttoned her jacket. Oral sex had become Ben’s favorite. It was a form of humiliation. It wasn’t the sex he needed. It was the domination of the woman who had made him the man he was. She dreaded doing this with Ben. His drunkenness would prolong the torture. But the worst part was her memory of Jim and the night they spent together. She had given herself so completely to Jim and now she would never see him again.

  Knowing she couldn’t reveal her true discus with this situation, she disrobed and stood at the end of the bed awaiting Ben’s next order. She noticed him struggling in his drunken state to get out of bed. Normally, he would have ordered her to remove his pants. Patty’s eyes met Ben’s as he managed to stagger next to her. The sadistic smile on his face made her feel even more helpless.

  “Bend over on the bed. I’m going to fuck your ass.”

  “No, Ben. I can’t. I won’t let you.”

  Ben grabbed her by the hair and turned her face toward his. His breath was a sickening stench of whiskey and dinner.

  “Don’t make me beat you. Just bend over and let me do what I want.”

  “Please don’t, Ben. Let me do something else for you. I’ll do it really good this time.”

  Ben threw her head down on the bed and, with his arm held straight, leaned with all his weight on the middle of Patty’s shoulders to pin her down. As he began loosening his belt with his other hand Patty had no choice. Suddenly, he passed out on the bed next to her. Pam refused to let him sodomize her. She would never let anyone do that to her.

  Knowing Ben would sleep until morning, she got up, dressed for the next day, and lay down on the couch. As physically and mentally exhausted as she was, she fought to stay awake. She had to know when Ben left the apartment. After that her life would no longer be in Ben’s hands. The Chinese government would decide when and what to do with her. At any moment, after Ben left the apartment, the Chinese security men could be ordered to detain her and take her to headquarters. Patty did not sleep th
at night for fear her mind would not be ready to protect her in the event the Chinese security decided to visit her. She would execute the plan she and Tom had prepared for this inevitability if she could make it until tomorrow morning.

  Patty heard Ben’s groans around 6:00. She lay facing the back of the couch. After visiting the bathroom, he stood over her for a few moments. Patty knew he wanted to say goodbye. He could not have known how much of their relationship had been manipulated. It was all designed to end this way. He believed he had conquered Level 21 and no longer even desired sex with her. Her disappearance would not draw suspicion to what had really happened to the Chinese military. Within a year they would know the effects of the upgraded Level 21 technology. Patty felt guilty about what she had done to Ben and his future. He would forget this conversation the moment he left the apartment, but he would be freed of the guilt that had driven him to drink the last few months. Patty knew whether she survived or not she had destroyed Ben’s life.

  “Patty,” Ben whispered.

  “Yes, Ben.”

  “I’m leaving now. I won’t ever see you again.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m sorry about last night. It was the whiskey. I really never wanted to hurt you.” Ben paused and chuckled. “I guess that’s pretty funny. I never wanted to hurt you. They’ve decided we don’t need you any longer. You’ve become a security risk."

  “I understand. I’ve been expecting this,” Patty whispered, still facing the back of the couch.

  “Patty, do you realize what I’m saying. I’m saying–”

  “Ben, I know what you’re saying.”

  “I’m sorry, Patty. I didn’t want it to end like this. I was so in love with you. I want you to believe that. I don’t know what happened to us. Maybe it was Lo or the Chinese security. Maybe it was all the pressure I felt becoming so powerful so quickly.”

  “It’s okay, Ben you did what you had to. We both did. This is just the way it ended for us.”

  “I’m engaged to be married.”

  “I know.”

  “She’s a medical intern. Good family. My parents are very happy. They never considered you anything more than… I’m sorry. I know you have until this afternoon. They told me they wanted to make sure I wasn’t here when they came for you. That’s why I came here last night to warn you. I just didn’t have the nerve until this morning, just now talking with you.” Ben reached down to touch Patty.

  “Don’t, Ben. Just go.”

  “I’m sorry, Patty. Maybe you can run away.” Tears welled in Ben’s eyes. “I wish I could help you but my position–”

  “It’s okay. Just leave now, please.”

  “I love you, Patty,” Ben said turning toward the door.

  “I love you too, Ben,” Patty whispered as she heard the door close. Patty thought it was the most sensitive moment in their entire relationship.

  Patty lay there dressed in the heavy clothing she had been wearing the last few weeks on her daily walks. Even in the summer, she wore clothing that covered her completely and something over her hair to disguise her Caucasian features. The cool weather clothing she wore now made this easier. The realization that Ben had just walked past the security man outside the apartment flashed through her head as she sat up tucked her knees in under her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. She would sit in this defensive position in the corner of the couch in the corner of the room and stare at the door for the next four hours. She never left the apartment before 9:00, and if she were lucky enough to make it that long, she would not draw attention to this morning’s walk. She decided she would wait until at least 10:00 and leave the apartment for her walk, as she did every day. Ben said she had until this afternoon before they came for her, but he also said they wanted to wait until he was not there. By now they knew Ben had left. They could come at any moment. Patty thought she could handle two, maybe even three of them. But for how long. And then what? Why did Ben say this afternoon? Maybe when the shift changed at 3:00. Maybe one of the regulars had already radioed that Ben had left, and was waiting until the shift change so there would be two of them.

  Patty could only wait. She occupied her time as she had so many times during her walks and lonely days in the apartment. She relived the day and a half she spent with Jim. She needed to stay awake in the event the Chinese security burst through the door. But time dragged on and she grew tired. She finally dozed off with dreams of being reunited with Jim drifting through her mind.

  Suddenly, a door slammed and Patty’s mind jolted awake. It wasn’t her door. She cleared her mind. What time was it? The clock read 10:20. She stood and almost ran toward the door, catching herself just before she flung it open. Stay calm. Walk out of here like nothing unusual is happening.

  She exited the apartment building and started down the street at her normal brisk pace. The security guard walked twenty feet behind her. Patty saw that it was the fat one and that he was alone. She followed one of the half dozen routes she normally took. She had not walked this way for two weeks. The guard carefully kept pace with Patty through the crowded streets. After two miles, at the spot Patty normally turned to the right, the guard suddenly stopped. His eyes and mouth opened wide as he grabbed his left arm and gasped in pain. For an instant, he tried to raise his left arm and point at the figure rapidly moving away from him. He tried to yell out but couldn’t. Two men who noticed him beginning to collapse grabbed him and helped him lie down on the sidewalk. He was experiencing a massive coronary and the pain overwhelmed him. As a crowd gathered around him, no one noticed the woman he had been following.

  Patty’s heart pounded. She concentrated on trying to keep the same pace as she turned to the left down a street she had never walked on before. It was all she could do to keep herself from running toward the door four blocks away. She strained to keep the guard from regaining control and using his radio. She saw the two security men standing across the street. Her mind raced. She knew they would be watching the embassy door.

  She allowed the guard to recover and made him immediately radio for help. The two guards instantly responded to the radio call for help. Their radios told them Patty Lawrence had slipped away just four blocks away. They looked at each other and started briskly walking down the other side of the street, toward their fallen partner and Patty’s last known position. Suddenly, one of them spotted her and bolted across the street, dodging traffic in the process. A second later he stopped in front of Patty and grabbed her by the shoulders. The Chinese woman he thought he saw was staring at him with almost as much shock on her face as he had. Not letting go of his grip on Pam’s shoulders he turned his head and looked behind him, then turned and looked past her down the sidewalk in front of him. Finally looking back at the face of the shocked Chinese woman before he threw Pam aside and quickened his pace toward the last spot Patty Lawrence had been seen. Moments later Pam Koller collapsed just inside the door of the American Embassy.

  There is a twelve-hour difference in time between Beijing and Washington. It was 4 pm when Betty’s friend in the state department phoned her. “Tom Walker’s office,” she said.

  “Betty. Stacey. Have you heard?”

  “Heard what?”

  “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you. I’m not even supposed to know, but I thought your boss may want to know.” Stacey paused to build the anticipation. “Patty Lawrence showed up in the Embassy in Beijing yesterday.”

  Betty almost collapsed but remained calm on the phone.

  “No really?”

  “Yeah, just walked in and gave herself up to a Marine Sergeant. The ambassador is trying to find out what they should do with her. Oops, I got to go. The Secretary just walked in. Bye.”

  “Thanks, Stacey.”

  Betty almost ran to Tom’s office door and threw it open.

  “Patty’s in the Embassy in Beijing,” She jumped up and down and clapped with joy.

  Tom sat at his desk for a moment before looking up at the ceiling and closing h
is eyes.

  “Thank God. Get me Howard.”

  “Yes sir.” Betty hustled to her desk, still smiling.

  “Howard. Tom. Patty’s in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.”

  “Wow. Was she successful?” Howard asked.

  “I don’t know. All I know is she’s there and they’re trying to find out from the State Department what to do with her. We need the President.”

  “Right, I’ll call him now. He’ll meet with us as soon as I can get there, say 10 pm your time?”

  “Okay with me.” Tom paused a moment. “Howard, I’m grateful she’s alive whether she was successful or not.”

  “I think anyone who knows Patty would feel like you do. I don’t have the time now but I plan to have a good cry on the flight to Washington. God, I’m glad this is over with. See you tonight.”

  “Right.”

  At 10:30 Tom and Howard sat down with the President in his personal office in the residential part of the White House.

  “You say you have some critical information about the Level 21 program, Dr. Woolum? I assume your presence, Mr. Walker, means this has something to do with Patty Lawrence?” The President asked.