Book III of The Dream Seers: Offworlders
The Far Eastern Connection
By Nathan Skaggs
BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Munich, Germany
© 2013 by Nathan Skaggs.
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All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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ISBN: 978-3-7309-5171-2
PUBLISHED BY BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
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Macao
At 10:00 p.m., Sunday December 19, 1999,Central Security Service agent, Dr. Nicholas Stark left Macao aboard a seaplane and headed towards Singapore. For the last two days, Stark posed as a rich Portuguese playboy enjoying the colony’s final days under Portuguese rule. Stark descended below radar 80 miles off shore. He then proceeded to a rendezvous point 120 miles off shore. Several miles from the rendezvous point, Stark noticed a pulsating ultraviolet beacon. The beacon marked the position of a high speed catamaran.
“Stingray, this is Seabird. Come in please.” Stark said over a secure channel.
“Seabird, this is Stingray. You’re right on time as usual.” Philippine Secret Service agent, Esperanza Hidalgo responded.
“Is everything ready to go?” Stark asked.
“Affirmative. Come around to our port side.” Philippine Secret Service agent, Mercedes Aguinaldo answered.
Stark landed about 10 yards from the catamaran, so Aguinaldo, Hidalgo, and the Chinese dissident, Ying Ai, could take a dingy to the awaiting seaplane. Ying, a gifted nuclear physicist, fled to Macao after the Tiananmen Square massacre. Stark’s mission was to relocate her in the United States. After everyone boarded the seaplane, Stark headed towards the Philippines.
“Now for the final touches.” Aguinaldo said.
“We’re safely out of range, so here it goes.” Hidalgo said upon activating a remote detonator.
A bright explosion appeared in the distance.
“Why in the world did you do that? You could have used the boat for later!” Ying said.
“The former owner won’t need it anymore. He mysteriously disappeared after being caught smuggling weapons to Filipino rebels.” Aguinaldo explained.
“At least now everyone will think he died at sea.” Hidalgo commented.
“Now for the next stop on our tour. The Batan Islands. Ying and I will switch planes while you two will sneak back to Manila. No one will know you were ever gone.” Stark said.
“Won’t we have to clear customs and immigration upon arrival?” Ying inquired.
“Al contraire. We’ll descend below radar just outside Filipino territorial waters where an aquatic helicopter awaits.” Hidalgo stated.
“We’ll take the helicopter while you and Stark take a trip to Basco Airport.” Aguinaldo explained to Ying.
“I already have a cargo plane fueled and ready to go.” Stark added.
A few hours later, Stark and landed near the aquatic helicopter so Aguinaldo and Hidalgo could make their secret arrival in Manila.
“Well ladies, it’s always a pleasure doing business with you.” Stark said.
“Good luck, you two.” Aguinaldo said.
“Be careful.” Hidalgo stated.
“We will. Thank you, ladies.” Ying said as she hugged Aguinaldo and Hidalgo.
Stark then proceeded to the awaiting cargo plane at Basco Airport.
“Are we taking this cargo plane all the way to the United States?” Ying wondered.
“No. We’re going to island hop and change planes as we go.” Stark responded.
“So where to now?”
“The Northern Mariana Islands.”
“What if someone recognizes us? I can’t help but be paranoid. You know the Chinese have agents all over the Pacific.”
“I know quite well. That’s why we’ll make identity changes each time before we land. I have disguises waiting in each plane. So relax and enjoy the flight.”
Upon arriving in The Northern Mariana Islands, Stark and Ying rested for the day. At 4:00 p.m., December 20, Stark and Ying changed disguises then took another cargo plane to Wake Island.
While on Wake Island, Stark gave Ying additional details regarding her relocation. After resting near an Air Force base, Stark and Ying boarded another cargo plane to Kauai at 12 noon on December 21.
During a brief stay on Kauai, Stark gave Ying the final details for her relocation. Stark picked a place in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ying’s parents and younger sister would join her in the following days. At 6:00 p.m., December 22, Stark and Ying began the final leg of their trip to San Francisco. In the early morning hours of December 23, Stark and Ying arrived in San Francisco. From there, Stark flew Ying to her new home in Moraga aboard a helicopter.
“Welcome home. I’ve scheduled your sister and each parent to arrive separately. Each one of you now has new identity information. Study them well! I’ll be in the nearby house. My fellow agents are also in the neighborhood. We’ll stay until we deem the area is secure. We’ve already fixed everything at the university, so you’ll be ready to begin teaching in January.” Stark explained.
“Is it true San Francisco has the biggest Chinatown in the United States?” Ying asked.
“You’ll see tomorrow. I’ve arranged for one of my colleagues to give you a tour of the Bay Area. You’ll also have a welcome to the university party.”
“Is this standard treatment for all the people you relocate? You’ve performed above and beyond the call of duty.”
“I took this job to save lives. I would expect any good intelligence operative to do the same for his for his charges.”
“I’m not allowed to thank you, since we never met, so this must do?”
Ying gave Stark a sensual kiss. Surprised, Stark backed away.
“You’re making me think I lost my touch. We’ve been alone for four days, and you’ve made no attempt to touch me.” Ying said.
“I’m not supposed to have romantic involvement with my charges.” Stark said.
“Just enjoy it. You’ll be someplace else tomorrow. No one will know.”
“I suppose you could persuade me.” Stark said as he pulled Ying towards him.
Early Christmas Eve, Stark arrived at Capital Airport where his older brother, Edward, along with his parents, Gary and Sondra, were waiting. The Starks would spend the holidays with the Mazes.
“So how was Vietnam?” Gary asked.
“Interesting to say the least.” Stark replied.
“Did you finish everything you set out to do?” Sondra asked.
“Yep. Everything went right as planned.” Stark stated.
“Great. We’ll be in Mason City in about hour, so you can rest for tomorrow. The Mazes will be at our house at noon tomorrow.”
After a quick trip to Mason City, Stark enjoyed some much needed relaxation.
Following a pleasant Christmas afternoon with the Mazes, everyone decided to watch some videos.
“Well, we’re agreed. It’s Four Weddings And A Funeral now then The Phantom Menace.” Stark said as he turned on the TV.
A brief Filipino news piece broadcast the murder of a prominent Chinese dissident in an upscale neighborhood.
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 27.09.2013
ISBN: 978-3-7309-5171-2
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