Free The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson

beyond an agreement to grant them access to our offices and construction site.”
    “You will please make contact with your communication direction tonight,” Shen Deshi said, misspeaking. Marquardt wasn’t about to correct him. “I wish to speak with the entire crew at once. Please,” he added as an afterthought.
    Prick on a stick!
Barely able to control himself, Marquardt eked out, “Monday morning at ten o’clock.”
    Shen Deshi drew himself out of the chair heavily. He reached into his pocket, withdrew a leather wallet, and carefully passed his business card to Marquardt, both hands extended. Marquardt returned his card in similar fashion.
    “If you are able to help me in this matter,” Inspector Shen Deshi said gravely, “your present situation will continue to be overlooked. At least for the time being.”
    Marquardt swallowed dryly.
Your present situation.
The kidnapping.
    “We believe one of the cameramen is unaccounted for,” Shen Deshi said.
    A member of the American press had gone missing? Was this man hinting at his knowledge of the kidnapping, or could there have been another—a second—abduction? A journalist?
    Given what he now knew, Marquardt realized the man was on orders from the highest level of his government. The Chinese would want to get in front of the event before they lost face in the international community. Their unforgiving stance on foreign journalists was well documented. Not a pretty track record.
    Christ, there must be heads rolling. Marquardt’s next thought was whether he could leverage this to his advantage.
    His hand felt small in the other man’s as they said their goodbyes. But it was the determined, hardened look in his visitor’s eyes that stayed with Marquardt.
    This man will stop at nothing.

SUNDAY
September 26

    5 days until the ransom

7
    7:30 P.M.
    ZHABEI DISTRICT
    SHANGHAI
    “The realtor will meet us in thirty minutes,” Grace said, returning her iPhone to her purse.
    “I love Shanghai,” Knox said. “You make a call, on Sunday afternoon, no less, and you get a showing two hours later. Entrepreneurship at its best. In the U.S., we’ve become too complacent, too expectant of the good life. Here, everyone still earns it.” His one accomplishment of the day had been walking the crime scene: the backstreet warren from where Danner and Lu Hao had been abducted. Lu Hao had ridden into an ambush, though why he’d turned into the narrow-lane neighborhood in the first place remained unexplained.
    “You heard me, yes? Thirty minutes?”
    “Yep. You look appropriately slutty, I must say. I, on the other hand, could use a quick makeover.”
    “Watch your mouth, John Knox.”
    “I mean it as a compliment. It’s part of the plan, right?”
    Grace was looking past him, across the street. “I spot two possible policemen,” she said.
    “The one working the trinket cart and the big guy inside the restaurant over there.”
    “Yes.”
    “I make the one with the cart as PSB. You?”
    “Certainly police of some kind. Yes. We have many such bureaus and ministries here in China.”
    “The other, I’m not so sure about.”
    “Private security, I think,” she said. “Would other foreign companies have an interest in Lu Hao? Of course they would.”
    “So maybe that’s it.”
    “I do not know,” she said, still sounding stiff. He was considering nicknaming her “Rosetta Stone.” “The realtor said she would meet us out front.”
    “You should hang all over me. You know? Like we’re shopping for a place to…you know. To carry out our torrid affair.”
    “Not a problem,” she said.
    “Seriously? Is it that easy for you?” He couldn’t imagine this woman acting sexy or slutty. He couldn’t wait.
    “Think of it this way: when I am not serious, I will let you know.”
    Together they found a shop and Knox bought some dress pants and a pressed shirt. He changed and added his worn clothes to hers in the bag she carried.
    “One thing I’m confused about,”