Free The Portal (A Delphi Group Thriller Book 2) by John Sneeden

of Beijing. Not to mention he’d be able to shut his wife up once and for all. She’d been nagging him for months about taking a trip, giving him a litany of other military wives who seemed to travel almost constantly.
    Their destination was a mountain villa with his wife’s sister and her husband. The women would spend their days in Chengdu shopping. For his part, Zheng planned on taking hikes and spending lots of time on the porch with bottles of Tsingtao.
    Zheng heard a buzzing behind him. Turning, he saw his mobile phone sitting on his desk, a light blinking to indicate he had a text.
    Probably the driver telling me he’s early.
    He grabbed the phone and stared at the screen.
    It was General Kong’s secretary. Zheng was to report to the general immediately.
    He frowned, unsure what to think. He didn’t report directly to Kong. The general was responsible for China’s Special Forces. So why was Zheng being asked to meet with him? Something didn’t make sense. Whatever the reason, he knew it couldn’t be good.
    Zheng cursed under his breath. He’d almost made it out of this wretched place.
    He glanced at his watch again. His car would be arriving any minute. He sent the driver a quick text indicating he’d been held up but would text him again when he was on his way down.
    After grabbing his coat and turning out the lights, Zheng proceeded down a lengthy corridor to a row of elevators. When the car arrived, he stepped in and pressed 40, the floor of the high command.
    As the car began to move, Zheng felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. It was bad enough to have to go to the fortieth floor. It was even worse to go there for a meeting with Kong. The man was known for his prickly personality and volatile temper.
    The elevator dinged loudly, and the doors swished apart. Zheng stepped out and was approached by two guards whose faces were etched with permanent scowls. He’d almost forgotten the protocol for those visiting the fortieth floor. Remembering the drill, Zheng lifted his arms as one of the soldiers waved a paddle over every inch of his body. There were no threatening beeps, so the soldier grunted that he was clear.
    Zheng was wondering what to do next, when he heard the click of heels. An attractive woman in her thirties strode toward him. She was dressed in a gray business suit and was speaking into a headset.
    So this is where all the good-looking ones work.
    “Good evening, Colonel Zheng,” said the woman after ending her other conversation. She bowed slightly. “Follow me, please.”
    As they walked, Zheng asked, “Do you know what the general wants?”
    The girl turned and smiled but said nothing. He doubted she even knew but figured it was worth a try.
    At the end of the hall, they turned right. A few seconds later, they arrived at Kong’s door on the left.
    The woman turned her head away from him and spoke into the mic of her headset. A moment later, she turned and said, “The general will see you now.”
    The woman turned the knob and opened the door, motioning him in. After he entered, she bowed and closed the door behind him.
    Kong’s office was like his personality, simple and no nonsense. A desk, two bookcases, and two chairs that looked like they’d been purchased at a yard sale. It was exactly as Zheng had pictured it.
    “Have a seat,” grunted the portly general from behind his desk.
    As Zheng sat down, he noticed the incredible view out of the window behind Kong. If not for the gathering darkness, Zheng figured he could see Chengdu from here.
    Kong beat the keys of his laptop a moment longer before finally pushing it to the side. The general then sat back and crossed his arms. “Zheng, thank you for coming. Can I get you something to drink?” Zheng opened his mouth to speak, but Kong continued without waiting for an answer. “You are here because of your experience in South America.”
    Zheng frowned. What on earth could this be about? He had worked in Peru for three years