“Star Wars. The satellite system to shoot down Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles.”
Li shook his head. “No. That was a cover. SDI was not created to fight the Russians. It is being designed for the specific purpose of knocking down UFOs. It’s the only chance there is of stopping them.”
Robert sat there in stunned silence, trying to absorb what Li Po was saying, while the rumble of thunder grew louder. “You mean, the governments are behind—?”
“Let’s say there are cabals within each government. Operation Doomsday is being run privately. Do you understand now?”
“My God! The governments aren’t aware that…” He looked up at Li. “Li—how did you learn all this?”
“It’s very simple, Robert,” Li said quietly. “I’m the Chinese connection.” There was a Beretta in his hand.
Robert stared at the gun. “Li—!”
Li squeezed the trigger, and the sound of the shot mingled with a sudden deafening crack of thunder and a flash of lightning outside the window.
Chapter Forty-eight
The first few drops of clean rainwater awakened her. She was lying on a park bench, too exhausted to move. For the last two days, she had felt her life energy flowing out of her. I am going to die here on this planet. She drifted into what she thought would be her last sleep. And then the rain came. The blessed rain. She could hardly believe it. She lifted her head to the sky and felt the cool drops running down her face. It began to rain harder and harder. Fresh, pure liquid. She stood up then and raised her hands high, letting the water pour over her, giving her new strength, bringing her back to life. She let the rainwater fill her body, absorbing it into her very essence until she began to feel her tiredness vanish. She felt herself growing stronger and stronger until finally, she thought, I am ready. I can think clearly. I know who can help me find my way back. She took out the small transmitter, closed her eyes, and began to concentrate.
Chapter Forty-nine
It was the lightning streak that saved Robert’s life. At the instant that Li Po started to squeeze the trigger, the sudden flash of light outside the window distracted him for a moment. Robert moved, and the bullet hit him in his right shoulder instead of his chest.
As Li raised the gun to fire again, Robert gave a side thrust kick, knocking the gun out of Li’s hand. Li spun forward and punched Robert hard in his wounded shoulder. The pain was excruciating. Robert’s jacket was covered with blood. He lashed out with a forward elbow smash. Li grunted with pain. He riposted with a deadly shuto chop to the neck, and Robert evaded it. The two men circled each other, both of them breathing hard, looking for an opening. They fought silently in a deadly ritual older than time, and each knew that only one of them would come out of this alive. Robert was weakening. The pain in his shoulder was increasing, and he could see his blood dripping to the floor.
Time was on Li Po’s side. I’ve got to end this quickly, Robert thought. He moved in with a front snap kick. Instead of evading it, Li took the full force of it, and was close enough to Robert to drive his elbow into Robert’s shoulder. Robert staggered. Li moved in with a spin and back kick, and Robert faltered. Li was on top of him in an instant, pummeling him, pounding his shoulder again and again, backing him across the room. Robert was too weak to stop the rain of punishing blows. His eyes began to dim. He fell against Li, grabbing him, and the two men went down, smashing a glass table, shattering it. Robert lay on the floor, powerless to move. It’s over, he thought. They’ve won.
He lay there, half-conscious, waiting for Li to finish him off. Nothing happened. Slowly, painfully, Robert lifted his head. Li lay next to him on the floor, his eyes opened wide, staring at the ceiling. A large shard of glass protruded from his chest like a transparent dagger.
Robert struggled to sit up. He was weak from the loss of blood. His shoulder was an ocean of pain. I have to get to a doctor, he thought. There was a name—someone that the agency used in Paris—someone at the American Hospital. Hilsinger. That was it. Leon Hilsinger.