“Look in the pocket,” said Smythson.

Dewey looked in the chest pocket and removed a ceramic ring. A small button stuck out of one side of the ring.

“Don’t press it,” said Smythson.

“Why not?”

“I’ll get to that. Now take the shirt off.”

She folded it up and walked it back to the leather bag.

“Sometime after four, you will return to the lobby of the hotel, wearing the shirt. The ring will be on your finger. Head for the Bristol lounge.”

A floor plan appeared, showing the elevator marked with a big X. To the elevator’s right was a large red star. An arrow showed the route.

The floor plan disappeared and was replaced by a photo of the Bristol lounge. The room was fancy, like a tearoom at a palace, with cavernous ceilings, chandeliers, large double-decker windows, booths, and tables filled with people.

“Unfortunately for the Bristol, I’m afraid we’re going to be making quite a mess of it this afternoon,” Smythson went on.

“It’s critical you understand the next sequence,” said Chalmers. “If any aspect of the operation from this point forward goes south, you’re a dead man.”

Three photographs popped onto the screen. On the left was a head shot of Katie. To the right, Tacoma. In the center of the screen was a photo of a Chinese man.

“These are the three role players in our drama,” said Smythson. “Katie, Rob, and a third individual.”

Dewey stood and walked in front of the screen, studying Koo’s face.

“Who is he?” asked Dewey.

“His name is Xiua Koo. He is a high-rank ministry agent. For six years, Koo has also worked for England. Koo is being sacrificed by MI6 for the greater objective of this operation. He’s playing a key role in our deception, and then he will be brought in from the cold.”

Dewey studied Koo’s face.

“As of three thirty this afternoon, Katie and Rob will be in the lounge,” Smythson went on. “They will not be together and will not do anything to acknowledge each other. Rob will brush his hair and put on some decent trousers so that the Bristol allows him inside.”

Tacoma smiled and ran his hand through his hair.

“That could be the most challenging part of the whole operation,” said Katie.

“When you emerge from the elevator, Dewey, you’ll go to the lounge. You’ll be provided a table near the front. You’ll take the seat facing the entrance. By my estimates, time will be approximately five after four.”

The screen flashed to a handgun.

“QSZ-92,” said Dewey, standing in front of the screen, looking at the photo. “Nine by one-nine. Undermount red-dot laser.”

“Correct,” said Smythson.

The screen zeroed in on the muzzle. At the end of the barrel, where the site was located, was a small silver object. Dewey thought it was a smudge on the photo or a nick on the site. When the shot came into sharp relief, it looked like a tiny ball bearing.

“Dewey, this is the most important part of the briefing.”

“What is it?”

“A camera,” said Smythson. “From the moment Koo walks into the hotel, everything will be watched live back in Beijing. Everything. Assume Fao Bhang will be watching.”

“No flipping him off,” said Calibrisi.

“That little camera is what this entire operation is about. That is our eye. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“Xiua Koo will enter the hotel at approximately four ten,” said Smythson. “He’ll be wearing a tan trench coat. You’ll be in the lounge, sitting, perhaps having a spot of tea. When he sees you, he’ll pull the QSZ from the coat. Koo will then fire at you from close range, like this.”

Smythson pretended to pull a sidearm from her coat, then stepped toward Dewey, aiming the invisible weapon at Dewey’s chest.

“Bang, bang,” she said. “That’s when you press that little button on the ring, twice. You need to time it so that the second time you press it is right when he fires. It would also be helpful if you fell backward and pretended to be dead.”

“So obviously the QSZ will be loaded with blanks,” said Dewey. “Unless, of course, he has a change of heart. Or Bhang gets to him. Then what happens?”

“Then you won’t need to press the button,” said Tacoma.

Dewey smiled and shook his head.

“Koo is trustworthy,” said Chalmers.

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“If it was just about him, I would understand,” said Chalmers. “It’s not. If you die, some people Koo cares about will also die.”

“What if those people have already been exfiltrated by China?” asked Dewey. “Or shot?”

Chalmers looked at Smythson.

“There’s no way around that one, Dewey,” said Smythson. “But, if it’s any consolation, that’s one of the smaller risks you’re signing up for.”

Dewey said nothing.

“92’s a decent gun,” said Tacoma. “You won’t feel a thing.”

“Will you shut the fuck up?” said Dewey.

“Okay, let’s get back to it then,” said Smythson. “At this point, two different sequences begin, and you two”—Smythson pointed to Katie and Tacoma—“come into the picture.”

Smythson turned and nodded at her staffer. A generic photo of a man appeared on the screen.

“Rob,” said Smythson, “you’re there to keep an eye on Dewey. When you see Koo pull his weapon, you stand, pull yours, and fire, aiming here.”

She pointed to her left shoulder, then to the screen. A red star appeared where she wanted him to aim, atop his shoulder.

“Of course, you’ll be firing blanks, Rob,” she said. “Your first will miss. Koo will shoot at you, and you’ll take the fall, like Dewey. Koo puts a few more rounds in Dewey, giving the folks back in Beijing a nice view of a very bloody and very dead Dewey Andreas. From the ground, you fire again, Rob. That one hits. Koo will fall to the ground. He’ll run for the door, bleeding badly. Exit Koo. Katie, at the same time this is happening, you are watching the door to the hotel and the lobby. At some point, sooner rather than later, we have to anticipate the arrival of more ministry agents. Your firearm will be hot; you need to take them down. Otherwise, this will all be for naught. If any tertiary assets get into a firing zone, Dewey will die.”

“What will I be carrying?”

“Anything you want.”

“MP7A1,” said Katie. “A Glock 30, also.”

“Done,” said Smythson. “Now, this is important. There will be witnesses. Also, you should assume one or more of the Chinese agents have cameras. People in the lounge might have cameras, even the hotel. We should expect that all of it will be examined by MSS. What this means—Dewey, Rob, Katie—is that you need to play your parts, even after Koo is gone, and even after Katie has taken down whatever comes her way. Katie, you should tend to Dewey.”

“Then what?”

“At this point, I would expect full-out pandemonium,” said Smythson. “Police, ambulances—you name it. Dewey and Rob, you’ll be taken away in ambulances that we happen to own. Katie, guard Dewey the entire way to the ambulance in case there are any more agents. You’ll have identification that, if necessary, will let you pass any French police. Get in the ambulance with Dewey.”

Smythson looked at Tacoma, then Katie, and finally Dewey.

“Everyone got it?”

“I think I can handle that,” said Dewey. “Am I done at that point?”

Smythson looked at Dewey, then to Chalmers, in silence.

“Not quite,” said Chalmers. “Why don’t we take a five-minute break.”

*   *   *

Bhang stood on the deck outside his brother’s empty apartment.

The sun was setting in the distance, and he understood then why Bo had chosen to live where he lived, far away from the ministry’s offices, from the city, in a place where, beneath the burnt orange sky, acres upon acres of trees, fields of wildflowers, and the serene, dark blue water of the lake spoke a different language than anything available from human beings.

He smoked his third cigarette in a row, standing in silence on the small terrace.