“Markus, Ralf, why did you book plane tickets to America and not Germany? I don’t want to go to America. You have no right to hand me over to the Americans.” Annina was fairly emotional and spoke angrily.

Markus and Ralf were the German agents who had brought her to China.

Markus sneered, “It’s no use. We don’t have to explain anything to you.”

Annina begun to lose it. “I want a lawyer! If I’ve committed a crime, then let judge and jury give a verdict. You cannot, and you have no right!”

Ralf, who was sitting on the sofa, stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and said aggressively, “What are you making a fuss for? You think your offence is just drunk driving or cursing? Your offence is treason. You have no right to ask for a lawyer’s help.”

“Then why are you taking me to America?” said Annina angrily, “I am German. Even if I am guilty, I want to serve my sentence in a German prison!”

Ralf sniggered. “Is your brain working, woman? We share intelligence with America. The Americans were the ones who told us that the Chinese spy has stolen our German secrets. We are not able to do more in China right now except hand you over to the American intelligence. They will investigate you, and maybe ask for your cooperation.”

“Who gave you that information?” asked Annina.

Ralf looked warily at Annina. “You ask too many questions.”

“I’m just… curious,” said Annina, “It must be the CIA, right?”

“CIA? Heh heh, maybe. This is not something for you to worry about. Someone will take care of you.” Markus stressed the words ‘take care’ like it meant something else.

Annina grew hysterical again. “I know it must be the CIA. I’ve seen the movies - they’re willing to do anything. I don’t want to go to America, I won’t!”

“Shut it!” Markus slapped Annina so hard she fell to the floor and he said fiercely, “Behave yourself! I’ll give you five minutes to pack, and you’re coming with us to the airport.”

The heavy fall to the ground calmed Annina. She stopped making a fuss and climbed to her feet. “Five minutes is not enough. I want to take a shower.”

“You sure have a lot of requests. No.” Markus rejected it right away.

“We are all Germans. You also know that I’m not guilty, so why treat me this way? They will surely lock me up when I get to America. I want to take a shower before that - is that too much to ask?”

“Markus, forget it. Let her have her shower. We have time anyway,” said Ralf.

Markus then nodded. “Be quick.”

Annina held out her hands. “How am I to get undressed with you two here? Go guard the door. This is the sixth floor. I’m not going to escape through the window. Give me the proper respect, as fellow Germanic people.”

Ralf and Markus exchanged glances, then left Room 508.

Annina took her clothes off and entered the bathroom.

Markus and Ralf stood outside, guarding the door.

“We should’ve put cameras in the bathroom.” Markus had a vile smile on his face. “She has a great body, eh?”

“We’ve removed all the cameras and listening devices in the room. We cannot leave any evidence behind. She’s actually rather pitiful - let’s not make it worse,” said Ralf. He sighed, “No trial, no lawyer. I don’t know how the CIA will treat her.”

“This isn’t something for us to worry about. We’re just following orders,” said Markus.

“That guy didn’t show his face once. He said the thing Xia Lei stole is in China, in China Industrial Group. Too bad that that place is controlled by the Chinese military. There’s no way for us to get in, otherwise we would have been able to get evidence.” Ralf looked dissatisfied.

“That guy is CIA. He’s very valuable and won’t show himself easily for sure. He must have detected some danger so he got us to take Annina to America. I actually am glad to do this. I am uneasy doing a mission in a place like China,” said Markus.

Ralf smiled wryly. “Me too. China is the only other country besides Russia that has the power to go up against America. This country is ancient and full of shadows. I don’t like this feeling. I want to take a holiday after bringing Annina to America. Have some time to relax.”

Markus smiled. “Give me a call if you’re going to a nightclub. American girls are all hot for sex and don’t hold back. Nightclubs are the easiest places to get girls.”

Their conversation turned to women and they spoke excitedly.

A middle-aged woman walked over, pushing a cleaning trolley. She didn’t speak as she reached to open the door.

Markus blocked her way and used very garbled Chinese to say, “Cannot.”

The middle-aged woman smacked Markus’ hand away and said rudely, “Move out of the way. You’ve already checked out. I have to quickly make up the room or I’ll get fired.”

“What did she say?” Ralf was befuddled.

Markus shook his head. “I don’t know either.”

The two agents’ Chinese were at the level of everyday phrases like ‘good morning’, ‘cannot’, ‘good night’ and ‘how much’. It was impossible for them to understand the woman.

The woman glared at Markus. “Move aside. I want to go in and clean the room. What’s wrong with you white people? You’ve already checked out but you’re still occupying the room. I’ll call the police, believe me.”

She spoke loudly and drew the attention of two security guards.

“Forget it, let her go in.” Ralf didn’t want any trouble. “They’re both women anyway.”

Markus looked at the two approaching security guards, also worried that they would draw unnecessary trouble. He got out of the way at Ralf’s words.

The cleaning lady opened the door and pushed the cleaning trolley through the doorway. She grumbled to herself all the way but Markus and Ralf didn’t understand her at all. Ralf reached out to close the door behind her after she walked in.

The two security guards went back to their posts.

Ralf opened the room door after the security guards left. The middle-aged woman was making the bed. She gave Ralf a fierce glare when she saw him open the door and grumbled at him.

Ralf did not close the room door this time but left it half open so that he and Markus could see the woman’s every move.

The cleaning lady made no suspicious moves. She started cleaning the room after tidying the bed. The sounds of a shower came from the bathroom.

Everything was normal. Markus and Ralf kept an eye on the cleaning lady, watching her every move.

The only thing the two Germans could not keep an eye on was the bathroom.

One minute ago, when the cleaning lady had pushed the cleaning trolley into the room and Ralf closed the door behind her, a man had climbed out of the cleaning supplies compartment of the trolley and zipped into the bathroom.

When the security guards had gone off and Ralf opened the door, all he saw was just the cleaning lady tidying the room.

In the bathroom, the naked Annina covered her mouth in excitement when she saw the familiar face, holding back her sounds of surprise.

The man in the bathroom was none other than Xia Lei.

They did not speak; they exchanged looks. Annina suddenly spread her arms and hugged Xia Lei tight, and the tears she could hold back no longer fell in two streams. She cried soundlessly. She was moved - her Lukas did not forget her. He had come back in her time of great danger to be with her.

There was not a stitch of clothing on her and her most beautiful and mysterious spots were uncovered. She was wet all over, and slippery. Being hugged by her like this made Xia Lei feel like he was being hugged by a mermaid. It was a great feeling but Xia Lei did not dare to waste a single second. He spoke in her ear, “We don’t have much time. Listen carefully. Do as I say. I can help you stay in China.”

“Stay in China?” Annina’s voice was full of worry. “What can I do in China?”

“Let’s discuss this later. What’s important now is to have you stay. There’s no way I can help you if you get sent to America. Do you understand?”

Annina bit her lip and made a small nod. “I understand. I’m willing to stay in China. I’ll be able to see you in China and I’ll be very happy.”

Her words made Xia Lei feel worried and guilty. “We will set our plan in motion at the airport. But before that, you’ll have to swallow this now.”

“What?”

Xia Lei let go of Annina and took out two condoms from his trouser pocket.

Annina’s expression turned odd when she saw the condoms in Xia Lei’s hand. Her face turned red and her voice weird, “No, no, not now. Lukas, I promise you, you can have it anytime after today. I don’t mind that you have a girlfriend, really. I can satisfy all your needs… But there are two German agents outside right now. They’ll discover us. Plus, you want to use two, I…”

“What are you thinking?” Xia Lei cut her off. He took out a small plastic bag of about a hundred grams of white powder from his clothing.

Annina stared blankly at him and said awkwardly, “What’s this?”

“Flour,” said Xia Lei. He opened the plastic bag and removed the condoms from the wrapper, then started filling the condoms with flour.

“You’re telling me to eat flour?” Annina was confused, “And it’s in condoms?”

“There’s flour in the condoms but they’ll be drugs at the airport. According to my country’s laws, you’ll be sentenced to death for the amount you’re carrying,” said Xia Lei.

Annina’s face turned ash-white.

Xia Lei looked at her. “Trust me. I won’t harm you. Just do as I tell you. Eat these, then when they’re questioning you, ask the interrogating officer for water. You’ll be in pain after you drink that water and we will say that it’s because the condoms burst and that you’ll be sentenced to death. Those two special agents won’t dare to say that they know you under those circumstances. You got that?”

Annina nodded.

Xia Lei tied a dead knot in a condom and said, “Open your mouth. Eat this.”

Annina raised her chin and opened her mouth wide. Xia Lei put the flour-filled condom in her mouth but his gaze rested on Annina’s bountiful bosom. Western women sure have big breasts!

Annina swallowed the flour-filled condoms with great difficulty; her throat was uncomfortable. She bent over the sink and drank water to help the condom slide down to her stomach.

After she finished swallowing the first one, she went back to Xia Lei and opened her mouth to swallow the next one. She did not go drink water this time but abruptly hugged Xia Lei and kissed him roughly on the lips after she’d finished swallowing the second condom.

The door to the bathroom was suddenly pushed open and the cleaning lady appeared in the doorway, pushing her cleaning trolley. The cleaning trolley blocked the doorway and the dirty cloth compartment below was open.

Annina looked nervously at the cleaning lady and let go of Xia Lei.

“It’s fine. She’s one of our people. Remember what I said. You must drink water,” said Xia Lei.

Annina nodded.

Xia Lei bent and folded himself into the space in the cleaning trolley.

The cleaning lady spoke in a displeased tone, “Lady, how long more is your shower going to take? You can’t shower in the room after you’ve checked out.” As she spoke, she pushed the cleaning trolley out of the doorway and picked up a mop, ready to go in to mop the floor.

Annina wrapped herself in a towel and walked out of the bathroom.

Markus and Ralf stared at Annina’s glistening hibiscus-like body with rapacious eyes.

“Aren’t you rushed for time? How am I to get dressed with you guys watching me?” said Annina.

Markus and Ralf exchanged glances and Ralf reached to close the room door.