“Yes. The records going back six months show that no one named Pike has stayed here.” Zhu saw the confusion on Shan’s face. “It’s my assignment. I am to assist you until the colonel says otherwise. He told me the first task.” Zhu produced a slip of paper with a list of hotels. “I checked half a dozen already. I can cover the rest by 1500.”

Shan frowned. Tan’s message had just been intended for Zhu to connect with Shan. He looked away for a moment, fighting the temptation to order Zhu back to Lhadrung. Tan knew Shan worked alone.

“This isn’t a military operation, Lieutenant.”

The young officer weighed his words then brightened. “I have civilian clothes in my car. I can change in the hotel washroom.”

“What exactly did the colonel say about your assignment?”

“He said you were an insubordinate son of a bitch,” Zhu said, then hastily added, “Sir. An insubordinate son of a bitch, sir. And to do whatever you said, unless I might go to jail for it.”

“Those were his words?”

Zhu thought a moment. “His exact words were unless Public Security might catch me at it.”

Shan tried to suppress a smile. “What do you do for the colonel?”

“I left college to go to officers’ school. I was trained to lead missions in the mountains,” Zhu explained, meaning he was trained as a mountain commando, the toughest of Tan’s troops. “But right now, I mostly write reports that sit on some clerk’s desk and summarize reports that come in from other clerks. Sometimes I drive the colonel when the sergeant isn’t on duty.”

As innocuous as it sounded, Shan knew it meant the colonel placed his trust in the officer. “Doing anything for the colonel requires a certain degree of bravery,” Shan observed.

Zhu grinned again. “Should I go change then?”

“Yes. Finish checking the hotels for any stay by the American. And I don’t want the Lhasa police or Public Security to know you are asking.”

Zhu began to salute then reconsidered and dropped his hand. “Evasive reconnaissance. My favorite kind of mission.” He took a step away and turned back, reaching into a pocket. “Almost forgot. She said to give it to you. Your eyes only,” the lieutenant added in an inquiring tone. Shan took the envelope, confirmed that it was addressed in Amah Jiejie’s elegant hand, and then to Zhu’s obvious disappointment, put it in his own pocket. “There’s a tea shop with a big red door on the north side of Barkhor Square,” Shan said. “See you there in four hours.”