“Not when you consider the extent of their empire. Pyramid is like a country unto itself. It has a huge treasury, an army of thugs at its command, and a diplomatic corps that interacts with the Chinese government, which traditionally has supported the Triads. It has gangs in every major country, including the U.S. It’s the biggest criminal organization in China, possibly in the world.”

“How do you fight something like that?” Zavala asked.

“With great difficulty. Asian criminal groups are smart, rich, multilingual, and flexible. Advances in travel and communications have allowed them to operate on a global scale. We can make life tough for their street gangs and nibble around the edges of their financial empire, but they’ve been impervious up to now.”

“What has changed?”

“They are up against the only enemy who could do them harm: the Chinese government. It’s trying to put Pyramid out of business.”

“Wait a second, didn’t you say the government supported the Triads?”

“That’s history. There’s a huge gray area between what is legal and what is criminal in China. That’s where the Triads operate. The government hadn’t clamped down before this because the Triads produce money, keep order, and are patriotic.”

“Why the sudden change of heart?”

“The Chinese military has been in business with the Triads for years. Pyramid is particularly tight with the Army, giving it political muscle to defend its criminal interests, but the government is worried this cozy arrangement has given Pyramid too much power. They’ve put thousands of corrupt officials from the National People’s Congress in jail, but they really began to push after the safety scandals. China lives on its exports. And anything that threatens them threatens the stability of the country and therefore its rulers.

“Tell me about the triplets,” Zavala said.

“Not much to tell. Triads give their people numbers, according to rank rather than names. But they usually have someone to serve as their public face. Pyramid’s front man is an immensely rich guy named Wen Lo. No one has ever seen the other two triplets. Triads are usually decentralized, but Pyramid has been strengthening its leadership, which also has the government worried.” She paused. “Now it’s my turn, Joe. Why would a Chinese Triad want to sabotage the bathysphere?”

“Kurt thinks they were after Dr. Kane because of a secret research project he was involved in. Does that sound plausible?”

“Anything is possible with this gang. What would you like me to do?”

“I was hoping you might poke around and see what you can dig up.”

Caitlin cocked her head. “Not to be coy, but what can you offer me in return?”

“A ride in my ’Vette, a romantic dinner at an old inn in the Virginia countryside.”