“I think I’m going to be sick,” Alex muttered.
“If you are I’m sure it will blend in nicely,” Sam giggled while he moved toward the only window in the room. He pushed the dusty drapes away to reveal an even filthier timber sash window that looked out onto the neighboring building’s wall. When he eventually managed to force the window open—it was clear no one had opened it in years—the humid, pollution-filled air that pushed up between the tightly packed buildings brought little to no relief.
“I’ll sleep standing up, thank you,” Alex declared when she folded back the slippery green nylon bedspread to reveal a matching heavily stained sheet.
“You don’t even want to see the bathroom,” Sam commented when he exited the restroom covering his mouth and nose with the inside of his T-shirt. It’s a dump, you’re right. We might pick up something else but we certainly won’t get any rest here.”
Without another thought the two dashed out of the room, down the red velvet stairs and out into the street where, a mix of tension and exhaustion had them hysterically burst into laughter.
“How about we just get something to eat for now and then we find a bus to nowhere to catch up on a few hours of sleep afterwards?” Sam suggested.
“Deal,” Alex said, still giggling as they walked off in search of a food market.
It didn’t take them long to search one out as they soon found themselves immersed between countless tightly-squeezed food vendors all fighting to make their day’s living. Heading into peak evening hours, women were frantically cooking and frying up anything that crawled the earth. Skewers of deep-fried scorpions, cockroaches, rats and spiders interspersed among dishes of noodles, fish and goat stews were on offer everywhere. The smells were oddly quite inviting, but the idea of eating a deep-fried locust held zero appeal to either of them. Following the narrow walkways between the vendors in search of food that offered more palatable westernized options, it soon became very crowded and Alex and Sam found themselves pushed through the market in a current of rushed locals. When they were finally ejected and deposited at the opposite end of the open market, they kept walking for fear of being pushed back in.
“That was quite the experience,” Sam said, slightly out of breath, “I mean what would it take to get a simple hotdog around here?”
“Oh you’ll get your dog, all right,” Alex laughed before pointing to a nearby street café that seemed distinctly higher in class. For one thing they had a handful of two-seater tables and served mostly vegetables and noodle dishes. It was a safe option, they thought. The crease-free green and white checkered tablecloths were clean and looked far more inviting when they finally sat down at one of the small tables inside the semi-open café. It was also far less crowded with only a small number of patrons scattered between the eight small tables surrounding them. A friendly young male dressed in a crisp white apron, appeared out of nowhere and, pen and pad in hand, took position next to them. When he realized they were foreigners, he promptly switched to English, all the while smiling from ear to ear.
“How may I serve you tonight?” the friendly waiter asked in near perfect English.
“Oh, great, you speak English,” Alex said with a sigh of relief.
“Most of the younger generation do these days, yes. Would you like me to suggest something off our menu?”
“Tell you what, yes, surprise us, as long as the dishes don’t contain any kind of animal or its internal parts,” Sam said after which the bubbly waiter promptly disappeared behind a curtain into the small kitchen.
Alex sank down into the chair and pushed her hands into the pockets of her pants, settling into a more comfortable position to rest. Instantly her back stiffened as she sat upright again and dug one hand deeper inside her pocket.
“What? What’s wrong?” Sam asked when her sudden movements alarmed him.
She didn’t answer. Instead she pulled her fisted hand from her pocket and dropped the crumpled blue piece of fabric in the middle of the table.
“I forgot I had this,” she declared before her eyes started searching through the multitude of bright signs up and down the street behind them.
“If it is a company logo I strongly doubt you’ll find it here, Alex. I reckon we’d have a better chance of tracking it down in Hong Kong. According to the map it’s about ninety minutes by train from here.”
Alex relaxed her back again but continued to rub the fabric between her fingers.
“You’re right. We should find a train. If nothing else, at least it would give us a chance to rest for the duration of the trip.”
“Do you work there?” The effervescent waiter’s voice startled her as he popped two plates of Chow Mein on the table in front of them.
“Where?” Alex asked, confused with his question.
“There, at Infinitech.” He pointed his chin towards the fabric in her hand as he pulled their chopsticks and a bottle of soy sauce from his apron’s pocket.
Alex straightened into an upright position again, stretching the fabric out between her fingers in search of the name.
“My sister works there. She was lucky enough to get accepted this year. My father is very proud of her. You won’t believe how quickly those fifty positions fill up each year. She says it looks better on the inside than in the magazines,” the chatty waiter continued.
“You know this place?” Sam queried, now also paying keen attention.
“Yes, of course. Who doesn’t?” he said, instantly realizing they obviously didn’t.
“At least here in China everyone knows Infinitech,” he quickly added, smoothing out the tablecloth.
“Where are they?” Alex asked.
“On Bio Island of course. Can I bring you some drinks?”
“And where’s that?” Sam asked ignoring his offer for something to drink.
“You don’t know where Bio Island is? Wow, where are you from? Africa?”
“England actually, and no, we don’t often hear much about China’s industries over there,” Sam answered him with an amused expression.
“So how do we find this island?” Alex interrupted.
“It’s not an island, well actually it is, sort of. It’s in Guangzhou. You can catch the intercity train from here to Shenzhen and then the high-speed train will take you straight there. It’s about three hours total. Drinks?” He tried again.
“So you say it’s called Infinitech. What do they do?” Alex cut in again.
“They’re the largest biotech firm in the world.”
The waiter leaned in and proceeded to whisper behind his hand. “My sister says she heard they’re about to make a major breakthrough. But don’t tell anyone I told you. She could get fired.”
“Oh, of course, thank you. And yes, you may bring us those drinks please?” Sam said cheerily as he tucked into his bowl of noodles.
“Biotech? Why would a biotechnology company hire a Chinese street gang to find the manna and go as far as commit murder for it? What could they possibly want to do with it that’s so important?” Alex asked as her brain started working through the millions of questions that flooded her mind.
“I don’t know, but this Chow Mein is the best I’ve ever had.”
“Focus, Sam! We just found out that a biotechnology company is behind the manna’s disappearance, not to mention the fact that they’re trying to kill us and that they might have also killed the priest, and all you can think about is food!”
Sam paused, stuffing another mouthful of noodles into his mouth first before he spoke.
“Calm down, Alex. We don’t know if they’re the ones behind the theft nor that they killed the priest. All this fabric proves is that a Fang member wore a piece of clothing with their badge on. It’s entirely possible one of the gang members stole the piece of clothing in the first place. It doesn’t mean he’s actually working there or was hired by them. Nevertheless, you’re right. We will go there and check them out ourselves. I agree, none of this makes any sense. But I do know you need to
eat and rest. We’ll catch the next train out and be there in the morning.”
It wasn’t what Alex wanted to hear, but she conceded. They’d gone twenty-four hours straight without food or sleep and that’s what they both needed now more than anything. That, and to stay alive. She stuffed the patch of fabric back into her pocket and lifted a helping of noodles into her mouth just as the chatty waiter popped two bottles of aloe infused soft drinks in front of them. Next to them, he placed a blue and white brochure on the table between them along with the bill.
“What’s this?” Alex asked as Sam paid the waiter.
“Your golden ticket,” the waiter joked before he added, “hope to see you again here soon.”
And just like that, he bounced over to the next table to take their order.
Chapter Eighteen
The ‘golden ticket’ turned out to be an exclusive invitation for a private VIP tour of Bio Island, clearly given to their generous waiter by his sister. Now, with a clear direction in mind, they had no trouble hopping onto a tram that took them to the nearest intercity station, after which, with only a short wait for the next underground speed train, they soon found themselves heading northbound from Shenzhen directly to Bio Island.
“One thing about China is that it never sleeps. Where are all these people going this late at night?” Alex tried making conversation with Sam who had already propped his jacket under his head.
“Home to go to sleep, which is what you should be doing now too,” he said wryly as he closed his eyes.
But no matter how hard Alex tried, she simply couldn’t sleep. Her head was tirelessly working through the events that had now brought them to the middle of China. Her mind trailed back to the look in Stavros’ eyes when he received the news of his mother’s death, and the utter disappointment at failing her that was written all over his face. She thought of Khalil’s daughters and how he had risked everything for them only to almost lose his life to help them find the truth. The frazzled images of the three priests back at the church in Bari was the last thought she had before she must have drifted off into a deep slumber that had her sleep through all four train stops en route. It was only when Sam planted a gentle kiss on her forehead that she woke up.
“We’re here, sunshine,” he whispered as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his tan leather jacket. “Glad you got at least a few hours’ sleep. We all know how grumpy you get when you don’t rest,” he joked.
Still waking up from her deep slumber, Alex smiled at how well Sam knew her.
It was well past midnight when they stepped off onto the high-tech platform on Bio Island. It didn’t look anything like any of the subway stations they were used to. Instead, it looked like the inside of a spaceship; all silver and shiny with bright lights and modern features. Aside from Alex and Sam, there were only a half dozen security guards who also stepped off the train and it didn’t take much to figure out they were quite obviously making their way in to work to report for their graveyard shift duties. The air was much clearer than the congested, polluted air in the inner city and the much cooler night temperature brought a welcome relief from the sweltering humidity of the day. Their eyes followed the group of chatty, red-uniformed guards moving in unison down towards the lower end of the sleek narrow walkway. Keeping their distance they decided to follow them, surmising that they’d probably be heading to another mode of transportation. They were right. Just on the other side of an enormous digital billboard that displayed an aerial image of the entire island, a row of Segways neatly lined an impressively clean brick colored concrete track.
They waited for the guards to leave, pretending to study the brochure in Alex’s hand. Behind the billboard that stood bolted to the ground, at least fifteen feet high and double that in width, a red square indicated the position where they were now on top of a bright green image that resembled the outlines of a leaf, and next to them, the flashing lights of a bright blue 3D globe. The chatty waiter had been correct when he’d said it was an island of sorts and Alex and Sam found themselves backing away from the billboard to take it all in.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Sam said. “It’s actually an island in the middle of China.”
“Well technically it’s between two branches of the Pearl River in the south-east of China.” Alex said smartly, eliciting a sideways glance from Sam.
“What? I’m just saying. It’s what it says here on the brochure,” Alex giggled as she continued through the waiter’s parting gift.
“What else does it say on there, hotshot?”
“Well, it’s part of about four hundred and fifty acres of development that’s known as the Guangzhou Development District and Bio Island is in fact a group of biotechnology companies housed smack bang in the middle of it.”
“So that’s what this flashing globe is, then,” Sam said. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s get on with it.”
“It’s two o’clock in the morning, Sam. The tour doesn’t start until 8 a.m. Besides, if you haven’t noticed it yet, we’re being watched. If we hover around outside the building it will, without doubt, raise a few alarm bells.”
Sam’s eyes caught sight of more than a handful security cameras that were cleverly camouflaged as lamp posts; spaced every couple of yards apart along the treelined Segway track. He swiftly turned his gaze back to the billboard.
“Your eagle eyes miss nothing. Well spotted.” Sam stared at the polarized dot on the digital display board before adding. “Well we can’t stay here either, and as far as I can tell, there aren’t any luxurious beach hotels on this island.”
“There has to be a blind spot between the cameras somewhere,” Alex said.
“Or hopefully an exhausted guard at the end of his shift,” Sam joked, then asked, not expecting an answer, “Shall we see if perhaps we can escape the paparazzi and find a bench or something until morning?”
Their two-wheeled motorized vehicles’ wheels whirred noisily across the brick colored track in the quiet of the night. There wasn’t a leaf that moved nor signs of any life beyond their own. Above their heads the security cameras continued to line the pathway as they followed their every movement towards the towering building that stood glowing in the darkness. It was only as they drew nearer to the high-tech structure that a full appreciation of the building could be gained. Stretching at least forty stories high into the sky, it looked like the cornerstone of a giant fortress. Shaped in a perfect square, it was entirely made of glass on all four sides, the edges of which were illuminated by bright blue globes that lit the structure up like a Christmas tree.
In the distance up ahead, the faint sound of voices forced their attention back to the risks at hand. Two security guards were on patrol and walking towards them. Relieved they hadn’t been noticed yet, Alex and Sam veered off the path between the trees and across a wide-open grassed area. Their mode of transportation proved to be challenging as the wheels slipped across the turf. It was only when they jumped off their Segways that they realized the lack of tire grip was because of it being artificial grass.
“It’s too noisy anyway,” Sam whispered as they lowered the two-wheelers flush with the ground.
Their eyes frantically searched for a hiding place, welcoming the fact that at least they were somewhat sheltered in the darkness. But there was none. The entire building was surrounded by open stretches of imitation grass, and apart from the few trees that lined the pathway, they were now entirely exposed. Deciding their best option was to lie face down on the ground and wait it out, they moved, hunched down, as far away from where they had left their two-wheelers as they could, and lay down on the turf. Unable to move and look up, they perceived the two guards suddenly fall silent. The men remained, paused in the silence, for what seemed like an eternity. Alex pinched her eyes shut as if she was wishing them away, pushing her face as far down into the fake grass as was possible. If they got caught now there’d be zero chance of them ever getting inside Infinitech to find the manna. But when they
heard the abrupt Chinese commands echo towards them, they instantly knew they had been discovered. Barely audible, Sam cursed into the artificial grass that irritatingly pressed into his mouth. But they still didn’t move. Partly because they knew they had run out of options and partly because they couldn’t see if the guards were aiming any weapons at them. The latter uncertainty was soon to be cleared up when, mere seconds later, the two guards stood directly over them and Alex and Sam heard the familiar sound of the hammers on their revolvers pull back as bullets were loaded into the firing chambers.
Having no option but to surrender, Alex and Sam stretched their hands out above their heads while slowly raising their heads, spitting a few blades of grass out as they did so. Two uniformed guards nervously hovered over them, continually shouting abrupt commands at them in Chinese.
“English, we don’t understand you,” Sam said, and a brief moment later, one of them simply yelled a single word in English back at them.
“Up!”
“Okay, okay, take it easy,” Sam said as they slowly rose to their feet.
Now upright, Sam’s sheer height, more than a foot taller than either guard, immediately sent them into sheer panic. It was quite evident that it was the most action they’d found themselves in, quite possibly ever. When Sam could no longer hide his amusement, he glanced at Alex sideways. He was right, she thought. They could so easily take down these two inexperienced guards, but what good would that do? She now realized that this unplanned incident might very well provide the perfect access into Infinitech long before the tour even started.
When Alex didn’t make any effort to escape, Sam was quick to catch on to her genius plan. They’d play along and use it to their advantage. Once inside, they’d figure out a way to escape, after they’d found the manna. So when the shortest of the two guards nervously instructed his colleague to cuff Sam while he took on Alex—he had the slightly bigger physique between the two—Sam didn’t resist. The relief on the guard’s face instantly showed and it took everything for Sam and Alex not to explode into laughter.
The Bari Bones Page 11