“He only wants you to board, unarmed,” said one of the guards.
Enlai gave a huff of disagreement as he took out his handgun and handed it to his men. The two suited guards parted and allowed Enlai on the boat, alone. The houseboat seemed old-fashioned from the outside, something cheap from the seventies. But when Enlai went down below, he was astonished at what he found: a full bar greeted him with large glass shelves housing vast assortments of local and foreign alcoholic beverages. The bar curved to his right to an open space with light brown armchairs and small tables for drinks. All the chairs faced the same general direction, away from Enlai and towards a large 4K TV. Boqin sat in the middle of the area, watching the World Cup and nursing a Scotch. Enlai’s frustration settled down, and he approached Boqin slowly as he saw that the rumors were true.
“Enlai, happy to see you. Grab a drink and have a seat,” said Boqin, looking over his shoulder.
Coming around the corner, Enlai saw a bartender with a small soul patch on his chin tending to the bar. Enlai ordered a German beer and had a seat beside Boqin, who had returned his attention to the match.
“I take it you heard about my bus route?” asked Enlai.
“Heard the cops got a hold of it. Bad timing can be a bitch,” responded Boqin, still watching the game between Spain and Brazil, two football giants who held nothing back.
“I don’t think it was due to bad timing,” Enlai suggested, looking at his beer.
“Why do you say that?”
The referee pulled a yellow card on a Brazilian player who slid into his opponent’s leg, dislocating the knee.
“Because the cop was off duty but had his badge and gun on him.”
Boqin kept his eyes on the TV and asked, “So? Most cops have a gun on them at all times, he must have just gotten off work.”
The Spanish team was in the face of the referee as their teammate was placed on a stretcher.
Enlai tightened his grip on his beer. “Then why are Chi’s men hanging out at the bus stops?”
Boqin stopped himself from taking a sip of his Scotch.
The Spanish team slowly dispersed from the referee, still unhappy.
“Chi?” remarked Boqin. “Chi doesn’t have the balls to tip off the cops. And if he did, then just take it back. He’s nothing compared to you.”
“I would, but I don’t think he did. I think the Red Dragon did. And I believe he’s on their payroll now.”
The match started again with a free kick. Four Brazilians lined up to form a wall to protect the goal.
“The Red Dragon? What makes you think that?” Boqin looked at Enlai, granting him his full attention.
“Because he has some new 49ers and they were blue lanterns in the Red Dragon.” Enlai took a sip of his beer to calm his growing frustration.
“So,” said Boqin, “either he convinced them to switch, which is unlikely, the Red Dragon gave him some men and he went and took it himself, or they took it and used it as a bartering chip.”
The Spaniard kicked the ball into the face of one of the Brazilian players’s face, knocking him unconscious.
Boqin turned it off before the Brazilians reacted. “Either way, what are you going to do about it?” asked Boqin. He sat his Scotch down and shifted in his seat to face Enlai better.
Enlai did the same and gave his answer. “That’s why I’m here. If it were just Chi alone, I would end him and take back what is mine. But it isn’t just him, and though the Red Dragon has lost a few Red Poles, they are still possibly one of the strongest forces in Hong Kong.”
“No.” Boqin’s voice was stern and grave. His eyes narrow and body tense. “The Red Dragon is still a force to be cautious of, but Lóng isn’t half the man his father was. They will gain support naturally due to their heritage, but time will corrode it away. What doesn’t corrode, I will cut off.”
A chill went up Enlai’s spine. Boqin smiled and pulled out a small gold box from his pocket and continued. “But that is for a later matter. What you want is your bus route back.”
Enlai didn’t speak. Boqin opened the box and took out two tiny paper pouches and placed them on the table between them. “Because of the situation, though,” said Boqin, “it would be unwise to try and take it back now, even with my help at the moment.”
Boqin slid a bag toward Enlai as he poured the white powdery contents onto the polished end table and said, “But, in time, I can see us taking more than just a bus route.”
Boqin pulled a hundred-dollar bill out and rolled it into a small straw, which he used to sniff up the line of cocaine. He took a gasp, then said, “In time, all of Hong Kong can be ours.” Boqin extended the rolled-up bill to Enlai. “Want a hit?”
Chapter 25
New Home
“T a-da,” said Lei Lei, pulling her hands away from Jack’s eyes to reveal his new apartment with a wall-sized window looking out onto Hong Kong’s business district from thirty stories up. The open loft apartment had only two columns, a door on the left to the bedroom and a short hallway out of sight that led to the bathroom.
“Damn Lei Lei! You outdid yourself. How much is it?” Jack walked around the apartment, observing the brick walls and wood floor.
“It's free,” she responded, with a hint of pride.
Jack stopped and stared at her with a raised eyebrow. “Nothing’s free, least of all this. What does it cost?”
She chuckled. “True, I guess you could say the cost is hospitality.” She walked over to him in her black leggings and a gray cardigan over a black tank top.
“Hospitality of what?” Jack asked, concerned with who he was going to share his space with.
“Lóng wants this to be an outpost in case we get into a ‘war’, as he put it.” She walked past him and up to the window.
“Is that why he’s been gone?” Jack asked accusingly, looking over his shoulder at her.
Lei Lei’s tone didn’t change from its monotone type as she responded. “With the attack on Li and the attempt on his life, he thinks the renegade Red Poles may become more aggressive. So, he wants to prepare for the worst. Hence this and his business trip.”
Jack was tempted, but didn’t pursue to snoop about the trip. He walked up beside her and rubbed his shoulder against hers. “And all this time I thought it was because I slept with you.”
She laughed. “If that were the case, I would be housing half of Hong Kong.”
They both giggled as they stared out the window at Hong Kong. Its streets were full with tiny specks of people as they walked past the towering buildings. A silence started to grow between them, but was cast away quickly with Lei Lei saying, “You’re going to need a good interior decorator to at least make this bearable.”
Jack smiled. “Don’t worry about that, I know one.”
“Who?” Lei Lei’s voice was genuinely curious for the first time.
“Meldon Architect Firm has some interior designers. I met one of them at The Boom.”
“What’s their name?” Seriousness was in her voice.
Jack considered lying, but that hadn’t been doing too well for him recently. “Amy something, why?”
“Amy Smith?” Lei Lei’s eyes widened as her face brightened up, her mouth curling a smile.
“I take it you know her?” assumed Jack, not sure if that was good yet or not.
“Of course! She would be perfect to decorate this place; her style is amazing.”
Jack smiled back. “She does seem to have an artistic view.” He looked around the room wondering what Amy would do with it.
“Yeah, she’s great too, one of the sweetest people I know.”
“I know,” added Jack, without thinking.
“Really?” Lei Lei followed.
Jack realized that his comment was too sincere, too infatuated, too honest. He turned around to see Lei Lei with her hands on her hips and her head leaning to one side, waiting for an answer.
“Really what?” Jack asked, leaning his head forward as if he didn’t
hear her. He hoped playing dumb would help too.
“Is this the girl you’ve been talking to at The Boom?”
Jack tried to ask another question for time to think, but Lei Lei didn’t pay attention to him.
“Holy shit it is!”
Jack prepared for the worst.
“Holy shit you two would be perfect together.”
Jack crinkled his face at the surprising answer. She didn’t seem to notice his reaction as she turned around and started talking about how he and Amy would get together. “You go to her office and ask her to redesign your new place. She comes over, and you talk all about the apartment’s look and feel. She will ask about what you want it to feel like. Talk about the apartment thus turns into talk about you, then her, then coffee to dinner and then why are you staring at me like that?” Lei Lei had wandered the empty apartment as she talked before turning around to Jack’s face still crumpled up in confusion.
“Don’t you think you’re going a little too fast?” he asked, “I mean, I think she’s cool, but I don’t want her to get in the way of our time together,” he lied. Jack wasn’t falling for Amy, but Thomas was. Or at least he thought.
Lei Lei laughed. “Don’t worry, we will find time to screw around when my husband is busy.” She walked closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I always enjoyed being a side girl.”
Jack faked a smile and leaned down to kiss her, still confused by the situation, but her lips helped the confusion to fade. Relief filled his mind that his true feelings for Amy didn’t jeopardize his relationship with Lei Lei and the information he could get from her. A piece of his mind did wander to the realization that he was the man that was having an affair with a married woman.
Chapter 26
Family Withdraw
H uan unlocked the front door of the bank in the early morning. The street was quiet like always; only a handful of cabs and cars drove past the bank. Once inside, the banker turned off the silent alarm and walked to his office, passing the glass tables with deposit slips and the silver counter with computers that stretched in front of a large wall-sized painting of an Asian countryside with an ancient Asian style house and family. In contrast, Huan’s office was a simple place. Pictures of his wife and daughter sat on his desk. A small Buddhist statue, from his mother, looked at the empty, rarely-occupied seats facing his desk. He logged into his computer. A picture of him standing in front of the Forbidden City appeared as his wallpaper. He paid no mind to it as he fell into his routine: check who was coming in, all appointments that were being held, and filtering through loans. But before all that, he checked his emails, starting with business emails first full of memos and announcements, followed by his personal emails filled with ads and spam, and ending with his private email. This private email had never received or sent out any mail in the ten years he had worked at the bank. But it did have one drafted email today. He sat up in his chair, not even being able to remember the last time he saw a drafted email in this private account. Huan opened it.
‘32’ was the only thing it said. Huan checked the last time the draft was edited. 30 minutes ago. He deleted the draft, and left his office. He walked briskly to the breaker box and switched off the power to the fire exit in the bank and the vault. He went to the emergency exit in the back and checked his watch. Less than a minute. He looked up at the security camera. No light illuminated from the tiny bulb under the lens.
A knock came from the door. He held his breath as he pressed on the red handle. The only sound that followed were footsteps as four masked men walked through the door carrying two duffle bags each. They all wore black clothing except for their masks, which were colorful Chinese opera masks. As the last masked man came in, he gave a bow to Haun and said, “We need to make a withdrawal.”
Huan bowed in return and lead them to the vault. “You only have fifteen minutes till the guards get here,” Huan said, unlocking the safe and opening it to reveal several piles of cash, unaccounted for by the bank’s system.
“Then get to work,” said the leader handing a bag to Huan, and the five of them set to work stuffing it all into duffle bags. No words were spoken for the entire time. Once the bags were stuffed, they all gave the vault a final check, making sure all the cash was collected.
“Why does the Red Dragon need to make a withdrawal?” asked Huan, checking his watch to see they had a few minutes before the security office checked in. Huan looked up to see the masked leader swinging a nakiri knife into Haun’s neck, knocking him to the floor. Haun pressed his hands against his neck to stop the flood of blood pouring from it. The masked leader stood silently, as if thinking of something to say, but said nothing before striking Huan in the neck again, though it caused more damage to Huan’s fingers than the neck. After a few more attacks and the other robbers watching in silent, the leader stopped. He lifted his mask and spat on Huan, and left the vault as his companions closed the door.
Huan’s body was not discovered until the security guard arrived two hours late due to his alarm clock not going off. By the time he got there, Huan had already bled out.
Chapter 27
Evening Trust
J ack sat on the floor of his new, empty apartment, gazing out his wall-sized window. The Hong Kong lights shined into his apartment illuminating the dark place. He was thinking of the size of shades he would need to keep out the night lights when he heard a soft tap of hollow metal on the floor.
“How long have you been here?” Jack asked, looking back to the assassin with the metal Jō. He wore the same apparel as when he attacked Lóng. His face was covered in the similar fashion from that night. Jack could still see some blood on it from his forehead; his scar was still visible, but healing well. The assassin sat on the floor beside Jack and leaned his Jō staff against his bare shoulder. Though the only light illuminating the room was from the skyscrapers and electronic billboards, Jack was still able to see the assassin’s scars a lot better than last time. Small puncture scars near vital blood vessels seemed out of place with the multiple bullet and knife scars, and possibly some bite marks.
“I have a couple of extra shirts if you need one,” Jack stated, hoping to ease the tension. The assassin remained silent, looking over the city. Jack took another sip of his beer.
“What happened?” asked the assassin in a voice so muffled Jack almost didn’t hear it.
“Some former Red Pole decided to hit the bank we had some reserves in,” said Jack. “I’m not sure how much, but I think it is in the millions. Lóng wasn’t happy either. They even killed the insider we had so I hear.”
“Lóng?”
“He’s returning finally, I think he’s got a new safe house for himself and his siblings. Not sure where yet, but enough about robberies and triads. Let’s talk about something we both want to talk about.” Jack placed his hand under his chin and looked up to the assassin.
“How can I trust you?” the assassin asked.
Jack rolled his head off his hand and made a loud huff like a child. “I don’t know. You apparently trust me a little bit, or you wouldn’t even be here. So, let me ask you this, why do you trust me?”
The assassin took a heavy breath. Jack took another sip of his beer and waited. “I don’t know,” said the assassin as he lowered his head in thought, before saying, “Running out of people to trust.”
“You and me both.”
They sat in silence as a thousand different words went through Jack’s head to say, but all the words felt wrong. Mallory always said he talked too much, that sometimes the right thing to say is nothing.
“You remind me of a man,” the assassin finally said. “A Swiss that some thought caused a lot of harm.”
“What was his name?” Jack asked as hope built in him. He only knew one Swiss.
“Golay,” answered the assassin. “But I’m not some. Do you know him?”
“I did,” Jack smiled, remembering Amsterdam. The assassin’s eyes frowned at the past tense words.
&nbs
p; Their eyes met as they found something better than a common enemy. A common friend.
“My name is Guòqù,” said the assassin.
“Interesting name. My name is Jack. Want to talk about them?” Jack asked softly.
Guòqù nodded and said, “What do you know about them?”
“I’m aware that their reach is global,” said Jack. “They have a local agent to collect money from the crime leaders, sort of an extortioner of extortioners. They don’t want to be known and will do anything to keep it that way. They also have some connections to politicians and the press to hide their involvement. Most of this is assumption, mind you, but some is from actual experience.” Memories of the attack arose in his mind.
“Your assumptions are not too far off.” Guòqù’s words were quick and casual, taking Jack aback by the confidence Guòqù spoke in. “Agents are few and far between nowadays. Politicians and reporters don’t know who’s bribing them, but they are far from being just extortioners. They are also suppliers. They own the majority of the opium fields in the Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent. The vast majority of slave trafficking is run through them.” Tia stopped. His eyes fell to the floor.
“How do you know?” asked Jack, watching Guòqù carefully.
Guòqù took a breath before slowly taking his mask off, unwrapping his face like a mummy. He revealed a large metal piece covering his mouth and coming under his chin almost like a sling for his jaw. The skin right above the metal was callus.
“Because I’m their creation.”
Chapter 28
Lost Child of Hong Kong
I nspector Ko and Inspector Chiu were only two of the four people in the bank that night. The rest of the police officers were outside. The crowd and reporters had already moved on a few hours ago with most of the investigating officers. Ko and Chiu stood in the vault looking over the taped area where the body was. Dried blood laid in and around the outline. Ko compared the surroundings with the folder of pictures taken earlier that day.
The Dragon and the Lumberjack Page 9