by Ian Hamilton
“On Xu’s terms?”
“Completely.”
“Sonny, despite what Xu said, do you think they’ll kill Wing and Tan if they find them?”
“I don’t know about Tan, but I heard Suen stress to Lop that Xu wants Wing alive.”
“Good.”
“Xu doesn’t let his emotions rule. He reminds me of Uncle — that and the way he thinks ahead.”
“I wish you hadn’t said that,” Ava exclaimed.
“I’m sorry, but it’s true — wait, Suen is waving at me. I have to go. I’ll call you when I can.”
Whatever chance she had for sleep had vanished. She curled into a ball and pulled the duvet more tightly around her. The nights could be chilly, particularly since Uncle’s apartment had no central heating. It was late afternoon in Toronto and she thought about calling Maria or her mother. To say what? That she was staying in Uncle’s apartment until a Triad war finished? When she had been on collection jobs, she had made it a policy to shut out what was happening at home. This wasn’t a job, but the feeling that she should keep them at arm’s length was just as strong.
Ava let her mind wander. She thought about the Pos and the deal Three Sisters had offered. She was anxious to learn their reaction to it. The offer was fair but she wondered if their lawyer was picking holes in it, as lawyers were inclined to do. She hoped not, because there weren’t many changes she was prepared to make. Ava’s main worry was that Clark Po had lost faith in them. Well, they’d have a better idea after Amanda spoke to Gillian.
Gillian and Clark were good people, and so were Suki and Chi-Tze. And Amanda and May Ling — she couldn’t have found better partners. After caring for Uncle and then grieving for Uncle, it was time for Ava to step up and play her part.
As the first signs of dawn crept across the street and lit up the apartment window, her phone rang again.
“Sonny, is it over?” she said.
“This is Sammy Wing. I need to talk to you.”
( 28 )
“How did you get my number?”
“From Carlo.”
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Hong Kong. Carlo is in Macau, with two of my men and that old whore he likes to hang around with. He shouldn’t have run out on us. He shouldn’t have told you what he did,” he said calmly.
“Is he okay?”
“For now.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Let’s talk about that later. Right now what I want is for you to set up a meeting between me and Xu.”
“We tried that before. It didn’t work out too well.”
“And now I’m paying for it.”
“And you think you shouldn’t?”
“What does that matter? I’m paying and I want to stop.”
“You should have thought of that before you tried to kill us.”
“The men were told to leave you out of it.”
“I’m sure the fact that Xu was the only target will make him feel more charitable.”
“Call him. I’ve tried but his phone is off, and I don’t know how to reach Suen.”
“You haven’t even asked if Xu is well enough to speak.”
“My man who survived that mess in Shenzhen said Xu was wounded but alive. I assume that’s still the case.”
“He is alive, but in no condition to talk. So you’re going to have to deal with me.”
He paused and then laughed. “You’re joking.”
“Sammy, I want you to count to ten. When you get to ten, the phone line will go dead, and Xu’s men will continue to round up and kill as many of your men as they need to until they get to you. If, somewhere between one and ten, you decide that I’m serious, then we’ll choose a place to meet.”
“If I can’t talk to Xu I’ll have Carlo killed,” Wing said.
Ava drew a deep breath. “Is Carlo still alive?”
“You don’t trust me?”
“No.”
“How do you want me to prove it to you?”
“I want you to put Carlo on a jetfoil back to Hong Kong and then I want him to call me from the jetfoil and tell me he’s okay.”
“I won’t send him alone. I won’t lie to you about that.”
“I want him out of Macau and I want to hear his voice.”
“And if I do that?”
“Then you can decide if you want to talk to me or if you want the carnage to continue. Because, Sammy, you won’t be talking to Xu, today or tomorrow. I’m the only person who can stop this.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“Put Carlo on the jetfoil. When I know he’s safe, we can arrange a meeting. In the meantime, let’s just hope Xu’s men don’t find you.”
She could hear his deep, raspy breathing and she wondered what thoughts were bouncing around in his head. What was controlling him, fear or rage?
“Are you really calling the shots?” he finally said.
“Yes, I am.”
“He’ll be on the fucking boat,” Wing said. “And if you’re really speaking for Xu, then call off the war. I’ve lost more than ten men tonight, and not all of them were armed. Another fifteen are being held hostage. I’m not a threat to anyone.”
“We didn’t start this,” Ava said.
The line went silent.
“Now give me a phone number where I can reach you after I talk to Carlo,” she said.
He hesitated and then very slowly and precisely recited the number.
“I’ll contact you when I’m satisfied,” she said.
“I’ll be waiting,” Wing said, and then gave a painful laugh. “I have no other immediate plans.”
( 29 )
Ava pushed herself out of the chair.I should get dressed, she thought. She stopped at the kitchen on the way to the bedroom. A check of the cupboards revealed an unopened jar of Nescafé instant coffee. Ava turned on the hot water thermos and then went to the bedroom.
She pulled out her track pants, a black T-shirt, and a clean bra and underwear. She dressed quickly and then went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth and hair. If she decided to see the lawyers later, she would shower and change into something more businesslike.
The kettle’s light indicated that the water had boiled. She made a strong cup of coffee, sat down at the dining room table, and called Sonny. He answered on the fourth ring.
In the background Ava could hear men yelling. “What’s going on?” she said.
“We’ve just rounded up four more of Wing’s men. They all know what happened during the night. None of them want to fight.”
Ava noticed his use of the word we. Sonny hadn’t been as neutral as he had promised. “How many men are dead?” she asked.
“I don’t really know. Suen and his guys took out three. I have no idea about Lop — the two of them are still operating separately. They talk by phone, but the only thing Suen has told me is that as of an hour ago they hadn’t found Tan or Wing.”
“Wing called me.”
“Fuck.”
“He wants to negotiate.”
“No fucking wonder.”
“And he’s holding Carlo hostage to make sure I do.”
“How did he get Carlo?”
“What does it matter?”
“And you’ll be the one negotiating with him?”
“Unless Xu makes a miraculous recovery, who else is there?”
“He made it clear enough in the car that if he was out of action you were to handle it.”
“I know Suen and Lop agreed, but do you think they’ll still feel that way?”
“I don’t think you have to worry about them. They’d never go against Xu’s wishes. I’d be more concerned about Sammy Wing believing he ha
s to meet with you and not Xu.”
“I was direct with him.”
“Did he buy it?”
“Reluctantly.”
“Do you trust him?”
“Not particularly. But I’ll have you, Suen, Lop, and as many other men as we need alongside.”
“Jesus, Ava, I hate to see you getting so involved in shit like this.”
“We need to protect Carlo, and I owe Xu. Besides, I’m a big girl and I’m no stranger to shit.”
“When’s this supposed to happen?”
“As soon as I hear from Carlo and I’m convinced he’s well.”
“Suen and Lop are still going at these guys.”
“Tell them not to back off until I give the word, and don’t say anything about Wing just yet.”
“Okay, boss.”
“And Sonny, it doesn’t sound like they need you there anymore. Why don’t you go home?”
“In a while.”
“Sonny —”
“Ava, after five months of driving your brother to business meetings it’s been good for me to get my juices flowing again. I’m too pumped to sleep, and I want to see this through to the end.”
“Don’t —” she said, and then swallowed the rest of her scolding. She wasn’t his mother, she wasn’t his wife. “Just be careful.”
She made herself another coffee and went over to the window. Uncle had always kept the blinds raised during the day. His chair was positioned so he could look out onto the street and, as he always said, “feel the life out there.” She pulled up the blinds now and was amazed at how quickly Kowloon had come to life. Nearly all the stores and restaurants were open for business, the sidewalks were jammed, and three double-decker buses and two minibuses were on the street. She checked the time: more than thirty minutes since she had spoken to Wing. The jetfoil terminal in Macau was a fifteen-minute car ride from just about anywhere in the territory. Had Wing been playing her? Maybe he didn’t yet have his hands on Carlo. As that thought crossed her mind, the phone rang, and she saw Carlo’s number.
“Carlo, are you on the jetfoil?” she said.
“Got on two minutes ago.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just embarrassed.”
“What happened?”
“When I got to the terminal in Central, I met a couple of guys who work for Jimmy Tan. They asked me where I was going, and since I was in line to get the boat to Macau, I couldn’t lie. When all hell broke loose last night, they started calling everyone to come in. I had left my phone on but didn’t answer when I saw who was calling. That was stupid. Someone got suspicious, and of course Tan and Wing know we’re close, so they sent some guys to look for me. I wasn’t hard to find. Ava, I had to tell them what I told you. It was either that or —”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No, but they were ready to. Fuck, Ava, I’m sorry.”
“I understand, Carlo. No harm has been done.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“I’m doing a trade. I’ll get you back.”
“Jesus. What does Wing want for me?”
“A meeting.”
“That’s it?”
“Do you have any idea what’s been happening?”
“Not in any detail. The two guys who grabbed me said it was bad, really bad. They’re as jumpy as hell.”
“They should be. Xu’s men arrived in Hong Kong last night. They’ve decimated Wing’s organization.”
“Holy fuck.”
“Now listen to me, Carlo. I’m going to call Wing and make some arrangements. You need to keep in touch. I want to know when you land in Hong Kong. If things go smoothly, you should be able to say goodbye to those two guys at the terminal.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. But you know what? When I think of all the things you did for me over the years, all this does is make us even. Take care of yourself, and wait for my call.”
She hung up and went back to the kitchen to make herself another coffee. She knew that Carlo would be safe and that she could call Wing — except as a pre-negotiating strategy it didn’t make sense. The longer they hammered Wing’s organization, the more receptive he would be to accepting Xu’s deal. But she knew she couldn’t let it go on indefinitely or there wouldn’t be any organization left. Still, she first wanted to know for certain that Carlo was back in Hong Kong. Another hour shouldn’t make that much difference.
Neither Wing nor Sonny had mentioned Li, Ava thought. And Li hadn’t come to Wing’s aid. She assumed that, despite being only a few hours away, he might not have had time to react. Or maybe he just didn’t care enough. Either way, without him Wing was helpless.
She took her notebook from her Chanel bag and returned to Uncle’s chair. The front of the book was full of notes about Suki Chan and the Pos. She turned to the back and on the last page wrote Sammy Wing.
It had been a rule when she worked with Uncle that they took on only one job at a time, and she only ever carried one notebook. It struck her as odd, almost disquieting, that she was now listing issues that would have to be discussed with Wing in the same book that contained details of the beginning of her new life. She worked slowly and several times closed the book, but then she began again, unable to shake the promises she’d made to Carlo and Xu.
She checked the time, counting down the minutes until Carlo should have arrived safely. It was only a few minutes short of the scheduled docking when the phone rang.
“Lop has caught Jimmy Tan,” Sonny said.
“Where?”
“In Central. He was hiding in a closet at his girlfriend’s apartment.”
“Is he alive?”
“So I’m told.”
“What does he actually do for Wing?’
“He’s the street operator. He’s the one who knows the nuts and bolts.”
“Make sure he isn’t harmed. We may need him.”
“I’ll pass the word.”
Ava’s phone lit up again and she saw Carlo’s number on the screen. “Carlo is calling. Let me talk to him and I’ll get right back to you.”
She switched lines, and as she did she couldn’t help but notice a jump in her adrenalin level. “Are you okay?” she said.
“I’ve landed and the two guys who were with me have left.”
“Anyone else lurking around?”
“Not that I can see. I have to tell you, the guys were anxious to get as far away from me as possible, so I’m not worried.”
“Still, go home and keep your head down. This isn’t over yet.”
( 30 )
She looked at the contact list on her phone and dialled a Kowloon number. “Andy, it’s Ava. Are you at the restaurant yet?”
“I’ll be there within an hour.”
“I’m sorry, but I need to use the kitchen again.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll need a table that can seat up to six people. Can you set it up in the kitchen as far from the cooks as possible? I need to have a private conversation.”
“I can do that.”
“We’ll be there just before noon. I’ll be arriving with Sonny and some Shanghai men.”
“Okay.”
“Sammy Wing will show up as well. I’ll tell him to check in at the hostess stand. You can bring him into the kitchen.”
“He’ll be alone?”
“If he isn’t, don’t let him in. If you see anyone suspicious hanging around, let me know and leave Wing at the entrance until we can confirm who they are.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? That’s all you have to say? Andy, you are the least curious person I know.”
“My phone has been ringing constantly since last night. All anyone can talk about is the beating that Xu is laying on Wing. I didn’t have t
o ask.”
“It’s more than a beating.”
“I’m not surprised. Is Carlo all right?”
“He’s fine,” Ava said, seeing no reason to elaborate.
“Good. I was thinking about him all night.”
“So we’ll see you around noon?”
“My kitchen is your kitchen.”
She looked at Sammy Wing’s name in her notebook. He must be anxious, she thought. He would be sitting by his phone, waiting and worrying, wondering if she would get back to him. Let him sweat a while longer, she thought as she called Sonny.
“Wei.”
“Carlo is back and safe, and I’ve just arranged to use Andy’s restaurant for the meeting with Wing, at noon. Tell Suen and Lop to meet me there about fifteen minutes before. They should bring Jimmy Tan and some of their own men with them. Can you pick me up at Uncle’s at eleven fifteen?”
“Yes, boss, I’ll be there,” he said, and then paused.
“Is something wrong?”
“Lop worked Tan over before Suen could talk to him.”
“But he’s alive?”
“Yeah, just bruised and battered.”
“Is Lop always that violent?”
“He’s a bit crazy, but he follows orders.”
“Well, what’s done is done,” Ava said. “Now there’s one more thing I need you to do for me: give me the number for the clinic. I’m going to see if I can talk to Xu.”
“He’s probably still out of it.”
“I know, but I want to try anyway.”
Sonny rhymed off the number without another comment.
“And what’s the doctor’s name?”
“Lui.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you here in a while.”
She thought again of Wing as she phoned the law offices of Burgess and Bowlby. The receptionist said Mr. Bowlby was in a meeting and asked Ava to leave a message. When Ava gave her name, the receptionist said, “Excuse me, but I think I can interrupt for you. Wait just a minute.”