Ruse

by Cindy Pon

  I hadn’t thought about it, but my stomach grumbled loudly at the smell of beef broth and scallions. “Me too,” I said, suddenly ravenous.

  We arrived back at the hotel soon after, and Arun and I stumbled out of the taxi, but I carried our box of noodles like precious cargo. Iris met us at the elevators. “You’re back,” she said.

  “With food,” I replied. “How’s it been here?”

  We entered the elevator and headed up to our suite. “I’ve been alternating between staying in the suite and canvassing the hotel,” Iris said. “Lingyi fell asleep while working.”

  We found her sprawled over the desk. Iris must have pushed Jany’s MacFold out of the way. But Lingyi’s brow was creased, as if she were worrying over a puzzle even in her sleep.

  We quietly settled in the sitting area and ate our beef noodles, and it was the best thing I’d ever tasted. Arun had gotten hand-cut noodles with vegetables and tofu for himself. But toward the end of our meal, a shriek rang through the room. I palmed a knife before seeing that Lingyi had sat bolt upright in the chair at the desk. She was hyperventilating, tears streaming down her face. Shocked, I froze, not knowing what to do.

  Iris was beside her in an instant, wrapping her arms around her. “Hey,” she murmured. “We’re all here. We’re safe. You fell asleep.”

  Lingyi nodded, trying to slow her breathing. She drew long, shaking breaths.

  I looked toward Arun, whose dark brows were furrowed in concern. We must have mirrored each other in our expressions.

  “She’s not had a good night’s sleep in months,” Iris said to us. “A doctor prescribed sedatives, but she doesn’t like to take them.” Lingyi had pressed her face into Iris’s shoulder, and it was jarring to see her like this. She’d always been our leader and guided us with quiet assuredness. Lingyi had always taken care of us. Iris’s eyes were dark and wide as she stroked Lingyi’s hair. It was obvious she’d done this many times before, and how worried she was for Lingyi.

  “Go to bed,” I said to Iris. “You both need some proper rest.”

  “Zhou and I will take turns keeping a lookout,” Arun said.

  The girls headed to their bedroom, and the door clicked firmly shut behind them.

  “Will she be okay?” I asked Arun in a low voice.

  “She’s traumatized.” Arun stared down at his hands. “You know, she witnessed Victor’s death on cam.”

  I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands. It had never even occurred to me. I had never bothered to ask. Instead, I’d distanced myself from my friends so I wouldn’t have to see them and remember who was missing from our group, miss Victor’s teasing and banter, the familiar sight of him sprawled in an armchair, long legs crossed in front of him. I had withdrawn from them in an attempt to deal with my grief and guilt, not wondering once how they might be suffering.

  “Then all this happened with Jany,” Arun said. “Knowing Lingyi, she’ll pull through. But we need to be there for her.”

  I nodded. I didn’t know how much Lingyi had been hurting. But why would she have told me? I had rebuffed her every time she tried to reach out. “Fuck,” I whispered. “I’ve been such a little shit.”

  That made Arun crack a smile. “Yes, you have. But that’s nothing new.”

  I punched him in the arm, but then his expression turned serious. “We’ve all been grieving in our own ways. But if getting into another dangerous venture has shown me anything, it’s that our strength is in each other. Especially if we want to bring Jin down.” He paused. “And I really want to take him down.”

  Arun was a scientist, observant and analytical; he was a literal genius. I stared at him and was suddenly overcome with emotion. He was right. We were putting our lives at risk again fighting someone who seemed incapable of losing. But I knew we could do this together. “That’s eloquent and deep for so late in the evening.”

  Arun snorted, thinking I was teasing, but I reached out a fist and hit the top of his fist, and he reciprocated. Rising from the sofa, I said, “I’ll take the first shift. Get some sleep.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.” Arun stood too, and stretched, then disappeared into the other bedroom.

  I woke him three hours later and fell asleep on the sofa. Next thing I knew, Lingyi was gently shaking my shoulder. “Wake up, Zhou. We need to have a group meeting.” Her eyes were a little swollen, but the quiet determination was back in her voice.

  I shot up, my hand going to where a knife was tucked out of habit. “What time is it?”

  “Just after seven,” she replied. “I told Iris to stay for this too.”

  It must be important, if she’d taken Iris off surveillance.

  “Let me just shower real fast,” I said.

  Lingyi gave me a playful shove, wrinkling her nose. “I agree. Arun’s already showered.”

  Arun was sitting in a velvet armchair, scrolling through his Palm. He lifted his head and tilted his chin in greeting. “Yeah. I feel almost human again,” he said.

  After I showered and changed, I rejoined my friends in the sitting area. Iris was pacing around the room, restless. Lingyi was still a target, and there wasn’t much we could do about it. If anyone could protect Lingyi, it’d be Iris. But we both knew it’d be an ugly fight when Jin turned his full attention back to us again, assuming his focus had ever strayed. I wouldn’t have bet on it.

  Arun made tea and brewed espresso drinks, and I gratefully picked up my mug, letting the strong, earthy scent wash over me before I took my first sip.

  “I’ll be done transferring Jany’s data today,” Lingyi said after everyone had time to drink their beverage. Her no-nonsense approach was back, and she gave no indication of what had happened last night. She raised a hand when she saw our excited expressions. “I still need to manipulate my passport info to safely leave China . . . but our work here isn’t done.”

  “The prototype,” Arun said.

  Lingyi let out a small breath as she stared into her teacup. “Yes. We have to get it back.”

  “What?” I said. “Jin stole it. The invention is willed to Jany’s family. We just need to push the patent through for them.”

  “It doesn’t matter if Jin stole it,” Lingyi said. “Once he figures out how to replicate the catalyst, he’ll manufacture it. He’s got enough money to bury Jany’s family in court. Big corporations do it all the time.”

  Arun set his empty espresso cup on the table. “Lingyi’s right. Nothing will stop Jin once he has his hands on the design. Like I said, the reverse engineering might take some time, but when he’s got it figured out, he’ll produce the catalyst and do whatever he likes with it.”

  “Why didn’t Jany tell you about the prototype?” I asked.

  “She might have forgotten, given the danger she was in,” Lingyi said. “But I think more likely she chose not to tell me. Her notes indicated that the prototype was working better than she had hoped and was crucial to the health and survival of the children at the clinic—which was true. We all saw what happened when Jin stole it. She wouldn’t have removed it even if I asked her to.”

  “Shit,” I said under my breath. “How can we get it back?”

  “The prototype is traceable,” Lingyi said. “Jany made certain of that. I know exactly where it is. It’s at the Peninsula Hotel, right here on the Bund, where Jin is staying.”

  We sat in silence for some time, letting the new info sink in. “I don’t like it,” Iris finally said. “You don’t owe this woman anything. You can’t risk your life again—”

  “It won’t come to that,” Lingyi said.

  Iris stopped and slammed a fist on the glass table. Everything clattered on its surface, and we all jumped. “Things go wrong.” Her throat worked, and her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “Things went wrong! Victor is gone. There’s no rewind button, Lingyi, no take-backs. And in the end, Jin will always win.”

  “We can’t think like that,” Lingyi said vehemently. “We can’t just give in—”


  “We blew up Jin Corp!” Iris retorted. “How much do you think we hurt Jin? He’s on to his next venture! We can’t touch him.” She glared at each of us, furious. “It’s how the system is set up. I survived on the streets by myself my whole life, and that’s how our world works. Jin will be rewarded over and over again no matter what he does—who he steals from, who he kills.”

  Lingyi dropped her face into both hands, and her shoulders heaved. I thought she was crying, but when she spoke, there was a hard edge in her voice. “Jin takes everything because he can.” Lingyi lifted her face; it was flushed with determination. “Well, he can’t have this. Please, my heart . . .”

  Iris’s expression gave nothing away, as if carved from stone, but her dark gaze was sharp as ever. I agreed with her. To stick our necks out again to get the prototype back was risky and dangerous. If Jin caught us, he’d kill us on sight. But I never had a problem following my friends to the cliff’s edge—or leaping off, for that matter. My life was my own to risk. But each of them had the right to choose too.

  “I get what you’re saying, Iris. I’d lived on the streets for five years, and it was enough for me to give up on humankind at times. Or just give up.” Iris crossed her arms, listening. “I witnessed viciousness and cruelty—endured both. Our world is not an easy world to live in right now,” I said, trying to process all my thoughts and feelings. I wanted Iris to know I understood, knew exactly where she was coming from. The hard line of her mouth softened a little. “But I found kindness, too . . . and friends.” I looked around the room at each of them. “I found family.”

  Arun nodded.

  “This might feel personal”—my knee jittered, and I stared at my hands—“hell, maybe it is personal.” I had probably lost Daiyu because of this path I had set upon with my friends. The thought felt like a knife twisting into my heart. I swallowed hard. “But when it comes to Jin, there are bigger things at play. We have the choice to fight or give up. Your friends”—I glanced at Lingyi—“your love. We want to keep fighting.”

  “I’m in until the end of days,” Arun agreed. “Smite the fucker.”

  Lingyi extended a hand toward Iris. “I know you’re afraid for me, love. You don’t want to see me in danger. I didn’t choose this lightly, but I have chosen.”

  Iris stared at Lingyi’s hand, and for a second, I was uncertain if she’d take it. But then she entwined her fingers with Lingyi’s, leaned close, and whispered in her ear, soft and low. But I still caught the shape of the words: You’re my everything.

  Lingyi cupped Iris’s cheek and kissed her. Arun and I actively looked anywhere but at the girls as they shared this tender moment.

  After they drew apart, I cleared my throat and said to Lingyi, “We’ll work on getting the prototype back. You can do your magic and guide us through it—off-site.” And safe from Jin’s thugs.

  Lingyi nodded, then smiled. “I’ve already hacked into the Peninsula’s system,” she said. “The hospitality industry is ridiculously easy to infiltrate.”

  “You mean as opposed to the retail industry?” Arun asked. “Or gaming?”

  Lingyi grinned wider. “True. Jin’s in the presidential Peninsula suite. He’s throwing a big gala at the hotel tonight—this is our best opportunity to get into his suite and steal the prototype back,” she said. “Zhou and Iris can go up. Arun, I need you there as backup in case anything unexpected happens.”

  Unexpected, like if Jin’s thugs kill us and dump our bodies into the Huangpu River.

  “I know you can give us access to his suite easily enough,” I said. “But where’s the prototype? I assume it’s not just sitting on a desk for us to take.”

  Lingyi gave a frustrated shake of her head. “I can see the comings and goings outside in the hallway, but for privacy reasons, there are no cameras within any of the rooms. I only know from the filter’s tracker that Jany had built within the machine that it’s there. I can pinpoint the location, but don’t have a visual.”

  “What time is the gala tonight?” I asked.

  “It begins at eight and runs until midnight,” Lingyi said. “All the richest, most influential people of Shanghai have been invited—everyone with deep pockets—and the highest government officials. He’ll be occupied schmoozing the entire time.”

  “I’m game,” I said. “Iris is my best partner in crime.” I flashed her a grin, and she arched one eyebrow. “What’s the plan?”

  “I think the best way is if you and Iris dressed like the hotel staff,” Lingyi replied, and showed us images of a man and woman. The man was dressed in black trousers and vest with a matching brocaded jacket. The woman was wearing a deep blue qipao with silver embroidering. “You’ll be less likely to be questioned that way.” She looked toward Arun. “Could you get two sets of the trousers, vests, and jackets for them? White shirts. You know their sizes?”

  “I’ll take their measurements on my Palm,” Arun said. “No problem. I’ll be able to get something within a couple of hours.”

  “We’ll all be connected on our earpieces Iris brought so we can communicate with each other. If the prototype is in the hotel safe, I’ll have a decoder for you. The hotel safes tend to be easy to crack,” Lingyi said. “But it’s impossible for us to know how it’s stored until you get into his suite.”

  A low boat horn sounded outside on the river. The hazy skies were slowly brightening, and at eight a.m., Jin Tower flickered to life with advertisements. All the other buildings across the Bund didn’t turn on until dusk, but who was Jin to follow along like the rest? The Jin Tower celebration announcements began broadcasting across its glass panes, reminding all of Shanghai to come out and participate.

  “Sounds good,” I said.

  “Let me show you my camera access views within the hotel,” Lingyi said. “And its layout so you can familiarize yourself. I’ll manipulate the cameras so security won’t see you on Jin’s floor or have any recording of it.” She brought out her own MacFold and connected to the hotel’s camera, and the Peninsula’s grand lobby appeared. She showed us an image of the prototype from Jany’s laptop. “We’ll steal this back so fast, Jin’s head will spin,” Lingyi murmured.

  I hoped she was right.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Iris and I entered the lobby of the Peninsula at eight thirty p.m. It was a vast space with dark marble floors and marbled reception desks with gold accents. A massive chandelier hung over the lobby, and a luxury boutique was still open for business on our left. Three automatons in the window going through a set of seamless motions showcased designer dresses. They looked like real-life Chinese women except for the vacant brightness in their eyes and the unnatural way they were programmed to blink every so often. The high-end stores had begun using these lifelike models, but they creeped me out.

  We might have appeared out of place, hotel staff entering through the main entrance, only the lobby was so filled with elegantly dressed people headed to Jin’s gala that no one noticed us. The women wore diamonds, rubies, and sapphires on their throats and at their wrists, the precious stones catching the low ambient light in the lobby. Sparkling jewels swayed from their earlobes as they made their way to the elevators. A low hum of excitement filled the air as the guests spoke to one another, wondering what they could expect from Jin, who was famous for his grandiose parties.

  Iris and I stayed near the wall, our dark clothing providing cover juxtaposed to their bright silks and brocades. No one gave us a second glance—we weren’t worth another look. The women rustled by, patting their hair, and adjusting their heavy jewelry. We waited for the crowd to ebb before going to an elevator and using the card Lingyi had given us to access Jin’s presidential suite. While we were ascending, Lingyi spoke into our earpieces. “I didn’t want to say anything before, but Daiyu is in Jin’s suite.”

  “What?” I asked, feeling my pulse quicken at the mention of her name.

  “Unfortunately,” Lingyi said. “She went back to the suite twenty minutes ago and has been ther
e since.”

  “She must be sharing a suite with Jin,” Iris said.

  “Just our luck,” I murmured, remembering Daiyu’s wounded expression before our conversation was interrupted the previous day. It twisted me up inside.

  “You two can wait out of sight, and I’ll let you know when I see her come out again on the hotel hallway cam,” Lingyi said. “I expect she’s the hostess for Jin’s gala—she can’t be gone for that long.”

  The elevator doors opened noiselessly, and Iris and I made our way around a corner, out of sight of the presidential suite’s door. I hadn’t been nervous before, but knowing that Daiyu was within shouting distance changed everything. Feeling antsy, I slipped my butterfly knife out and began flipping it, the motions so familiar, I didn’t even think about what I was doing.

  “Put that thing away,” Iris whispered to me. “Stay focused.”

  Sheepish, I tucked the knife back into a pocket, running my hands across the hidden places where I had my other knives. We waited mostly in silence, with an occasional update from Arun, who entered the lobby soon after we did. But he was dressed in a tuxedo. “There’re a few stragglers,” Arun said. “But the gala must be in full swing in the ballroom upstairs.”

  By 9:40 p.m., Daiyu was still sequestered in the suite.

  “It’s getting too late,” Iris said. “We have to get her out somehow.”

  “I agree,” Lingyi replied. “Zhou, go in.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Knock on the door and say you want to speak with her,” Lingyi said. “Get her to leave somehow.”

  I felt a cold sweat gathering at the back of my neck. “Are you serious, boss?”

  “It’s the easiest way,” Lingyi said into our earpieces.

  I held back on my expletives. The last thing I wanted to do was speak with Daiyu in Jin’s suite. And showing up like that at her door was just strange and creepy, especially after how I had ended things last time. What if she actually wanted to talk? I was only there to distract her so we could steal from her father.