by Ian Hamilton
“Ava, you have Wen and his men, and there are more men on the way. Give them a chance to get in place.”
“Then what?”
“We need time. Lop has already instructed Wen what to do. Let him do it.”
“Xu, I’m not going to let them take me without a fight.”
“If it comes to that, you’ll have plenty of support on your side. But it isn’t going to come to that, and no one is going to take you anywhere,” he said. “Look, we’re no more than fifteen to twenty minutes away from the house. Be patient until we get there.”
Ava stepped into the courtyard and saw Wen at the gate, looking down the alley.
“How fast are those men moving?” she shouted.
“They’re already at the next set of houses. It won’t be more than ten minutes before they get here,” he yelled back.
“Did you hear that?” she said to Xu.
“I did, and we’re moving as fast as we can,” he said. “Lop has already left and I’m only a few minutes behind him.”
The word “hurry” crossed her mind. She ended the call and walked towards Wen. He turned as she drew close, and she saw that he was armed with a Cobray M11 semi-automatic. It was Sonny’s weapon of choice. She glanced at the other two men and saw they carried the same gun. She started to comment, but two of the men she’d seen earlier at one of the fruit carts appeared in the gateway. Right behind them came two more she didn’t know.
“The guns are in the garage, in the trunk of the BMW,” Wen said to them.
The four walked to the garage. Before they exited, two more men came into the courtyard. Wen repeated the information about the guns.
“We should go into the house,” Auntie Grace said.
“No, I’m going to stay out here,” Ava said. “I want to see and hear whatever is going to happen. If I sit inside, everything will be left to my imagination, and it can run wild.”
“It’s safer in the house.”
“If those men get into the courtyard they’ll be in the house ten seconds later,” Ava said. “It will be the same result, just marginally delayed.”
All six of the new arrivals were now armed with a variety of semi-automatic and automatic weapons and were grouped around Wen in the middle of the courtyard. “Close the gate,” he told two of his men.
They swung the wooden doors together and secured them with a long, thick crossbeam.
“You should go inside,” Wen said to Ava and Auntie Grace.
“I’m staying here,” Ava said.
“There’s no point arguing with her,” Auntie Grace said to him. “And I’m not leaving unless she does.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Ava said to Auntie Grace.
“I’m at an age where I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to do, and that includes leaving you out here by yourself. So, I’m staying.”
Wen sighed and looked troubled. Ava was sure Lop had instructed him to make sure she and Auntie Grace were indoors.
“We’ll sit by the pond,” Ava said to him. “That way we’re out of the line of sight of the gate.”
“If any violence breaks out, if they throw tear gas over the wall . . .”
“We’ll go inside.”
“Okay, that will have to do,” Wen said reluctantly. He turned to the men. “Spread out. Get as much space between each other as you can while maintaining a clear view of the gate.”
Ava unfolded chairs for herself and Auntie Grace. As they sat, Ava glanced at the older woman. Her face was impassive, her hands were folded in her lap, and there wasn’t a hint of tension in her body.
“You act like you’ve been through this before,” Ava said.
“Hopefully, when this is over, I’ll be able to tell you that I’ve been through much worse.”
“Indeed,” Ava said.
She noticed that the entire courtyard had become silent; there wasn’t so much as a whisper. Wen stood in the middle with one of the men. The others had fanned out on either side of them. Every eye was focused on the gate. Ava’s attention was on what was occurring in the alley, and her head was turned in the direction from which the soldiers would come. She strained to hear the sound of vehicles, of boots striking cobblestones, of closing doors and gates. But it was so quiet she could hear her heart beating. She looked at her watch. It had to have been at least five minutes since she’d spoken to Xu. Was it possible Lop could get to the house before the soldiers? But what difference would it make if he did? Had the soldiers left? Why was Xu letting Lop travel back here by himself? Ava drew a deep breath. Her mind was in overdrive. She reached for Auntie Grace’s hand. The older woman placed Ava’s hand between hers. That was when Ava heard voices.
It was a buzz at first, the words indistinct. Then she heard nervous laughter and someone shouting, “No one’s here,” and gradually the sound of men walking and more voices added to the mix. They were close now, maybe two or three houses away. Auntie Grace squeezed her hand. She saw the man standing next to Wen whisper something to him. Wen nodded and stepped closer to the gate.
Ava checked her watch. Three minutes had passed, though it seemed like an hour. She heard what she thought was a door closing, and then footsteps and clear voices. She counted four voices and assumed there was a fifth if they were searching houses in two teams. The gate rattled as someone pushed against it.
“This fucking thing is locked,” a voice said.
“Here, let me,” another said, and pushed, with the same result.
Someone knocked, the noise loud and sharp as if the butt of a gun was being used.
“Who are you?” Wen shouted.
“Officers in the Special Unit, attached to the People’s Armed Police.”
“What do you want?”
“We want you to open the gate.”
Wen paused, and his lips moved as if he was counting. “Why?” he finally said.
“We’re conducting a neighbourhood search.”
“Why?”
“We believe that some people who’ve broken the law are hiding in the vicinity.”
“There’s no one here who broke any law.”
“Open the gate,” the man insisted.
“This is private property,” Wen said.
Ava heard more footsteps and new voices outside the gate. She guessed the remaining five officers had arrived.
“This is Sergeant Tang. I’m in charge here. We need you to open this gate, and open it now,” a more authoritative voice said.
“This is private property,” Wen repeated.
“We’ll break down the gate unless you open it voluntarily.”
“You’ll have to pay for the damage if you do.”
“Don’t be so thick,” Tang said.
Wen paused again, and then pointed his Cobray at the middle of the gate. “Don’t touch the gate,” he said.
“Get the ram,” Tang said.
Auntie Grace tightened her grip and a nail penetrated Ava’s flesh. “When they start to break down the gate, I think we should go inside,” Auntie said. “It’s better they find us there than out here, where we could get hit by a stray bullet.”
“Yes,” Ava said.
There was no sound from the other side of the gate. Wen and his men were in position, their guns locked on the gate. None of them moved a muscle. They’re really going to shoot, Ava thought.
“This is your last chance,” Tang suddenly shouted.
Wen shook his head wordlessly.
Seconds later, there was a boom as the ram crashed into the wood. Auntie Grace stood and tugged at Ava. “Come,” she said.
Ava struggled to her feet, her attention fixed on the gate. The ram hit it again, and she saw the first splinters. Two or three more blows would do the job. She was turning to walk with Auntie Grace into the house when she heard a familiar voice.
She stopped. “That’s Lop,” she said.
Wen nodded but he didn’t lower his gun.
Ava stood and waited. All she could hear was voices. Auntie Grace’s grip on Ava’s hand began to relax, and Ava’s breathing slowed.
Minutes passed, and Ava was starting to feel her anxiety build again when Lop shouted, “Wen, open the gate.”
He hesitated and then motioned for the men on both sides to move forward. When they’d taken positions on both sides of the gate, he raised the crossbeam and pulled the gate open.
Lop stood in the middle of a group of ten men. Their weapons hung down by their sides. When Lop nodded at him, Wen lowered his gun and the other men followed suit.
“As Captain Bao said, Tang, there was no reason for any of this,” Lop said to the man standing next to him.
“No, sir,” Tang replied.
“Now, why don’t you clear the alley and let the people here go about their normal business.”
“Yes, sir,” Tang said, but hesitated.
“You don’t have to worry about the gate,” Lop said. “I’m sure the owner will bear the costs of any repairs.”
“Then we’ll be off,” Tang said.
Lop remained in position as the men moved away. When there was no further sign of them, Ava expected him to come into the courtyard, but he stayed where he was, looking down the alley. She was starting to walk towards him when he took several steps back and Xu’s Mercedes slid into view.
Ava froze and then retreated as the car turned into the courtyard. It came to a stop just inside. The back door opened and Xu stepped out. His face was grim.
( 52 )
Xu and Ava sat in the wooden chairs by the pond. Auntie Grace had gone inside. Lop was in the house several doors away. There were only three men in the courtyard and they were unarmed.
“What happened?” she finally asked.
He took out a cigarette and lit it. He inhaled deeply, then raised his head and blew a stream of smoke up into the air, where it hung for a second like a thin grey shroud.
“I’m sorry we weren’t here when the military arrived. We had gone into Shanghai to meet with one of the key military commanders of the region. He is one of the men Lop phoned earlier. They were in Special Services together and have a strong bond. We were with him when Wen called Lop and told him about the house search. The commander arranged to have it called off, but it took more time than we’d have liked for them to contact the unit.”
“I was lucky you were there.”
“Maybe we both were.”
“Why were you meeting with him in the first place?”
“We wanted to know what was going to happen to Tsai Lian. This man is our best source.”
“And what did he have to say?”
“I would have phoned you but I thought I should tell you in person.”
“Is it that bad?” Ava said, feeling a flutter in her stomach.
“No,” Xu said with a firm shake of his head. “Tsai Lian and Ying Fa are under house arrest until they will be told to visit the Nanjing office of the security section of the PLA. ‘Visit’ is a code word for surrender. If they don’t go voluntarily, orders have been issued for them to be taken into custody.”
“How does he know that?”
“The man in Beijing who gave the order is a colleague of the man we saw here. He was also part of our phone loop and was waiting to see who was named.”
“Beijing moved so quickly.”
“The general opinion is that the size of the crimes that were committed justified it.”
“You actually believe that’s going to be the final outcome?” she said.
“It isn’t an outcome, it’s the start of a process.”
“And you’re sure they’re going to be taken out of circulation?”
“They took too much. They offended too many. As soon as the numbers became apparent and people spoke to each other, the depth of the reaction was as intense as it was fast.”
“Good god.”
He took a deep drag from his cigarette, and then shrugged. “Ava, do you remember the night when you, May, and I had dinner, and I offered to put money into the Three Sisters?”
“Of course.”
“May commented at the time that there were no longer vendors on the Bund, and I said that one day the government simply decided that it didn’t want them there.”
“I remember that.”
“The next day every vendor was gone and it was as if they’d never been there, as if they’d never existed. The same thing will happen to the Tsais.”
“The decision is already made?”
“The order for them not to leave their homes came from Beijing, so yes, some kind of decision has been made.”
“Charges will be laid?”
“Our man thinks that’s the strongest probability, given the publicity the stories have generated.”
“No trial?”
“We’re told there will likely be a trial. Appearances have to be maintained. But if they agree to plead guilty, the trial can be held in public within a few weeks and they’ll have the chance to look humble and beg for mercy. If they decide to fight, it will be held in secret and be over just as fast. But they, especially Tsai Lian, are too smart to fight.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He knows that if he’s charged, his allies have deserted him. He knows that if he pleads not guilty, it could be seen as being unrepentant and arrogant and dismissive of the government. Those are attitudes that could turn a jail term into an execution and eradication of the entire family’s wealth.”
“A guilty plea will protect the family’s money?”
“Probably not all of it, but if Lian is particularly humble and co-operative I can envision a more modest jail sentence and some preservation of the family’s wealth. They might also let some of them leave the country. Why have them hanging around here as a reminder?”
“What a system.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Why bother with a trial at all?”
“The public needs to see that the government is serious about fighting corruption, and that no man is above the law.”
“It’s still a farce.”
“It works in its own way, and maybe more effectively than the American or French or Italian system.”
“How so?”
“Public opinion has power everywhere, except that here it may be even more potent.”
“That’s only because there’s virtually no law that can’t be bent to suit a particular need or end. In the U.S., Tsai Lian would actually go to court and face a trial that didn’t have a predetermined outcome.”
“I understand that you’re theorizing, so let me do so as well,” Xu said. “In the U.S., a man like Lian would hire an army of lawyers and public relations specialists and would buy himself years of time before anything ever went to trial. It isn’t that laws aren’t bent in the U.S. to suit needs; it’s more that the laws don’t apply to men who have his kind of wealth. Now you tell me, which system is more fair?”
“I don’t know why we’re talking about this — neither of us is a political scientist or a social philosopher. I’m a debt collector and you’re a gangster,” Ava said with a broad smile.
“You were a debt collector, and I am a gangster in transition.”
“Agreed.”
He picked up his lighter and turned it over in his hand.
“Xu, I thought you would be pleased with this news. When you arrived at the house, you looked upset and I actually thought you had heard the opposite.”
“I’m relieved and grateful that we prevailed, but I can’t find any joy in it.”
“It is what you wanted.”
“No, all I wanted was not to be forced back into the drug business, but things have a way
of becoming connected, and roads we drive down end up in places we never imagined,” he said. “I called Tsai Men from my car after I spoke to Lop. I wanted to let him know that I’d seen the stories and that I had concern for him and his family.”
“Did he believe that? About your concern, I mean.”
“It was real enough, but I was more concerned about feeling out where his head and emotions were. I didn’t want him going rogue on us and seeking some pointless revenge. Besides, he’s smart and I’m sure he’ll bounce back in some way. We might even be able to do business together again at some point in time.”
“No business I’d get involved in.”
“I understand, but I live here and you don’t. He could become part of my life again.”
“But you believe that things are really settled for now?”
“Yes, and unless I’m misreading the situation entirely, you should be able to leave here whenever you wish,” he said.
“There’s no point in moving to a hotel, so I’ll stay here for another night. That is, if you don’t mind.”
“You know I’m happy to have you. Where will you go from here?”
“May Ling and Suki Chan have a project that I’d like to look at more closely, and there’s still unfinished business in Hong Kong. Then I’ll head back to Toronto. My mother’s had a gambling windfall, and she wants to take me and my girlfriend to Italy. I think I should take her up on it before she loses everything she won.”
“You will stay in touch?”
“Of course.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you were hesitant after all the trouble I’ve been attracting.”
Ava reached for the hand that held the lighter. “You know, this may sound a bit strange, but I don’t mind a little trouble. It gets my blood flowing and puts my mind into overdrive. As much as I like the idea of business and I love the people I’m working with, there isn’t the same kind of buzz.”
“Did this give you a buzz?”
“Maybe that’s the wrong word, but I’m not sure what word to use,” Ava said. “All I know is that when I saw the Tribune and Herald stories, I thought, I got them, and I felt this surge of some weird mixture of relief and exhilaration and satisfaction. It’s exactly the same feeling I had on every successful job I did with Uncle.”