by Mark Arundel
Jennifer finished tending to Maria by giving her a sedative and putting her to sleep in one of the bedrooms. Then she came back to me. After giving me a local anaesthetic, she removed the old stitches and cleaned the wound.
While this was happening, Xing’s eyes never left me. I looked over at her and she offered me some free information. She said, ‘I haven’t received any further communication from London. I haven’t been able to report back. It’s a difficult situation for me until I receive new instructions.’
I said, ‘My offer still stands.’
She said, ‘How can I help you if you won’t trust me?’ I didn’t answer. I watched Jennifer stitch my wound. She was much better at it than I was. She fixed a tight bandage and gave me a small bottle of painkillers.
‘These are strong so only take one every four hours. There’s no point in telling you to take it easy, I suppose.’
I smiled at her and said, ‘Thank you, doctor.’
Just then, my phone rang; it was Charlotte calling me. I answered and she said, ‘Why haven’t you called me back?’
‘We got waylaid.’
‘Are you safe, now?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good. We have to move fast on the plan,’ she said.
‘Why?’
‘Because secrets in the intelligence world get traded like sex in the real world; everyone’s looking to buy and sell.’ There was a silence and then Charlotte added, ‘I’m not letting this get away; not now we’re so close.’
I’d been considering the plan myself and said, ‘Charlotte, why don’t you monitor flight passenger lists into Tenerife? In that way, you’ll be able to spot whoever is sent and have them detained at the airport.’
‘Yes, you’re right. I am going to do that, but it doesn’t help if the man sent is unknown to us, or travelling under a false identity or not using a commercial airline to get there. No, I’ll try to have the man apprehended before he gets to you, but I think you need to prepare on the assumption that you’re the one who will have to stop him. And remember I must have him alive.’
‘Can you send me any help?’
‘No, I’m sorry, we can’t take the risk. Nobody else can know. You must continue on your own.’
Charlotte was probably right about everything she said. None of it, though, helped either Geoffrey or me. I realised that Xing was listening to my end of the conversation and not wanting to continue with it I said, ‘I’ll call you back.’ I ended the call before Charlotte could complain. I knew she wouldn’t be happy but she’d have to wait.
I found the new t-shirt I’d bought, the one with the volcano motif, and put it on.
Jennifer said, ‘Try not to get any blood on that one.’
Xing added, ‘Not your own, anyway.’
I said to Geoffrey, ‘It’s time to leave.’ He was ready to go. He was anxious to get away from Xing.
Jennifer promised, in her doctoral way, to take care of Maria. At the door, she wished me luck. I didn’t reply. I looked back at Xing. Her eyes were on my face. I couldn’t think of anything to say to her. She bowed her head and then smiled at me. I found my voice and said, ‘Don’t come after me. Go home.’
As Jennifer closed the door, I thought I heard Xing say quietly, ‘I don’t have a home.’
Chapter 29
XING
She watched him leave and the memory of her father leaving their family home in Hong Kong when she was a child came to her. Were there similarities between this man and her father? They were the same nationality, strong, independent and authoritative.
Her father had been wearing his police uniform that day he left; the day he never returned. They told her mother it had been quick. The bullet killed him instantly they said. Xing had listened silently, sitting by the door almost unseen. Her mother had cried and the tears had polished and hardened Xing like a pebble in a fast-flowing stream. It was the first time she had considered the fragility and randomness of human life. How could a man who had never known her father before that moment take his life so easily, so quickly?
She remembered the day she returned home from school and found her mother. The touch of her mother’s skin had felt so cold. The emptiness and stillness of her dead body were emotions that fed every day and a memory burnt forever into her subconscious. They told her it was an overdose, but nobody knew whether by accident or on purpose. There was no note and she had been on prescribed medication for depression. Xing blocked out the possibilities either way. All she knew was that her mother had left her alone.
The boy had been dangerous and brave. He was a fearless warrior, strong and dependable. At least that is what she had thought. It turned out he was a Blue Lantern1 and as reliable as an English summer. A Red Pole2 who fought for her admiration and took her into his world quickly replaced him in her affections. It was the world from which she would never truly escape. He taught her many things: weapons, jujitsu and honour. In a street fight with another gang, she killed her first man.
At the initiation ceremony, they butchered a chicken. She drank the dead animal’s warm blood and recited the triad oath while walking beneath an archway of swords. As a full member, she learnt the triad business. From counterfeiting branded goods to extortion, from illegal gambling to prostitution, but it was contract killing that seduced her curiosity. She worked hard and her apprenticeship was short and successful. Contracts came and went and her reputation for cold expediency spread like the licking flames from a crackling, warming fire. She was self-determining, and the Mountain Master3 began to call her Mosquito. She never asked, but one day he told her that like the mosquito she was a gifted inconspicuous killer. She did not like the name but she never said so. Within her triad society and beyond, everyone knew her by the name. In her work, she used many cover names. The one she liked the most was Xing. Everyone forgot her real name.
She thought again of this man, this Englishman with the face of Victoria Mountain at sunset. She wondered about him. Did he have a woman? Why hadn’t he killed her? Many unanswered questions crowded her mind. She pushed them all away and concentrated on the contract. Successful completion was going to be hard all the time the Englishman was giving protection. The most likely route to completion would require the Englishman’s elimination first. She considered it. He wasn’t part of the contract. She wondered if there was another way. She hoped there would be another way.
1 Blue Lantern is the name of an uninitiated member of a traditional triad society.
2 Red Pole is the name of an enforcer in a traditional triad society. Red Poles have the number 426 and are responsible for all aggressive activities undertaken on behalf of the gang.
3 Mountain Master is the Dragon Head (Leader) of a triad gang.
Chapter 30
The natural meaning of a double is that the player is confident that the opponents cannot fulfil their contract.
Geoffrey wasn’t happy. We climbed aboard the 4x4 and I fired the big engine.
He looked at me and asked, ‘What’s going on between you and Charlotte. You haven’t told me what she’s said during your last two phone calls.’
I drove out and stopped at the gate remembering what had happened the last time.
I said, ‘I haven’t had a chance. The first call was interrupted by the three Russians and the second was only just now, and Xing was there.’
‘And that’s another thing; did you know Xing was going to be there?’
‘No, of course not, how could I? You know that. Look, I know how tough this is. We have to stay together. You have to trust me. Now is when we need to work as a team more than ever.’
‘Yes, you’re right, sorry. It was seeing Xing again; it unnerved me. The thought that she wants to kill me is unsettling.’
‘Sure, I understand.’
I pulled out onto the road and didn’t collide with any passing police cars.
Geoffrey relaxed a little and asked, ‘So, what did Charlotte say?’
‘She wants us to follow her pl
an.’
‘And what is her plan?’
‘Well... you’re not going to like it. She wants to set us up as bait.’
‘...bait?’ he said.
‘Yes. She leaks our location and the traitor, or mole, or whatever he is, in London will send someone new to kill you, and we have to capture that person alive.’
‘Why?’
‘Charlotte says she needs the evidence from that person about what the traitor told him to do, so politically she can uncover him, and then we can finally go home.’
Geoffrey was silent. I glanced at him. He was thinking.
‘Isn’t there another way?’
‘Not if you trust Charlotte. You’re only going to be safe once Charlotte has exposed the traitor and the reason why he wants you dead. Then, back in England, people can protect you. Do you see?’
‘Yes, I suppose you’re right; so, what now?’
I said, ‘Now, now we make our own plan and then we call Charlotte back.’
Chapter 31
Aces are the highest cards.
I drove sensibly, uphill, away from the busy coastline, behind the big hotel and into the quieter residential area looking for a suitable place to stop. The shadows were lengthening like spilt paint from a dropped pot, and the day slowed into late afternoon and the heat eased.
I found a small link road beyond the hotel with a cul-de-sac leading to an area of parking bays behind an apartment block. Half the bays were empty. I chose the best one, reversed in and left the engine running.
I took out my phone and held it ready to use. I was going to call Charlotte, but before I could hit the buttons, it rang. Inside the silent 4x4, the sudden sharp ringtone startled Geoffrey and his eyes widened nervously.
I checked the screen and saw the call was coming from Alicia’s phone. She would have gotten my number automatically when I called her earlier. Good, this would save me a call.
I answered with a friendly, ‘Hello.’
A man’s voice asked me if I was the Englishman.
‘Yes,’ I said and dropped the friendliness.
‘This is Ramos de Cortes, the Chief of Police.’
It was Alicia’s father.
‘Where are you, Señor?’ he said.
I ignored his question and said, ‘Did you find the presents I left for you at the villa?’
‘...the three men?’
‘Yes, the three men.’
‘Sí, señor, I found them. Please, tell me, where you are? I need to speak to you about the three men.’
‘How’s your head?’
‘...my head? It is okay.’
‘Tell me, how are the three men?’
‘That is why I am calling, Señor. Can you explain who they are? Please, come to the police house; I have questions for you.’
‘I’d like to help, but no matter how many times you ask, I’m not going to fall for it and tell you where I am.’
‘Fall for it? What is that, Señor?’
‘Listen, Ramos, if you tell me how they are, then I’ll tell you who they are, deal?’
‘Okay, señor, they are in the hospital, guarded by my men. Two of them are badly hurt, the other not so bad. So now, who are they?’
I said, ‘They’re Russians sent here to find and kill Geoffrey Button, the man I’m with, and I’m here to protect him and keep him alive. I hope your head soon feels better.’ I ended the call. It was nice of him to ring me. I’d found out what I wanted to know; the three Russians weren’t going to be bothering us again.
I told Geoffrey the good news and he said, ‘I wondered whether you might not have killed them. Now that I know you better I don’t think you’re a killer at all.’
It was then, instead of responding to his observation, which I didn’t want to talk about, that I showed him what I had taken from two of the Russians.
He asked, ‘What are they? Are they bulletproof vests?’
We then discussed our plan. It was actually my plan but after five minutes, Geoffrey had disagreed with most of it and so it quickly became his plan. After another five minutes, I managed to steer him back towards a more realistic scenario and the plan finished more or less our plan. Even so, much still depended on what Charlotte had in mind. We were going to have to work it out together.
A car pulled in and parked. It was only a young couple on holiday returning from the beach. They entered the apartment block and I noticed the woman had sunburnt shoulders.
It was time to call Charlotte. We needed to move again soon and I wanted to speak to her first.
I pushed the buttons and Charlotte answered after one ring. She said, ‘Are you both okay?’
Both okay. Things were looking up.
I said, ‘So, what’s your plan?’
She went into it without hesitation. ‘It’s as we discussed. I leak your whereabouts, the man comes to kill Geoffrey and you stop him and then hand him over to me.’
I said, ‘Yes, right, simple. I know all that. What about the detail?’
She said, ‘I’ve found a place for you to go. It’s a holiday villa in the north of the island. Do you have a vehicle?’
‘Yes.’
‘Does it have satnav?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good. I’ll give you the address details in a minute and you can programme them in. The villa is isolated, high up the mountain, surrounded by a fir tree forest with only one, very steep, single-track access road. There’s no other way in or out unless you’re a mountain goat. It’s big and set on two floors. Outside, it has full motion-sensor security lighting. A German owns it; his name is Muller and I’ve rented it for you for the week. Just like a holiday. You have to meet him there to get the keys and pay the money. He wants cash: sixteen hundred and fifty euros. Do you have enough?’
‘Yes, but...'
‘I’ve given your names as Smith and Jones in case anyone is searching databases for your real names.’
‘Smith and Jones, they’re original choices. How did you think of those?’
‘The villa has binoculars, which you can use; you’ll be able to see when someone is approaching from a long way off. I’ve looked at the pictures on the website and spoken to the German owner on the telephone; it’s ideal for what you need to do.’
‘Charlotte, forget the villa for a moment and tell me what you know about the man who’s coming.’
‘I told you, I don’t know who he is.’
‘I know that, but do you have anything new, anything at all that might help me?’
‘No, except we think he may already be on the island or be close.’
‘Why?’
‘We have an agent in the same Whitehall department as the traitor who’s been passing us information. It looks likely.’
‘Okay.’
‘I won’t leak your whereabouts until you’re prepared at the villa, but once I do, the killer could strike at any time.’
‘I understand. Now, tell me about Stephen Bradshaw and, Charlotte, tell me the truth and tell me everything.’
She took a breath and said, ‘Okay, the truth. He does work for military intelligence, high up, and he does oversee the sanctioned termination division, which is the reason we had to include him to get you in place. You see, I used to be his boss.’ She took a pause before continuing. ‘I’ve recently changed my role and Bartholomew Meriwether is assisting at an advisory level; he used to be very senior in the Circus. Now, Bradshaw was going to use one of his usual men but we insisted on you. He didn’t know why, but he went along with it. When he found out you were actually a protector he wasn’t at all pleased. Then he discovered other intelligence agencies were involved and he wanted to know what was going on. So far, we haven’t told him. He hasn’t known what to do. He knows we want Geoffrey alive, so he’s playing a waiting game. I think it’s just an excuse for him to get out of the office. He used to be a field officer, although, not a very good one. So, he’s probably been enjoying himself.’
I thought about his bruised win
dpipe but I didn’t say anything. It all sounded true. Charlotte was believable as always. I was going to have to trust her. She used to be Bradshaw’s boss. That couldn’t be right, could it? How high did that make her?
I said, ‘So, what are you going to tell Bradshaw about this?’
‘We haven’t decided.’
Oh good, there was a further in-house rivalry. I said firmly, ‘Look, Charlotte, just inform Bradshaw and then call him off before he does something stupid, all right?’
No reply and then she said, ‘Yes, all right.’
I breathed in and said, ‘Right, now we need to discuss our exit strategy. What arrangements have you made to transport us safely out?’
‘There’s a second airport, in the north, close to the capital, Santa Cruz; I’ve organised a private jet to fly you out. If everything goes to plan, there should be three of you: Geoffrey, the new man sent to kill him and you. I’m travelling by the jet myself, so I’ll be at the airport to meet you and arrange clearance.’
This was good. Experience from the army had taught me that one of the hardest parts of a mission could sometimes be the getting out, especially if the mission has stirred up some big hornets. Pre-arranged, well-coordinated and reliable evacuation from a dangerous location can be the only thing that saves your life.
I said, ‘Charlotte, we’ve knocked heads with the local police and they may not want us to leave the island before they’ve had the opportunity to ask some questions and settle a few scores.’
‘Don’t worry, providing you make it okay to the airport the jet and its occupants have diplomatic status; the police won’t be able to stop us from taking off.’
That was impressive. Charlotte really must be high up for that kind of influence.
‘Okay, great.’
This was all good news. I was clear about our situation and about what we had to do. I was confident we could be successful. We had a vehicle for transport and a strong, organised plan. I considered how safe the vehicle was. Would the police be looking for it yet? I estimated we had another two to three hours before Maria woke up and contacted the local boys in blue. That meant our drive north would be safe, but any subsequent driving was likely to be risky, and we would still have to get from the new villa to the airport at some point.