by Mark Arundel
‘They’re back at the hotel,’ I said. ‘I didn’t have them on me; all I took was some cash, and the phone.’
‘It’s okay,’ Xing said, ‘I have them.’
I questioned her with my eyes.
‘I went back to the hotel and got all our things.’
‘Why?’
‘I needed the money.’
‘Why?’
She lifted the LMG and shook the webbing. ‘I had equipment to buy.’
I didn’t question her any further.
The taxi was moving. A duckling was driving it. Jemima had turned in the passenger seat and was looking at me.
‘So where are we going?’ I asked him.
‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I haven’t made any plans.’
‘He didn’t think we were coming back,’ Xing said.
Jemima coughed awkwardly.
‘No, it wasn’t that,’ he said. ‘I just thought you would want to make your own decisions.’
Xing huffed.
‘Drop us at the Square,’ she said, and then leant forward and gave the instruction to the duckling in Cantonese.
We rode in silence.
The taxi pulled over and Xing got out.
‘I’ll call you,’ I said to Jemima.
He nodded.
‘I’m glad you’re safe,’ he said.
Outside, Xing was already lifting our rucksacks from the boot. She left all her commando kit behind except for the Glock and the Fairbairn-Sykes.
I found a shirt in my bag and pulled in on. The taxi drove off. Xing passed me a new Glock. I took it and put it in my waistband.
‘Let’s find somewhere to spend the night,’ she said.
‘You shouldn’t have gone back to the hotel,’ I said.
She shrugged.
‘I had time,’ she replied. ‘I didn’t think you would tell them straight away.’
I left it there.
‘Where are we going?’ I asked.
‘This way,’ she said, ‘follow me.’
The traditional Portuguese-style hotel was limited in size. There was only one room not taken, the top floor suite. I passed over my credit card and then concluded the formalities.
We had only been in the room a minute when Xing’s K106 rang. It was Meriwether. Xing spoke briefly to him before passing me the phone.
‘It’s your caring boss,’ she said. ‘I’m going to take a shower. Join me when you’re finished.’
‘Dear boy, you’re safe. Jemima called me with the good news. I was very worried; I ought to have known I needn’t be. You’re an exceptional fellow. Now then, down to business. Has your little escapade changed anything? I take it Missouri is still alive?’
‘Yes, he’s alive, nothing has changed. I’ve learnt a few new things, but only things that can help.’
‘Good, good, then let’s continue with Jackie’s plan. Take a bit of time if you need it. Jemima will assist, and I’ll have him put his ducklings at your disposal.’
‘Okay, I’m sure Jackie will be pleased.’
‘Yes, I’m sure. I don’t think Jackie is too happy with me. She wanted me to authorise an attack on Missouri’s house using the ducklings in order to rescue you, but I refused. It was simply too risky. I hope you understand. Perhaps you can talk to her. I’m sure now that you’re safe she’ll come round. The last thing I want is a nihilistic, far-eastern female killer angry with me.’ Meriwether then made a strange noise. He guffawed loudly.
For some reason, he found the prospect of an angry Xing amusing. I didn’t comment, instead, I asked him a question.
‘What do you mean, nihilistic?’
‘She doesn’t have any loyalties, any morals; her only purpose is killing; she doesn’t value life or believe anything is real. She exists within despair and sees existence as pointless. She’s the epitome of nihilism.’
‘What about the money? She wants the money, surely that means she has some grounding in reality.’
‘She doesn’t really care about the money; it’s just an excuse. She doesn’t believe life has any intrinsic value, or any purpose, or any meaning.’
‘Then why didn’t she kill me? In Tenerife, she could have killed me, but she didn’t. Why not?’
‘Are you sure she could have killed you?’
‘Yes, I’m sure.’
Meriwether paused for a moment while he thought.
‘Then perhaps you’ve touched something deep inside her. I can only think of one thing it might be.’
‘...which is?’
‘You have brought back memories of her father. Perhaps she sees in you the only man that gave her life any sense. Be careful, my boy, if it were to change then killing you would be as easy to her as blinking.’
‘If you think she’s so dangerous, and that the money doesn’t matter to her, why are you using her?’
‘Dear boy, needs must when the Devil drives. It’s as she said, with me it can be done, without me it is impossible.’
I thought of Billy Bradshaw and his warning. I found myself doubting the honesty of what people were telling me; or at least questioning their motives.
‘Why wasn’t C. involved when I got taken?’
‘She left it to me.’
‘Why?’
‘That’s a question for her,’ he said. Then Meriwether finished the call with a strange comment. He said, ‘What I do has national importance and, at the moment, I couldn’t do it without you.’
I pulled off my clothes and stepped into the shower. The nihilist welcomed me into her arms and moved me under the hot jets of water. I closed my eyes and tried to banish the demons. She hugged my back and held me tight. We were silent. Her naked body pressed against mine and the powerful water jets helped level my reality. I had come close again, and escaped again. I ignored probability.
‘What did you mean when you said that you needed me?’ My words hung. There was no change to the feel of her body.
‘You’re important, that’s all,’ she said.
‘Important?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ she said and moved around to my front. She gently kissed the bruise of my abdomen. She looked up. ‘Important to me,’ she said.
The sex began in the shower and then moved into the bedroom. It was varied and unhurried. I was tired, but I was alive. Xing’s body ascended, heightened by the act.
She had made me tell her everything that had happened from when I walked into the supermarket to when she shot and killed the dog. I had praised her shooting and she had replied that it was the artisanship of the rifle and the technology of the night scope. In turn, she had told me all that had happened after they had taken me: the conversations with Jemima and Meriwether; the arguments over what to do; buying the equipment, and most importantly to her the plan she had devised to achieve my rescue unaided. The plan appeared to involve her entering stealthily and silently while killing everyone she came across until she found me, freeing me and then doing the same, except in reverse, on the way out. I told her I thought it was an excellent plan. It wasn’t of course, but I knew if anyone could have done it then she could. She seemed a little disappointed that she hadn’t had the chance to prove it.
She said, ‘You spoilt everything by escaping yourself and being in the garden when I got there. All I had to do was fire a couple of rifle shots and drop a rope ladder.’
I didn’t complain.
We took a break from the physical stuff and ordered dinner from room service. My abdomen was aching again, so I took some more painkillers. The medicinal kissing from earlier, in the shower, had obviously worn off, and what had replaced it was not quite so recuperative.
We ate on the bed, which was a huge square box with a carved wooden headboard.
Xing paused with the chopsticks in her hand and asked, ‘What did Meriwether say?’
‘He’s given the go-ahead to proceed.’
She nodded. ‘We must begin.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Tomorrow, we’ll start the preparations. J
emima and the ducklings will help us.’
I felt her hesitation.
‘You must work with him,’ I said.
The chopsticks resumed their motion.
‘Don’t let me down on this,’ I warned. I got one of her looks, but no promise.
We finished the meal and then finished the sex. I was asleep in seconds. I dreamt of the girl in Missouri’s house, and I wondered who she was.
Xing’s K106 jolted me from my dream. She answered it with a sleepy voice and then passed it to me. It was Charlotte.
‘Did I wake you?’
‘Yes,’ I said.
She sounded sorry.
‘I’ve just finished talking to Bazzer. He’s brought me up to date with everything. He told me that you asked why I hadn’t gotten involved. Well, it was because I didn’t trust myself to make unemotional decisions. I had to leave it to him. You do understand, don’t you?’
I didn’t understand.
‘Charlotte, it’s the middle of the night. It doesn’t matter, it’s over and now I need to sleep.’
‘You’re sleeping with her,’ she said.
‘We were talking until late, I was tired and I just fell asleep on the bed.’
Charlotte didn’t believe me.
‘I’m happy you’re safe,’ she said, and then ended the call.
I heard Xing’s muffled voice.
‘What did she want?’
‘...to find out how I felt about her.’
‘...and did she?’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘she did.’
24
MONDAY, 09:00—20:00
The following morning I thought I was feeling better. The mirror in the bathroom made me think again. The bruise from the rubber bullet had turned ugly. It looked like I’d been rubber stamped by a rainbow. I took more painkillers.
Xing wanted to have breakfast in the room. She was, even more, security conscious after what had happened.
I called Jemima.
‘Yes, I had a call last night informing me of the decision,’ he said. He paused, unsure of what to say next.
‘If you’re not happy about it, tell me now. We can make other arrangements.’
‘No, no, it’s fine,’ he said.
‘If you agree, then I’m going to need your total commitment.’
‘Yes, of course, I understand,’ he said.
‘Good, and what about the ducklings, will any of them have a problem with it?’
‘I don’t know yet. I’ll have to give then a free vote, as it were. I’ll let you know what they decide.’
‘Okay, call me later.’
I watched Xing disembowel a Magdalena.
‘We still don’t know it’s definitely him,’ she said.
‘No, it’s a risk, but a risk we’ll have to take. I don’t know who else it can be, do you?’
She put a piece of the torn sponge cake into her mouth and then shrugged. There was a pause. ‘I want to see the place again,’ she said.
‘There’s a lot of organising and planning to do,’ I said.
‘Jemima can take care of that. The only important thing is what we have to do. That’s the bit we need to plan, and that’s the bit we have to get right and to do that I need to see the place again.’
We took great care leaving the hotel, but it was all clear and we were soon on the bus heading south. We rode most of the way in silence. It gave me time to think. It probably wasn’t a good idea. I found myself thinking about Billy Bradshaw. Did he have the answer? Did I have the question?
We left the bus at the same stop as before and then walked the same route. When we reached the house, Xing slowed to an almost stop and embraced me. Her arms encircled my chest and I could feel their strength. I wrapped my own arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight. A few seconds passed while she studied the house and then she whispered, ‘Camera time.’
We broke our embrace and she pulled the camera from her bag. I smiled like a tourist while she moved to get the angles and took the photos. Then we reversed the position and I did the same. With the street and house pictures successfully taken we left, with just a final glance back, and went to the cafe.
‘It will all depend on the timing,’ Xing said between mouthfuls of seaweed. I didn’t respond. She pushed the chopsticks into the bowl, so they stuck up at an angle and then her eyes found mine.
‘None of it will be easy,’ I said.
‘One of us will be the taxi fare and the other a strolling tourist approaching together from opposite sides, but how will we know when?’
‘The only way that works,’ I said, ‘is if we fire our weapons. Outside, like that, we’ll have to take decisive action.’
Xing nodded and then reclaimed her chopsticks. She raised a mouthful of the green seaweed but paused before it reached her lips. ‘You know we’ll have to kill them, yes?’ she questioned.
I nodded.
The seaweed entered her mouth and I watched her wet lips slide along the chopsticks as she slowly pulled them out. I didn’t like the prospect of killing. It wasn’t the killing itself rather my concern over where it might lead. Our primary objective was serious enough without leaving corpses behind in the street.
Xing was still working her chopsticks. I finished my Coke and said, ‘We should get back to the hotel before it gets dark.’
Her eyes lifted and she asked, ‘Is everything okay?’
‘Come on, let’s go,’ I said.
She put the chopsticks down on the sloping table and one of them rolled away. Instinctively, we both made a grab for it. We were lightning fast, both as quick as the other and our hands bumped together. The chopstick continued to roll and dropped from the table. Xing’s hand followed it down. Her reaction was rapid, faster than the strike of a snake. I watched her catch the chopstick before it hit the ground. She brought it back up and balanced it on the bowl to stop it rolling off again.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
Meriwether’s words were still in my head. Be careful, my boy, if it were to change then killing you would be as easy to her as blinking. Bradshaw’s words were there too, alongside. It’s possible you’re being set-up. Espionage is a grubby business.
‘Nothing’s wrong,’ I replied.
‘Is it Charlotte?’ she asked.
I hadn’t even considered Charlotte. I realised it was finished between us and wondered what that meant. ‘No,’ I said, ‘it’s not Charlotte.’
Xing smiled. ‘Good,’ she said. ‘Come on then, let’s go.’
We caught the bus back. It rattled and wheezed like an athlete running with a heavy cold. Despite the affliction, it soon returned us to the Square. We got off and tried to look like tourists. Senate Square was crowded as usual and we took our time. The hotel was only a short walk away and we strolled with Xing holding my arm.
‘Is there any way the hotel could be compromised?’ I whispered.
‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘We’ll have to be extra careful. I wish I could have five minutes alone with Erico.’
‘...why?’
‘...because he knows a lot of useful things.’
‘Yes,’ I agreed gently rubbing my abdomen. I would quite like to have five minutes alone with him myself, I thought.
Being a small hotel made it easier to check the outside, but it also meant that if anyone was watching then seeing us enter would be more likely. We separated, then scanned the area and performed a walk-by. The street was busy and overlooked by many other buildings.
‘Well, do you see anything?’
‘No, nothing, do you?’
‘No.’
We entered separately. Xing went in first while I watched from a doorway across the street. She disappeared through the entrance and I continued to watch. I was just about to step out when I saw him. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have caught my attention. He was a small man with black hair and the south-east Asian narrow hips. He could have been anyone. He didn’t have anything obvious to make him stand out. Howeve
r, my soldier’s eye saw it immediately. His head and body moved in that particular way. I was certain he had had military training. My concern level jumped when I saw his hand feel inside his open jacket as he disappeared through the entrance. I rushed across the street, darting between the moving traffic. At the door, I controlled my haste and entered without drawing attention to myself. Inside, the lobby was small and the lighting was concentrated at the desk and the staircase. I focused instantly and then it all happened in less than sixty seconds.
First, the receptionist’s face grabbed my attention. She was scared. It was in her eyes. I only caught them for a split second, but they screamed fear. Next, the man I had followed in was stopped part way towards the desk. He had begun to turn and his eyes lifted to the staircase. At the same time, he started to pull something from inside his open jacket. My own eyes darted up. I saw Xing on the fourth or fifth stair. She had turned up the collar on her jacket and her ponytail swung across her back. She began to look over her shoulder. I went instantly for my Glock. The man’s hand reappeared from inside his jacket and I saw he held a gun. His arm began to raise and target the gun at Xing. I yelled a warning and brought my own weapon level with the man’s body. My voice inside the small, quiet lobby was loud and everyone heard it clearly. The speed amazed me. Although I had seen it before, this time, it seemed somehow even faster. On hearing my shout, the man had hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second. Xing’s body completed a full turn and dropped into a forward roll while her hand found the Glock in her waistband. She tucked and dived, going over her shoulder and down the stairs. I refocused on the man. He had ignored my shout and instead he concentrated fully on aiming at his now moving target. He was going to shoot. My decision had to be immediate. The angle at which he stood gave me a wide view of his shoulder and upper arm. I aimed the Glock and fired. The bullet kicked him hard, he dropped at the waist and then continued down onto one knee. Xing came out of her roll, balanced and concentrated. Her eyes, arm and gun joined in fixed alignment. It was instantaneous. She fired. The blood splatter threw up a red spray. The man’s head jolted and his body softened. He slumped down onto his side and his face rested against the marble floor. The receptionist was screaming; loud piercing cries. It was then that I saw him. A second man appeared rapidly on the staircase. The elevation concealed his head, but I could see his outstretched arms. In his hands, he held a gun and he was pointing it at Xing. I only had a fraction of a second in which to make the shot. A shouted warning was pointless. He would have already fired. I snatched up my hand and took aim using nothing more than instinct and experience. In exactly the same moment as my hand steadied, I pulled the trigger. The bullet must have hit him because he didn’t fire his own gun and instead spun and dropped low on one side. He staggered forward and I could see his head. In almost the precise same moment, Xing threw herself into a turning dive. She landed on her back on the marble floor with both hands already raised. Then, with that innate aiming which I’d seen her do before, she fired. Again, just like the first man before, this man’s head jolted, there was the red spray and then his lifeless body slumped. The receptionist screamed again and then she fainted. There was silence.