by Alex Archer
Guge laid a hand on her arm. “He is most certainly not dead yet, Annja. And you should remember that.”
Annja nodded. “I know. I just can’t stop thinking about it. We’ve always been friends and now I’m not sure what to do.”
“That is the thing about the universe, my dear. It doesn’t succumb to the desires of the likes of us. It simply is. And the things we wish to change are the very things that often must happen. We simply don’t have the power to make the universe obey our whims.”
“Yes,” Annja said. “I know from experience it doesn’t listen to the likes of my desires, but that doesn’t stop me from trying again and again.”
“That’s because you are a human being,” Guge said. “And ours is always of the mind that we can control our destiny.”
“He’s just such a good person. I hear about the evil men that walk among us and wonder why the universe doesn’t take them?”
“The universe doesn’t distinguish between good and evil, per se. Only in certain incarnations will it see things in such a light. To the universe, evil and good simply exist. Neither is better than the other. They simply are.”
Annja sighed. “I wish it was easier than it is.”
“If it was easier, then we would have no chance to learn and evolve ourselves to a higher level of existence.”
Annja sat on the stairs and hugged her knees. “I don’t know how long he has. And he’s thinking that he doesn’t want to leave here to go back to his home. He’s entranced with this place.”
“We have noticed. You, however, don’t seem so.”
Annja smirked. “I’ve been told my destiny lies elsewhere.”
Guge nodded. “So it would seem. You carry a burden unlike any other outsider we have ever seen.”
“You have no idea,” Annja said.
Guge cleared his throat. “We will talk more of this in the coming days. But we must return to the party now.”
“Why?”
Guge’s brow furrowed. “Because I think Tuk has just received what the outside world calls a phone call.”
19
Tuk nearly jumped out of his seat when the tiny phone began vibrating in his pocket. He’d forgotten all about it in the rush to celebrate his homecoming. It was something he’d longed for for so long that this sudden reminder of the world he used to know at once shocked him and made him melancholy.
He excused himself from the table amid many startled glances, and walked away from the party, pulling the cell phone out of his pocket.
“Hello?”
“Tuk, where are you?”
Tuk glanced around at the lush valley. “I’m not exactly sure where I am, to be honest with you.”
“You’re not still by the plane, are you?”
“No, no. I found a cave for the three of us to take shelter in. We spent the night in it.” He paused. How was he going to put this in such a way that the man on the phone didn’t think he was completely insane. “But then something…happened.”
“What happened?”
“Mike was near death, but holding on. Annja and I slept, and in the middle of the night Mike disappeared.”
There was a pause on the phone. “He disappeared? How is that? He couldn’t have just gotten up and walked off. Not in his condition.”
“Yes, I know,” Tuk said. “We didn’t at the time, of course, and we searched frantically for him. But we couldn’t locate him.”
“So, he’s dead, then?”
“No. He’s alive and well.”
“You’re not making much sense, Tuk. I’m at Jomsom now and will be coming for you shortly. But I need you to tell me where you are exactly.”
Tuk sighed. “I understand, but it’s not as easy as that because I’m not sure where we are. I mean, I know where we are—I’m just not sure how we got here. That’s what I’m trying to say.”
“All right, then. Where are you?”
“In a place called Shangri-La.”
Tuk heard the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone. “I think you’d better explain yourself a bit more carefully, Tuk. And I sincerely hope you’re not lying to me.”
“Why would I do that?” Tuk asked. “After everything I’ve done already. I have no reason to lie.”
“Fair enough. Tell me what happened.”
“Annja and I searched the cave and came across two yeti.”
“Abominable snowmen?”
“Yes. I realize it sounds ridiculous but please hear me out.”
“I’m listening.”
“They were standing in the cave and then we smelled something like flowers. It was some type of gas. When we awoke, we were here in this beautiful land. I have no idea how we came to be here. One moment we were in the cave and the next we were here.”
“All right.”
“The thing is,” Tuk said, “this is apparently my home—where I’m from. I’m surrounded by people who look just like me.”
“You mean they’re small like you?”
“Yes, exactly that. And an outsider who broke the rules here apparently kidnapped me as a child. He took me out, which is how I came to be in Katmandu. He died, and I was left to my own devices. But I’m home now. It’s absolutely incredible.”
“I see.”
Tuk frowned. For some reason, he’d expected a different reaction from the man than what he seemed to be having. Tuk sighed. “I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but I am truly amazed at this place.”
“I have no doubt that you are, my friend.”
Tuk paused. “What is it? I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.”
After yet another silence, the man cleared his throat. “Do you remember what you told me about the woman in Tsing’s apartment? The one who rattled your nerves a good bit?”
Tuk shivered at the sudden recollection of her and her fingernails. “Yes. I remember.”
“I did some checking on her.”
“And?”
“It took me a considerable amount of time, but I managed to dig up a few things. I don’t think you’re going to like hearing any of them.”
Tuk looked across the way at the party still raging in full force. Katmandu and the penthouse infiltration seemed years ago and a world away from where he stood just then.
“Tell me.”
“The woman’s real name is Hsu Xiao. She is what is known as a Black Pole.”
“I’m not familiar with that term.”
“Most people aren’t. The term itself derives from Red Pole, which in Chinese Tongs is an enforcer. The leg breakers. If you owe them money and don’t pay, the Red Pole pays you a visit.”
“I see.”
“Hsu Xiao doesn’t break legs. She kills. She is—according to my sources, anyway—one of the most highly adept assassins in this part of the world. Her skills are highly prized.”
Tuk was alarmed. “It didn’t much appear that Tsing prized her lethal charms all that much.”
“That’s because Tsing doesn’t know what her true nature is. She has concealed it from him.”
“Why would she do that? Is she going to kill him?”
“No, I don’t think she is. If she were going to kill him, she would have done so already. She’s had plenty of opportunity to do so and hasn’t yet acted. This leads me to believe her real target isn’t Tsing at all.
“Then who? Which person would Chinese organized crime want to kill?”
“Well, that’s the other thing I discovered. She’s not working with any form of Chinese organized crime.”
“Then who is she working for?”
“The Communist Chinese government in Beijing. Hsu Xiao is a high-level operative for the intelligence service. She works exclusively in covert operations, liquidating targets of opportunity that her government deems acceptable.”
Tuk’s stomach ached. “It still doesn’t explain why she would be at Tsing’s penthouse. Who would she be after and why would she be there?”
“I’m not
quite sure yet.” The man paused. “I have another question to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“How are the people there?”
Tuk smiled. “They’re absolutely marvelous. It’s like one big family here. My parents rule this kingdom and I am apparently the heir to the throne.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Needless to say, I’m a bit overwhelmed by the entire affair, as you can imagine.”
The man laughed a little. “Yes, yes, I can see how you would be. I would urge you to be careful, however.”
“Why is that?”
“Because Hsu Xiao is no longer in Katmandu.”
Tuk frowned. “Then where in the world is she?”
“That, my friend, is the problem. No one seems to know where she is. She has quietly and subtly gone to ground and vanished. I don’t know if she was recalled to Beijing or if she is somewhere close by.”
Tuk shook his head. “Well, why would she be interested in me, anyway? I’ve had no interaction with her or her superiors. I shouldn’t even be on their radar. I’m insignificant to them.”
“Are you really?”
“Of course.”
“Perhaps Hsu Xiao was positioned near Tsing for the purpose of discovering the location of Shangri-La. It’s no surprise that the Chinese government has long sought to strengthen its grip on this region. When it took over Tibet in the fifties, it made no pretext about its ambitions to squash the spiritual kingdoms in this area of the world since it saw them as an affront to Communism.”
Tuk gulped. “You think Shangri-La might come under attack?”
“I’m not saying it could, but I’m also not going to lie to you and say it won’t happen.”
“This is all so bizarre,” Tuk said. “I felt positive the outside world could be kept at bay.”
“I doubt that very much, Tuk. It would only be a matter of time before your kingdom is discovered. And you wouldn’t be able to count on anyone for assistance. Especially if the Chinese enter with a big enough force to seize control and eradicate anyone they don’t approve of.”
“Eradicate?”
“Your people might become extinct, Tuk.”
“My God.”
“Are you aware of what side of the border you’re on right now?”
“You mean the Nepali or Tibetan?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I don’t know.”
“Here’s the deal. You’re in an area of Nepal that juts into Tibetan territory. It’s like a middle finger in the face of the Chinese. They would like nothing better than to simply take that finger and break it in half by annexing the entirety of Mustang. And they would certainly have no problem doing so. They have a sizable force in Lhasa that they could mobilize and get into the region within forty-eight hours at the maximum. That’s not nearly enough time to evacuate your people, is it?”
“I don’t know,” Tuk said. “I wouldn’t think it would be.”
“So your position is extremely delicate. If I know the Chinese, they are going to doggedly pursue the idea of locating your kingdom, if that is indeed what Hsu Xiao is after. And when they find it, they will simply crush the entire valley.”
“What can we do to stop it?”
“I don’t know if we can do anything, my friend. The odds are that the Chinese already have people in that region searching.”
“How do you know this?”
“You said a missile brought your plane down, right?”
“Yes.”
“No doubt it was fired from a soldier on the ground. And if Hsu Xiao radioed them to let them know the tail numbers on your plane—Tsing’s plane—then they would have been able to positively identify you and take you out as they attempted to do.”
“But no one followed up and made sure we were dead.”
“Well, perhaps you crash-landed away from them and they couldn’t reach you. Look, Tuk, I’m not saying this is exactly what happened. But I’m saying there exists a real danger here. And I hate having to be the one who tells you, but I owe you the truth.”
“Are you coming here?”
“As soon as I can. But you need to find out how I can actually get there. I can’t do much from this side.”
Tuk caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Annja striding down the steps and headed in his direction.
“Annja sees me on the phone.”
“Does she really?”
“And she doesn’t look pleased.”
“No doubt she thinks you were holding out on her and Mike. Don’t worry about it. She’ll get her cool back soon enough.”
But Annja looked hot enough to fry an egg on, Tuk thought. And she was going to grab the phone from him. He could just tell from the way she stalked across the grass.
“I think she wants a word with you,” he said into the phone.
“Oh, dear,” the man said. “Well, better hand her the phone, then. Put it on speaker first, though.”
“Tuk!”
Tuk turned and smiled at Annja. “Hi, I was just—”
Annja grabbed the phone. “You had a phone this entire time and you never said anything? How dare you hold that back from us.”
Tuk shook his head. “I wanted to tell you, really, I did.”
Annja held up her hand. “We’ll discuss it later.” She looked at the phone. “Now, who is this exactly?”
Tuk looked at the phone. For a moment, no sound emerged and he wondered if he had hit the speaker button. Then, at last, he heard the man’s voice.
“Hello, Annja. It’s been a while.”
20
Annja grimaced. She knew the voice on the phone. And it always had a way of popping up when she least wanted it to. “Garin.”
“The same.”
“What in the world are you doing calling Tuk?” she asked.
“Tuk is working for me. He has been for some time now.”
Annja laughed. “Please. What would Tuk ever do for someone like you?”
“You say that like I’m the worst person on the planet, Annja. I might take offense.”
“I can think of a few who might be worse,” Annja said. “But it’s a close race if it makes you feel any better.”
“The only reason you don’t love me to death is because you’ve just never understood my agenda.” Garin chuckled into the phone. “If you did, there might be hope for us yet.”
“Doubtful,” Annja said. “We’ve come out of things at different extremes far too often for me to think there’d ever be a peaceful alliance there. I can’t tell you how many times you’ve made me want to scream.”
“I make lots of women scream. Usually they don’t complain about it afterwards,” he said.
“Don’t you wish that was the reason.”
“I’d never deny that bedding you would be one of the best experiences in my life. It would be for you, as well, if you’d only give in to what you feel and admit that you love me.”
“I most certainly do not.” Annja felt her face redden. Despite the fact that she definitely did not love Garin, she was physically attracted to him. She’d never admit it, though. Garin’s ego was massive already.
“If you insist.” Garin paused. “Don’t be upset with Tuk. He was only following my orders. And it’s not like he betrayed you or anything.”
Annja glanced at Tuk. He looked positively embarrassed. Annja sighed and waved it off with her hand. “All right, fine. Whatever. What’s he been doing for you, anyway?”
“Keeping track of you.”
Annja’s eyes flashed back at Tuk with murderous intent. “He’s been following me? So that’s why he was in the airplane. He told me he was a drunk and fell asleep trying to get over a hangover.”
“You were too smart to fall for that, Annja. You never believed it from the moment he told you so stop pretending to be angry now that I’ve confirmed it. It’s unbecoming.”
Annja felt her blood pressure rising. She glanced around and then decided that Sh
angri-La likely didn’t have any heavy bags hanging off of trees that she could pummel for a solid hour. “Why has he been following me? What’s the big deal?”
“I asked him to look after you so I could make certain you were safe.”
“I’m in danger?”
Garin laughed. “Annja, you are very rarely not in danger in that so-called life of yours. Most of the time, I believe you’re miraculously lucky to walk down the street without someone dropping a piano on you.” He paused. “It amazes me you even manage any type of social life at all.”
Annja smirked. “Who said I have one of those?”
“I’m being kind, my dear.”
Annja nodded. “You’d better explain yourself, Garin. I’m not liking the way this conversation is headed.”
“Tuk’s been with you since you landed the other day. I set it up well ahead of time, but it was necessary for me to keep tabs on you. I believe you’ve stumbled into something that you don’t fully understand. And for purposes best known to myself, I find it necessary to make sure you stay safe.”
“I thought it was because of my sparkling personality.”
“More likely your spectacular ass.”
Annja blushed again. “Garin, is there a point to this conversation or is all this just making you feel good about yourself?”
“I just informed Tuk that the woman you saw in Tsing’s apartment the other night works for Chinese intelligence.”
“Taipei or Beijing? There’s a difference.”
“Beijing.”
“Oh.”
“And she is an expert assassin. If she’s been let loose from her cage, you can bet that it is because there’s a major target in play. I have no idea right now who that might be. It could be you. It could be Tuk. It might be someone I don’t even know about yet. But considering that she was positioned near Tsing, it’s more than likely it’s someone involved in your little jaunt to discover Shangri-La.”
Annja frowned. She never truly trusted Garin because of all the times he’d conned her in the past. And yet, when he told her certain facts, there did seem to be an element of truth to them. The key with Garin was figuring out which nuggets were true and which ones were bogus.