Kim is swimming hard and quickly tiring when she takes a break, stopping to rest a bit and just tread water. She looks up at the towering buildings, the morning’s bright sunburst reflecting off the windows of skyscrapers up ahead, lining the shore’s edge. They loom over her. From her level, at the surface of the water, they are leviathans, seemingly leaning toward her. She can easily imagine how the buildings could topple over, falling in monumental pieces, crushing her. Could they be any taller? Could she feel any smaller, any more insignificant?
For that matter, she wonders, could she be any more played out, worn out, beat out, and plain out and out defeated? She has nothing left in the tank. There isn’t anything left in reserve, nothing to draw on.
Zak has also stopped and is treading near her. He glances toward the shore and sees Yuan Cheng standing behind a railing on the seawall, near the Wan Chai Pier of the Star Ferry. They are about even with the Convention and Exposition Center, which is now to the East. There is a Promenade at the end of the Expo Center, but it’s still a bit of a distance. While they could get out of the water there, it would still be necessary to find their way through the entire Convention Center to get back to the Pier, and that is something they are definitely not dressed for.
It’s farther, but they really need to get to where Yuan is standing.
Kim is bobbing in the water and her teeth are chattering from the cold. Come on, he thinks, Kim you can do it.
“Put your arms around my neck. I’ll swim us in.”
“You won’t be able to breath.”
“No, you’ll just hang on my shoulders.”
She smiles wanly and shakes her head.
“Nah. I’ll just get colder.”
They rest for a few minutes, allowing Kim’s breathing to slow. Finally, Kim gives Zak a resolved look and starts swimming again.
Yuan, on the pier, is on the phone. He speaks to one of Min Chin’s lieutenants at the Lisboa Casino in Macau. He tells him to belay the police, keeping them from taking any action as far as Zak and Kim, but to look for their attacker. The Triad’s connections to the Hong Kong Police are good and this is not a problem. He makes another call and confirms his arrangements for traveling to Macau.
At his feet are the backpacks and jackets of Zak and Kim. Having used it an hour ago to contact her friends, he has placed Kim’s phone back in her pack. He can see that Zak and Kim are making steady progress, but have to stop and rest. He stands behind a steel railing on a brick sidewalk between the reconstructed Ferry Pier to his right and the shell of the Convention Center to his left. A handful of fishermen are lined up at the seawall railing, hopeful ice chests stationed nearby. Their poles extend 20 feet or more over the water. It is a Chamber of Commerce Day, bright and sunny, the skies clear except for a few feathery clouds, and fishing prospects are good.
Finally, Zak and Kim are into the cove created by the Convention Center and the Ferry pier and are out of the swell of the main harbor, making going easier. Zak waves to Yuan, who waves back. Yuan points to where there is a service ladder on the seawall and Zak throws him the ok sign.
“I think I’ll take that ride about now.”
He looks back to see that Kim has stopped. He swims back to her.
“All aboard!”
Zak coasts the rest of the way and even exhibits a finishing kick.
Kim nestles her head in the back of his neck, feeling the powerful exertion in the movements of his arms and shoulders. She really might not have made it without him.
They reach the seawall in double time and Zak helps Kim, still wobbly, climb the ladder.
“Did we miss breakfast?” he shouts at Yuan with a big grin.
A police helicopter appears noisily overhead, aiming to land at the helipad that is constructed on the top of the Ferry Terminal. Zak points at the helicopter and raises his hands to it as if to supplicate the gods. The old retired fishermen notice this and appear amused, some laughing, some pointing at him and the helicopter.
Yuan helps Zak and Kim climb over the railing. The two of them immediately begin searching their packs for something to dry off with. Kim grabs a towel, runs it fast up and down her frame, and then focuses on her long hair. As cold as she was in the water, she is even colder now and she can’t wait to get into something warm.
Zak looks up from pulling on a pair of jeans to see the helicopter finish its landing atop the terminal.
“What’s with the Police?” he asks, shaking his head.
Yuan decides that it’s time to weigh in.
“Under the circumstances,” he says, “we thought it better not to involve the Police. They were notified, but they were asked to seek out the man who attacked you. They would not have been able to get to you before you made your way back here. The harbormaster was contacted right away by the Star Ferry. The captain did everything he could but was already half way to shore by time he knew there was an overboard. And the harbormaster doesn’t have any speedboats on standby for this type of thing. I’m sorry.”
Zak checks his pocket for the flash drive only to find that it’s still there. For the umpteenth time, he wonders if he should just get rid of it. Is all this worth it? The cold water of Victoria Harbor has shaken his conviction. Dai Gu could have easily killed Kim with the knife he was brandishing. He could have drowned Kim after she propelled him over the side of the Ferry. This was a game he didn’t want to play.
He had to get rid of the thumb as soon as possible.
“Don’t worry, Yuan. It’s okay. We get it.”
Kim is pulling a sweater over a blouse. The wet underwear will have to wait until the next convenient stop, whenever that is. The morning sun warms her face. Kim immediately feels better and walks over to Zak to embrace him, squeezing like she won’t ever let go. He pulls her even closer, his hands rubbing her back in an attempt to warm her further.
Zak looks over at Juan.
“How do we get to Aberdeen?”
Yuan is quick to answer.
“Most people take the bus from this side. But I recommend we take a cab. It’s a straight shot through the Aberdeen tunnel and is very quick.”
“Good,” says Kim, “I want the taxi guy to turn up the heat!”
“I’m sure that can be arranged. And food. We should get something to eat. I’m sure you’re stomachs are empty after your swim.”
“Coffee!” exclaims Kim.
“Lot’s of it!” agrees Zak.
“Of course,” Yuan responds, “But there is something that we must do first.”
A drone sounds overhead and their heads turn up.
Sometime later Dai Gu’s water logged body is pulled from the water by Chung Yao’s men operating from a tiny skiff. They have used intercepted thermal imaging from a police drone to find him. His vitals are checked and he is still alive.
The Police helicopter never leaves the Wan Chai Pier and Gu has some explaining to do.
Chapter 21
On Fire Page 20