“But what about him?” Yu asked, his voice firm as he nodded at Li. “Are we just going to let them walk over us like that? Back when I was a 49er…”
“Back then you all had the muscle to back it up,” Jack said bluntly, cutting Yu off. “From what I know, we don’t have that same kind of power now. We are on the same playing field as everyone else. We are going to have to work for our meals or be a meal.”
Chapter 17
Changing Wind
I nspector Ko observed the bleached concrete next to the industrial garbage can. He looked down the alley to see it was all washed recently. Inspector Chiu stood with the officers near the yellow crime tape that cut off the alley from the rest of the street. He had his pad and pen out, asking some of the bystander’s short questions and jotting the answers. Once Chiu had finished with his last witness, he approached Ko, who was still standing near the trashcan, looking down the alley. Chiu tapped Ko on the shoulder and handed him his pad. Ko looked over all the answers briefly to get the basic idea of what possibly happened. Sounds of a fight had come down from the alley. A tall white man with a big beard had come running out and around the corner, brought a black, unlicensed PT Cruiser back, and helped his companion, who was suffering from several deep cuts and slashes, into the car and drove south. Ko gave the pad back to Chiu.
“Thoughts?” asked Chiu.
“Possibly an attempted robbery that went south but the store didn’t call the police. And where’s the bag of cash?” replied Ko.
“Triad?”
“More likely, it would fit their style. I mean, we’ve seen some small stuff supposedly connected to the triad.” Ko looked back to the bleached spot. “But why the blood now?”
“American?” asked Chiu.
“Too much of a coincidence. It wouldn’t hurt to ask him some questions, though. This could help lift the blinders off of Su - pardon, Chief Executive Su - and his high horse.”
Chiu smiled, as his partner seemed more like himself than he had in a long time. Ko’s phone rang. He paid no attention to it since Chiu had it and was already answering it. Ko didn’t listen to Chiu’s one-word questions and answers. Ko was contemplating who the white companion was. He stood up and turned to Chiu, who had just hung up. His face was soft, a rare thing since people called him the ‘silent statue’ sometimes.
“Who was it?” Ko asked.
“Fu.”
“What does he want?” Ko requested in the nicest tone, the tone he used to refer to Fu ever since he started working for him.
“The mole’s gone,” said Chiu calmly.
Ko’s eyes widened as he huffed air through his nose. He glared at Chiu, who kept his eyes toward the floor. Ko turned around and started kicking the garbage can till most of the trash flew out of it and the middle of it was completely crushed in on itself. The cops in the street jumped but resisted their instincts to look. Bystanders stopped and stared at Ko. Once he was done, he bowed his head and walked close enough to Chiu that only he could hear him.
“How the hell did they find him? What happened to his security?”
“No security,” answered Chiu sadly. The crowd had started to move again.
“No security?” Ko’s voice grew to a harsh whisper. “Just because they haven’t tried anything in a few years means he’s safe forever? That the triad will just forget what he did? Did they at least have him report where he was going or who he was seeing?”
“No.” Chiu’s tone was confident now, more professional.
“I knew I should have pressed him harder to let me do his security! Of course, he didn’t want family to do it!” sneered Ko through his teeth. He looked to the sky. It was a bright blue, not a cloud in sight. Tears formed in his eyes. “This is my fault,” said Ko. “Phone please.”
Chiu handed Ko his phone. He took it and walked away from Chiu. Ko tapped the phone and placed it to his ear. He took a few long breaths as it rang. Then she picked up.
“Hello? Mom? Listen. I need you to sit down.”
Chapter 18
Fan and Sandal
L i felt dead, though he was quite alive. His arms and legs were stiff and beat like a drum. He opened his eyes to a ceiling fan slowly rotating, making a white noise he fell asleep often to. Turning his head, he looked out the window that had a similar view to his apartment. Li gently opened his hand and felt the fabric of the bed: silk, the same as his apartment. He concluded he was in his apartment.
“Good morning,” said Jack, coming into Li’s view with a glass of water and a bottle of pills.
Li tried to sit up, but found that wouldn’t be possible since he couldn’t bend his arms. “How long was I out?” he asked as Jack helped him reposition.
“Two days. Though you came in and out a lot. When you did, Ink would just shove more painkillers and antibiotics in you.”
“That explains why I don’t remember waking up,” commented Li. Jack opened the bottle of pills, placed a tablet in Li’s mouth, and helped him with the water. “Thanks,” said Li. “For everything, you’re the first person that actually cares about me,”
“Your siblings care for you a lot,” responded Jack.
“They will have a limit. You are the second person who doesn’t seem to have one,”
“That’s what friends are for,” Jack said half honestly, with the feeling of guilt following.
Li smiled and chuckled. “Did you ever think you would end up being friends with the guy you were trying to kidnap?”
Jack rolled his eyes with a smile. “I was trying to get a job, man, but I didn’t expect to be saving your ass this many times.” They laughed. A small wave of grief washed up in Jack for not saving Jones and shame for not really trying.
“But honestly doc? How am I physically?” Li asked, his voice and tone seemed to be back to his old self.
“Not in the best shape. They had almost hacked a piece of your arm off, but Ink sewed you up well. You lost a lot of blood. Yu said we used up all the reserve of your blood type to keep you alive. Ink and Yu are resupplying that today.”
Li nodded, looking around his bedroom. Dirty white walls surrounded him with cheap modern art and a flatscreen facing him beside the door that led to the rest of his apartment. “How long till I can fend for myself?” Li asked.
“A week of taking it super easy, then maybe you can do some things. A couple of places where you have a deep gash will take a long time.” Li nodded, observing his mummy arms. Red splotches showed through. As if reading Li’s mind, Jack said, “Ink should be arriving soon.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
“I’m going to move in to help you at night and…”
“No, what’s the plan? What are we going to do about Boqin?” Li’s eyes dropped to Jack’s bandage. His blood was not showing up nearly as much as Li’s, but it was still there.
“We aren’t going to do anything,” said Ink as he entered the bedroom. “Jack, Li and I need a moment.”
“Of course.” Jack stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. He took a few steps away from the door before tiptoeing back to it to listen. Eavesdropping was Spy 101.
Ink sat down in the stained wood chair next to the window. He wore a black Changshan with gold accent at the wrist and collar. “You look less shitty today,” said Ink.
Li made a face, as if Ink had told him he was the prettiest girl at prom. “You’re too sweet, really.”
Ink didn’t laugh like normally. “Ready to listen?”
The light in Li’s face faded away as he nodded. Ink then gave Li - and Jack on the other side of the door - the rundown. “Shan and Jinjiang were picked up by the Grey Mountain and Yellow Sun respectively.”
“Those…”
Ink jerked his hand up and interrupted Li. “I said listen. They are out. Boqin is the strongest as we expected. That was why we advised you to let Lóng handle him. Tao isn’t that far behind Boqin, we think. But we don’t know where he is. Xing has a lot of 49ers and may be looking to exp
and. The rest are stable. Some guys think they heard Zemin talking about joining forces with Enlai. Gui is still in prison. Duyi, Heng, and Tung aren’t expanding at all and Chi looks like he’s struggling the most.”
Li didn’t say anything as he processed all this new information. He was learning he wasn’t that big of a man anymore. “So, where does that leave us?” he finally asked.
“Upper end of the middle, with some open positions.”
“What kind of open positions?” asked Li.
“The kind you don’t want open long. That’s why I’m here and telling you all this.” Ink slowly stood up. “Lóng would like you to become the White Paper Fan for the Red Dragon.”
“Holy shit!” responded Li. He shot upright in bed, followed by slowly laying back down. “The fan, huh? Well of course, I accept. I’m just a tad surprised as I thought that was Yu’s job?”
“It was, but Lóng wants him to focus on being the Straw Sandal and getting those Red Poles back. Lóng wants Jack to go with him as a bodyguard. They should be paying Chi a visit tomorrow.”
“Makes sense,” said Li.
Jack stepped quietly away from the door; he could tell their conversation was about to end. He laid on the couch in the small living room and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
He must have actually fallen asleep, because the room was dark when he woke up. Ink had already left; Li was still in his room, sleeping with the glass of water and bottles of drugs besides his bed. Jack rubbed his eyes and quietly left the apartment to process the new knowledge he had gained. He wanted to develop a strategy for his next step and see who he would run into that night.
Chapter 19
Morning Beers
“C alling it a night already?” Jack shouted out to Saul as Jack got out of a cab.
Saul broke out in a smile as he walked out of the Boom Club. “Yeah, we had too many bartenders tonight, so they sent me home.” Saul placed his pay check in his wallet. “The better question is why are you here without anyone?”
Jack put his hands in his pockets. “Just woke up and I thought I would start the day off with a good drink and some good conversation.”
Saul laughed. “Amy wasn’t here tonight; she only comes like once a month.”
Jack tilted his head like a confused puppy. “Okay.”
“So, you’re saying you wanted to get a beer to wake up to at…” Saul checked the time on his smartphone, “one in the morning?”
Jack kicked the ground. “Well, maybe I just wanted to talk to you and hear the rest of that story?” Jack was trying to defend himself like a schoolboy when his buddies find out about his crush on a girl.
Saul shook his head at him. “I don’t doubt that, but that wasn’t the main reason for you coming over at this hour. Listen, I’ll go ahead and give you a hand.” Saul took out a business card from his wallet and handed it to Jack. “Here’s her business card, so you have a way of getting hold of her when you’re ready instead of waiting to run into her. That can be a little creepy.” Saul raised his hand as he saw a cab coming down the road. “But don’t forget that I gave you a fair warning. If she turns you down like all the others, don’t take it personally.” The cab stopped, and Saul got in while Jack stared at the business card in thought.
“Do you do this with every new 49er?” asked Jack.
Saul signaled the cab driver to give him a second. “No, just the ones that feel the weight of the business they are in. Those are the people who need a friend on the outside the most. But treat her right, ok? That’s another reason I’m giving you her number; I don’t think you will hurt her or hold a grudge if she says no. Don’t prove me wrong.” Saul’s voice was the same chipper tone as always, but his brown eyes were grave and dark.
“I promise, I won’t.”
Saul gave him a thumbs up and said goodbye. His cab drove off into the busy streets of Hong Kong. Jack stood there and watched the cab leave his view, thinking about what Saul said until he was interrupted by a familiar voice calling his name. He turned to see Lei Lei walking away from a group of women. She wore a tight black club dress that was questionably short. He put his hands back in his pockets, hiding the business card.
“Hey Lei Lei, what are you doing here?”
“Just clubbing with my girls,” she said, tilting her head in the direction of the group she left walking down the street. “What are you doing here? Some unwinding?” She took a step closer, eyes welcoming. Her high heels almost made her the same height as him.
“Just thought I would come get a drink and see who I would run into.” He kept his body still.
“Well, I hope I didn’t disappoint.” She took a step closer. Her dress almost touched his shirt.
“You didn’t.” Jack took small breaths.
Lei Lei took a deep inhale, pressing her chest against his, releasing it with a, “Well, how about we go back to my place for drinks?”
Jack released a nervous “Sure” and quietly followed her to a cab which took them to her apartment in the better part of Hong Kong. Through the drive, he reminded himself that this was a perfect moment to gain a great ally but also a moment to make a great enemy if he angered her.
When they reached her home Jack held the cab door open for Lei Lei. Glancing across the street, he thought he saw Mallory standing beside a homeless man. She was dressed like she was about to go on a date with him. Jack turned away and saw Lei Lei standing a step away with her hand stretched out. He grabbed her hand to escape his grief.
Chapter 20
Empty Wishes
“S o, what are your secrets?” asked Lei Lei as she sat on her bed, after giving Jack a tour of her expensive apartment. Jack stood next to the window, gazing at Hong Kong shining brightly with all its new buildings slicing through the night sky.
“None really, just a typical mobster getting used to his new mob.” He took another sip of his Scotch with ice. “Why do you ask?”
He turned around. Lei Lei propped herself up on one arm as the other held her Scotch, straight up. Her hair flowed down the left side of her head, concealing part of her face in a shadow and highlighting the red streaks in it.
“I like to know if the men I sleep with are single or not, though it typically doesn’t change anything.”
Jack looked down at his drink. “I’m single.”
“How long?” Lei Lei asked quickly.
Jack forced a chuckle out of himself. “Just six months, but it was a terrible breakup.” Jack rolled the ice cube around in his drink. Mallory wasn’t fond of Scotch that much; she liked the fruity drinks.
“Who dropped who?” Lei Lei’s voice had lost its seductive tone and sounded normal for the first time to Jack, almost sincere.
“I dumped her because I knew I was about to be on the run.” The longer he stared at his round glass, the more it resembled the tunnel he traveled through. He sat beside Lei Lei on the bed made of memory foam. “We were engaged for a bit,” Jack added before even thinking.
“Oh! I love proposal stories!” said Lei Lei, adjusting on the bed to face him. “How did you do it?”
Jack smiled as he told the story for the first time. “It was sort of spur of the moment. I was about to leave to do my first pickup across the border alone. Call it fear, but I didn’t want to lose her while I was gone. So, I bought some stuff and got to her place before she got off work to make her a really fancy dinner with candles, a three-course meal, the works. However, thinking a lot about how it was going to look and what I was going to say, I had forgotten that her stove and oven didn’t work well. A few minutes later smoke is coming out of the oven and the stove still wasn’t on. That’s when I heard the door unlock and the fire alarm go off. No lie, I jumped to the front door and shut it on her, told her to hang on just a minute while I grabbed a towel and started waving it like a madman in front of the fire alarm. It didn’t work well. I took the alarm out and shoved it in the couch cushion. I turned around.”
Thomas saw Mallory in his mind,
clear and pristine, standing in her apartment door that night. White shoes. White slacks, too, tight and form-fitting. Red roses imprinted her loose, black silk blouse. Though his story included smoke, his memory held her beach perfume unaltered. He always wanted his home to smell like that. The home he wanted, the home he pined for, was that doorway she stood in.
Jack continued the story. “She was standing in the doorway, smoke rolling past her. She looked around at the disaster of a meal in the kitchen and the unlit candles on the table with the ring box on it. She’s pretty smart and said ‘yes’ before I could even say anything.” Jack wiped a tear away. “It’s more funny than romantic but it was our story.”
Lei Lei took a deep breath and said. “It isn’t romantic, but it is sweet.”
“I guess, but doesn’t really matter anymore.”
“It sounds like you need some help forgetting her?” Lei Lei ran her fingers through his hair.
Jack tensed up slightly. “I don’t want to forget her. I just want to forget the pain.”
Jack started to take another sip, but Lei Lei pulled the glass away from him and set it on the nightstand next to a picture of her in a wedding dress.
“Well, I can help you with that too.” She reached behind him and scratched the back of his head as she gave him a long kiss. Jack wished he didn’t enjoy it. He wished he didn’t kiss her back. He wished the guilt didn’t leave him as she placed him down on her bed. He wished Mallory was still alive but wishing didn’t make any of it real.
Jack woke up. The light trickle of rain descending on Hong Kong distracted Jack from getting up. He looked beside him at Lei Lei, naked and fast asleep on her bed. Her hair sprawled over the bed like her body. Jack shook his head and slowly got up. He dressed himself and quietly left as Lei Lei snored. Riding the elevator, he tried to rationalize his actions to himself as he felt guilt and shame slowly encroach themselves on him, but it didn’t shake the feeling of betraying Mallory. As he left the building, he attempted to place his mind on other problems that he needed to address: which Red Poles Yu would go after first, how he was going to find The Twelve by getting closer to Lóng through Lei Lei. But the feelings didn’t leave him.
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