by James Dudley
When the scene was finished, the cast and crew broke into a spontaneous round of applause before moving into an extended exchange of handshakes, high-fives and hugs all around. After completing his obligatory rounds of small talk, changing out of his costume, and grabbing a quick, much needed snack, Tommy walked back to the trailer where he had left his large black duffel bag full of film reels. Han, who was on set to help out with various tasks despite not being part of this particular scene, met Tommy at the appropriate time for their rendezvous, and the two shared a taxi to Aberdeen to complete their transaction.
The harbor was a bustling hive of activity when Tommy and Han arrived. There was a constant stream of junks and sampans returning and leaving, somehow all dodging each other as well as the larger ships that steamed by further out by the horizon. The docks were crowded with sailors performing maintenance work or unloading their wares, and the smell of freshly caught fish blended in with the salt water and crowded humanity to create its own unique scent.
Han led the way as they walked up onto the Antelope, then down below decks, where a series of small portholes let the only source of natural light into the musty wooden hold. Once they were down there, Han pried at the floorboards with a crowbar to open up the hidden doorway to a secret compartment that seemed specifically designed for smuggling. Tommy handed over the duffel bag, and it fit snugly into the compartment before Han closed it back up.
“I’ve been doing this smuggling gig for a while now, and I understand the importance of providing strictly confidential customer service with no questions asked,” Han said. “But the mystery of this case is just a little too much for me. So I understand if you can’t answer this, but I just have to ask; how did Tommy Malloy, a legitimate Hollywood star, end up selling bootleg films in Hong Kong?”
Tommy paused a moment to mull the question over. If Han performed his job adequately, and Tommy wrote a favorable review, then the CIA would find a way to contact him on their own terms and their own schedule. Until then, the true nature of his mission could not be revealed and he was just going to have to improvise.
“That’s a good question and I don’t blame you for asking it. You see, when I was a young boy on the streets of Philadelphia, an old man down the block from us had the most vicious dog anybody had ever seen, and some say it even killed a kid one time. He used to keep it chained up in his backyard and we kids would sometimes stop by and peek through the fence to get a glimpse of it before we inevitably ran away. Until one day, we were playing some baseball in the street, and wouldn’t you know, our ball happens to land right in that old man’s yard.”
“And then what happened?”
Han seemed to be hanging on every word, which meant the strategy was working. “Nobody else wanted to do it, so I volunteered to jump the fence and grab the ball. I snatched it from right under that creature’s nose and ran like hell to get out of there. As I was climbing the fence with that abomination of a creature nipping at my heels, I realized something…it was most alive I had ever felt, and I wanted to capture that feeling again.”
“So that’s it? You’re just a thrill seeker?”
“I guess you can call it that. It’s why I volunteered for the paratroopers during the war, it’s why I hang around with the mafia back home, and it’s why I’m asking you to smuggle these films for me now. It’s not about the money, I have plenty of money; it’s about the thrill, the excitement, the adrenaline.”
Han shrugged. “Good enough for me. I just do this for the money, but whatever floats your boat.”
“I see what you did there,” Tommy said as they both broke out in laughter. Their cargo secure, they walked back up topside, where Tommy offered Han a cigarette and lit them both up.
“You can be honest, was I the first smuggler you approached with this deal, or was there anyone else?” Han asked.
“There were…a couple others.”
“Give me names; I know who most of them are.”
“Well, the first one I approached was Chao Hung…”
Han began to laugh. “Well you dodged a big bullet there. He’s the biggest jerk in the city. I was running some opium for him a few years back but the maritime police boarded my ship for an inspection. They brought on the sniffing dogs and everything. So I had to dump it, I didn’t have a choice. He’s been coming after me for the money he lost ever since. Every time I get enough money to make a payment on it, he goes and raises the interest again and has his goons rough me up. It’s a never-ending cycle.”
Tommy listened sympathetically. He had interacted with the mob enough in his career to know exactly how they could be when it came to money. “How did you get into this whole business to begin with? What would you do if you could do anything else?”
Han sighed. “Well ideally I could make it in show business like yourself. I get my extra roles here and there, but it hardly pays the bills. I’m mostly in Kung-Fu movies, playing one of the random henchmen that the main characters beat up. As for the smuggling, well, I started doing that during the war. The Japanese occupation hit Hong Kong pretty hard. We had to do what we could to survive. Well enough about that, how about we get something to eat?”
Tommy finished the last of his cigarette and tossed the butt overboard. “I’m always ready to eat.”
As they discussed the various dining options in the vicinity, Han’s smile instantly disappeared when he saw a man on the docks walking towards them. “Go to the hold and hide. Don’t come out until I come get you.”
“What’s going on?” Tommy sputtered as he made his way back below decks.
“It’s one of Chao Hung’s punks coming for money. And don’t worry about me, I can handle this.”
Unsure what else he could do, Tommy crouched down in a corner near the entrance to the cargo hold, peaking through the cracks of the door to observe what was going on topside. A short distance away, the man from the dock walked up the gangway and onto the deck, where Han turned to face him.
“Hello, Bingwen,” Han said. “I was actually just about to contact you guys. I’m taking on a big new project now, and when that’s done, I’ll be able to pay my debts to Chao Hung once and for all.”
“I don’t work for Chao Hung anymore,” said Bingwen. “Although Chao Hung is a valued client of my new employer; we can all tell when the winds of power are shifting. And I’m not here for your money.”
“So you just came to check out the view then? You wanted to bum a cigarette or maybe catch some fish?”
“I have come for Tommy Malloy. Do not insult me by pretending that he is not currently hiding in your cargo hold. My employer has need of him, and if you cooperate, you may find that there is a valued place for you on our growing team.”
Han began to backpedal as Bingwen slowly stepped towards him. “Now hold on, you can’t just barge onto my ship and start making demands like that.”
“I feared that you would be uncooperative,” Bingwen said as he started to reach for his waistband.
Not liking where this was going, Tommy closed his eyes and pressed himself to the deck just in time to hear two sudden gunshots and the splintering of wood as a bullet passed overhead. He lay still for a few minutes, and when there were no further noises, he cautiously stood up and cracked the door open. Outside, Bingwen was lying dead on the deck while Han stood over him, pistol still in hand.
“That was a really quick draw. Maybe you need to start starring in some Western films,” Tommy said as he stepped back outside.
“There’s only one way to deal with men like him,” said Han. “Sometimes you just have to shoot first.”
“Now I didn’t actually see the whole thing, but I’m pretty sure he shot first,” Tommy said.
“No, I’m pretty sure I shot first,” said Han.
“Agree to disagree,” Tommy said as he offered Han another cigarette.
“So what do you want to do now?” Han asked.
“First, I want to eat a nice seafood dinner, then I want to get the hell
out of this city as fast as I can.”
Chapter 12
In any film Tommy Malloy worked on, his favorite day on set was always the wrap party. After weeks of spending long hours on set, rehearsing, shooting, and re-shooting scenes until he could recite them in his sleep, and having to work through the occasional creative difference with various colleagues, it was great to finally enjoy a relaxed atmosphere with a spread of great food. For this particular party, Louis Poutine had arranged to rent out the restaurant on the ground floor of the Repulse Bay Hotel, where most of the cast and crew were staying.
Tommy was one of the first to arrive, and he staked out a spot against the back wall and lit up a cigarette, eyeing the buffet table as he tried and failed to not make it obvious that he was waiting to pounce as soon as the servers removed the metal lids from the serving dishes. Overall, he had found his time in Hong Kong to be a memorable and educational experience, but the stress of being pulled into the city’s seedy underbelly was making him look forward to leaving. Already, he had been convinced to alter his travel plans to remain in Hong Kong long enough to report on Han’s smuggling mission, and he could only hope that he would not get pulled in any deeper than he already was.
The combination of filming by day and pitching smugglers by night did not leave much time for Tommy to see most of the touristy things he had been hoping to, but he figured that if the movie did well enough for a sequel, he would probably have to come back at some point. His first free day since arriving there was spent sending postcards to his family in Philadelphia and fiancée in Los Angeles, relaxing at the beach just outside the hotel, and catching up on some much-needed sleep.
After a few more people shuffled in, the servers opened up the buffet line and Tommy waited just long enough to not seem obnoxious before jumping in and filling up his plate. He had a full mouth when Han made his way across the room to great him. The two shared a conspiratorial nod, confident that nobody else there was aware of their extracurricular activities.
“You should try the sweet-and-sour pork, it’s really good,” Tommy said.
“Wow, that looks delicious,” said Han. He looked around him, making sure that nobody else was within earshot. “Everything should be all clear now. I called in some favors with some people I know and had the body taken care of. And I can run the films across the border as early as tomorrow.”
“Thank you, that’s good to hear,” said Tommy. When he attempted to think like an intelligence officer, he had a developing sense that something wasn’t right about the situation, namely why somebody had been sent to kill him. But he also knew that Han would be a valuable asset in whatever trouble they managed to get into this time.
Before they could discuss the issue further, they were interrupted by Tony Vespa’s sudden arrival. As he approached them, he motioned with his hands as if he was making a telephone call. “Hello, FBI? Yes, I’d like to cancel that missing person report. I finally found Tommy Malloy, he’s ok.”
“That’s very funny, Tony. How long did it take you to think up?” Tommy asked as they shook hands.
“But seriously, Tommy, where have you been? We’ve been hitting the town every night without you. You’re nowhere to be seen.”
“My new friend Han here has been introducing me to the local culture. Maybe you, too, could take the time to get to know the extras. After all, they are the backbone of any film.”
Having been sufficiently humbled, Tony introduced himself to Han, and the three of them began a lively discussion of their experiences and aspirations in show business. They were eventually joined by both Donna Chang and Lars Svensson, who each had their own contributions to make to the conversation.
“Now that I have this wide ranging assembly of talent here, I have a few questions for all of you,” said Han. “First, what is your biggest fear when it comes to you career?”
“Every comedian has a fear of bombing,” Tommy explained. “No matter how good your material is or how many times it’s worked before, sometimes an audience just isn’t receptive to it and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.”
“One day, I was supposed to have my first show at Radio City Music Hall. It was my biggest break, a chance to really make a name for myself. I woke up that morning with a really bad cold, and my voice just wasn’t there. So if you’re asking what scares me, it’s knowing that my voice could go at any time,” Tony said.
“For me, it’s simply getting older,” said Donna. “There are many difficulties about being a woman in this business, and one of the biggest is that the roles stop coming once you hit a certain age. It’s not fair, but that’s the way it is.”
Lars simply shrugged. “I’m not afraid of anything in show business. I’m only afraid of bears! Bears in the forest!”
Everybody had a good laugh at the eccentric Russian turned fake Scandinavian’s wacky sense of humor, and then engaged in a few more rounds of panel type questions until Tommy peeled off from the group to go talk to his mentor.
“And the Academy Award for Best Director goes to…Louis Poutine! Louis, what do you have to say?”
“I would like to thank all of history’s pirates, scoundrels, and buccaneers. Without their fine example, we would not have had the inspiration for this film,” Louis said.
Tommy and Louis reminisced and traded quips as the last few guests began to straggle in. “Oh, I meant to tell you, I sent some invitations over to Government House as a reciprocal gesture since they invited us to their party, which means that you may have to mingle with some bureaucrats. I hope you’re feeling up to it.”
As if on cue, Tommy looked up to see Millie Covington entering the room, along with a man he had not seen since his misadventures in Paris. “The things I do for America,” he muttered out loud as he walked over towards them.
“Hello, Millie,” Tommy said, before turning to greet her companion with a warm embrace. “Dick Boothwyn! It has been far too long. What bring you to this neck of the woods?”
“I was just passing through town and I figured I should stop in and say hello,” Richard said.
Tommy looked around, and then spoke in a hushed tone. “There are many things I still don’t know about the world the two of you live in, but I am willing to wager that you didn’t exactly come here for the eggrolls.”
“Now that you mention it, I am going to have to try said eggrolls. But you are correct in surmising that we have something to discuss with you,” said Richard.
“You didn’t honestly think you mission here would be as simple as it seems, did you?” Millie asked.
Tommy sighed to himself as he led the way to a secluded corner booth, knowing that she was right.
“As you probably surmised, we have a proposition for you,” Richard said when they were all seated in the booth.
“I don’t like where this is going,” said Tommy. “Do you remember what happened last time I went along with one of your schemes?”
“Yes, you saved the royal family of Montravia, prevented World War Three, and met your beautiful fiancée.”
“Touché, Welshman” said Tommy. “Speaking of the royals, how’s Princess Sophia doing?”
“She’s doing very well. I don’t know if you heard, but she took silver in equestrian at the Melbourne Olympics. And you missed an amazing wedding.”
Visiting the tiny country of Montravia was very high on Tommy’s list of things to do. He very much regretted that his filming schedule for a previous film prevented him from attending the royal wedding of Princess Sophia to Prince Henrik of Sweden, whom she had originally met while they representing their respective countries in the equestrian events of the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
“Alright, what do you have for me?” Tommy asked, resignedly accepting that was once more being pulled much further than he wanted into international intrigue.
“Don’t you think it’s curious that every triad you approached with the films was unwilling to take them?” Millie asked.
“I sup
pose so, but I didn’t think too much of it.”
“Well it turns out there is a reason for it. All the smugglers and salesmen on your list have reached exclusive arrangements with Chinese intelligence, who are now providing them with everything from weapons to opium,” Millie explained.
‘It all makes sense now,” said Tommy, who proceeded to explain everything that had happened with Han, much to Richard and Millie’s chagrin.
“In that case, the situation is even more severe than we thought,” said Millie. “At this time, we can only guess what the Chinese are up to, but we know that there are no good outcomes that may come from it. However, the one thing working in our favor is that Walter Wong, the man that we believe to be the head of the triads, has yet to commit to this scheme, so there still may be hope if we can get to him before they can. The only problem is, he’s extremely elusive and none of us have ever met him. However, we have learned that he occasionally holds court at a bar called Madame Kwan’s, and will be doing so again tomorrow night. Now here’s where you come in. Madame Kwan keeps a very tight lid on her guest list. Anybody like me who could be traced back to the British government would never be allowed in. But what she will likely allow is somebody who can offer her or her club something it doesn’t ordinarily have, perhaps in the entertainment realm.”
“So in other words…you want me to do a stand-up show? Is there a market for that here?” Tommy asked.
“No, I do not believe there is. But there is a very big market for musical performers, and it appears you have two of America’s most popular singers here in your retinue. They wouldn’t have to know all the details, of course, just that they have an opportunity for a unique paying gig” said Richard.
“So you want me to convince this Madame Kwan to let Tony and Donna perform at her club? And then what?”
“And then once you have an in, you can meet with Walter Wong and make your pitch,” Millie said.
“And will I have anything to offer him aside from bootleg films?”
