Ming, dusting off his pants, motioned for us to return to the vehicle and we took off again. The landscape was beautiful. The mountains stunning, the rice fields shimmering in the sunlight. "I worry that we will not make it before dark," Ming said.
"I do not mind driving in the dark," I said. We drove through a large pothole at that moment and I flew up off the seat, hitting my head on the roof.
"Sorry," Ming said, his expression pained as he turned to look at me. "You are okay?"
"I'm fine, all a part of the adventure," I assured him.
He faced forward again, concentrating on the rough road ahead. I snuggled close to Loki, holding onto his arm as much to keep myself from flying around in the back seat as for our cover. As the sun set it dusted the world in a pink glow that turned the mountains soft and edgeless. Their shadows stretched, inching longer, as we continued to maneuver through them. As we followed the road, the landscape lifted up, like the plane of the earth was rising, the mountains set into them moving with it.
Stars twinkled in the darkening sky. A pale half moon shone between two of the mountains, beautiful and almost translucent. I watched it as we bounced forward. With each bump and thump I knew we were getting closer to an answer about Merl, about Mo, about what had happened to my friend and his dogs.
"Do you know the tai chi retreat well?" I asked Ming.
He made eye contact for a moment in the rear view mirror. "Yes," he said. "I bring many customers to there over the years."
"Has it become very popular?"
"Not so much in the last few months," he said. "The phone has not been working."
"Is that normal?"
"It is not rare," he said, his cheeks going pink again.
Loki leaned in close to me, his breath on my ear, sending shivers down my neck. "Giggle," he said. I did as directed, letting out a girlish laugh, like he was whispering something naughty into my ear. A large bump, Loki's arm came around my waist pulling me closer. "It is embarrassing for him that the phone does not work all the time."
I nodded, turning my face toward his. "I understand," I said. He kissed me, lightly, just his lips against mine, nothing dangerous, nothing serious. Surprised, I sucked in my breath, getting a heady whiff of his scent, a mix of incense and soap. Loki's hair, loosened from the rough ride tickled against my face. He palmed my cheek, his lips still close, thumb running along my cheekbone. Loki's long fingers caressed my jaw line for a moment before he sat back.
I felt my cheeks flush as I returned my eyes to the road ahead. Loki's arm around my shoulders had a different texture than a moment ago. I'd pushed from my mind what Loki did for a living, but that kiss and caress were a reminder of what type of professional he truly was.
The sun blasted its final rays of light out in thick lines, hitting the low clouds with a deep orange glow before setting. An hour later the sky was black velvet inset with diamonds of twinkling stars.
A tire exploded, and the Jeep swerved violently. It sent Blue crashing into me, me sliding into Loki, and Loki slamming into the door before we came to an abrupt halt. The moon sat at the top of the mountains and threw a blue glow across the landscape.
Ming twisted around, looking back to us, concern etched onto his face. "I'm fine," I said, reaching for Blue, who was resettling himself, looking a little miffed at the banging about.
"I'm also fine," Loki said.
Ming hopped out to take a look at the tire. Loki and I climbed out as well, Blue following us. He stretched, opening his large jaws in a big yawn, waving his bushy tail back and forth languidly as he enjoyed the night air.
Ming stood next to the rear right wheel, his hands on his hips, elbows pointing back, flip flop clad feet hip width apart. Something had shredded the tire.
I turned to examine the path, Blue by my side. I saw the tacks twinkling in the starlight, sharp and just long enough to do damage, littered along the right side of the road. If you knew they were there you could just drive around them but without that special knowledge you'd blow at least one tire.
"Loki," I said, calling him over. He joined me, Ming following him. "Strange," I said. "They must have fallen off a truck."
"Yes," Loki agreed.
Ming said something in Mandarin that sounded like a curse. He then returned to his Jeep and began to change the tire. "We should head back," Loki said to me quietly.
"Aren't we close?"
"Yes, but we are out of good tires. And," Loki looked over at the tacks, "I think we will not make it with these four."
I chewed on my bottom lip, not wanting to turn back but understanding Loki's logic. "Can we try again tomorrow?"
"If Ming can get new tires."
"Money is no object."
Loki nodded. "I'm aware, but resources are scarce. It may not be a matter of cost." He went over to Ming and began to help the other man, speaking to him in tones I could not hear. I stared down at the tacks. Blue lowered his nose to the sharp metal and sniffed.
I looked around at the black monoliths of the mountains. The night was quiet. No other traffic on this deserted road. No homes nearby. Boulders shrouded in shadow lined the path. If you were planning an ambush this was an excellent place to do it.
Blue sniffed at the air, his ears flat to his head. "There someone out there?" I asked him. Peering into the deep black I saw the green glint of eyes; they weren't human, the iris glowing in the way that dog’s did at night. Another pair blinked and then I heard the soft paw falls of an animal as they disappeared. Blue gave no sign of danger. Could they be Merl's dogs I wondered? Was he somewhere out here?
I looked back to the Jeep. Loki was holding a flashlight for Ming as he pulled the ruined tire off the wheel. I felt a pang of guilt. Was I putting Ming in danger? Would this man pay for my sins like so many others?
I missed Merl hard in that moment. I knew he wouldn't push on. Merl was always level-headed. He would have doubled back, resupplied and gotten a fresh start in the morning. What did I hope to learn? I almost laughed out loud. I hoped to find Merl at the tai chi center, out of cell service. All the madness in Shanghai a strange coincidence.
I wanted to find Merl with his girlfriend, Mo, enjoying a well-deserved rest. But as I stared down at the tacks glimmering in the moon's cold light I knew that was impossible. There was something happening here, something I was ill-suited to address, but was determined to unravel.
Loki called me over to say the tire was changed and we were ready to head back. The ride home was slower but without further incident. Our headlights created beams of bright light in the dark night, illuminating the rough road, showing every rock, ridge, and pothole.
Making Plans
By the time we returned to the hotel my body ached from bouncing around. Ming and Loki spoke briefly before we said our good nights and Loki and I returned to our room.
"I'd like to shower before dinner if you can wait," Loki said.
"No problem. I'd like to shower too."
"Would you like to join me?"
I smiled, my mind racing over the possibilities for a moment. "No thanks," I said.
"As you wish."
Loki went into the bathroom, leaving the door open just a crack as the shower started. I couldn't figure him out. Did he really want me—or want to please me in that way? Or was he simply determined to make our cover as credible as possible? What had Lenox told him about me?
I decided to make some calls while I had a moment alone. Lenox picked up on the second ring. "Sydney," he said in that voice of his, each syllable sounding like an important note in a melody that I couldn't get out of my head.
"Good to hear your voice," I said.
"How is it going?"
"Not great." I filled him in on the drive, the tacks in the road, and our hunt for new tires.
"What does Loki say?" Lenox asked.
"Not much."
"He is quiet."
"It's a part of his charm."
"Many women agree with you. I hope you will avail yo
urself of his services, Sydney. I know how important that is to you." Only Lenox Gold would say things like that to me. No judgment, just a fact: I needed to fuck to stay sharp. It wasn't a love thing, it wasn't a feeling thing. It was a recognition that life was not just about survival. There was pleasure too.
"No, I don't think that is a good idea."
Lenox laughed softly and I closed my eyes enjoying the rich tones of it. "You are always trying to punish yourself."
"Is that it?"
"What other reason would there be?"
I didn't have an answer so quickly got off the line, promising to call him again tomorrow. The shower was still going in the bathroom, steam floating through the narrow opening in the door so I made another call. Mulberry didn't answer his phone. A woman did. "Oh, sorry," I said. "Is Mulberry there?"
"Yes," she said. "May I ask who’s calling?"
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise and looked over at Blue who lay snoring quietly by the door. I took a deep breath and relaxed, trying to unruffle my hackles. "Who’s this?" I asked, aiming to keep my voice light.
"I asked first," she said.
I heard Mulberry's voice in the background and then he was on the line. "Hello."
"It's me," I said.
"Hey, how's it going?"
I filled him in, repeating what I'd told Lenox, hoping in the retelling something would occur to me but I was just as confused. "What do you think?" Mulberry asked.
"I think that probably the tai chi center was a place for Falun Gong practitioners. I hope that they are okay but with the phones not working and the fact that Bai was killed, it seems like we could be walking into a real mess. I just need to get there. To see what is going on."
I heard the shower turn off but figured I had a few more minutes before Loki came out.
"I understand," Mulberry said. His voice was reassuring. I closed my eyes and pictured his green eyes. Imagined the feel of his arms around me, holding me close, telling me everything was going to be all right.
"I should go," I said.
"Thanks for calling, for reporting in," he said, his voice turning official.
"Yes, sir."
I glanced up as the door to the bathroom pushed open. Loki stood there, his bottom half wrapped in a small white towel, steam billowing around him. His chest and arms were completely covered in tattoos. "I'll call you later," I said to Mulberry.
"You okay?" Mulberry asked, hearing the shift in my voice.
"Yeah, thanks for your help." I hung up the phone without waiting for an answer.
Loki walked into the room, his eyes on my face as my gaze roamed over his chest. The inked patterns were intricate, intertwined, beautifully lined. "I had no idea," I said, realizing it was a stupid thing to say the moment it was out of my mouth. Pulling my eyes off his body I climbed off the bed and went to my suitcase to grab some clothing before heading into the shower.
The water was tepid but fine, the shower stall small, and the towel rough but I was happy to be clean. I changed in the bathroom, putting on a pair of tight black jeans and a gray linen button down shirt that brought out the hints of silver in my eyes. Loki was dressed when I came out, wearing a long sleeved shirt and dress slacks that hugged his narrow hips. "Would you like to get some dinner?" he asked. “It’s late and the restaurant will soon close.”
"I want to call Mitchel. I'll meet you down there."
"Certainly, may I order you a drink?"
"Sure, red wine."
He smiled and nodded before leaving the room. His hair was still wet, slicked back from his handsome face, showing off his deep brown eyes, black in the half-light of the room. I waited a beat after the door closed, staring at the knob, thinking about his bare chest, the intricate patterns inked across it, before picking up my phone and calling Mitchel.
"How's it going?" he asked.
"We didn't get far," I said, repeating my story quickly. "How’s the kid?"
"Seems fine."
"So he hasn't run off yet?"
"Think he wants that ticket to paradise."
"Right, you talked to Dan about it?"
"He's working on it. He asked me to fill you in on what he found out about Bai."
"Great."
"She was involved with Falun Gong. Used their software to evade the censors. She was working with a small group that was hacking into the government computers trying to find evidence of the organ harvesting of prisoners."
"As we suspected."
"Yes. Does it help?"
"I don't know."
"Do you need me to do anything else for you?"
"Just stick by the kid, did you find out his name by the way?" I asked.
"Shi Guang."
"Right, if he gives you any more info let me know. How’s my signal by the way?"
"Coming through strong and clear."
"But only because you fixed it, right?"
"Yes, there is no way that Merl's would have worked after stepping into Sing's place."
"What about his phone?"
"The beacon would have been disabled but he still could have made calls."
"So he wouldn't know that his beacon was off."
"Yeah, like I told you, he'd have no idea. Why?"
"Just double checking," I said, not wanting to share my fantasy of finding Merl alive and well at the tai chi center. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
We hung up and Blue and I headed downstairs to the restaurant in the hotel. Loki waited at the bar. He was leaning against it, sipping on a beer. He smiled when he saw me. "You look beautiful," he said, slipping his arm around my waist and kissing my cheek, the scent of his shampoo filling my sense for a moment.
"You too," I said.
"Shall we sit down or do you want to have your drink first?"
"Let's eat, I'm hungry." And I really wasn't in the mood to play date. There was security in the lobby, a stout man in an ill-fitting suit, his arms folded behind his back, eyes watchful, obviously there to make the tourists feel safe. From what? I didn't know.
The dinner was as good as the lunch, but I barely tasted it. My mind was on those tacks on the road. I wanted to go back and I didn't want a guide, I just wanted Loki and me and Blue and a Jeep with a bunch of tires. I broached this with Loki when we got back to the room. He shook his head. "That would be impossible."
"Why?"
"There are ways that we must behave, Sydney. China is a dangerous place. There are eyes everywhere."
"Are you being watched?"
"Everyone is being watched."
"But you've been here before."
"Yes, with other clients. This area is popular for river cruises. If there is something going on at the tai chi center then the authorities in this village will be involved. They will be curious and worried about a tourist who insists on going there with such," he paused looking for the right word, "gusto."
"Gusto," I said, nodding my head. "Okay, fine, so what do you propose? And who exactly are these authorities?"
"I suggest we go on a river cruise tomorrow while Ming gets new tires. He will suggest you take a tai chi class in town."
"And I will explain that is not what I'm looking for."
"Yes."
"I can't be the first obnoxious American tourist who wants what she wants."
"No," he smiled and looked over at Blue. "But the dog makes you strange, worth watching. Especially if they know about Merl and his dogs. This is why I do not want you to mention him."
"If you think there is someone in this village who knows what's going on then I want to talk to that person."
Loki shook his head. "That's not how it works."
"How it works?" I said, anger rising up my throat. I stepped closer to Loki, he held his ground, his expression passive, eyes calm. "Do you understand why I'm here?"
"To find your friend."
"And Lenox told you to give me what I wanted."
"Yes, and to keep you safe. What you are suggesting is very dangero
us. You don't just walk into the office of the local cadre and tell him of your suspicions, ask him for help."
"Why not?"
"Because if, like you suspect, Falun Gong is involved in some way, the local cadre will not take kindly to a foreigner marching in and asking questions."
"How do we find out then?"
"We play along, we pretend to be having a nice time, we listen, we wait, we watch."
"Watch what?"
"The way that people act toward us, to you insisting on the tai chi center. But you must let them put you off."
"I can't do that. I'm not that kind of woman."
"I see."
Loki walked over to his suitcase and pulled out a small knife. "Do you have any black clothing?"
"Yes." I had a pair of black jogging tights and a long sleeve running top.
"Good, we will wait until everyone is asleep and then visit the cadre at his house, in his bedroom. We shall find your answer."
"Really?" I was surprised by his sudden reversal.
"This is the dangerous route."
"But we get answers."
"They will not help us if we are dead or detained."
"Tell me about this cadre."
Loki laid the knife on his side table and sat on the bed. I took the chair by the desk. "His name is Xi Jing. He has been in power for some time, ten years I think. He does not move up because he says that he loves this area but really he has a drinking problem, which prevents him from rising in the ranks. Easily manipulated by the local gangs and government in Beijing he is the perfect leader for this region."
"Tell me about the gangs. The triads."
"There is a long tradition of organized crime in this country. They work closely with the government. It is hard to discern one from another at times."
"You must work with them. In your line of work."
"We pay a price for our operations. To a local triad in Shanghai and to a larger one based in Hong Kong that has dealings all over the country. There is a local triad here but we work with Xi."
"So couldn't we go to him as your friend?"
"He is not my friend. He is friends with Lenox."
"But surely, any friend of Lenox is a friend of yours, of mine."
"That is something you would have to talk to Lenox about."
Shadow Harvest (A Sydney Rye Mystery, #7) Page 11
