by Ian Hamilton
“You have no interest in knowing why I want to come?”
“Yes, I do, but I figure you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Uncle spotted Sonny with the Mercedes in the area reserved for limousine pickup. The Mercedes was one of about fifty, and half of them were grey. But there was only one Sonny, and he towered above the other drivers. He was also one of the few drivers not wearing a suit.
“How is your arm?” Uncle asked when he reached him.
“Fourteen stitches, so not so bad. I’ve been cut worse,” he said as he opened the back door for Uncle.
“I’ll buy you a new shirt,” Uncle said.
“I bought six yesterday. There’s no need, but thank you.”
Uncle settled into the back seat. “We’re going to Dong’s Kitchen.”
It was a seven-kilometre drive from Sha Tin to Fanling. Given that traffic was light, Uncle guessed they’d get to Dong’s before the eighth race began.
Uncle hadn’t said much to Sonny during the ride to the racetrack, and he knew he should have. “I’ve been meaning to thank you for this morning,” he said as the car reached Fanling’s outskirts. “It was a lot to deal with on your second day in a new job, and you couldn’t have done better. You saved my life.”
Sonny looked at him in the rear-view mirror. “Boss, no one is ever going to get to you without killing me first. I promise you that.”
“I believe you. I just hope, for both our sakes, that people don’t make a practice of trying to kill me.”
When they reached Dong’s, all the parking spots were taken. “Drop me off in front and then join us after you find a place to park,” Uncle said.
On Sundays and Wednesdays the restaurant staff put away some tables and pushed the larger ones off to one side to create as much space as possible for the bettors to mingle. Tian and his staff sat at a long table in the rear of the restaurant; the bettors stood in long lines in front of them. Twelve televisions airing the races encircled the area. Before the Hong Kong Jockey Club had opened its own off-track facilities, Dong’s would be so packed that the sidewalks around the building could barely contain the overflow. Now there were only a few clusters of people outside, and most of them were there to smoke.
Uncle went inside, waved at Tian, and bypassed the betting table to go into the kitchen. He wanted to say hello to Dong, who would be supervising organizing the food that would be in demand as soon as the eighth race ended. Dong had to be in his seventies, Uncle guessed, but he never missed a day of work. He thought about Jia, and wondered if owning a restaurant was the secret to longevity.
“Hey, Uncle, I heard about this morning,” Dong said when he saw him. “Some people have no sense. I hope you’re going to make them pay.”
“I don’t want to talk about that, or today’s betting handle,” Uncle said with a smile. “I’m here for chicken feet, your fried salt-and-pepper squid, and maybe some short ribs.”
“The ribs will be good today; I made the sauce myself. They might even be better than the chicken feet.”
“Nothing is better than Dong’s chicken feet,” Uncle said, and then he heard a scream. He and Dong looked towards the door and both started to move in that direction at the same time. Before they got there, there was another scream, a noise that sounded like crashing glass, and then the unmistakeable staccato burst of a semi-automatic.
“Stay here,” Uncle said to Dong.
There was chaos in the dining room. Some people had thrown themselves onto the floor, while others were scrambling to get under tables. People were foolishly trying to get out the front door. All that activity was accompanied by yells of fear and confusion. Tian hadn’t left his seat and shook his head in grim resignation when he saw Uncle.
Uncle scanned the room, looking for signs of blood. To his relief it didn’t appear that anyone had been hit, and the gunfire seemed to have ceased.
Tian stood up. “Everyone should remain calm!” he shouted. “It looks like some idiot threw a brick through the window and then took out the rest of it with a gun. Probably a sore loser. I don’t think we have to worry about him coming back.”
The noise in the room started to subside and people began rising to their feet and crawling out from under the tables.
“Was there a brick?” Uncle quietly asked Tian.
“Yes. And whoever was shooting aimed high. They didn’t want to hit anyone. This was an attempt to intimidate our customers and screw up our business.”
“Boss!” a young man said excitedly as he approached Tian.
“Were you outside?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you see?”
“A black Toyota stopped in front of the restaurant. I thought it was dropping someone off because there was nowhere to park. A guy got out of the back seat and, before I realized what he was doing, he heaved a brick at the window. When he jumped back into the car, someone lowered the front passenger window and began shooting. Then they drove off.”
“What’s your name?” Uncle asked the young man.
“This is Chan; he’s a Blue Lantern,” Tian said. “Chan, this is Uncle. He’s our Mountain Master.” Chan bowed his head towards Uncle.
“Can you describe the men?”
“I didn’t get a clear look at the guy with the gun, but the one who threw the brick was heavily tattooed.”
“Thanks,” Uncle said. Then he saw Dong walking towards them.
“What’s going to happen now? Will you close down for the day?” Dong asked.
“I think that would set a bad example,” said Tian. “There’s still one race left. If people feel safe enough to stay, I think we should let them.”
“I agree, and I think Tian should make that announcement,” Uncle said.
Dong nodded. “I’ll have my people sweep up the glass.”
“We’ll pay for the window,” Uncle said. Dong nodded again, as if he expected nothing less.
“I’d also like to use your phone,” Uncle said to Dong as Tian informed everyone that they were still open for business.
“There’s one in the kitchen and another in my office,” Dong said.
Uncle turned to Tian. “Do you know where Wang is?”
“He should be on his way here. He normally arrives after the last race to help me close the books and put away the money. Then we have dinner.”
Uncle saw Sonny enter the restaurant and motioned for him to join them. “Stay here with Tian while things settle. I’m going into the back to make some phone calls,” he told him.
Dong’s office was as small and cluttered as Jia’s, and Uncle had to move paper around to get to the phone.
“Are you back from the track already?” Fong asked when he answered.
“I’m at Dong’s Kitchen. The front window was just shot to pieces but no one was hurt. I suspect it was a message from our friend Wu that he isn’t backing down.”
“Have you spoken to Wang?”
“No, but Tian says he’s on his way here. What I’d like you to do is call the rest of the executive. We need to meet, and Dong’s is as good a place as any,” Uncle said. He looked at the clock on the wall. “Try to get them all here by six. The bettors should have left by then.”
“I’ll contact them right away,” Fong said.
“Before you go, how did your contacts react when you told them about this morning’s attack?”
“There was a lot of professed shock, some of it real, and there was anger, some of it real as well,” Fong said. “Generally speaking, the reaction from the Territories gangs was supportive. Though I have to say, Uncle, it might have caused some of them to have second thoughts about aligning themselves with us, if it means going to war right now against Wu and Man.”
“I’m not asking them to align themselves just with Fanling. There are potentiall
y eight other gangs in this with us.”
“But we’re the ones pushing the idea, and most of them refer to it as ‘Uncle’s plan.’”
“Whatever,” Uncle snapped impatiently, and then quickly added, “I didn’t mean to sound like I doubt what you heard. I just find that some of our colleagues are short-sighted. But not all of them are. In fact I had a pleasant surprise this afternoon: Tse, Wing, and I were joined at the track by Zhao.”
“What did he want?”
“An invitation to attend our meeting next Friday.”
“That’s strange.”
“I suspect it might get even stranger. I think he wants to join our alliance,” Uncle said.
“Shit. That would cause panic in Kowloon.”
“It might also encourage any reluctant brothers we have in the Territories to jump on board.”
“So did you invite him?”
“I most certainly did.”
“What a coup Zhao would be,” said Fong.
“The danger is, of course, that he’ll come to the meeting, hear us out, and decide not to join,” Uncle said.
“It’s worth the risk.”
“Of course it is, and I’ll do everything I can to get him onside,” said Uncle. “In the meantime we have to deal with Wu. We can’t let this continue. The last thing I want is a full-scale war, but unless we’re committed to defending what’s ours, Wu will eat us away bit by bit until there’s nothing left.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Wang was the first member of the executive committee to join Uncle and Tian at Dong’s Kitchen. When he found out about the most recent attack, he stood outside shouting at a forty-niner and a Blue Lantern before entering the restaurant.
“Go easy on them. There was nothing they could have done to stop it,” Uncle said as Wang reached him. “It was a hit and run.”
“My blood is boiling,” Wang growled.
“That’s why I want you to help Tian close the accounts as you usually do. I want things to be as normal as possible.”
“What about the cops? Have they been here? Is this going to cause a problem with them?”
“I had Dong phone the local station. He told them a disgruntled customer tossed a brick through the restaurant window and that he’ll go to the station tomorrow to file an official complaint.”
“Will they buy it?”
“Thus far there’s been no sign of them, and I’m assuming that’s because they believed him.”
Over the next hour the other members of the committee arrived and sat down at a table Dong had set up at the back of the restaurant. Uncle had spoken to all of them in the morning, after the attack at his building, and his message had been to stay calm. Now, as he saw how agitated they were, he knew such words wouldn’t be enough. He ordered water, tea, and beer and said to them, “Let’s not get into this until Tian and Wang join us.”
Dong helped serve the drinks and asked, “Do you want something to eat?”
“I’ll let you know. For now, we’re fine,” said Uncle.
When Dong had left, Yu opened a beer and said, “I heard from nearly all the gangs in the Territories this afternoon. They wanted to know if you were okay. Someone has been spreading a rumour that you were injured, and one Vanguard asked if it was true you had been killed.”
“Our brothers like to gossip. Maybe Uncle should take a tour of the Territories so everyone can see he’s still alive,” Hui said with a smile.
“There’s nothing funny about this,” Yu said.
“And nothing fatal on our side either, at least not yet. I’m still here, and no one who was in Dong’s was hurt,” Uncle said. “I’m not downplaying what happened, but I don’t want to talk about it any further without Tian and Wang.”
“Here they come,” Hui said.
Wang and Tian sat side by side directly across from Uncle. Tian reached for a beer. “I haven’t had a beer in six months. After today, I need one.”
“What are we going to do, boss?” Yu asked.
“As always, direct and to the point,” Uncle said, and turned to Wang. “Did you locate Wu’s warehouse?”
“Yes. It’s close to the railway station. I sat in my car for an hour and watched men and cars come and go. It’s a busy place — a major distribution centre for rice and dry goods as well as Tai Wai’s drug business. The rice and the other goods provide cover for the drug operation.”
“How do you know about the drugs?” Yu asked.
“I was told by two Red Poles. And when I was at the warehouse, I saw at least six groups of guys from other gangs arriving empty-handed and leaving with boxes,” Wang said. “I can guarantee they weren’t buying rice.”
“How many men are guarding the place?” Uncle asked.
“I’d be surprised if it’s less than ten,” Wang said.
Uncle nodded and then said carefully, “I asked Wang to find out where Tai Wai stores and distributes its drugs. It seems he has, and that gives us a way forward. I know all of you want us to respond to what happened today, and we will. But whatever we do has to be strategic and meaningful. I want to really hurt them, and killing a few men or shooting up a couple of massage parlours won’t accomplish that. Crippling their drug business will.”
“If they have ten men there, it won’t be easy or quiet,” Yu said. “It will cause a stir with the cops and, if we’re successful, it’s going to piss off some of the gangs who buy drugs from Tai Wai.”
“I’m going to give the police a heads-up and trust that they’ll stand by. In a sense, if we dismantle or disrupt Tai Wai’s drug business, we’re doing their job for them,” Uncle said. “As for the other gangs, if I have to choose between pissing them off in the short term and sending them a message that Fanling hits back, there’s only one choice. Besides, they’ll find other sources soon enough and they’ll get over it.”
“Do you really believe the police will stand by?” Hui asked.
“I’ll do what I can to persuade them it’s the best strategy for all concerned. If we go in, take control of the warehouse, destroy what we can, and then turn the building over to the police, I think they might go along with it,” Uncle said.
“They could even claim it was a police operation and take credit for it,” Fong said.
“You’re reading my mind,” Uncle said.
“I don’t mean to sound negative, but what if the police won’t stand by?” Hui asked.
“We’ll go ahead anyway. My contact won’t give the police station in Tai Wai a heads-up. We’ll just hope they don’t respond too quickly.”
“I trust Uncle’s judgement,” Tian said, then turned to Wang. “How many men will you need to take down the warehouse?”
“I’ve been thinking about that all afternoon. I’d like to go in at maybe two or three in the morning. There shouldn’t be much regular business going on, and few civilians. I’m also figuring Tai Wai won’t have as many guards in the middle of the night as they do during the day.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Uncle said. “I’ll be more comfortable if you make plans based on them having ten men there.”
“Okay. In that case I’ll take twenty men with me. We need to overwhelm them and take control as quickly as possible.”
“When would you do it?” Hui asked.
Wang looked at Uncle. “I’m thinking the sooner the better.”
“I agree. If we wait, they might feel emboldened to pull off another stunt like the one here at Dong’s,” said Uncle. “I also want to quickly eliminate any doubts the other gangs might have about our willingness and ability to defend ourselves.”
“So, do we go in tonight?” Wang asked.
“Can you have twenty men ready by then?”
“I could have fifty. Everyone is on alert and itching to have a go at them.”
“Then we’ll do it tonight,” sa
id Uncle.
“Lau is outside. I’ll give him the green light to start assembling our men,” Wang said. “He was at the warehouse with me and drove around it a few times. Between the two of us we have it scoped out quite well.”
As Wang left the table, Uncle motioned to Dong. “We’re ready to eat now. We’ll have chicken feet, squid, the beef ribs, fried noodles with seafood, and bok choy.”
“Yes, Uncle,” Dong said.
Uncle drained his San Miguel and opened another. “We need to fortify ourselves; this is going to be a long night. I imagine none of us will get much sleep until Wang and the men are home safely.”
“I only hope tonight ends this nonsense,” Hui said.
“I don’t think it will, but I do believe it’s a means to the end,” said Uncle.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Just before eight o’clock, Uncle climbed the stairs to his apartment. With the exception of Wang, the executive committee members would be at home that evening, waiting for a call to tell them how the attack on the warehouse had gone. Wang was scheduled to call Uncle first.
The group had been in good spirits during dinner. There was something about making a decision to act that had helped erase doubts and inspire confidence — especially because the entire committee agreed it was the right decision. Uncle knew that didn’t guarantee a successful outcome, but the fact that the decision was unanimous would help them sustain solidarity whatever the result. And although he never took anything for granted, Uncle had confidence in Wang and his men.
Among the men heading for the warehouse in Tai Wai New Village was Sonny Kwok. As soon as he heard about the plan he had approached Wang and asked to be included. Wang went to Uncle. “Sonny wants to come with us to Tai Wai. I can’t make that decision.”
“Will he be an asset or a liability? What if he loses his temper again? I want to gain control of the warehouse, but I don’t want it to become a bloodbath.”
“I think he’d be an asset. The other men are more confident when he’s with them. They’ve seen him in action and know he’ll cover their backs,” Wang said. “Uncle, I’ll talk to him. I’ll stress that he has to follow my lead.”
