AK was about to wheel his chair over to the refrigerator for another when his monitors winked black for several seconds before rebooting with live-feed images of himself. Leaning forward with a frown, AK stared back and forth at all of his monitors, unable to figure out what had just happened. Why was he seeing himself?
Finally, it hit him: his monitor camera had been switched on. But by whom? Had he been hacked?
AK began furiously entering commands but nothing happened. He wheeled over to another keyboard and attempted the same thing. When that failed, he wheeled to yet another keyboard and tried accessing the system from there. Again, nothing.
During the next ten minutes, AK entered every imaginable command that he knew while repeatedly hitting the ESC key, trying desperately to escape. Nothing worked. Exhausted, he finally slouched back and stared at the multiple images of himself on all of his screens.
“Hello, Bogdan Kalashnik,” said Charlie’s voice. “Aka AK,” she remarked, then laughed. “How funny is that? Aka AK. Hilarious.”
AK looked around. The voice was coming from everywhere, which meant someone had taken control of his entire surround-sound system. A second later, Charlie’s smiling face appeared on all of his monitors.
“I’m Charlie,” the smiling face said, “and as you can see, you’ve been locked out of your system. That was necessary in order for me to copy all of your files, including your external hard drive, before deleting them from your system. Hacking is so treacherous these days, don’t you think, especially when you’re about to get blamed for the very nasty virus I placed in your system, which, when you think about it, is really Dragon Head’s system, so I doubt your boss will be pleased. With that in mind, I’m going to make you this one-time offer, unless, of course, you prefer a slow painful death at the hand of Dragon Head. If it were up to me, and I’m not a violent person, I would let him go for it, because you deserve something like that for what you did to those innocent passengers and their grieving families. But it’s not up to me. I’m merely the messenger. And the message is this: get out of your chair right now and leave by the side door. Once outside, you will look for a black van that’s parked nearby and get into it.” Charlie leaned forward with a hardened expression. “Take my word for it, you son of a bitch, there is no escape. Now, what’s it going to be? My offer? Or whatever Dragon Head decides to do with you? You’ve got ten seconds to give me an answer.”
AK took only four. Ten seconds after that, he rushed past the old guard sitting in front of Su Yin’s room.
The old guard watched AK hurry down the corridor and disappear out of sight.
At the bottom of the stairs, AK was about to push open the door when it was pulled open by another of his hacker recruits, a young woman who went by her avatar name of Jiàntóu, which meant “arrow.” Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, she had a leather satchel slung over her shoulder.
“AK?” Jiàntóu asked in English, surprised to see him. “I thought we had—”
“I am going outside,” AK cut in. “Need sun. Wait in gym.” He pushed past her and disappeared.
Jiàntóu watched the door ease closed, and with a shrug, continued inside and climbed the stairs.
Outside, AK was barely able to see because of the blinding sunlight. He spent most of his time in a darkened computer room, so stepping out into the daylight made him squint and recoil. Attempting to shield his face, he nearly ran into an old couple. They scolded him sharply and AK fumbled past them, looking in both directions for the black van Charlie said would be waiting.
Across the street to his right he saw it, parked in front of a repair shop. The roller door of the repair shop was open and several old men were servicing bicycles that had been mounted on racks.
AK dashed across the street and approached the van from the rear. In the outside mirror, he could see someone behind the wheel. The driver looked to be a man and AK could see the man watching him.
One car away from the van, AK stopped. Should he turn and run? If he could just make it to Shenzhen . . .
Who was he trying to fool? And after a steadying breath, he continued forward. When he drew near to the van, the side door slid open.
Alice was the first to step out, then Wilcox, who was still in his Hawaiian shirt, then two uniformed officers. When Alice held up her badge, AK held out his wrists. One of the officers snapped on handcuffs and placed AK inside the van.
“As promised,” Wilcox told Alice. “The hacker who brought down those planes.”
“And the software he used to accomplish this?”
Wilcox smiled but said nothing.
“I can force you to surrender it,” said Alice.
Wilcox continued to smile but said nothing.
With a shake of her head, Alice stepped inside the van and sat down opposite AK. “We are looking for a young girl who is being held against her will. Where is she?”
AK said nothing.
“It will go easier if you cooperate,” said Alice.
AK said nothing.
Alice nodded and her officers removed AK from the van and escorted him to an unmarked squad car half a block away. In the back seat of that car was a handcuffed Penny Kwan.
“Smart move, placing Kalashnik and Kwan in the same car,” said Wilcox as he and Alice stepped onto the sidewalk. “Whoever talks first gets the deal.”
“Now, about the second part of your plan,” said Alice. “My men and I will wait in front of the academy to assist. However, I must remind you that we still have no proof that Su Yin is even there, which is why I cannot raid the premises. Mr. Kalashnik gave us no cause.”
“Understood,” Wilcox replied. “Alex is on his way and will negotiate her release.”
“Assuming Alex is successful and does not get himself killed, then I will escort all of you to your Gulfstream so that you can go home.”
“Including my men? The ones driving this van?”
“They weren’t always your men,” Alice replied. “Prior to the call from Congresswoman Gustaves, they were your enemy.”
“True, but that has changed.”
“I’m inclined to lock them up. Do you know how much havoc these men have caused? They killed people, Bill.”
“They killed Dragon Head’s men, who were trying to kill us.”
“It was a gunfight. In a neighborhood bazaar. I have no doubt they would have killed you, too, if Congresswoman Gustaves had not intervened.”
“And we will deal with them. Look, we can go back and forth about who gets to punish whom and miss the greater victory that we should all be enjoying. No innocent bystanders were killed. The violence and the hacking have stopped. You and your department will get all the credit for stopping a major threat to the national security of both our nations.”
“Boy, do you know how to rub it on thick.”
“It’s true, Alice. I came to you, and you helped arrange all of this. Yes, I was involved, and so were Alex and the kids, but I mean it when I say you were the catalyst. Please, accept the fact that we worked together to stop further catastrophes from happening. I promise, these men will be dealt with.”
Alice deliberated for what seemed like forever, chewing on her lip, wrestling with indecision.
“All right,” she finally said. “In the interest of cooperation and our longstanding friendship, I will release your men into your custody. I know they are part of your military, which means they will no doubt avoid prosecution, but you need to appreciate what I am doing here, Bill, and the bullet these men have dodged. I do not use the metaphor lightly.”
“I know,” said Wilcox somberly. “God willing, we’re nearing the end.”
“Will Dragon Head honor his word?”
“Alex thinks that he will. However, the real problem isn’t Dragon Head. It’s Sofia and her vow to kill Alex. She feels that he betrayed her.”
“How so?”
“Years ago, they were partners in the KGB. She fell in love. He didn’t. She tried to kill him. He shot first.”<
br />
“And now she wants revenge?”
Wilcox nodded. “And she won’t rest until she gets it. Let’s hope Dragon Head keeps her in line.”
CHAPTER 78
Upstairs in the penthouse, Chao screwed a silencer onto the barrel of his pistol. He was in a small foyer inside the front door and could hear the distant hissing of a shower. Soon, this would all be his. He would finally have his revenge.
He held no illusions about Xin Li, or Sofia, or whoever she was. She was a ruthless opportunist whose loyalties were to whomever was in power. At this very moment, it was Dragon Head. That was about to change.
Chao took a moment to appreciate the luxury of the penthouse. Straight ahead was the living room. It was a large room, with gossamer curtains and large windows that overlooked the stunning Hong Kong skyline. Chao remembered the derelict building that used to stand outside those windows. Rusting fire escapes. Rattling air conditioners. Lowlife residents. He himself had put in an offer to purchase the building, but Dragon Head found out and bought it for himself, or, technically, for Sofia, who wanted the building demolished in order to improve her view of the skyline. Hundreds of residents had been displaced, but Sofia got what she wanted, which he, Chao, would now inherit.
The furniture was likewise to his taste, so no change would be needed there. The wall on the right was covered with textured cream fabric. Mounted on the wall were some framed drawings of Chinese women, with demure poses, delicate features, and small blushes of red on their lips. Beneath these was a long white sofa. The ceiling had beams of polished hardwood, while the wall on the left was of reflective tile on which was mounted a large flat screen television. Below the flat screen was an ornately carved credenza. A throw rug added accents of color.
He wished he had the time to stroll through the lavishly furnished kitchen. If he knew Dragon Head, it would be equipped it with every conceivable appliance and gadget, not that he or Sofia ever cooked.
Moving quietly toward the bedroom while the shower continued to hiss, Chao peeked around the corner and saw the bedroom to be empty, although Dragon Head had already laid his clothes out on the king-size bed he shared with Sofia. Crossing the carpeted floor, he peeked into the bathroom. It had a tile floor and two polished sinks with stainless steel fixtures. On a rack near a window was a folded towel. To his left was a walk-in shower with a long wall of frosted glass. Steam could be seen rising above the top of the wall.
Holding his pistol in a braced, two-handed position, Chao positioned himself in front of the frosted glass wall and fired a rapid burst. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces. Chao stared in shock at the empty stall and the hissing spray of hot water.
“Your ambitions betray you,” said a voice from behind. “Do you think I did not know?”
Chao whirled around to see Dragon Head pointing a pistol directly at him. It, too, was fitted with a silencer that almost doubled the length of its barrel. The bare-chested Dragon Head was dressed in boxer shorts that accented his rippled abdominal muscles and sculpted, tattooed arms. Chao was dressed in baggy slacks and a large black shirt that accommodated his belly.
“And your ego betrays you,” Chao replied with a sneer. “The great Dexter Moran.”
Dragon Head responded with a quizzical frown.
“Who do you think unlocked the door?”
The remark stunned Dragon Head for the brief instant needed for Chao to front kick Dragon Head’s pistol upward at the same moment he raised his own gun and fired. The bullet punched through Dragon Head’s chest and sprayed blood on the wall behind. Dragon Head tried to comprehend what had just happened but the circuitry in his brain flickered for a confusing moment before he collapsed to the floor, where he twitched several times before sighing a final time.
The empire is mine, Chao thought with a smile.
Downstairs, Sofia charged along the corridor with her pistol in hand. Ahead, on his wooden stool, was the old guard. He had his ear cocked toward the door and was smiling at the singing he could hear.
“Bring out the girl,” Sofia commanded, stopping near the old guard.
When he stood, the old guard looked warily at Sofia’s gun.
“Hurry up!” Sofia barked.
The old guard unlocked the door and stepped inside. Su Yin was seated on the floor in the far corner of the room. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and when she saw the old guard, she smiled. She then saw Sofia pacing back and forth outside the door and instinctively drew herself into a tighter knot. The old guard smiled and motioned for Su Yin to stand. Su Yin looked again at Sofia pacing back and forth in the corridor. The old guard motioned again and Su Yin finally stood, and at his coaxing, walked tentatively to him.
With a reassuring hand on her shoulder, the old guard led Su Yin into the corridor, but when Sofia reached for Su Yin, the old guard stopped her. “No harm must come to the girl,” he said.
“The girl is not your concern.”
The old guard glanced down at Su Yin , who was staring up at him with frightened eyes.
“Stand aside,” Sofia said.
The old guard looked back at Sofia and did not move.
“Stand aside,” commanded Sofia.
The old guard still did not move.
Sofia and the old guard locked eyes. Sofia was a full head taller and she stepped up to the old guard and drew her face to within inches of his. “I said, stand aside,” she commanded a third and final time, jamming her pistol into his stomach.
The old guard bowed, and when he did, Sofia instinctively retracted the gun only to see the old guard spin away in a smooth pirouette that was as graceful as it was shocking when he blocked her pistol to the side, and with his following hand, landed a lightning punch into Sofia’s face, which knocked her backward into the wall. Sofia tried to fire, but the old guard grabbed her wrist, wrenched it to the side, slid under her arm and spun in a full circle, twisting the gun away.
“Păo!” the old guard yelled, telling Su Yin to run.
Su Yin ran toward the end of the corridor.
Sofia gabbed the old guard’s arm and yanked it around her, pulling the old guard with her and tilting him off balance. Planting her foot, Sofia hammered a knee up into the old guard’s ribs, and with a gasp, he fell to his knees. Sofia then punched him in the face, grabbed her gun, then stepped back and shot him three times.
The sound of a door slamming echoed toward Sofia, and with a curse, she hopped over the old guard’s body and ran after Su Yin.
CHAPTER 79
The red and white taxi stopped in front of the Zhongzhen Martial Arts Academy, and after paying the driver, Talanov got out to see Wilcox, Alice, and six uniformed officers waiting for him on the sidewalk. Forming a protective wall in front of the entrance were Straw Sandal and a small army of Shí bèi fighters. The policemen with Alice were in flexible body armor and carried semi-automatic rifles. The barefooted Shí bèi fighters were in loose-fitting karate clothing.
“The hacker, Bogdan Kalashnik, is now in custody,” said Alice, “so there isn’t much time. Once Kalashnik’s apprehension is discovered, or that we have stopped Penny Kwan from hacking the escrow account, your life may be in danger.”
“Then I guess we’d better hurry,” said Talanov, and with a wave of his hand, he led the detail toward the entrance.
Straw Sandal and the Shí bèi fighters came forward to meet them.
“How do we do this?” asked Talanov once he was face to face with Straw Sandal.
“You come. Others stay,” Straw Sandal replied. “When you release money, I release girl.”
“Other way around,” Talanov replied. “Once Su Yin is safely with me, I send a code to the escrow company and they release my hold over the funds. That was our deal, and the funds are already in escrow. I sent you a confirmation and our records show that email was opened.”
Straw Sandal replied with a look of concern.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know,” said Talanov. “I did warn you about Sofia,
so if she’s pulling something, don’t blame me. I kept my end of the bargain. Release the girl.”
Straw Sandal’s eyes flashed briefly, after which she nodded for Talanov to follow.
Inside the academy, Chao opened the stairwell door and peeked out. The gym was empty except for some young people sitting along the far wall, working their phones. After quietly closing the door, he looked in the kitchen. Where had everyone gone? More importantly, where had Sofia gone? She was supposed to meet him here with the girl. The girl, he knew, was being held in a storage room. Maybe she’s with her now, he thought, hurrying along the corridor toward the storage room.
When he turned the corner, he froze at what he saw.
Lying in a pool of blood was the old guard. With his pistol still in hand, Chao knelt beside the body and felt for a pulse. The old guard was dead. Standing, Chao looked into the storage room. No girl. He then saw bloody footprints leading along the corridor toward the exit.
It was easy to see what had happened. Sofia had come for the girl but the old guard had put up a fight, which allowed the girl to escape before Sofia shot him and ran after the girl.
Chao started to go after Sofia, then hurried into the computer room to see if the funds were in escrow.
The computer room was typically dark, like a cave, except for vertical rectangles of light in the center of each of the monitors. The room also smelled stale and sour, like a boy’s bedroom that hadn’t been cleaned. AK may be a genius but AK was a slob. That would have to change.
Walking over to the worktable, Chao switched on a lamp. When he did, AK’s monitors lit up with the same image on each of the screens. Chao leaned forward and stared at the images.
These monitors are a live feed . . . of me.
In her cubicle in the Naval Intelligence building, Charlie sat forward when she saw the face of a man she did not recognize. She then saw the gun in his hand. “What have we here?” she said to herself, and was about to take a screenshot of the man when the lights in the room came on.
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