Chapter 42

LiJinstoodintheglasselevatorasacrowdofchatteringHongKongshopperscongregatedaroundhim.Itwasadeathtrappureandsimple.Hewasvulnerableinthebasementoftheshoppingcenter.Ifthemanontheescalatorwaswaitingforhimontheflooraboveoronhiswaydown,hewasinbigtrouble.Hepeeredattherowofbuttonsontheelevatorandhissuspicionswereconfirmed.Everysinglebuttonhadbeenpressed.Theonlywayoutwastosomehowdisappearintothecrowdsbutifthemanwasstandingattheentranceoftheelevatoronthefloorabovetherewasnowaytodothat.

Thenhisattentionwasdrawntotheelevatorbuttons.Asignnexttothebuttonsannouncedthatthebasementhousedthefoodcourtandanundergroundparkinglot.Theelevatordoorswereclosing.Hepushedviolentlythroughthecrowdsandstuckhishandthroughtheclosingelevatordoors.Itwasariskymovebutitwashisonlychance.Duibuqi,duibuqi,heapologizedinMandarinasthedooropenedandheemergedfromtheclaustrophobicconfinesofthepackedelevator.Hiseyesquicklyscannedthecrowdsandtheelevatorglidingdownwards.Hetookagambleandrantotheleft,awayfromtheescalators.

LiJinfollowedthedirectionsignsasheranbumpingintoshopperswhocursedathiminCantonese.Thegodswerereallywithhimtoday,therewerearrowspointingtowardstheparkinglot.Hekeptrunningashefollowedthesignsonthefloor,hisbackpackswayingfromsidetosidebutsomehowpropellinghimforward.Heemergedfromthepristineandwell-litinteriorofthemallintoahugespaceoffeaturelessconcretewallsandthesmellofexhaustsmoke.Awindingtunneltotheleftsuggestedanexit.ApowerfulMercedeswounditswaydownintotheparkinglotconfirminghissuspicions.Theexit.HeheadedpasttheMercedesandkeptrunningupwards,thewindingroadandtheinclinecausingwavesofpaintocreepuphislegs.LiJinwasnotusedtostrenuousphysicalactivity.

WhowasthatChineseguy?Whatdidhewant?Hadheover-reactedtoashopperjustcasuallyglancingathim?Wasitjustacuriousfellowmainlander?Notlikely.LiJinalwaystrustedhisinstinctsandtheyhadservedhimwellinthepast.Besides,itwasalwaysbettertobesafethantobesorry.Therewasacaringuponhissideofthetunnel.Heswitchedtotheotherside.Therewasnoislandinthemiddle.Thentheheadlightsofyetanothercarandthewhineofanenginesuggestedanothercarwasingdownthetunnel.Hewastrapped.LiJinmovedasidejustintimemissingbothcarsbyfractionsofaninch.Oneofthedriversscreechedtoahaltandblastedhishorninanger.

LiJinemergedintoabusyTsimshatsuibackstreet.HeguessedthatitranparalleltoNathanRoad.Therewereseveralbackalleysstrewnwithblackrubbishbagsleadingofffromthestreet.LiJinrandownoneofthemandwasrelievedtofindthatthealleyhehadchosenendedinalargesquarefullofmostlyyoungpeople.Therewerehugevideoscreenseverywherewithcanto-popandadvertisingblaringoutofpowerfulspeakers.LiJindisappearedintothecrowds,hisheartbeatingviolently.

***

HisscaryordealattheMiramarShoppingCenterhadputLiJin’snervesontenterhooks.Thiswasnotgoingtobeeasybuthewasdeterminedtopullitoff.Additionalprecautionsneededtobetaken.

HeemptiedhisbowlofspicyDanDanNoodles,wipedhismouthwiththebackofhishandandlookedathischeapimitationCitizenwatch.Itwas5.30PM.Soonhewouldberichbeyondhiswildestdreams.Hemovedofftowardsadampcorridor,followingahandwrittensignthatindicatedtoilets.Thetoiletwassmallandinseriousneedofacleanandsomedisinfectant.Hespentalongtimeinthere.LiJinsufferedfromarareboweldisorderandthelastthinghewantedwasforstomachmovementstointerrupttheimpendingproceedings.Hecheckedthecredittransferunit.Thebatterieswereworkingfineandthewirelesslinkwasgood.HecouldsuccessfullyaccessthemeagerbalanceinhissavingsaccountwiththeBankofCommunicationsinBeijing.Excellent.

He’dboughtagun,justincase,fromsometailorshopdownoneofTsimshatsui’smanyalleyways.Heremovedthegunfromhisrucksackandexaminedit.Itfeltstrangeandheavyinhishands.He’dneverfiredagunbeforebutifcalledupontouseitindefenseofhislifehewassurehewouldpullthetrigger.Hewouldbereadyforanyrecoil.He’dseentoomanymoviesforthattothrowhim.HeplacedtheguninthebackpocketofhisjeansandpressedtheVelcroflapintoplace.Hethenremovedthedepositslipfromhiswalletandplacedthatinanotheroneofhispockets.Hewasreadytogo.Thenheturnedhiscanvasjacketinside-outjustincasethemaninthemallwasstillhangingaround

LiJinpaidthebill,leftthenoodlerestaurantandtookthelongroutetowardsKowloonPark.FirstheheadedtowardsthebackstreetsofJordanandthencutpastKowloonPoliceStationthroughtoAustinRoad.Sensesonhighalert,heenteredtheparkthroughtheAustinRoadentranceandmovedbrisklypasttheminisoccerpitch,thearcadeandtheswimmingpoolplex.LiJinwasjustabouttodecidethattheChinesegarden,withitscoveredwalkwaysandshrubbery,wouldmakeagoodspotwhenherealizedthatthetwitteringofbirdsintheaviarywouldgiveawayhisposition.Hekeptmovingthroughthepark,scanningthepeoplestrollingaroundtheparkenjoyingtheevening.Everythingseemedfine.

LiJinmovedthroughtotheSculptureWalkfeaturingworkssuchastheConceptofNewtonbySirEduardoPaolozzi.Hewishedhehadmoretimetostudyitbuthewasonlyabletogiveitacursoryglance.Helookedathiswatch.Hewasrunningoutoftimebuthehadspottedwhatcouldbetheperfectlocationfromwhichtoorchestratetheproceedings.TheroofgardenattheNathanRoadendoftheparkaffordedviewsofboththefrenziedmercialactivityofNathanRoadandthetranquilinteriorofKowloonPark.Therewereafewpeopleinthegardenbuthecouldspotsecludedareasfromwherehewasstanding.Heclimbeduptothegardenandfoundadesertedspot.Acoupleofloverswereloiteringnearbybuttheyweretoobusycanoodlingtopayhimanyattention.

LiJinpausedforafewminutestosteadyhisnervesandthenremovedhisphonefromhispocket.Hedialedthenumbertothephonehe’dboughtforKrachev.Witheachring,LiJin’sheartthumpedviolentlyagainsthischest.Whywashesonervous?Someonepickedup.

“Krachev?OlegKrachev?”LiJinaskedhesitantly.Hehadn’tspokenEnglishforawhileanditsoundedhollowandalientohisears.

“Yes.”

“Ihavethemerchandise.Whereareyou?”

“Inmyhotel.Ihavebeenwaitingforyourcall.”

“OK.CometoKowloonPark.UsetheNathanRoadentrancenexttotheMosqueandheadstraighttothethemaze.”LiJinhadjustspottedthemazeashescannedthepark.Itwaslessthanahundredmetersaway,wellwithinrangeofthecreditreceiver.ThevoiceontheotherenddefinitelysoundedRussian.ItwasKrachevalright.

“Themaze?”theRussianaskedincredulously.

“Yes.Themaze.Youwillfinditeasilyenough.Findyourwaytothecenterofthemaze.”

“OK,ifyousayso.”

“Yes,andbethereinfifteenminutesotherwiseIdisappearandthedealisoff.”

“Youhavethechipwithyou?”

“Ofcourse.Itwillbenearby.”

“Ifthereisanyfunnybusinessyouwon’tmakeitoutofHongKongalive.Understandme?”

“Sure.Fifteenminutes.”

LiJinhungupandwaited.

***

TheassassinwassurethathehadspottedLiJingoingdowntheescalatorintheshoppingcenter.Hehadwatchedthemovementsofthequarryforanysignofpanic.Thequarryhadjustlookedawayseeminglyunperturbed.TheassassinhadseamlesslyloggedintoaPLAdatabaseoftheChinesepopulationandperformedaqueryoneverythingthemajor-generalhadtoldhimaboutthequarry.Allthiswasdonehands-free,usingonlytheelectricpulsesracingthroughhissynapses.Aphotohadmaterializedinhismindanditwasaperfectmatch.Itwasastudentphotoprobablytakenyearsagowithadigitalcamerabutthefacewasunmistakable.ThethinneckandlargishAdam’sappleadeadgiveawayandthosewilyeyesmonwithbookishtypeswerespoton.

Hehadcalmlybutbrisklydescendedtothebasementwhilecopyingthephotointofacerecognitionmode.Hecouldfeelthetwotinycamerasonthesidesofthemodulescanningthefacesofthepeopleontheescalatoringtheotherwayandcross-referencingthescanswiththequarry’sphoto.Nomatches.Thequarrywasstilldowntheretrappedinthebasement.Yet,thereweretheelevators.Oneofwhichwasjustleavingthebasement.Theassassincouldseeacrowdofpeopleintheelevator.

Theassassinhadquietlyturnedroundandbrushingthepeopleinhispathasideranbackupthedescendingescalatortothegroundfloor.Hehadtakenhispositioninfrontoftheelevatordoorsonthegroundfloorandwaited.Hewouldkillthequarrywithoneswiftmovement.Aquickstriketothespinalcordanditwouldallbeover.Hewouldcatchthequarry’sbodyasitwentlimpandcarrythedeadweightthroughthecrowdstooneoftheexits.Thequarrywouldhavetobedisposedoffsomehowbutthatwasjustacademic.

Theelevatorhadstoppedatthegroundfloorandagroupofshoppershademerged.Thequarrywasnowheretobefound.Theassassinhadthenheadedbackdowntothebasementandbedtheareaingupwithnothing.Whenhehadseenthesigntothecarparkithadallbeeclear.Thequarryhadescapedthroughthecarpark,whichhehimselfhadoverlooked.Theassassinhadcalmlyorderedabowlofturtleshelljellyatasmalldessertstall,donnedhiswirelesssunglassesandmentallyloggedintoyetanotherThirdDepartmentsysteminBeijing,onethatmonitoredallmunicationsdatabytheentirepopulaceofChina.HeinstructedanAItoanalyzethemunications,feedingittheChinesecharactersforLiJinandHongKong.

Afewsecondslatertheresultsflashedacrosshisshades.LiJinandOlegKrachevwillmeetinKowloonParktodayatapproximately6.08PMforthesaleofaquantumneuroprocessor.TheAIhadgleanedallthisfromdisparatee-mailandphoneconversations.TheassassinhadthenaskedtheAIforotherimportantdata.Thefollowingwordsscrolledpastontheassassin’sshades.

OlegKrachev.PeninsulaHotel,Kowloon.Room2006.SundayMobilePhone:923313882.

LiJin.Unknownresidence.UnknownChinaMobileBeijingSIMcard.

Theassassinhadsmiled.HewouldpaythisOlegKrachevavisitandthisKrachevwouldleadhimtothequarry.