Chapter 32

OlegKrachevwasgettingintohisrhythmnow.Hebegantothrustevenmoreeagerlyashefelttheexplosionstarttowellupinsideofhim.ThegirlunderneathhimwastryingherhardesttomatchthesheerfrequencyandvarietyoftheRussian’smovementsbuthewasprovingtoomuchforher.HersmallnakedbodywascoveredinathinfilmofperspirationmixedwiththeRussian’ssalivaandsemen.Inhertwoyearsasaprostitute,shehadnevermetamanwhocouldkeepgoingaslongashehad.HehadpickedherupfromtheGreatBosshostessnightclubintheTsimshatsuidistrictandpaidherbarfineforthenight.Thishadamountedtosometenthousanddollarspaidincashplusanotherfivethousandwhichhehadslippedintoherhands.Whatthehell,hewasgoingtobearichmansoon.

TheywereinasmallvillainthebustlingbutseedyKowloonmercialdistrictofMongkok,whichrentedroomsoutbythehour.Everyoneandahalfminutesorso,thedeafeningsoundofaircraftthunderedabovethemasskilledpilotsbroughtthemintolandatnearbyKaiTakairport,HongKong’srevivedsecondinternationalairport,whichservedallofAsia.Krachevrolledthegirlaroundandhalfplasteringheragainstthewalloftheroom,heproceededtobringthesessiontoconclusion.TheChinesegirlwincedinpainandbitonherlowerlip,drawingblood.ThenitwasalloverastheRussian’sspasmsslowedandshefeltthedeadweightofhisbodyonher.SmallishhandspushedattheRussian’shairychesturginghimtogetoffher.

KrachevrolledoverandreachedforapacketofDunhillcigaretteslyingonacheapIKEAbedsidetablenexttothebed.Thegirlcurledupintoaballwithherhandsbetweenherlegs.

“Thatwasverygoodyeah?”Krachevaskedher,smilingandlightingacigarette.

“Yes,”sherespondednonchalantly.Thatwasthemosthard-earnedfivethousanddollarsshehadmadeinherentirelife.

“TomorrownightyouandmeagainOK?”heaskedher.Thegirlshookherheadindisagreement.

“NoOK,tomorrowIvisitmymother,”sheexplained,somewhatunnecessarily.

“That’sfuckinggreat,”Krachevsaid,mimickingaNewYorkaccent.ThenhesworeatherinRussian.Thegirlsaidnothing.Krachevrolledoutofbedandbegantoputonhisclothes.Thegirlstaredathimthroughblearyeyes.Hersweat-soakedhairwasplasteredagainstherforeheadandshewasbreathingheavily.Shecouldn’thavebeenmorethanfifteenorsixteenyearsold.Hethrewafivehundreddollarnoteonthebedandwalkedoutoftheroom.Thegirlheldthemoneyagainstheralmost-flatchestandbegantocry.

OlegKrachevwasonahigh.HehadjustlandedinHongKongthatdayandbeingfamiliarwiththeround-the-clockavailabilityofunderagegirlsinMongkok,fromhisKGBdays,hadmadethathisfirstorderofbusiness.Thesecondorderofbusinesswouldhavetowaituntiltomorrow.Thenhewouldhaveinhispossessionwhatwasprobablytheworld’smostpowerfulquantumchipandafterthatwhoknew?Retirement?OlegKrachevfelthistimeinthesunwastantalizinglyclose.

EversincetheKomitetGosudarstvennoiBezopasnosti,orKGB,wasdismantledin1991,OlegKrachevhadfoundhimselfallatsea,ayoungrisingstardrowninginthedepthsofever-changingstatebureaucracies.First,thereorganizationoftheKBGbyPresidentGorbachevhadseenKrachev,likemanyothers,reassignedfromDivisionVII,theunitresponsibleformunications,cryptologyandconnections,tothenewlycreatedFederalCounterintelligenceServiceorFSK.ForyearsKrachevhadlanguishedinthemyriadcorridorsoftheformerKGB’simpressivebutoppressiveLubyankaheadquartersatthewhimofthenewleadership.ThepowerstructurehadchangedandoneofthemanyheadsthathadrolledhadbeenthebossofKrachev’sdivision.YetanotherreorganizationoftheFSKintotheFederalSecurityServicehadseenanotherroundofpurgesafewyearslaterandKrachevhadfoundhimselfontheopenmarket,hisPHDinComputerScienceincapableofshieldinghimfromtheaxewielding.

Krachevhadthentriedhishandatthefreemarket,fencingstolenKGBsoftwaretechnologiestotheshadyelementsofRussia’semergingprivateenterprise.Forawhilehehadthrived.Amidstthebureaucraticchaosofthereorganizations,someofhiscolleagueshadappropriatedhundredsofmillionsofdollarsworthoftechnologybutthepoolofdisgruntledex-DivisionVIIagentswaslargeandKrachevhadfoundhisshareofthespoilsdiminishingatarapidrate.Soonmobilenumberswerechangedandphonecallswentunansweredashisformerassociatesdisappearedintothedarkmushroomingworldoftheoligarchs.

Asanex-KGBagentwithaPHDthough,Krachevhadacertaincachetinthenewfreemarket.Andhehadnochoicebuttoexploitit.Aftermonthsof“interviews”,KrachevlandedajobhandlingtechnologyandmunicationsforanupandingfigureintheRussianMafia.Thatwashisofficialjobbutduringthecourseofhisemployment,KrachevhadoftenhadtododoubledutyasabodyguardandintheprocessseenmorebloodshedthaninallhisyearsattheKGBbined.Itwasallpartofthejobandhehadgrowntobeeimmunetothecriesofamanhackedtodeathorgunneddowninfrontofhisfamilyinthenameofprivateenterprise.

ThathadbeenlifeinRussiathen.Hisbosshadmovedintoanewlineofbusiness,fencingstolenAmericantechnologiestoterrorists,andKrachev’sjobhadslowlyevolvedintoverifyingtheauthenticityofthemerchandise.Overthenextfewyearshehadriseninstatureintheorganizationashisboss’newbusinesshadflourishedintandemwithanexplosioninglobalterror.Hetraveledabroad,drankStolichnayaVodkawithallshadesofcolorfulcharactersfromIraqtoSomalia.Heboughthimselfanicecar,anewsetofsuits.Americanimportsnoless,andmadenumeroustripstoNewChina,viathecoldexpanseofSiberia,onshoppingtripswithhisnumerousmistresses.

Thenithadallstartedtoturnsourwhenhisbosshaddecided,forreasonsunknowntoKrachev,togundownaPolitburomemberwithconnectionsrightinthecenterofMoscow.Hisbosshadgoneintohiding,escapingtotheUnitedStatesashisshadyempirecollapsedaroundhim.Consideringhisoptionsthen,Krachevhaddecidedtogolegit.Hehadsomemoney,awardrobeofflashysuitsandastringofwomenwhoputupwithhisviolentsexualtendencies.Academiabeckonedandwithhisex-KGBcredentials,hisPHDandhispeculiarexperienceofinternationaltrade,KrachevhadjoinedtheMoscowInstituteofSuperputingasalowlyclerkinthepurchasingdepartment.

HewashappytolielowforawhileandKrachevwasgenuinelyinterestedinadvancingthecuttingedgeoftechnologybuthequicklyrealizedthathismeagersalaryattheinstitutewouldnevercatchupwiththekindoflifestylethathehadbeeaccustomedto.That’swhenhehadstartedfencingofftheproductsoftheinstitute’sresearch.Despitethefactthathewasrippingofftheinstitute,hisageandhisauraofauthoritymandedtherespectofhispeersandhisfamiliaritywiththemechanicsofbureaucracyquicklysawhimrisethroughtherankstohiscurrentposition,headofpurchasingfortheDepartmentforArtificialIntelligence.Itwasapositionthathadgivenhimunprecedentedaccesstothemoversandshakersintheworldofinformationtechnologycontraband.

Krachevlookedathisgolddiamond-encrustedRolexwatch.Itwas3.00AM.AshewalkedthroughYaumateiinsearchofataxi,hismindwaspre-occupiedwiththemeetingthatwasscheduledtotakeplacelatertonight.Hehadhadhisdoubtswhenhissearchagentshadreturnedwithaninterestingpostononeofthenumerousundergroundbulletinboardshekepthiselectroniceyesonforbusinessopportunities.Usually,Krachevwoulddismisssuchpranks.Russianhackersplayedthemallthetime.Typicallyonlyonepercentofthesesupposedlycutting-edgetechnologiesappearingonthemarketresultedinarealprospect.

Yetjustafewdaysago,attheWaldorfAstoriainNewYork,hehadbeenintheaudiencewhenthatProfessorYaofromTsinghuaUniversityhadbeentalkingaboutcreatinganAIthathadconsistentlypassedtheTuringTest.Thekey,theprofessorhadexpounded,wasaquantumneuralnetworkpoweredbya3Darrayonebillionqubitprocessorthattheself-learningAIhaddesigneditself.Hehadbeenoneofthemanyskepticsbutwhentheprofessorhadcollapsedonstage,hisex-KGBinstinctshadbeenheightened.TheChineseprofessor’slimpbodyhadbeencarriedoffstageandthatBruckheimergirlhadmadesomesillyexcuseabouttheprofessorbeingexhausted,Krachevhadknownexactlywhathadhappened.Itwasakilling,plainandsimple,whichmeantthattheprofessorhadnotbeentalkingoutofhisrearend.HismindhoveredontheresidualimageofWendyBruckheimer’slegsandthethoughtofwhatitwouldbeliketohaveherscreamingformercy.Hefelthimselfgohardforthethirdtimethatnight,thistimemedicallyunassisted.HewouldneednoViagratonight.

OnhisreturntoMoscow,OlegKrachevhadgottothinking.IfwhattheprofessorwassayingwastruethenthetechnologywasprobablystillatTsinghua.Hehadbeenmullingitoverinhissmallofficeattheinstitute,circlingasmalltumblerofvodkainhiscallousedhands,whenhisputerhadbeepedtellinghimthathisbotshaddugupsomethinginteresting.Hehadthenloggedintothebulletinboardandfiredoffaquickbarrageofmessagestotheposterusinghisofficiale-mailaddresswhichheknewwouldelicitenthusiasmfromwhoeverwasbehindthepost.Itcouldn’tbeacoincidence.TheChineseprofessordeadinNewYorkandafewdayslatersomeonefromNewChina,aTsinghuaUniversitystudentnoless,purportingtohaveconceivablytheworld’smostadvancedneuroprocessorforsale.

Krachevshudderedinhisblackleatherjacketasachillyearlymorningbreezebitintohisbones.Hecouldn’tunderstandthisdamnedHongKongweather.ItwasnothinglikethebittercoldwhichdictatedlifeinMotherRussia,butthenagain,inRussiayoudidn’thavetheblisteringdaytimeheat,eveninthedeadofwinter,tocontendwithasanotherextreme.Severalelectrictaxisdrovepastbuttheir‘ForHire’signswerealldown.

Agangoffiveyouthssittingoutsidea7-ElevenshopnursingbottlesofHeinekenglaredathimandcursedthemother-fuckinggweiloprickfordaringtowalkaroundintheirterritoryatthistimeofnight.Krachevdismissedthemasdirectionlessyouthhidingfromboredomandirrelevancebehindaveilofbeerandsoftdrugs.Itwastheonlywaytheycouldcope.Hehimselfhadbeenlikethemonce.Krachevstuckhisindexandmiddlefingerupatthemandcarriedonunperturbed.Heknewthatevenathisagehecouldtakethemall,noproblem.Hewasinnorealdanger.

ThedealwashappeningtomorrowatKowloonPark.Interestingchoiceoflocation,hethought.Itwasaquickwalkfromthehotelwherehewasstaying.BeforeleavingMoscow,hehadsetupanelaboratesystemoffinancialtransactions,withthehelpofonehisex-KGBcolleaguesatSodbusinessbank,thatwouldallowthecredittobesenttotheseller’saccountandthenwithinminuteswithdrawnasanerroneoustransaction.AllKrachevwouldhavetopaywouldbethetransactionservicefees.Thatwasifthesellerwasna?ve,someuniversitystudentwhohadnoexperienceinthesekindsoftransactions.Ifthesellertriedtobetooclever,KrachevdecidedhewouldsimplyslithisthroatandhidethebodyinoneofKowloonPark’smanybushes.Hehadtakenawalkaroundtheparkearlier,mentallymakinganoteofidealspotsforsuchaslaying.

Thisperson,whoevertheywere,probablywouldn’twanttodothedealoutintheopen,buthecouldbewrong.Thesellerhadinsistedonusingaradioandhadinstructedhimwerehewouldfindit,underaspecificbenchintheparkataspecifictime.Itwouldhavebeeneasiertouseananonymousdisposablecellphonebutthesellerwastakingwhatheperceivedtobeprecautions,forgettingthatevenradiomunicationscouldbeeasilypromised.Krachevhadcircledthepark,hismindrunningthroughallthepossibilities.ThesellerhadinsistedthatifKrachevwenttotheparkinadvancethedealwasoff.Krachevsmiledtohimself.Idlethreats.

Ataxipulledovernexttohim.Thedriverhadseenwhatappearedtobeadrunkengweiloandhadguessedthathewasgoingtoneedaridehome,probablysomewhereinHongKongIsland’sexclusiveMid-Levels.Thatwouldmeanatunnelcharge,aftermidnightsurchargeandmaybetheblastedmanwouldmistakenlygivehimathousanddollarnote.

“PeninsulaHotel,”KrachevsaidinheavilyaccentedEnglish.

Thedrivercursedtohimself.Itwasjustdownthebloodyroad.Krachevrestrainedhimself.Therewasprobablykillingtobedonetomorrow.Hehadmadeuphismindthatdeathwastheonlysureway.