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.
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