The Mountain Master of Sha Tin, page 9
“Sammy, there can’t be any more nasty surprises between now and then.”
“The dead man brought it on himself. Make sure that Xu and Suen understand that.”
“I think you should assume they’re at the limit of what they’re willing to understand,” she said.
Sammy paused and Ava braced herself for an insult. Instead he said, “We’ll be there at eleven. The rest is up to you.”
The line went dead. Ava threw her head back and took deep breaths until she felt herself start to calm down. When she felt under control, she called Suen.
“Ava?” he answered.
“I spoke to Sammy. The other six men are still alive and the meeting is going ahead as scheduled,” she said. “Sammy said the man they killed tried to escape.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Whether I do or not doesn’t change reality. The fact that they still want to meet has to be viewed positively.”
“Can you trust them enough to go to the meeting?”
“If we weren’t meeting in such a public place I’d have more concern, but Maxim’s is about as public as you can get. There will be hundreds of people around us,” Ava said. “Besides, Sonny and I will be armed, and Andy and Carlo will be with us as well.”
“Is there anything Ko and his men can do?”
“Ah, I’m glad you mentioned that,” she said. “I want Ko to come to the meeting, but I don’t want him to say anything. I want to handle this my own way.”
“Do you want him to be armed?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll tell him,” Suen said. “He’ll probably be relieved that he’s not expected to talk.”
“Does he know about Xu being hospitalized?”
“I don’t think so, although he might be wondering why Xu didn’t call him directly after Lop went down.”
“Is he the type of person to overreact if you tell him the truth?”
“No, he’s solid.”
“Then I don’t see any reason not to tell him, especially since Xu is on the mend. As long as he keeps it to himself until Xu is out of isolation, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I’ll fill him in.”
“And have you decided what to tell Xu?”
“Now that the meeting is going ahead, I don’t think I’m going to tell him anything until after.”
“I think that’s wise,” Ava said. “But don’t stop making your preparations. If things go badly, how soon can you get to Hong Kong with enough men to make an impression?”
“Ko has been gathering weapons and we’re holding more than a hundred flight reservations for tomorrow and the day after. If we have to move faster, I can get some men on planes tonight.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to do that.”
“Xu has high hopes for your meeting. He wants this resolved as peacefully as possible.”
“I know he does, but it takes both parties to agree before that will happen.”
“You sound doubtful about the outcome. That isn’t like you.”
“Sammy is acting confident, almost cocky, so I can’t help thinking they’ve got something else up their sleeve. But maybe I’m overthinking this,” Ava said. “Call Ko right away, will you? Sonny is picking me up around ten. We all need to be on the same page by then.”
She ended the call, instantly regretting that she’d voiced her concerns about the Wings to Suen. It was more typical of her to keep her feelings secret, and she chided herself for being so candid. Ava made another coffee and put it on a table near the window. She drew the curtains and looked out at mist and rain covering the skyline like a giant grey shroud. It was typical late winter weather for Hong Kong, and it suited her mood.
Ava sat and stared at the harbour until she’d emptied her cup. She thought about making one more and then decided she’d better start getting ready. She pushed herself up from the chair and gasped as pain shot through her upper arm, a reminder of the wound left by the machete attack in Beijing. The hospital in Beijing had treated it well, so she wasn’t expecting complications, but there was still a constant dull ache that painkillers couldn’t completely eradicate.
She went into the bathroom, slipped off her T-shirt, and looked at the tightly bandaged arm. There wasn’t any swelling. The bandage would need to be changed in a few days, and she hoped she would be back in Shanghai and have help when the time came. She turned on the shower, changed the setting to a fine spray, and stepped in. Her bandage was waterproof and had already survived several showers, but she didn’t want to risk water hitting it at full blast.
Half an hour later, dressed for business in her black slacks and button-down shirt, she sat at the work desk and opened her Moleskine notebook again. Before she could finish reviewing her notes, her cell rang.
“‘Boss, it’s Sonny. I’m on my way to get Ko. We should be at the hotel right on time.”
“Has Suen spoken to him?”
“Yes. It was the first thing Ko mentioned to me.”
“That’s good. Have you been in touch with Andy and Carlo?”
“They left for Sha Tin an hour ago. They’ll position themselves near the entrance to the restaurant and keep an eye on who goes in and out. Ko wanted to send some men as well, but I told him not to bother. If Andy and Carlo don’t know them, they might mistake them for Wing’s men. We don’t need that kind of confusion.”
“Carlo and Andy are armed?”
“Yes, and so is Ko. I have our guns with me.”
“Hopefully they’re an unnecessary precaution,” Ava said.
“I can’t imagine they’d start something in a public place, but I’ve seen dumber things happen.”
“Even if it’s only a one percent possibility, I don’t want to risk it,” Ava said. “Has Ko heard anything about the six men?”
“No, and he thinks that’s positive.”
“And did he update you on Lop’s condition?”
“There hasn’t been any change, and again he thinks that’s positive.”
“Ko is quite upbeat for a man in his position.”
“His mood shifted when he found out you were in charge. If things go sideways now, he knows he won’t be blamed.”
“But is he reliable?”
“I’m sure he is. He just doesn’t seem cut out to make decisions at this level.”
Ava looked at her Cartier Tank Française. “Sonny, I have time for breakfast. I’m going downstairs to the Clipper Lounge. If you get here early, either wait outside or come and get me — it’s your choice.”
“I’ll be outside. See you soon.”
Ava picked up her Louis Vuitton bag and removed her wallet so she’d have ample space for the gun. She put the wallet, along with her passport and Moleskine notebook, into the room safe. After one last look in the mirror, she was ready for the morning.
She had debated between a skirt and slacks and opted for the freer movement the slacks could provide. Similarly, she decided on a pair of flat shoes rather than pumps. Not wanting to look completely drab, she wore a pale pink shirt with the two top buttons undone. Around her neck was a plain silver crucifix, but the watch, her ivory chignon pin, and a pair of green jade cufflinks added an element of luxury that would be perfectly appropriate for Maxim’s Palace.
Ava rode the elevator to the lounge on the mezzanine level and was quickly seated. She opted for the the Clipper’s specialty, a breakfast buffet. She started with a bowl of congee — plain rice porridge — with salted eggs and preserved bean curd as side dishes. Uncle had eaten congee nearly every morning, and Ava had joined him most days during his last months, amazed that he never seemed to tire of its blandness. The Clipper’s congee was good, but she had finished only half the bowl before she went looking for more sustenance. The buffet had a variety of typical Western breakfast foods, but Ava couldn’t be in Hong Kong and not eat Chinese. She piled a plate with har gow, cha siu bao — barbecued pork buns — and pan-fried turnip cake. She slathered the steamed shrimp dumplings and the turnip cake with chili sauce and proceeded to devour them. She wasn’t normally a hearty eater at breakfast, but stress spiked her appetite. Despite a calm exterior, Ava was anxious about the upcoming meeting.
Shortly before ten she took the stairs down to the lobby. Not to her surprise, the Mercedes was already at the entrance. Sonny was chatting with the doorman while Ko looked on. She recognized Ko when she saw him, although she hadn’t connected his face to the name. He was one of Suen’s senior men, and she had often seen him lingering in the background in Shanghai; he had also been up front and centre with Lop when the Shanghai men invaded Wanchai. Like most of Xu’s men, he had no tattoos, visible scars, or jewellery. He was clean-shaven and his hair was buzz-cut. In brown chinos and a white polo shirt, he looked more like the manager of a convenience store than a triad.
“Ko, it’s good to see you again,” she said as she approached them.
“Xiao lao ban,” he said, bowing his head slightly.
Ava saw Sonny glance at Ko in surprise, and she realized he hadn’t heard her addressed as such. “Sonny, that’s how some of the men refer to me in Shanghai. I think it started as a bit of a joke, but it seems to have stuck,” she said, and then turned to Ko. “You mustn’t call me that in front of the Wings.”
“I won’t,” he said earnestly.
Sonny smiled as he opened the rear door. “Xiao lao ban,” he said as she slid into the back seat.
“I thought Ko would be armed,” she said softly, ignoring his teasing.
“He has a gun and jacket in the trunk. My gym bag is in there as well, with what we need.”
Ko sat up front with Sonny. As the car pulled onto Connaught Road to begin the trip, Ava saw him pull out his phone and check it for messages.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“As much as it can be,” Ko said. “The wife of one of our men who was captured keeps texting me. I don’t know what to tell her.”
“Nothing for now,” Ava said.
Sonny drove the Mercedes through the harbour tunnel, emerged in Tsim Sha Tsui, and then headed northeast through the New Territories to the district of Sha Tin. Ava had been in and around Sha Tin many times without actually spending much time there. It had a population of about 600,000, but without New Town Plaza and especially Sha Tin Racecourse, it wouldn’t be a prime destination for anyone who wasn’t living there.
Ava’s first trips to Sha Tin had been with Uncle during horse-racing season, and despite her lack of interest in the sport, she had been genuinely impressed by the track and its atmosphere. Horse racing had been a Hong Kong passion — and the only form of legal gambling — for more than 150 years. For the first hundred years or so, Happy Valley on Hong Kong Island was the only racing venue, but in 1978 the Hong Kong Jockey Club had completed construction of the Sha Tin course. It could accommodate 85,000 people, and the grandstands were nearly always full during the one-day-a-week, nine-months-a-year racing program.
The mood in the car was tense. Ava tried to lighten things by asking, “Do either of you go to the races in Sha Tin?”
“Given that our business is on Hong Kong Island, I don’t get into the New Territories that often,” Ko said tersely.
“I prefer Happy Valley,” Sonny said.
So much for small talk, Ava thought. There was no more conversation until Sonny turned the Mercedes into the parking garage at New Town Plaza. Ava looked at her watch. “We have ten minutes to spare.”
“It will take us that long to walk to the restaurant. This mall is enormous,” Sonny said.
“Do you know where we’re going?”
“I scouted it out last night,” Sonny said.
“Is Maxim’s as big as Sammy claims?” Ava asked, pleased he had taken the initiative but embarrassed that she hadn’t thought to ask him.
“It is.”
“Good. At least he wasn’t lying about that.”
They all got out of the car and walked to the trunk, which Sonny had opened. Ko took out a blue windbreaker and put it on. “Where’s your gun?” Ava asked.
“In the jacket. I had a special inside pocket made to hold it.”
Sonny unzipped his gym bag and pulled out Ava’s gun, wrapped in newspaper. She removed the papers and put the gun in her bag.
“I have to take the gym bag,” he said. “The Cobray is too big to conceal any other way.”
“They’ll figure you have something like that in the bag,” Ko said.
“That isn’t a bad thing,” Ava said. “It could be a deterrent.”
“Are you really expecting trouble?” Ko asked.
“With Sammy Wing, I never know what to expect,” Ava said. “Now let’s get going. I don’t want to be late.”
They entered the mall, Sonny leading them past store after store until they finally reached a bank of elevators that Ava doubted she would have found on her own. They took an elevator to the eighth level, where Ava saw the sign for Maxim’s about twenty metres ahead of them. Andy was standing nearby in front of a herbalist’s store. He stepped back into the store’s doorway and they joined him there.
“What have you seen?” Sonny asked.
“Sammy, Carter, and four of their men are inside. Two of the men arrived half an hour ago. The rest of them arrived together five minutes ago.”
“Where’s Carlo?”
“He’s standing on the other side of the restaurant. We’ve been texting. He saw what I saw.”
“They don’t have more men in the vicinity?”
“Not that we’ve seen, and we’ve been here for a couple of hours.”
“Stay here and keep your eyes open. If you see anything suspicious, text me. If you see anything that really alarms you, don’t be afraid to come into the restaurant and find us,” Sonny said.
“Got it,” Andy said.
Ava had been hovering in the background as Sonny and Andy spoke. Now she stepped forward. “Hey, Andy, good to see you, and thanks for the help,” she said.
“Hi, boss. Good to see you too. You know Carlo and I would do anything for you.”
“Well, let’s hope all you have to do today is hang around for another hour and then go home.”
“Sammy is a lot of things, but he’s not crazy enough to try anything here.”
“I thought the same thing when we were supposed to meet with him in Shenzhen, and that didn’t turn out so well.”
Andy shook his head. “Sorry, boss. I shouldn’t be giving an opinion.”
Ava looked at the man, who was barely taller than her, weighed maybe thirty pounds more, and on at least three occasions had risked his life for her. “You’ve earned the right to say anything you want to me, Andy. Always remember that, and never hesitate to do it.”
Sonny interrupted. “Ava, we should be going into the restaurant.”
“Bye, Andy. And if I don’t see Carlo, give him my best wishes as well.”
“I will, Ava.”
Sonny, Ko, and Ava left Andy and walked to Maxim’s entrance. It was busier than Ava had expected for that time of day, and when she looked into the restaurant she saw that a lot of tables were occupied.
“We’re meeting Sammy and Carter Wing,” Ava said to the host.
The host looked down at a sheaf of papers. “Are you the Lee party?”
“Yes,” Ava said.
“Follow me.”
He led them past a seemingly endless number of tables towards the far end of the restaurant. Ava saw Sammy at a distant table, sitting with a man who looked like a younger version of himself. She tried to locate the other men Andy had mentioned. Two men were standing against a wall behind the table and two were sitting at a nearby table, showing an inordinate amount of interest in their approach. She assumed the four were Wing’s men.
Neither Sammy nor the man Ava was sure was Carter rose to greet them. “Have a seat,” Sammy said when they reached the table.
There were six chairs at the round table. Sammy and Carter sat together on the right side. The remaining chairs were positioned so that whoever sat in them would have their backs to Wing’s four men.
“We haven’t met,” Ava said, stepping towards Carter with her hand extended. “My name is Ava Lee.”
He looked at her in disgust. “I’m Carter Wing,” he said finally, not taking her hand.
“Do you know Sonny and Ko?”
“I know Ko. I’ve heard of Sonny.”
“Who hasn’t heard of Sonny?” Sammy said, and then pointed to the chairs. “It’s good to see you again, Ava. Have a seat.”
“I’d like to be able to say the same, Sammy, but the circumstances aren’t ideal,” Ava said, reaching for a chair and moving it so she had a clear view of the men against the wall. She turned to Sonny. “Position those other chairs so you can keep an eye on the two men at that table.”
“You are so mistrustful,” Sammy said.
“Well, we have a very complicated relationship, so a girl can’t be too careful,” Ava said. “And I’m sure you can understand that the body you dropped in front of the bar in Wanchai didn’t exactly engender trust.”
“Did she explain to you why we had to kill him?” Carter interrupted, directing the question at Ko.
“She told me, but it isn’t something I want to discuss,” Ko said. “You should also know that Ava is handling this meeting on our behalf, so I won’t be answering any more of your questions.”
“I can’t say that’s a shock,” Sammy said. “That’s a typical Uncle strategy. He taught Ava well.”
“I was wondering how long it would take for you to drop his name into our conversation. It was much faster than I expected.”
Sammy turned to Carter. “Ava was Uncle’s pride and joy. She could do nothing wrong where he was concerned.”
Carter nodded as he stared across the table at her. Ava looked back at him. He was about forty, she guessed. He had a round, fleshy face but not the jowls that cascaded under Sammy’s chin. He had a small nose and thin pink lips, but what really caught her attention was his eyes; they weren’t much more than dark slits. If his intent was to convey malice, he did it well. She couldn’t tell how tall he was sitting down, but Sammy was three or four inches taller than Ava, and she imagined Carter would be about the same. He was certainly built like Sammy, although he hadn’t yet attained the girth that the years had piled onto his uncle. Still, his short-sleeved blue sports shirt strained across his chest, exposing a tattoo.
