Yun, the little shit, had been in my system. She’d been listening to me talk on the phone, overhearing things, and putting things together. She must have searched my computer the night before, and then turned me in.
I struggled to remember what if anything might have been sitting in e-mails and chat logs on my system. How much did she know? How much did they know? I moved to the keyboard, and began sifting through the info she’d pulled up. She’d found clips from the Xinzhongzi pirate video, chats with Vamp and Dao-Ming about it, and worse.
Something hit the bedroom door, hard enough to split the wood trim and skew the bolt housing. I jumped, spinning around to see that Mei had decided not to wait for his partners to show up before grabbing me. His second kick pulled two of the screws loose; then his third caused the door to crash open.
“Move away from the computer,” he said.
He must have decided I’d locked him out so I could destroy evidence, which I hadn’t even thought of. I backed away as he moved into the room.
“Please, you don’t understand—”
“I knew you were full of shit,” he said.
I glanced at his belt, and came up with the only plan I could think of. Before he could unclip his stun gun, I gestured back at the computer screen.
“You’re too late,” I told him. “Everything’s already getting fried.”
He turned to look, leaning over the keyboard to see if there might be some way to stop whatever I’d supposedly kicked off. As he did, I reached for his belt and popped the safety snap on the canister of Red Light. He turned, but by then I’d already plucked it out and flipped the cap.
He was lunging when I spritzed him right in the eyes. The chemicals spiked through the mucous membranes and went right for the brain. By the time he grabbed my throat, they’d already begun switching off his motor functions.
His grip loosened, and he dropped like a stone. He tipped back, and thumped over onto his side on the floor, completely paralyzed except for his involuntary muscle systems. When I was sure he couldn’t move, I let out a pent-up breath.
This is bad. This is very bad.
I stepped over him and headed back to the kitchen and grabbed the rations I’d picked up at Fang’s. I stowed them in my Escher tablet, and headed back to my room.
The Red Light would last for the next five to ten minutes. I wouldn’t get to Ginzho by then, but I could be long gone before they figured out what happened. I reached into his pocket and fished for his scanner.
“Sorry,” I muttered. My fingers found the remote and I pulled it out, then synced it to my 3i and reactivated the transmitter before tossing it on the floor.
Vamp? I sent.
This time he answered right away: Sam, I—
Vamp, they know.
I know, Dragan told me.
Yun’s been spying on us. She broke into my system and called security. They know.
Are you sure—
Vamp, security is here right now.
Where?
In my apartment. Based on what Yun found on my computer, I’d say assume they’re coming for you, too.
I know; I’m lying low at Shuang’s for now.
I bristled a little at that, but there wasn’t time to worry about it.
What about the plan?
The test is on for tonight, he said.
Still?
Sounds like if we’re doing this, we better do it quick. If all goes okay, we’ll do the full run tomorrow.
Okay. I have to run. Contact the others and warn them?
I already did.
Thanks, Vamp.
I left the apartment, and took the stairs before the other officers arrived. I took three flights down, then got out and took the elevator down past the front lobby to the basement level. From there I made my way through the boiler room to the maintenance door on the opposite side. A set of stairs took me back to the first floor on the other side of the building from the lobby where the officers had been waiting for me. None of them was there.
I headed out the rear entrance, and hustled across the street to an alley where hutong vendors had gathered to see what was going on. I squeezed past them and down the narrow row of little shop fronts. An old man who sat under a fluttering cloth sign for old-world remedies scowled as I passed. At the far end, I scooted around a rack of bicycles and looked back to see the apartment door lock flash red as a security boot was applied. Through the lobby window, I saw rows of badge readers along the unit doors cascade red down the hall. On the street, the LCD panels over the front entrance flickered to display a lockdown warning.
I turned, and took off toward Ginzho.
Chapter Thirteen
The bombing had the streets buzzing big time, and now people had gathered on the sidewalks around the apartment to try to see what the lockdown was all about. A small mob at the intersection had backed up into the street, and cars honked as they edged around them. I crossed the street and joined the flow of foot traffic, squeezing around knots of people who were hanging around the shop fronts to watch the LCD panels show footage of the Render’s Strip blast. As I passed them I saw officers in bomb gear picking through the aftermath, bagging up shrapnel and body parts to try to deconstruct the explosion.
Alexei, I’m on my way, I sent. After a pause, he answered.
Okay.
Did you make it there okay?
Yes.
Sit tight. I’m coming.
I wove through clusters of people gathered around apartment stoops, drinking and smoking in the summer heat while venting to each other about the lack of response from LeiFang. I wove through a buzz of angry muttering around bar stalls and on street corners when a call came in from Dragan on the 3i.
Sam?
I’m here.
Are you okay?
I’m okay. I just left—
Don’t tell me where you are. A warrant just went out for your arrest.
“Fuck,” I muttered. I figured it would happen, but that didn’t make it any easier. With a warrant they’d be gunning for me big time. A few people looked over as I stomped the sidewalk in front of me. “Fuck!”
Anyone else? I asked.
Vamp is flagged as a person of interest, along with Dao-Ming. No other warrants yet, but they know something.
My sitter hacked my computer. Little bitch turned me in.
I made a fist, and cursed again under my breath. We hadn’t even gotten out of the gate, and already everything had started to come crashing down.
Dragan, I’m sorry.
Don’t worry about that. Flush your phone and 3i logs and shut everything down after this conversation. Is Alexei with you?
Yes. A half lie. He would be soon.
Have him do the same. They want to talk to him about the bombing and the less they can latch onto the better.
Okay.
Through the crowd, I spotted the lights of a gate hub up ahead and saw the network had been reactivated. I veered left and quickly squeezed into the proper line. Through the free-standing metal doorway I could see the front of Ginzho tower, a close-up of the same tower lit up off in the distance miles down the main strip.