“Help him, Jesus,” Stan whispered. “Save my son. Please, let me see him alive again.”
Stan swallowed. He wiped his nose. Afterward, he squared his shoulders. He had a job to do, and now he was going to do it right.
Guardian Inspector Shun Li woke to the sound of heavy knocking. She was in bed in a hotel in the city. She rolled over and felt the floor for her sidearm. It was dark, with thick curtains covering the window, although the edges of the curtain showed light, meaning it must be morning.
She was naked, with a thin blanket over her body. The room was extra warm, as she disliked smothering blankets over her or the cold.
The knocking continued, and it surprised her that the person didn’t call out. It couldn’t be East Lighting. An operative would have said something intimidating already.
Her fingers touched metal. She slid forward and clutched the gun. She wiped sleep from her eyes with her other hand and she sat up, aiming the gun at the door.
She heard a card slide into the outer locking mechanism, and a big man in body armor opened the door. Shun Li recognized him. He was a Lion Guardsman, one of the Chairman’s personal security operatives. She remembered him from the Ruling Committee meeting.
He noticed her gun, and it had no effect on his features. He didn’t even smile or lift an eyebrow.
She lowered the weapon. “Did your wife throw you out of the house this morning?”
The quip brought nothing, not even a flicker of annoyance. “The Chairman requests your presence, Guardian Inspector. You are to come with me.”
The Lion Guard intrigued her for several reasons, the most important of which was that he was one of the elite men who protected the Chairman. She put the gun on the bed and drew back the covers.
“Do you want me to come as I am?” she asked, as she revealed her nakedness.
The right corner of his mouth twitched. Finally, he gave a reaction. “The Chairman would prefer you in your uniform, Guardian Inspector.”
“What do you prefer?” she asked, as she stared into his eyes.
The Lion Guard said nothing more, just returned her stare.
Something about his eyes unsettled Shun Li. Yes, he had the eyes of a killer, and he seemed…bored. How many people had this Lion Guardsman murdered for the Chairman, perhaps even in his presence? He protected the most powerful man in the world. What did the Guardsman see and hear that gave him this confidence and the boredom?
Chairman Hong had climbed the rungs of power, beating out some of the most dangerous people in existence. There was a reason he had succeeded where others failed. It was more than likely that men like this were part of the reason.
Shun Li slid off the bed and padded to her uniform on the dresser. She swam among sharks. She was a barracuda, a deadly killer in her own right, but dwarfed by their larger size and viciousness. She would need all her craft and skill to maneuver correctly among them.
Why does Chairman Hong wish to see me? Was this an opportunity, or had she already stumbled? Unease touched the base of her neck.
The Lion Guard said nothing more as they left the hotel room several minutes later. Two others waited outside a limousine. Each held a submachine gun, with the strap around his thick neck. One of them opened the car door for her. She thanked him, but the guard said nothing.
She sat alone in back, and the drive took them through the eastern part of Beijing. This was the wrong way if they were taking her to Mao Square.
A moment of panic struck. Was this an assassination team? Were they taking her to a lonely place to kill her and dump the body?
Calm, calm, practice calm, she told herself. Try to enjoy the ride.
The city was huge, the biggest in the world. It had the widest streets and the largest, most expensive cars. Even with the amazing war with America, people still displayed their luxury. Perhaps that was as it should be. Beijing, after all, was the heart of the greatest empire on Earth.
The limousine hissed across wet streets. Snow from last night rested on many windowsills and she saw an elderly man slip on an undoubtedly icy sidewalk.
Soon, they exited the suburbs and drove in the countryside. Here, huge trees dominated the landscape, clustered around three story mansions with vast yards. Party officials must live here. She doubted the Lion Guardsmen would murder her among the mansions.
Why don’t the guards say anything?
Shun Li kept still. She felt a hidden inspection then. Someone watched her. Probably there were video cameras recording everything. She kept still despite the seething unease building in her chest. She was innocent. Therefore, she must act like the innocent.
Where did I make my mistake? Could it be the Behemoth Plant forgery?
The number of trees grew. They drove through a forest of huge conifers and evergreens, several miles of them. She didn’t spy any more homes, and the troubled her. The limousine took a sharp bend in the road and slowed as they approached an elaborate iron gate. There was a guard shack to the side.
“Is this the Chairman’s country estate?” she asked.
None of the Lion Guardsman paid her any attention. They acted as if she didn’t exist. They stopped at the shack and the driver’s window opened. Stern-faced guardsmen looked in, big men with submachine guns. They spoke in low voices to the driver, soon waving them through.
Shun Li allowed a small smile to play on her features. Whoever watched her through hidden cameras, she let them see how composed she was. She was innocent, and if she was riding to her death, she would do so with calm and with grace.
Large buildings appeared. They reminded her of the French Palace of Versailles. Glass predominated as the construction material. There were towers, spires and gargantuan domes.
The driver turned onto a different lane. Shun Li felt the vehicle dip, and she noticed walls outside. The sun disappeared and she realized they sped down an underground ramp and tunnel. It was dark, and the echo of the wheels almost unnerved Shun Li. It reminded her of a bad time in a tunnel as a young girl with her uncle.
In moments, the limousine came to a halt in a vast underground garage. A guard opened her door. It was the man who had seen her naked. He led the way, and the other two followed close behind her. Their footsteps echoed in the empty parking garage. The lead Lion Guard reached a door and drew it open.
Harsh eagle cries, baboon shrieks and lion roars assaulted her hearing. As she moved through, animal odors abounded. She faltered, bewildered at this.
The big Lion Guardsman must have sensed something. He turned, and he grinned down at her. The grin was a nasty thing, full of menace.
She opened her mouth. Maybe she would have asked a question. She wasn’t sure. One of the guardsmen from behind pushed her so she stumbled.
“We cannot keep the Chairman waiting,” the first guard said.
“Of course not,” Shun Li managed to say. So they’re taking me to the Chairman. If it’s a good thing, why are they acting so boorishly?
They passed large cages. In one, an eagle sat on a branch, tracking her as if she was a rabbit. In another, a baboon troop argued on fake-looking rocks. The biggest male with a mane like a lion exposed his fangs, causing the others to grow quiet. In the third, two prime tigers snarled at each other as they ate chunks of bloody meat. In front of the fourth cage, a lone man stood watching what took place in it.
The man was Chairman Hong. He wore a dark suit and tie. His extra-clean hands gripped the rail before the large pen. He peered down…at polar bears. That’s right. She’d heard of his mania concerning them. She could see one slept down there. The white bear curled around something, it seemed.