The Russian smiled. He seemed gratified.
“Allies and friends are not as friendly as they might seem,” he said.
Graves paid no attention to the comment.
“However, we are certain that the transaction was carried out. One of our agents in Kowloon confirms it.”
“Did you doubt my informants, Graves, my friend?”
“Yes, Ivan Mikhailovich. When the KGB gives us a present, we study it very carefully before accepting it. .”
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” the Russian said.
“The Trojans sure should have,” said Graves. “The transaction was carried out nine days ago. The money was requested in fifty-dollar bills, American dollars, and was picked up by several men, some Chinese, some Western. If we insist, and we are going to insist, we can get the numbers, but not for a couple of weeks, at least. .”
“When it will already be too late,” García said.
“Too late indeed. But everything must be known. Even if only to understand the extent of the conspiracy and round up all those involved.”
“There are too many people involved for a job like this,” García said.
“When the Chinese do something, they do it on a grand scale,” the Russian said. “Over there, everything is grand.”
“But there are too many,” García insisted. “You only need two or three to plan an attack like this, at most.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Graves said.
Laski was slowly sipping his milk. Graves, after his experience with the coffee, was drinking a beer, as was García.
“For instance, it seems that all the Chinamen in this restaurant are involved,” García said. “It doesn’t make sense that waiters could organize an attack of that magnitude.”
“Maybe we’re up a blind alley, Ivan Mikhailovich, my friend.”
“I don’t know, Graves. We are investigating, that is all. You should have learned by now that in our profession investigations are conducted in order to reach an unknown truth. What that truth is doesn’t matter to us and, if we knew it beforehand, there’d be no reason to investigate.”
“Only execute,” García said.
“Precisely, Filiberto, only execute. But now our task is only to investigate, because the moment to execute has not yet arrived.”
The fourth Chinaman returned from the kitchen to his place behind the counter. He exchanged a few words with Wang, then went back to his work. Not once did he look at the three men sitting in the booth.
“Oh, and Filiberto,” Laski suddenly said, “I have of course given orders to stop surveillance on you, and on you, too, Graves, my friend.”
“I did, too,” Graves said. “What Mr. García said is absolutely true. This was starting to look like a child’s game. That’s what I told my bosses. I told them that you, García, had pointed out our mistake. They were very impressed.”
“Thanks.”
“What are we going to do tonight?” Laski asked. “If it’s just a matter of getting together socially. .”
“The Chinese are worried, Ivan Mikhailovich.”
“They sure are,” Graves said. “It’s almost impossible to investigate anyone without them noticing. This afternoon in the warehouses there was a lot of activity. I’d like to investigate. .”
“They might do us the favor,” said García. “That’s why we’re here, just to see what these fellows do.”
“They could be planning to kill us,” Laski said. “I’ve never liked to be the bait in the trap.”
“Me, neither. But that’s what we are now, Ivan Mikhailovich.”
“I agree with García. The best thing is to provoke them to make a move; there’s no time for anything else.”
One of the Chinese men came out from behind the counter and over to the table. He was young and strong, with an expressionless face.
“Can I get you anything else?”
García looked up and stared at him. The Chinamen didn’t look away.
“We’re talking,” García said, in a harsh voice.
The Chinaman shrugged his shoulders, walked over to the door, and leaned against it without taking his eyes off them. This Chinaman is looking for a thrashing, even actively requesting one. Maybe they want us out of here. They must want us out of here, but they can go to hell. And this gringo doesn’t stop smiling like a moron. And the Russian looks like he’s about to cry. Fucking Outer Mongolia! We’ve got to give these fucking Chinamen one more chance.
“I’m going to the men’s room,” he said, standing up.
He walked to the back of the restaurant, entered the restroom, and walked over to the urinal. Now’s the time, if they’re serious, they’ll come looking for me here and then we’ll see whose hide yields more whips, as they say. Just a matter of giving them time. Anyway, time is what there’s lots of in this fucking
life. And Marta fast asleep in my bed and me here acting like a chump. Now they’ll be able to say they caught me with my pants down.
He heard the door open and people entering. He didn’t turn around to see who they were. Let them keep coming, very quietly, like ducks in a pond. As long as they don’t stick a knife in my back. Fucking knifes. Let them think they’ve got the upper hand. .
A voice said something quickly in Chinese. García turned, 45 in hand. There was a man on either side. One hit his wrist with an open chop and the gun fell to the floor. The other jumped him put him in a choke hold. At that moment, when he thought he was done for, the door swung open. It was Graves, without his glasses, entering like a whirlwind. He took one huge leap, and his feet landed on the back of the man squeezing García’s throat. The other man fell on him but a blow to his forehead forced him back, dazed. García, now free, finished him off with a punch in the face that smashed his nose. In the meantime, Graves had the other in a chokehold and had forced him onto his knees, his eyes popping out of his head and his face dripping sweat. Graves gave him a chop on his neck, right on his Adam’s apple. The man let out a muffled groan and collapsed onto the floor, his head falling into the urinal. The other, blood pouring out of his nose, opened the door and ran out. García picked up his gun and put it back in its holster after checking to make sure there was no damage. Graves was smiling, as always, as he put on his glasses.
“I figured why you came here, García, and I had your back.”
“Thanks.”
“You were right. We’ve scared these Chinamen, and that’s revealing.”
“Right.”
“Laski stayed at the table so the others wouldn’t become alarmed. They must think they’ve taken us prisoner or whatever they wanted to do. Now what?”
“Now we go out and pretend nothing happened, then we leave. We delivered our message. I’ll tell the police to keep an eye on this place.”
Standing in front of the dirty, broken mirror, he slicked down his hair that had gotten mussed and straightened out the handkerchief in the chest pocket of his jacket. The Chinaman on the floor began to show signs of life.
“What do we do with this one, García?”
“Leave him, Graves. He’s an underling, he doesn’t matter.”
Satisfied with his grooming, he walked out, followed by Graves. They acted like they were simply leaving the bathroom. The Chinamen behind the counter were surprised to see them. Wang lifted his eyes and for a split second looked petrified. Laski was still at the table, pretending not to be aware of anything, but his hand was inside his jacket, on the butt of his gun. García walked straight to the register:
“Our check.”
Wang looked at García with panic in his eyes. He did some quick calculations on an abacus and said: