‘Drop the weapon!’ the SAS team leader shouted as two more men emerged from the bedroom, one holding a pistol.
Moy dropped the pistol and raised his hands as one of the soldiers frisked him. He knew not to make any sudden moves until the assault team had verified his identity. ‘Officer, my uncle and I are very happy to see you.’
‘You’re Phillip Moy?’ the officer asked, taking a closer look at him.
‘Yes, and this is my uncle, Moy Huian. My identification is in my coat pocket.’ His uncle bowed for the introduction.
The team leader found the wallet and verified Moy’s identity. ‘We counted three guards earlier. Where’s the other one?’
Moy brought his hands back down to his sides and relaxed a little. ‘He’s in the bedroom. I think he’s still alive, but I didn’t stop to check.’
One of the other officers emerged from the bedroom and nodded to the team leader that he’d found the other guard. ‘Holster your weapons; this area is secure.’ The strike team’s leader switched his headset mike on. ‘Hilton team to Looking Glass, over.’
‘Report, Hilton team,’ Axton answered, eager for news.
‘The hostages are secure. I repeat, the hostages are secure.’
Mosley and Axton both smiled at the good news. ‘Understood, Hilton team, well done. Wharf teams-crash the Tea Party!’
On the ground, several teams began to close around Parnell’s building. All roads leading to the building were barricaded and uniformed traffic police began ushering all pedestrians and vehicles away from the area. The helicopter moved out of its holding pattern and took up position over the building. The net was drawing tight.
55
After completing his call, Kang walked over to the bar where Parnell was fixing himself a drink. Roe, who had been unusually pensive throughout the exchange, stood at the window, staring blankly at the hazy London skyline. Yakushev had warned her about Kang, and now Roe wondered if this ruthless PRC agent would live up to his reputation for violence. Roe’s question was answered by the metallic sound of an Uzi being readied to fire.
‘There is just one more item of business before I leave. It is regrettable, but I cannot permit either of you to live with knowledge of this operation. Such a breach of security would be unacceptable.’
Parnell’s drink fell to the floor as the threat of Kang’s betrayal became clear to him. ‘This is outrageous! We have an agreement, and we have fulfilled our end. You have my word as a gentleman that this transaction will remain in our strictest confidence.’
‘Your word as a gentleman, Parnell?’ Kang parroted back with a laugh. ‘The days of honor and chivalry in England, and China, are long past. This is business, nothing more.’
Kang placed his briefcase on Parnell’s conference table and opened it. From inside, he retrieved a thick file folder. Parnell recognized it as one of his ‘special’ reports.
‘This is a copy of the information that you supplied to our mutual acquaintance, Wu Zhusheng.’ Kang fanned the report dramatically, showing extensive red marks on several sheets of the document. ‘Unfortunately for Wu, the information in this report contains significant errors. These errors were discovered too late for Wu to salvage his considerable investment in this project. My government has also withdrawn its support for several of Wu’s ventures, leaving his company financially ruined. Wu arrived in London this morning to face those he feels responsible for his losses. After “murdering” the two of you, Wu will return to his hotel room and “commit suicide.” We’ve left Wu where he will be found in a day or two.’
Kang tossed the sheaf of paper in an arc around the floor. ‘These documents, found in this office with your bodies, will provide a plausible explanation for your deaths.’
‘I don’t think it’ll be quite that simple, Kang,’ Roe announced calmly as she stared out the window.
Kang was momentarily stunned by the use of his real name, but he quickly regained his composure. ‘What problem do you see with my plan?’
‘Actually, I see several problems surrounding this building right now. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the authorities have closed off the area.’ Roe spoke in deliberate, measured tones to emphasize the gravity of Kang’s plight. ‘If you kill us, you kill any real chance of escaping with the ciphers.’
For the first time, Kang’s stony composure cracked, revealing a sense of fear and uncertainty. Roe was telling him the truth: The streets below the office tower were empty, barricaded by police. The helicopter he’d seen earlier took up a new position near the tower. A net was being cast and Kang could feel it drawing closed around him.
‘What are you offering in return for your life?’
‘A way out,’ Roe replied. ‘We all need to get out of the country as quickly as possible, but first we need to get out of this building. There’s one route that doesn’t appear to be blocked: the marina. Ian’s got a fast boat that should buy us some time and distance. We can figure out our next steps later, but right now, I think we should get moving.’
Mosley watched the scene in Parnell’s office unfold through his binoculars. ‘Something’s happening over there. The Chinese have just pulled their weapons. Kang’s at the window; I think he’s spotted the ground teams.’
‘Probably sensing a double cross.’ It was a risk bringing in the police, but they had to be sure that the area was completely sealed off.‘Looking Glass to all teams. Proceed with caution. Subjects are armed and aware of your approach.’
One by one, the teams acknowledged Axton’s directive. They’d lost the element of surprise. Hopefully, their superior numbers would be enough.
Kang turned to Parnell. ‘Is what she says true? Can you get us out of here?’
‘Let me check the river,’ Parnell replied. He joined Roe and Kang at the window and studied the winding Thames below. Kang’s men kept their weapons trained on Parnell and Roe, awaiting their orders. ‘Alex is right. It’s clear as far as I can see, nothing but barge traffic and a couple of tour boats. If they don’t block the river between here and the coast, I can get us out to international waters. Can you do anything from there?’
Kang knew that at any time there were several Chinese freighters near European ports. ‘It’s possible. Let’s go.’
On Kang’s orders, his men lowered their weapons against Parnell and Roe but kept them ready. As they exited the suite, they saw two SAS soldiers in the corridor rushing toward them.
‘Back inside!’ Kang ordered as his men opened fire.
The corridor began to fill with the smoky scent of gunfire. The SAS soldiers drove Kang’s men back into the suite with short bursts from their submachine guns. Exposed as they were in the wide corridor, the soldiers pressed their attack, knowing it was the only way for them to stay alive.
Kang also quickly grasped the tactical situation. ‘You’-he pointed to one of his men-‘open fire down the corridor. Shoot wildly to keep those soldiers pinned down.’
The man did as he was told and, exposing only the barrel of his weapon, began spraying bullets in the direction of their pursuers.
‘Those soldiers are pinned down with no protection. Finish them,’ Kang ordered his other man.
The two Asians leapt into the corridor, each picking a target and firing their weapons on full automatic. Hot brass casings spiraled through the air as they emptied their clips of ammunition into the prone soldiers, who had closed within twelve feet of the suite door. One of the soldiers managed to fire a short burst, grazing one of the Asians, before several bullets transformed his face into a bloody pulp.
When the Asians’ weapons were empty, the corridor became eerily quiet. Parnell and the others felt a slight ringing in their ears from the loud bursts of sound that had accompanied the violent exchange.
‘Good work,’ Kang congratulated his men as they snapped fresh clips of ammunition into their weapons.
Kang turned from the carnage and noticed the counters on the elevators increasing toward their floor. ‘More soldiers are coming. Which way out?’
‘Upstairs,’ Parnell replied, stepping over bloodied bodies in the stairwell. ‘We’ll use the residents’ express elevator.’
‘Move!’ Kang barked, and his men complied.
The condominium level above Parnell’s office had six elevators instead of the five available on the office floors. The elevator must have been nearby, because the doors opened almost immediately after Parnell hit the button. The fugitives boarded the elevator car as Parnell punched in the access code for the marina level. The second team of SAS soldiers reached the twelfth floor just as Parnell’s elevator car sped past.
56
After listening to the first team’s disastrous encounter with Kang’s men over their headsets, the second team emerged from the elevator ready for a firefight. Team two’s leader expected the worst, but he found the elevator lobby empty. The soldiers fanned out from the lobby, moving from doorway to doorway down the corridor. They reached the stairwell, where the other team had been ambushed. The team leader left two men there while the rest searched Parnell’s office; it was empty.
‘Team two leader to Looking Glass. The office is secure. No sign of them. Three men are down. We’ll have to do a floor-by-floor search.’
Axton felt as if his luck had just run out. ‘Understood, team two leader. Keep us advised of your progress. Looking Glass out.’
‘Damn it!’ Mosley growled.
‘Looking Glass to all teams,’ Axton announced. ‘The subjects are on the move. Don’t take any chances with them.’
Kilkenny and Yakushev successfully evaded detection by the lone officer searching for them. They moved quietly along the docks, hiding behind and occasionally inside the boats berthed there. They’d doubled back on their pursuer and were now concealed by a sleek green offshore racing boat.
‘Do you see that dark blue vessel over there?’ Yakushev asked as they knelt out of view.
Kilkenny scanned the slips on the opposite side of the marina until he found a metallic blue racing boat. ‘The Cigarette named Merlin?’
‘That’s Parnell’s boat. If Anya is convincing, she will draw Kang Fa down to it for his escape.’
‘They’ll have to get past Stone and his men first. As long as Kang doesn’t kill your friend once they get here, she might make it.’ Kilkenny studied the path between Merlin ’s slip and the marina entrance, trying to picture how the action would unfold.
‘Yes, and we must be ready to assist her when the time comes.’
On the far side of the marina, Kilkenny could see the elevator lobby and the door to the stair tower. Roe and the others would be coming from that direction. The layout of the marina provided Kilkenny and Yakushev with good cover for when the shooting started.
In the marina lobby, he watched as Stone and another officer shifted position. Stone entered the stairwell, with the other officer covering his back.
‘Something’s happening, Andrei. They’ve moved off their points.’
Kilkenny had lost track of the third officer and was trying to locate him when the man stepped around the bow of the boat that they were hiding behind.
‘All right, gentlemen. The game’s over.’
Before the officer could say another word, a bell in the marina lobby signaled the arrival of an elevator car. As the car door slid open, Stone’s partner turned from the stair tower, drawn out by the sound. The elevator lobby was partially shielded from the stairwell opening, enough so that Kang and his men saw the SAS soldier first.
Kang fired immediately; his first burst hammered into Stone’s partner, ripping through the side of the man’s head. A second burst pounded into the man’s protective body armor, flinging him backward into Stone. The impact knocked Stone’s weapon from his hands and sent him staggering back behind the protective wall, unarmed.
The soldier on the docks turned and rushed to Stone’s aid, firing into the elevator to cover his partner’s retreat. Kang responded with a deadly salvo down the long, straight dock and killed the man.
‘Kill the other one,’ Kang ordered, dispatching one of his men to deal with Stone. ‘Parnell, where is your boat?’
‘Right over there,’ Parnell replied, leading the way.
Stealthily, Kilkenny retrieved the fallen officer’s pistol and took careful aim at Kang’s man. He clustered three shots in the man’s chest and dropped him at Stone’s feet.
The sound of Kilkenny’s shots echoed in the marina, instantly drawing fire from Kang and his lieutenant. Bullets riddled the dock and the boats around Kilkenny, pinning him down while Parnell readied his boat. Ignoring the ‘No wake’ rule, Parnell shot Merlin out of her slip like a racehorse.
Kang emptied his weapon in a vain attempt to kill Stone, whose sprint from the stairwell was screened by a row of boats. Parnell’s quick turns and the jarring bumps from the rebounding wake prevented Kang from getting a clean shot off.
Roe crouched on Merlin ’s stern, still clutching the line she’d cleared as the boat thundered toward the river opening. As Merlin reached the entrance of the enclosed marina, she jumped. Instead of cool water, she felt a sudden jolt as Kang’s watchful lieutenant tackled her in midair and slammed her down on the fiberglass hull. Her arms dangled in Merlin ’s frothy wake. Grinning at her contemptuously, he pulled her harshly into the boat.
‘We wouldn’t want you falling overboard,’ Kang said with a sneer as he held the barrel of his weapon under Roe’s chin. ‘At least not until I’ve had a chance to review your role in this betrayal.’ Kang turned to his man. ‘Lash her to the chair.’
Merlin cleared the marina with a deafening roar as Parnell opened up the boat’s engines. Kang’s lieutenant grabbed a length of the ship’s line and secured Roe to the captain’s chair beside Parnell. Kilkenny and Yakushev watched as the Cigarette boat sped out into the Thames with Roe still on board.
57
Stone reached the open slip, winded but uninjured. ‘I don’t know what the hell you’re doing down here, Kilkenny, but I’m very thankful just the same.’