Ling stared out the side of the boat as it worked up the shore, replaying the events of the evening in his head. No matter how many angles he looked at it from, he couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody had set them up. The dock workers showing up within minutes of their arrival, the coordinated two man effort, was too much for him to swallow as coincidence.
The longer he dwelled on it, the angrier he became at the notion. Adding to his angst was the fact that his jaw throbbed and his knee was beginning to tighten.
With a stony demeanor, Ling watched as their destination drew near. Perched atop a sheer rock wall, the mansion looked like little more than hundreds of tiny shimmering lights. Levitating high above the ocean, it gave the impression of a celestial chandelier suspended on high.
Beside him the driver of the boat raised a radio to his lips, snapping out a short sequence of commands. The sound was just audible over the engine and the oncoming wind, Ling not bothering to try and decipher what was being said.
Up ahead, a large opening began to appear from the base of the rock wall, a gaping black hole in a vast gray wall. Painted and textured to fit seamlessly into the cliff, it looked like a giant piece of stone that opened straight up for them to enter, replacing itself as soon as they passed through.
Once the awning was back into place, orange fluorescent bulbs lit up alongside the boat, illuminating a path through the hidden marina. The lights bathed everything in a tangerine hue as the boat nudged forward, the idling engine pushing them past a line of speedboats and skiffs.
Less than two hours after departing, the boat slid back into the same spot it had previously occupied, a pair of guards materializing to tie them up as Ling hopped off. With determined strides, he made his way up the wooden walkway and on into the lower portion of the house, the scowl on his face earning him a wide berth from all who passed.
Fighting the urge to burst directly into Gold’s office, he stopped just outside the heavy curtain and rapped against the wooden door frame. Pushing loud, angry breaths out through his nose, he shuffled from side to side, waiting to be summoned.
“Come in, Ling.”
Ling pulled back the heavy curtain and stepped in to find Gold behind his desk, staring straight at him.
“It didn’t go well,” Gold said, more of a statement than a question.
“No.”
“They were waiting for us?”
Not sure how to answer, Ling chose to sidestep the question instead. “They definitely knew we were there.”
Gold furrowed his brow and motioned to an armchair across from him. “Please, sit.” He waited for Ling to do so and said, “Explain to me the difference between waiting for us and knowing we were there.”
“It wasn’t a complete ambush. They didn’t surround us the moment we pulled up, gave us a few minutes to begin unloading.”
Gold nodded, his face revealing nothing. “So what makes you say they knew we were there?”
“They knew how and when to show up. They waited until the men were busy, grabbed them while they were isolated.”
Once more Gold nodded. “They?”
The skin around Ling’s eyes tightened. He’d been dreading the question for a half hour now, knowing Gold would use the answer to bait him. “Two men. Same big guy as before, new lackey.”
“So they showed up before the charges could be set?”
“Yes.”
“Where are they now?”
Ling cast his eyes onto the desk beneath Gold. “We had to leave them behind.”
A moment of silence followed, Gold rocking his head back to peer at Ling. He raised his elbows to the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers, pursing his lips before him.
“That’s twice now this guy has gotten away from you.”
The sour taste of bile rose in the back of Ling’s throat, his teeth clamping down tight. His fingertips flashed white as he pressed them into his thighs, forcing himself not to lash out.
“It won’t happen again.”
Ling made no effort to hide the malevolence on his face or to mask the finality in his voice. He waited as it appeared that Gold would go beyond the unspoken and poke a bit further, but he remained silent.
There was no need to comment on the extra men that had been sent with Ling, no bother pointing out the limp he now walked with or the lump he could feel forming on his face.
“So the container, it remains in place?” Gold asked, moving on.
To this Ling said nothing, feeling his animosity grow even larger. “Let me go after them. Right now. I will take care of this.”
He shifted his gaze from the desk up to Gold, imploring him to give the directive.
The old man met his focus before shaking his head, his face solemn.
“We can’t afford the unnecessary attention right now. You know that.”
“There won’t be any attention,” Ling vowed. In his mind he could already envision how he would approach, employing many of the same tactics he’d used just a week before, leaving their bodies silent on the asphalt behind him.
“I’m sorry,” Gold repeated. “Right now, we can’t run the risk of it happening again.”
This time Ling didn’t bother pointing out that it wouldn’t happen again. Instead he rose and exited the room, neither side saying another word.