On Fire by Thomas Anderson
Zak is still running, out of breath, as he looks up to see Kim, now on this side of the bridge. He turns back, sees nothing coming his way on foot, and figures Lee has had little choice but to take off in the other direction.
“How did you get over here?” he asks Kim as he gets near.
“You really know how to stop traffic!” she rejoins.
“Thanks. I work on it.”
While he has slowed considerably to a gentle jog, Kim joins him.
“We got a problem,” says Zak between gulping breaths.
“You think?”
“What’s happening? What’s going on? I mean, like, who was that guy? If he’s not Hui Lee, who in Sam Hill is he? Why is he chasing me? Why is he shooting at me? Why does he think I’m somebody else?”
Saying all that has taken what remains of his breathing capacity and dropped it to zero. He breaks his jog and is just walking fast. They are coming up on Muxidi Subway Station. Just beyond is a tall, monumental building with a hangar like, jutting roof, the building big enough to be a blimp aerodrome. The upward curving roof overhangs all sides of the building, making it look like a pagoda. The great building is set back from the Avenue by an expanse of formal gardens. An impressive pedestrian bridge crosses wide Chang’an to reach it.
“We need to catch our breath. That looks like something.”
They get a little closer and Kim starts checking their location on her pad.
“It’s the Capital Museum.”
They walk past the first half of the gardens and take a broad center aisle that runs between the flower beds and that leads to one of the building’s entrances. Textured concrete panels cover the lower floors and the top stories have blue glass curtain wall. Kim and Zak keep going and round the corner. Here the building is all curtain walls, blue but clear transparent glass that soars at least a hundred feet. Buses are lined up on a broad circular driveway that accesses this street, a side street, yet itself a busy thoroughfare.
People are everywhere, most of them tourists and residents on holiday, and their calm, happy demeanors provide a reassuring presence. Zak relaxes a bit, his walk slowing to an amble, feeling it, fitting in.
“Let’s go in. I need a chance to cool off.”
Kim sees that his face is bathed in sweat.
“Sure. There’s a fee. Let me get it.”
They return to the front entrance. They enter the museum through a set of ancient wood temple doors, darkly varnished and thick with carvings. The entrance hall is immense and rises to the underside of the roof. A gleaming terrazzo floor stretches before them, reflecting the museum’s bright overhead lighting. A real highly decorative, ancient temple has been reconstructed over the doorway and is painted a bright blue.
Zak walks to the side of the big hall and sits down cross legged on the cool floor, fanning his shirt back and forth in an attempt to cool off. Kim saunters about, checking things out, and then joins him. They remain silent for a while, collecting their thoughts, Zak fanning away. Finally Zak decides it’s time to say something.
“We’re in deep shit,” he offers.
Kim looks him over, doing a double take.
“Oh, whoa there, bud! You’re the one in deep shit. The last time I checked nobody was shooting at me.”
“Yeah, well, maybe they should be.”
He reaches up and pulls a clip from her hair. Attached to it is the flash drive. He examines it deferentially, like it was something maybe worth fearing. She was going to bring it to Zak as long as Lee agreed to leave them alone. But that didn’t happen.
“Who do you think this Lee guy is?”
Zak stops the fanning.
“Yeah, I don’t know, but he has to be working for somebody other than the government. He’s certainly not the Security Service. I’m beginning to wonder.”
“What do you mean?”
“What if this guy who was attacked was somebody important, important enough that a lot of people were interested in what he was doing. Could be a bunch of people were trying to keep tabs on him. Who knows?”
“What do you mean? Like bad guys?”
He nods.
“Exactly! Like bad guys. Chinese bad guys.”
“Triads?”
He reaches up and brushes hair back from her face.
“What do you think?”
She starts in on her pad without answering. He knows better than to interrupt her kind of intensity.
“OK. I think I’ve got it. China bad guys coming up. Looking for experts. I would have to say most of them are in Hong Kong and Macau. The Triads are mostly based there but operate throughout the country. And the world. Ironic.”
“What?”
“Well, the Chinese communists cracked down hard on them in the 50’s and they went to Hong Kong, according to this. The crackdown in Hong Kong in the 90’s brought them back. Now, they have operations everywhere.”
“Why do I get the feeling that they are as much political and economic actors as they are criminals?”
“Well, you’d be right. And guess what?”
“What?”
“There’s an expert here in Beijing at the Police Academy.”
“You’re kidding? The Police Academy?”
Her head pivots.
“Ok, I get it. This is you being cute, huh?”
She shakes her head a little and looks back down.
“No, it’s called the Chinese People’s Public Security University, Beijing.”
“I hate to think what that sounds like in Chinese.”
“You have a point.”
Zak bows his head and lifts the bottom of his shirt to his face to wipe away the drying sweat.
“Gee, that’s gross Sparky.”
“Sorry to offend your feminine mystique.”
“Like I have one. Hey, guess what?”
“What Sherrie?”
“This place is just down the street.”
“It’s Karma.”
“No, it’s a sign.”
“Whatever. What’s this dude’s name?”
“Wu-pen Xu. He’s a prof.”
“Cool. Maybe we should call him. He may be just down the street but I doubt he’s just waiting for us to show up.”
Kim hands Zak her phone. It’s already turned on and he can hear it ringing through.
Zak gives her a reproving look. She returns it with an innocent smile.
“Hello. I’m calling for a Mr. Xu.”
There is a brief hesitation while an English speaker is found.
“Yes, you are looking for Mr. Xu?”
“That’s right. Is he in?”
“He is in class.”
“Oh.”
“But he will return to his office in a half hour.”
“Great. I am hoping Mr. Xu will speak with me and another student. We are graduate students at Tsinghua and it would be most helpful.”
“Xu is available to all students. I am sure he would be happy to be of assistance.”
“That would be very kind. We’ll be there shortly. Thank-you very much.”
Kim purses her lips and Zak kisses her.
Chapter 11
“How did you get over here?” he asks Kim as he gets near.
“You really know how to stop traffic!” she rejoins.
“Thanks. I work on it.”
While he has slowed considerably to a gentle jog, Kim joins him.
“We got a problem,” says Zak between gulping breaths.
“You think?”
“What’s happening? What’s going on? I mean, like, who was that guy? If he’s not Hui Lee, who in Sam Hill is he? Why is he chasing me? Why is he shooting at me? Why does he think I’m somebody else?”
Saying all that has taken what remains of his breathing capacity and dropped it to zero. He breaks his jog and is just walking fast. They are coming up on Muxidi Subway Station. Just beyond is a tall, monumental building with a hangar like, jutting roof, the building big enough to be a blimp aerodrome. The upward curving roof overhangs all sides of the building, making it look like a pagoda. The great building is set back from the Avenue by an expanse of formal gardens. An impressive pedestrian bridge crosses wide Chang’an to reach it.
“We need to catch our breath. That looks like something.”
They get a little closer and Kim starts checking their location on her pad.
“It’s the Capital Museum.”
They walk past the first half of the gardens and take a broad center aisle that runs between the flower beds and that leads to one of the building’s entrances. Textured concrete panels cover the lower floors and the top stories have blue glass curtain wall. Kim and Zak keep going and round the corner. Here the building is all curtain walls, blue but clear transparent glass that soars at least a hundred feet. Buses are lined up on a broad circular driveway that accesses this street, a side street, yet itself a busy thoroughfare.
People are everywhere, most of them tourists and residents on holiday, and their calm, happy demeanors provide a reassuring presence. Zak relaxes a bit, his walk slowing to an amble, feeling it, fitting in.
“Let’s go in. I need a chance to cool off.”
Kim sees that his face is bathed in sweat.
“Sure. There’s a fee. Let me get it.”
They return to the front entrance. They enter the museum through a set of ancient wood temple doors, darkly varnished and thick with carvings. The entrance hall is immense and rises to the underside of the roof. A gleaming terrazzo floor stretches before them, reflecting the museum’s bright overhead lighting. A real highly decorative, ancient temple has been reconstructed over the doorway and is painted a bright blue.
Zak walks to the side of the big hall and sits down cross legged on the cool floor, fanning his shirt back and forth in an attempt to cool off. Kim saunters about, checking things out, and then joins him. They remain silent for a while, collecting their thoughts, Zak fanning away. Finally Zak decides it’s time to say something.
“We’re in deep shit,” he offers.
Kim looks him over, doing a double take.
“Oh, whoa there, bud! You’re the one in deep shit. The last time I checked nobody was shooting at me.”
“Yeah, well, maybe they should be.”
He reaches up and pulls a clip from her hair. Attached to it is the flash drive. He examines it deferentially, like it was something maybe worth fearing. She was going to bring it to Zak as long as Lee agreed to leave them alone. But that didn’t happen.
“Who do you think this Lee guy is?”
Zak stops the fanning.
“Yeah, I don’t know, but he has to be working for somebody other than the government. He’s certainly not the Security Service. I’m beginning to wonder.”
“What do you mean?”
“What if this guy who was attacked was somebody important, important enough that a lot of people were interested in what he was doing. Could be a bunch of people were trying to keep tabs on him. Who knows?”
“What do you mean? Like bad guys?”
He nods.
“Exactly! Like bad guys. Chinese bad guys.”
“Triads?”
He reaches up and brushes hair back from her face.
“What do you think?”
She starts in on her pad without answering. He knows better than to interrupt her kind of intensity.
“OK. I think I’ve got it. China bad guys coming up. Looking for experts. I would have to say most of them are in Hong Kong and Macau. The Triads are mostly based there but operate throughout the country. And the world. Ironic.”
“What?”
“Well, the Chinese communists cracked down hard on them in the 50’s and they went to Hong Kong, according to this. The crackdown in Hong Kong in the 90’s brought them back. Now, they have operations everywhere.”
“Why do I get the feeling that they are as much political and economic actors as they are criminals?”
“Well, you’d be right. And guess what?”
“What?”
“There’s an expert here in Beijing at the Police Academy.”
“You’re kidding? The Police Academy?”
Her head pivots.
“Ok, I get it. This is you being cute, huh?”
She shakes her head a little and looks back down.
“No, it’s called the Chinese People’s Public Security University, Beijing.”
“I hate to think what that sounds like in Chinese.”
“You have a point.”
Zak bows his head and lifts the bottom of his shirt to his face to wipe away the drying sweat.
“Gee, that’s gross Sparky.”
“Sorry to offend your feminine mystique.”
“Like I have one. Hey, guess what?”
“What Sherrie?”
“This place is just down the street.”
“It’s Karma.”
“No, it’s a sign.”
“Whatever. What’s this dude’s name?”
“Wu-pen Xu. He’s a prof.”
“Cool. Maybe we should call him. He may be just down the street but I doubt he’s just waiting for us to show up.”
Kim hands Zak her phone. It’s already turned on and he can hear it ringing through.
Zak gives her a reproving look. She returns it with an innocent smile.
“Hello. I’m calling for a Mr. Xu.”
There is a brief hesitation while an English speaker is found.
“Yes, you are looking for Mr. Xu?”
“That’s right. Is he in?”
“He is in class.”
“Oh.”
“But he will return to his office in a half hour.”
“Great. I am hoping Mr. Xu will speak with me and another student. We are graduate students at Tsinghua and it would be most helpful.”
“Xu is available to all students. I am sure he would be happy to be of assistance.”
“That would be very kind. We’ll be there shortly. Thank-you very much.”
Kim purses her lips and Zak kisses her.
Chapter 11