False Horizon - Alex Archer [52]
“Tell me.”
“The woman’s real name is Hsu Xiao. She is what is known as a Black Pole.”
“I’m not familiar with that term.”
“Most people aren’t. The term itself derives from Red Pole, which in Chinese Tongs is an enforcer. The leg breakers. If you owe them money and don’t pay, the Red Pole pays you a visit.”
“I see.”
“Hsu Xiao doesn’t break legs. She kills. She is—according to my sources, anyway—one of the most highly adept assassins in this part of the world. Her skills are highly prized.”
Tuk was alarmed. “It didn’t much appear that Tsing prized her lethal charms all that much.”
“That’s because Tsing doesn’t know what her true nature is. She has concealed it from him.”
“Why would she do that? Is she going to kill him?”
“No, I don’t think she is. If she were going to kill him, she would have done so already. She’s had plenty of opportunity to do so and hasn’t yet acted. This leads me to believe her real target isn’t Tsing at all.
“Then who? Which person would Chinese organized crime want to kill?”
“Well, that’s the other thing I discovered. She’s not working with any form of Chinese organized crime.”
“Then who is she working for?”
“The Communist Chinese government in Beijing. Hsu Xiao is a high-level operative for the intelligence service. She works exclusively in covert operations, liquidating targets of opportunity that her government deems acceptable.”
Tuk’s stomach ached. “It still doesn’t explain why she would be at Tsing’s penthouse. Who would she be after and why would she be there?”
“I’m not quite sure yet.” The man paused. “I have another question to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“How are the people there?”
Tuk smiled. “They’re absolutely marvelous. It’s like one big family here. My parents rule this kingdom and I am apparently the heir to the throne.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Needless to say, I’m a bit overwhelmed by the entire affair, as you can imagine.”
The man laughed a little. “Yes, yes, I can see how you would be. I would urge you to be careful, however.”
“Why is that?”
“Because Hsu Xiao is no longer in Katmandu.”
Tuk frowned. “Then where in the world is she?”
“That, my friend, is the problem. No one seems to know where she is. She has quietly and subtly gone to ground and vanished. I don’t know if she was recalled to Beijing or if she is somewhere close by.”
Tuk shook his head. “Well, why would she be interested in me, anyway? I’ve had no interaction with her or her superiors. I shouldn’t even be on their radar. I’m insignificant to them.”
“Are you really?”
“Of course.”
“Perhaps Hsu Xiao was positioned near Tsing for the purpose of discovering the location of Shangri-La. It’s no surprise that the Chinese government has long sought to strengthen its grip on this region. When it took over Tibet in the fifties, it made no pretext about its ambitions to squash the spiritual kingdoms in this area of the world since it saw them as an affront to Communism.”
Tuk gulped. “You think Shangri-La might come under attack?”
“I’m not saying it could, but I’m also not going to lie to you and say it won’t happen.”
“This is all so bizarre,” Tuk said. “I felt positive the outside world could be kept at bay.”
“I doubt that very much, Tuk. It would only be a matter of time before your kingdom is discovered. And you wouldn’t be able to count on anyone for assistance. Especially if the Chinese enter with a big enough force to seize control and eradicate anyone they don’t approve of.”
“Eradicate?”
“Your people might become extinct, Tuk.”
“My God.”
“Are you aware of what side of the border you’re on right now?”
“You mean the Nepali or Tibetan?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I don’t know.”
“Here’s the deal. You’re in an area of Nepal that juts into Tibetan territory. It’s like a middle finger in the face of the Chinese. They would like nothing better than to simply take that finger and break it in half by annexing the entirety of Mustang. And they would certainly have