Calculated by Nova McBee

Author:Nova McBee [McBee, Nova]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781953944009
Publisher: Wise Wolf Books
Published: 2021-02-11T06:00:00+00:00

It’s dark by the time Kai appears. He’s back in slacks and a dark gray button down. We spend ten minutes exchanging thanks, goodbyes, bows, and plans to meet again. It feels like an eternity.

Finally, we get to the car. Kai presses an automatic lock and I hop in.

Before he’s seated, I blurt out, “Can we take a drive? What about the port?”

It’s dark, but I put on my sunglasses and wrap a scarf around my head. Kai gives me a funny look.

“Sure,” he says, gauging my expression. The car roars to life.

As we drive, Kai shares the local history. “It’s an ancient town. Old legends from Song Dynasty. That’s how the town got its name. Used to be the old port town, until the delta eroded most of the coast. Go west a bit and you can see a few stone structures at the old port.” He’s ignorantly describing the Pratt. If only the government knew the old barracks had underground catacombs and what they were being used for.

I nod in silence. I could tell him more, but I don’t.

“The new port is as big as 500 hundred soccer fields,” he spouts off. Then he surprises me with information I’m not expecting. “The old port is private property now. A man named Yu Chen owns it.”

“Yu?” I say. “I thought a man named King owned it.”

“Maybe. There was a land dispute after an incident in the town. Yu, the real owner disappeared, and the claim was withdrawn. If it was sold, the deed was never registered.”

“How do you know so much about this place?” I ask, making a mental note to locate the real owner.

“My father. He followed everything that went on here.”

“Why is he so interested in Song Valley?”

“Don’t know. He hates it here. Claims gangsters live here.” He shrugs it off with a laugh. “I am not sure where he gets that stuff.”

It’s official. Chan hasn’t told him about the Pratt. That’s a relief.

We arrive at the port gate. Kai rounds the corner slowly and stops the car.

“I know someone who works here.” I point to the port, even though my eyes are on the small road leading to the warehouse. “Mind if I hop over to say hello?”

“What? Like a friend?” he says.

“Shocked?” I say playfully. Friend is definitely not the right word. But I don’t want him involved.

Kai looks like he’s about to object to me walking around in the dark, but his phone rings. By the way his voice changes and eyebrows raise, it’s an important one.

“Give me fifteen minutes?” I say in a low voice. He nods reluctantly, pointing to the phone as if telling me it will be awhile. Perfect.

Besides, I’m just going to have a peek first. I’ll rely on my calculations. Safe to go—low odds of danger—I’ll proceed. Not safe—retreat.

I hop out of the car and walk around to the back hatch. There’s a small puddle there, so with my boots I kick up a bit of mud and cover the license plate.

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