“What are you going to do with that document? EurAsia Enterprises is finished anyway.”
“I will probably go public and tell the true story of the company’s history. It will further discredit General Wong. He was attempting to acquire the company on his own, you know. Beijing was unaware of what he was doing. It will appear to them that he was straying even further towards capitalism. I will take over EurAsia Enterprises. There is still a powerful shipping organization in place there. I will rebuild it and make sure it stays legitimate. The important thing is that I have restored face with my ancestors. I have got back what belongs to my family. If nothing else comes of it, that alone is enough. Now, let us hurry if we are going to get you to Australia. I am anxious to repay you for your honourable act of courage today,”
“Let’s get one thing straight, Mr. Li,” Bond said. “You don’t owe me a bloody thing. You can talk all you like about honour, but let’s call a spade a spade. You’re nothing but a gangster, and I despise you and everything you stand for.”
“I feel the same way about you, Mr. Bond,” Li said with a wry smile. “Any business I have done with gweilo in the past was out of necessity. If I had ever been given a choice in the matter, I would not have done it. Your people came to our land and assumed control. It is now time for you to leave. I cannot say that I am sorry. But I must ask you to think about something. You must surely realize that if Hong Kong is to remain the capitalist money-maker in fifty years’ time that it is now, it will be up to the Triads to keep a check on the communists’ regulation of the territory’s economy. We will be the underground defence against human rights violations and any attempts to undermine the autonomy of Hong Kong.”
“You’re concerned with human rights? A man who peddles drugs and women? Spare me, please. I believe the Hong Kong people will do quite well on their own, Mr. Li. They are honest and hardworking. They will stand up to oppression.”
“You are correct, Mr. Bond. The Hong Kong people are among the world’s strongest. Yes, I have made money illegally. You and I believe in opposing creeds. We are from different cultures. Yet we are dedicated to our respective tenets, the doctrines that are our articles of faith, you might say. I would never betray mine, as you would never betray yours. I have killed men. So have you, Mr. Bond. Are we not a little alike? Are we not both men of honour? I may not like you, Mr. Bond, but I trust you. It may be foolish to say this, but I would trust you with my life. I want you to know that, from this point forward, you can trust me with yours.”
Bond shook the man’s hand. The grip was firm and strong. He said, “I appreciate what you’ve said. I can’t forget that you and I are enemies in principle, Li. That doesn’t mean, however, that you don’t have my … respect.” It was the strongest compliment Bond could manage.
ZERO MINUS FOUR: 27 JUNE 1997, 12:01 A.M.
Avoiding the immigration authorities once again, James Bond and Sunni Pei boarded Li Xu Nan’s private British Aerospace 125 Corporate 800B jet at Kai Tak Airport. As soon as it was in the air, a bomb exploded on one of the Star Ferries in Victoria Harbour. It had been placed in the machine room, and a hole was subsequently blown in the hull. The boat sank rapidly. Luckily, the ferry wasn’t crowded and most people made it on to life rafts or were able to grab lifebelts. Marine Police were magnificently efficient in responding to the incident in record time and saved the lives of everyone aboard. The only casualty was the boat itself. The Royal Hong Kong Police received three claims of responsibility within the hour, two of which were discounted as hoaxes. The third reportedly came from an anonymous caller in China. The message simply stated that the bombing was in retaliation for the murder of General Wong. However, the caller went on to say, since no lives were lost on the ferry, another attack somewhere in the colony was imminent.
EIGHTEEN
THE GOLDEN MILE
27 JUNE 1997, 10:30 A.M., WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth is the fastest-growing city in Australia, the capital of the largest and wealthiest state in the country. Western Australia, covering a third of the continent, is comprised of harsh, desolate expanses of the Great Sandy, Gibson, and Great Victoria deserts, caught between the Kimberley Plateau and the Nullarbor Plain—2 1\2 million square kilometres in total. Yet within all this space are a mere 1 1\2 million inhabitants, most of them in or around the relatively youthful city of Perth, located in the southwest coastal region.
Li Xu Wan’s private jet flew into Perth International Airport at mid-morning. It was a pleasant, sunny day. James Bond, with Sunni Pei at his side, had no problem with their counterfeit visas and passports. They passed through Immigration as John Hunter and Mary Ling, then went straight to the Hertz Rent-a-car counter. Bond asked for their best four-wheel drive. Li had even provided Bond with an American Express credit card in the name of John Hunter.
“It’s about a seven-hour drive to Kalgoorlie,” he said to Sunni. His backside was still sore, especially after the long flight, but the herbal treatment Li’s doctor had given him had worked wonders. Besides, Bond wanted the feel of driving on the open highway—it would do him more good than another plane flight.
“Oh, James,” she said. “This is going to be fun. I haven’t taken a road trip since I lived in California!”
“I imagine we’ll find a decent motel in Kalgoorlie, have a good dinner, and rest until early tomorrow. Then I’ll take a look at the EurAsia mining facility.”
“I’m going with you,” she said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight anymore.”
Bond wasn’t sure he wanted her along while he was working. Instead of replying, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. She looked fresh, rested, and very pretty. She was wearing a white blouse with the lower buttons undone and the bottom tied in a knot, exposing her pierced navel. Her blue-jean cutoffs were short, exposing the full length of her splendid legs. As they walked through the airport, Bond noticed other men turning their heads to look at her. He had known many beautiful women in his lifetime, but Sunni was surely one of the most striking.
As for Bond, he had dressed for the warmer climate in a shortsleeved, light blue polo shirt, and navy blue trousers. Although sitting for long periods of time was still uncomfortable, Bond felt 100 per cent better. The mysterious concoction of herbs and ointments which Li’s Chinese doctor had used had been remarkably effective, although he had been extremely sceptical at first. He thought that when he returned to London he might seek out a doctor who practised Chinese herbal medicine.
Hertz provided Bond with a 1995 Suzuki Vitara wagon. It wouldn’t have been his first choice, but it would do. It was a red hard-top, twodoor, short wheel base affair with a part-time four-wheel drive and a 5m/4a transmission. Bond didn’t plan on going “off-road,” as they called it in Australia, as there was a paved highway all the way to Kalgoorlie.
It was lovely country for the first half of the trip, as the land around the vicinity of Perth was rich and fertile. Once they were past Northam, things began to dry out. Even in June, a winter month in Australia, it was quite warm. The scenery turned to golden brown, and Bond felt they had entered an entirely different country. This was the desert, and it wouldn’t do to be stranded on the highway. They had bought a supply of drinking water, and he personally checked out the tyres and running condition of the Vitara before starting out.