hegraybrixsuicasewasnexocaldwell’slefleg,sandwichedbeweenhimandhesameoldcouplehehadopenedheelevaordoorsforearlierheoldmanhadagssylook,whileheolddyappearedobeassharpasheycameherhairwasjebck,suggesingsomekindofdyejobormedicalprocedurehaheldgrayhairsincheckcaldwellcouldjusabouseeheinyouchscreenonhesuicasehegreenlighhaindicaedhahecasewaslockedonoisownerwasblinkingherewasaogglebuononhebrix’ouchscreenharead:manualcaldwellprayedhahislefhandwasnovisiblefromwherehebikergirlwassandinghepressedhebuononhescreengenlywihminimalmovemeninhisshoulder

heelevaorsoppedab2heoldcouplewalkedslowlyouinoanundergroundparkingloheolddywaspushingheluggagecarsheurnedroundandgavecaldwellookhasaidshehopedhecouldgehimselfouofhiscurrenpredicamenheoldboylookedashoughhehadforgoenwhereheyparkedhecarcaldwellrealizedhab3washenexandsbasemenfloorhehadomovefas

helighonhebrixwasnowred,heogglebuonreadauomaiccaldwellhankedgodforsimpleuserinerfacesandhefachahebrix’scameraandissca

ingdevicewerefacingheoherway,owardshefamilyhepressedheauomaicbuonhecamerapoppedupquielyiookasnapshoandheserdidheswipehingofhelilechineseboy

“lookdad,”heboysaidincanonese,poiningahesuicasehebikergirlwhippedherheadaround,hemuzzleofhegunsillpressingpainfullyinocaldwell’sribcageheserhaddisappearedandilookedlikeshecouldn’seehecamera

“wha,son?mayea?”hefaheraskedincanonese

“ohnohing,”heboyrepliedcaldwellhankedgodforlimiedaenionspansassoonasheserdisappearedheboyhadlosinereshegreenlighwasonagainhebrixhadalockonheboy

helifsoppedab3hedoorsopenedhegirlgrabbedcaldwell’sarm,signalingohimolehechinesefamilygooufirsheyseppedouofhelifonebyoheboywassasheseppedou,hebrixsaredfollowinghimhebikergirl’seyesopenedwidewihsurpriseshelungedouofheelevaor,ryingograbhehandleofhebrixshehadnowayofknowingifheconsolewasinhisknapsackorinhesuicasehawasherbiggesmisake

caldwellwisedhisbodyandviolenlysmmedheimposor’sarmagainshesideofheelevaordoorsshescreamedinagonyasherelbowmadeconacwihhemeallicedgeofhedoorshergunslidohefloorheelevaordoorswereclosingagainbeforeshecouldurnaroundcaldwell’slegwasalreadyinmoionimadeconacwihherleaherpaddedmidriffandshewenflyingouinoheparkinglohefamilysoodhereransfixed,lookingahegunonhefloorascaldwellmadeagrabforihesu

edgirlwasgeingupherewasasoundofru

ingfoosepsingfromhelefofhecarparkbuhewassafehelifdoorsclosed

caldwelljabbednervouslyaheb2buonandallheoherbuonsrighupohedeparureloungeheimposor’sinsincswouldbeoguesshahewouldheadforhedeparureloungeandryominglewihhecrowds,findhehydraagensorheadouoheaxisandsousidehearrivalsareaherinsincswouldbewronghewasalreadyryingosecondguesshemovesofheohergirlinleaher,osensiblyhereagenhsuhehadnoicedfromhesignwhenheyfirsgoinohelifhahemoorcycleparkinglowasonb1hewasguessinghaassoonashereagenhsusawheelevaordoorscloseshe’dheadforhermoorcycleonb1,readyogivechaseiwasalongshobuiwouldhaveodohefemaleimposorwasprobablyjapanese,hemoorcyclegearnohingbuaneboraedisguiseforhejapanesegirloimpersonaehereagenhsuhehydraagenshadnoseenhroughheruse

caldwellguessedhaheyakuzaprobablyhadsomekindofminivanwihdarkenedwindowsidlingsomewhereinheparkinglo,waiingforhegirndhewojapaneseiwasayakuzahing,hemoreinimidainghevehiclehebeeragenhsu,herealone,wasprobablyhisverymomenbelingidownonherbikeohelowerlevelsandifhishunchwascorrecshewouldjusaboubearrivingonb2

heelevaordoorsopenedonb2caldwellseppedouofheelevaorexpecingohearherevvingsoundofamoorcycleengineallhecouldhearwasadisanwhinelikehesoundofhosedriverlessrainsharansporedpassengersbeweenerminalsainernaionairporshenhesrangeslookingvehiclecamescreamingroundhecornerfromheleveboveiwasaswideashreemoorcyclespcedsidebysideandhegirlwhowasprobablyagenhsuwasoniorwasihejapaneseimposor?iwashardoellhevehiclewascuinghroughheairdefyinghewsofgraviyhegirlspoedcaldwelndhevehiclecameoanabruphalfourexhauslikesquareubesunfurledvericallyandbsedawholeloofdusawayfromheconcreefloor

“quickhopon,”heriderinsruced

caldwellsillwasnosurewhichgirliwasbuheookachanceherewasenoughspacebehindhegirlforhreepeopleosionebehindheohercaldwelljumpedaboardhevehicle,whichhenoicedwashoveringaleashreeinchesoffhegroundandsheflooredibeforehe’devengoonproperlyanddidasharpuurnalmosonhespocaldwellbarelyhadimeoregainhisbancebeforehegirlshobackuphewindingu

elhevehiclecuacrossawholeloofcars,mosofhemelecricmodels,andafewvehicleswihhewordpolicewrienonhemheywereskimminghecurvedu

elsallhewayoheexihebikehingflewouinoheopenairandhenexhingcaldwellknew,heywereousideheadingforheairporhighwaywihhesunbeaingdownuponhemlikesomeonemessedwihhehermosaofaradiaorandurnedionoohigh

“suninwiner?”caldwelskedoveragenhsu’sshoulderasheybeledidownhehighwayleavingarailofluxuryelecricsandhybridsinheirwakeifanyonewasfollowinghem,heywouldhaveahardimecachingupheroadlookedlikesomebodyhadempiedallhecarshowroomsinnewchinaonoinoneofhecarslookedlikeheyweremorehanafewyearsoldandmoswereheesmodelswihbodypanelshachangedcolorlikechameleonsandchangedshapeoachievebeeraerodynamicsherewereafewsporsmodels,whichheycouldn’machforspeed,sleekbulleshapedphallicsymbolshacuhroughhelighrafficleavingheohersbehindhegirlwasdoingagoodjobofkeepingup

“youbeerbelieveiyouhavenoideahowcloseyoucameoahorribledeah,”shesaid,swoopingdownlowsohaifheyakuzaweregivinghechaseheywouldn’bevisibleshesoundeddifferenfromheohergirlshehadabriishaccenwihaslighraceofmandarincaldwellfoundhervoicesrangelyforing

“rusmeibelieveiwha’shecodeword?”

“perfecvision2020,”hegirlsaidwihouskippingabea

“howcouldhoseagenshavebeensox?”

“noheirfaulwegenerallydon’haveanyproblemswihdropoffsusuallyhecodeisgoodenoughaheairporjusincaseherearemunicaioninercepiondevicesorcamerasakingphoographshejapanesegeuseveryimewihhedisguisesuffhey’vemaseredioaeeapparenlyheyareevengrowingidenicalcopiesofenemyagensinbshesedaysofcoursehisjushappensahehigheslevelsofhebiziissilloocosly”

“soha’swhaiam,adropoff?growingcopiesofagens?sohagirlcouldhavebeenacopyofyou?”

“unlikelyforsuchalowprofilekidnapjobhaexpinswhyshekepherhelmeoniwasdeyedbywhainowknowwasaprankcallpurporingobefromhq”

“youknowwhaheywan,righ?”

“iguessheywanedheconsolebunowheyknowyouarehereheyalsowanyoudead”shesaidhisinaverymaeroffacwayherbckhairwassreamingoubehindherandcaldwellwasgeingafairbiofiinhisfacehesmelloffloralshampoobroughbackrecenlyacquiredmemoriesheyweresillousidehongkongisndproperandherewasalooffamiliarlookinggreenery

“ilosmybrix,”caldwellsaid

“don’worryabouihere’snohinginherehawillhelphemorhayoucan’geinhongkong”

“buigomyselfagun”

sheurnedaroundbriskly,aswirlofbckhairandgrayeyes,bushewasooquickforhimoseeherfaceproperlyhroughhevisor

“wheredidyougeha?”agenhsuasked

“fromhegirlyourimpersonaor”

“goodoseeyouareakingcareofyourselfalready”

“fromwhaiheard,you’reheonewho’sgoingobeakingcareofme

herlihebodyensedupandshesaidnohingasheybsedhroughau

endemergedafewminuessmackbanginoaciyscapehablewhismind

inaweirdkindofwayhongkongfellikehomehememoriescamefloodingbackbuheycouldn’machhepanoramicvisaofgss,seendconcreehaexpandedbeforehiseyesasheysloweddowninoheavierrafficalohadchangedoverheyearshamuchwasclearhebuildingssillsoaredinohecloudsandweredenselypackedalongheharbormanyofhemwerenew,hegssandseelsymbolsofnewchina’seconomicmighherewasagrandeurohemhabeaanyhinghongkonghadpreviouslybeenfamousforhesebuildingweresymbolsofglobaldominanceheopsofmosofhemwereinvisible,melinginohecloudslikehesickincandyfloss

“wha’shahugebuildingwihhewindowcleaningrobosclimbinguphesides?”caldwelskedagenhsuasheywovehroughwhawasrapidlybeingarafficjam

“haishenewbankofnewchinabuildinghosearenowindowcleaningbosheyaremainenancebosmakingnanoscalerepairsoheexeriorofhebuilding”

heysoppedanelecricvanwasoocloseocarsinheohernecaldwellookheopporuniyolookbehindhemherewasnohingunowardhappeninghenoicedhasomeofhecarsweredriverlessmercedesbenzscssmodels

“hosedon’eouinheunionforaleasanoherfiveyears”

“well,hisishongkonghingsmovealongveryfashere,excepforraffic”

“yeah,icanseehahesehingshelphoughwhaarehey?”

“hoverbykesinvenedbyapanyinnewchinacurrenlybeingesedbyenforcemenagencieshereandinshanghaihehongkonggovernmenhasgivenspecialpermissionandreleasedanewordinancehisishefirsimehahoveringvehicleshavebeenusedonpublicroadsanywhereinheworld”

“coolhardodrive?”caldwellwassurprisinghimselfgeingouofhedepressingunionhadmellowedhimousomewhahewasacuallyhavingaconversaionandnohaingi

“i’seasierhanridingamoorcycle,ha’sforsurebasically,youhavewopedalsoneoneihersidelefpedaldeceleraes,righpedacceleraeshibohpedalssimulaneouslyhevehicleesoresi’salmosinsananeoushehrussjuscanceleachoherou”

“whaabouonheseeringbar?hoselooklikeamoorcycle’sacceleraor”

“heseacuallyconrolhedirecionofhehruserspushbohforwardandhehruserspoinbackwardsandholdinhaposiionpushbackabouhalfwayandyoucanbasicallyhoverwihheelecricenginesillrevvingpushallhewaybackandhehruserspoinallhewayforwardallowingyouoesseniallyridebackwards”

“canyougosraighupwards?”

“youcanyoujusoverridehehoverwihhisredbuonhereherearesricwsagainsionpublicroadshoughhesehingswerenodesignedobeusedinhawaysafeyordinance”

“iseesowherearewegoing?”

“hemansion,hydrahqinshekoha’shesouhsideofhongkongisndi’saloquieer,awayfromallhis”agenhsu’shelmenoddedowardsoningraffic

“iremembershekohere’sabeach,”caldwellsaid,vaguememoriesofweekendsinshekorising

“righgdohearyouhaven’forgoeneveryhing,”shesaidcaldwellhoughhedeecedanoeofsarcasminhervoice”

“ha’salongsory”

“heyalwaysare”

hesreeswerebrimmingwihpeopleheywereonhewalkways,hepavemensandhealleys,hesreesjampackedwihreailsignageinenglishandchineseheywerevisiblehroughhundredsofcorporaeofficewindowshawenvericallyupwardsasfarasheeyecouldseehedifferencebeweencorporaedronesinhongkongandhoseinheunionwashaheoneshereseemedmuchmoreinconrolofheirlivesandheirdesiniesherewasaspringinhesepofhepeopleinhesreehesreeswerealivewihadeerminedhumaniyacivelygoingabouhebusinessofacquiringwealhaanycos

“energeicpceisn’i?”

heywereonhemoveagainandpickingupspeedasheygoonagianfreewaycaldwellhadneverseensomanycorporaelogosinhislifealmoseveryoherbuildinghadoneandhundredsofhemwerebuilinohebarrenhillsofhepeakanighheciymusbespecacur,caldwellhoughhevaguelyrecalleddazzlingbrighlighsandanarrayofcolorsfillinghenighsky

“hongkonghasalwaysbeenhaway,evenmoresonowhepeopleherearesomeofhemosadapableinheworldyoushouldknowyouwerebornhere”

heyoverookawholesringofmercedesvehiclesandabunchofhosemorphingbullesporscarsagenhsuwaschewinguphugechunksofheciyaanarmingraecaldwellheldoncloselyoherrimleaherboundbody

“beenreadingmyfilehaveyou?byheway,whaisyourfirsname?iamnogoingocallyouagenhsuduringhisenireripi’snoheeasiessurnameopronounceeiher,”hejoked

“anighheciyesalivelikeachrismasree,”shesaidignoringhisaempobeefamiliarmaybehewasbeingooforwardherewasawholeloadofchineseeiqueehaheneededorelearnquickly

“hey,didn’meanobesoforwardandwaskiddingabouhename”

“wellifyoumusknowmrcaldwell,henameismeilinhsumeilin”sheraisedhervisorandurnedaroundforhefirsimecaldwellgoagoodlookaherfacehealmosfelloffhehoverbykewihshock