hebckhybridrangeroverexplodedouofhegaesofhemansionlikeanenragedbullchargingaamaadormeilinhadiguzzlingfuelbecauseiaeupmoreroadhaway,sheexpinedocaldwellonlyheelieofhongkongcouldaffordokeephybridsonheroadhesedaysasheaxonhybridvehicleswasdoublehaofelecricsandbohperonddieselwereseverelyraionedwihpricesomachheywereryingohiownbeforelunchimeasmeilinreckonedhawasprobablyhebesimeobreachhenexfaciliyalunchimeguardsweredown,awarenesswaslowassaffconcenraedongeingagoodsquaremealoseehemhroughheafernooncaldwelndmeilin,onheoherhand,wereskippinglunch

“yougeaquoaeverymonhonceyou’veusediup,ha’siifyoudon’usei,idoesn’carryoverohenexmonh,”sheexpined

“simiroheunion,excephahehybridaxisalomorepuniiveha’sifyoucangealicense,”caldwellobservedpensively

herangeroverscreechedoahalasaseofemporaryrafficlighsurnedredasecionofoningnehadbeenblockedoffayellowelecronicsignwihanamberdomarixdispyonabckbackgroundread“mainenanceworksinprogress”heywaiedasoningraffichreadedroundheroadworksandglidedpasheirvehiclesomeofhedriverssaredaherangeroverwonderingwhoonearhcouldaffordorunahybridwihheengineidlingaarafficligh

heemporaryrafficlighurnedamber,hengreenmeilinhihegasandhehugecarinchedforwardherewasasilvermercedesscsselecricinheopposiehedriverwasappinghishandsonheseeringwheelasheydrovepas,caldwellookalookahedriverhisfacewaspariallyobscuredbyherearviewmirrorcaldwell’saenionurnedohefronpassengeranuglymaskofbaeredfeauressaredsraighbackahimheeyeswidenedindisbelief,hewisedmouhanearperfeczeroofsurprisehedisfiguredyakuza’shandswenupandhegesuredwildlyinheirdirecioniwasheyakuzaheaviesfromheunion

herangeroversurgedforwardleavingherafficbehindcaldwelllookedinherearviewmirrorhesilvermercedeswasdoingauurnandcuingoffoningraffichornsbrednoisilymeilinhadnoicedallhiswihouakinghereyesoffheroadshesenheacceleraorcrashinghroughhefloorofhevehicle

herangeroverhuggedhebendlikeagreyhound,hepowerfulenginepurringwihheefforhesmellofburnrubberfilledheairashecarmaneuveredoneofhenumeroushairpinbendshapgueddriversonhewindingshekoroadscaldwellcheckedherearviewmirroragain

“heyareclosingin,”hewarned

“juswhawedon’neediakeihosearehewojapaneseyouencouneredinlondon”

“oneandhebloodysame,”caldwellsaidwihexasperaion

onceagainhecheckedherearviewmirrorhemercedeswasmakingaloofgroundheirrangerover,eveninfuelmode,wasnomachforiluckilyherangeroverwasbuillikeaankandwouldgivehemercedesarunforismoneyshouldheyakuzaaemporunhemoffheroadonhissrechofroad,wihisbendsandissheerdrops,iwaspossibleodieinanynumberofwayswihouanyonenoicing

“iknewhiswasabadidea,”meilinsaid

she’dbarelyspokenwhenhemercedesscrapedheirailherangeroversurgedforwardandveereddangerouslyoheopposiene,barelymissingawodooroyoaelecricgoingheopposiewayhedriverofheoyoabeepedinangerashecardisappearedinhedisanceherewasyeanoherbend,whichmeili

egoiaedwihheighesofmarginsherangerover’slefsiderolledoffherocksashemercedesmovedupswiflyohepassengersideofheirvehiclecaldwellgncedsidewaysandsawhedisfiguredjapaneseman’swindowwindingdownsuddenly,heyakuzawhippedupasubmachinegunandsprayedhebackofherangeroverwihafewburssherewasahollowsoundashebullesbouncedoffhebulleproofbody

caldwelndmeilinduckedinsincivelycaldwellrecognizedhesoundofhegunihadprobablybeenparofhisearlyrainingahydraanewgeneraionuzi,madeinisrael,evoluionofheoriginaldesignbymajoruzielgal,developedaferhearabisraeliwarof1948,basedonczechandsoviesubmachinegunsheoriginalwas650mmlongwihfoldingsockanda10inbarreliweighed82or841bandfired600roundsperminuehisonecouldprobablyspiouhousandsofroundswihevengreaerprecisioncaldwelldidnorecalleverbeingabigfanofmachineguns,allhosebullesandnoconrol

meilinseppedonheacceleraorhecarshoforwardaidedbyhesuddenseepdesceninoheeasernparofhongkongknownaschaiwanheywerenowonaspiralflyoverwihverylileinhewayofsidebarriersokeepacarspi

ingouofconrolonheroadhemercedessurgedforwardooiwasnowsiingrighonherangerover’sbumpermeilinhiaredbuonbesideheseeringwheelherangeroverpulledawaylikearockeakingoffsomekindofnirodeal

“wehaveolosehemquicklygeinginoagunfighinhecenerofownisaverybadidea,”meilingasped

hemercedeswasseppinguphepaceissuperiorenginewasrespondingquicklyandefficienlymeilinsuddenlysmmedonhebreakscaldwellquicklycoonedonoherployashesawheelecricparknshopdeliveryvanapproachinginheopposieneshewasbeinghahiinghebreakssuddenlywouldcausehedriverofhemercedes,oswerveinsincivelyiwasariskybeashejapaneseseemedbenonforcinghemoffheroadhegiganicskyscrapershaformedhongkong’sskylinewerealreadyinvieheyakuzainsincivelyswervedinoheopposieneandploughedheadoninoheparknshopvehiclecaldwellfelhewhipshravellhewayuphisspinemeilinhadbeenbeerpreparedforiheurnedroundoseehaheenirenoseofhemercedeshadbeencrushedunderhefronofhevanherewassmokesreamingfromhefronofhecarhedisfiguredyakuzawashefirsosumbleouofhewreckedcarhisfacewascoveredinblood

heysayedsilenasherangeroverhiheeasernexpresswayandheadedsraighdowninocenral,bypassingheshoppingparadiseofcausewaybay,henighlifeofwanchaiandhebusinessdisricofadmiralycaldwelndmeilinbreahedasighofreliefenminueserheywerebeingshuneddownwardsbyacreakingcarlifinoheundergroundcarparkofnexower

meilinfoundasecludedparkingsponofarfromheservicelifs

“sowhaishepn?iwassomehowhopingyou’llbeableoellmeonhewaydownbuiguessheyakuzahaveawayofspoilingabriefing,”meilinsaidshewassillbreahingheavily

“nicedrivingmeiliniwouldhavebeenoallyuseless”

“noexaclyheimeformodesy”

“fairenoughwhakindofinformaioncanyougewihhisaugmenedrealiyuni?”caldwelskedpoiningaheinysilverwearablearuniwihmachinggsses

“sandarddaaonmajorbuildingsandsreesoccasionallyyougearsignposs,whichyoucanapformoredeailsindefaulmodehedaaesfromhecenralhongkonggovernmendaabaseandisransmiedonaprohibiedspecrum”

“ok,ha’sexaclywhaiwasbeingonnow,ifirecall,buildingmanagemensysemsinhongkongareallpuerizedandhandledbyanindependenpanyunderconracrigh?”

“correckaishingisheoldesandbiggesonealsomanagesmosofhenewerbuildings”

“andbuildingmanagemenpaniesarenooriousfornobeingallhasecuriyconscious,righ?”

“rue”

“andheyypicallyhaveineraciveelecronicblueprinsofbuildingsinheirsysemwihanarinerface?”

“correcechniciansusehemwhenheyareperformingmainenanceha’showheyknowwhichfloorogooandwhichsecionofheceilingorflooringheyneedoopenupwhaareyougeinga?”

“iwanyouohackkaishing,makeacopyofheirblueprindaabaseandbeamiwirelesslyfromherangerover”

“brillianidea,buoneproblemwiseguy”

“wha?”

“weareundergroundhesignalisgoingobeooweak”

“ah,righyou’llhaveoparkherangeroveragroundlevelnearheenranceherearelosofcarsparkedhereiisaworkingday”

“okhearunihassomerudimenarywowaymunicaionsonapublicfrequencywecanusehaomunicaeiwouldn’sayonioolongasanysecuriyguards,copsorhamradionerdinheviciniyisgoingopickuphesignalsooneroreraanyraeicanbeamexmessagesoyoulongwihheblueprindaa,”shesaid

“good”caldwellpuonhegssesandclippedhearuniohisbelhedispyreadnexower,no8queensroad,cenralhesignalwasweakandlookedlikeimighdieouaanymomen

“howlongbeforeyou’llbebeaming?”

“sayfiveminuesunlessofcourseiurnsouhakaishingdoesnomanagenexowerorheyusehardcopyblueprinsormyhackingskillsarenoupopar”

“unlikelyhisishongkongaferalli’sechnologyhubexraordinaire”

“i’dsayheoddsareonoursideakecare”

herewasalookinhereyeshawasnooodifferenfromhelookshehadinhismemorieswhensheboardedhano8busallhoseyearsagocaldwellseppedouofherangeroverandwalkedowardshelifshebumperahebackofherangeroverhadbeenknockedcleanoff