He casts a glance towards the exit doors. He throws his knife with force at Pole who ducks, but not quite fast enough. The blade opens a gash in his upper arm.
The man is now running towards the rows of seats that stand between him and the exit. He jumps the rows one after the other, gaining ground towards the automatic doors. The American follows with equal agility. The doors open into the night. They’re gone.
Pole’s hand is compressing the wound. Nancy has shaken herself into action. She finds a scarf in her rucksack, wrapping it around his arm. “You need a doctor.”
Pole shakes his head. “I need to find him first.”
Pole is already halfway to the doors. Nancy follows. When they come out, it’s almost over. The chase has taken both men onto the multi-lane exit roads where large buses pick up speed as they leave the terminal. The American has caught up with the gunman. The only way to escape is to cross the busy road.
The man dashes across near a bend in the road. A large bus emerges without warning. The man loses his balance and seeks a helping hand, terror in his eyes … the American steps back and watches, as he falls.
Nancy can’t help but close her eyes. The squealing brakes of the bus drown out the thud of body against metal. Pole is about to cross over but the American is already walking back towards them. Nancy is not quite sure whether she should acknowledge him or not.
“The police will be here shortly.” Jack says. “You should go.”
Nancy nods. She plunges a hand deep into her rucksack and hands over the sim card of a phone. He returns her nod and walks back towards the road where people have gathered to help or merely to watch.
Pole takes Nancy by the hand. They retrieve her bag from the arrivals hall and jump into a taxi just as the first police car arrives.
“His name is …”
“I know who he is.” Pole interrupts with a smile. Nancy doesn’t care how. She leans her head against his shoulder. This is home.
* * *
The morning was coming to an end. They had walked since breakfast all the way to Sky Court on top of the Peak, meeting Licot for a coffee before taking a cab to their next destination.
Licot had a surprise waiting for them he had discussed with Nancy on the way back from Chengdu … Amy was alive and well. She had first thought she’d misunderstood him. But she had learned in the few days she spent with him to trust him.
He was not keeping her against her will. He was offering the young woman protection against possible unwanted attention. Licot thought Amy had made herself vulnerable by investigating what had happened to Nancy’s father. Things were changing in Hong Kong and showing too much interest in well-know dissidents was not a welcome occupation.
Nancy had dropped by Philippe’s Hong Kong gallery to tell him the news. They had agreed to meet at Licot for a coffee and a reunion they had never hoped would come so swiftly.
But Amy was there, looking well if a little nervous. They had hugged each other, holding back a few tears. They would all soon be on their way to London. Pole and Nancy had left Licot’s flat for the last part of their journey, whilst the others were still enjoying their morning.
Nancy walked to the edge of the water and removed her shoes. She unravelled the loose piece of string that held the flowers together. She had bought the bunch of roses at the Mandarin Oriental and carried them all the way.
She entered the water, hardly noticing the coolness of the waves that lapped her shins. She dropped the flowers one by one into the sea, watching them drift away from the shore … all seven of them.
Tears rolled freely onto her cheeks. The soft breeze would dry them soon.
When the last of the roses had floated away, Nancy stepped back onto the beach, lighting three sticks of incense she stuck in the sand.
Pole had found a place to sit at the top of Big Wave Bay, waiting … he was in no hurry. Nancy made her way back towards him. When she reached him, he stood up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head and resting his chin on it.
“You don’t need to rush you know.”
Nancy nodded. “I’m ready to move on … I lost a friend. I gained a sister …”
“And a cause to fight for.”
She lifted her head, with an amused yet surprised smile. “I can’t hide anything from you.”
“You’ve done plenty of that, I believe.”
Nancy slid her arm around his waist and moved them along. “There were certain things I needed to do on my own.”
“Such as doing a little bit of moonlighting for the CIA in Chengdu?”
“I was not on my own.”
“So you said …”
They had reached the lane that led back to the road. Pole’s mobile was ringing. It was a message. He must have lost reception whilst sitting on the beach.
Pole listened and broke into a grin. “The Chinese and US governments have signed their co-operation agreement. Turner is on his way back to the US … The CIA is assembling a welcome committee.”
They stayed silent for a moment, savouring the news.
“So where to now?” Pole finally asked, his voice warm and mellow.
Nancy grabbed his hand and started running.
“Let’s explore the island and enjoy our free time before life throws up another impossible mystery.”
Dear Reader,
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