Chapter 3

It was over.

That was my first thought.

No network. No road out. I could not leave for forty-eight hours.

Using a chopstick, I lifted the edge of the bedroom curtain just enough to peer through.

Uncle Trần and his grocery stall were gone.

Several small stalls had taken their place. Their owners seemed far less interested in customers than in glancing toward the house.

I was being watched.

I forced myself to think calmly.

First, I could not simply make a run for it.

I did not know the area. They had prepared well in advance. I had no idea how many accomplices were outside.

But why had they replaced Tu Dã and gone to so much trouble to get close to me?

I was an ordinary office worker.

What could they possibly want from me?

Unless Tu Dã had something.

Evidence against the Myanmar syndicate, perhaps. Or some secret. They suspected I knew and wanted to draw it out of me.

A wild idea flashed through my mind.

Whatever they wanted might also be my opening.

I had to take the initiative.

I called the impostor over to count the wedding money with me.

Partway through, I spoke as though the thought had just occurred to me.

“Darling, when we get home, let’s put this in the safe. It can be our renovation fund.”

Two lies in one.

We had agreed to live in my current home. It needed no renovation.

And we had no safe.

I tried to keep my voice casual, though cold sweat already soaked my back.

His counting paused almost imperceptibly.

“The safe?”

He had taken the bait.

My heart nearly leaped out of my chest.

“Yes, the one where you keep your documents.”

A gleam appeared in his eyes.

But he was cautious. His answer was deliberately vague.

“Wouldn’t keeping money there be a nuisance?”

“So you do know it’s a nuisance,” I complained. “You put in a secret compartment to hide things, pay for everything in cash and keep talking about leaving no traces. I can’t even be bothered to complain anymore. This isn’t Myanmar. You don’t have to be that careful all the time.”

He found an excuse to go outside and make a call.

When he returned, he had the car keys.

“Shall we drive home now?”

I looked surprised and glanced at the dark sky outside.

“How? Didn’t you say the mudslide blocked the road? It’s dangerous.”

“The village chief says there’s another track. With your job so busy, you can’t stay out of contact forever.”

He could barely hide his excitement.

Without giving me a chance to refuse, he pulled me to my feet.

“We’re leaving now.”

Rain poured down, obscuring the road ahead.

I planned to use the opportunity to escape.

When I got into the car, I deliberately left my seat belt unfastened.

He noticed immediately and leaned across.

Our eyes met. I shivered despite myself.

“Đóa Đóa. You always follow the rules, even in the back seat. What’s wrong with you today?”

I could barely sit still.

The track was rough and winding. He drove hard, and as we rounded a bend, a rear wheel sank into the mud.

He glanced at me.

“Get me the wheel wrench.”

The wind nearly tore the umbrella away the moment I opened the door.

He crouched beside the wheel. I gripped the wrench, my heart in my throat.

I knew I would get only one chance.

If I missed it, there would not be another.

He snatched the wrench from me. As he turned away, I pulled the hammer hidden at the back of my waistband and swung at his head with all my strength.

A thud.

I knew I had hit him.

Yet he stood up calmly, apparently unhurt.

“Well, well. You finally worked it out. What gave me away?”

His voice was mocking, his eyes venomous.

The gentle disguise was gone.

I turned to run. He knocked me to the ground.

Pain shot through my body.

He pinned me down and closed both hands around my throat.

Muddy water flooded my nose. My vision darkened. With the last of my strength, I asked, “What... did you do to him...”

“Still thinking about your man when you’re about to die? Want to know where Chu Tu Dã is? Trade me his secret.”

He bent close, his breath foul with the smell of rainwater.

“Tell me. What did he leave you? Hand it over and I might let you live.”

Even as he coaxed me, his grip tightened.

I struggled, tears streaming down my face.

Just as my vision began to fade, my hand finally found the small knife in my cargo pocket.

I swung up and drove it into his abdomen.

“Bitch!”

The blade sank deep. His hands loosened.

I seized the moment, rolled down the slope and ran blindly.

Wind and rain swallowed Chu Tu Dã’s shouts.

I did not dare stop.

Somewhere in the downpour I lost my shoes. Sharp stones sliced my bare feet bloody.

I was growing dangerously cold, nearly unable to go on, when a figure burst from the undergrowth.

A man in black.

He clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me into cover.

“Shh. Don’t make a sound.

“I’m Tu Dã’s captain. I’m here to rescue you.”

He introduced himself as Hứa Vĩ, Chu Tu Dã’s immediate superior.

His voice matched the man on the phone, and he carried official identification.

Was I safe?

Still reeling with fear, I could hardly believe it.

“But... how did you know I was here? Isn’t the signal down?”

“The files you promised never arrived. I was afraid something had happened and came immediately. If you couldn’t use the main road, this track was the only alternative. I found the abandoned car and followed the trail to you.”

At last, some of the tension eased.

“What about Tu Dã? Where is he?”

“It’s complicated. We’re not safe here. Let’s get somewhere secure. I’ll explain on the way.”

Hứa Vĩ was an experienced field operative. He could find his bearings from the way the trees and wild grass grew.

I followed him through the forest.

“The syndicate leaders staged a car crash to fake their deaths and escape. Tu Dã discovered their plan. That’s how he got into trouble.”

My heart sank. I seized his arm.

“How... how is he now?”

“He should be in a safe house. Don’t worry. Once he goes in, contact is one-way. We have to wait for him to reach out. Meanwhile, you must take good care of whatever he gave you. That’s the key to bringing them down.”

I felt as though I had been struck over the head.

“What... did you say?”

Thinking the rain had drowned him out, he repeated himself.

“They may have a mole inside our organization. It’s safer for you to keep it.”

My blood slowly turned to ice.

I had nothing.

And during the call, I had never told him that I did.

The man in front of me was the impostor’s accomplice.

Which meant my escape had been part of their plan.

Give me hope at the moment of greatest despair, then let me volunteer every secret.

The rain soaked through my clothes.

Through my soul.

Nothing makes a person grow up faster than standing on the edge of death.

I was calmer now than I had ever imagined I could be.

More than half an hour later, Hứa Vĩ found the off-road vehicle he had hidden and told me to take the passenger seat.

As the engine started, I noticed something.

He was not wearing a seat belt.

I made my voice weak and pleading.

“Captain Hứa, I’ve thought about it. You should keep it. Tu Dã trusts you so much. I don’t feel safe holding on to it alone...”

After repeated appeals, he reluctantly nodded.

“All right. Tell me.”

The car entered a bend.

I murmured something too softly to hear.

The rain was loud. Instinctively, he leaned toward me.

Now.

I lunged across and wrenched the steering wheel.

The car veered off the track and plunged down the slope.

The impact hurled Hứa Vĩ forward. His head struck hard, blood flowing, and he lost consciousness.