The Painted Man - by Dan Watters

Chapter 14

We weren't given the choice to leave. On the instructions of the Asian with the blond lock the gang of youths pressed around us with their makeshift weapons and shoved us down the street.

Pony shot me a look full of blame as we were shown the doorway into a stone-clad building flanked by two identical white marble lions. The area inside was small, the floor tiled with a rising escalator. On the first floor was a huge lobby with red patterned carpet long enough to shelter a submarine. Down one long length of wall ran a huge partition wall with rows and rows for red double doors. We were lead through a set of doors into an even larger space, like a great hall with elaborate ceilings and pink satin drapes and an ocean of tables and chairs where hundreds of people were eating and drinking and talking and shouting. Hiding their weapons, the men took us through the maze of tables crossing from one side of the great hall to the other. There we paused at a long line of Chinese-style buffet stations carrying enough steaming food to feed to feed an army and the poor. In all my life, I'd never seen so much food.

Blondie held a brief conversation with a Chinese woman who waved us past the buffet line through a dark, timber, swinging door.

'Phones.' Blondie said as we stepped into a small dining room with half a dozen tables. He pointed at one of the tables. 'Phones on the table, now.'

The group of Asian youths moved in behind Blondie, covering the exit, their arms crossed.

Both Pony and I took out our mobiles and placed them on the table.

'Camera.' Blondie pointed Pony.

Pony shook his head covering his camera and bag with his hands.

'No.' It was clear that Pony wasn't giving them up.

But Blondie wasn't happy with this. He spoke to his friends in Chinese gesturing at Pony. The youths moved in and I thought Pony would give up his equipment, but I was wrong. The cameraman lowered his head and crouched with his arms spread wide and shouted, 'No'.

His voice packed a punch that made the four youths stop in their tracks.

Blondie considered Pony and the camera.

'No photos,' he said and waved off the other men then told us to sit. We sat, our phones out of reach. Blondie stepped out of the room and the other's followed leaving only one of them behind to watch over us. He sat in a chair by the door with his feet up tapping at his phone. Through the clear glass window in the swinging door, I could see another two of our Asian escorts standing guard outside.

'What was that bullshit about the police looking for this French guy.' Pony was staring daggers. 'The police aren't looking for anyone.'

'I had to say something,' I said.

'Don't tie yourself in knots. Keep it simple and get me the fuck out of here,' he whispered.

'You didn't have to come.' My heart was pounding and my head was a mess.

'Don't give me that bullsh-'

'But I'm glad you're here,' I said.

Pony went quiet for a second, his face a dark storm.

'Don't fuck this up.'

'How did you even find me?'

Pony flicked on his camera and showed me the screen. It was an image shot through the window of Tom's front room. I was standing on the pavement outside looking at my phone. A few snaps later and Pony zoomed in on my mobile as I Googled for information on the Fuk Ching Tong.

'I didn't think you were stupid enough to do it,' said Pony.

'You mean brave,' I said, my brow rising to challenge him.