Chapter 17: Retribution, Raw And Pure

The door of the penthouse opened and Biu Yuen stepped inside.

"Boss," he began, addressing Mister Chang who currently had his feet up on an ottoman and a cigarette in his hand. His jacket was draped over a chair in the corner and he was looking out the window at the city below.

"What is it?" he asked.

"She's here," Yuen said. "You know, the Russian battleaxe." Chang smirked.

"So unkind," he said humorously. "Send her in." Balalaika entered the room shortly with her old military jacket draped around her shoulders.

"You're in. Good."

"Nice to see you too," Chang joked. "You want a drink?"

"Vodka, if you have it," Balalaika told him, heading to the window and gazing at the lights.

"Vodka?" Chang asked, surprised. Nonetheless, he rose and went to fetch the drink for her. "You must be having a hard day."

"Try week," she told him. He handed her the drink and she took it eagerly. "Our operation in your city didn't exactly go according to plan."

"I heard," Chang told her, taking a sip of his own drink, a whiskey on the rocks. "I haven't been speaking to the Wolf, yet. Everything went alright in that regard, I assume?"

"Oh, yes," Balalaika answered. "Rahul no longer lives and his gangs are scattered. I don't think they realised what they were up against."

"Your people never fail to impress," Chang complimented her.

"What can I say, we are soldiers. There is very little in this world we can't deal with." She took a generous drink of her vodka. "And your people, Chang? Everything is going smoothly? No incidents? Insubordination?"

"I was wondering how long it would take you to bring this up."

"I'm just looking out for you, Babe," she told him cheekily. He smiled.

"You mentioned Major Landis on the phone," Chang began. "Despite what you might think, I do take precautions where my operations are concerned. I have a certain reputation to uphold with the higher ups back home. Landis's people have been monitored closely ever since Rock gave them to me."

"I have no delusions about your Triad, Chang," Balalaika told him. "But the evidence is all there. Something isn't right." Chang lifted his glass of whiskey as if to take a drink, but then held it as he thought deeply about what Balalaika was saying.

"Look, I appreciate the concern," Chang told her. "Lord knows we haven't always seen eye to eye. But everything is under control. When their contract was coming to an end, I saw fit to extend it. After the shitstorm that hit Roanapur these last two years, it would have been foolish to pass up the extra manpower. They'll serve the Triad for the better part of another year."

"Understandable," Balalaika told him. "If a bit questionable. But that's precisely what worries me. What reason should the Major have for meeting new clients if his people are indentured to you?" That got Chang's attention. Clearly, he was not aware of that fact. He took a drink as he considered what Hotel Moscow's leader was saying.

"Now, that's interesting," he said, playing off his concern with false confidence. Balalaika saw right through him.

"The good Major made it quite clear to Rock that the services he provided were available to only one individual at a time. He's going to be a problem, Chang, I know it."

"Maybe he already had other clients lined up," Chang suggested, though he didn't really believe that himself. "It's possible his people had already been hired for the ten months following their contract with Rock. I understand a contract extension like the one he agreed to with us is a bit unorthodox."

"Come on, Chang," Balalaika said derisively. She had no issue letting him know how foolish she thought that was. "You and I both know how ridiculous that sounds. Wake up and smell the gunpowder. Landis is playing you."

"Don't be absurd," Chang said as the conversation became a tad more heated. "What would he have to gain? Major Landis runs a private security syndicate. He has no interest in starting a war."

"Not that we know of. But he was an American soldier, after all. You can never be too careful. As much as it pains me to say it, they are a cunning bunch. You would do well to keep an eye on him."

Chang took another drink of whiskey as his pulse quickened. He was not panicked or frightened. He was the leader of the Hong Kong Triad here in Roanapur and was no stranger to deceit and betrayal. But he couldn't deny that something was off about all of this.

"I'll admit, when Rock first met with the Major and paid for his services, it did give me cause for concern. After all, it isn't every day someone like that suddenly pops up on your radar."

"At the time, certainly not," Balalaika agreed. "Make no mistake, Chang, I wouldn't have wasted my time coming out here unless I thought it was necessary. The workings of your Triad interest me none. But I have a city to run and this Major Landis is someone I can't ignore."

"It's quaint that you think this is your city," Chang poked fun at her.

Realistically, Roanapur was basically run by Hotel Moscow and their presence here could be likened to a sort of governmental power. But Chang knew different. The Russian mafia controlled things on the surface, but even they could be kept in the dark when it came to who was truly pulling the strings from the shadows.

"I get your point, Miss Balalaika. The Major is someone we'll want to keep an eye on."

"I already have surveillance operations in place and my eyes and ears keep me informed on his movements, but he is a slippery one. Even Hotel Moscow cannot keep him in sight at all times."

"That's troubling," Chang said bluntly. "I work closely with some of his people. When I bought his services for another ten months, he gave me a girl. Alexis, her name is, but she goes by Lexi. She frequents my humble abode here weekly." Balalaika raised an eyebrow, but she gave nothing else away.

"Be careful, Chang," she said seriously. "All she needs is one opportunity and you're finished."

"By that logic, she's had plenty of chances already," Chang explained. "Besides, you really think the Major would have an interest in assassinating us? I return to my previous point…what would he have to gain?"

"That remains to be seen," Balalaika said evasively. "I'm only here to present the facts. He's gearing up to enter into contract with others and that doesn't bode well for you. Perhaps he's simply honouring an agreement with another client who should have been availing of his services after Rock was done with his people, like you said. But even in that situation, where do you think he'll be getting those people from? Your ranks will be spread thin if Landis hopes to serve two paying customers at once."

Balalaika produced a cigar and a cigar cutter, subsequently using the latter and sticking the cigar itself into her mouth seconds later. She lit it with a shining silver flip lighter.

"Or maybe he simply wants to rule here in our place. In that case, you've given him the perfect chance to take you out of the picture by having this Alexis turn her gun on you." It was possible, but unlikely. Chang could appreciate what Balalaika was saying, but he did not truly believe Major Landis wished to become the ruler of the city. But that did not change the fact that something was definitely amiss. Even if Landis wasn't meeting with more clients, it would have been an unusual situation. He had remained hidden for so long and not once had he become exposed to the ruling factions. And he was a former soldier in the United States military, to boot. Chang could think of a certain someone who this information may be of interest to. A nameless, faceless puppeteer that manipulated certain decisions and happenings in southeast Asia.

"I don't think so," Chang disagreed, returning his attention to this conversation. "I'll admit, Major Landis needs to be watched a bit more closely, and it's entirely possible he's got something else up his sleeve, but I don't see him putting a target on our heads. He doesn't seem the type." Balalaika had been firm and relentless during this conversation, but she finally eased up now.

"Perhaps you're right," she conceded. "Still, I thought it was prudent to give you a heads up. Can't have you getting yourself killed at the hands of some American soldier." Chang laughed, but he was grateful to her for the information.

"I appreciate it, regardless of the outcome," he said.

"You won't be saying that if I'm right." No, he supposed he wouldn't.

"All quiet otherwise, I take it?" Her face said it all.

"If only that were the case," she lamented. "There was a situation not long ago with Lagoon Company. Have you been speaking to Dutch?"

"Not recently," Chang admitted. "What's he gotten himself into this time?"

"Two-Hands and Rock recently took a little trip to Venezuela," Balalaika explained. "From what I hear, they were asked to assist with a situation by Garcia Lovelace. That name should ring a bell."

"Oh, it does more than that," Chang concurred. The mention of Garcia's name sent shivers down the spine of the Triad's leader. There were some unpleasant memories that came with it.

"They managed to find themselves on the receiving end of a group calling themselves the New Order. One of their three leaders, Alejandro, is a runaway from the Colombian cartel. Abrego assured me their leaders in South America have put a price on his head. But that's not the issue. He has it out for Revy after she killed some of his men in Venezuela. My people tell me he's been spotted in the city." Chang adjusted the collar of his shirt.

"Troubling, sure, but not something that would worry me too much."

"I thought the same, if not for his companions. One of them is a former member of Wolf Pack, and supposedly he has eyes for our resident assassin."

The name of the organisation who had come to Roanapur two years back also gave Chang some unwelcome flashbacks. While Sif and her Wolf Pack hadn't trifled with the ruling factions at all, their actions had caused some unwanted attention to make its way to the city and the aftermath had been a pain to clean up.

"So our stray wolf has a rabid dog on his trail," Chang remarked. "That's going to be a messy encounter."

"The Wolf has already gone after Ashur," Balalaika told him. "But it seems he escaped the wrath of Wolf Pack's favourite runaway. He, too, has been spotted in the city on more than one occasion." That did worry Chang. One of these individuals was a minor issue. Two out of three, though, was more than coincidental and implied that there was a larger conflict brewing in the background. Chang suspected Hotel Moscow's leader had more to say. She mentioned that Alejandro had companions, other leaders of this New Order, and she had also let slip that there were three people specifically that headed up the New Order's operations. He suspected what she had to say next would suggest the third individual in question had been making themselves comfortable in Roanapur.

"The New Order," he said to himself. "And it was the Lovelace boy who managed to piss them off?"

"That brings me to the next order of business," Balalaika said, seamlessly steering the conversation. "Garcia was approached by a man calling himself Hawke. From what I gather, he is the true leader of the New Order while Alejandro acts as more of a second-in-command and Ashur is a like-minded outsider with similar interests and ambitions. But the interesting thing about Hawke is that he used to be a member of the FARC guerrillas in Colombia. Now, who do we know who can say the same? There's a kiss on offer for a right answer." Chang rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, but he had to chuckle at her dramatics.

"The maid," he deduced.

"Precisely," Balalaika confirmed. "And lo and behold, Hawke himself was spotted just last week meeting with some weapons dealers. What reason could he have for coming here, you might ask?"

"I see your point," Chang told her. The idea that Roberta was in the city almost made him physically heave. "I don't suppose he just came along as emotional support for this Alejandro?"

"You should have gone into comedy," Balalaika told him.

He finished off his whiskey and set the glass down on the drinks stand behind him.

"So, you think the maid is back in town."

"I would certainly welcome being proven wrong. But the evidence points to the Lovelace maid, and perhaps her master, being in Roanapur at this very moment. Hawke has no reason to be here, but I do know that he has a particular interest in hunting FARC runaways. That's the reason he invaded the Lovelace estate in the first place, to get to her. He must have followed her here." Concerning news, indeed. Chang had a lot to consider. Balalaika had more or less dropped a bombshell of information on him.

"And here I thought this was going to be a social call," the Triad's leader joked.

"Don't be like that," Balalaika told him, a flirtatious edge in her voice. She leaned over to him, planting a kiss on his cheek as promised earlier. Then, she finished off her vodka and went to leave. "Keep your friends close, Chang. I don't like what I'm hearing out there, and I'd hate for you to be caught unawares by these degenerates. If anyone is going to take your life, I'd rather it be me." Chang chuckled heartily.

"I pray you never get the chance, Miss Balalaika. I don't fancy the odds."