Chapter 20: Heavy Is The Crown

"So that's it, then?" Chang asked the mysterious stranger on the phone. "We can finally put all of this nonsense behind us?"

"Almost," the voice said teasingly. "I must say, I'm impressed, Mister Chang. Quite the plan you set in motion. One would wonder how you came up with it all by yourself." Chang rolled his eyes and leaned back in the confessional booth.

"I might have employed some outside help," he admitted.

"A third party with a cunning mind. Someone like that would certainly prove to be very useful…or dangerous. But you haven't offered up a name." Chang froze for a second when he heard that. He was sure that Rock's intellect would continue to prove useful should the city find itself in more trouble, though that idea was exhausting after what had been a stressful time tiptoeing around the 216. The Japanese man could certainly be a danger if he wished, but seemed uninterested in playing the game anymore. It was unclear why the stranger on the phone was so intrigued by him. But Chang had no reason to drop him in the deep end.

"Nobody that's of any interest to you," Chang said firmly. "Trust me."

"Have it your way," the stranger said after a few seconds of silence. "Whoever he is, the plan he devised is working. Task Force 216 were initially going to be pulled out of the city quietly. After some negotiations, Interpol came to see the way of things. But this benefits us much more."

"I assume 'negotiations' is interchangeable with 'threats', here," Chang joked. "That wouldn't have worked, anyway. Balalaika had already caught wind of their presence, as had most of the other gangs. It would have been highly suspicious if they suddenly disappeared one night."

"Indeed," the stranger concurred. "As it happens, Interpol have agreed to keep the 216 stationed in Roanapur for as long as we see fit. I understand Jones is to submit a monthly report on their progress, but this is a formality, nothing more. The Task Force will serve as glorified peacekeepers. Their true allegiance is now to you…and yours is to us. Order will be restored, Mister Chang."

It certainly didn't feel like it. After all was said and done, he had still been a pawn of the CIA and the stranger on the phone that represented them. But the Task Force were loyal to him, as the stranger said. Chang would pass any relevant information up the ladder as needed, but that did not mean everything would need to be disclosed to the stranger. Jones and his people could be used by the Triad's leader as he saw fit. The idea gave him a sense of excitement and made him feel more in control than he had in a long time.

"Congratulations," Chang answered dryly. "You must be jumping with joy."

"Not quite yet, I'm afraid," the stranger said seriously. "Don't forget, Chief Watsup and his subordinates will need to be kept in check. They will only answer to Jones."

"I hear we have something of a situation," Chang said, having been informed of an increased police presence in Roanapur since this morning.

"Quite the situation, as a matter of fact. There are roadblocks at every entrance to the city. Jones has only been called off since earlier today. Clearly, contacting Watsup to inform him of this new arrangement was not on his list of priorities."

"Oh, great. Probably drowning his sorrows at the nearest dive bar."

"I'd head to the Slip Knot Bridge, if I were you," the stranger advised. "The sooner Watsup is put back in line, the sooner you can avoid another troublesome situation you do not want to be in." The stranger offered no more information and hung up, leaving Chang to worry about what was unfolding near the bridge. Once Jones returned from a firefight with Lagoon Company, Chang had learned that Rock was successful in executing his plan, despite the fact that Jones had opened fire on them instead of entering negotiations like they planned. After that, Chang assumed Jones would return to the police station and command the officers working for him to retreat. Clearly that was not the case.

Chang exited the confessional booth and returned outside, sitting into the back seat of his car and producing his cell phone from inside his coat.

"Where to?" Biu Yuen asked from the driver's seat.

"The Slip Knot Bridge," Chang ordered him. "And fast. Something tells me time is of the essence." He began dialling a number on his phone as the car drove away from the church and they made for the bridge. The phone rang for a few seconds before eventually the person on the other end answered. It was one of Triad members back at headquarters.

"It's Chang. I need you to get the 216 on the line as soon as possible."

"Sure thing, boss." Chang hung up and waited to be called back, but he was unsure if the call would be in time to stop whatever was happening. When he did finally meet the 216 in person, he would be sure to give them a piece of his mind for not immediately putting a stop to this themselves. It didn't take long before they were nearing the bridge and that visual cacophony of red and blue light flooded into the car's interior. Bui Yuen brought them to a slow stop several metres back from the roadblock and Chang peered out through the windscreen. Now it made sense why the stranger on the phone thought it was important for him to diffuse this situation. Watsup had stopped Balalaika from entering the city. It was a surprise there wasn't an all-out firefight taking place.

"Well, that's just great," Chang moaned, the cell phone still in his hand. If the Triad didn't call soon with Jones on the line, this was going to be difficult to resolve. The officers hadn't noticed the car arrive at first, but several of them now turned to look in its direction. Watsup noticed this as well, as did Balalaika and Boris. Chang was beginning to feel the pressure just sitting there idly, but he knew the police would not simply take his word that the 216 were no longer in control. They needed to hear it from Jones himself.

"Orders?" Biu Yuen asked tentatively. Wastup pointed his baton at the car and then gestured to the road. He was ordering Chang to exit the vehicle.

"Just sit tight."

They remained there for almost a minute. At this point, Watsup became impatient and commanded some of the officers to approach the vehicle. None of them tried to enter or remove the two Chinese men, but they did look poised to do so any second, now. The sound of the phone ringing was like music to Chang's ears. He answered right away.

"We have the 216 on the line," the voice said.

"Put them through," Chang replied eagerly. "Immediately."

"Right away, boss." Chang gave it a second before speaking.

"You're a hard man to pin down," he said finally.

"That's kinda my job, bossman," the erosive southern drawl of Jones spoke calmly. "Thought we might be meeting in person."

"Forgive me, we'll have to reschedule," Chang said sarcastically. "Right now, I'm trying to clean up the situation you've gotten us into. Roadblocks at every entrance to the city? You've been watching too many action movies."

"Those assholes still out there?" Jones asked, but he had obviously just neglected to call them off and was now trying to save face.

"Cut the bullshit," Chang told him. "I don't care about the fact that you left us high and dry right now, but I need you to get us out of this. You need to stay on the line while I try and sort this out. Then, I'll put you onto the Chief and you can fill him in."

"Sounds good to me," Jones said obediently. "Just give me the signal."

Chang kept the phone in his hand and exited the car, which was now surrounded by apprehensive officers. None of them made a move, but they were watching the leader of the Triad closely. He put on a fake smile and raised his hands.

"Easy, fellas. I don't want to start any trouble."

"What are you doing here, Chang?" Balalaika asked.

"Just came to see what all the fuss was about," Chang said dismissively. He walked around the line of cars and officers, coming to a stop near Watsup as he continued to speak. "I heard there was a bit of a situation. Boy, was that an understatement."

"Nobody comes or goes, Chang," Watsup told him. "Or did you miss the roadblock, there?"

"You're a regular comedian. Can't say I'm sure what you're doing here, though. Been speaking to your boss recently?" Balalaika looked at Chang with interest as she tried to understand where this was going. Initially, she had been confused as to why he was here, and without any of his people to back him up. Now, she suspected he had something up his sleeve.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Watsup. Chang smirked.

"Shame he didn't tell you," the Triad's leader teased. "Well, then, allow me to fill you in. Your services are no longer required, Chief Watsup. I'd head back to the station, if I were you." Balalaika's eyes widened as she anticipated what was to come. It was hard to believe Chang had actually managed to deal with the Task Force in a way that kept the city out of harm's way.

"Is this some kind of joke?!" the Chief asked.

"Do you see me laughing?" Chang retorted, growing more serious. "Task Force 216 have had a change of heart, shall we say. They want you to pull your people back to the station and remain there to await orders."

"Bullshit!"

"Don't believe me? How about you take a minute to catch up with Jones?" He held the cell phone out and Watsup took it, raising it to his ear. The conversation was short, but Watsup got the message. He hung up after less than a minute and handed the phone back to the leader of the Triad.

After a moment of embarrassment and what was probably self-reflection, Watsup whistled at his people.

"Alright, time to move out!" he roared at them. "Back to the station, chop-chop!"

"Very good," Chang said, satisfied. "And don't forget to clear the other entrances to the city. We wouldn't want a repeat of this, would we?" Watsup clenched his jaw and glanced back at Balalaika.

"Be seeing you around," he said to them all before joining his subordinates and the police cars all drove off, leaving only Chang, Balalaika and Boris in the road.

Hotel Moscow's leader nodded at Boris, who returned to the car and left the two crime bosses to catch up. There was a lot of uncertainty in the air after that.

"What in the world just happened, Chang?" Balalaika asked, totally baffled by what she had seen.

"Surprised? I can't believe you ever doubted me."

"Do you blame me? Last we spoke, neither of us had any bright ideas about how to deal with the Task Force. Apparently, that has suddenly changed. So, what happened?"

"I took your advice," Chang admitted. "Turns out, our friend Rock is still as sharp as ever. He suggested breaking the 216's spirit so they would no longer continue fighting. And he told me to make them an offer they couldn't refuse. I made it clear the 216 could remain in the city and work for me, or I would have them destroyed. Obviously, it was a bluff, but it worked like a charm." He decided to leave out the part where Rock was the one who made this offer in person, and he had also neglected to mention anything about how none of this would have worked had the CIA not gotten involved in Interpol's affairs. That was information he would take to the grave.

"Incredible," Balalaika told him after breathing a sigh of relief. "And what about their employers? Interpol will continue to have an interest in Roanapur after this. I doubt that's a problem that has been so easily solved."

"On the contrary," Chang told her. "The 216 will report back to their bosses monthly with false information and progress on their assignment here. As far as Interpol will be concerned, Jones will be running this city and Roanapur will be left alone. They'll leave the Task Force here long-term."

Balalaika was not often one to be left speechless or to give out high praise, but she would do both before returning home.

"That is…outstanding. There is no other word for it. You've really gotten us out of a sticky situation, Chang, and you have my gratitude."

"Call it a favour," he remarked, repeating what he had said the last time they discussed the Task Force. She smirked.

"One I'll be sure to repay, have no doubt. It will be back to business as usual, it seems, although I doubt our slimy police Chief will be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life."

"Should he be?"

"Of course he should. If he thinks he can just get away with this, he can think again."

"Now, now," Chang said in an attempt to calm Balalaika. "He may have been a royal pain in our asses for a while there, but he was just following orders, after all. He was as much a victim in this as the rest of us."

"Hardly," Balalaika spat. "We had an arrangement in place, and he did little to honour that when the 216 came to town."

"You don't want to start something you can't finish," Chang warned her. "We've just gotten a reprieve from the situation we found ourselves in. The last thing we need is trouble with the police. Forget about it, that can be how you pay me back for this."

Though she was clearly set on seeing Watsup endure the repercussions of his actions, she also had no desire to upset Chang and it was evidently important to him that they put all of this behind them. In truth, she was also eager to forget about the 216 and return to normal.

"Say no more," she said. "As long as he remembers his place in future, Hotel Moscow will not be an enemy of his."

"Glad to hear it." Balalaika smiled at Chang and turned to leave, heading for the car Boris was in.

"Don't be a stranger, Chang," she called back over her shoulder. "We don't have enough of these heart-to-hearts, you and I."

"Surely you're joking," he shot back, considering they had seen each other more times in recent memory than they ever had before. "I look forward to our next one." Balalaika opened the door of the car and gave Chang one last look.

"So do I," she said seductively, winking at him and stepping into the vehicle's back seat. Then, the car sped off in the other direction and Chang put his hands in his pockets, satisfied that the city had resumed a state of peace. Just another beautiful day in Roanapur.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: And that's Act 1 done. I'm sure it might come as a surprise to learn that Jones and company will not be the big bad threat for the whole of this book, but there are more exciting times ahead, have no fear. Act 2 will be a little while away yet, but it's coming. Eventually. Peace out.