Qubit, page 26
Vipul had considered bringing Li Mun on as a partner from the start but had decided against it. There was nothing Li Mun could bring to the partnership that would be worth what he’d earn from it. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t use Li Mun’s curiosity against him.
“Why don’t I bring you in as a partner?”
“A partner.”
“Obviously you have guessed by now that what I’m doing is very lucrative. That’s why we’re talking right now, why you came to me. Meanwhile, I am clearly making some formidable enemies. Under such circumstances, I could do worse than have you as a friend.” Vipul decided to really lay it on, a risk given Li Mun’s perceptiveness, not to mention that Vipul was making things up as he went along. But the worst that could happen was that they ended up at war, which was going to happen anyway, one way or another. It was just a question of whether his men would have the element of surprise.
He began his pitch. “And, if I may, Li Mun…I admire you. I have much to learn from you. I see in you what, perhaps, my brother was blind to. You are much like my father in some ways. Only he was taken from me before I had a chance—”
“Enough,” commanded Li Mun. For a moment, Vipul thought Li Mun had already figured him out. “What kind of partnership? In what business?”
Vipul was almost disappointed. “Please, Li Mun. Let me finish. This is about more than business. This is about the future. This is about bringing investment savvy to your business.”
“Investment savvy.”
“Yes. This, my brother could never understand. But I suspect that you can, Li Mun. The world is changing. Families like ours are becoming vulnerable. We are too local. Our power depends too much on guns and costly manpower. You and I are alike in this way. Your family came here from China, mine from India. We are in a unique position to understand—power depends on projection. We came here with muscle, and that was how it used to be. If you had muscle, you could do whatever you wanted. But now? Are we not forced to hide in the shadows? Singapore is a wealthy place, and yet we exist off the table scraps of the truly rich and powerful. We get them their girls and their drugs and give them places to indulge their vices. We are like their valets, the eager bellhops at the hotel. We don’t have real money, Li Mun. We don’t build skyscrapers, and we can’t even buy the police or politicians any more.
“Let me give you an example of how we can change this. Over the past few months, I have been buying up drilling and mining companies all over India. I have used every last cent of my family’s capital to do so. In fact, I’ve even borrowed large sums of money. Why? So that I can raise the prices of such operations ever so modestly. This upsets the men who run the Indian Oil Company…”
Vipul rambled on for a while, inventing an entire business plan off the top of his head as though he was writing a term paper at Harvard the morning before it was due. He concluded with a suggestion that the Li Triad and the Rathods might best cement their nascent alliance by Vipul proposing marriage to Li Mun’s beautiful daughter.
Later, as he looked out the window of his SUV, watching the greenery of a local park rush past, he found himself saddened. Li Mun was not the worthy opponent he’d imagined. He was just another old fool. Vipul was quite certain that he’d left him at the hotel utterly confused and quite possibly seriously considering a previously unthinkable alliance with the Rathod family, with his own daughter serving as collateral. He would never see the attack coming. It was almost too bad; Li Mun’s daughter was a worthy prize. Maybe after he killed Li Mun, he’d take her as a mistress.
Nariman Point, Mumbai • Kapoor Financial Planning Ltd
Thursday, May 10th
6:00 p.m. IST (India Standard Time)
Swaran opened a new bottle of scotch and poured a glass for him and his junior partner. Brij was still wearing shirts that were too big for him. Swaran glanced down at his own belly, where one of the buttons of his striped brown shirt held on for dear life. And I’m still wearing shirts that are too small for me, he thought.
“I have to hand it to that little devil,” Swaran began, sauntering over to his desk. “Today I calculated that our contract for Turkish lira is now worth over a hundred million dollars. Can you believe that? Little, old Swaran Kapoor. Playing with the big dogs.”
“Congratulations, boss,” offered Brij, raising his glass.
Swaran waved his hand. “It’s still all on paper. That said, I’m now sitting on similar contracts for yen and rands. The rand contract is a bit trickier—it converts into euros, for some reason. But once those convert, we should clear half a billion. You know you’ve arrived, Brij, when you have to start talking in terms of billions. Well, billions of dollars, I mean.”
“And your share is ten percent.”
“Yes. So I’ll be at a cool fifty million dollars. So, I suppose, in rupees, I’m already a billionaire…”
“Impressive, boss. When do I get my raise?”
Swaran took a breath. “Well, I mean, as I said, all this is still on paper, which means—”
“I’m kidding, boss, I’m kidding.”
“Oh.” Swaran laughed nervously.
“Sort of.”
“Yes, well. We shall see. For now, drink up! To Vipul Rathod, who apparently knew what he was about, after all!”
“To Vipul Rathod!” cheered Brij.
Southbank, Singapore • Vipul's Apartment
Thursday, May 10th
9:00 p.m. SGT (Singapore Time)
Vipul emerged from his quarters wearing a gold-colored linen jacket with brass buttons and sat down on his couch, smiling broadly. Anand, wearing a black suit with a white button-down shirt, the top button undone, was already seated in a large easy chair across from him, looking uncomfortable.
“I’ve never had you over,” remarked Vipul.
“No,” agreed Anand.
“Well, tonight is a special occasion.” Vipul put his glass out, and his elderly butler, Sunil, seemed to materialize from the shadows of the kitchen to refill it. “Please pour Anand a glass as well,” Vipul instructed.
Anand raised a hand. “I still have to drive home.”
“A glass won’t hurt you.”
Anand frowned but dropped his objection.
“Everything is coming together exactly as planned. The information we’re getting from the Fed is proving to be very accurate. We’re now sitting on the better part of a trillion dollars in foreign exchange contracts. And we’re on the right side of all of them.”
Anand arched his eyebrows. “A trillion dollars?”
“Why do you think I insisted you have a drink? We’ve worked hard for this day, Anand.”
“Indeed,” agreed Anand, turning slightly to accept the proffered glass from Sunil.
Vipul leaned forward on the couch, his eyes gleaming. “Do you realize what we can do with that kind of money?”
A wistful smile formed at the corners of Anand’s mouth. “It’s beyond imagining.”
“We can change the world, Anand. The family business can go legitimate. We can invest, through our partnerships, in India’s largest firms. We can influence their direction and thus India’s policy decisions. We can help elect Parliament and prime ministers. We can help lead India into the twenty-first century.”
“That would be something,” allowed Anand, taking a sip of his scotch.
Vipul knew it was about as much of celebration as he’d see from Anand. Anand was useful exactly for the same reasons that he couldn’t really comprehend what Vipul was doing. Saving the world was not something Anand thought about.
But he was loyal and he was here. Vipul raised his glass. Anand responded in kind. “To you, my friend. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“To buying more expensive politicians,” toasted Anand.
Vipul laughed. Both drank.
“And so we begin Phase 4,” continued Vipul, leaning back on the couch.
“Phase 4?” asked Anand.
“Yes. I just made it up.”
“Oh.” Anand eased back into his chair a bit and crossed his legs.
“Phase 4 is…we go to war against the Li Triad.”
Anand coughed and sat up. “I’m sorry?”
Vipul chuckled. “Well, it’s perfect, isn’t it? Rather than deal with a petty civil war and the possibility that my own men decide to take me out—”
“I really don’t think—”
“Let me finish. I’m not trying to be dramatic. I just mean, I’ve sort of lost the men. You were the one that told me that.”
“Yes.”
“I want you to get the captains together. I’m going to get everyone back on track. Tonight. I’m going to announce that we’re going to war to avenge my brother.”
“You want to—”
“Please, Anand. Let me finish. We’re going to take out Li Mun himself.” Vipul relished the fact that Anand had visibly tensed. “We’re going to assassinate him. He thinks I’m taking him on as a partner. He’ll have no idea it’s coming.”
Anand’s eyes wandered for a moment before refocusing on Vipul’s. “You want to gather the captains tonight?”
“Yes. I want to strike tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow? That’s too soon. We need time to plan everything.”
“Attack where your enemy is unprepared…appear where you are not expected,” replied Vipul. When Anand said nothing, he smiled. “Sun Tzu,” he explained. “Right now, Li Mun is confused. If we attack quickly, we will surprise him. If we give him time to think, he will become wary. I would rather attack haphazardly with the advantage of surprise, than prudently without it.”
Anand’s jaw clenched, and he shifted in his chair. “We need a day, at least.”
Vipul frowned. “A day. No more.”
“Thank you,” said Anand stiffly.
“Relax,” admonished Vipul. “Finish your scotch. Celebrate with me.”
Anand stared forlornly into his glass. “Where do you want to have this meeting?”
“I don’t know. I was thinking one of the warehouses. We must be certain no one sees us coming and going.”
“Out there? They’re going to think you want to kill them. They may not even come.”
Vipul spread his arms out, resting them on the back of the couch. “So reassure them.”
Anand grunted.
“Seriously, Anand. Tell them I’m not angry. Tell them they are among friends.” That will probably scare them more than a threat, mused Vipul.
“You’ll need to search them,” warned Anand.
“No one will make a move, my friend.”
“Probably not. But you have to be sure.”
“Do I? Everything will be fine.”
Anand took a quick slug from his drink and stood up.
“You’ll need more protection. After we hit Li Mun, I mean.”
“Of course. We’ll talk more about that after.” Vipul took a sip, staring past Anand. “It’s not just the Triad we have to worry about.”
“Wonderful.” Anand sat back down.
“I think somehow the Feds know who I am.”
“What makes you say that?”
“They knew enough to try and pay Li Mun to kill me.”
Vipul watched as Anand proecessed that revelation. “How do you know it’s the Feds?” Anand asked, after a moment.
“Well, actually, it’s probably the CIA or MI6, or someone like that. Anyway, I can’t think of anyone else with both the means and motivation to pay Li Mun an amount he’d consider interesting. Besides, it sort of doesn’t matter who it is. The point is, I’m going to need a lot more protection.”
“How did they find out?”
“I don’t know.”
“We have a leak.”
“Not necessarily,” reasoned Vipul. “We may have overlooked something. Given them a trail. Remember, someone had already put a tail on Detroit back in America.”
“Speaking of which, Manesh and Ravi arrived yesterday. Kirin’s men. To keep an eye on Detroit. I was going to send Manesh to the hotel this evening. Under the circumstances, perhaps I should reassign them as part of your detail.”
“Fine,” agreed Vipul, waving his hand dismissively.
“But what if Detroit is the leak?” insisted Anand.
“Unlikely,” countered Vipul.
“Why is that unlikely?”
“Because he knows we’ll kill his daughter if he talks. Besides which, do we really need muscle like Manny just to keep an eye on him?”
“I’ll have Sanjay room with him instead,” suggested Anand.
“Perfect.” Vipul looked past Anand, trying to get Sunil’s attention. His glass was empty.
“You’re certain you want to hit Li Mun at the very moment you’re being targeted by the CIA, possibly as the result of an internal leak?”
Vipul refocused on Anand. “You don’t see the genius of it?”
“I’m afraid I don’t,” confessed Anand.
Vipul shifted in his chair. “To begin with, I eliminate one threat in Li Mun.”
“But…didn’t you say, he thinks you’re taking him on as a partner?”
“Yes, but he’ll eventually see the ruse. He knows there’s a lot of money being made and that he’s not the one making it.”
“But…how does he know there’s a lot of money being made?”
Vipul exchanged his empty glass for a fresh one from Sunil. “Because someone is offering him a lot of money to kill me.”
Anand nodded slowly.
“In the process, by rallying the men to avenge my brother, I turn a weakness—morale—into a strength.”
“Okay.”
“Which is important, because—as I’ve said, and I’m sure you’ll agree with this—I’m going to need a lot more protection. And the family are the only ones I can really trust to provide it.”
Anand nodded again.
Vipul continued. “And because soon we will no longer be in the business of organized crime.”
“We won’t?”
“No. Remember?” Vipul smiled and took a swig. “We’re upgrading to more expensive politicians.”
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
Thursday, May 10th
9:00 p.m. SGT (Singapore Time)
Katya sat down on the bar stool next to Lock. “Hi,” she said softly, eyeing his scotch glass.
“Hi,” said Lock breathily, blinking slowly.
Katya waved her hand in front of her face. “My gosh, you smell like a distillery.” Not surprising, she thought. She’d been watching the bar from her apartment. Since she’d given him the phone, she figured he’d call if he wanted to talk. But he’d been sitting here for hours.
“Sorry. Buyyadrink?”
“No. No thank you.” Katya’s brow furrowed. “How goes the rescue mission?”
“Whuhthefuggyoucare?”
“Was Ray able to use all the intel I gave you?”
“Fuggray.”
“I guess that’s a no?”
Lock grunted and emptied his glass, tilting precariously on his bar stool. He slammed the glass down on the counter when he finished. “’Nother,” he called to the bartender.
“Steve,” Katya countered, “maybe you should cut him off?” The bartender, a fleshy-faced man with large pores and an easy manner, nodded conspiratorially. Katya had made a point of being on a first-name basis with half the employees at the hotel since the day she’d discovered Lock was staying there.
“Let’s get you up to your room, okay?” Katya stood up, laced her arm around him, and began guiding him toward the elevators.
“Notdonedringing,” complained Lock.
“We can order a bottle for your room, if you like.”
“Imaddictedtothatgoodshtuffnow.”
“That’s good.”
“Nomorejackfurme.”
“That’s nice.” She reached out and pressed the button for the elevators.
“Ifuckedup,” said Lock, as a chime signalled the elevator’s arrival. They got in and Katya pressed the button for Lock’s floor. “Ifuckedupsobad,” repeated Lock.
“Yes, I suppose you did,” said Katya. She listened to Lock’s abbreviated, drunken gasps and moans, in stark contrast to the efficient whir of the elevator. She heard another chime, indicating that they’d reached their floor. The doors opened and Katya dragged Lock down the hallway.
“Ifuckedup,” he repeated. “Ifuckedup.”
“Give me your keycard,” directed Katya.
Lock untangled himself from her and leaned on the wall with one hand while he fished out the keycard with the other. “Here,” he said.
Katya opened the door and led Lock to his bed. She marveled at how messy he’d managed to make his room in just a few days. He careened over and fell facedown on the mattress, his face pressed against the rumpled bedclothes. She placed her hands on her hips and regarded him critically.
He mumbled something. She leaned closer. “What?”
“Gottatakesomethingfromhim,” he said.
“Take something?”
“Somethinghevaluesh.”
“You have to take something who values?”
“Whushizname? Viwhateverthefugg.”
“Ah.” Katya put a finger to her lips. Mindful of the possibility of bugs in the room, she turned her head and raised her voice. “No, I don’t think you’re getting lucky tonight.”
“Youhelpmeallhelpyou,” whispered Lock.
“Okay,” she whispered back. She wondered how much of this he’d remember in the morning. “I’m sure you will.”
He forced himself up on his elbows. “Ahmsherious. Deadlysherious.”
“I’m sure you are. Lie down and go to sleep.”
“Katcha,” he said slowly. “Katcha. Themoney. Thatzwhathevalues.”
“Okay. Go to sleep, Lock.”
“Help me…take the…money…”
