Page 262 of Roberto

I grabbed my suitcase – already prepped and ready to go – and turned around.

The gangster gesticulated angrily as he shouted in Cantonese.

I was pretty sure the gist of it was,Leave it here!

I shouted back just as angrily, “This is $30,000 worth of clothes! $30,000 US! I’m not fucking leaving it here to burn up!”

He gave up arguing and motioned for me to go.

I raced past him with my suitcase –

Including the block of C4 hidden inside.

The two men put their hands on their gun holsters as we rode down in the elevator.

The message was clear:Don’t fuck around, or we’ll kill you.

When the elevator stopped at the ground floor, the doors opened.

The lobby was bedlam.

Dozens of people were pouring out of the elevators; a hundred more were shoving their way toward the front doors.

Hotel employees yelled at everyone to remain calm.

Some people were fully clothed, while others wore pajamas or plush hotel bathrobes.

The lead thug clamped his hand on the back of my neck and guided me out through the crowd. The second thug followed close behind.

In the distance, fire truck sirens blared. They were getting closer but were still far away.

Once outside, the three of us stood with hundreds of other people on the street corner beside the hotel. Everyone was looking up at the top of the building.

Just a few floors below the penthouse, a window was broken. Black smoke poured out of the crack, and orange flames flickered behind the glass.

I scanned the crowd.

No cops.

Good. That would make it easier.

I didn’twantto do what I was about to do –

But I knew my captors would kill me if the situation were reversed.

As the Golden Rule of theCosa Nostrasaid:

Do unto others before they can do unto you.

Though the lead thug’s hand was still on my neck, he was staring up at the fire along with the rest of the crowd.

He didn’t see the woman headed towards us in a bathrobe…

With a towel covering her hair and a Covid mask over her face.

Mei-ling.

She passed right in front of me, pausing just long enough to hand me her .22 Smith & Wesson revolver.

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