Patricians: Power Politics (2 of 9)

Chapter 30: Enter the Dragon

Grey clouds covered the skies, casting the world into absolute darkness. Stars were banished by the gloom of the evening. Only the occasional flash of lightning radiated through the gloom. Rain poured down, and torrents rolling off roofs to the hard concrete below. Flashes of light shot through the dark streets of Beijing, showing the figures cloaked in the shadows. Cpt. Anderson stood with his teams positioned in the alleys near the Flying Dragon. Standing at the back of the group, Henry surveyed the situation.

Achilles' intelligence had proven to be accurate. Outside the Flying Dragon, there were only a handful of guards at the entrances, and a few roving patrols on the higher floors. Using the Muse neural network, Henry instructed his teams to be prepared to move in. Each teams would neutralize the guards simultaneously to ensure that the guards inside wouldn't know anyone was there. Once the guards were neutralized, the next phase would be launched. The primary assault team would rush the main entrance, providing escort for their commander. Henry planned to use the element of surprise to shock and overwhelm them.

Floating overhead, a British drone zoomed in on the scene. Bobbing in the air, the drone rotated and captured the image of Henry Williams. From a nearby command center, Col. Traynor watched the video. S.A.S. forces were waiting nearby in case the situation turned violent. American forces took up position closer to the Flying Dragon to provide a quicker response. Col. Traynor could see why so many people feared Henry Williams. It was clear that the man possessed a remarkable cunning in military strategy.

King George had ordered his forces not to interfere unless Henry or Muse forces required assistance. The objective was to gather evidence, not to interfere. Col. Traynor worried the American forces were too overzealous. Communications with the American commander showed he expected the necessity of intervention, and perhaps was looking to ensure it. Watching Zhou Yun's gathering arrive only increased Col. Traynor's worries.

The crime families were already arriving. Col. Traynor's surveillance units were recording the group. Arriving first was the leader of the Russian crime family, the infamous Sergei Mikhailov and his second in command, Viktor Averin. Sergei was an imposing man. Scars from years spent in gulags covered the man's body and even marked his face. The Russian crime syndicate was notorious for its violent capabilities, and the men leading it had embraced that violence. Age hadn't tamed either man. Both were in their eighties but showed no sign of weariness. Col. Traynor felt it odd that the Russian leader brought no escorts or guards, but the pattern repeated itself with the next arrival.

Stepping out of a limo was the leader of the Yakuza families from Japan. Shinobu Tsukasa was the oldest and longest reigning leader. The man was almost a century old, but he still commanded respect, and that fact was obvious in the treatment Zhou Yun's guards showed. A strong cane held the man up, along with the help of his second in command, MushashiHitomi. Intelligence showed Mushashi was being groomed to take over because of his cunning and ability to use violence. None of the attempts by police organizations had been successful in proving any indictments. Rumour had it that that was because of Mushashi's impeccable cunning.

Amongst the Italians crime families, there had been several wars fought between the Cosa Nostra and 'Ndrangheta. Col. Traynor's intelligence showed that Zhou Yun himself had ordered cessation to the fighting, lest he intervene and destroy both families. The threat was credible. Zhou Yun had used cunning and violence to unite all of the various Asian crime families under his banner. It was still the most secretive coup d'état in modern history. None of the police organization had a single clue how the man had accomplished such a feat without leaving evidence. The Dragon's reputation preceded him.