bald guy steps away from the door down the hall, a walkie talkie attached to his chest.
“What the fuck does he eat? Children?” I murmur, staring at the wall of muscle.
“Mr Yang is ready for you,” he tells us, pushing the door open for us to enter.
The marble floor gleams when we step inside to a large open-spaced living area. Sitting on the cream, leather, half-moon-shaped sofa is Mr Yang, looking as respectable as ever in his navy-blue suit, a white handkerchief hanging out of the breast pocket.
He stands, his black leather shoes clicking on the marble floor as he approaches. “Welcome,” he greets, giving a small bow.
“Thank you for seeing us,” Jaxon replies.
He gestures for us to take a seat in the two leather single chairs opposite him, before he reaches down, lifting his trousers a little before he takes his own seat.
“What can I do for you gentlemen? It seemed pretty urgent.”
“What do you know of Andrew Black?” Jaxon asks, getting right to the point.
Mr Yang’s jaw clenches, and he nods to someone over our shoulders. I don’t bother to turn as I listen to footsteps approaching. A woman enters, carrying a tray with a tea pot and three mugs.
“What would you like to know?” he drawls, taking the drink offered. Jaxon and I decline, both intent on getting answers.
“Why does he want our business for starters, and what does it have to do with you? His receptionist let slip that he approached an art dealer. And you already know about the attempted break in, one of which would have been your container.”
“As you know, the art I deal with is very rare. There are people all over the world who would love to get their hands on it. I chose your company as it was off the beaten path, so to speak.”
Neither Jaxon nor I take offence. We know this is the case with most of our clients. Why look at some low-income company with nowhere near the security as others when they could go to a top of the line company elsewhere? But it’s why they choose us. No one would think to look or rob a place like ours. We don’t care that that’s their reason for picking us either. It pays bills and brings us in an income that lets us improve.
“We know that,” Jaxon replies, when Mr Yang gives us a moment for that to sink in.
“You also know that I couldn’t contract out the shipping route myself. As an international buyer and seller, I don’t have jurisdiction. Helping you get the contract helped me and whoever else uses that shipping route.”
We do have others. There are many stops along the way, and it’s much longer than flight shipments. However, we avoid border checks and only do product checks when that container hit its destination. It’s complicated, and although we own that contract, we don’t run it. We just give the when and where and details to our handler. He’s a friend Jaxon grew up with who joined the Army at eighteen. When he left due to an injury a few years ago, Jaxon hired him. It worked out since neither me nor one of my brothers wants to leave our family home.
“I don’t get what that has to do with Black,” I offer, itching for information.
Mr Yang gives me a weary smile. “Mr Hayes,” he drawls, looking directly at me. “You have a container filled with artefacts and paintings that don’t go through the correct border channels. Tell me, why would someone want their hands on that?”
“Drugs,” Jaxon breathes, sitting straighter in his seat.
“What?” I ask, looking between the two men, missing something. “But the containers are still checked once they reach the destination.”
“And if given the right amount of incentive, that could be overlooked. Mr Black came to me a while back with an offer to take over my shipment. He said he could move more product. Insulted, I put him straight, which is when he told me his plans to use my container to move product.”
“And you didn’t think to tell us?” I growl, clenching my fists. “Our brother was stabbed, we’ve nearly had our warehouse set on fire, and just this Saturday gone, we were stuck in a burning building that Black had thugs set alight.”
“I am sorry for the delay. I hadn’t thought Mr Black would approach you. But I can see why he has. In buying your company, he would be buying our contracts that come with