Ice

By Mark Morey

a far away place, it immerses you into a both modern and ancient culture, while the story twists and turns, and suffers setbacks and danger. Five stars – my book of this year. Ann Reed – author.

For those who like crime stories with a difference, for those who like exotic and interesting stories, or for those who simply like good stories, I can't recommend Ice highly enough. Kate Baldwin – author.

Five brilliant stars, a story like none other! – Michael Garrick, author

Newly graduated from the People's Public Security University in Beijing, police sergeant Shui Nuan returns to her home city of Guangzhou. There she is appointed to Office 1.10; tasked to take out the leadership of the triad gangs who manufacture the drug methamphetamine or ice. Real-world policing is vastly different to university studies, while finding love proves to be almost as challenging. But when Nuan comes face to face with her best friend, now a mistress to a triad gangster, her troubles have only just begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Morey
• Release date: Feb 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9780648786917

Mark Morey

Writing a novel didn't cross my mind until relatively recently, when I went to the local library and couldn't find a book that interested me. That led me consider a new pastime. Write a book. That book may never be published, but I felt my follow-up cross-cultural crime with romance hybrid set in Russia had more potential. So much so that I wrote a sequel that took those characters on a journey to a very dark place.Once those books were published and garnered good reviews I wrote in a very different place and time, and my two novels set in Victorian Britain and published in July and August of 2014. I followed those up with various novels set in various places at various times, with the most recent being a story set in the Syrian Civil War.

Book preview

Chapter One

It was a typical July morning in Guangzhou. Although not yet eight, already the day was warm and humid on the way to a sticky 30 or perhaps a bit more, with the possibility of afternoon rain and thunderstorms. Nuan joined the throng heading to a bus waiting at the stop near her apartment, where she entered and swiped her Yang Cheng Tong card. She stood in the crowded bus as they lurched away from the kerb, heading along crowded streets packed with pedestrians on footpaths and packed with cars on the road. Streets lined with simple, brick apartment buildings a few decades old, brightened by signs in red and orange for hundreds and thousands of small shops at street level. A side-street was now a pedestrian mall as they flashed past neat paving and a canopy of trees. Ahead was the city centre, mostly torn down and rebuilt in recent years to be the skyscraper centre of China. Tall buildings everywhere, elevated roads, the new bridge across the Pearl River fed by cloverleaf intersections packed with cars. As Guangzhou born and raised, but away from home for some years in smoggy Beijing, it was hard for Nuan to take this all in. Turn your back for five minutes and the skyline changed, let alone be away for four years. The most beautiful was the Canton Tower, home to the New Television Group: a tall tower broad at the base, narrower in the centre, and broad again at the top; itself twisted in a continuous curve from top to bottom. Amazing at night when lit in purple, red, yellow and blue. As tall that tower was, the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre building was even taller. Although descended from a Beijing family, Nuan was proud to be a Guangzhou woman. This was her home: the best city in China and surely one of the best cities in the world.

Nuan recognised where she was from her test-journey the day before, so readied herself to disembark at the next stop near the Guangzhou Public Service Bureau; her new workplace.

Behind a series of stepped forecourts in brick and concrete, bordered by immaculate lawns with trimmed hedges, the Public Service Bureau was a modern skyscraper of dark grey columns and green glass at the ground floor level, and lighter grey columns and the same green glass towering to the sky. A porch of dark grey, supported by charcoal grey steel columns, loomed over the entrance; proudly wearing the emblem of the Ministry of Public Security; her employer. Yesterday, Nuan test-ran her commute right to the front door, but now she hesitated. So massive, so many people, and she a newly-graduated junior sergeant. Nuan felt insignificant. She took a deep breath before crossing the forecourt to reach tall, glass doors which silently slid open to reveal a foyer of tall columns, polished granite floors, and lights hidden in recesses and alcoves making the space light and bright. It was busy with hundreds of police officers, all in blue, walking by singly or in small groups, and many civilians too. Dark, timber counters all around had seated constables dealing with many civilians. Despite the crowds, there was a hushed air of calm. Nuan went to a young constable free at his counter.

Ni hao, she greeted while showing her warrant card. My name's Sergeant Shui Nuan and I'm reporting for my first day of work here.

Ni hao Sergeant, he said before turning to his computer. He typed ferociously for a few moments before turning to face Nuan. Sergeant Chen will be here for you in a few moments.

Thank you.

Nuan stood to one side. Some time later a middle-aged sergeant, maybe the same age as Father, strode through the crowd, straight to Nuan.

Sergeant Grade Three Shui? he asked.

I am, Nuan replied.

I'm Sergeant Grade One Chen. Come with me.

He strode off while Nuan followed. Out of the foyer to a door, where he swiped a card on an extendable cord attached to his belt, to a sensor to release a lock. Further inside to a lift and up to the third floor; then along a corridor. They reached a large room of lockers and benches.

This is the female locker room, Sergeant Chen said while he handed a key across. Get changed and meet me here.

Nuan checked the key numbered 32 to find locker number 32. There she removed her backpack, unpacked her uniform; before changing into a light blue uniform blouse with epaulettes, over dark blue slacks with a black belt, a dark blue cap, white cotton gloves, and hung her dark blue uniform jacket inside that locker. She placed her street clothes and her backpack inside before locking. Nuan returned to Sergeant Chen.

Now, as a sergeant I'm obliged to let you lead street patrols, Sergeant Chen said, although you'll find the reality of street police work to be quite different to your university studies. Theory is all well and good but a long way removed from practice, so learn from your partner, Constable Yang. Now we'll get your equipment.

Next stop was the armoury, where Nuan was issued with an extendable baton and a holster with a Norinco NRP9 revolver. She fastened those and the security card she was given, a pair of handcuffs on her belt too, and then a radio by looping the velcro band around her left epaulette.

Just because you're a university graduate, and the daughter of Commissioner Shui, don't expect any favours, Sergeant Chen warned.

Father suspected a university graduate would be resented because she had more knowledge than many old hands, as would her family name with thoughts of favouritism. Father was right; Sergeant Chen was somewhat put-out by a young officer who only had the experience of working as a cadet on patrol in Beijing for a few months, and now in charge of constables of many years' experience. She could highlight her street-level experience in Beijing but said nothing. She felt that would inflame things further.

I'll work hard at learning from Constable Yang's experience, Nuan said firmly.

You watch that you do.

Yes Sergeant Chen.

Now we'll find Yang.

Constable Yang was in a tea room with a kettle and a microwave on a bench of green laminate, a freestanding but somewhat battered coin in the slot coffee machine, and a laminate table with several cheap, vinyl-covered metal chairs. Old newspapers and magazines were heaped on the table where Constable Yang, like Nuan in his early 20s, drank coffee or tea from a disposable cup. A metal waste bin in the corner of the room overflowed with discarded disposable cups. They were introduced before being left to it. Constable Yang threw his now empty cup at the pile now spread across the floor, before grabbing his cap and heading out.

They told me you're the daughter of Commissioner Shui, Constable Yang said.

Don't let who I am change your treatment of me, Nuan said.

They told me you're a graduate of the People's Public Security University of China, in Beijing.

I'm a graduate with honours.

They crossed the foyer to outside.

What subjects did you study? Constable Yang asked.

Why do you want to know? Nuan asked.

Maybe I'll go there.

Highly unlikely. You needed a NCEE score of 580, and getting higher each year. But if he wanted to know, Nuan would oblige him. "There are 12 disciplines being law, public order, criminal investigation, criminology, police administration, international police and law enforcement, forensic science and technology, policing information engineering, cyber defence, counterterrorism, police command techniques, and traffic management engineering.

All that?

Plus electives.

That sort-of sets you up to be a detective or a specialist investigator.

Nuan didn't comment but that was the intention. Are you interested? she asked.

I thought I was but now I don't know.

They walked on.

Street patrolling is quite different to cyber defence and counterterrorism, Constable Yang said.

You have to crawl before you can walk, Nuan said.

He nodded his head. Our patrol starts here and covers an area of six blocks by ten blocks. We liaise with business leaders, community leaders, and key residents.

A traditional Chinese policing technique that went back more than a thousand years, where respected leaders and elders were responsible for the order of their communities. Over time policing, in reality the Ministry of Public Security, had overlaid that but kept the same, broad structure. So patrols worked with their communities, although the massive growth of cities, and the flood of immigrants to those cities, was gradually rendering that model redundant. Crime in the year 2019 was too sophisticated to be relying upon the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. Nonetheless Nuan was introduced to the husband, wife and son of a family grocery store, a leather workshop proprietor, a hardware store proprietor, a couple in an old apartment building, both looking close to age 100, and more. She shook many hands and was touched by their universal enthusiasm to have her in their community.

We should have lunch now, Constable Yang said. I always have lunch here.

'Here' was The Happy Restaurant, where lunch was traditional small serves of meat and vegetables in pastry, and rice; always with tea. Constable Yang was given preferential service by the proprietor, also Yang. Although friendly and comfortable, half-way through her first patrol in Guangzhou, Nuan was bored.

She took some dumplings with her chopsticks. Why did you become a police officer, Constable Yang?

Oh, it pays well enough I suppose, and you'd have to be really stupid to lose your job! And you, Sergeant Shui.

I want to make this neighbourhood, this city and my country; better and safer through my endeavours.

Really?

Really.

Nuan ate a dumpling then some rice. At least she was home to good Cantonese food and not Beijing cuisine anymore. But Constable Yang! What an under-achiever! He was suited to foot patrols and liaising, she supposed, but he will never get beyond the rank of Constable Grade One. There were many like Constable Yang, so those who had ambition, drive and ability invariably rose to jobs of high authority. Nuan briefly wondered if that was typical of policing the world over: basic, almost simple foot soldiers led by the talented.

After lunch they continued their patrol, as students finished school and flooded the streets. It was a peaceful area just north of the city centre where literally nothing had happened all day, other than meeting those she needed to meet. Nuan was glad when they headed to the Guangzhou Public Service Bureau, where on floor three she checked in her revolver in its holster, her handcuffs, radio and the extendable baton. She bid Constable Yang 'ming tian jiàn' (see you tomorrow) before heading to the locker room to change. Soon Nuan would be on the bus for her commute home. She walked a long way that day and was looking forward to relaxing with her feet up. The same tomorrow? Nuan hoped that sooner rather than later, a more interesting role would enter her realm.

* * *

Nuan heard a man and woman shouting abuse at each other, not unique for a public place, but when many car horns blared, that was odd.

We ought to check this out, Nuan told Constable Yang.

Nuan jogged around the corner to see a man and a woman, both in their thirties, in the middle of busy Dongguan Road really going at each other, while cars swerved around the couple. Nuan watched as he was already shirtless and unbuttoning his trousers, while she was squatted down by his shirt on the bitumen, fiddling with the buttons on her blouse and skirt, which she then tore off to sand up stark naked while still shouting abuse at the man abusing her. Amazing! Then an older man ran onto the road to shout at the now naked woman, who then turned on him verbally and then some!

Deal with the traffic, Constable Yang, Nuan ordered, while passers-by were more than occupied by capturing this moment on many smartphones. Nuan strode out to put her arm out to guide traffic around the lane that was blocked. In the meantime the shirtless man, most likely her husband, watched on from the footpath. The woman now turned, legs partly spread more in aggression, to abuse him from a distance. Constable Yang came to Nuan.

Take over, Nuan ordered, before she went to the naked woman.

You! Nuan shouted, just as the naked woman spun around and abused Nuan, like she abused the other man who confronted her.

Come here! Nuan ordered as she grabbed for the woman's wrists, but the woman skipped away and sprinted instead, with Nuan in furious pursuit. Nuan didn't know if being naked made you faster, but for sure that woman could run. The naked woman ran to her shirtless partner, blue shirt in his left hand, who then put his hand the shoulder on his probable wife as if nothing had happened, except she was still naked of course.

Nuan grabbed at the woman's shoulders from behind where they both stopped.

I'm arresting you, Nuan said, as she snapped her handcuffs around one wrist.

What for?

Public indecency.

Nuan clasped the woman's other wrist.

Can you tell me what happened? Nuan asked.

We had an argument, the woman said.

I can see that much. Why in the middle of the street?

I was angry.

Why naked?

I was angry.

Constable Yang came alongside with a bundle of white. Nuan took that bundle to give it to her handcuffed victim. Get dressed please, she ordered, while releasing her handcuffs.

Anger now spent, the woman dressed almost meekly.

Once dressed although shoeless, Nuan handcuffed the woman again, but with her hands behind her back. Although older she had a model-like build, and she went from dressed to naked very quickly so she wasn't wearing underwear. It was as if they had this planned.

Was this a stunt or something? Nuan asked. Were you paid for this?

No.

Nuan looked around but saw no cameras, only smartphones, so this wasn't professional. Odd.

Handcuff him too, Nuan told Constable Yang.

What's this for? the man asked, while Constable Yang pulled hands behind his back to click handcuffs in place.

You were a traffic hazard for a start, Nuan said. Life is never dull in inner north Guangzhou, is it Constable Yang? Nuan then asked.

Not this morning it isn't, he replied.

You know this has been captured by a many people. It will go viral.

Absolutely it will.

Nuan faced her prisoners both looking sheepish. You two come with us.

Nuan took a handcuffed female wrist, to lead them to the Guangzhou Public Service Bureau. Most likely a public indecency charge and causing a traffic hazard for the woman, and causing a traffic hazard for the man, would see fines or suspended sentences. Nuan guessed that was anger the woman couldn't keep in, as women sometimes do, even in public. But to show anger by stripping naked in the middle of a busy road was the oddest behaviour.

Chapter Two

They agreed to meet at six in The Hill Bar in the city centre. It was just after six when Nuan entered the dark, compact room. For some reason bars were always dark. Tall tables, tall stools, a stage at one end, and a timber bar to one side with a thousand glasses hanging above. Nuan looked