The Bone Hunters by Robert J. Mrazek Page B

for three Bengal tigers that had been captured in Nepal to be delivered to a smuggler of rare animals in Guangdong. There they had been tranquilized and delivered to the train by truck. The freshly butchered animals were then roasted for the men on the way to their current mission.
    â€œI abhor the taste of tiger meat, but your legionnaires apparently believe it bestows one with bravery and strength,” said Zhou.
    â€œMy men have great bravery and strength,” agreed Li.
    Zhou looked at him skeptically. “On the other hand, tiger eyeballs are considered an excellent tonic for impotence.”
    â€œI do not have that problem, my lord,” said Li humbly.
    â€œAnd reportedly good for improving eyesight too,” he said, glancing at his son’s thick spectacles.
    Li said nothing. Removing them, he cleaned the lenses with a white silk handkerchief.
    â€œAre they ready for their mission?” said Zhou, his chin hardening.
    â€œLike tigers,” said Li.
    â€œTigers are not meant to be caged,” said his father.
    â€œNo, my lord,” said Li.
    â€œA tiger never shows mercy,” said Zhou.
    â€œNone will be shown.”
    â€œThese people have become a security threat. I am told by Colonel Wong that there is a woman in the village who is particularly troublesome. You will make sure that she no longer makes trouble.”
    â€œYes, my lord.”
    â€œYou are humorless, my son,” said Zhou. “You must find something in your life that gives you pleasure.”
    â€œI have already found it, my lord.”
    Leaving his father, Li walked back to the fourth car in the train, which included the fitness facility and swimming pool. Stripping off his clothes, he dove into the lap pool that ran half the length of the car.
    He churned through the water with long, powerful strokes until he reached the end of the pool and did a racing turn to make his return, his arms reaching forward and the muscles of his shoulders sliding and meshing in flawless harmony.
    Wo hèn ta . . . I hate him
, his brain silently screamed in perfect cadence to each stroke.
Wǒ hèn tā, Wǒ hèn tā, Wǒ hèn tā.
    Twenty minutes later the train came to a stop along the length of a broad steel passenger platform. It was an hour before dawn. Although a factory city was planned in the future, nothing had been built yet in the countryside surrounding it. They were only ten miles from their objective.
    The aerodynamically designed titanium metal doors ofthe last four railroad cars slid open simultaneously. Li’s tactical assault force emerged from each car in columns of four, marching in lockstep as they formed up in ranks on the platform for inspection.
    Li had inserted his contact lenses and looked every inch the commander in his starched mission uniform. Aside from the gold stars on the collars, it was identical to the uniforms worn by the men standing before him.
    Dark khaki, the uniforms were formfitted to each man and employed a powered exoskeleton to carry weapons, ammunition, equipment, liquid body armor, and built-in helmet computers with night vision.
    â€œAt least the men look ready,” said Li to his deputy commander, Colonel Wong.
    â€œThey are—to perfection, General,” he responded. “They have been briefed on every aspect of the mission.”
    Behind them, a hydraulic platform slowly slid free from the side of the last railroad car. It held Li’s command helicopter, a jet-powered gunship with stepped tandem cockpits protected by armor plate, one 30 mm cannon, air-to-air missiles, and a new antitank rocket.
    â€œPrepare to move out,” ordered Colonel Wong to the closest unit on the platform.
    It was the first time their new “cavalry” unit would be used on a mission. Zhou’s engineers had developed a hybrid “stealth” motorcycle that used jet fuel to reach a speed of one hundred twenty miles an hour but could also