Richard’s logic was admittedly compelling. He didn’t think Gobi had ever escaped, at least not the way Nurali thought. He said that when the story first went global, someone could have figured out that there was some money to be made from the dog, and when the opportunity arose, they took her. They probably hung on to her so long because the interest kept increasing along with the chance of getting an even bigger payout. But my coming to Urumqi changed things. Suddenly the local press was looking into it, and then the government started taking an interest, with local officials joining the WeChat group. After that, the whole thing became riskier.
“That’s why Lu Xin got so many calls saying that Gobi was dead already or that she was going to be killed unless the reward money increased.”
“Wait,” I said. “What do you mean ‘so many calls’? I thought there was just the one phone call. And nobody told me they were asking for more money.”
“Yes,” said Richard. “They had hundreds of them. They just didn’t want to worry you.”
I didn’t know what to think. Part of me was grateful for their care. Had I known the full story, I couldn’t have done anything to help, and I’d have been even more worried. But I didn’t like the thought that I’d been scammed.
I was trying to wrap my mind around it all, but Richard hadn’t quite finished.
“And don’t you think it’s weird that Gobi ended up with someone who knew Nurali?”
“So you think the Ma family took her?”
“No. They didn’t need the money and wouldn’t be interested in taking a dog. But it’s quite a coincidence that Gobi was left where people who knew her story could find her. And in a city with mountains and open space nearby, how come Gobi decides to hide on a road near the most expensive gated community for miles? She’s not accustomed to high-class living just yet, is she?” It’s more likely that the dognappers planted her.
In between interviews the next morning, I messaged Lu Xin to say that I thought it would be best if Gobi and I found somewhere else to stay. Apart from feeling vulnerable in the hotel room on my own, the fact that I couldn’t take Gobi freely in and out of the hotel meant that I still hadn’t taken her to a vet to get her checked out. If the hip was a problem, it didn’t seem fair that she should have to wait. Kiki was still working to get Gobi to Beijing, and I was getting increasingly worried that someone else would try and kidnap Gobi in the hope of a decent reward payout. And besides, every day spent waiting was another day to wait until she could finally come home.
I’d just finished texting Lu Xin when there was a knock at the door. Gobi was in a deep sleep and didn’t stir at all, but I still tiptoed across the carpet, my heart jumping and my head spinning.
As I looked through the peephole, I was half-expecting to see the hotel manager standing outside, or maybe a housekeeper who had ignored the “Do Not Disturb” sign. I hoped it wouldn’t be Nurali’s husband.
It was none of these people.
It was two men in dark suits. I recognized them instantly. They were the same two men I had seen in the basement the day before.
I stepped back from the door, pushing myself flat against the wall. A random movie scene, where a sharply dressed assassin shot the unsuspecting occupant through the peephole, flashed across my mind. I told myself that I was being ridiculous and stole another glance.
They were still there, staring impassively at me.
The door was locked and bolted, and the security chain thrown over, which is how I always have it whenever I’m in a hotel room. I wondered whether I should open it up and see what they wanted. Perhaps they had been sent from the government to make sure Gobi was safe. If that was the case, there was no risk in having a talk with them. But what if they were there to take Gobi, kick us out of the hotel, or exact revenge on behalf of whoever took her in the first place? If any of those were correct, then opening the door was the last thing I should do.
I made up my mind and backed away, keeping close to the wall just in case my thoughts about gunmen and Hollywood movies were some kind of premonition. I hid around the wall by the bed and hoped that Gobi would stay asleep.
Another knock.
It wasn’t loud or angry, but it made me hold my breath and freeze. What would I do if they forced the door? Would I pretend I’d been asleep and try and talk my way out of it? Or would I try to use the element of surprise and charge past them with Gobi under my arm and head for the fire exit?
The seconds crept by. There were no more knocks, and they didn’t try the handle to see if the door was open. After five minutes I edged back to the door and looked out of the peephole, seeing nothing but an empty corridor. I strained from side to side to see if they might be hiding down low, out of normal sight, but after ten minutes I was convinced they had definitely gone. I carefully pulled away the bedding that covered the bottom of the door and eased the door open. Nothing left, nothing right. I quickly closed, locked, and bolted it again.
I found my phone and sent a message to Lu Xin: Please, get us out of here! I’m really worried that someone’s going to grab Gobi. I didn’t sleep all night, and I am really scared for our safety.
I wanted to get in a car and drive back to Beijing that afternoon, but between Kiki, Chris, and Lu Xin, they came up with a different plan. Kiki’s contact said she could help get Gobi permission to fly, and that all we’d need were the basic medical checks carried out by a vet. Once we’d done that, we could be in Beijing in four or five days.
Lu Xin found a flat that I could rent and assured me no one else knew where it was. I didn’t want to take any chances. So the next morning I took Gobi down to the basement and handed her over to Lu Xin—the only person in the whole of Urumqi I trusted completely. I was on edge, scanning the parked cars for a grey saloon with two dark-suited males in it. I didn’t see it, but that was little comfort to me.
I rushed back up to the lobby, settled my bill, and checked out.
The location of the flat was just as Lu Xin described. I’d not been in that part of the city before, and I was pleased to see that the streets and shops were busy enough to give me and Gobi some cover, without being so crowded that we’d get swamped.
The flat itself was clean and basic, and I felt myself exhale with relief as I said thank you and goodbye to Lu Xin and locked the door behind her.
After Gobi had a good sniff around the entire place, she sat in front of me and looked up into my eyes, just the way she had done on the second morning of the race. It was like she was telling me that she knew something was different but she was okay with it.
“It’s quite an adventure we’ve got ourselves into, isn’t it, Gobi?”
She stared back, gave my feet a quick sniff, then trotted over to the couch, jumped up, spun around four times, and curled up in a little ball of sandy-brown fluff.
Gobi wasn’t so happy the next day when I took her to the vet. Kiki had arranged for her to be seen by one of the top guys in the city, and I was excited. For the first time in this whole affair, Gobi and I were about to make some real progress towards getting her home.
Gobi didn’t agree.