The line went dead. It was clear the so-called ‘Mastermind’ had been spooked, so much so that the line must have been cut as the call could not be traced. There was no signal registering on the tracker.

Tang Chun-ying’s mother, whose own name was Maria paused for a second, as if stuck in between two thoughts, before placing the receiver back down. The scene replayed in her mind, “I am one of the masterminds behind wounding your beloved son. I guess you can call me an expert spy of the ninja days.” The voice, though not familiar, seemed perhaps – marked. It was the way the voice said, “ninja” – so harsh and forceful – that stuck Maria the most.

There was no time for grief as Maria ran upstairs to her bedroom. Upon entering the bedroom she reached for the light switch but instead pressed firmly either side of the switch. She held her touch for 6 seconds, the exact length of time she had been told in her training session when preparing for this kind of situation. 1..2..3..4..5..6 – Maria lifted her fingers.