Phoenix

by Jeff Stone

  “You know how you often see women riding as passengers on motorcycles, and they have their arms wrapped loosely around the driver’s waist?” she asked.

  I swallowed hard. “Yes.”

  “Well, those women are idiots. Motorcycles designed for two people have handles. That’s where you hold on. This motorcycle wasn’t originally designed for two, but someone added those foot pegs and oversized bungee net tie-downs, which also serve as handles. Use them. The other option would be for you to latch tightly on to me like that big guy did with Lin Tan. Try that, and you’ll find yourself eating one of my elbows.”

  I gripped the handles on the motorcycle seat with all my might as I stared over Hú Dié’s shoulder. We powered through the late afternoon sun out of the Cangzhen compound and onto the forest trail I had blazed with my bike. I found myself transfixed.

  The world came at me so fast, it felt as if we were time traveling. Trees and ferns zipped past at a tremendous rate, forming permanent green and brown streaks in the periphery of my vision. It was similar to ripping through the undergrowth down a steep slope while atop a mountain bike, only this was much more stable and way faster. Hú Dié kept the handlebars rigidly on track, and I had a sense that she was riding at the very limit of her capabilities. It worried me, but at the same time, it added to the thrill.

  My initial rush and excitement about riding on the powerful machine wore off once we broke out of the trees and began to climb our first slope. From there on out, it was work. I had to continuously adjust my balance in relation to Hú Dié’s, whether we were going up a mountainside or coming back down.

  When we finally left the mountain trail and entered the village with the well, I was glad to see no sign of the two guys who had tried to steal the GPS. It was dinnertime, and the streets were mostly empty. We passed through there in minutes.

  With the foothills behind us, I found that I had an even bigger challenge ahead. I needed to stay awake over all the flat, wearisome pavement before us. Being on the back was boring.

  By the time we reached the outskirts of Kaifeng, I was ready to peel myself off the vinyl-covered seat and swear an oath that I would never be a passenger on a motorcycle again. Thankfully, Hú Dié wove through the city traffic even faster than I thought possible, and we arrived back at the shop with half an hour of sunlight to spare. PawPaw should still be awake.

  Hú Dié parked the motorcycle in the bike shop’s loading bay, and we went inside, where she led me to a telephone. Next to the phone was a box of rags, and she tossed several to me. We removed our bicycle helmets and shoes, wiping sweat and grime off our faces, arms, and legs.

  When we had finished, Hú Dié asked, “Do you know your grandfather’s friend’s telephone number?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right. I am going upstairs to see if my father is home. I’ll be down in a few minutes. I’ll see if I can find us something to eat, too.”

  I nodded, then dialed the number while Hú Dié headed upstairs. PawPaw answered on the second ring.

  “Hello?”

  The familiar voice sent a wave of relief surging through me. “PawPaw! It’s me, Phoenix. I just had a run-in with the dragon bone thieves from Indiana. Are you okay?”

  “Phoenix! Dear me. Those two bullies broke in here last night right after I went to bed. I’m fine, how are you?”

  “I’m okay. Tell me what happened. How did you know it was the same guys I’m talking about?”

  “Your grandfather told me what they look like. The big one made me sit still at gunpoint while the other one tore my apartment apart until he found my dragon bone. I have more stashed away, of course, so I am perfectly fine. How are you?”

  “Physically, I’m all right. Mentally, I’ve never been angrier. I think they bugged Grandfather’s phone and learned about you. I feel so stupid that I didn’t see it coming. They stole your new computer, didn’t they?”

  “Yes, and I’ve been worried sick about you ever since, because they could figure out where you were going. I am so relieved that you called. Don’t feel stupid. You had no way of knowing. This morning, I bought a few new gadgets from an electronics store and found that someone had tapped my landline telephone. My equipment told me that a listening device was still connected to your grandfather’s phone, too. Needless to say, I’ve taken care of the issues with my phone. We can speak openly now. What happened with you?”

  I filled her in on everything, including Hú Dié.

  “Phoenix,” she said, “I told you not to talk with strangers, especially in Kaifeng.”

  “I know, but she’s helped me like you wouldn’t believe. Ask Grandmaster Long. He’ll tell you. He knows of her family. Their last name is Tiě. Her first name is Hú Dié.”

  PawPaw hesitated. “I am sure Long does know of them. Your grandfather, however, does not. Be careful, Phoenix.”

  “What do you mean? Do you know the family?”

  “I’ve never met them, but there are rumors—clues as to what kind of people they may be.”

  I lowered my voice. “They’re cheats, if you ask me. At least in their business.”

  “So, you know what they do for a living?”

  “Yeah, I’m in the back of their shop right now. I sort of stumbled across the truth.”

  “How do you feel about what they do?”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “And how do you think this Hú Dié feels about her family’s line of work?”

  “She doesn’t see anything wrong with it. She says they’re honest with their customers, and it is actually their customers who are the cheats. It’s all so confusing.”

  “Do you trust her?”

  “I trust her with my life. She put her own life on the line for me—twice. Grandmaster Long trusts her, too. He even showed her the dragon bone.”

  “Oh, dear,” PawPaw said.

  “Don’t worry,” I said. “Hú Dié can keep a secret. Grandmaster Long even thinks so.”

  “Just keep your eyes and ears open, Phoenix. Get back to Beijing as soon as you can.”

  “I will. Have you heard from Grandfather? I was planning to call him, but it’s still a little early back home. He was sleeping in very late right before I left.”

  “We spoke earlier, after I wiped my phone line clean. He is in the nursing home.”

  “What? Already?”

  “I am afraid so. It’s not all bad, though. This is more a precautionary measure. Your uncle Tí has him in a private room, and no one else knows that he is there. Your uncle is going to purchase a pay-as-you-go international cellular phone for your grandfather, and he is supposed to call me in the morning to test it out. You should probably wait until you have that phone number before you try calling him, just to be safe. When should I tell him to arrange your return flight?”

  “I don’t know yet. I may be going to Texas.”

  “Texas! Whatever for?”

  “I might know the identity of one of the thieves—the slim one. He’s a cyclist, and he now rides for a team whose owner asked me to ride with them this summer at their new training facility. Please tell Grandfather that I will probably accept the offer. Let him know why, too. I don’t want him to think that I’m abandoning him.”

  “Phoenix, this is too much. You should notify American authorities. Let them deal with it.”

  “No. Grandfather didn’t want to get the police involved. You know how he is about answering questions. We need to keep dragon bone a secret. I want to give this a try myself. I’ve heard a few things about a group of kids called the Five Ancestors. Grandmaster Long said I am the last of their line. They were all roughly my age when they supposedly saved China like three hundred fifty years ago. All I want to do is save my grandfather.”

  “Oh, Phoenix. You have no idea what you are saying.”

  “Sorry, I’ve made up my mind.”

  PawPaw sighed. “Then there is no more to say. If you are half as stubborn as your grandfather, there is no point in my trying to
argue. Let me know as soon as possible what your plans are. I want to keep your grandfather up to date, and I want to check on Long.”

  “Will do,” I replied, “and thank you.”

  “Save the thank-yous for later. Just be safe, and stay in touch. Goodbye, Phoenix.”

  “Goodbye, PawPaw.”

  I hung up the phone and wondered, Do I really want to do this?

  Yes, I decided. I do.

  I heard a muffled crash upstairs, followed by the sound of pounding feet. I ran to the base of the stairs and saw a closed door overhead. Two people were arguing behind it. The door burst open, and Hú Dié stormed through, shouting back over her shoulder in a Chinese dialect that I didn’t understand. A man’s voice began to shout back, but she slammed the door closed, cutting him off in midsentence. She stomped down the stairs.

  “Fathers,” she said in English, rolling her eyes. She handed me a bottle of water and a sandwich.

  “Thanks,” I said, taking a bite. “Is everything okay?”

  “Of course. We just had a small disagreement.”

  “Small?”

  “Yes.”

  “About what?”

  “Family stuff.”

  “What was that crash, then?”

  Hú Dié rubbed her forearms. “My father decided to stop listening to me, and he turned up the volume on his television. He will be shopping for a new one as soon as he can afford it.”

  “Um, okay.”

  Hú Dié nodded toward the opposite side of the room. “I want to show you something.”

  I followed her to a cluttered workbench. She grabbed a milk crate filled with cycling magazines and began to rummage through them. They were all in English, and every type of cycling seemed to be represented, from mountain biking to downhill racing, to road racing, to cyclocross, to BMX, to free riding. She selected one called Cyclocross Magazine and began to flip through it.

  “Reading these is one of the ways I work on my English,” she said. She stopped flipping and pointed to a page. “Here! See? I told you.”

  I glanced over her shoulder and saw a half-page advertisement. The main focus of the ad was a photograph of a cyclocross rider on his bike, traveling away from the camera, hammering hard. His shaved calf muscle bulged like an alien appendage, complete with a unique pattern of thick, wriggling veins. That definitely looked like the leg I had seen at Cangzhen.

  In addition to the photo, the ad contained two lines of text:

  Team Vanderhausen

  V=Victory

  I got my backpack from home and rummaged around in one of the pockets until I found Dr. V’s business card. I’d brought it with me as a reminder of what was waiting for me back in Indiana after this mess was over. Even though I wasn’t interested in racing for Dr. V, it was still nice to know that I was invited to ride with a real team. It also reminded me that I had several races left this summer with Jake.

  I grabbed the telephone and checked my watch. It would be early in Texas, but it was still worth a try. “May I borrow your phone again?”

  Hú Dié looked at the logo on the business card. “Is this a joke?”

  “No.”

  “What are you going to do, call Team Vanderhausen and ask for Lin Tan?”

  “Can I use your phone or not? It’s an international call.”

  Hú Dié gave me an exasperated look. “Be my guest, but you are going to let me listen in if the call gets interesting.”

  “Suit yourself.” I dialed the number on the card, and it rang several times. I was about to hang up, when someone answered.

  “Team Vanderhausen. May I help you?” It was a woman’s voice.

  “Hi,” I said. “Is Dr. Vanderhausen available?”

  “Not currently. If you would like to leave a message, someone will get back to you.”

  “It’s kind of important,” I said. “I really need to talk with him. Can you please tell him it’s Phoenix Collins? He gave me his card.”

  “Is that your real name? Phoenix?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Are you an acquaintance of his?”

  “He invited me to train with his team this summer.”

  Hú Dié punched me in the arm. She placed her ear next to the receiver.

  The woman on the other end of the telephone line said, “You sound a little young.”

  “I’m thirteen,” I replied. “I race against his nephew, Ryan.”

  “Where are you calling from? I don’t recognize this extension.”

  “China.”

  “China? Isn’t it the middle of the night there?”

  “Almost. That’s why I’m calling now.”

  The woman sighed. “Hold, please. I’ll try his cell phone.”

  I heard a click, and elevator music began to play. Hú Dié pulled away.

  “Were you really invited to ride with them?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “When?”

  “Right before I came here.”

  “How come you never told me?”

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  “So, are you going to do it?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “What do you mean, you’re not sure? I would kill for a chance to—”

  The elevator music cut out, and I held my hand up. “Shut up and ride,” I whispered.

  Hú Dié pouted and cocked her arm as if to hit me again, but then she lowered her fist and pressed her ear back to the receiver.

  There was a click on the other end of the telephone line, and I heard Dr. V’s accented voice. “Phoenix?”

  “Hi, Dr. V,” I said, trying to sound casual. “I’m sorry to interrupt your day.”

  “No, no. I finished my morning ride more than an hour ago. It’s so infernally hot here in Texas, I like to try to get off the road before the sun comes up. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy … and all that. Did I hear correctly that you are in China?”

  I had been thinking about how to answer this question ever since we had left Cangzhen Temple. “Yes,” I said, “I’m visiting relatives. That’s why I felt I couldn’t take you up on your offer to ride. Sorry if I was rude. I think I made some kind of sarcastic remark about Texas being too hot in June.”

  “Well, you were right about the heat. What can I do for you?”

  “To be honest, I’ve been here a few days and I’m bored out of my mind. My grandfather is on his way, but I don’t see this trip getting any better.”

  “But you’re halfway around the world. Isn’t it exciting? A foreign country with unique culture and exotic food and—”

  “They dry their rice on oil-stained asphalt,” I said. “I’d rather be riding my bike.”

  Dr. V burst into laughter. “You’d rather be riding your bike than vacationing? That is exactly the kind of thing I want to hear from my riders! Have you discussed this with your grandfather?”

  “Yes,” I lied. “He is disappointed that I would rather be in Texas than China, but he said I could go if it wouldn’t cost him anything.”

  “Don’t worry about the cost, as I’ve already told you. You won’t even have to use your return plane ticket. It will be easier if my travel agent handles everything from scratch. Our team attorney can make sure that your travel documentation is in order, too. I’ve worked with riders from all over the world. We even have one guy from China. Did you know that?”

  I paused. “No.”

  “His name is Lin Tan, but you won’t get to meet him. He was suspended a month ago for using a banned growth hormone. He isn’t allowed to ride with us again until next year.”

  “Really? That’s too bad.”

  “It is. He’s good. To make matters worse, my head of security was in on it. I had to let him go.”

  Head of security? That could easily be Meathead. My heart sank. Maybe Dr. V wasn’t behind the dragon bone thefts after all. Perhaps Lin Tan and Meathead were working for someone else? Or maybe it was just the two of them after the dragon bone?
r />   “So, how soon would you like to come?” Dr. V asked.

  I didn’t answer. My mind was still racing.

  Hú Dié jabbed an elbow in my side. She moved her mouth to my other ear and whispered, “He’s lying about something. I can tell. You have to go.”

  “Phoenix?” Dr. V said.

  “Sorry,” I replied. “The phone cut out for a second. I would like to come to Texas as soon as possible.”

  “That’s great! I’m having an open house and a small cyclocross race with just our team members at the ranch a week from Saturday. I’d love for you to participate. The sooner you get here and get on a ’cross bike, the better. Where are you now, and what airport did you fly into?”

  “I flew into Beijing International. Right now I’m in the city of Kaifeng, a long bus ride south of Beijing, depending on farm traffic.”

  “Farm traffic? It sounds like you’ve had quite the adventure already. Stay right where you are. Give me twelve hours, and someone from my staff will call you back. The answering service has logged your telephone number, so I think we’re good to go. If all goes well, you should be here in a couple days. Is there any chance your grandfather can accompany you?”

  “Er … no. He’s not even here yet. Why?”

  “I am willing to bet there are no direct flights from Beijing to Austin, Texas. That means you will have to enter the United States in a different city, and as a minor you will need an adult to either travel with you or meet you at the airport. Do you have any relatives in New York or Los Angeles? I know there are direct flights from Beijing to those cities.”

  I frowned. “No.”

  “What about adult relatives in China who would like a free trip to the United States? Perhaps a cousin? The person only needs to be eighteen years old.”

  Hú Dié began to jump up and down. She whispered in my ear again. “Tell him yes! Tell him yes!”