“Cut the shit, Dix. You knew I was making the trip the minute I got off the phone with the boss. And that was twenty-three hours ago. Gossip leaks like a sieve in this place. Plus, I know you saw the car waiting for me out front. Right or wrong?”
“On the money, boss, on the money.” Dix grinned, revealing a magnificent array of pearly whites. “I was just making conversation. Any special instructions while you’re gone? And how long do you plan to be away?”
“Just run the place like I do. It’s up in the air. Those guys like to mess around and stall and make you sweat. I’m thinking three days. If I don’t make any progress, I’ll take my marbles and come home. I’m meeting up with Todd from the Wynn and Big Al from the Sands first. I think it’s a go. Clinching the deal is step two. In other words, it all depends how bad they piss me off.
“We talked about this already, Dix. Tell me now if you are having any second thoughts. You sure you want to run the Macau casino? Life will be quite different over there, as you well know. I’m not signing on any dotted line until I have your full commitment.”
Dix laughed. It was a deep rumble of sound. “Told you I’d give it five years as long as I got a piece of the action, and Annie and you both agreed to that. That’s a piece plus my salary. Just so we’re clear on that. At the end of the five years, I want the option of bugging out so I can buy an island somewhere and live off my dividends while I’m being catered to twenty-four seven. That’s the deal.”
“Okay. When I get back, we’ll put it together if it’s a go, and then you can take up residence in Hong Kong until the casino in Macau is completed. Then it becomes your headache.”
His blue eyes locked on Bert. “Why don’t you tell me now why you’re really going over there? Yeah, yeah, I heard everything you said, but there’s another reason, isn’t there?”
The guy was good, he had to give him that. “NTK, pal.”
“Need to know, my ass, Bert. Come on, level with me. This is me you’re talking to, pal. I thought we were best buds.”
“Can’t, Dix. Boss’s orders. You know how that goes. Hold the fort. You have my number. Call me if anything goes awry. Gotta run.”
Dix was up and out of the chair he’d been sitting on. The piercing blue eyes narrowed to slits. “This isn’t shits and giggles, is it, Bert? This isn’t even really all about the casino, either, is it?”
“No, Dix, it is not shits and giggles.”
“Okay, you need some guys, let me know. I know quite a few in the Orient who would jump at the chance to help if need be.” Bert nodded as he slapped Dix on the back.
“I’ll be in touch. Make sure those four weddings in the chapel go off smoothly.” Bert laughed out loud at the look on Dix’s face. He hated chapel duty. Especially when the preacher was an Elvis stand-in.
Ten minutes later, Bert hunkered down into the backseat of the casino car and closed his eyes. What the hell was he getting himself into? His least favorite people in the whole world were the Chinese. There was no trust there, no code of honor. At least that he could see.
He hated Hong Kong. Almost as much as he hated Macau. But he had gotten five pretty snappy custom-made suits the last time he was in Hong Kong. Maybe he’d get a couple more this time around since Kathryn said he looked sexy in them. Yeah, yeah, maybe some shirts, too. The monogrammed ones she liked so much. God, how he loved that woman.
His eyes closed as his mind took him from thoughts of Kathryn, the sisters, Dix, and other stray thoughts, to Lily Wong, Harry’s daughter. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of the little girl being in any kind of danger. That thought took him back to Kathryn and the fierce tone of her voice when she’d called to tell him what was going on. He shivered.
With an hour to kill before boarding, Bert sent off texts to Todd and Big Al in Macau, apprising them of his arrival and the wish to set up a meeting ASAP. Within minutes, he had a meeting, lodging at the Wynn, and a luncheon all scheduled. The third text he sent off was to Annie, informing her of the latest developments.
Satisfied that every last detail had been taken care of, Bert leaned back and watched the travelers as they scurried about. His FBI training served him well as he looked for oddities. Seeing nothing that seemed out of the ordinary, he let his mind take him to other places that were more pleasing at this hour of the night, but in the end his thoughts always took him back to a little dark-eyed girl named Lily Wong. When he could no longer bear the thought of the little girl’s being in trouble, he shifted his thoughts to Lily’s father, Harry Wong.
Harry Wong. He liked Harry Wong. But . . . in the deepest part of his heart and soul, he admitted to himself that he feared him like no other man walking the earth. Harry Wong was a one-man army. A man of few words. Very few. And yet in some strange, unexplained something or other, Harry had bonded with Jack Emery, of all people. While they constantly baited one another, everyone close to the two men knew that either one would, quite literally, die for the other—that was the nature of their bond. No amount of questioning or searching could reveal the why of it. It simply was.
Bert could feel his insides start to curdle when he thought about both Harry and Jack in China. Harry wouldn’t just be Harry Wong, the number two martial-arts expert in the world, with his sidekick at his side. He would be entering China as the number one martial-arts expert in the world now that Jun Yu was deceased. While that in itself was scary as hell, it was who Harry and Jack really were that made his blood run cold.
Harry Wong, the father of Lily Wong.
Jack Emery, godfather to Lily Wong.
At this point in time, probably the deadliest duo ever to enter China.
Bert’s eyes snapped open when he heard the announcement that first-class passengers were to begin boarding. He switched his mental gears and once again tried to concentrate on the little girl named Lily Wong.
Bert adjusted his seat belt and reached for the glass of wine the stewardess held out to him. Where are you, Lily Wong? Are you safe, little Lily? Your dad and Jack are coming for you. Nothing on this earth will stop them from getting to you. Stay strong, little one, stay strong.
Her name was Yuke Lok, and she was seventeen years old. She had been singled out to be what Americans would call Lily Wong’s big sister on the little girl’s arrival. It was her job to oversee and protect the little girl, a job she took seriously. She excelled at following orders and never questioned the monks when a task was given to her. And she liked Lily and considered her a true little sister since she had no blood sisters, only brothers.
She loved her little sister, loved when Lily told her what life in America was like. They shared their limited life experiences sometimes with laughter and sometimes with sadness. Yuke Lok especially loved hearing tales of Cooper and what Lily called his mystical powers. It was understood among the monks that sometimes Lily embellished her tales, but they just hid their smiles because, wise men that they were, they knew a four-legged creature couldn’t possibly know and do the things the mystical dog was credited with. They were even more amused when Lily would just smile knowingly and stare off into space.
The moment Brother Hung waddled, as fast as his plump body would allow, over to where Yuke Lok was teaching six young girls, of which Lily Wong was one, about the different species of butterflies, Yuke Lok came to attention. She listened as Brother Hung told her to take Lily and head into the forest. He drew a map on Yuke Lok’s open palm and admonished her to speak only English from that point on. “Yuke Lok, you must keep young Lily safe. She is your responsibility now. Do you understand? You must go now before the parade of men come here.” He handed over a sack of food and bottles of water, explaining that there would be more when she stopped at the various points marked on the palm of her hand.
Always inquisitive, sometimes more than she should be, Lily listened but did not question anything Brother Hung said. She smiled when he bent low to kiss the top of her head. Lily had looked up at him, and whispered, “I know. Cooper told me. I will see yo
u again, Brother Hung, when my daddy comes here with Cooper. Please do not fret about my safety.”
The fat little monk shook his head to try to clear away the words, but they stayed firmly planted in his mind. A mystical dog, along with Harry Wong, was coming to the monastery. He didn’t know why, but he believed the child implicitly.
“Go, my children!”
Brother Hung trundled his way to the center courtyard and rang the bell. Monks came from everywhere, children from all directions in a blur of orange and yellow. He spoke quickly, breathlessly, his gaze on the terrain of his beloved Song Mountain, where the parade of men were advancing on the monastery. His message to the gathering was simple. Erase the life of Lily Wong. She was never here. Quickly, my brothers.
There was no need to repeat his order. Instant, unequivocal obedience was the order of the Shaolin Monastery. Only once did he turn his gaze in the other direction, praying that the two girls would remain safe.
Brother Hung had known the moment Jun Yu came for his son and daughter what would happen, and he had been right. He just wished he’d had more time to prepare, more time for Yuke Lok and Lily Wong to get farther away. He wished then that the mystical dog Cooper was sitting at his feet even if he didn’t believe in such things. And yet Lily Wong believed, and her eyes had been clear and unafraid. He shuddered at the thought of her father’s making an appearance along with the mystical dog.
Would life here at the Shaolin Monastery on Song Mountain ever be the same? Would the peace and tranquility that had survived for hundreds of years be able to survive the onslaught of whatever the men in boots intended?
Then Brother Hung had the first uncharitable thought of his life. He wished he weren’t so fat, so that he could run.
“Be safe, my little ones.”
The two girls were three hours into their trek when Yuke Lok called a halt for a rest period. “Are you tired, Lily? Do you want something to eat or drink?”
“A drink would be nice, but I am not hungry. Are you?”
“No. We still have an hour or so to go before we can stop for the night. Are you sure you are not too tired?”
“My legs are strong, Yuke Lok. Even you said so when we work out. I can walk as long as you can. I need to be safe, so Daddy and Cooper can find me. I will do whatever we have to do. Do you know why this is happening?”
“I do not. Today was the first time I ever saw Brother Hung so . . . what is the word in English, Lily?”
Lily laughed. “Rattled. My mother gets rattled sometimes, then Daddy tells her to cool her jets. That means calm down.” She laughed again, but it was a sad sound.
Yuke Lok laughed. “I just love to hear your American slang. When I leave here next year, I doubt I will ever find an occasion to use such words. Then I guess I will forget them.”
“Will you come back to visit me?”
“I don’t think so, Lily. I live too far away. I won’t forget you, though, because you are my little sister. I will think of you all the time. You will miss me at first, but then my memory will fade. You will be given another big sister to watch over you until it is your turn to become the big sister. We should go now. Are you ready?”
“Yes. But you are wrong, Yuke Lok, I will never forget you. Maybe someday you can come to America, and you and I will be like Daddy and Uncle Jack. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“That won’t happen, Lily. Life here in China is not easy. You need a lot of money to travel. My parents are not rich. I must find employment when I leave here. I think I will teach. I must be here to help my parents when they get old. Maybe you can come and visit me. We can write letters to each other. Or we might be lucky and get computers. Then we can e-mail and do that thing where we can see each other. Sometimes I wish the brothers were more modern in their thinking, don’t you?”
“Yes, but I understand why it has to be like this. Daddy explained it all to me.”
“Tell me more about all your aunts and uncles back in America. How did they get to be so rich? What is it like to be rich, Lily?”
“I don’t know, Yuke Lok, because my daddy is not rich. The others are, I guess. They have cars and boats and big houses. We live at the dojo. We always have food and nice clothes, but so do most people in America, and they are not considered rich. I need to study up more on that. I know Grandma Annie and Grandma Myra are rich, because Daddy said so. They aren’t really my grandmas, but I have to show respect and give them that title. I love them very much. I don’t know much about money. Do you?”
Yuke Lok laughed. “Enough to know I don’t have any. I’d like to have money someday, so I could go shopping and buy . . . something. Just buy something that’s all mine.”
“Like what?” Lily asked, curiosity ringing in her voice.
“A pretty red or yellow hair ribbon or maybe one of those shiny hair clips. In the shape of a butterfly. And some lipstick! Bright red to go with the hair ribbon.” Yuke Lok giggled, and so did Lily. “Brother Hung would punish me for such wishful thoughts if he knew.”
Lily laughed out loud. “He’s never going to know, and I will keep your secret.”
The girls trudged on, giggling and laughing over this and that until the sun started to set. “We’re almost there, Lily. I’m tired now, are you?”
“Yes, I am tired, and I am also hungry. We’re safe, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Lily, we are safe,” she said aloud. Then Yuke Lok muttered, “For now.”
Chapter 7
Jack Emery looked around Myra’s empty kitchen. Just an hour ago, it was teeming with chattering women and silent, observant men who were now down in the war room with Charles and Fergus. He’d remained topside, to accept the UPS and Federal Express packages that were due shortly.
Jack leaned against the kitchen counter as he sipped at his coffee. He admitted to himself that he was a little nervous about the upcoming trip to China. Not nervous for himself but for Harry, who was like a scalded cat. But who could blame him. He and Yoko were both worried sick about their daughter, Lily, and rightly so. Somewhere deep inside him, he knew that the little girl was safe. He didn’t know how he knew, he just knew. And as hard as he tried, he could not convey that confidence to Harry and Yoko. He knew in his gut they were focused on the worst-case scenario. If he were walking in their shoes, he might be out of his mind, too, but he didn’t think so. He had been an optimist all his life. No reason to switch up now.
Jack let his gaze wander to the Wolf range and clock that said Federal Express was late. He shrugged. He moved then, closer to the kitchen window to stare out at the last of the autumn leaves swirling about in a brisk wind. They were colorful, he had to admit. He loved autumn, always had, as did Nikki. Nikki loved Halloween, her favorite holiday of the whole year. She said it brought back the kid in her, when she believed in spooks and goblins. The thing he loved about autumn was the pumpkin pie, the pumpkin fritters, the pumpkin pudding, the pumpkin bread, the pumpkin everything.
Jack turned to look at the clock again. Harry and Yoko should have arrived by now. Harry was always on time. And more often than not, he was early. What was keeping him? Maybe he should call. Then again, maybe he shouldn’t. Harry would take the phone call all wrong, immediately assume that Jack was worried, and that was the one emotion he did not want to convey to Harry, who was antsy enough for all of them. Better to wait, he decided. Still, the thought wouldn’t go away. He started to pace as his mind raced with possibilities. What the hell was going on? Something not good, he was sure of it.
What was going on was that Harry was pulling out his hair as he tried to grapple with what Cooper was doing. Yoko threw her hands in the air, moaning that something was wrong, and Cooper was trying to tell them, but they just weren’t getting it.
“Enough, Yoko!” Harry roared. Yoko’s eyes widened. She went silent in mid-moan because she had never heard that tone in her husband’s voice. As in never ever.
Harry eyed Cooper, who was dancing around in circles, something he’d been doi
ng for close to an hour. He would stop intermittently, run to Lily’s room, and then run back out. He’d jumped on her bed, trying to reach the shelves overhead. Then he’d run to Harry and Yoko’s bathroom and do the same thing. Clearly, he wanted something, but Harry had no clue what it was. His barking was incessant now, bordering on hysteria.
Harry dropped to his knees and cupped the dog’s head in his hand. His thoughts were as frenzied as Cooper’s as he tried to understand what the dog wanted. Something important to Lily. That was a certainty.
“I get it, I get it,” Harry whispered. “You want something from both rooms, but you can’t get to it. Help me out here, pal. You need to show me.”
Cooper stopped barking long enough to raise his paw and place it on Harry’s shoulder. His head bobbed before he trotted to Lily’s room, where he jumped up on the bed. He threw back his head and howled.
Harry’s eyes scanned the shelf above Lily’s bed. Books, a play cash register, a stuffed bear, a cone covered in glitter that Lily had made in kindergarten, a jewelry box.
“Obviously, it’s something on the shelf. Take it all down, Harry, and see which one he wants.”
One by one, Harry took the items off the shelf and laid them on the bed. Cooper didn’t make a move until Harry placed the ballerina jewelry box on the bed. He raised the cover and watched as the tiny figure did a pirouette to a tinny tune. Cooper wasn’t the least bit interested in the ballerina. He used his paw to poke among the trinkets. Finally, he found what he was looking for, a gold-plated butterfly barrette that Lily used to pull her hair back. Cooper clamped it between his teeth and ran to the door, where he looked around for his basket, which was out at the farm. Yoko knew instinctively he wanted a basket. She ran to her room and dumped out some trinkets she kept in a straw basket by her chair. She raced back to the door and placed it on the floor. Cooper dropped the hair clip in the basket, then sprinted for the bathroom, where he again threw back his head and howled.
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