by P J Tierney
Cheng looked at his feet and said, ‘Thanks, Jamie.’
Jamie had to ask. ‘Did you get rid of Zheng?’
‘Yes,’ Cheng said, a little too quickly for Jamie’s liking.
‘Every last bit?’ he asked. ‘Are you sure of that?’ Cheng pondered for a moment. ‘I’m as sure as I can be.’
Jamie looked away. It wasn’t the absolute guarantee he’d hoped for, but then he’d responded exactly the same way when Master Wu had asked that question of him. Jamie had been wrong then. He hoped Cheng wasn’t wrong now.
‘Can you fight?’ Jamie asked him.
Cheng scoffed and said as if it was instinct, ‘I can whip your butt.’ Then he looked embarrassed and nodded. ‘I can fight alongside you. Just give me a few minutes, okay?’
Jade sat close to Cheng, took a chopstick from her satchel and ran it in long strokes across a rough rock, sharpening it to a point.
Jamie stared at the water again as he thought of The Art of War, searching for a tactic they could use here, because even with Cheng, they were severely outnumbered. He closed his eyes to seek guidance. He sent a telepathic plea to his guide and was instantly rewarded: Telepathy. He beamed; being connected to his guide was even better than he had hoped.
He wheeled around to Jade and said, ‘What were those kids good at?’
She looked at him strangely.
‘All the kids who’ve been taken,’ Jamie said, ‘they’re all connected with the Way. Lucy worked it out. They can help us — we just need them to use their skills.’
Jade arched her eyebrows. ‘You saw them, didn’t you? They’re injured and they’re terrified. How do we get them to fight?’
Jamie grinned. ‘We tell them to … telepathically.’
Jade gave a sarcastic smile. ‘And we’ll just tell them to Ride the Way while we’re at it, shall we?’
Jamie shook his head. ‘No, they’re all good at something already.’ He tried to remember Lucy’s list. Elizabeth was a natural fighter, Hong could Conjure, the Kwok boys were second-generation Warriors. And Jamie had been on the wrong end of enough of Yang’s and Ye’s practical jokes to know that they communicated telepathically.
‘They just have to remember it,’ he said to Jade. ‘That’s what Master Wu keeps telling me, right? Natural ability is stuff you’ve already learned. Those kids know what to do — we just have to remind them.’
‘Right,’ Jade said, as if he was completely insane. ‘You just tell them they can fight the bad guys and that’ll make them instant kung fu experts.’ She shook her head. ‘You put too much trust in people, Jamie.’
Jamie flinched as he remembered his mother’s warning about trusting people. Then he shrugged. ‘Maybe, but sometimes you’ve got no choice.’
Jade looked at him. ‘There’s always a choice.’
‘You’re right, there is,’ he said, meeting her gaze. ‘Your mother made one, remember?’
She tensed, then very gradually a smile spread across her face. ‘Like mother, like daughter, hey?’ Then she pointed at Jamie. ‘If you get the monkey and the kids, I’ll sort out the Recollector.’
Jamie grinned. ‘Sure. Cheng, that leaves you with the seven guards, okay?’
‘Whoa, wait a minute,’ Cheng said. ‘I’m the one with the fractured skull, remember?’
Jade held her hands up and said, ‘Okay, this is how it’ll go down.’ She waved them together to form a huddle. As Jamie leaned in close, she whispered, ‘Thank you.’
The plan applied the basic principles of The Art of War: keep to the high ground, use deception and make it quick. Jamie had to admit that it also relied on more luck than any of them were entirely comfortable with.
As they broke apart, Cheng said to Jamie, ‘You think you could talk to that spirit guide of yours? I think we might need some help here.’
Jamie nodded. ‘If you talk to yours too.’
As they went to leave, Jamie remembered something. ‘Give me a minute,’ he said, and ran towards the sandy beach, staying in the shadows at the base of the cliff.
At the edge of the sand, he crouched low and listened consciously. It was quiet except for Cheng’s and Jade’s breathing behind him. Jamie put his head down and darted across the sand to the beached rivercraft. He climbed aboard and felt around the deck for the fuel hatch. He used the back of his dive knife to break the seal and unscrewed the cap, then he climbed overboard and filled his satchel with sand and seaweed. Some shells and soggy bamboo husks got caught up in his handfuls too. Jamie climbed back onboard, leaned over the open fuel hatch and tipped the debris in. He screwed the cap back on and whispered ‘sorry’ to the damaged rivercraft.
He sprinted back to Jade and Cheng. ‘So they can’t chase us,’ Jamie explained. Then the three of them climbed as quietly as they could back up the cliff. Jamie kept a close eye on Cheng just in case there were any of those black bugs lingering inside him.
At the top of the escarpment, they positioned themselves behind the same large rock so they could see the entire clearing. Jamie peered around the side of the rock to where the children were sleeping around Mr Leung, their crisscrossed chains forming patterns on the ground. Jamie saw Jet too. He was tied by the foot to the man who’d caught him. The man was offering him a banana and it pleased Jamie no end to see Jet stick his nose in the air and refuse it.
There was a guard at the front of the open building and one at the back. So four men to contend with first up. Jamie swallowed, and kept Mr Leung in his peripheral vision as a reminder to be brave. Jade squeezed his hand.
Jamie calmed his breathing and called on Hong. He couldn’t simply tell the boy to Conjure — that wouldn’t make any sense to him. He struggled to find words that would make sense. Use your magic hands to burn through the chains, he sent, over and over again.
Hong stirred and Jade inched forward; then he settled again and she slumped back. ‘Keep trying,’ she whispered.
Jamie clenched his jaw. In his mind, he was screaming: Use your hands! Hong rolled over and flailed his arms about as if he was having a nightmare.
‘You might want to tone it down a bit,’ Jade said. ‘I think you’re scaring him.’
‘Sorry,’ Jamie mumbled. Well, at least Hong could hear him. Now he just had to get him to respond.
Jamie tried again, talking to Hong like he was a friend. He told him that he could help the children escape, that he was more than a magician, he was a Warrior of the Way. That meant he could do more than he’d ever dared dream. Dream big, Jamie said to Hong as he slept. Dream that you can do all you’ve ever thought of.
Jamie opened his eyes and saw Hong do the same. Hong lay there for a moment, motionless, and Jamie and Jade shared a look. Then Hong reached for the chain around his foot. He looked at it for a while, then he clamped his right hand around it, closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. He opened his eyes, looked at the chain and shook his head. He lay back down.
Cheng scoffed. ‘Pathetic. Let’s just go and do it ourselves.’ Jade put her fist to his chest. Cheng gulped and said, ‘Or we could try again, right, Jamie?’
Jamie spoke through his spirit guide to Hong: Don’t give up. I believe you can do this. You’ve got to believe it as well.
Hong sat bolt upright. He scratched his head and looked around him. He picked up the chain again and seemed to consider it, then he looked up the hill towards Jamie, closed his eyes and concentrated. His face turned red and Jamie noticed a very fine line of smoke rising from the chain. Hong gasped and dropped it.
The guard whipped around. ‘What’s going on over there?’
‘Nothing,’ Hong said, burying his hand under his shirt.
The section of blackened chain lay exposed on the ground. Hong’s gaze flicked between it and the guard. The chain had fallen beside Mr Leung, too far away for Hong to hide it without drawing more attention.
The guard’s eyes narrowed. ‘What are you up to?’ he said.
Jamie’s heart raced; he had to hide that chain. Yang,
roll over, he sent into the night.
Yang groaned and rolled over onto his side, his shoulder blocking the guard’s line of sight to the blackened section of chain.
The guard looked at the sleeping children. He prodded Mr Leung, who groaned but didn’t move. Eventually the guard said, ‘Go back to sleep.’
Hong lay down and watched the guard walk away, then he reached for the chain again. He concentrated and the smoke rose quickly. He soon pulled the molten steel apart and his foot was free.
‘Do you smell burning, Ru?’ the guard asked the man who was trying to get Jet to eat a banana.
Ru sniffed the air, then shrugged. ‘Probably left over from dinner. Did you try the fish?’ He screwed up his nose.
‘Was that fish?’ the other man said. ‘I thought it was tripe.’
‘Man, I hope it wasn’t. I hate tripe.’
Jade shook her head in a way that told Jamie she thought they were idiots. He had to agree.
The guard flicked the end of a long staff in Jet’s direction. ‘Have you tried peanuts? Monkeys love peanuts.’
Hong acted as soon as the guards went off looking for peanuts. He went from chain to chain, melting the metal then pulling it apart. He put his finger to his lips whenever a child stirred and saw him.
Jamie kept his eyes on the training area. ‘You take the guard on the northern edge,’ he told Cheng. ‘Make it quick so he doesn’t call out. I’ll take the one on the eastern side and we’ll meet at the kids.’ Jamie pointed over to the northern edge of the island. ‘You take them over to the point, while Jade and I go after the Recollector.’
‘There are still five guys to get through before him,’ Cheng said.
Jamie nodded. ‘Jet outsmarted Ru and his friend so they shouldn’t be too much of a problem. One more down and then it’ll be one on one.’
Jade stared straight ahead. ‘Hardly a fair fight.’
Jamie swallowed. He closed his eyes and called through the night to Wing: Bring the Lin Yao round to the northern point. He waited for a response, but nothing came.
Jade looked at him and he shrugged. ‘Try again,’ she said.
Wing, Jamie called silently, head towards the northern point. There was still no response.
Jade huffed and closed her eyes. Her expression was fierce as she sent her words into the Way. She opened her eyes, gave a quick nod and said, ‘He’s on his way.’
Cheng and Jamie shared a smirk and edged slightly away from her.
She caught them and said impatiently, ‘Well, are we doing this or not?’
‘Okay,’ Jamie said, ‘on three.’
He held his hand up and slowly raised one finger, paused, then raised the second.
Jade rolled her eyes and said, ‘Three.’
Cheng darted to the left, Jamie and Jade went to the right. The plan was simple. Cheng would ambush the guard behind the long shed, then draw the attention of the guard in front. When that guard turned his back, Jamie would attack him from behind. Meanwhile, Jade would sneak up to the pagoda to see where the other men were.
When Jamie got to the edge of the clearing, he lay low and took cover near the prison cages. He watched for a sign from Cheng. He attuned his ears and heard a soft thud on the ground: one man down. He got to his feet and sidled up against the nearer cage, watching for the other guard to respond. He shifted his weight onto his toes and leaned forward, ready to pounce.
Cheng made a noise, the guard turned — and suddenly Jamie was hoisted off the ground. He was pinned up against the steel by a muscular arm poking out between the bars. His attacker held his arm across Jamie’s throat and blocked his airway. Jamie pulled at the arm and kicked behind him, hitting only the bars of the cage.
He felt hot, rancid breath against his ear and a low voice said, ‘Stop it or I’ll break your weedy little neck.’
Jamie knew that voice: it was Feng Chow. Feng Chow had willingly taken on the spirit of Zheng’s Remote Viewer, but how had he ended up here?
‘Put me down,’ Jamie hissed. He looked over his shoulder to see Cheng pulling the second guard down into the long grass behind the shed.
Feng slid Jamie down the bars till his feet were on the ground but didn’t release him. ‘Get me out of here,’ he said.
‘Okay, just let me breathe.’ Jamie felt the pressure on his throat ease slightly.
‘You let me out right now, or I’ll scream till the rest of them come running,’ Feng Chow hissed.
‘Okay,’ Jamie said, his mind racing. Feng, or the Remote Viewer inside him, had exposed Jamie to Zheng and brought about the battle of Sai Chun. Jamie could hardly trust him now. He looked for Jade and Cheng, desperate to help them. ‘I can Conjure a heat that’ll make the bars bend.’
Feng eased his arm away. ‘You do anything stupid,’ he warned, ‘and I’ll yell till the old man himself comes out.’
Jamie nodded. He turned to put his hands to the bars of the cage and was shocked by what he saw. Feng’s face was swollen and bruised and great gobs of dried blood clung to his skin and hair. His clothes were torn and filthy and he smelled like urine.
Jamie softened. ‘Are you okay, Feng?’
Feng took a deep, shuddering breath. His eyes darted every which way. ‘There’s something inside me,’ he said. ‘It’s like I become someone else.’
Jamie nodded. ‘The Remote Viewer.’
‘No,’ Feng said, ‘not him, he’s long gone, pushed out by those dark bugs from Sai Chun. You know,’ he added, ‘like the ones that got you.’
Jamie swallowed. ‘Zheng.’
Feng lowered his eyes and looked at the ground. ‘I’m the bait.’
‘The what?’
Feng’s voice cracked as he said, ‘Zheng’s spirit is trying to re-form. The rest will be drawn to the part that’s in me. They’ll only keep me alive until all the bits of him are back.’
Jamie took his own deep, shuddering breath. He felt sorry for Feng — for a long time they had been friends. He swallowed to gain composure for what he was about to do, then said, ‘Come closer, Feng, and pull the bars as I heat them up.’
Feng bent down so he could pull in the spot where Jamie was working. He put all his effort into it and strained against the bars. Jamie flicked his wrist to form the eagle claw and hit Feng on the forehead with the heel of his palm. Feng’s head shot backwards and he was unconscious before he had a chance even to squeak.
Jamie caught Feng by the shirt and gently lowered him to the ground. He positioned him as if he was sleeping, then said, ‘I am so sorry, Feng.’ He took a last look at his old friend and charged away to find Jade.
As he passed the long shed, he saw Mr Leung struggling with the ropes around his wrist. Jamie called out to him and tossed his dive knife. Mr Leung stared after him. ‘Jamie?’ he said in a bewildered voice.
At the side of the makeshift pagoda, Jade was staring through a crack between two boards. She held her finger up to her lips and Jamie stopped running and trod lightly. He was barely breathing as he crouched down next to her. She pointed inside, then pointed at her ear. Jamie leaned in close and listened. He could distinguish two, no, three voices, plus the dry, rasping breath of the Recollector.
Jade waved for him to follow her and headed around the back of the pagoda. There, they ran straight into Ru, the monkey stealer, and his idiot friend. Both pairs of fighters stared at each other in surprise, then Jet shrieked. Jade leaped at Ru and hit him with a side punch to the head. As he reeled, she used his shoulder to lever herself up and struck the other guy with a spinning round kick, first from her right leg then, as she completed the spin, her left leg too.
The monkey stealer squared up to fight. Jet leaped onto his head and dug his claws into his eyes. Ru stumbled around, swatting at Jet and screaming.
The second man got up, still stunned by the double kick, and Jamie swiped his legs out from under him with a low, sweeping kick. The man landed on his bottom, but thrust his legs out and kicked Jamie’s damaged knee. Jamie swore under his
breath and stumbled, catching himself on the step to the pagoda. He was poised in a push-up position as Jade called out to him, ‘This one’s yours, Jamie.’ She ducked down, clearing the way for Jamie to take Ru out with a Wu-spin. Jamie struck him in the chest and sent him flying.
Jamie caught the rope that connected Jet to Ru and Conjured a heat that burned straight through it. Jet landed on Jamie’s arm and clung tightly.
Jade grabbed the second guy by his feet and pulled him along the ground. He managed to twist around and land a side kick up under her ribs and she exhaled heavily. The man went to stand up, but never made it. Jamie got him with an axe kick right on the top of his skull.
There was movement inside the pagoda: its occupants were heading towards the front door. Jamie and Jade ran.
Cheng and Mr Leung were herding the children away from the shed. The Eurasian girl spotted Jamie and stopped when she saw him.
‘Go!’ Jamie screamed at her, but she didn’t budge.
Jade jumped onto the side of the verandah and leaped for the pillar. She swung around it and slammed both feet into the face of the first person that came through the pagoda door. The guard fell heavily and she landed deftly.
Jamie ran to her side. She pointed towards the shed and said, ‘Get them out of here.’
The pagoda door moved and they both crouched lower into their stances.
There was a massive explosion and bits of wall flew directly at them, followed by what looked like a ball of pulsating molten lava. They dived in opposite directions and the ball passed between them, only narrowly missing them. There was a sizzling sound as it hit the ground, a scream that sounded like it came from Feng Chow, then the smell of scorched earth and molten steel. Feng’s cage must have melted.
Jamie rolled out of his dive, but the momentum carried him off the side of the verandah. He glanced at the shed. Cheng was taking far too long to get the children clear. ‘Faster!’ he shouted at him, then turned his attention back to Jade and the pagoda.
Jade was gone. He screamed out for her, looking all around. He ran forward and threw his back to the wall beside the hole in the pagoda. Then he took a deep breath and jumped in front of the hole, landing in a strike position, his hands in the eagle claw.
