The Adventures of Gravedigger

by Barry Reese

  “That is not necessary. My customers do not visit here because of pretty girls.” Bingweng eyed her suspiciously. “You know this… just as you know that I am too old to desire your flesh. So why are you here? What game are you playing, girl?”

  Looking defeated, Li sighed and lowered her voice. “You are too wise for me, elder. I should not have even attempted to fool you.”

  Bingweng grunted. “Tell me what you are after.”

  “I am looking for a Laowai who owes me money,” she said confidentially, using the Mandarin word for foreigner. “He came through here not long ago and we spent a pleasant evening together. When he left the next morning, I learned that he had not paid me my wages.”

  The old man clucked his tongue in disbelief. His lips formed into a frown. “So many Americans are like that,” he said, his body language suggesting that he was shifting from a wary stance to one of sympathy. “They come here and take, take, take! They think us fools.” Bingweng looked up suddenly. “But why are you here?”

  “You know this man and I thought you might know where I could find him. He has come to your shop in the past.”

  Bingwen stiffened. “His name?”

  “It’s that man who’s in the papers today – Meeks. Arthur Meeks.”

  “I have not seen him!” he replied hotly. “Now you must go!”

  Li blinked in surprise. The old man was known to have a temper but he had shifted so abruptly that she was taken aback. “Did I offend you? If I did…”

  “Go!” he bellowed, hurrying around the counter. He literally shoved her towards the door. “And do not come back here again! I know nothing of this man!”

  A moment later, Li was on the street outside the shop, hands on hips. She’d certainly struck a nerve, hadn’t she?

  Suddenly grinning, Li glanced around and then scurried along the side of the shop. She couldn’t see past the clutter that blocked the window but she placed her ear against it, hoping that she might hear something useful.

  To her glee, she did just that.

  Though it was stifled a bit by the wall, she made out Bingwen’s voice. He was obviously talking to someone on the phone.

  “A chòu biǎozi was in here asking about you,” the old man said. Li’s cheeks reddened at the words he used to describe her – in Mandarin, they meant ‘stinking whore.’ “She has no contacts with the police, I am sure of that. Her name is Li Yuchun… She claims you hired her and did not pay.” There was a moment’s pause and Li suspected that Meeks was denying her claims. “I will be there. Five o’clock.”

  A click told Li all that she needed to know. Meeks wanted a meeting with Bingwen… and all that needed to be done now was to follow the old man when he went to their chosen site.

  Li hummed happily to herself as she sauntered away.

  ***

  Shortly after 4:30, Bingwen stepped from his shop and locked the door behind him. A soft drizzle had just ended and the streets were still wet as he began to move away from his home. He kept his head down as he moved and showed no knowledge that someone was following him.

  Li had changed her clothing. She now wore a hat with matching blue dress and heels, with enough makeup applied to change her appearance somewhat. In fact, with the hat tilted just so, it was hard to tell that she wasn’t Caucasian.

  She had thought about visiting Charity and telling her what she’d found out… but in the end, she’d decided against it. She reasoned that it was better to find out more before reporting in.

  A thrill went through her, remembering how Charity had looked in her Gravedigger uniform. It was all so terribly exciting, like something out of the pulp magazines that they sold on the newsstands. Li sometimes spent her money on the cheaply printed stories, relishing the lurid covers and exotic settings. She knew that there were real people who led similar lives to those in the stories – Sovereign’s own Fortune McCall, Doc Daye and Lazarus Gray being among them – but to actually have a friend of hers turn into a masked vigilante? It was enough to make Li’s adventure-loving heart swell.

  Bingwen led Li out of Chinatown and into an area of the city known as Hogan’s Alley. It was not far from the harbor and was frequented mainly by sailors, many of whom were of the sketchy variety. Li had visited the place before but she hadn’t found it very safe and thus usually avoided it. She was a bit surprised that Meeks would choose this part of the city for his hideout but then again, she mused, he was trying to lay low… and nobody would be looking for him here.

  Bingwen eventually stopped outside an apartment building and studied the row of buttons that were on the switchboard. He buzzed G-8 and after a moment, a voice that Li thought she recognized as Meeks’ answered.

  “Yes?” Meeks demanded.

  “It is I,” Bingwen answered.

  The door popped open with a electric hiss. “Come on up,” Meeks said.

  Li rushed forward and grabbed hold of the door before it slammed shut behind the old man. She peeked inside and saw that Bingwen was already moving up the stairs. As quietly as possible, she stepped inside and let the door clang behind her.

  It suddenly dawned on her that she should have just stayed out on the street – it was unlikely she would be able to find out anything else from inside the building. She’d confirmed that this was Meeks’ new base… Charity would probably be thrilled with that information.

  But then she heard the sounds of conversation drifting from above. Creeping over to the stairwell, she leaned over and looked up. She couldn’t see anyone above but the old building’s walls produced fine echoes that almost made it sound like she was right next to Bingwen and Meeks.

  With a huge grin, she realized that Meeks wasn’t inviting Bingwen into his apartment – he was talking to him in the hallway!

  “What did you tell her? Exactly?”

  “Nothing!” Bingwen responded. “I told her to get out of my shop!”

  “And you don’t think you aroused her suspicions? You should have just shrugged your shoulders and pretended not to care.”

  Li’s grin spread wider. Meeks sounded seriously upset with the old man.

  “I thought it best to cut her off before she questioned me further,” Bingwen replied. “She is just a nosy whore… do not worry about her!”

  “She might go around telling people that you got upset when she asked about me. That’s going to start a new round of questions. If you panic when the cops come to see you, what’s to stop you from leading them right to me?”

  “I would never do that! I have been loyal to you, have I not? I turned away from the Ten Fingers, in favor of you. I’ve helped you find the occult objects you’ve needed… and I helped you find this place.”

  “That’s true… and all because you want to receive your just due when I’ve gotten my power….”

  There was a pause before Bingwen agreed, saying that it was only fair payment for all his assistance.

  What happened next was somewhat of a mystery to Li, since she couldn’t bear witness to it… but its aftermath would be permanently seared into her brain.

  There was a flash of light from above, brighter than an exploding light bulb but similar in most ways. Accompanying this was Meeks’ raised voice, shouting, “You stupid gook! You’re worthless to me now!”

  A moment later, a body hurtled over the railing, landing with a thud mere feet away from Li. It was smoking, the flesh having been seared away in a burst of extreme heat. The smell was revolting – a sickly sweet odor that emanated from the old man’s body, reminding her of roast duck.

  Despite her precarious position, Li couldn’t stifle the scream that bubbled up inside her. It exploded in a terrified ejaculation. She tore her eyes away from the corpse, seeing Meeks’ head appear over the railing. For a moment, their eyes met and what she saw there was enough to break the spell of fear that had descended upon her.

  Li bolted for the door, running out into the streets of Sovereign. She ran as fast as she could, not stopping until she stumbled onto the fr
ont steps of 1931 Gibson Avenue.

  Gasping, she climbed the front steps and pushed the doorbell. Though she was out of breath and sweating profusely, she still managed to stand up straight and toss her hair when she saw the man who answered the door.

  Momentarily forgetting Meeks, Bingwen’s death and everything else related to it, she smiled and asked, “Are you Max Davies?!”

  ***

  Li sat back in the cushy chair and sipped her hot tea. She was enjoying the pampering she’d received since her arrival at Gravedigger’s home, especially when she’d told about Bingwen’s murder. She’d spared no detail, relishing the interest shown by her audience.

  Max and Mitchell were standing, both looking very handsome to Li’s wandering eye. Charity, dressed in a summery green dress, was seated at her friend’s side.

  “You’re positive it was Meeks?” Max asked. The handsome philanthropist stared at Li with an intensity that brought a flush to the young girl’s cheeks. She’d always thought he was handsome, having seen his picture in numerous society columns, but up close, he was breathtaking.

  “Positive! He got a good look at me, too.”

  Charity sighed. “I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. Now you’re in it deep.”

  “I had fun!” Li argued, drawing a surprised look from Charity.

  “I know you’re a daredevil,” Charity replied. “But I took advantage of that and sent you into trouble. You could have gotten killed.”

  “But I didn’t.”

  Mitchell spoke up, his strong British accent seizing control of the moment. “We can’t second-guess ourselves, mates. We’re a team now, every one of us.” To Charity, he said, “Your friends are doing this of their own free will.”

  Charity looked away. She hadn’t really thought of Mitchell as being a friend and that realization shamed her. He’d been very good to her and she certainly needed his counsel.

  Max drew up a chair and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “While you were out, Charity, I did some digging around on those objects that Meeks stole. I think I have an idea what he might be up to.”

  “Let’s hear it,” Mitchell prodded.

  “Both the ring and the urn have histories that suggest they are repositories for sorcerous energies. I think Meeks is going to draw the energy from the both of them and use them to open a gateway.”

  Li set aside her tea. Her eyes were wide with curiosity. “A gateway to where? Hell?”

  Charity barely hid her smirk. Li actually sounded like she was hoping for some terrifying reply to come from Max.

  “Not quite, but close. According to the information Mitchell and I were able to piece together, Meeks has been collecting rare artifacts and books related to a group of entities known as The Great Old Ones and The Outer Gods. This jibes with what Goldstein told Charity – that Meeks has possession of The Necronomicon. I think that Meeks is going to attempt to summon one or more of them to Sovereign.”

  “Hasn’t he ever read Faust?” Mitchell asked. “Deals with the devil never work out well.”

  “That never seems to stop men like Meeks,” Max countered.

  Charity drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair. “Okay. So, it’s like Josef said… I need to kill him before he can do that.” She looked at Max with challenge in her eyes, as if she expected him to try to talk her out of her plan. To her surprise, he nodded in agreement.”

  “We need to move quickly… before he vanishes again.”

  Charity stood up. “He may already be gone.”

  “I doubt it. If he’s preparing a major ritual like this, it’s not like he can just throw his items into a bag and do it somewhere else. It takes time to prepare. He might still go on the run but I guarantee you that he hasn’t done it yet,” Max said.

  “I’ll go get dressed.” Charity headed for the door but stopped when she felt Max’s hand on her wrist.

  With a lowered voice, he said, “Let me come with you.”

  “Are you going to help me zip up?” she asked, teasing him.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I’ll have Mitchell in the car. He can provide backup if I need it.” Her eyes searched his own, aware that he was close to revealing… something… to her. Again, she thought about the way he moved, the dangerous flex of his muscles, and she wondered about what he did when he wasn’t at board meetings.

  “Let’s go in the other room,” he said.

  Charity agreed, looking back at Li. “Stay here until I’ve dealt with Meeks, okay? I don’t want anything happening to you.”

  Li beamed. “A big house like this, stocked with good looking men? You’re going to have to throw me out!”

  ***

  “So what’s the big secret?” Charity asked as Max followed into her room. She stepped behind a changing screen and slid her dress to the floor. Her Gravedigger uniform and weapons were waiting for her and she began to change while Max took a second, obviously deciding how to approach the subject.

  “Have you heard of The Peregrine?”

  Charity looked over the top of the screen. He was looking away from her, obviously respecting her modesty by not staring at her silhouette. “Is that you?”

  “Well… yes. Josef knew that.”

  Charity finished dressing in silence, stepping out only after she’d pulled her mask on and adjusted her hood. “So you’re just as crazy as I am, playing dress-up and fighting criminals.”

  “Crazier, probably. I have visions of the future, too.” He went on to describe what he’d seen of her own fate – of a wave of gore-covered demons, of a powerful man dressed in black and of a sinister presence, hiding above it all. “I think you’re going to need my help.”

  “I’m the one who has three years to prove herself,” she countered. “I don’t want you screwing that up.”

  “You don’t redeem your soul by getting points for killing the bad guys,” he answered. “You have to save lives… you have to become a better person.”

  “And kill bad guys.”

  Max smiled softly. “Okay. And kill bad guys.”

  Charity buckled her sword around her waist and asked, “Josef never said anything to me about becoming a better person.”

  “He wanted you to figure that out on your own, just as he did. When I first met him, he was a zealot – he worked 24/7 to accomplish his goals because that clock was always ticking inside his head. But eventually, he started slowing down… enjoying life, making friends. And that’s when he cleansed his soul.”

  “So you’re going against what Josef would have done by telling me this?”

  “Yes. He and I were friends but we didn’t always see eye-to-eye when it came to methods.”

  Charity nodded. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “But remember – you’re working with me, you’re not the captain of this ship. Understand?”

  Max shook his head, realizing that while Charity might have heard his words, she hadn’t taken them to heart. She was still concerned about getting the “credit” for Meeks’ kill. “Whatever you say,” he agreed.

  ***

  “I like your accent.”

  Mitchell grinned, pouring himself a stiff drink. He looked over at Li and was amused to see that she’d pulled open the neck of her wrap, revealing more of her smooth throat. “Thank you, luv. Can I slip a little of this into your tea? Might spice it up a bit.”

  “Oh, please!” Li stood up and crossed the room. Mitchell could smell her perfume, its pleasant peachy aroma causing him to clear his throat. Li’s knowing smile widened as he poured some of the alcohol into her tea. “Do you think I’m pretty?” she teased.

  “I think you know just how pretty you are,” Mitchell answered, enjoying the little game that was beginning between them.

  “Are you going to ask me to dinner?”

  “I’d say things are a bit busy at the moment, wouldn’t you?”

  “This won’t last forever.”
>
  “I wish I shared your optimism. This Meeks fellow killed my friend and I’m afraid he might kill Charity… and me… before it’s all said and done.”

  Li’s facial expression shifted and for the first time since her breathless arrival, Mitchell saw that the young girl before him had additional depth to her. She wasn’t just a party girl – there was a strength to her that was surprisingly strong. She set her tea aside and placed a palm against his chest. “Charity was shot and buried under the ground – and she’s still here. And I can tell that your life hasn’t been all sunshine and happiness. But you’re still here. And neither one of you is going to be killed by a sleazy wannabe-warlock like Arthur Meeks.”

  Mitchell put his hand over Li’s and for a long moment the two of them stared into each other’s eyes. The moment was broken when Gravedigger strode into the room.

  If Gravedigger noticed that she’d interrupted anything, she didn’t make mention of it. “Mitchell, is the car ready?”

  “I filled up the tank earlier today – so we’re good to go.” Mitchell’s eyes widened a bit as The Peregrine entered. He’d wondered if Max was going to share his identity – and apparently he’d decided to not only trust Charity but Li, as well.

  The philanthropist turned vigilante wore a long coat over his suit and tie but it was the mask on his face that really caught the eye. It was affixed domino-style over his eyes, extending over the bridge of his nose, where it ended in a bird-like beak. “We should park down the block from Meeks’ apartment, just in case he’s got someone on lookout.”

  Mitchell gave him a deadpan smile. “Max, I’m not a rookie at this.”

  “Sorry – I’m used to working alone.”

  Gravedigger glanced over at him. “Well, this time you’re working as a sidekick.”

  The Peregrine started to argue that point, not liking the slight she was giving him. Then he realized that she was tweaking him and he offered a salute instead. “Whatever you say, mon capitan.”