by S. E. Smith
Next, he opened the file he had on Helen Woo. The information was basic, citing Woo’s education, a brief section on her family, how she excelled in her training with the police department, and that she seldom broke procedure. Again, her connection to Jacobs and Makayla came through Henry. For the first time, Ren Lu regretted following Sun’s orders to kidnap the old man. At the time, he could not afford to create a rift between his employer and himself without risking his new position, a promotion he had been diligently working on achieving for the past year. He had seen the old man as only collateral damage.
Drawing in a deep breath, he decided it was time to use the old man as bait. He had followed the men that Sun had hired up to Jacobs’ apartment and eliminated them. Jacobs and the others had already been gone by then. He had searched the apartment thoroughly, but except for finding a single bag of neatly folded women’s clothing and toiletries in the bedroom, there was nothing to indicate that Makayla and Jacobs were together. Jacobs had had very few personal items there in the apartment. That was unusual for a man who had lived there for the past three years. He had discovered a discarded blood soaked dress shirt and used medical supplies. He knew that was because the sniper had grazed Jacobs on the dock.
A search of the area had turned up a shattered cell phone on the street below, probably the one Commander Yeng had issued to Helen Woo. The information on Yeng had proved slightly more interesting. He would have to make sure when all of this was over that he paid a visit to the Commander.
With time running out, he needed to draw out Jacobs and get the stolen information. Ren Lu touched the tab and pulled the screen back up. A contact number to reach Brian Jacobs through the Consulate was posted. Reaching into the glove box of the car, Ren Lu pulled out a disposable cell phone. He tapped in the number and waited.
“United States Consulate General, how may I direct your call?” The American-accented feminine voice on the other end asked.
“Brian Jacobs,” Ren Lu responded.
“One moment, please,” the woman replied.
Ren Lu listened to the phone beep several times before another voice answered. This time it was a male. The man introduced himself by the name, Michael Harmon, and stated that Mr. Jacobs was currently unavailable. Ren Lu waited for the man to finish speaking before he responded.
“I would like to leave a message for Brian Jacobs,” Ren Lu replied politely. “Please tell him that I have something that belongs to Makayla. I will meet him at the Statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Park at sixteen hundred hours to discuss the best possible way to return the item that has gone missing.”
There was a brief pause before the man spoke. “Yes, sir. I will notify Mr. Jacobs immediately,” the man assured him. “Is there anything else?”
Ren Lu paused for a fraction of a second. “Yes, tell him that it would be best if Makayla came with him,” he added, his gaze narrowing on the street in front of him. “And, Detective Woo, as well.”
“Yes, sir, I’ll make sure that he is informed,” the man replied before disconnecting the call.
Ren Lu looked at the clock, it was barely seven o’clock. The park would still be fairly crowded at that time of the day. It would provide good coverage. In the meantime, he would locate the hitman Sun’s client had hired and take care of him.
He placed the tablet on the seat next to him and started the car. Making a tight U-turn on the nearly deserted street outside of Brian’s apartment building, he paused and rolled down his window. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the disposable cell phone into the trash can. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Further down the street, he could see the garbage collectors emptying the cans and tossing them into the back of an old truck.
Pressing the button, the window silently closed and he merged into traffic heading toward the Street Market district. He had cast the first lure to reel in Jacobs, now it was time to cast his second line for the hitman. If he planned this carefully, he might be able to eliminate both men at the same time, with the unwitting help of Helen Woo.
18
Brian looked up from where he was talking to Kevin and Tyrell when Makayla entered the salon where they had had dinner the previous night. She had showered and changed into some new clothes. Brian turned and raised an eyebrow at Kevin.
“With the Internet and enough money, you can get anything you want delivered twenty-four hours a day,” Kevin muttered, glancing over at where Helen was talking to Makayla. “It wasn’t hard to figure out their sizes by the information on their driver’s licenses. You were actually the hardest one to order for, man. You need to get your license updated. I know you’ve packed on some muscle in the last six years. You looked like you were still in high school. Tyrell already had his stuff in the car. That saved me trying to find anything for him.”
“Now, you’re just freaking me out,” Brian retorted, grabbing several glasses and placing them on the counter so he could pour orange juice into them. “What did you find out?”
“A ton of shit,” Kevin admitted, glancing over at the women. “Your dead guy has been very active since he died.”
Brian nodded, not surprised. He finished pouring the orange juice and replaced the carton in the small refrigerator under the bar. He had taken a quick shower and changed in the bedroom next to the one Makayla and he had shared. Kevin had dropped off the clothes with a muttering about hoping they fit before disappearing. Despite being a hermit, Kevin kept a very well stocked guest bedroom and bath for his non-existent visitors.
“That smells wonderful,” Makayla said politely, watching Kevin slide the scrambled eggs out of the frying pan onto the five plates.
“Survival,” Kevin admitted with a grin. “I like eating out, but it gets a bit old after a while. With time on my hands, I started watching the Food Channel. They make it look a lot easier than it is. I spent a fortune on exotic spices and have used only about three or four of them.”
Both women laughed at the comical expression of WTF on his face when he said the last sentence. Picking up their full plates, they each walked over and sat down at the table. Tyrell had set it with fresh napkins, silverware, and a large carafe of freshly ground and brewed coffee while Brian placed the glasses of orange juice in front of each setting.
“Thank you for the clothes,” Helen said, smoothing a hand over the fine, cream-colored silk blouse she was wearing and soft blue jeans. “How did you know what size I wore?” She asked, pouring a touch of heavy cream into her coffee.
“Your driver’s license,” Kevin said, following her movement as if mesmerized by the gracefulness of it. “I hacked into the DMV.”
Helen’s hand paused and her eyes widened. She pressed her lips firmly together. It was obvious to Makayla and Brian that she was trying not to laugh.
“You know that is illegal,” Helen responded casually, tapping the spoon carefully on the side of the cup before placing it on the small saucer.
“Just a little bit,” Tyrell muttered under his breath, taking a large bite of toast covered with eggs.
“Oh, that’s okay. I do it all the time,” Kevin said, stabbing his fork into his eggs and taking a bite. “I never get caught,” he mumbled around the mouthful of food.
“You just did,” Helen pointed out, laying her napkin on her lap while politely ignoring the others, who were trying to hide their amusement. “Did you forget that I am a Detective with the Hong Kong Police Department?” She reminded him with a raised eyebrow.
Kevin paused, his eyes wide before he shook his head. “Not at the moment. You’re wanted for the murder of three men,” he said, swallowing. “They’ve got your fingerprints all over Brian’s apartment. They have you as a suspect as well, Brian.”
“What?!” Helen whispered, paling and setting her coffee cup down.
Kevin shook his head again. “No worries, it’s all circumstantial. Commander Yeng has issued warrants for Brian, Makayla, and you. He wants you brought in for questioning. I seriously doubt you’d make it that far before
they killed you, though. Sun Yung-Wing and the Taiwan cartel have placed a bigger bounty on you,” he added, waving his fork around between eating and talking.
“Kevin,” Brian muttered, glaring at his friend.
“What…?” Kevin asked, pausing on the last bite on his plate.
Brian watched his friend’s gaze move around to the women’s untouched meals. Kevin slowly swallowed before turning to look at Makayla and Helen with a grimace. Setting his fork on his empty plate, Brian waited until Kevin looked back at him.
Brian shook his head. “We’ll finish this discussion after breakfast,” he finally said, glancing at the two women. “It gets worse.”
“My parents are going to be devastated. I know my father will have already heard about it,” Helen whispered, staring across at Kevin with wide, stunned eyes and a pale face. “If you will excuse me, I need some fresh air.”
Kevin rose when Helen suddenly pushed her chair back from the table and slipped from her chair. He watched her hurry out of the room and up the companionway to the deck. His gaze swung to her untouched plate before moving to Brian and Tyrell with an expression of panic.
“You’d better stay with her,” Brian instructed with an intense look. “I hope to hell you’ve turned off your security system.”
“Shit!” Kevin muttered, grabbing the remote on the table next to his plate before he turned on his heel and took off after Helen. “Helen! Don’t go near the railing.”
Brian, Makayla, and Tyrell watched Kevin disappear up the stairs. Brian slowly shook his head back and forth. Kevin was brilliant, but lacked a filter on his mouth sometimes. He glanced up to see Makayla still staring after the other two.
Reaching over, he cupped her hand in his and squeezed it. She turned to look at him with a look of resignation. Unable to resist, he leaned over and brushed a kiss across her slightly parted lips. She blinked.
“What did you do that for?” She asked with a puzzled frown.
“Because I wanted to…,” he admitted, sliding his hand up her arm. “…and to let you know that everything will be okay.”
Her brow creased and her eyes flashed with brief exasperation. “We are wanted for murder and have at least two people that I’ve never heard of who have placed a price on our heads and you think everything will be okay?” She asked in an incredulous tone.
“Yes,” Brian replied, sitting back in his seat.
Makayla studied his expression intently when he released her hand and started eating. Brian could feel her staring at him, trying to understand how he could be so confident that everything would work out. His gaze followed her hand to her stomach when it growled.
“How do you know?” Makayla asked, continuing to stare at him.
Brian glanced up and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I have one of the smartest, richest geeks in the world hacking into every computer, a Hong Kong Detective known for her tenacious ability to solve crimes, a girl who can kick ass and sail through hurricanes, and a very nosy award-winning photographer grinning at us at the moment. How can we lose?”
Makayla continued to stare at him for several long seconds before she shook her head and picked up her fork. Stabbing at the pile of cheesy scrambled eggs on her plate, she took a defiant bite and shot a glare at Tyrell, who was silently watching them with a huge grin on his face. Brian watched her swallow the mouthful before she turned her attention back to him and spoke, waving her fork between Tyrell and him as she did.
“You are both certifiably nuts,” she finally said.
Brian released a low chuckle and grinned. “I’m not the one who stole a sailboat when I was sixteen instead of taking the bus,” he teasingly retorted.
Makayla groaned and briefly closed her eyes. “I’m never going to live that down,” she muttered, bowing her head and focusing on her food when both men burst out laughing.
*.*.*
Makayla helped Brian clean up the dishes while Tyrell checked the photos he had taken the night before. Kevin and Helen were still up on the deck. Kevin had briefly come downstairs to retrieve a cell phone from a basket on one of the shelves before disappearing again. Makayla figured it was for Helen from the slightly panicked expression on his face.
They were just finishing up when Brian’s cell phone rang. He froze and glanced at where he had laid it on the counter. A frown creased his brow and he quickly dried his hands on the dish towel before tossing it on the counter and picking up his phone.
“Yes,” he said.
Makayla watched him glance at her as he listened to the caller speak before he turned his back so she couldn’t see his face. Stepping over to stand next to him, she touched his elbow. He turned, his expression hard and distant.
“Thank you,” he said, ending the call.
“What is it? Henry…,” her throat tightened before she could voice her fear.
He placed the cell phone on the counter and cupped her cheeks. She gazed up at him and drew in a deep breath. She didn’t see any grief in his eyes, she saw anger. This was not the emotion of someone who had just received bad news, but someone who was filled with an icy rage.
“I don’t know, but it does have to do with Henry,” Brian said, staring intently into her eyes.
Makayla’s hands rose and slid up his chest. Her fingers curled into the soft material of his shirt. She lifted her chin in determination.
Brian’s gaze softened and he leaned down and brushed another kiss across her parted lips, this one a little longer, a little firmer, and a lot more possessive. Uncertainty swamped Makayla, but she pushed it away. He pulled back, releasing her and turning to grab one of her hands.
“It’s time for Kevin to share with us what he found out,” Brian muttered, reluctantly turning toward the stairs leading up to the deck.
Makayla nodded, her lips tingling from his kiss and her hand wrapped possessively in his. She squeezed his hand, the last of her doubt and fears melting away. Three years ago, they had both been young and insecure. Now, they realized how fragile life was and how quickly things could change. It was at that moment Makayla realized she hadn’t been any more ready than Brian had been to commit to a long-term, permanent relationship. She had been focused on getting her education and she still had trust issues that she needed to deal with.
A new sense of determination filled her. She wanted a future with Brian and she was willing to fight for it this time. Straightening her shoulders, she followed him up the stairs and onto the deck where Helen and Kevin were standing by the railing. They turned when they heard Brian and her approaching.
“We need to know everything now,” Brian ordered in a hard, clear voice.
“What happened?” Helen asked, seeing the expression on his face.
“Ren Lu or Zhang, whichever name he is going by at the moment, just contacted the Consulate. He wants to meet to discuss an exchange,” Brian replied with a grim expression.
“Uh… oh, that’s not good,” Kevin muttered. “Let’s go down to my office.”
19
Ren Lu lowered the cell phone and peered through the binoculars at his target from the roof of a nearby building. The hitman belonged to an elite group of mercenaries for hire. He had dealt before with men like the man he was watching.
Raul Chavez. There was no information about the man prior to two years ago. Chavez had been a suspect in the assassination of a minor diplomat from Hungary. Six months later, he had been sighted again in Venezuela. Three American Environmental workers had been killed in a suspected kidnapping gone bad. It might have been unquestioned if one of the families hadn’t paid to have an exhaustive investigation done. It had turned out the CEO of the oil company had paid to have the workers removed because they had discovered a previously thought extinct bird in the location of a new oil well. A month after that, Chavez was spotted in Brazil.
The list went on and on. Government agencies had grainy images of Chavez, but nothing concrete. They could place him at some of the assassinations, but there wa
s not enough evidence to convict, only enough to suspect him of being involved. Chavez was always gone before anything could be proven. Ren Lu was certain the man was a skilled paid assassin. His informants had flagged Chavez as a possible problem the moment he had entered the country on one of Sun Yung-Wing’s freighters. Ren Lu watched Chavez reach for his cell phone at the same time as he paid for a purchase at an open air restaurant. Ren Lu glanced at his own phone, noting the bug he had placed in Sun Yung-Wing’s cell phone flash the number Sun was calling across the screen. He was positive it was Chavez’s number.
He watched Chavez slide the phone back into the front pocket of his shirt before he pulled the chopsticks out, and began eating while he walked through the crowded marketplace. Minutes later, Chavez crossed the street and entered the building where he had rented an apartment. Ren Lu moved along the edge of the roof. He skirted an abandoned makeshift boxed garden and jumped over the wall, landing on the slightly lower roof of the building next door.
Ren Lu knelt down behind a rusted, metal fire escape. From this angle, he could see into the sixth floor flat where Chavez was staying. The door to the dingy room swung open and Chavez entered, tossing the remains of the meal he had ordered into a trash can by the door. Ren Lu watched Chavez disappear into another room. He shifted and scanned to see if he could pick him up through the other window.
