Two more steps, and she’d reach the open window. “I’ll let him go, Wong, if you put down the gun and give me a head start down those stairs.”
He laughed. “Oh, no, you got away from me once before. It’s not going to happen again.” He lifted his gun. “I’ve had enough of this.”
Dear God, he was going to shoot!
Catherine’s arms dropped down and she dove to the side as the bullet tore into the head of Wong’s lieutenant.
Another shot, this time, grazing her arm.
She reached the window and rolled over the sill, catching the rope as she fell.
She jerked, the rope burning her palms.
Move quickly.
She had caught Wong by surprise by leaping out the window, but that surprise wouldn’t last long.
She let herself half fall, half climb down the rope.
He was right above her, leaning out the window.
A bullet tore past her head, taking out a clump of hair.
She swung to the side to spoil the next shot.
She had to get off the rope.
Ten feet to go.
“Let go. Jump!”
Hu Chang. Somewhere below her in the darkness.
No time to think or wonder.
Trust.
She let go of the rope.
She was falling.
Then she was snatched out of the air and both she and Hu Chang staggered sideways into the wall of the building.
Another shot.
Wood splintered next to her cheek.
“Into the doorway.” She dragged Hu Chang to the right and under the protection of the overhanging beam over the doorway.
Wong was cursing above her.
“How many?” Hu Chang asked. “I saw three go in.”
“Only Wong left, but he has a gun.”
“I noticed,” Hu Chang said dryly. “And he’s no doubt on his way down those stairs right now.”
“What are you doing—” No time to ask questions now. She grabbed his arm. “Come on, we have to get out of here. He’ll kill you. He may have more triad members on the way. I won’t let him—”
“Hush. We have time. I saw no one else on the streets.”
“He has a gun, and I had to drop the knife I had when I grabbed the rope.” She heard the thunder of Wong’s shoes on the wooden flights of stairs. “Let’s go. Stop arguing with me, dammit. He just shot one of his own men because he was in his way.”
He was shaking his head. “If we leave, you will have to fight him again. We must grasp the opportunity.”
“We? This is my fight. You should have stayed in the country, tending your herbs.”
“I told you I had things I had to do in the city.” He tilted his head, listening. “He’s running through the warehouse toward the door. I believe you must use some of the skills Lee Kai taught you and disarm him.”
“If I get that close, I’d better do more than disarm him.” Hu Chang was not moving, she realized with exasperation. And Wong couldn’t be more than a few yards away.
Time had run out.
Surprise him.
She gave Hu Chang a shove to the side and leaped through the door.
Wong was only feet away, and he stopped short.
But he was lifting the gun in his hand.
She kicked him in the belly, and when he bent double with pain, she jumped closer, and the edge of her hand lifted and came down on the wrist of the hand grasping the gun.
The gun fell to the floor.
Catherine dove toward it, grabbed it.
“Bitch.” He was on top of her, his weight heavy on her slight body, his eyes glittering in his contorted face above her. “I won’t wait to kill you. I want it too much.” He was twisting, trying to take the gun. “You’ve been nothing but—” He suddenly arched, his head going back. “What is—”
“Hold out just for a few seconds more, Catherine.” It was Hu Chang’s voice from where he stood behind Wong. “I know it’s distasteful having him that close to you, but it will be better soon.”
Wong’s face was no longer flushed but pale. “What did you—hurts.”
“I believe it’s called a rabbit punch. I hit you with my fist on the back of your neck. Not very hard.” His star-shaped lapis in the center of his gold ring shone as he held up his hand. “It really wasn’t necessary.”
“Sneaky bastard. I should have—” His voice was hoarse. Catherine could feel his body begin to shake against her own. “I feel—”
“Two more seconds, Catherine,” Hu Chang said. “It would be wise to push him off you now. He will be a deadweight.” His lips curved in a faint smile. “I truly would not have used that phrase if I’d thought. Much too James Bond.”
Catherine shoved with all her strength and wriggled out from under Wong’s weight. She had no trouble. His eyes were glazing, and she doubted if he knew she was still there. She drew a deep breath. She felt dazed, her gaze on the lapis ring, and all she could think to ask was a weak, “What do you know about James Bond?”
“Am I not a cosmopolitan? Who does not know of him?”
Wong was falling, his body stiffening.
“It’s over.” Hu Chang reached down and took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “And now we should leave this place and disappear for a while. Someone must have heard the shots.”
“In this neighborhood, they hear, but they don’t respond. Particularly in Wong’s territory,” Catherine said. “But the Royal Police have been riding the triads pretty hard, and it would be best to not be seen. Let’s go hop on the ferry and get out of this neighborhood.” She looked warily down at his hand, still holding her own. The star lapis was shimmering in the moonlight. “When you pulled me to my feet, you used the hand that you hit Wong with. I’d appreciate your being very careful. I wasn’t sure that I believed you when you told me that you were only waiting for the right moment when he was beating you in your shop.”
“You should have believed me.” He took her elbow and nudged her out the door. “I will always tell you the truth. And there was no danger to you. The prongs retract the moment they leave the flesh.”
She looked back at where Wong was lying crumpled on the floor. “He looked as if he was in pain before he died.”
“Only a small amount. I was more annoyed than angry with him. But he should not have shot at you.” He touched her temple where the bullet had torn away a small patch of hair. “If he’d truly hurt you, I would have had to delay his punishment to make it more fitting.”
“How long have you known I was sleeping in this warehouse?”
“Since the second day you found it. I followed you from Venable’s hotel.”
“Like some Hitchcock movie? Why were you so secretive? Why didn’t you let me know that you were in Hong Kong?”
“I’m secretive by nature. Haven’t you noticed? You needed space from me. I gave it to you. We both had tasks to accomplish.” He glanced at her. “And you accomplished yours, didn’t you? How do you like Venable?”
“He’s honest. He’s smart. He believes in what he’s doing.” She paused. “And he can probably be as ruthless as anyone I’ve ever met.”
“But if you’re on his side, he’ll protect you.”
“But I’m not on his side. I just do jobs for him.” She jammed her hands into her pockets and looked out at the glittering harbor as they waited for the ferry. “And I can protect myself, Hu Chang.”
“I did not say that you couldn’t.”
“But you sent me to Venable anyway.”
“It does no harm to offer a destination when you see someone trying to choose a path. He will not be easy, but he will give you options. You have very few now.” He smiled. “Of course, you could choose to stay with me; but, as you’ve told me, I am arrogant and set in my ways. You would grow restless. And I would become accustomed to you and not want to let you go. Since I am very clever and extremely self-serving, I might succeed in that.” He chuckled. “Or you might end up by using m
y own ring on me and laugh while I writhe at your feet.”
“That’s an interesting picture.”
“I thought you’d enjoy it. Someday, perhaps. But for the present, it’s better if we go our own paths and only intersect every now and then.” His smile faded. “As good friends do, Catherine.”
He was going to leave her. Just as everyone she had ever known had eventually left her. “I wouldn’t know.” She took a step forward as the ferry pulled close to the dock. “Not that it matters. Go away. I won’t miss you.”
“How cruel. But you’ll be the one to go away. I’m comfortable here in Hong Kong. I can conquer all my worlds from here.” He helped her onto the ferry. “Good-bye, Catherine. Go to the Princess Hotel and tell Venable you’re available for any job he wants to send you on. Stay away from this district. Someone will replace Wong as head of the triad, and he may try to target you. Just fade away until you’re forgotten by the police and the triad. That’s the first step to conquer your worlds. If you need me, I’ll be here.”
“I won’t need you.” She was lying. She already felt empty inside. She hated it. One person shouldn’t matter this much. She turned, her hands clutching the rail. “You’re not going on the ferry?”
“No, I’ll stay here and make sure that there are no repercussions from my removing Wong. I’ll contact you if I see any problems on the horizon.”
“You shouldn’t have even been there tonight. Why were you?”
“I’ve been outside the warehouse every night since I found out where you were.” He added simply, “I wanted to be there if my friend needed me.”
What was she to say? All her defiance, all the walls that kept her safe, were melting away. “You picked the wrong friend. We’ve been in trouble since the day we met. You could have been killed.”
“Why should I be afraid? Do you not see that we work well when we are together? Almost as if it had happened many times before.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Get that stupid idea out of your head. I wasn’t your daughter or your sister or your great-aunt in another life. I met you for—” The ferry horn sounded. Catherine felt a frisson of panic. “I suppose I should know where to find you. When do you go back to the country?”
“I’ll stay in the city until there’s no more reason for me to be here.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. We won’t lose each other, Catherine.”
“I wasn’t worried.” The ferry was starting to move away from the dock. “Why should I—”
“Something for you to read while you’re on the ferry. You’ll find it interesting.” He reached into his jacket and brought out a folded newspaper and thrust it at her before the ferry pulled out of reach. “Keep well, Catherine.”
“Keep well, Hu Chang,” she said unevenly.
He lifted his hand in farewell, then turned and disappeared into the crowd on the dock.
What had she expected? Hu Chang to stay on the dock until the ferry was out of sight? He was not a man of sentiment in spite of his odd ideas about past lives. Neither was Catherine. She would turn away and find a seat on the bench by the rail.
In a few minutes.
It would do no harm to stand here and let the cool breeze touch her cheeks as she watched Hu Chang stride down the dock.
As if he felt her gaze on him, he turned and smiled, then proceeded on his way.
He had known she was watching him leave her. Well, why not? She would do as she pleased. She would not do anything according to his rules. They were different as night from day.
I wanted to be there if my friend needed me.
Perhaps not all that different. She would stand guard over Hu Chang if she was needed. It was strange to know that after years of being alone, she had someone she actually wanted to watch over. When she had walked into that apothecary shop, something had happened that she would never have dreamed would occur.
He was out of sight now. And he had not told her how to reach him, dammit.
No matter, if she wanted to see him, she would find him. She knew this city, and now she knew Hu Chang. She dropped down on the bench and looked down at the folded paper in her hand.
Something for you to read while you’re on the ferry. You’ll find it interesting.
She started to unfold the paper. It was today’s issue of the Hong Kong Sun Times. She frowned in puzzlement as she noticed it was just one section of the newspaper.
She stiffened.
The obituary section.
Her gaze flew down the column to the obituary that had been circled.
There was a photograph of the deceased to the right of the text. The woman was heavyset, sleekly coifed, and her smile was less warm than superior.
Catherine knew that smile.
Emma Jane Carruthers. 59. Widow of the late James Carruthers. Mrs. Carruthers was chairwoman of several charities and social organizations, and Ambassador Ralph Douglas issued a statement that she would be sorely missed in the fabric of Hong Kong society.
Mrs. Carruthers fell ill fourteen days ago of a disease that her physicians describe as possibly a bacterial attack with symptoms similar to Ebola. Results have been sent to London and Atlanta CDC for confirmation.
Ebola.
She remembered sitting and watching Hu Chang’s face as he calmly told her about his killing the murderers of his parents.
He did not sleep well that night. The poison ate him from the inside. Have you heard of Ebola? It finally devoured his liver and he died.
Fourteen days.
It was a long time to suffer when you were in intense pain. Emma Carruthers must have suffered horribly during those final days.
Hu Chang had to have given her the poison on that first day, when he had followed Catherine to the warehouse from her meeting with Venable. Then he had waited to be sure that Emma Carruthers was dead, and Catherine was safe.
You’ll catch up someday. You were terribly hurt, but not enough to take joy in revenge or to do it properly. I’ll take that joy for you.
And this had been her first lesson. How did she feel about it? Her first reaction had been a surge of fierce pleasure. The woman deserved to die. She had served Catherine and other little girls up to her husband as if they were some kind of primitive carnal sacrifices. The only way Catherine had been able to keep herself from acting against her was the knowledge that the woman had the power, and Catherine might hurt only herself.
But that had not stopped Hu Chang. He had made the decision, acted, and not cared about the consequences.
And it had been done for her sake.
Another link in the bond that was growing stronger with every hour, every act, every encounter.
It was a dark act, a cruel act, as Hu Chang could be dark and cruel on occasion. But the cruelty had been toward Catherine’s enemy, and to Catherine, there had been only mercy.
And she knew that the principal emotion she was now feeling was passionate gratitude.
Together with the knowledge that if the situation had been reversed, she would have taken that same step for Hu Chang as he had for her. It did not even come as a surprise.
So, is that how it’s always going to be between us, Hu Chang?
She slowly folded the newspaper and tore it into several pieces and dropped those pieces into the dark waters of the harbor. She watched the remnants of that obituary whisked away by the currents.
Yes, I believe it is …
Present Day
“WE’RE GOING TO LAND IN fifteen minutes, Ms. Ling.” The flight attendant smiled as she bent over Catherine. “It’s a shame to wake you, but I thought you’d want to see Hong Kong from the air. It’s pretty spectacular.”
“Yes, it is.” Catherine pushed the blanket aside and sat up straight in her seat. “But I wasn’t sleeping. I was just thinking.” Thinking, remembering, letting those times with Hu Chang flow back to her. “Are we on time?”
“Yes, even a little early.” The flight attendant started down the aisle, checking the passengers’ seat belts.
Like some people. Like Hu Chang, who was most at home in this city though he traveled all over the world. It suited his complex, dark personality, and he knew every nook and cranny of Hong Kong.
And it was going to be hard as hell to hunt him down if he didn’t want to be found. She was not as familiar as Hu Chang with the new Hong Kong, and he knew everyone in the city.
But she would do it, dammit.
If this plane ever got on the ground.
CHAPTER
7
“AGENT LING? I’M AGENT JEFF CARMODY. Venable sent me.”
Catherine turned away from the Customs desk to glance at the tall, good-looking, fair-haired man who was smiling tentatively at her. He didn’t look a day over twenty-five. She had been younger when she was recruited, but Carmody lacked the necessary edge. Lord, is this what the Company is hiring to please Washington these days? “Hello, Carmody.” She grabbed her suitcase. “I told Venable I didn’t need anyone to meet me. Sorry you’ve wasted your time.”
“It’s not wasted if I’m doing what Venable wants me to do.” He grimaced. “He’s been very testy since I arrived here from Sydney. I’m the replacement for Gregory, and he doesn’t like to lose agents. All I know is that he told me to meet you and stay with you. I guess he wants to make sure you’re safe.”
“No, that’s not what he wants.” She headed for the exit, and said bluntly, “He wants Hu Chang, and he’s afraid that I’ll find him and not let him know about it. Isn’t that what he told you?”
He was silent as he hurried after and opened the door for her. “Yes, that’s what he told me. But I’m sure that he doesn’t doubt your loyalty, Agent Ling.”
“Catherine. And you don’t know any such thing. Right now, you’re wondering if I’ve gone rogue and if Venable is going to have to have me put down. And you’re probably worrying if it will be you who will have to do it.”
What Doesn't Kill You Page 10
