Ethel let out a hearty belly laugh. “Oh, is that what we are? You can think whatever you like. Those who know too much never stick around to tell our story. Who we are, what we are: we don’t care what others think. It’s not important. Persevering, that’s important. And the less people know, the more invisible we are.”
Ethel squinted one eye as she looked down the barrel of the snub-nosed revolver. “I have your forehead in sight. It’ll make a noise, but nothing too loud. Just a pop, but the force of the bullet will penetrate your skull easily, and I won’t have to get my hands dirty.”
“Kyle will—”
“Kyle won’t. I have the poor boy’s loyalty. I’m like a mother to him. He’ll never assume. He’ll never believe. And that’s how I like it. How do you think I got into the house? He told me about the key he keeps under a potted plant out back. He’s so trusting of me. No, Kyle needs to live. He’s much more valuable to me that way. I need someone to unknowingly do my bidding within the SFPD. You, on the other hand…” Ethel lowered her voice. Her smirk disappeared, and her eyes seemed to darken. “You have no value. All you’ve given me is one big fucking headache. Chasing Chinatown was my baby. I spent years developing it, and now it’s gone. Killing you won’t bring it back, but it’ll make me feel a little better. But that’s not good enough. I want to feel a whole lot better.” She puffed once more on the stalky cigar. “To do that, I need to kill your family. Slow and painful—that’s what it’ll take.”
No, it won’t. My heartbeat raced. My leg muscles tightened. My lungs drew a deep breath. Dying didn’t matter to me at that point. I didn’t care about myself; I cared about my family. I had to save them.
Chapter 53
Kang drove up and down the dimly lit street, looking for the address that Ethel had given him over the phone. It was located on Livingston Street, a largely industrial area dotted with warehouses, office buildings, and a few vacant lots near the Brooklyn Basin just off of the Nimitz Highway. He saw no one walking on the sidewalks, not even a bum pushing a shopping cart. He noticed a few empty cars parked on the street, but other than that, the area was deserted.
At first, Kang thought Ethel’s friend might be one of those trendy artist types that lived in a converted warehouse space. He must have driven the length of the street half a dozen times before trying the adjacent streets, thinking she might have mixed up her directions due to the stress of the situation. But the more he drove, the more he became convinced he was in the totally wrong area. There just seemed to be no signs of any sort of residential building.
Kang was relatively familiar with Oakland, having made more than enough trips to the area’s smaller and less popular Chinatown, but he still needed to punch the address into Google Maps on his smartphone. The pin squarely popped up on Livingston, so he knew it wasn’t a glitch with the app. Ethel had specifically said, “1422 Livingston St. It’s near the Nimitz Highway.”
Kang parked his vehicle next to the curb and dialed Ethel’s phone number. Straight to voicemail. He left a message that he was having trouble finding the place and that she needed to call him back.
His next call was to Kane. Her phone at least rang a few times before dropping him into voicemail. He left a message that he would be gone a little longer than they’d expected.
Kang sat quietly, waiting for Ethel to return his call. During that time, he thought about what she had said to him earlier, about how Yee had told her to keep quiet. Ethel hadn’t been talking to the media. In fact, it was Kane who had pegged Yee as a person of interest. Kang figured Ethel probably told Yee that the FBI wanted to speak to him, but that hardly warranted the reaction she had painted over the phone. Menacing tone, be quiet or else… Doesn’t make sense unless he’s hiding something.
Kang tried Ethel’s phone again and left a second message. You’d think she would pick up the phone on the first ring the way she sounded earlier. Without better directions, Kang was at a loss. What to do. What to do... He certainly didn’t want to leave Ethel out to dry, but more importantly, he wanted to talk to her further about Yee.
Kang didn’t know whether to be irritated or worried. Ethel’s actions lately had him somewhat confused; it wasn’t like her not to return a call or to give a wrong address. In all his dealings with her, she had always been reliable and straightforward. The Ethel he had encountered over the last few days had appeared scatterbrained and unsure of her words.
Kang called Ethel once again and got the same response. He drummed the steering wheel with his fingers while he mulled the situation. He was out of ideas and had no other recourse. Plus, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Kane alone any longer than he already had. He should have picked up Ethel by then and been on his way back home. He threw his vehicle into drive and pulled away from the curb. If I have to make another trip back to Oakland, so be it.
Chapter 54
Ethel’s tiny but plump body lay sprawled out on the hardwood floor. Her breathing had stopped after her fatal gasp, and her eyes remained open, even after the hard fall against the floor. The revolver she had gripped in her hand earlier lay a few inches from her grasp. A throw rug near her had begun to absorb the mess draining out of her.
Both of my hands were still white-knuckled from gripping the armchair. The burn in my chest prompted me to take a breath. I should have leaned back and let go a sigh of relief, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Because standing in front of me and holding a sword that still dripped with Ethel’s blood was my favorite assassin: Sei.
Apparently, any decision I had made up to that point, or lack thereof, had played absolutely no role in what had happened. There wasn’t a scenario in my head that came remotely close to one that involved Sei killing Ethel. It had been the equivalent of facing an al-Qaeda operative only to have an ISIS operative kill him and take his place—same, same but different.
I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to say. In my field of business, holding a conversation with a killer was a good way to prolong death, especially if said death happened to be mine. My weapon was still in the guest room, and I hadn’t any idea how to get to it without Sei getting all Ginsu on me.
She stood still, knees bent slightly and the sword held out in front of her in a defensive position. Her gaze, cold and unwavering, pierced through me like a razor-sharp icicle. Slowly, step by step, she made her way around Ethel’s body and toward me. I didn’t know what to make of the situation. It seemed that each encounter I had with that woman left me with a plethora of unanswered questions.
“I’m a bit confused here,” I eventually managed.
“What’s to be confused about? I saved your life. A thank you is customary in these situations, don’t you think?”
I wasn’t about to entertain this woman’s suggestion with an answer. As far as I was concerned, she was a cold-blooded killer. “Are you the mastermind, or is Ethel?”
“Those honors would go to her.” Sei had stopped her gracious sidestepping toward me, though she hadn’t lowered her sword, not even the tiniest bit. She might still have been assessing whether I was armed or not. I had no indication of why she was there. She certainly hadn’t come here with Ethel, as the shock on the old woman’s face when she saw the business end of a sword pop out of her chest had clearly indicated.
“I don’t understand. Was she ninety days out on a payment to you?” I asked.
“Always the jokester, aren’t you?” In one fell swoop, Sei spun the blade around and expertly slipped it into the sheath strapped to her waist.
“Cocky move. How do you know I’m not armed?”
“You would have drawn your weapon on me by now. But seeing that you’re dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, I highly doubt you’re carrying a weapon.”
“I’ll go out on a limb here: You’re not here to kill me.”
Sei stared at me for a few seconds before answering. “Usually when people come into contact with me, it doesn’t work out too well for them. You seem to be an anomaly.”
“
Am I supposed to be overjoyed? Grateful for your kindness?”
“A mouth like that will get you in a lot of trouble.” Sei glanced around the living room. “Where’s the detective?”
“She called,” I said, motioning with my head to Ethel, “and asked him to pick her up.”
“Doesn’t take much to get you alone, now does it?”
“We thought the game might be over with Team Balkan’s submission.”
“The game is over but not because of your fake photo. You win, Agent Kane. You destroyed the game.”
“And you killed the mastermind.”
“It was either you or her,” Sei motioned with one of her gloved hands.
“Why did you save me? And while I’m asking, I’d love to know why you did so the first time. I know you were the one who dispatched Team Favela.”
“You know so much, don’t you?” Sei shifted her weight. “Not that I think I owe you an explanation, but since I’m in a giving mood…”
“Ah, philanthropist at heart.”
“Team Favela was disqualified in Buenos Aires for reasons I am not privy to.”
“How did he know I was the Attraction?” I asked as I shifted in the chair.
“His disqualification took place after the game changed.”
“What? He thought killing me would reinstate him?”
Sei raised a shoulder. “I doubt he did any thinking, because his actions got him killed.”
“Seems to me the mastermind wouldn’t have cared who delivered my head.”
Sei took a step back. “That would be a question for the mastermind. Whoops.” She playfully pressed her fingers against her mouth. “Too late.”
I leaned forward, readying myself to stand.
“Ah, ah, ah.” Sei waved a disapproving finger at me. “Don’t push your luck.” She backed up toward the dark hall, obviously about to exit the same way she had come in. “As for an answer to your original question, I didn’t come here to save your life, Abby. I came here to save the lives of your children. So long as Ethel was alive, your family would never have been safe. There are many like me who were loyal to her that could do the job.”
“You mean you were given the contract for my family.”
“Lin had the original contract, but when he failed, it was given to me.”
“But you killed Lin, right?”
“Ethel bought the story you gave in the interview to the news station.” Sei raised her left hand and flicked her thumbnail against her middle finger. “The head has been cut off the snake. You have nothing to worry about now.”
It had become clear to me that, during this night, I had been facing a losing battle with Ethel and didn’t even know it. If not for Sei, the nightmare I had injected my family and myself into would have continued. It never would have ended until she’d had her revenge.
I still wasn’t sure why Sei had decided to spare my family, but I was grateful. Did she really have a moral conscience? Was there a bit of good under that hardened armor she wore? I suppose not every question in life has an answer.
“You said Ethel has many loyal followers. Won’t word spread that you killed her?”
“Did I? Or did you?”
Sei stopped just short of entering the hall. Her eyes settled back on me once more. “Seems as though you misjudged me… again.”
Chapter 55
By the time I had retrieved my handgun from the guest room and chased after Sei, she had disappeared—back to being a ghost.
I called House to let her know what had just taken place and to warn them about a possible attack.
“Everything is fine here, no disturbances, but I’ll call in additional backup.”
I knew my entire block had been on lockdown, and getting in and out would be no easy feat. Still, if there were more assassins like Sei, I had to believe that stopping them would be a serious challenge.
I had to hope that Sei had spoken the truth when she’d said the snake was dead. If she had indeed cut off the head, I imagined Ethel’s loyal network of mercenaries would be effectively disbanded by that fact. There should be no reason to come after my family. We were still talking about contract killers; outside of loyalty, money was the primary motivator. If anything, they would go after Sei for killing the old witch.
I told House I would be over as soon as possible. I still had a dead body in the middle of Kang’s living room, and I had yet to notify him of it. I gave him the heads up on a phone call but held back on the details, telling him to get home quickly.
CSI had just started to process the scene when he returned. I had already changed into jeans and a hoodie and had been waiting for him outside on the front steps.
“I can’t believe it, Abby. I just can’t believe it,” he said as he exited his vehicle.
Kang was in serious denial. It actually caught me off guard. He had always been pretty even keeled when it came to work; nothing ever got him riled up or overly emotional. He had always been on point.
I continued to explain, but from the blank look on his face, the words that were coming out of my mouth were pole vaulting straight over his head. He would have to see Ethel’s dead body firsthand to start processing the situation.
In we went.
Kang stood a few feet away from her. He kept quiet, mouth slightly ajar.
I moved closer to him, my arm brushing against his. “She meant a lot to you, didn’t she?”
He inhaled deeply and let out a long breath. “I’m sad, I’m angry, but mostly, I’m confused.”
“You’re not the only one shaking your head at all of this.”
“I feel betrayed.” He looked at me. “She took advantage of our friendship. I enabled her to do a lot of harm.”
“Hey, hey, take it easy. Don’t go piling this mess on your shoulders. None of this is your fault. We were all fooled. And just to put things into perspective, it took one of Ethel’s own to stop her.”
Kang continued to shake his head and mumble about how he had never suspected, had never seen signs. I’m sure it had him questioning his own sanity. Ethel had been a trusted friend he had known for years who had often mothered him with encouragement. To suddenly discover that she was the psychotic mastermind behind the Chasing Chinatown game, well, that turned out to be one hell of a mind bender. Add that he had to also witness her bloody body in his living room—it was a combination of punches to the gut.
As much as I wanted to head straight home and see my family, I stuck it out with Kang until CSI had wrapped up their investigation. The kids and Po Po were asleep anyway. I figured I could catch up with them in the morning before I headed into the office. Reilly was expecting a thorough debriefing ASAP.
I fixed Kang a coffee and myself a cup of tea; fortunately, I’d had the forethought to bring my tin since all he had in his cupboards was the generic stuff. With both mugs in hand, I headed out front where he was seated on the steps. I sat next to him, pulling my knees in for warmth. The sky had just started to lighten, and soon the sun would be showing its face. The fog was barely a mist, as it had been most of the night. The last of the SFPD units had just pulled away, and Ethel’s body was on its way to the city morgue. “You know, there is a bright side to all of this.”
“I know. It’s over: the game, the killings, the bounty on your head. And I’m really happy about it. Don’t think for one minute I’m not. I’m over Ethel.”
“That was fast.”
Kang pressed the coffee cup against his lips. I watched the point on his Adam’s apple bob once. “She had innocent people killed for her enjoyment. I can’t get around that. She deserved what she got. I have no remorse.” Kang kept his eyes steered forward, probably churning over the events of the night.
For five minutes we both stared ahead, watching commuters drive by and little brown dogs on leashes relieve themselves. The first cable car rumbled down the street, its brass bell ringing as it came to a stop in the intersection. It was certainly a new day in the city. I relished the fact that the
mastermind was dead, and so was her game. I was sure Kang did too. That investigation had tried our patience and tested our resolve to live. I was grateful that we had beaten it. A lot of people involved hadn’t been so lucky.
I turned to Kang and gave him a playful jab to the arm. “Hey, what are you doing this Sunday?”
He took a deep breath and shrugged. “Not sure. Why?”
“Dim Sum Sunday.”
“What?” His eyebrows crunched.
“It’s my Sunday tradition with the family. We spend the day in Chinatown gorging ourselves on dim sum. Join us. It’ll be fun.”
Kang pushed his bottom lip up into a half-moon smile. “Why not? I’m all about dim sum.”
“I’m really looking forward to getting my life back. I miss the routine. But hey, this time you catch your own perps.”
Kang let out a vocal laugh. “You’re never letting that go, are you?”
I turned my palms up. “I had a full stomach, two kids, and an aging mother-in-law in tow. The conditions weren’t ideal, and yet somehow, I still managed to stop your guy. Not many people can claim that.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we’ll see more of those moments in the future now that the Kang and Kane crime-fighting duo has been deemed a success.”
“You mean Kane and Kang, right?”
“I’m not letting you have this one. It’s Kang and Kane.”
“E comes before G. So technically, Kane should come first.”
“Yeah, but I’m taller.”
“I’m prettier.”
“I have a longer reach.”
“I’m faster.”
“Oh, you think?” Kang put his mug down, stood up and started to stretch. “Footrace, right now. First one to the end of the block and back has the final say.”
I’m not one to resist a challenge. “This will be easy—and embarrassing for you.” I put my mug down and started to stretch as well.
“The more you talk, the bigger the lump of pride will be for you to swallow.”
Coit Tower (Abby Kane FBI Thriller - Chasing Chinatown Trilogy Book 3) Page 18