During their journey, Noah, Sam and Master Wu were under devastating attack from Chin’s son, King. King arranged for the ambush of the luxury yacht Tao Princess that transported the travelers from Hong Kong to Shanghai, hoping to force Noah to divulge the whereabouts of the funds Noah hijacked from King’s father. When that failed, King personally led a vicious assault on Heaven. With Noah leading the defense, the assault was unsuccessful, but victory had an exorbitant cost. All the monks of Heaven except JJ lost their lives. As a final act of defiance, King blew up the mountain peak where the hidden monastery was located, burying it forever under tons of rock and rubble.
Now it was time for the trio to return to Hong Kong.
As Sam devoured yet another plate of ribs from the lounge’s buffet, he remarked, “To heck with school. I could get used to this.”
Noah dug his fingers into Sam’s scalp. “No way. It was hard enough convincing your teachers to let you join me on this venture.”
“Noah, I don’t need school. I want to be a ninja like you and JJ.”
“Sure. Sixteen hours a day for a dozen years of intense physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines, and I was just getting started,” said JJ.
As Sam stuck out his tongue at the two adults, Noah’s cell phone started ringing. He frowned slightly. It was from an unidentified caller. “This is a new cell. Almost no one knows the number.”
“Just answer it, Noah.” Sam shook his head with exasperation. “Obviously, it’s from someone who knows how to get hold of you.”
Senses starting to tingle, Noah opened his cell. “Hello, it’s Noah here. Who is this?”
“Hello, Noah. Looking forward to seeing you again,” intoned a voice from the grave.
The caller hung up immediately.
Noah’s face drained of color. “Chin.”
“Who’s he?” asked JJ.
Sam swallowed. “Chin Chee Fok’s the father of the snake master we just wiped out in Heaven.” He turned to Noah. “I thought you said he was dead.”
Noah’s brow furrowed. “I saw him burn. No one could have survived that… but…” Noah inhaled. “We never found a trace of him. We just assumed there was nothing left.”
A man sitting at the bar got up and headed toward the exit, bypassing their table. Nothing particularly unusual about that except that there was no announcement about any upcoming flights and the washroom was right in the room.
“Hey, mister, you dropped your phone,” shouted Sam, picking it up off the floor.
Without responding, the man bolted toward the door.
Noah’s instincts caught fire. Trouble! He tried to grab the phone from Sam but the teenager pulled it back, protesting, “If he doesn’t want it…”
Before Sam could finish the sentence, Noah kicked the phone out of his hand. The phone had barely traveled two feet when it exploded mid-air. A fiery ball knocked Sam to the ground unconscious, igniting his clothes.
“JJ, watch out for Sam,” shouted Noah as he shot after the man racing out the door.
With his head start, the man was twenty feet ahead of Noah. Pulling out a gun hidden in his jacket, he turned and fired three shots in rapid succession at Noah before whipping around to resume his flight.
Noah had to make a snap decision. With the airport brimming full of people, Noah couldn’t risk ducking or sidestepping the bullets; one of them might hit a chance bystander. He decided to attempt moves he had fantasized about after seeing Neo in The Matrix movies, but never actually tried.
With laser focus, he simultaneously whipped his hands through the air and kicked upwards.
Success. He kicked one bullet out of harm’s way and, with a lightning-fast arm, snagged the other two in mid-air. In the same motion, he hurled both bullets back at his attacker with the velocity of a Roger Clemens fastball.
But not the accuracy. Both bullets missed.
Noah’s prey turned and ran, weaving quickly through the other passengers. Noah followed suit, and then stepped onto the outer ledge of a fountain to gain momentum. With a flying leap and hands outstretched, Noah brought the man to the ground.
The bomber whipped out a switchblade and pressed the button on its handle. He popped the blade and drove it toward Noah’s midriff.
Noah kicked his assailant’s hand. The knife plummeted to the ground and its sharp tip snapped as it hit the hard airport floor.
Noah grabbed a few metal fragments but, before he could fling them, his opponent stomped on his hand. Blood spurted as the metal bits cut into the skin. Noah’s shriek ripped the air as he crumpled into a protective fetal position, his eyes glazed over with fear.
“Now, where is my master’s money?” shouted the evildoer as he took another knife from his jacket pocket.
“I don’t know,” whimpered Noah, abject fear filling his eyes.
“Wrong answer.” The athletic criminal confidently leaned into Noah, pressing the knife against his temple, almost breaking the skin.
Noah broke out of his feigned despair. He rammed his knee into the attacker’s solar plexus. The man buckled. Noah sprang to his feet and flipped into a backward handspring.
Refusing to yield, the thug tossed the second knife at Noah. Noah’s legs unfurled and he kicked the approaching switchblade into the air. He snagged the blade and was about to propel it back at his enemy’s chest when he heard JJ shout, “Noah, come quick! We’ve got to get Sam to a hospital.”
Noah cocked his head toward the lounge. His opponent used the moment to grab a water-filled snow globe of Shanghai’s Disney Resort from the rack of the souvenir shop beside him and heaved it at Noah. The glass object hit Noah on the temple. Reeling, he forced himself to hurl the switchblade he was holding. However, the flashing lights spoiled his aim and, instead of landing in his enemy’s chest, the knife embedded into his thigh.
Two injured warriors, and neither of them could continue.
Screaming, Noah’s attacker rose. Gripping the gash on his thigh to avoid bleeding out, he hobbled away while Noah stumbled toward the executive lounge. Peering inside, he saw JJ hovering over the unconscious and bleeding Sam, his index fingers at the top of Sam’s ears, using acupressure to reduce the swelling.
Then Noah collapsed, unconscious.
Chapter 3
Five years earlier, Chin suggested a conversation between Queenie and her stepbrother King, several years her senior, thinking they might make a good business fit. While the two had the talk, King wasn’t interested—Queenie was too new and needed to prove herself first.
That was fine with Queenie. She wanted to expand her drug dealing and her interests with cranes. That and living an upscale New York lifestyle took up her energy and time.
Two years later, they re-visited their initial discussion. King was now involved in facilitating the illegal transport of Chinese migrants to North America on a part-time basis for different bosses. From watching those he worked for, he knew he was missing out on the big money of collecting a percentage of every illegal worker’s pay for years on end until the “transportation debt” had been paid off.
If he was going to get into that business, he needed not only a financial partner but a strategic partner.
Queenie fit the bill perfectly and the two hammered out a basic plan. King would head the Asian operations; Queenie would handle the North American operations.
King would find illiterate unskilled people desperate to leave China, Thailand or Laos to find any job they could. King would arrange their shipment to North America as cheaply as possible. They could also make few extra bucks by sneaking in a kilo or two of Southeast Asian heroin and selling it once it got to its destination.
Queenie would find the North American Chinese restaurants, shops, bars, and massage parlors that wanted cheap labor and paid in cash. The illegals worked at a fraction of minimum North American wages, knowing it was still far more than they could earn at home. Of course, Queenie’s own network could handle any drugs King brought in.
King and Que
enie scrambled to develop their own clientele and sources. It was tough slogging but, after a couple of years, they felt ready to take the next step—to expand and to control more of their own destiny.
They approached Chin for twenty million dollars. That would have been enough to buy ships, arms, helicopters, drug runners, land transportation and officials in as many as five different countries.
Chin refused and it was pointless to ask why, although King and Queenie had their suspicions. Maybe Chin didn’t want them muscling in on his territory, or maybe he didn’t want his kids to have things handed to them on a silver platter. Queenie and King figured the most probable reason was he figured he’d already done his fatherly duties and wanted to wash his hands of them.
This setback didn’t stop King and Queenie and they vowed to proceed with their plan come hell or high water. So blinded were they by the glitter of potential profits that they broke one of Warren Buffet’s dictums for success. “A debt-free life is the best life. Start with thinking that borrowing money is not an option.”
The two leveraged themselves to buy a tramp steamer and helicopters. King turned over rocks, scrounging for a few hundred migrants to fill the rust-bucket ship. Queenie burned phone lines across the United States, lining up takers for the migrants.
They were set for their ship’s maiden voyage when an unbelievable deal dropped into their laps. Two hundred and fifty pounds of Burmese heroin for a third of the going rate. Queenie and King called, cajoled and begged everyone they knew to lend them some cash but no one bit. The two were leveraged over their heads and it would take only a puff of wind to blow down their house of cards.
As a last resort, Queenie approached Alexei Gudonov, a mid-level Russian mobster. Alexei met Chin years earlier and ever since had tried to get the Shaolin Triad leader to help him get into the lucrative Chinese market. Chin played Alexei, never saying yes but never closing the door, either. He arranged for Queenie to meet with the Russian. Alexei, not knowing Chin arranged the introduction in hopes that the Russian would no longer bother him, thought it was a positive sign. He thought Queenie might be the entry he craved into Chin’s vast network.
So, when Queenie approached him about borrowing a million dollars, he agreed, even though he thought her plan was rife with holes. But she was Chin’s daughter, and everything the Triad leader touched turned to gold. If she didn’t come through, he would tie her to a bed and perform nasty, filthy, and unspeakable acts of depravity. Knowing Chin, Alexei thought it unlikely Chin would lift a finger to save her.
Queenie knew that. She had to face the devil. And she was ready.
Chapter 4
JJ, a veteran of many concussion and physical trauma incidents through his martial arts training, knew that treatment on Noah and Sam had to begin immediately. If the lag time between incident and treatment was too great, the possibility of neurological damage rose exponentially. Every minute of delay could mean the difference between life and death, being a paraplegic or having normal functioning limbs.
Placing the unconscious Noah and Sam side by side, he seated himself between them and began simultaneous acupressure, the Chinese system of applying physical pressure to acupuncture points with the goal of clearing blockages of qi (life energy) in the meridians of the body.
Within moments, Noah was responding well. Inflammation and swelling were minimal. As he regained consciousness, a wave of nausea swept over him. Still, he could see Sam’s unresponsiveness through the blur and slurred, “Focus on Sam, JJ.”
JJ nodded and concentrated his efforts on the teenager. The blast had rocked the teenager hard and there was little movement. This worried JJ. At Heaven, he noticed that younger acolytes who received injuries less severe than Sam often took longer to recuperate, especially if treatment was delayed. Problems included personality changes, extreme or sudden fatigue, inability to focus, insomnia and stubborn headaches.
When the ambulance paramedics arrived, they saw JJ’s fingers firmly massaging key pressure points, stimulating Sam’s qi. Even in China, where eastern and western medical traditions co-existed, this procedure was unusual.
“We can take over now,” said one of the paramedics.
JJ did not stop and stepped up the intensity. “How often have you done this?” he asked pointedly.
“I’ve taken a couple of seminars. Aced them.”
Even in his addled state, Noah realized that letting the paramedic treat Sam would be disastrous. His garbled words sent out a clear message. “Let him continue. I’ll take responsibility. I’m the one paying.”
“I can’t do that,” said the paramedic. “Besides, you need help, too.”
“Just give me some Tylenol, an ice bag and I’m good to go.”
“Ignore him,” ordered JJ. He had seen many impatient martial artists get back into combat training before they were ready. This often worsened concussion problems and JJ wasn’t taking chances.
As the ambulance beelined toward the hospital, Noah forced himself to think through the cobwebs clouding his thoughts. Things were escalating. First, he got the cryptic call from Chin. To discover that the tiger master had escaped death was alarming. No one should have survived the fiery inferno at Macau.
Then there was the attack at the airport. Noah could hear Chin’s voice echoing, “Hello, Noah. Looking forward to seeing you again,” and the voice of his attacker yelling, “Where is my master’s money?”
It seemed impossible but it had to be true. Chin had somehow survived the inferno at the Tiger Palace and was now intent on getting his stolen funds back. But how? Was the Triad leader sufficiently healed to lead a charge himself? Did he have a reservoir of funds to launch a major offensive against Noah?
Whatever it was, Chin had announced he was back.
And that had Noah scared shitless.
At the Healthway International Center, JJ gladly handed over the reins of Sam’s treatment to Dr. Pang, the attending ER physician. Dr. Pang directed the group in Sam’s evaluation and hoped-for resuscitation. Pang’s health care providers managed Sam’s airway, monitored his vitals and obtained blood samples.
Noah watched on helplessly, frustrated that he could do nothing to help the still unconscious teen.
Seeing this, JJ realized Noah needed a distraction. He sidled up to him and asked, “How did you meet up with Sam?”
Eyes never leaving Sam, Noah spoke wistfully. “Through my best friend Chad. He did everything he could for kids. When I got back to Hong Kong after law school, we went to the basketball court where we had played hundreds of pick-up games.” Noah chuckled. “Chad wasn’t that crazy about the game but he knew everyone else was. Basketball was an excuse to make friends and hang out with kids. Rich kids, poor ones and especially any kid that needed a hand… Like Sam. Sam’s dad was in jail; his mom was a drug addict. Chad refused to let Sam become another victim.”
JJ’s eyes filled with empathy. “I think I would have liked Chad.”
“Everyone did.”
“So when Chad died, you took over Sam’s care?” asked JJ.
Noah nodded. “Yeah. I made a deal with his mom to take care of him. She’d regret that now if she saw this.”
Suddenly, Sam coughed and he forced his eyes open. He growled hoarsely, “I’m in the room, Noah. Can you stop talking so damned loud?”
Noah glanced upward, offering a silent prayer of thanks. He grinned at Sam’s sudden return to consciousness. “Don’t you ever stop complaining?”
“How can I? You’ve got so much to learn and you’re a lousy student.”
“Like how?”
“Like how you screwed up with Olivia. You should have jumped on a plane and followed her to New York.”
Sam hit a nerve. This was something Noah didn’t want to talk about. “She didn’t want me to.”
Sam croaked, “Noah, she’s testing you. Go after her.”
“You’re a pain in the ass. I like you better when you’re quiet. And Olivia made it pretty clear she was not int
erested in me or anything connected with me.”
JJ, who had listened with fascinated curiosity, offered innocently, “I think Sam’s right. She’s testing you. Why don’t you give her a call?”
Flanked on both sides by friends peppering him with unwanted advice, Noah hung his head. “Oh, so now the guy who’s been an abstinent monk for most of his life is an expert on the female psyche?”
Sam coughed. “If you don’t want to call her, Noah, I will. Give me the phone.”
“Over my dead body.”
“I can arrange that, too.” Sam lifted cocky eyebrows at Noah.
A lab tech who had been drawing blood samples left the room.
Halfway down the hall to the blood lab, she fished her cell phone from her pocket and made a call. “Noah has an old girlfriend who’s moved to New York. She dumped him but it sounds like he’s still interested.” She hung up without waiting for a reply.
Chapter 5
Even when she wasn’t dressed like a hooker in heat, Queenie attracted attention, but now? She would have been in the top echelon at a former New York governor’s Emperor Club where girls earned upward of thirty thousand dollars a day.
Getting out of her cab, Queenie sauntered into the busy Amerirussian Travel Agency in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Bypassing the half dozen travel consultants, she strode to the back and, without knocking, strode into Alexei’s wood paneled office.
“Get out,” she ordered Raoul, one of Alexei’s thugs who was going over details of a hit with his boss.
Alexei nodded. Raoul stepped back to the wall as Queenie planted herself in the chair opposite the burly Alexei, allowing the always horny Slav’s eyes to devour her.
The Noah Reid Action Thriller Series: Books 1-3 (plus special bonuses) Page 41