Brink of Extinction | Book 1 | Sudden Impact

by Shupert, Derek

  “You want one of my Glocks?” I asked, reaching for the grip of the one I had tucked in the front part of my pants.

  Jackal shook his head. “Thanks, but I’ll improvise.” He popped the hatch on the rear door of the Hummer, then leaned inside the spacious cargo area.

  I craned my neck, peering over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

  Jackal lifted the cover from the floor and rummaged through the contents. Metal clanged as he sifted through the tire repair parts.

  “Here we go.” He pulled out a Jack Handle Wheel Lug Wrench. “This should be a good backup weapon if I need it.” He twirled the wrench in his hand while looking at me.

  “It’s better than nothing, I suppose,” I replied. “Are you going to be able to conceal that?”

  Jackal backed away from the cargo area, then slammed the rear door shut. “I’ll make it work. Don’t worry.”

  I concealed the hardware stowed in my waistband with the bottom half of my jacket.

  Jackal messed with the wrench, struggling with how to conceal the tool. He slipped it inside his coat, and held it close to his side.

  We made our way down the alley to the street. The noise from the police sirens was louder than it had been in the projects. We paused, scoping out the road for any police or military personnel.

  Jackal took point with me flanking his six. I peered back over my shoulder, covering our asses as he skimmed over the buildings across the road.

  An older Chinese couple walked under the entrance and headed toward us. They strolled down the sidewalk, huddled close together.

  Jackal diverted his gaze to the ground, then to the glass fronts of the shops that were dark as they passed by.

  The older man looked at me from over the rim of his glasses sitting low on the end of his nose. I offered a warm smile, then bowed.

  He tilted his head, and kept walking with his wife fixed at his side.

  I glanced back to the couple, making sure they didn’t give us a second look.

  They crossed the street, and made for the other side of the road without looking back.

  Dark-red poles came into view as we drew closer to the entrance of the culturally rich part of LA. A large-red sign with Chinatown etched in white lettering hung from the base of the blue entrance. Upturned eaves with faded red, round tiles pitched forward.

  The streets were bare. Visitors were nonexistent. A handful of Chinese residents milled about the shops and restaurants.

  A number of the structures had sustained damage from the earthquake. Some were minor, having small cracks that ran up through the varying colored walls while portions of others had collapsed.

  A frail elderly man was hunched over in front of a gift shop, sweeping up the remnants of the destruction that littered the front of the building. He moved at a snail’s pace, raking the thick-bristled broom over the dirt and debris.

  Jackal scoped out the nearby businesses and residents who glanced our way as I spoke with the elderly man.

  “Excuse me, sir,” I said in a pleasant tone. “I was hoping you might be able to help me and my friend out.”

  The old man staggered, shifting his unsteady legs toward me as he stopped sweeping. He struggled to stand up straight as he turned his head to the side to look at us.

  “The gift shop is currently closed. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come back another time,” he said in a raised voice.

  Jackal shot me a glance, then looked to the old man who continued sweeping. He rolled his eyes.

  I shrugged and cleared my throat. “Do you know where we can find Gao Lin’s place, by chance?”

  The old man acted as though I hadn’t said a word, and continued about his business.

  “Come on. Let’s move on, and see if someone else can help us out,” Jackal said. “I doubt we’re going to get anything useful out of him. With as loud as he’s speaking, he’s going to draw too much attention anyway.”

  A bell rang behind me.

  I caught movement out of the corner of my eye as the glass door to the entrance of his shop swung open.

  A young Chinese man in his early twenties approached. His right eye was black and blue, and the skin around his cheek was red and swollen. He looked at me with a timid gaze, then looked over Jackal as he touched the old man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but we’re currently closed for business. You’ll have to come back another time.”

  I offered a warm smile to the hesitant man. “Yes. We have been made aware of your closure, but that’s not why we are here. We are looking for someone, and hoped you might be able to point us in the right direction.”

  Black-eye touched the old man’s arm while watching Jackal and me. He grabbed the broom from the old man’s wrinkled hands and shuffled him inside the store.

  He turned about, and faced us while looking to the buildings across the way. “Listen, I don’t want any trouble here, all right. My grandfather and I just want to be left alone. If you could, now, I’d appreciate it.”

  Jackal shifted his weight, and took a step toward the apprehensive young man.

  I held my hand up, stopping him. “We don’t want to be a bother. Far from it. I’m going to say a name, and all you have to do is tell me where I can find said person. After that, we’re gone, and you’ll never see us again.”

  “Who are you looking for?” the young man asked.

  “Gao Lin,” I answered.

  He scoffed at the mere mention of the name. His body tensed and fingers balled into fists as his eyes bulged.

  The distraught man leaned forward, and spoke in a whisper. “Gao Lin. Are you kidding me? You do realize he’s the head of the Wu Ching gang, right?”

  “We weren’t sure if he was or not,” I replied. “We know he’s in Chinatown, but aren’t sure where exactly. My associate and I are not looking for any trouble. We’re just looking to speak with Mr. Lin. That is all.”

  The young man’s gaze shifted to either side of me as panic sunk its claws deep into him. His eyes widened and brows lifted skyward. “You do realize how dangerous Mr. Lin is, right? He’s killed people for far less than seeking a moment of his time. This isn’t the sort of individual you drop in on unannounced. If he finds out that I sent a couple of white men to his front doorstep, he’ll kill my grandfather and me.”

  I glanced at Jackal, who tapped the face of his watch. I placed my hand on the young man’s shoulder, then said in a calm but stern tone, “Listen–”

  “Ren,” the young Chinese man said through trembling lips.

  “Ren, I can promise you that he will be none the wiser as to who told us where he was.”

  He shook his head, then dipped his chin. “I can’t. Like I said, I don’t want any trouble. Please leave.” The young man turned away, and headed for the shop.

  My grip tightened on his shoulder.

  He stopped, then looked at my hand.

  The smile remained on my face as I pulled him close. “Tell me where Gao is, or we’re going to go inside, and I will gut you and your grandfather in the most horrific way you can imagine. I’d rather not go to such lengths as I do not have the time, but I will if you do not give me what I want.”

  A naked fear loomed in his eyes. “All right, but, please, don’t hurt us.”

  “Tell me what I asked for, and nothing will happen to you or your grandfather.” I removed my hand from his shoulder, and took a step back.

  The young man adjusted his shirt, and cleared his throat. “Mr. Lin has a restaurant a few blocks down. China Moon. You can’t miss it.”

  “See. That wasn’t too hard,” I said with a smirk.

  The young man backed away toward the entrance of the shop without saying another word. He opened the door, and vanished inside the dim space.

  “You had me worried there for a second,” Jackal said with a grin.

  “How so?”

  “Well, you were smiling and everything. I thought you were going soft on the kid. Not our typical style of getting intel from people,” Jacka
l replied. “What did you say to him? He looked pretty shook up.”

  I walked toward him, and stopped at his side. “There’s a time and place for everything. We got what we needed without having to waste any additional time or drawing too much attention. As far as what was said, I simply informed him that if he didn’t tell us, that I would gut him and his grandfather.”

  Jackal glanced at the store. “That’ll do it. Seems like it worked. From the look on his face, I thought he was going to shit his pants.”

  “The power of persuasion,” I replied.

  Jackal chuckled as we left the store, and headed farther into Chinatown.

  The locals milled about the empty streets, cleaning up around the fronts of their colorful buildings. Some offered us a warm smile, and bowed while others steered clear, and continued on with their business.

  We followed the winding street through the maze of bold colors that made each building stand out. Everything from bright yellow to pink adorned the fronts of each structure we passed.

  Rows of red lanterns hung from wires that ran above the street from building to building.

  Signs mounted to the fronts of various businesses were faded and in need of replacing.

  I skimmed over each, looking for the only one that mattered.

  As we moved deeper into Chinatown, the number of residents dwindled to almost nothing. All store fronts or living spaces were void of any light.

  “Up on the left.” Jackal tilted his head in the direction of a large-orange building.

  The sign fixed to the exterior had China Moon spelled out in English, and written in Chinese next to it. I didn’t spot any activity in front of the restaurant, pedestrian or otherwise.

  “Keep your eyes peeled for any trouble and stay frosty,” I said, as we continued on to the restaurant. “Things could go sideways fast.”

  “I’m always ready to throw down,” Jackal replied.

  The entrance to the restaurant was underneath the upturned eaves. Shadows plagued the space, concealing the two suits standing like sentries on either side of the double doors.

  A gold dragon wound around the front of the building along the upturned eaves. Its mouth gaped open, and had what appeared to be the moon clutched in its mouth.

  We hit the landing to the staircase that climbed to the main entrance. The two well-dressed Chinese men abandoned their posts and walked our way as we headed up the stairs.

  Their jackets were unbuttoned. The flaps of each moved with every step they made, revealing the hardware concealed within. A stern look resided on each of their faces as they held their hands up.

  “The restaurant is closed until further notice. Please leave,” the stocky, well-groomed man to my left said.

  His bigger and plumper cohort eyed me, then shifted his gaze over to Jackal.

  “Yes, that seems to be the case with most everything in the area,” I replied. “Before we do, though, we need to speak with your boss. We’ll make it worth his while.”

  “We will?” Jackal asked under his breath.

  The men shot each other a glance, then shifted their weight. They looked at Jackal and me as their hands crept to the interiors of their jackets.

  “Unless you and your friend here want to die on these steps, I suggest both of you leave while you can,” the stocky man said, while pointing away from the restaurant. “I will not tell you again.”

  Well, we tried, I thought, sighing, then shaking my head.

  Their hands vanished inside their jackets.

  Jackal uncovered the wrench, and attacked the plump guard in front of him. He hammered the man’s forearm with the dense weapon, causing him to wail in pain.

  I pulled my dagger from its sheath, and engaged the stocky guard before me.

  He was quick on the draw, pulling his black piece from its holder in a blink. He took a hearty step back, then brought the 9mm to bear.

  I struck his wrist with my free hand, knocking the 9mm to the ground. I rammed my shoulder into his chest, then jabbed at his mid-section.

  The stocky man grabbed my arm and held firm, keeping the blade from tearing into his stomach. I pushed forward, the tip of the dagger drawing closer to his white dress shirt. He thrust his knee up into my gut, then drove his elbow into my spine. Each blow rattled me, but I didn’t falter.

  I struck his thigh with my forearm, knocking his leg to the ground. I raised up in a flash, connecting my fist with the bottom of his chin.

  His head snapped back. He stumbled, struggling to keep upright. Stocky an took another swing while off balance.

  I ducked, dodging his right cross.

  The tip of the dagger plunged into his gut. The white fabric of his shirt ripped open as blood stained the front. He gnashed his teeth, and fought to get me off as I continued to strike his gut.

  He lost his footing, and crumbled to the ground just to the side of the double doors. His face was twisted in pain as he palmed at his stomach.

  Jackal pummeled his cohort into submission–striking the plump man with the wrench until he stopped moving.

  I whistled to Jackal, then motioned to the double doors of the restaurant.

  He leapt over the dead man’s body, and made for the blind spot at the edge of the jamb.

  I kicked the stocky man in the face, and darted to the other side as the handle to the doors rattled.

  We stood with our backs pressed to the walls, waiting for the additional men to pour out of the building.

  I retrieved the Glock from the front of my pants as the doors swung outward. Hastened footsteps charged from the restaurant like a stampede. I peered around the edge of the door, watching the frantic men sweep the main entrance.

  The armed gunmen gathered on the spacious landing, searching for the threat that had taken out both of the guards. I counted five heavily armed men with Uzis. They spoke in raised voices, yelling at one another in Chinese.

  Jackal and I emerged from the sides of the doors with our Glocks trained at the irate men.

  They brought their Uzis to bear. Angered scowls formed on their faces. They pursed their lips while inching toward us.

  “I would think twice before doing anything stupid, unless you want to end up like your buddies there on the ground.” I looked at the three men before me. The barrel of my Glock shifted from one head to another. My finger hugged the trigger. “Take us to your boss, and you’ll live to see another day. Take us to Gao, right now.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  SCARFACE

  The Wu Ching gang refused to lower their weapons. The armed men shifted their weight, adjusting their grips on the weapons they wielded.

  Jackal shot me a glance from the other side of the open door. He held the two armed men opposing him at bay with his Glock.

  A sharp, authoritative voice barked in Chinese from inside the restaurant. The armed men kept their weapons locked on us while looking to the interior of the building.

  The man shouted louder. His shoes rapped off the floor as he drew closer to the entrance of the restaurant.

  The armed men kept their weapons locked on us. They glanced to the entrance, then back to Jackal and me.

  A well-dressed man emerged from the building. His rich black hair was neatly trimmed and styled. The dress shoes he wore were polished to a brilliant shine. He placed his hands on his hips, then looked down at the two dead goons we had dispatched.

  He spoke again in Chinese, pointing at the bodies on the ground., He snapped his fingers, then waved his hand at the minions who stood on either side of him.

  Two of his men jumped to action. They each took an end of the plump Chinese man, and hoisted him off the ground. His limp body sagged in the middle as he was hauled back into the restaurant.

  “Are you Gao?” I asked, keeping my Glock trained on the henchmen who bore down on me.

  “If you know who Gao is, then you also know he heads up one of the largest Chinese gangs in the city. Coming here and killing my men is only a death sentence for you,”
he replied in perfect English. His jacket was unbuttoned, revealing two 9mm pistols secured in the dual black shoulder holster he wore.

  “I need to speak with Gao.” I shifted the Glock to him. “If you’re not him, then take me to him now or your boys here are going to drag your dead body back into that restaurant with the others.”

  The suit stood like a statue. He didn’t make for either piece tucked inside his pressed jacket.

  His men held their positions, waiting like obedient dogs for their handler to bark another order.

  The suit snickered, then smirked. I didn’t recall telling a joke.

  “Oh, you Americans. You’re always good for a laugh. Always acting like those rough and tough cowboys,” he said in a cocky manner. “I can assure you that you wouldn’t make it two steps from this building before you were gunned down. I’m afraid that you have picked the wrong establishment to hit.”

  I wasn’t amused and neither was Jackal. I brought my arm up a few degrees, lining the Glock up with his head. The suit held firm.

  “I assure you that we’ll take a number of you out before that happens. You willing to roll the dice on whether or not you bite the bullet?” I asked with a snarl. The suit shifted his gaze to his men, then back to me. “And this wasn’t a hit,” I continued. “If it had been, you and the rest of your goons would’ve been just as dead as those two we took out.”

  “Then why come to our establishment?” the suit asked. “What business do you have with Gao? I do not recall us having any dealings with individuals such as yourself.”

  “Like I told the two dead men, we just wanted to speak with Gao. We’re looking for a former associate of his. Cory Lawson. We know he’s had dealings with him in the past.”

  The suit’s smirk vanished. His body tensed as he looked away. His fingers scratched at the smooth skin around his square chin as he looked back toward me.

  The two men emerged from the restaurant. They scooped up the other dead body, and took him back inside.

  “We know him. What do you want with him?” the suit replied.