by Jade Lee
“Silence!” Zhi-Gang hissed, pressing the sword point deeper. How he wanted to shove it all the way through, but the situation was too complicated right now.
Meanwhile, Anna stepped up until she was eye to eye with Halfy. “I will explain myself to Samuel and no other. You can either be rewarded for taking me to him or die now. That is your choice.”
Halfy subsided into a sulk. Clearly he wouldn’t fight now. If he ever got her alone, though… well, that would be entirely different. Meanwhile, Anna touched Zhi-Gang’s sword arm, gently pressing it back and down. He could have resisted, but her warmth curled through his entire body. His sword dropped away without him even realizing.
“Stay here, Governor,” she urged. “Leave me to negotiate on your behalf.”
Was she protecting him, encouraging him to take the easy life of a governor? Or did she simply seek to escape him? Either way made no difference. He was not done with her or with his responsibilities as Enforcer. He would meet this white man who bartered girls and poisoned his country, and he would see the snake dead.
He lifted his chin. “I will meet this Samuel face to face.”
She curled her lip in disdain. “You will be gutted like them if you think your arrogance will gain you anything with Samuel,” warned Anna. “Think hard, Governor. You have women, land, a good life here. You can begin again. Are you sure you want to traffic with white devils?”
Zhi-Gang narrowed his eyes, trying to read his wife. Odd, how the added vision of his white man’s glasses gave him no help. His clues came from her words and her tone. He caught an underlying tension in her voice, a warning that if he followed her to Shanghai, they would probably both die. And yet, when he looked in her eyes, he saw fear and loneliness. An addict’s panic, perhaps? Or simply the same yearning he felt: to be with her, to stay by her side, to see that she was protected and cherished. It was a ridiculous emotion to feel for a white woman, and yet he did not deny it. He would not abandon her.
“I go to Shanghai with you,” he said firmly.
Anna nodded, her expression blank. But as she turned to go, Second Wife grabbed her by the arm and pointed at Zhi-Gang. “You will leave your men here to protect us,” she ordered. “We must be treated as befits our status!”
Zhi-Gang nearly smiled. As the second wife of a dead governor, the woman had no status whatsoever, and no power to order him. And yet, he found he admired her spunk. It was all the more amazing given the life she must have led up until this point.
Rather than crush her in the name of authority, he simply bowed his head. “Jing-Li will remain here. He will administer in my name.” Then he straightened, his voice hardening. “And now you will release my wife. She has packing to do.”
The words were not lost on Halfy. “Wife!” he screeched, clearly torn between shock and admiration. “Wife! To a governor?”
Anna paled, but not so much that anyone but Zhi-Gang would notice. “As I said,” she drawled. “You will take us to Samuel. We will explain to him and no other.”
“Ha!” chortled Halfy. “He’ll either reward you or kill you. Hard to tell which. Ha!”
Anna looked hard at Zhi-Gang, her expression unreadable. “Isn’t it nice to know, husband, that you and I will suffer the exact same fate.”
Anna’s hands were shaking as she finished changing into travel clothes. Stupid really, since all in all she was more secure than ever. Despite their liaison last night, Zhi-Gang was still the Enforcer and might kill her for her crimes. Now her father’s men were a few rooms away, and they would at least attempt to defend her if she asked.
She was safe with them until she met with Samuel. They wouldn’t risk killing her before her adopted father ordered it.
Of course, with Halfy one could never really know. That was the problem with associating with drug-runners. They were so much less predictable than marks. But perhaps it was she who was being contrary. Addicts were just as trustworthy as runners.
She sighed and carefully folded Wife Five’s silk dress and set it on the bed. The peasant homespun she now wore were so much more comfortable to move in—pants and a tunic jacket—but so much less sweet on the skin. Was it strange that she would prefer just being naked?
“Are you longing for opium?”
His voice flowed over her from the bedroom door. It soothed her nerves’ jagged edges even as she felt her chin lift in challenge. “Yes,” she lied. But she’d much rather have his distraction.
He obliged by stepping right to her side, but when she lifted her face to his mouth, he kept his lips just out of her reach. “What are you planning, Anna?”
She bit her lip, wondering if he was ready for the truth. Wondering if she was ready to tell him. “Why did you become the Emperor’s Enforcer? It can’t be what you intended.”
He flinched, but his gaze remained steady. “I wanted to study Lao Tzu and debate Buddhism against Taoism against your Christianity.”
“A scholar.”
He nodded. “But then I grew up. I went to Peking. I learned more philosophy, more politics, more of everything.”
“Study doesn’t turn people into… bullies.” She used the English word, since she didn’t know the Chinese for police officer. Well, no polite one.
He gave her a rueful smile. “I met a girl.” Then he abruptly swooped down and claimed her lips. The kiss was swift, possessive, and stole her breath.
But then it was over. He pulled back and pressed their foreheads together, but he didn’t speak.
“You met a girl,” she prompted.
“She died,” he agreed.
“The one who died from opium?” she guessed.
“Yes. I killed her supplier.”
Anna shuddered. She couldn’t help it. His voice was so final. This was the Enforcer’s voice, and she had a flash of understanding. This was the man she toyed with. This was the killer with whom she had shared her bed. And this was the man she wanted.
She swallowed, then offered her lips to him again. But before they connected, she had one last question. “How old were you?”
“Seventeen.” She felt his hands tighten where they gripped hers. “No one protects women in China, not even the parents. Girls are sold, women are addicted and abused.” He looked into her eyes, pleading for her to understand. “I hate killing, Anna. I hate it. But these vermin prey on the girls. Who will stop them if I don’t? Who will end it?”
She swallowed, feeling his anguish all the way through to her soul. “You, Zhi=Gang. You save them.”
He shook his head. “Too little, too late.”
“You are only one man,” she whispered.
He took her mouth again, thrusting his tongue inside with all the brutality that was so integral to the Enforcer role he played. And perverse woman that she was, she loved it. She opened her mouth to his invasion, his ownership. She gave herself to him as completely as she had last night, and he took all she offered and then some. She resisted a bit, of course. She fought a little, but that didn’t last long. He was too strong and she was too willing.
For a time, they both forgot themselves in the wonder of each other. But then he raised his head. She was bent backward over his arm. Her hands gripped his shoulders and burrowed into his hair. She thought for a moment that she could completely let go and he would still hold her, still support her. That thought alone made her smile.
“If we were in Peking,” he murmured, “I would shut the house to everyone, claim some illness to keep even the servants away, then spend a month or more with you in my bed.”
“If we were in Peking, I would agree,” she murmured. “And I would not once think of opium or your job or anything but pleasing you.”
They broke apart, thoughtful. He helped her adjust her peasant clothing while she darkened her face with ash. And when they were done, he stepped back with a frown. “You look like a boy. A poor, dirty, peasant boy.”
She nodded. “Only you know what is underneath.”
“No,” he said with a gr
imace. “The others know. Your Halfy and his men.”
She turned away from him, her mood soured. “They’re not my men.” Perversely, she wanted to burrow back into his arms, and so her tone became even more bitter. “I just know them.”
“Because they’re your father’s men,” he pressed.
She nodded. “Adopted father. And, yes. Halfy went with me on my first run.” How she hated to say that bastard’s name. “The others are new to me.” She looked out the window, seeing a tree quiver in the wind. “Except for the straw soldiers. Those I know very well.”
“Used that trick often, did you?” His tone was cold.
“Rarely.” She turned to him, her expression open and honest as she explained, “We don’t force opium on anyone. They come to us begging for it.”
“Opium in exchange for girls.”
She winced. “I didn’t broker that deal.”
“Would you?” he pressed, his face shifting into tortured lines. “Would you have ever done such a thing?”
“Never,” she said vehemently. “Girls who have no choice, sold into prostitution?” She shuddered. “It’s cruel, vicious, and…” She sighed, forced to admit the truth. “It’s just bad business. There are enough people willing to hand over cash, jewels, even silk shot with gold thread. Why bother with a girl who has no choice, would fight you every step of the way, and may or may not be a virgin?” She took a deep breath, knowing now was the moment to lay her soul bare. “Well… that’s what I told my adopted father. Do you know what he said to me?”
Zhi-Gang shook his head, his expression blank.
“That a pretty girl would pay off for years, whereas jewelry could only be sold once. And better yet, he got girls by the dozens for the price of a few yuan.” She lay her hand lightly on his chest, anger lacing her tone. “He said the Chinese don’t value their girls except for their ability to spread their legs. What matter was it in marriage or in prostitution? If the Chinese didn’t care, then why should we?”
“I care,” he said, his eyes dark with fury.
“I know,” she answered, twisting and grabbing a watermelon cap to cover her hair. She believed. “That’s why I want you to kill him.”
He blinked, clearly startled. She pressed her advantage while he was still off balance, dropped a warm kiss full on his lips then smiled.
“Yes, Mr. Enforcer. I want you to kill my father.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Because he’s a bastard. Isn’t that enough?”
He waited a moment, clearly considering whether to delve deeper or not. She interrupted his thoughts, outlining everything clearly.
“You’re the Imperial Enforcer. You track down opium dealers and destroy them. My adopted father has a bustling trade. Samuel sells girls to whorehouses, opium to governors, and does a little loan-sharking on the side. It’s a booming business, and one you are sworn to end.” She paused. “You are sworn to it, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “I swore to defend China and my Emperor.”
“Good enough.”
“No, it’s not good enough,” he snapped. “If you want him dead so badly, then why don’t you kill him? Why didn’t you?”
“Because he’s a suspicious bastard. I can’t get near enough without a good reason. Not now…” She cut herself off, but he filled in the gaps.
“Not after you fled with a shipment of opium.”
She sighed. “I could claim that I had to run. That the Enforcer was after me.” It wasn’t a lie, though she’d twist the timing a bit. “But he’d still be suspicious. He’d still be on guard against me. With you there as a new buyer, we could get close, then whoosh …” She made a cutting motion with her hand. “You kill him with your knives.”
He shook his head. “You say that so easily.”
“It won’t be easy. We’ll still have to get out. But my father likes to celebrate new contracts. There will be an opportunity to do it and run. I know it.”
Zhi-Gang folded his arms and sat down on the bed, watching her with narrowed eyes. “Why take the risk?”
“It’s your sworn duty!” she snapped.
“Not me. You. Why not just board a boat to England and be done with this life forever? Wasn’t that your original plan?”
She bit her lip and nodded. It was what she wanted, or thought she did. She wasn’t exactly sure when her goal had changed, when her thoughts had turned from escape to revenge. “He gave me my first taste of opium,” she said.
Zhi-Gang’s eyebrows rose. “Why would he addict a runner? There’s too much risk.”
She shook her head. “It takes a year to addict. He was showing me a good time, and I so desperately wanted that taste.” How could she have ever been so naive? So stupid? “He was trying to win me over. He needed a sweet young girl to open up the territory. To work in the mission and sweet-talk the governor.”
“That was you.”
She nodded, self-loathing like a lead weight in her stomach. “The gamble paid off. I did good work for him for almost ten years.”
“But now you want him dead.”
She nodded.
“Killing is no cure. You’ll still be an addict. You’ll still crave—”
“I know what I am!” she snapped. She abruptly stomped up to him, challenging him eye to eye. “It seems to me that you’re the one who has forgotten. Are you the Emperor’s Enforcer or not?”
He didn’t answer at first, merely held her angry gaze with his own. Then he sighed, the sound world-weary enough to cut deep into her heart. “I was there that day in the Forbidden City.”
“What?” She was startled as much by his sober tone as his change in topic.
“That day when the Empress imprisoned Guangxu, the Emperor. I wanted to see him. Right after the morning ceremonies, I intended to demand more men, more weapons, more…” He lifted his hands. “More power. As you said, I am only one man. I can only fight the tips of this monster. I cannot reach the heart.” His hands dropped down, useless in his lap. “But it was already too late. Jing-Li and I tried, but…”
“The Empress had already taken control.” Anna stepped forward. “But she supports your task. She hates the whites more than anyone. Surely she would give you want you want.”
He shook his head. “All her attention is in Peking right now—on the threats against her and the politics between nations. She has no men to spare for me.”
Anna slowly lowered to the bed as she thought what must have happened. “So your friend—the Emperor—was imprisoned, his mother busy consolidating her power, and that leaves you doing what? What you have always done?”
He nodded, but his eyes betrayed how useless he felt. She saw a desperation there, a need to do something more or nothing at all. She recognized the look and the feeling. It was what had finally led her to try to escape China. What little good she did at the mission did not make up for the damage she had caused. Better to leave all for good than do so little for Zhi-Gang’s beleaguered country.
“Jing-Li and I needed to leave Peking, at least until the politics settled down.”
“So the Enforcer went on another mission, this one to find a girl lost decades ago.”
He nodded. “My sister.”
Her breath froze in her throat. His sister? “She was sold…”
“Years ago. To pay for my education.”
No wonder he held such anger, such raging fury at those who bartered .opium for girls.
“Jing-Li and I would find her then leave China for good. All three of us.”
“So you do not want to continue as the Enforcer,” she realized.
“I wish to be done with the killing.”
She shook her head, the knowledge crystalizing within her as she spoke. “No, That’s not it. You wish to be done with useless killing. With striking at the runners and the buyers rather than the real problem—men like Samuel who set up the supply lines in the first place.” She straightened in her enthusiasm, grabbing his hands as she tried
to make him understand. “Finish what you started. Kill the head of this one monster. Kill Samuel and then run away with me. We can climb onto a boat and leave forever, you and me, your sister and Jing-Li.”
She could see it all so clearly in her mind. But she had to finish things with Samuel. She had to end her ties to him forever or she would always be running from him. And Zhi-Gang would always feel as if his life as the Enforcer had been completely useless. She dropped down on her knees before him and pressed a kiss into his palms. “You need to keep fighting or you will end up like me: lost and alone with nothing to hold but opium dreams.”
He remained silent a long time, his only comment in the gentle stroke of his thumb across her cheek. Then he leaned down and whispered into her ear. “I will do this, Anna. I will walk with you to meet this evil white man who so used you. I will pretend to be his buyer and then cut his heart out with all the skill in my arms.”
Relief filled her body, but he did not let her speak. Instead, he stood up from the mattress to tower over her, his eyes dark, his expression intense. “But I will do this, Anna, not because it is my job or my sworn duty.”
He fell silent, and Anna found she was holding her breath waiting for him to finish. In the end, she had to ask. “Then, why?” she whispered. “Why risk your life?”
“I do it for you, Anna. Because you asked, and because you think it will end your torment.”
She lifted her chin, visions of spitting on her adopted father’s dead body. “It will. It will bring me peace.”
“No, little Anna. It will just bring you and me more blood.” He sighed.
Anna would not be moved. “There is already blood, Zhi-Gang. With every shipment of opium, more of your people die. We will be ending the blood.”
She could tell he didn’t believe. He’d lost faith in what he did. And she of all people knew how helpless one man could be in stemming the opium tide. For every drug route he ended, five more would crop up in its place.
“One more death,” she whispered, not even knowing if she spoke to him or to herself. “One more and then we can both be done. We can both leave this land and its stench behind.”