"Sounds like you've done everything you could so far, Lee. I'll let you know immediately if the Kings show up." Marc pursed his lips and frowned as he glanced at the profile on his computer screen. "I think I'll talk to a friend of mine with the Major Crimes Unit too. This may be the thread they've been looking for, and I may be able to trade for some information on what exactly they think Gao is up to in Calgary and how it ties back to Vancouver. Those boys aren't always forthcoming with us locals, but it may be a case of one hand washing the other this time. The woman you were talking about with the dual identity-do you know her name?"
Lee searched her memory. "It was Sandra something-Sandra DeAndre, I think, though my friend just knew her as Cass."
Marc eyes widened in surprise. "DeAndre? Of the DeAndre shipping empire?"
Lee shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that my friend said she was some big-shot socialite or something."
"Jesus, Lee, if she is one of the shipping DeAndre's, we're talking a mess of hornets if she's involved somehow. Step very carefully, Sarge."
Frowning at the admonition, Lee warned, "I don't care if she's the Prime Minister's best buddy. If she's behind what's been happening, I'm going to take her down."
The lean man regarded her intently and then smiled slightly. "Glad to see you haven't lost the old fire." He leaned forward and crossed his arms on his desk. "Look, protect your friends without doing anything dumb, but come to me when you get any hard evidence, all right? Give me something I can use, and you know I'll help."
Lee stood, feeling a little of her self-imposed burden lift. "Thanks, Marc. This really means a lot to me, and if I can ever return the favour, you know you have only to ask."
Grinning, Marc teased, "Even if that means I want you back working for me?"
The big woman shook her head in amusement. "You never give up, do you, Cap'n?"
Marc walked with her to the door of his office. "You have the best natural instincts for investigation that I ever saw, Lee. I'd love to have you working with us."
Lee faced her ex-commander and gave him a rueful smile. "And how long before I ran into the same problems as in the Forces? No, thanks. I think I'll stick to the private sector. Besides, business is booming for Willem and me. We're even planning a major expansion for next year, which will include a 25% increase in our work force."
"So when I retire on a cop's pension, you'll be retiring into the lap of luxury, is what you're saying." Marc heaved an exaggerated sigh of resignation, eliciting a laugh from the amused woman.
"Somehow I don't think you, Andrea or the kids will ever starve," Lee bantered as she extended her hand.
He took it with a grin. "No, I expect I can keep us in beans and bacon if nothing else. Look, it's been great seeing you, Lee. Don't leave it so long next time, okay?"
"I won't," Lee assured him.
"Good! And if we learn anything about those idiots' whereabouts, I'll let you know as soon as I hear."
Marc turned back into his office, and Lee walked down the corridor to the elevators. Exiting the Calgary Police Headquarters a few moments later, she stood on the downtown sidewalk considering her options. Checking the time, she decided to touch base with Marika and then go home for dinner. She'd been so busy the last couple of days that she'd barely seen her partner.
Flipping open her cell, she hit the speed dial for Marika and heard her friend's voice answer.
"Hi, Rika, it's me."
"Hi, Lee. We're safely home." Marika's tone was faintly amused, and Lee had to concede that she had been hovering just a little. This was probably the twentieth time in the last couple of days that she'd called.
"Glad to hear it." Lee wasn't going to apologize for worrying, even if the previous two days had been quiet. And she certainly wasn't going to relax her vigilance. "So you're in for the night?"
"Well, actually David called to ask us for dinner, so we're just getting cleaned up and heading over. But don't fret...we'll go right there and then come right home again."
Lee frowned. She'd rather they'd stay barricaded in the condo, but it wasn't reasonable to ask them to become complete hermits. "All right, but no stops on the way."
"Yes, mother," Marika laughed. Then more seriously, she added, "I really do appreciate your concern, but you did say those brothers appear to have taken off. Maybe they've been frightened away and won't be back."
"Uh huh, maybe. But that still leaves Gao out there, and we don't know what he's up to right now," Lee reminded her friend. "I still want you to take precautions."
"We will," Marika assured her. "In fact, I'll call you when we get home from David's, all right?"
"Good. I'll talk to you then." After exchanging farewells, Lee flipped her phone shut and tucked it back into her belt holder. Wearily, she began the walk back to her office to pick up her truck and go home. She sincerely hoped that Marika was right and that the threat had vanished along with the King brothers, but her instincts told her this was a long way from over.
* * *
Gao Qui-jian was a frustrated and increasingly desperate man. He'd been tracking the lawyer and her companion for two straight days, looking for an opportunity to separate the two women and execute the small one. Mindful of the Chameleon's orders, he wanted to keep the lawyer's involvement to a minimum in case his boss had further plans for her, and that eliminated using a drive-by shooting as long as they were together.
Not like there's even been an opening for that! He shook his head in disgust. The only times he had seen the two women in the previous days was when he picked up their trail as they drove out of the condo parking garage and followed them to their office building. There they had disappeared into the underground parking lot, and he'd followed them up again when they drove home after work.
The first afternoon of his quest, he'd decided to survey the lawyer's parking spot to see if it offered any opportunities, but when he'd located the black Lexus, a wiry, blue clad woman had been leaning against it, smoking as she surveyed the garage. Cursing, he'd driven past, sure that a guard had been established, eliminating that avenue of possibility.
There was no doubt that his quarry was now aware of someone's interest in them. He hadn't seen them emerge from the office building with the rest of the lunch crew, nor had the lawyer made her usual trips to the coffee shop in the lobby. Gao had spent several hours puttering through the small shops in the lower concourse of their building hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He hadn't been sure if he'd be able to take advantage of the tiny window of opportunity having the women separated would give him, but he was willing to consider just about any plan.
Gao reached for his coffee, catching a glimpse of his reflection in the rear-view mirror as he did. Angling the mirror, he studied his appearance, frowning at the sight. Worry lines radiated from his dark, shadowed eyes, and his skin exhibited a slight mealiness. Already a slender man, his flesh had tightened across the bones of his face and dim hollows could be clearly seen in his cheeks.
He felt an irrational anger rise at the two women who were making his life so miserable. His sleeping and eating habits had become erratic since he'd been given this damnable assignment. All he wanted was to get them out of his life and resume his normal routine. Rest was scarce as Gao fretted constantly about fulfilling the Chameleon's orders, and his dread was growing by the hour as he realized his time was running out. Perry had informed him that Liang expected the boss back by the end of the weekend, which meant he was down to a day-maybe two at most--before she learned of his failure.
Gao felt the bile rise in his throat as he let his mind drift back to his early days in the Chameleon's organization. One of his duties had been on the clean-up crew. He'd accompanied an older man in the disposal of the bodies of those who'd crossed or failed the powerful woman. It had been a searing experience for the young Gao who had taken his own toughness for granted.
Confident in his youthful bravado, Gao didn't think anything could faze him, until the day he and his partner
were instructed to wait outside a locked room in the basement of an isolated rural farmhouse. He shuddered as he listened to the screams emanating from inside. Even his partner, a grizzled veteran of the Chameleon's organization, was unable to conceal the shaking of his hands as he lit another in a chain of cigarettes.
Finally summoning his nerve, Gao muttered, "Wonder what the poor bastard did."
His partner shook his head warningly. "None of our business. We just bag 'em and dump 'em. Don't pay to ask any questions, got it?"
The young man nodded hastily. They were silent for long moments as the screams rose and fell in volume, then finally died away. Gao started when his partner offered out of the blue, "She likes to do 'em herself."
He turned his dark eyes on the older man, who spat and elucidated. "Seen her once. I was early for a pick-up so they told me to stand aside. She was cuttin' on a guy. I mean she wasn't even askin' questions or nothin'---just cuttin' 'cause she likes to cut."
Gao watched in fascination as the man, who must have seen more death than the youngster could even imagine, swallowed convulsively. He could hear the underlying revulsion and it amazed him. He felt a slight contempt for his partner, swearing to himself he'd never be so weak-kneed. Saying nothing, he resumed staring at the door, ignoring his partner's muttered, "She likes doing it. She just likes it."
When the door finally opened, the man he now knew as Liang motioned the two of them inside.
"She wants an example made. Dump this one where it'll be found quickly."
Gao nodded and followed his partner inside. Assiduously keeping his eyes off the door that had opened and shut on the other side of the room, he focused on their assignment. He'd steeled himself for what they would find, but no amount of preparation could have hardened him to what he now saw. He fought with everything he had to keep his gorge from rising, battling the irresistible urge to spew the contents of his stomach on the blood-soaked concrete.
His partner unzipped the body bag and set it aside, grabbing a hose and turning the water on full force as he blasted the blood and bits of flesh towards the drain several feet away. Gao stood motionless, unable to tear his eyes from the remains of what had once been a man and which now most closely resembled raw meat. The corpse was unrecognizable, with strips of flesh hanging from its ruined face.
"Grab those, will ya?"
Gratefully, Gao turned his attention to his partner. "Sorry?"
The man snorted. "Those pieces aren't going to wash down so throw them in the body bag." He jerked his thumb at the drain where rivers of blood splashed against debris blocking the path to the sewers. Gao scrambled to follow his instructions, gingerly picking up the debris and clearing the drain. It was only as he carried it to the bag that he realized, to his horror, that he was carrying ears, fingers and a nose. Trembling, he dumped the pieces of human flesh and turned on shaky legs to await his next instructions.
"Bring it over," his partner grunted, shutting down the water.
Gao grabbed the bag and set it alongside the mutilated remains. As he helped his partner load the body, he couldn't tear his eyes from the remaining ring finger. A distinctive, flashy gold ring with a black dragon on a ruby background was on that lone finger. His mind sluggish with revulsion, it took a moment to process the information, then he gasped, "This is Sui-gan. I know his ring."
His partner spat and began to zip the bag closed. "It was Sui-gan. Ain't no more."
"But...but he was one of ours," Gao sputtered in disbelief.
The older man paused, and, resting on his haunches, pinned the young Asian with eyes that had seen too much. "He crossed her, boy. Remember what you saw today. You want to see your grandchildren someday-don't ever cross her."
Gao let his head drop back against the headrest and angrily batted at the rear-view mirror. If he had to break into their apartment tonight, he'd do it, and damn the lawyer. If she got in his way...well, he wasn't about to end up like Sui-gan.
Taking a deep swallow of his tepid coffee, he almost spat it out again as he saw the garage security door open and the black Lexus emerge, pulling out into the street and turning right. Swiftly, he set the coffee down and started his engine. Feeling a knot of excitement in his belly, Gao cautioned himself to take it slow and follow from a distance. This was the first time they'd come out in the evening since Tuesday night when he'd given up on his incompetent subordinates and decided to take matters into his own hands.
Hanging back, Gao tailed them to the inner city to a church, where they turned into the side street and parked behind an old Volvo in a driveway leading to the church's rectory. Driving slowly past, he saw a tall, thin man come out of the side door to greet the two women warmly. Circling the block to drive by again, he couldn't see any movement in the building's windows or behind the tall, thick privacy hedge that surrounded a small yard.
Pulling over at the end of the street, he angled his mirror to have a clear view of the driveway and the Lexus. Quickly he considered his options. It wasn't an optimal situation, but he saw his chance; and, driven by the ever-nearing deadline of the Chameleon's return, he seized it, despite the risk.
He glanced up at the street sign and flipped open his cellphone, punching in Perry's number. When his call was picked up, Gao instructed, "I'm in Victoria Park, at the corner of 12th and 5th. Have my car picked up and returned to my apartment. I'll leave the door open and the keys under the floor mat. Don't waste any time."
Barely waiting for Perry's acknowledgement, he closed his cell and turned off the engine, depositing the keys under the mat. Gao retrieved a long, narrow, hooked strip of metal from his glove box, and feeling the reassuring weight of the gun in his waistband, surveyed the street carefully before exiting the car.
Zipping his light summer jacket up halfway, Gao crossed the street and ambled towards the church on the corner, dark eyes darting about. Aside from a car that drove by, the street was quiet and absent pedestrians, suiting his purpose perfectly. His one concern was a car alarm, but he'd decided it was worth risking. If he had to run, he'd come up with an alternative plan.
Walking by the tall privacy hedge, he could hear laughter emanating from the enclosed yard. Stepping to the driver's side of the Lexus, he glanced quickly around one more time. He automatically tried the handle, not expecting it to open. When it did, he almost giggled in disbelief and quickly scrambled into the car, sinking into the space behind the driver's seat.
Though not a superstitious man, Gao chose to view this tiny piece of serendipity as an omen, and he settled in to wait with a more peaceful mind. It was almost over, and soon he could pick up the threads of his life again without these aggravating women haunting his every moment.
Squirming into a more comfortable position, he carefully pulled his gun out of his waistband. Letting it rest comfortably in his lap, he stretched out his legs, grateful for his slight frame as he smiled at a stray thought. Good thing it was the little one driving. There was not nearly as much space behind the lawyer's seat.
Clothed in his customary dark colours, Gao wasn't too concerned about the women seeing him, knowing that even if they did, he'd have the advantage over them. Having observed them closely for the previous two weeks, he knew it was highly unlikely that one would do anything to endanger the other, and he intended to use that edge in whatever manner was required.
* * *
"Another piece, Marika?" David asked, indicating the barbequed chicken breasts.
The lawyer smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. I think I've had enough."
Rhi held out her plate. "I'll have one more, please."
David grinned and forked a piece onto his young friend's plate. He'd been pleased to see that the week's events hadn't ruined her appetite or disposition. Quite to the contrary, Rhi looked better than he'd ever seen her. She was relaxed and smiled readily, her dark blue eyes sparkling with humour and happiness.
In fact, both women exuded an unexpected sense of repose. When he'd met the lawyer previously, she
'd had a slightly brittle edge about her that was absent now. Ruefully, David acknowledged that despite his initial reservations, they seemed to be good for each other.
Picking up the conversation, he continued, "So Lee figures the King brothers have hightailed it out of town?"
Rhi nodded around a mouthful of chicken. Marika smiled at her and answered, "She thinks they got scared and ran. She's been trying to find them, but so far with no success."
Topping up everybody's iced tea glasses, David set the pitcher back on the table. "I guess that must be a huge relief for you then." He studied the women, who glanced at each other.
"Yes," Marika said slowly, "but as our guardian angel points out, there was someone else involved and she doesn't want us to get careless."
"You are being careful, right?" David asked with concern.
"Uh huh. Not to worry, Ichabod. Lee put a super duper security system in the condo, and we drive straight to work and straight home again. She won't even let us go grocery shopping." Rhi shook her head with a small laugh. "She told Rika to give her the list and she'd get our stuff for us."
David smiled. He felt immensely reassured that these two had Lee watching over them. He'd been very impressed with the big woman. She had a way of engendering confidence even in a casual acquaintance, and she was obviously devoted to her friends. The priest was deeply grateful that she numbered his young friend among them.
Marika said softly, "Sometimes, it's hard to believe this is happening."
David watched as Rhi laid a comforting hand on the lawyer's forearm and saw their gazes meet.
"You're doing it again," the younger woman chided gently. "This is not your fault, and I'm going to keep telling you that until you believe it."
That got her a brilliant, loving smile and David almost felt like an intruder in his own backyard. Clearing his throat, he asked, "You don't expect this Cass or Sandra or whatever she's calling herself to show up on your doorstep or anything, do you?"
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