The two men exchanged glances and Marc said firmly, "Keith, I think it's time to tell Lee everything you've told me. She'll be able to use it against the King boys." The tall police lieutenant sighed at his colleague's balky look. "The boys won't be afraid of us, Keith. They've been dealing with the law since they were kids. They're career criminals...not very good ones, mind you, but it means they're not exactly intimidated by the police. Lee, on the other hand, scares the hell out of them."
Keith looked at the big woman skeptically, and Lee could almost see the doubtful question. She smiled wryly. "Let's just say that we've had previous encounters, and that they came out on the short end of the stick...literally."
Grinning inwardly, she recalled the first time she'd taken things into her own hands. Pike had been a mouthy 19-year-old punk and Eddie a hulking 18-year-old dullard, when she'd caught them harassing a pair of young female privates on the base. The brothers had thought the lone military policewoman an easy target. She'd taught them the error of their ways and they'd had a healthy fear of her ever since.
Keith studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "All right. But this is for your ears only, got it?" He tapped his finger on the pictures of the late Chai Rhongji. "Every time we think we're getting close, something like this happens and sources dry up, witnesses suddenly get amnesia, and it's like the whole underworld holds it breath until someone gives the word they can breathe again."
Frustrated, he ran his hand through thinning brown hair. "We've been working on this thing for over a decade. We manage to pick off a few fringe players now and then, but they never know enough to get us to the inner circle where all the power is."
"The inner circle of what?" Lee asked, observing the Major Crimes officer closely.
"The Chameleon." Keith uttered the words with awed loathing in his voice, but the name meant nothing to Lee.
Marc, seeing her blank look, explained. "The Chameleon is the name of the intensely secretive head of a huge, well-entrenched, international ring that specializes in smuggling drugs and people. Until your friends' information, we couldn't even confirm that the Chameleon was a woman. No one but a very small inner circle knew her identity, but everyone who worked for her organization knew that crossing her in any way meant instant death."
Keith picked up the story. "It's set up like the resistance in a war, with small cells only knowing the identity of the person they report directly to; so if we manage to bust one part of the organization, the larger part barely notices the loss."
Lee nodded slowly, absorbing the incredible possibility that Marika's erstwhile lover was an international criminal of such magnitude. "Okay, I understand what you're saying. And you want to use this against Pike and Eddie how?"
Marc snorted. "Those two are the tiniest of fish, but from the information you provided, we figure they work for Gao, who apparently works for the Chameleon, assuming that DeAndre does turn out to be the Chameleon. They may be stupid, but they're going to understand that they're totally expendable at the moment. I've no doubt that's why they took off."
Grimly smiling her understanding, Lee boiled it down to its essence. "So we convince them that the only way they can avoid Chai Rhongji's fate is to cooperate with us...that they're safer in our custody than out where the Chameleon can reach them." With a pointed look at the men, she added, "We're going to have to trade them protection for what they know."
"We're prepared to do that if they cooperate," Keith agreed. "What we need from them is confirmation that they do work for Gao as part of the Chameleon's organization in order to implicate DeAndre."
Lee nodded. "Then the best way to get that is to let them think we already know all about what's going on." She grinned wickedly. "I can do that."
Marc laughed. "I know...I've seen you work, remember?" The phone on his desk rang and he picked it up. "Manion. Yes, all right, we'll be down in a few minutes. Oh, hold on a moment." Covering the phone, he asked, "Do you want them together or in separate rooms, Lee?"
"Together for now, and then we'll play it by ear."
Marc relayed those instructions, then hung up. "They're downstairs whenever we're ready."
Lee stood and held out her hand for the photos. "No time like the present. Let's go have a chat with the Kings."
Keith shuffled the faxes into order and passed them across the desk. Casting one last skeptical look at Marc, who simply rolled his eyes, the Major Crimes officer followed the other two out of the office.
Riding down to the basement in the elevator, Lee felt a tense excitement. More than anything, she wanted to punish the woman who had so terrified and abused her friends before ordering them murdered. Her instincts told her that she was so close that she was breathing down Cass' neck, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she saw the woman's empire crumbling around her feet. Closing her eyes, she pictured Cass pacing like a caged tiger, looking over her shoulder as the law finally, inexorably, closed in around her.
She opened her eyes to find Marc watching her with one raised eyebrow. She simply smiled at him, and he grinned back. Just like old times. Exiting the elevator, he led them down a long hallway, stopping at a door labeled, 'Interrogation One'. As soon as they stepped through the door, Lee could see Pike and Eddie sitting in a small inner room behind a large one-way window, watched by an impassive police officer leaning against the back wall.
Lee took a moment to study the brothers. Neither looked well. Pike was fidgeting nervously, his dark eyes flickering nervously around the room. The two-bit criminal's black greasy hair hung in tangles around the thin face marked with deep shadows under his eyes, and at least three day's growth of beard. Eddie didn't fidget, but he kept his dull eyes fixed on his brother's face as if waiting for direction. His once-white t-shirt was gray with dirt, and his buzz cut had grown out enough to add to his unkempt appearance. Like his brother, Eddie was unclean, unshaven, and appeared exhausted.
"I have to go in with you," Marc said, semi-apologetically.
Lee shrugged. "No problem. Just let me talk for the first bit, willya?"
When they entered the inner room, Marc turned on the tape recorder sitting on the otherwise unadorned table, then moved to stand beside Keith out of the brothers' field of vision. For her part, Lee enjoyed the instant apprehension on Pike's face as his eyes widened at the sight of her.
"What the hell! What're you doing here?"
Lee pulled out a chair across the table from the brothers and settled into it, crossing one leg over the other and making herself comfortable as she calmly regarded them.
Pike's fidgeting increased as the silence lengthened, and even Eddie shifted uneasily, his gaze moving between his brother and Lee. Finally, unable to stand it any more, Pike blurted, "We ain't done nuthin'. It was just a lousy shoplifting rap, an' it was a mistake anyway."
Lee smiled tranquilly, knowing that both her unexpected presence and demeanour were throwing Pike off balance. "Well actually, Francis," she began amiably, fully aware of the thug's bristling at the use of his given name, "it was a mistake, and rather a large one...on your part."
Pike glanced quickly at Eddie, and Lee could see the uncertainty before he mustered a look of bravado and sneered at her.
"Dunno what yer talkin' 'bout, cuz the most they got us on is boostin' a coupla bottles of booze. That's nuthin'."
"Sorry, Francis," Lee said with mock sorrow. "Quite apart from you two breaking the terms of your parole, we've also found out some rather interesting things about you boys since your abrupt departure from our fair city."
She chose that moment to set the photos on the table and gently push them across the table. Pike resisted looking down until a startled Eddie swore, "Jesus Christ!"
Alarmed, the smaller man glanced at the photos. He slapped his hand on them and half-shouted, "We din't do this! We ain't murderers."
"Actually, Francis, if young Miss Davies and her aunt hadn't escaped that fire you set, you would be murderers, but as it is, you're only guilty of arson and a
ttempted murder."
It was a well-aimed shot in the dark, and Lee was gratified by Eddie's blurted "How?" before Pike glared him to silence.
Smoothly, the big woman went on. "However, that's the least of your troubles, Francis." Nodding at the pictures under Pike's hand, she said, "That is the late, unlamented Chai Rhongji, found rather publicly displayed on the Vancouver waterfront this morning."
She wasn't all that surprised when the name didn't appear to register with either of the men. "It seems that the late Mr. Chai was the cousin of your immediate boss, Gao Qui-jian."
That got a response, and for a brief moment, Lee thought Pike was going to faint. Even Eddie's dull eyes reflected panic. Not giving them a chance to recover, she continued. "It appears that Gao failed to carry out a pair of ordered executions, and this was the Chameleon's warning that he is to find the troublesome duo and get them out of her hair."
Lee was fascinated at how quickly Pike's olive toned skin turned a waxy yellow. It briefly crossed her mind that he looked one short step away from being a cadaver already. She'd figured it a safe bet that the brothers would assume that they were Gao's targets, and judging by the looks on their face, both of them were picturing themselves in Chai Rhongji's place.
She gave them a moment to absorb the full impact, noticing that Eddie couldn't tear his eyes from the pictures while Pike refused to look at them.
The smaller man tried to speak, but stopped, clearing his throat. Trying again, he snarled weakly, "Got nuthin' to do with us." But his defiance was paper thin, and Lee could clearly see the sweat breaking out on his face, even in the air-conditioned room.
"Francis, Francis, Francis," Lee cooed, gratified to see Pike flinch at the sound of his own name. Then suddenly slamming her hand on the table, she abandoned her casual pose and leaned across the table, grinning wolfishly at the startled pair. "Let's get down to it, boys. I'm not in the mood to waste my time. Here's how it is...you fucked up with the fire. It's well known that the Chameleon does not tolerate those who can't follow orders, so she instructed Gao to get rid of two loose ends...that would be you boys. Now, Gao, he looked all over town for you; and I happen to know that for a fact, cuz I was following him, looking for you too. But you boys actually showed a bit of good sense and took off in time. From what we know of the Chameleon that must not have made her happy, so she sent a little message of encouragement to Gao. I don't know a lot about Gao, but I do know that the Chinese tend to put a lot of value on family, so I'm guessing he is NOT happy that his cousin was killed because of you two."
Lee glanced up to see Marc and Keith leaning against the wall behind the Kings, beside the uniformed police officer. Marc gave her a little wink, and she picked up her narrative smoothly.
"So here you are...You not only have a very pissed off Gao looking for you, you've also come very unfavourably to the Chameleon's attention, and we all know what happens to loose ends in her organization."
"What...uh, what..." Pike's ability to form a complete thought seemed to have vanished. Eddie continued to stare-hypnotized-at the photos of Rhongji's mutilated corpse.
"That is the million-dollar question, isn't it, Francis?" Lee remarked sympathetically, leaning back in her chair again. "What do you do now? I guess the question you have to ask yourselves is--how far does the Chameleon's reach extend? How far must you run before she won't be able to find you?"
From the panicked looks on both men's faces, Lee suspected they at least believed there was no such place. "Okay, then, assuming your goal is to save your sorry hides, what are you going to do?"
Eddie was now staring at her almost pleadingly, and Pike kept running his tongue over obviously dry lips. Lee could almost see him frantically trying to think his way out of this one.
"As I see it, boys, you have very few options. We can bust you on the shoplifting charges, which, along with the parole violations will send you back to Drumheller," Lee explained patiently, invoking the name of the penitentiary the brothers had been released from the previous year. Doubtfully she added, "Of course, I'm not sure that you'd be safe from her in there."
Judging by the pure fear on Pike's face now, he was well aware that the barbed wire, armed guards, and high fences wouldn't keep the Chameleon's influence at bay.
"I'm thinking the better solution would probably be for you two to tell us absolutely everything you know about the Chameleon's organization, let us put you in protective custody until the trial, and then enter the witness protection program."
Pike summoned his last smidgen of defiance to dissent. "We ain't snitches." However the squeak in his voice belied any real conviction.
Lee shrugged. "No skin off my nose." Looking up at the men behind the brothers, she asked casually, "Marc, do you think you can get these two fine upstanding citizens released ROR this afternoon? I mean, after all, it's only a cheap shoplifting bust, and now that they're back in the city, they won't be too hard for...us to find when we need them."
Marc didn't even get a chance to answer, before Pike blurted, "Wait...look, let's talk about it, 'kay? Ain't no need to get hasty here."
Glancing ostentatiously at her watch, Lee yawned. "Got places to go and things to do, Francis. If you want to say something, you'd better say it now."
Pike hesitated a moment, until Eddie's voice galvanized him. "Tell her, Pike. It's over." Pushing the photo he'd been staring at to the table in front of his brother, the hulking man's voice trembled as he tapped his beefy finger on it. "Either of 'em catch us, this is the way we end up. I don't want to die, Pike. 'Specially not like that."
The smaller man gaped at his brother, and Lee wondered if he'd ever heard that long a speech from the usually barely intelligible man. Then with amazement, she watched Pike's thin shoulders square as he awkwardly patted his brother's shoulder. "Ain't gonna happen, Eddie. I wouldn't let it."
Mildly amazed at the unexpected display of fraternal loyalty, Lee waited, but she didn't have to wait for long.
"You guarantee protective custody and witness protection for both of us?"
There was an undertone of desperation in Pike's voice that almost made Lee smile in triumph. She motioned Marc and Keith forward, and the two men moved to the table.
"Gentlemen, can the city police and RCMP guarantee Pike and Eddie's safety?"
Keith spoke for both of them. Fixing the men with cool stare, he said, "That will depend on the quality of their information, and whether we can verify it as the truth."
"The tapes," Eddie blurted excitedly to his brother.
"Shut up!" Pike hissed, then drawing a deep breath, he said carefully, "Could be that we have proof of Gao's involvement."
Lee shook her head and laughed shortly. "You taped him? What did you think...that you could blackmail him?"
With a touch of pride, Pike shot back, "Wasn't blackmail...it was insurance. And yeah, we got some tapes, but you don't get them until Eddie and me get some guarantees."
Keith nodded, and took a chair. "All right. Let's talk."
Lee stood then and motioned Marc out of the room. On the other side of the mirror, they watched for a moment as Keith began his detailed questioning.
Turning away, the big woman faced her old commander. The adrenaline of the hunt had begun to fade, and she was starting to feel fatigued. It must have showed in her body language, because Marc asked sympathetically, "Tired?"
"Yeah," Lee agreed, stretching a little. "It's been a helluva long week. I could do with some peace and quiet."
Marc laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly. "You did a great job in there, Lee. You played those two like a well-tuned fiddle."
Lee smiled and gave a little shrug. "Glad to help out, Cap'n. I had a lot of incentive."
The tall man nodded and lowered his hand. "We're going to get her, Lee. Don't you doubt it. Your friends will be fine."
Wearily, Lee regarded him. "As you yourself said, Pike and Eddie are small fish. We still have to connect the dots to Gao and then to Cass. We're a
long way from proving that the eminent and highly regarded Mrs. DeAndre is the Chameleon."
"But we're on the right path. We use these guys to bring down Gao, and then we use Gao to bring her down. It's only a matter of time now, Sarge."
Lee snorted. "Right! We don't even know where the hell Gao is. He could be on a flight to China right now. And you can bet Cass isn't sitting still waiting to see where the chips fall. She's way too smart not to have a back-up plan."
Marc smiled. "One thing at a time, my friend. We've got Gao's photo flagged at every point of departure across Canada and the western U.S., so that should slow him down a bit. As for the Chameleon, if it is Mrs. DeAndre, as we suspect, she's actually going to be handicapped by her visibility. It's not like she can just drop out of sight, given her position. Her husband would raise holy hell to find her, and he has the clout to do it. No, I imagine she's going to proceed very carefully as she figures out what move to make next. Our advantage is that I think the dominoes have already started to fall, and they won't stop until they reach her doorstep."
Lee regarded him for a long moment, noting the suppressed excitement in his eyes. They shared the same instincts-part of the reason they'd worked so well together in the Special Investigations Unit-and even through her exhaustion, she knew that his assessment was probably correct.
Forcing a smile, she nodded. "You're right. It's only a matter of time."
"Exactly." Marc beamed. "And meanwhile, your friends are safe, sound and out of her reach."
"Yeah...out of reach," Lee echoed, unable to shake the uneasy feeling in her gut.
* * *
Marika tore her eyes away from the sleeping form curled up in the passenger's seat, and tried to focus her full attention on the highway. They'd made excellent time, even through the twisting, narrow mountain passes, as she had...bent the speed limit in her eagerness to get away.
Or maybe it's really just to get there.
Marika smiled to herself at the thought of spending a couple of weeks with Rhi isolated at the lakeside cabin. Again her disobedient eyes strayed from the highway to caress the slight form of the young woman sleeping so peacefully next to her, and she felt a surge of love for the friend that was willingly casting her lot with hers.
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