Lights Out

by Stopforth, W. J.

  “What’s the triad protocol when two members disagree over something?”

  “It’s not good. A lot depends on hierarchy and it sounds as though Ghost Face is probably either more senior or more respected. There are not many women that we know of in triad societies. The odd one or two have come up in the past. There is one main female that has become quite a legend in Hong Kong, she’s an unknown to us, but we have learned over the years that she heads up one of the biggest gangs. She’s been able to stay anonymous for years. She’s very well protected from all sides and very well respected within the Society.” Jimmy continued.

  “Triads have rules, the same way that we do. If a member has gone against one of the triad oaths, or has put one of the gangs into a situation where they may get exposed, then it’s likely that person will be branded a traitor. If this happens, a hit will be ordered by the head or by the triad masters collectively, and that person will killed outright.” He said matter of factly. Continuing his thread, he said “and it’s not a nice death. There’s an old ritual killing for traitors that some triad groups still use.”

  “What can we expect?” Lam asked.

  “Well, firstly the death is very slow. It starts with cuts to the body using a large knife or sword. None of the cuts are lethal, so death is painful and drawn out. Normally we would expect to find a total of exactly one hundred cuts, if we find a body at all. We’ve been told in the past that sometimes the person carrying out the murder will bury the traitor alive. It’s a horrible way to die.” Jimmy finished.

  Lam was absorbing everything that he was telling her.

  “That’s not good. We need to find out more about these people before we get another body on our hands.”

  “We haven’t been able to trace the money yet. But I’m assuming it will be laundered somewhere known to the triads. Do you know any of the money laundering routes? Are there places that we can start to investigate, and people that we can talk to?” She asked Jimmy.

  “It’s not that simple. I’ll have to do a bit of research and digging, I don’t want to discuss this too much in the open. I’ll be cautious and discreet and see what I can find out. We first need to find out which triad group we are dealing with here. Other groups will be aware, and may know things, but we need to be careful how we approach this.” He finished.

  Lam thought for a moment.

  “We need to find Ghost Face. He’s the dangerous one, and without him, I’ll never get Ryan to come in. He doesn’t feel safe whilst he is still out there.” She said.

  “I need you to find out as much as you can about Lily and Ghost Face, see if any of your contacts have heard of them, or seen them.” She said.

  “OK, but I think you should try and get Harper in here, we can offer him protection. He’ll be safe here. If we can interview him again, there may be other things that he can tell us about these two people that will help us to close the net.” Jimmy said. “I can show him pictures of some of the triads and see if he recognizes anyone.”

  “OK, I’ll do what I can, but he was quite adamant about not coming in.” Lam stood back and took in the contents of her board. It was starting to form a story, but she still had so many holes and she knew that Jimmy was right. Without Harper, she knew she couldn’t pull everything together.

  “I’ll make a call.” Lam said, picking up her phone.

  Chapter 28

  Lily drove out to the New Territories to the house that she kept there. She’d taken the property on her Grandmother’s recommendation about two years ago. Some money had come in after the death of her parents, and she’d been advised to buy a place that was well away from the City, a safe house that she could use if she ever felt that she needed protection, or just timeout from the Society.

  Her Grandmother also had a house, but hers was in China. It served the same purpose and many times had assisted her Grandmother when she needed to lay low.

  Only her Grandmother and her lawyer knew the location of Lily’s secret place.

  It was situated close to the ocean in an area called the Gold Coast. All of the properties that ate up the sea front were modern condominiums, garish and ugly, but Lily had managed to find an old stone village house, slightly higher up the mountain offering uninterrupted views of the ocean and of the road that snaked and twisted it’s way up to the mountain to her front door.

  She had bought the house outright from an elderly Chinese family that were happy to take the cash. The purchase agreement had been drawn up in another name, which her lawyer had been able to wrangle somehow, so it could be never be located through public records or deeds and tied back to her.

  She’d spent three months working with an architect, flown in from overseas, on every aspect of the property. Tearing it down to its bare bones, and re-building it sympathetically back to how it would have looked ninety years ago. The architect had done a good job of mixing the old features with new modern amenities. Her living room joined a huge decked terrace which dropped down a few steps into an eternity pool, all overlooking the ocean and beyond, with Hong Kong Island in the distance.

  Security throughout was of course was state of the art with no expense spared. Lily had rigged up the house incorporating her new digital camera systems covering every aspect and angle of her home. She could monitor this from her laptop remotely at any time.

  Lily felt safe here, and for now it’s where she needed to be until she decided what her next move should be. She knew that she had to speak with her Grandmother. If Ghost Face got there first and managed to speak to all eight Masters then her fate could be decided upon without her even having the chance to defend herself. She knew that even if her Grandmother decided against the ruling, that if all other eight Masters agreed, she would be over ruled.

  Chapter 29

  Ghost Face sat on the gold brocade couch in the heavily ornate drawing room. He didn’t like being kept waiting, and certainly not by someone that he had no respect for. He had come directly to the house after leaving the warehouse, knowing that he only had a short time frame to have this discussion. He had been waiting for fifteen minutes.

  He wondered if the girl had called ahead, which was why the old lady was taking so long, but then dismissed the idea. She was running scared he knew that. When she had time to think about the events of today, she would realize that she had broken one of the oaths. She was a traitor to the society and he would take great pleasure in informing her beloved Grandmother of the truth. Once the girl was taken care of, by him, he so dearly hoped. Then he would be well positioned to take over. He would have to be cautious. He couldn’t just allow her to disappear too soon after her Granddaughter. He didn’t want it to be too suspicious. It had to feel like a natural take-over, intuitive. No different to any other business, a merger of two great societies of which he would become The Great Mountain Master.

  The sound of the drawing room door distracted him from his thoughts and he turned to watch the frail old woman walk in to the room. It was laughable he thought, that she of all people could be in charge of such a powerful entity, that she even had respect. Behind her came another man. This surprised him. He had expected a private audience; certainly that is what he had requested when he had made the call. He didn’t want a baby sitter present.

  Ghost Face stood momentarily to show his respect and bowed his head as she seated herself in her usual armchair. Silently behind her chair stood the unknown Chinese man. He was dressed all in black. His hair slicked back, and his skin dark and golden. His head was bowed, so Ghost face couldn’t see his face clearly.

  He looked from the man to the old woman.

  “Ghost Face,” The old woman spoke with such a gracious air that it captured Ghost Face’s attention immediately. He had forgotten how commanding her voice could be.

  When he settled his gaze upon her, she continued.

  “Ghost Face, you requested to see me in private, do not be alarmed or feel unease by Mr Ng’s presence.” She smiled, fully aware that the unease he felt
was exactly her intention. “He is here by my request, my personal aide. He is discreet and invisible”. Lily’s Grandmother continued.

  “It’s been a very long time since you have been here to see me. What occasion is this?” She asked.

  Ghost Face, moved himself closer to the edge of the couch and toward the old woman. He wanted to see her face in detail when he told her that her Granddaughter was a traitor to the society.

  “Dear Madam, I am here under very unusual circumstances and to bring news that affects our society greatly.” Ghost Face spoke softly, causing the old woman to move her face toward him, to hear him more clearly.

  “Go on”, she said.

  “We have a traitor in our midst, someone who we both trusted. Someone who has placed us in such an exposed position that it is likely that our Society will be critically damaged. We cannot allow this person to remain within our group, and I urge that the Masters conduct a hearing immediately to resolve the matter in a swift and appropriate manner.” Ghost Face finished, his head theatrically bowed to show his respect.

  “Exactly who and what is troubling you so, Ghost Face?” The old woman asked.

  “Your Granddaughter.” Ghost Face replied, lifting his head to watch the reaction.

  The old lady’s back stiffened, but her faced remained stony and calm, free of emotion, disappointing Ghost Face. He had hoped for at the very least a gasp or a verbal outburst. But she showed nothing except the very smallest of flinches.

  “Tell me more.” She said.

  “Your Granddaughter appears to have an affiliation with the man that we used for the Bank Robbery. Along with him, she tried to release our only negotiation card, the man that would ensure that Harper would carry out his duties without difficulty. Yet after the event, your Granddaughter decided in her wisdom to help them both and tried to release him without consultation. She has betrayed us Madam and she must be punished. “ Ghost Face paused.

  “Casualties?” The old woman demanded.

  “Yes, one. Robert Black, the friend. He is dead. Harper is on the run and so is your Granddaughter.” He continued. “She has broken one of our most cherished oaths, and she cannot be trusted.” He stated. He began to feel irritated at her apparent lack of concern. This is not how he had planned it.

  He raised his voice, so that she could truly understand the gravity of what he was telling her.

  “She has broken an oath and must be punished accordingly.” He said.

  “Oath number four states; “I shall never betray my sworn brothers and sisters. If this oath is broken, I will be treated as a traitor to the society and will receive one hundred cuts to my body.”

  “It is clear,” he carried on. “It is a clear disregard for the privacy and secrecy of our society.” He stopped now. Aware that she was now watching him intently. Her eyes reduced to narrow slits, her brow in a deep frown. It was a look that he hadn’t experienced before. He remained silent and waited for her to speak. After a few moments, she did, so quietly and calmly, that Ghost Face had to lean in to catch what she was saying.

  “Ghost Face. I appreciate your devout loyalty to the society over many, many years. At least thirty I think. However, as much as I am indebted to you bringing this to my attention, I was very happy to hear that you were coming to see me today. As it happens, I was planning to pay you a visit myself, but you made it possible for me to see you here, in the comfort of my own home. So I thank you.” She said and gave him a small bow of the head, which Ghost Face returned back to her.

  “Now it’s your turn to listen.” She said, her voice hardening. “Over a year ago, we had a tragedy within our own kind. Loved ones, well respected, members of our society were killed, almost provoking a triad war, of which we did everything in our power to prevent. We have managed to do so, until now. We have eyes and ears in many places, as you well know Ghost Face. The Government, the Police, the Bank, the list goes on and on, and we also have eyes and ears inside other societies.” She paused to allow what she was saying sink in.

  It was his forehead that was set in a frown now, and his skin, she was sure, had turned an even paler shade of white.

  She continued. “Our good friend has been feeding back to us for over twelve months, and some interesting things have been brought to light. Things initially that we disregarded as not possible. Things that we didn’t want to believe. But slowly the truth has unfolded, and now those things are no longer hard to believe. They simply leave us feeling cold. A wise Englishman once said, that being forewarned is being forearmed. I think that is a very true statement. Wouldn’t you agree Ghost Face?” The old woman smiled slightly, her thin lips pulled tight across her mouth showing her old brown teeth, making her look suddenly ugly. There was no humor in her eyes despite the smile.

  “I’ll go on. It is not my Granddaughter that is the traitor, Ghost Face. It is not she who has thrown this Society into turmoil and uncertainty. Trying to strip it of all its values and respect. Trying to push it into directions that we do not intend for it, or wish it to go. Slowly killing off members one by one, until there is just an old lady left to protect and guard the oaths that we once all swore to abide to. It is not she who murdered her Grandfather, Mother and Father in cold blood and made it look like an accident.” She paused to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed now, the oxygen rising to the skin as her heart pumped fresh blood around her body giving her a youthfulness and energy that she had not experienced in some time.

  Dropping her voice, to a mere whisper she continued, forcing Ghost Face to lean in even more to catch her words.

  “It is not she, who is trying to overthrow our society and pull us into a black hole of corruption and murder of war and terror. No. It is not Lillian. There are thirteen oaths, of which all have been broken. If there were a myriad of swords in this room, they would all be pointing at you, Ghost Face. The man who sits before me and tries to take advantage of an old lady, thinking foolishly that I will simply accept your lies and respect and honor you. No, I will not. I have lived too long and seen too much. Age gives you strength and knowledge that youth cannot offer, it prepares you for death, so that when it comes, you accept it graciously and with open arms, not bitterly and with fear.” She paused and settled herself in her chair. She turned her head the side slightly to acknowledge the man behind her.

  Ghost Face was silently in turmoil. All that he wanted to do was lean forwards and place his two hands around her neck and to squeeze the last bit of life out of her, enjoying the look of terror and helplessness on her face. He had to fight hard to stop himself, knowing that her protector would be on him in a second. He could feel his temper rising.

  He needed to get out of this house. Thirty years of visiting as a guest had made it familiar to him. He would never get out of the front entrance, so he would need to go through the kitchen and out the back. Then he could then make his way through the garden and over the fence. He was still fast and agile, and was sure that he could out run anyone on his tail if he had a head start. Ghost face gently ran his hand down his leg and pretended to scratch it, whilst feeling for the hilt of his knife hidden by his trousers. It calmed him immediately. He always carried it strapped onto his lower leg for exactly these situations. When the security guard had patted him down upon arrival, they had only removed his gun. Luckily for him they had missed the knife.

  Suddenly the sound of the old woman’s voice quickly drew him back into the moment.

  “How many woman have you murdered Ghost Face?” Her eyes were full of distaste now and hatred.

  How did she know that? He thought. His mind worked quickly. She’d had him followed, that must be it, he thought. Whilst he was under suspicion, she had someone follow his every move. They must know about the police too, his mind quickly started to scan events over the last year. He looked at the old woman. She looked like a stranger to him now.

  “You know the answer already, so why do you ask?” He replied simply.

  “You are pure evil.” She
stated. The old woman tapped her hand gently on the armrest of the chair. Her signal to the protector that this meeting was now over.

  Ghost Face pulled out his knife and had it pointing to the old Woman’s throat before the protector could react. He heard the old woman breath in as she focused her gaze, not on the knife, but on him. Her protector had his gun already aimed at Ghost Face at point blank range at his temple. They were in a catch-22 now. If he stabbed the old woman, the protector would shoot him dead. If he ran, he would be shot in the back. He had to take out the protector to stand a chance of survival. Making his mind up in a second, he quickly ducked in front of the old woman and moved himself next to the protector before he even had time to shift his gaze toward Ghost Face. The knife was plunged deep into the left side of his chest between the ribs and straight into his heart. The protector didn’t make a sound as he slumped to the floor, his legs buckling beneath him as he did so.

  Then the screaming started. Her voice surprised Ghost Face. There was such a force behind it that it didn’t belong to an old woman. She pushed her self back in her chair momentarily caging Ghost Face into the corner, but his strength was too much for her as he pushed the chair over to the side throwing her out onto the carpeted floor in a heap. Physically she was frail, and he watched her pathetic body as she tried to pull herself up. This kill would be so easy, he thought arrogantly as he stepped over the protector’s lifeless body and stood over her. He was sure that he could see fear in her eyes. He wanted to see fear, as he felt the heat in his body rise.

  There were footsteps, many footsteps. He scanned the room and chose a window. It was too late for the kitchen exit, he had to get out now. Picking up the chair in front of him he ran and thrust it as hard as he could against the window, shattering the glass. He shook off his jacket and placed it over the broken glass jumping through onto the deck below. He heard the drawing room door burst open and raised voices. He ran through the familiar grounds and onto the street and kept running until he reached the first street corner. He stopped and walked down the road, more casually now, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He glanced behind him. There were no signs that he was being followed.