Point Blank (Sisterhood Book 26) (11 page)

Dishbang Deshi fought a smile. He nodded and gestured for Harry to follow him to the far wall, where long bolts of colorful silk were stacked one on top of the other. He started to gesture with his hands at the various bolts just as the doorbell tinkled from the front of the shop.

Nikki and Kathryn were the closest to the door. They watched as five men pushed against the door just as the little lady at the desk pressed the buzzer to try to lock it. Her job done, she picked up her purse and a light stole and left the showroom, a look of fear on her face. “So much for by appointment only,” Nikki whispered. “Don’t take your eyes off them. They are trouble with a capital T.”

Isabelle looked at Kathryn and Nikki and said, “Now I ask you, do those guys look like they’re here to buy silk?”

Yoko, sensing trouble, turned around and ran to Nikki and grabbed her around the waist the way a child would if frightened. She hissed, “They do not belong here.”

“You’re right about that, too. The question is, did they make us or are they here for that guy we came to see? Kathryn whispered. “We can take them, Nikki.”

Jack sidled up to Nikki and said, “They look like gangbangers. They’re spreading out. Classic maneuver. Also a big mistake.”

Nikki looked at Ted and said, “Make sure the door is locked, then turn the sign around to say that the showroom is closed. Then lower the blinds.”

Dennis jumped up to help. If the five men noticed, they gave no sign that anything had changed since they had entered the shop as they perused the many bolts of colored silk.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watched the way the men spread out. “You in shape, Dishbang Deshi, or do I have to take these guys out on my own?”

Harry’s longtime friend tried for a nonchalant smile, but it came out as more of a frightened grimace. “I think I can hold my own.”

“Maybe you should sit this one out, pal. Between me and the ladies, we can take these guys with our eyes closed.”

“You’re jesting of course,” Dishbang Deshi said in a jittery voice. In the same jittery voice that was lower, he whispered, “In case you haven’t noticed, Harry, those women are
old.
Except for the child. I don’t think either one of us should expect any help from a gaggle of old women and one child.
”

“Look at me, Dishbang Deshi. Do I look like I’m jesting? Do you think I came halfway around the world to let five scrawny guys who haven’t shaved yet take me? For your information, those old women could take us both out and never break a sweat.”

While Harry and Dishbang Deshi argued back and forth, Annie and Myra were trying to take it all in. “This is exciting, isn’t it, Myra?” Annie said as she fingered a bolt of sky-blue silk. “Those men do not have a clue. Look how the boys are positioning themselves. Definitely third-string. I think you and I could take them, but from the looks of things, you and I are sitting this one out.”

“Hit it, honey,” Harry bellowed.

Her eyes dancing, Yoko started to skip across the room to come to a stop in front of one of the five scraggly-looking men. It happened so fast, the others barely had time to blink. Yoko dropped down slightly, bringing her clenched fists directly up into the man’s groin before she straightened, whirled, and kicked out, sending the gangbanger across the room, where Kathryn caught him under his arms. Nikki grabbed one leg, Isabelle the other, and they had him trussed like a Thanksgiving turkey within seconds.

“One down and four to go,” Nikki grunted as she dragged the man to a small alcove, where she shoved him between two bolts of champagne-colored silk. When she turned around, she saw that the other four men were similarly bound.

“Now what?” Charles demanded.

All eyes turned to Dishbang Deshi. He shrugged. “As much as I hate to lose all this silk, I think we should simply stuff them inside the cores. Each bolt can hold two men. But first, don’t we want them to talk? They must have cell phones. Shouldn’t we be checking on that?”

“Maybe you aren’t so dumb after all, Dishbang Deshi. Good thinking. Annie, Myra, call Snowden, explain we need to get rid of some silk. Tell him time is of the essence.”

“Okay, Harry, you have the floor. Talk to these guys and see what you can get out of them. If they speak English, go with that. If not, translate as you go along. Ah, five cell phones. This is good. No other ID. Not good,” Jack said. “I guess in a way we should be flattered that whoever is behind this thought these five could take us. My, oh my, now, aren’t they going to be surprised,” Jack said.

One by one, he tossed the phones to the girls. “See who they called last and who called them.”

Fergus ran to the door the moment he heard the bell. He peeked between the slats of the door covering before he opened the door to reveal Avery Snowden and six of his men.

“I have to say I did not expect this much action this fast. It goes without saying I’m going to need a delivery truck,” Snowden said happily.

“It’s out back,” Dishbang Deshi said.

Cooper took that moment to get up from his position behind a bolt of scarlet silk. He walked into the room and circled it before he came to a stop next to Harry, who was getting nowhere fast with his interrogation. He let out a soft yip, then another, as he encouraged Harry to step back. Satisfied at the distance, Cooper moved forward, growled, and snarled, his teeth glowing brightly as he lunged at the man Harry had been questioning. The man, his eyes wild with terror, started to scream as he let loose with a string of Chinese that made Harry laugh out loud.

“Good job, Coop. Good job. You can go back to sleep now.” Cooper strutted back to his bolt of scarlet silk and lay down.

“Okay, everyone, listen up. This is what this scumbag just volunteered.”

 

“S
pit it out, Harry! What did that weasel just say?” Jack demanded after ten long minutes of hysterical Chinese dialogue.

Harry grinned. “Well, for starters this particular weasel said he’s more afraid of
the kid
than the dog. Kudos, honey,” he said to Yoko, who beamed in delight.

“What else?” Jack said, quickly losing his patience.

“Actually, nothing. These guys are thugs for hire. They got their orders over the phone. Money is left at a noodle shop after they call in the results. I have the address of the noodle shop. None of them have ever seen their employer. You were right; they’re the third string. They don’t even know who the second or first string is. I guess we should take that to mean when these guys don’t report in, the second string takes over. That’s just a guess on my part. This guy doesn’t know what the next step is.”

“Did they come here for us or for your friend Dishbang Deshi?” Charles asked.

“For Dishbang Deshi. He said the five of them have been staking out his offices, but Dishbang Deshi has some good security and hasn’t left the premises since he spirited his family out of China. Today was the first time he’s left since then. They tried to get to him on the way here, but as I said, Dishbang Deshi’s security is tight.”

Another volley of Chinese reverberated about the room, this time coming from Dishbang Deshi.

“English only!” Kathryn bellowed. “How are we supposed to know what’s going on if you babble in Chinese. English!” she thundered again. The others started to mumble and mutter among themselves. Dishbang Deshi drew back in horror, his eyes on Harry.

“He wants Snowden to smuggle him out, to get him to the airport. He also wants to know why these women have such authority. He says right now he doesn’t trust his own security if these guys were able to make it here to the showroom. He knows the second string will be . . . should we say, more dangerous if not lethal.”

Annie stepped forward. “Well, now, I’d say that all depends on what Mr. Dishbang has to tell us. About your friend Jun Yu and what went down,” she drawled.

Harry looked at Annie, then at Dishbang Deshi, and shrugged. “She’s the boss. What she says goes. Don’t even think about telling me you don’t know anything. Just for the record, Dishbang Deshi, you’re going to hate Mud Flats, Mississippi. You sure you don’t want to stay and fight?” Harry waved his arms about. “What happens to all of this, the business, your money, if you leave?”

“I have to think about my family. I’m not a coward, if that’s what you’re implying. I have loyal people who are capable of running my business.” Seeing the disbelief on Harry’s face, Dishbang Deshi cringed. “I’ll have to take my chances. I have money in the States in various banks. I’m not a complete fool, Harry, even if you think I am.”

“Where’s the duct tape?” Snowden barked.

Startled, Dishbang Deshi pointed to a cabinet under the window.

“Cut the bullshit, Dishbang Deshi. Right now, all you’re worried about is your own skin. Which, by the way, means squat to me and the rest of this group. So before my friend makes the decision to take you or leave you here, start talking.”

“I thought you were my friend, Harry.”

Harry’s jaw dropped. “I’m taking that to mean you think I should put you and your safety ahead of my daughter. If that’s what you mean, then no, I am not your friend. Now start talking. I want to know everything, and only speak English.”

“I told you on the phone, Harry. Jun Yu did not tell me anything. He said the less I knew, the less I could tell. Rumors have been rife this whole past year. I’m repeating rumors, so treat what I say as such.” Dishbang Deshi threw his hands in the air to make his point, and muttered, “I don’t believe this is happening.

“All right, all right!” he shouted at the menacing look he was seeing on Harry’s face. “Remember, all I’m saying now is rumor. You must know that China is the number two film market in the world. You must also know that having the convenience of an online subscription streaming service is a natural fit for Alibaba’s e-commerce network. You must have heard about that company. The whole world knows about Alibaba and that guy Jack Ma. China, you should be aware, is not a straightforward place to do business. Just recently, Chinese regulators announced that they would cap the amount of foreign TV programs local providers could stream to online subscribers. Billions are in the offing. Not yen, Harry. US billions with a capital B. I bought Alibaba stock. I hope you and your people did, too. It’s going to skyrocket. Take my word for it.

“You must also know that there is a new temporary Abbot at the monastery. There are those who say he isn’t even an Abbot but an imposter. His name is Chi Xongin. The Chinese media refer to him as the CEO monk. He and whomever he represents want to commercialize the Shaolin Monastery. He’s rented out the monastery as well as its name for films, reality television shows, and computer games. What was once sacred has now become a sick joke. The man believed to be an imposter even went so far as to approve an online store selling Shaolin kung fu manuals for 9,999 yen or $1,600 US. Many are saying he leads too lavish a lifestyle for a holy man. To Jun Yu that meant he is not a holy man but a shill of some kind. I heard that Jun Yu was planning on exposing him, but that was just a rumor. I want to stress that Jun Yu did not tell me any of this, so let’s be clear on the facts as I know them.

“About a month ago, I heard that an exhibition was being planned with Jun Yu, you, me, and Wing Ping. You remember Wing Ping, don’t you, Harry?” Dishbang Deshi said, a look of revulsion on his face. When he saw Harry clench his fists and his jaw tighten, he rushed on. “I called Jun Yu, and he said there was no truth to the rumor. You do remember how Wing Ping was expelled, so that they crowned Jun Yu the number one martial-arts expert. And all those threats he made. How his family lost face. Then it got worse; Wing Ping joined the triads and became a contract killer. At least that was the scuttlebutt. I asked Jun Yu if it was true, and he said he didn’t know. But he also said that, in his opinion, it was a route Wing Ping would take.

“Wing Ping hated us, Harry. We were everything he wanted to be and for some reason could not. We were never able to figure out what his problems were aside from the fact that he was in love with himself. You know that. What I don’t understand is why he would wait all these years for payback if that’s what this is. If we’re being honest here, then we have to agree that Wing Ping is the one who should have been number one. He was born to the art. We had to learn it. He was better than all of us put together, and you know it, I know it, and Jun Yu knew it. We spoke of it many times.

“Then, during our last year, the Abbot kicked him out before the decision was made. The Wing family, one of the oldest families in all of China, lost face. Wing Ping dropped off the face of the earth. As far as I know, the Wing family never recovered. I do know for sure that both of Wing Ping’s parents are dead. Wing Ping has only a brother and three sisters. All three have families, many children among them. All are older, and all of them went to the monastery and left honorably. Wing Ping was the outcast, the black sheep of the family. The sisters and the brother cut all ties to Wing Ping. Again, Harry, this is all rumor. There is nothing I can pin down as pure fact.

“You know as well as I do that the monks never kick anyone out. They work you tirelessly and themselves as well, but in the end, when you leave the monastery, you leave honorably. You do not leave in disgrace. Wing Ping was the first to be cast out at the Shaolin Monastery. It has been said the elder Wings died in disgrace and that Wing Ping is finally trying to reverse all of that.”

“That’s bullshit!” The words exploded from Harry’s mouth like gunshots.

“What do you want from me, Harry? I told you it was all rumor. I don’t know anything. Once I left the monastery, I took over my family’s business. I’m a businessman. I got married, started a family, and I mind my own business. Yes, I saw Jun Yu from time to time for a dinner or a lunch when he would come to Hong Kong. He stayed at my house. My children played with his children. My wife and Jun Yu’s wife shopped and had tea together. Jun Yu and I talked. I stayed in touch with you because that is what friends do, they stay in touch. It was your decision, Harry, to send your daughter to the monastery, not mine. Had you asked me, I would have told you not to do that, but you did not ask me. You can’t blame me for any of this. I did what Jun Yu asked of me. As I would do for you. I would hope that you would do the same for me.”

“So you’re going to cut and run, is that the bottom line?” Harry barked.

“Yes, Harry, that was my original intention. However, in these last minutes I am thinking I need to stay here, or you’re going to get yourself killed. I think you are going to need me. And, as you pointed out, I probably won’t like living in Mud Flats, Mississippi. So where does that leave us?”

Harry looked around at the group to see their reaction to Dishbang Deshi’s little speech.

Charles stepped forward. “I personally think Mr. Dishbang will be an asset. Poll the others for their opinion.”

Avery Snowden spoke up. “Can you hold up on your voting here and give me the go-ahead. By now, whoever these guys work for are going to be expecting some kind of progress report.”

Dishbang Deshi moved then, quickly like a panther stalking his query. He headed for the back of the showroom and threw open the huge metal doors to reveal a service truck used to haul the huge bolts of silk. In the blink of an eye he had the truck’s rear doors open. He stepped back as Snowden and his men loaded the bolts of silk containing the five men inside the tubes. They were not gentle.

“Where are you taking them? There are eyes everywhere. You will be marked before you reach the main road.”

Snowden rolled his eyes at the little Chinese for a moment before he turned away. “I’ll call you or Harry to let you know where you can pick up your truck,” was his response. Dishbang Deshi shrugged. He closed and locked the showroom doors with not one lock but three. He was back in the main part of the showroom within seconds.

“Now what?” Nikki asked. She pointed to Dishbang Deshi and asked if he was going with them or where else he was going.

“What’s it gonna be, Dishbang Deshi? You travel with us, they’ll know we made them. Whoever
they
are. Or you take your security you aren’t too comfortable with at the moment and head back to your offices, where you aren’t sure whether you’ll be safe. It has to be your decision. They’re onto you as it is, and there is strength in numbers, and we have quite a few numbers right here,” Harry said, waving his arm about. “If you plan on going with us, you need to get rid of that snappy custom jacket you’re wearing. Dennis, give him your Windbreaker and ball cap.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Dishbang Deshi’s lips. He raised his hand to stop Dennis. “Well said, Harry, my good, old dear friend, since you put it like that, I think I will, as they say, join up. I just told you that. A no-brainer, no? That’s a favorite expression of my oldest daughter. She loves American slang.”

“We need to get out of here right now. We’ve been here too long as it is. Those guys are probably past due in checking in with whoever,” Isabelle said as she nervously looked around.

Harry quickly explained about the van they’d hired and where it was parked.

“How do you lock up here?” Charles asked.

“It’s a spring-loaded latch, the door is steel, and it will automatically lock behind us. It’s dark out, which is a good thing. Move quickly once the door closes.”

Cooper sat back on his haunches and howled. Then he did his circle dance to get everyone’s attention, still howling. Everyone stopped in their tracks.

“What?” Jack bellowed. “What’s up with Cooper, Harry?”

“Someone is on the loading dock out back. The dog senses or smells them, and that is why he is barking,” Dishbang Deshi said. “What do you want to do, Harry? Invite them in?” This last was said with a cocky grin that made Harry laugh out loud.

“Jack, Dennis, Yoko, and I will stay with Dishbang Deshi. Take Cooper and head for the van. Go back to the hotel. Be quick about it. If anyone is in front, take them out,” Harry barked.

Dennis grew light-headed at the prospect of Harry’s thinking his martial-arts expertise was good enough to be part of whatever was going to go down. His stomach churned like a windmill in a wild hurricane.

“With pleasure,” Kathryn said, saluting Harry as Charles ushered everyone, including Cooper, out the front door.

“Do you want to open the bay doors, or should we wait for them to kick them in?” Jack asked as he bounced on his toes to flex the muscles in the calves of his legs.

“Let’s make them work for it.” Dishbang Deshi grinned. Harry agreed. Yoko just laughed. Dennis fought to keep all the snacks he’d eaten on the plane in his stomach.

“Hey, Harry, these guys any good?” Dishbang Deshi jerked his head in Dennis and Jack’s direction.

Harry laughed, an evil sound. “I trained them both. Jack is a black belt, the kid is third-degree brown. You saw my lovely lotus flower in action. Any more questions?”

Dishbang Deshi grinned. “Nope. Like old times, eh, Harry?”

“Sounds like they’re using a sledgehammer on the doors,” Dennis said in a jittery voice.

“It does sound like that, doesn’t it,” Yoko agreed. She sounded as if she was discussing whether it was going to rain.

“What do you think, Harry, ten minutes? Five? This must be a mind-your-own-business neighborhood since no one is coming to your friend’s aid with all that racket,” Jack observed.

“It’s live and let live,” Dishbang Deshi said. “No one wants to get involved.”

“The door is weakening,” Harry said, peering at the hinges that held the massive double doors in place. “But to answer your question, Jack, I’ll go with five minutes. Want to guess how many guys are out there?”