Point Blank (Sisterhood Book 26) (23 page)

 

T
ime dragged on, the occupants in the great dining hall champing at the bit for something, anything, to happen to relieve the tense atmosphere.

Annie huddled with Myra, her fingers incessantly tapping the keys on her phone with no results. They conversed in low whispers as to why that was and what was going on in Macau. Nikki doodled on a pad in front of her, the same pad they’d used to craft the script for Chen Fang’s phone call to Wei Ming. Alexis and Isabelle talked about Myra’s upcoming New Year’s Eve party, noodling about whether or not it would come off and about what kind of sparkly outfits they would wear to the gala. Maggie and Ted, along with Espinosa, looked at the pictures Espinosa had taken, trying to decide which ones would be best for the article they planned to write for the
Post
when they got back to Washington. Jack and Dennis talked football, specifically whether or not this was the year the Redskins’ owner, Dan Snyder, would be forced to change the team’s name, while Fergus and Charles kept their eyes on the restless captives. Yoko and Harry whispered to each other about their daughter, wondering how she would adapt to being back in the States and what to buy her for Christmas this year. They speculated about the change in her and how this adventure would play out in her life.

Cooper watched it all, his great head resting on his paws under the table. He appeared unconcerned, as did Kathryn, who was transfixed with the dancing flames in front of her.

“Incoming text from Abner!” Isabelle shouted. “Oh, wow! Wait till you guys see this! Once again, my husband gets the prize! I’ll give you the short version. The American embassy is talking to the Chinese embassy about the American tour group, Crescent China Tours, being held hostage in a Chinese monastery by a Chinese national by the name of Wing Ping. It goes on to say that this Wing Ping character concocted this whole kung fu charade to get even with Harry Wong, the former number two martial-arts expert in the world who rose up to the number one spot with the murder of Jun Yu, who had held the title of number one for many, many years. It goes on to say that Wing Ping was kicked out of the Shaolin Monastery for reasons not being disclosed. Abner isn’t saying if the article, and he did not send the entire text, outright accused Wing Ping of murder, but it sounds like that to me.”

“Holy crap!” Dennis yelped.

“Beats anything I could come up with,” Jack muttered.

“Anything else?” Charles asked.

“Another text is coming in. Hold on,” Isabelle said as her eyes raked the text in front of her. “Okay, it says the local police here are searching for Wing Ping. Macau is going crazy. Money crazy, that is. No other explanation. Oh, oh, wait a minute, the promoters can’t be found, just as they can’t be found in the States. That’s the end of it. Abner said more to come as things develop, and, before you can ask, yes, he went to the AP wire services with the story. He used your name, Annie; otherwise, he said no one would carry the story.”

“You’re right, the boy gets a prize,” Annie said.

The dining hall reverted to silent mode for another twenty minutes. The room as a whole tensed when Cooper barked and raced to the huge double doors. He threw back his head and howled an ungodly sound before he moved to the side of the great doors.

“I could be wrong, guys, but I think it’s showtime!” Jack said, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

“That’s gunfire!” Charles said. “
Automatic
gunfire! They’re strafing the entrance doors. Stay away from the doors, people!” he shouted. “We rehearsed this ad nauseam, so you all know what to do.”

It could have been a choreographed exercise as the five archers lined up, bows and arrows at the ready, while the bamboo poles were raised simultaneously, those holding them in a shooter’s stance.

Kathryn was off her chair in a nanosecond as she raced to where Nikki was guarding the red-hot fire tongs. “About time you came back to the present.”

Kathryn grinned. “You can kick my butt later, Nikki. I told you I wouldn’t let you down.”

“I knew that, Kathryn,” Nikki said quietly. “No matter what, you are one of us, and we all know. We also understand. Who has the eye?” she shouted.

“I do, and I’m keeping it!” Yoko bellowed.

Annie finally gave up and shoved the cell phone she’d been working for hours into one of her many pockets. “You a betting woman, Myra?” she hissed.

“You know I am. I did more or less like Yoko’s scenario, or Plan C, as she called it.” Annie laughed. “I hope we don’t have to resort to that, but on the other hand, it should certainly prove interesting if we’re forced to put the plan into operation.” In spite of herself, Myra laughed out loud. The others looked around to see the cause of Myra’s laughter and instantly realized why. In turn, wide grins split across their faces. Not so the boys, who simply looked pained and angry.

Jack had his eyes on Cooper, so he missed it all. He moved closer to the big dog, Dennis right behind him. He was close enough to stroke his head. “This might be a good time for you to . . . you know . . . let me know how this is going to work out. Like four, not three, that kind of thing,” he muttered. He could feel his thoughts whirling and twirling until he settled into one thought.
Nine men with the first rush, one automatic weapon, two handguns, clubs, Harry’s adversary and five men bringing up the rear
.

Doable.

He roared his thought to the tense room. Harry simply nodded as gunfire shattered the beautiful carved doors to the great dining hall. The moment they sagged and hung drunkenly on the massive hinges, the stampede began, and all hell broke loose. Bamboo spears shot forward as arrows sailed through the air. Bodies leaped and spun in midair, howls of pain from the interlopers who had come into contact with the red-hot fire tongs filled the great hall.

Last man standing—a wild-eyed, snarling Wing Ping. And that was by design. The sisters and the boys dragged the intruders to where the other captives were being held. Fergus and Charles worked frantically to bind them to the others, not caring about their wounds or the words spewing from their mouths.

This, then, was going to be the showdown between Harry Wong and Wing Ping.

Jack, Ted, Espinosa, and Dennis quickly used all their muscles to shove the long, heavy table and benches out of the way to clear the space for whatever was going to go down.

Harry yanked the belt from around his waist and kicked off his shoes. Wing Ping moved closer to the center space that had been cleared. Harry held up his hand. “Isabelle, show Mr. Wing the video and the article Abner sent you.” Isabelle scurried to the middle of the room and held up her phone so that Wing Ping could see what they had all seen earlier.

“It’s over, Wing. They’re coming for you. If you’re smart, you’ll get out of here right now.”

Wing Ping pushed his American cowboy hat farther back on his head, all the better to see Harry. Then he looked down at his cowboy boots. He looked up and showed his dentally challenged grimace in a vicious snarl. His eyes spewed hatred as he lashed out at Isabelle, who deftly danced out of his way.

“So that’s the way it’s going to be, eh? Okay, cowboy, let’s see what you got!”

And the game was on. The watchers were breathless as they saw both men duck, parry, strike, and give each other as good as they had in them.

Jack mentally had himself in Harry’s position, knowing exactly what his next move was going to be. Harry went for the Ridgehand Strike and hit Wing Ping squarely on the head, knocking the weird-looking cowboy hat to the floor. Dennis quickly kicked it out of the way as Harry followed up with a Reverse Punch and clipped Wing Ping with the palm of his hand right below his chin. Wing Ping went down but was up in an instant. Harry went with a Front Thrust Kick but was taken down with Wing Ping’s Side Snap Kick.

“Get up, Harry! Don’t make me help you out, you wuss,” Jack bellowed. Harry staggered to his feet and let loose with a Roundhouse Kick that sent Wing Ping sailing across the room. Wing Ping scrambled to his feet and literally skidded across the room, his side punch missing Harry by a hair. Harry whirled about, then was in the air, his legs spread wide to clinch Wing Ping between his knees. Both men landed with a loud thump on the cold tile floor, but Harry’s hold on Wing Ping’s neck never faltered. Wing Ping gagged and struggled to breathe. He managed somehow to bring one hand up in a feeble gesture to tap Harry on the arm, the sign that he surrendered. Harry nodded but didn’t release immediately.

Cooper barked. Jack yelled to release. Yoko screamed at Harry, telling him not to kill his opponent. Finally, Harry released his hold on Wing Ping and rocked back on his heels. “Killing you is too good. Let someone else do it. Here’s the thing, Wing Ping. I gave you the chance to ride off into the sunset the way American cowboys do, but you opted for this. Somebody tie up this piece of trash!” he bellowed.

“Wait! Wait!” Harry said. “Somebody record this, please.” Ted held up his phone and nodded.

“You killed Jun Yu, didn’t you? Say it, you bastard, I want to hear the words. Nikki, show him the poker!” Wing Ping tried to shrivel into himself as the poker was lowered to the soft spot between his legs.

“I didn’t! I didn’t! Wei Ming killed him. It wasn’t me,” Wing Ping screamed.

From the other side of the room, the invader who must have been Wei Ming bellowed at the top of his lungs, “You ordered me to do it. I just followed your orders. I believed you, you rat-faced weasel. You said this was a piece of cake, a walk in the park, all those American terms you love so much, along with that stupid hat and boots. You hated Jun Yu, tell them. You wanted me to kill his wife and children, too. You tried to kidnap Harry Wong’s daughter.”

“Tell me that what Wei Ming said is true, Wing Ping, or you get the poker. Someone pull his pants down.” Kathryn gladly obliged. “One more chance or you’re branded for life.”

Nikki’s hand, holding the red-hot poker, slowly descended, at which point Wing Ping screamed, “It’s true. You’re no warrior, Wong Guotin. If you were, you would have defended your honor and killed me. You’re a coward,” he spat.

All Harry could do was shake his head in disgust.

Yoko was having none of it. “If my husband is a coward, why is he standing while you’re on the floor staring up at him?” In a voice none of them had ever heard from Yoko before, she looked at Nikki and Kathryn, and said, “Give him something to remember us by.”

Neither Nikki nor Kathryn had to be told twice. Both red-hot pokers came down at the same time. The smell of burning flesh filled the room before they danced away, wicked grins on their faces. Yoko gave a thumbs-up, to her husband’s chagrin. Then he relaxed and whispered in his wife’s ear. She smiled from ear to ear.

Harry looked down at Cooper. “Okay, it’s done. I want my daughter!”

Brother Hung stepped forward. “She is on her way. She should be here by first light. She is well and looking forward to seeing all of you. Especially this magnificent animal named Cooper.”

Cooper lowered his head in a low bow, it seemed to everyone. “You’re a big ham, Cooper!” Jack said. The thought ricocheted around his brain in a second—
It takes one to know one
. Cooper barked and barked as he strutted around the great dining hall, enjoying the praise everyone heaped on his furry shoulders before he found a spot under the table. This time he closed his eyes and truly went to sleep.

“What’s our next move?” Maggie demanded.

“Helping us fix our doors,” Brother Hung responded smartly.

“I have a better idea,” Annie said just as smartly. “Since all of us here are constructurally challenged, how will it be if we leave enough money with you so that professional carpenters can repair these aged, beautiful doors.” Brother Hung was most gracious in his acceptance.

“We need to get to Macau as soon as possible,” Annie said.

“We leave the moment my daughter walks through what’s left of these doors,” Harry said. “We can help you shore up the doors in the meantime.” Once again, Brother Hung gracefully accepted Harry’s offer of help.

“I guess it’s up to us women to restore this kitchen to what it was before we arrived,” Alexis said. “Not that our place is in the kitchen, it’s just that we do it better. Everyone agree?”

“Damn straight,” Myra said.

“First, before we do anything, I want a cup of coffee. I cannot drink that shitty tea one more time. I know there is coffee here somewhere, we just have to find it. Search, people!” Annie ordered.

They finally found a can of American Maxwell House coffee behind a stack of wooden bowls in the large pantry. Annie smacked her lips as her taste buds went to work. “And the cream they have here is
real.
”

It was all so real, they drank pot after pot until dawn started to break, at which point Cooper stirred and raced to the wide center hall.

“Harry, I think your daughter is about to arrive. Cooper went out to greet her,” Annie said gently. She swore later that never in her whole life had she seen anything more beautiful than Harry’s and Yoko’s smiles.

The young girl named Yuke Lok walked into the kitchen, holding Lily’s hand, Cooper at her side. They were in agony as they waited for the ritual that ensued, the graceful bows, the Chinese greetings, more bows, then Lily let loose with a whoop of joy, and screamed, “Mommieeee, Daddyeeeee!”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. And then Lily was on Harry’s shoulders as he waltzed her around the room as she laughed and laughed. Cooper barked his pleasure when Lily was once more on the ground. She followed him over to the big table and crawled under it. She hugged the big dog and whispered to him as the others watched, somehow knowing that the dog was whispering right back.