Smoke and Shadow (25 page)

“
The official
report says he was following up a lead on an escalating turf war
between rival Chinese gangs and died trying to rescue the
girls.
”

“
That
’
s a
shame.
”
Trent said
with more irony than sincerity.

Chu
couldn
’
t muster a
response. There was too much bile in his throat. They needed the
NYPD to take credit for the rescue and direct blame at a fictional
gang to keep their involvement secret, but the idea of honoring a
brutal john for saving sex slaves made him want to dig up the
corpse and shoot it again.

“
So
we
’
ve got a new
associate.
”
Baker
cut in to break Chu out of his imaginary violence.
“
She started out as a
client, but she liked our work so much she
’
s coming on as a
consultant.
”

Trent laughed and
pointed at Chu.
“
See? I told you it was a woman. We
’
re the only dudes he hangs out
with.
”

Baker raised his
glass to toast them.
“
You boys should feel special, especially since
you
’
re not that
cute.
”

Chu raised his
glass to join Baker
’
s.
“
It
’
s good to
know you
’
re
willing to let us help with the family business.
”

Baker shot his
friend a knowing look at Trent
’
s glass joined the toast..
“
Good, because
there
’
s a lot more
work we need to do.
”

Interlude: Justify My
Love

Summer 2014

Ria Marlen looked
wistful for the first time Nikki could remember. The beer and the
story seemed to draw something out of her.
“
I saw those girls after they were
rescued. Two of them were pregnant, three of them had STDs, and one
killed herself within a week.
”
Ria took a long pull from her beer bottle and
stared off into the ocean.
“
All the rest of them needed, still
need, psychiatric care, but overall they
’
re doing all right.
They
’
re in a
better place now, thanks to you.
”
Ria looked at Warren with a warmth Nikki found
sweet.

“
I wanted to
make it a win-win for everybody. The girls got out of the Red Crane
and we got a partner.
”
He smiled at Ria and took her hand. Ria looked away. Was she
blushing? Nikki felt their kiss coming and was ready to encourage
the tender moment when Rose opened her mouth to ruin
everything.

“
Saving a few
kidnapped girls hardly justifies the time and resources of the
operations we
’
re
talking about.
”
The flush in Rose
’
s cheeks might have come from alcohol or anger, but it gave
her sand colored skin a bloody hue as she pointed towards the
beach.

Nikki followed
Rose
’
s gesture and
saw Hamilton and Harrison weren
’
t on the beach any more. Her fingers
curled around the arms of the chair with a force to make the rattan
creak. Her eyes darted around the beach with nervous agitation. She
had no reason to be afraid of the boys, but hearing stories of them
reaching out of the darkness to cripple and kill was enough to make
anyone nervous. Nikki didn
’
t want to think about how they might
react if they heard Rose
’
s diatribe. Rose was too drunk to
tone down the criticism of the killers who might be in hearing
range.

“
We spend
hundreds of man hours in analysis and on the field.
We
’
ve bent and
broken enough laws to put us all behind bars for life, even if you
ignore Detective Miller
’
s death.
…”

Baker had no
flush in his cheeks and only the smallest trace of malice in his
voice.
“
If you ask
any one of those girls, they
’
d say the price was completely
justified.
”

Nikki thought
about the things Smoke and Shadow did for Baker. The risks they
took and the pain they suffered was justified. They fought to save
lives. They protected people who couldn
’
t fight for themselves. Nikki knew
she had a part in their mission now. The thought of making a
difference with them brought a smile to her lips.

“
The real risk
of these operations isn
’
t worth the potential reward or the revenue stream,
that
’
s all
I
’
m
saying.
”

“
And what about
our little trip to the
Nostromo
?
”

Rose hesitated
for a moment, her anger and the liquor clouded her reaction time.
She shook her head, both to disagree and shake out the
cobwebs.
“
That
’
s not
the same thing at all...
”

“
What
’
s
the
Nostromo
?
”

Baker sighed as
he leaned back for another story.
“
One of the first pieces of actual
intel from your contact Diego was a transaction secured by a rival
slaving network in the Red Sea. Half a dozen girls were taken from
a rich boarding school in Macau. We tracked them to a luxury yacht
sailing from Abu Dhabi to Jiddah. We had a chance to put an
intercept operation together which turned out to be very lucrative
for the firm.
”

“
So it was
another win-win for everybody?
”

Baker flashed
Nikki an infectious smile.
“
That depends on your
perspective.
”

Book Five: Last Man
Standing

Spring
2014

“
No Samantha,
I
’
m not saying I
hate Chinese guys. I
’
m just saying your dad wants to keep us apart because
I
’
m not a rich
Chinese guy and that
’
s bullshit.
”

Curtis Hudson
held the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he dried his hands
with a paper towel. The response on the other end of the phone had
a shrill biting tone to it. Sam
’
s voice broke into a higher octave
when she got upset. Hudson thought she might reach pitches only a
dog could hear at any moment.

“
You
don
’
t
understand. He
’
s
really traditional. He wants his son in law to be from a prominent
family.
”

“
A prominent
Chinese family?
”

“
Yes Curtis, a
prominent Chinese family. I told you this would happen. I knew what
he would say when he found out about us. I know what he
wants.
”

“
What about you?
What do you want?
”

“
I want to be
with you Curtis. You know that. But it doesn
’
t matter what I
want.
”

Hudson stepped
out of the head and caught his hand on the railing of the listing
ship. Did he lose his balance because of the ocean or because he
felt his life slipping away?
“
This is 2014, Sam. He
can
’
t tell you who
you can and can
’
t
marry. If you want to be with me
…”

“
You
don
’
t understand.
This isn
’
t America
or England. This is China. Don
’
t try to change it. Just come and
see me while we still have time. I...
”

“
I
’
m going to
be there soon, but I need to finish this job. I can use the money
to show your father
…”

“
You can
’
t
buy tradition with money, Curtis. He
’
s not going to change his mind if
you show up with a bag full of money.
”

“
Money changes a
lot of things, Sam.
”

“
It
won
’
t change this.
Just come and see me before it
’
s too late.
”

Hudson felt the
deck sway again as he soaked in the voice of his lady. His eyes
drifted out into the ocean. He caught a glimpse of a cigarette boat
speed through the dark water, cutting a sharp spray in its wake.
Hudson needed a cigarette. He reached up to the chest pocket of his
uniform searching for his Chunghwa
’
s.

“
We
’
re
supposed to dock in three days. Once the job is over,
I
’
ll get on the
first plane back.
”

“
You
promise?
”
The
childlike anticipation in her voice brought an image of
Sam
’
s smiling face
to his mind. He felt himself smile in response.

“
Promise. When I
get there I
’
ll
take you back to Hengshan and we can work things out
there.
”

“
Ok. Dad will be
out of town next week, but when he comes back, he wants to start
the search for
…”

“
Don
’
t worry
about that now. Just pick out something to wear when I come see
you, ok?
”
Hudson
patted his pants pocket for his lighter.

“
Ok Curtis. Stay
safe. I love you.
”

“
Love you too.
Bye.
”

Hudson
disconnected the call with the image of Samantha
’
s smile still fresh in his mind. She
was worth the bullshit. The odds weren
’
t good for an army boy from Ohio
living growing old with a Chinese socialite, but
…

But where the
fuck did he put his lighter? He checked his front and back pants
pockets, the side pockets on his thighs, and the chest pockets too,
but he couldn
’
t
find his lighter. His heart sank into his stomach. Sam gave him the
lighter as an anniversary present. She even wrote a letter about
the flame of their love or something. Hudson
didn
’
t remember
the exact words of the letter, but he took the lighter everywhere.
He had it just before he went into the head....

And gave it to Hicks. Now he
remembered. He was just about to share a smoke with Hicks on the
starboard deck when Sam called. He handed the lighter to his watch
partner, went to the head for privacy and a quick bathroom break.
The emotion of the conversation clouded his short term memory.
Hudson strolled along the starboard with an unlit Chunghwa dangling
from his lips.

His foot brushed
against something small and hard before he reached
Hicks
’
post.
Hudson sucked his teeth and bent his knees. His gold lighter sat
open, the fly wheel half submerged in ocean spray. Hudson snatched
up his prize possession and whirled around looking for
Hicks
’
, ready to
throw his ass overboard. He wasn
’
t anywhere near his assigned
position. Hudson punched the button on his shoulder mounted radio
and snapped as he spoke.