The Bad Ass Brigade (27 page)

Glaring at Daiyu, Ting Lyn’s words dripped with scorn. “She cavorts with stable boys. Bewitches men with her devil eyes. She is a
guilo
! A
guilo biao
!”

The audience’s stunned gasp spliced the silence. Ting Lyn’s face paled when her uncle stalked toward her. Feng Sun’s voice was low, ominous, his expression furious. “Leave the room, Ting Lyn. Now!”

Daiyu grasped Wei’s hand. She saw his jaw clench, his eyes flash. His rage was palpable. Only her firm grip held him back.

Feng Sun turned to Wong Li, his face a gray mask. “My honored friend, I apologize for my dead brother’s daughter. She uttered an unconscionable slur. Please forgive her.”

Wong Li rose to his feet, his quiet demeanor spoke to his dignity. He bowed to Feng Sun. “Thank you for your hospitality, sir. My daughter and son and I will leave now.”

As Bo and Daiyu moved to join their father, Wei leapt between them. “Sensei, don’t go.” Ignoring Wong Li’s frown, Wei continued, “Please, Sensei. Allow me to accompany you.”

Feng Sun’s stern voice stopped him. “Wei, we have many guests who are here to celebrate your return. I request that you stay.”

When Wei hesitated, Wong Li stepped forward and took hold of Daiyu’s arm. He shook his head. “No, Wei. We do not require your escort.”

Wei looked from his father to Wong Li. Bowing to his sensei, he stepped back, a troubled frown creasing his brow.

As Daiyu and her father and brother walked by Feng Sun, the Tong leader held up his hands, motioning to Daiyu to stop.

“Daiyu, you know I am angry. But I cannot allow you to leave without acknowledging you. I have never seen the role of the snake performed more elegantly, more beautifully, or with more expertise.”

Daiyu lowered her eyes and bowed. “Thank you, sir.”

As they crossed the courtyard, Ting Lyn jumped from the doorway. A demonic blaze lit her eyes. Ignoring Bo and Wong Li, she hissed at Daiyu. “This is not finished. He will
never
be yours!”

Pulling her father and brother back from the crazed women, Daiyu swallowed a sob. “At least she is right about that,” she murmured.

Chapter 4

The next morning Daiyu and her father were summoned to appear before the Ong León council. When they entered, Daiyu was startled at the anger in Feng Sun’s eyes. Her father’s hand gripping her arm confirmed that he also saw the danger. Seeing three of the stable boys cowering against the wall, dread choked her. Ting Lyn and her mother were standing to the side, their faces gleaming with hate. Wei walked in several minutes after Daiyu and her father. His frown confirmed that he was as surprised as they were at the assembled group.

Feng Sun moved toward Daiyu. His voice was harsh. He spoke without preamble. “This morning I was given irrefutable proof of a crime you committed, Daiyu. A crime that is much graver than your forbidden practice of the warrior arts.”

Wei jerked forward. “What the hell are you saying, Father? What are you accusing her of?”

Feng Sun’s expression hardened. “Be quiet, Wei. No one, including you, is to speak. The matter has been decided. Five witnesses swore that Daiyu indulges in and is a purveyor of opium, the white death.”

Daiyu fell back against her father’s chest, her eyes wide with shock.

“What?” Wei shouted.

“Silence!” Feng Sun roared. “You know the Ong León is leading the fight against the white peril that is crippling our race. My edict is final. Daiyu, as the convicted purveyor of the white scourge, you are banished from my protection and from this household. As for you, Sensei, your services to the Ong León are no longer required.”

As Feng Sun and Daiyu turned to leave, Wei shouted, “Father, for God’s sakes, stop! What are you saying? What are you doing?” He pointed to Ting Lyn, who smirked from the sidelines. “You know what is happening, who is responsible. You cannot believe…”

At that moment, Wong Li stepped forward and held up his hand. His noble face was tight with anger. He addressed Feng Sun. “You convict my daughter of a crime that you know in your heart she did not commit. Shame on you. But you are correct. No further words are needed or will be spoken.”

Wei stopped them as they turned to leave. “Sensei, please. Wait. This is a grievous mistake. You know what is happening. Ting Lyn is responsible for this outrageous lie. I will prove it. I will convince my father. Please…”

Wong Li hesitated. “Wei, you are a second son to me. Know that speaking these words to you is painful. You are no longer welcome in our home.”

With their heads held high, Wong Li and Daiyu left the council chambers.

~~~

Five days later, Wei banged on the sensei’s door. Bo opened the door. His face darkened when he saw Wei. “How many times do we have to tell you? You are not welcome!” He tried to slam the door, but Wei blocked it with his foot.

“Bo, I demand you let me in.”

Bo scowled, “You have no right to make demands. Leave. Now!”

Wei tried to push him aside.” I have something for your father and your sister. I must see them.”

Bo raised his fists, a sharp growl escaping his lips. Behind him, his father spoke, “Let him enter, Bo.”

Wei shoved past Bo, his strong presence filling the room.

He bowed low to Wong Li.

“Sir, I have two letters. The first is a public apology from my father proclaiming Daiyu’s innocence.” His lips quirked, a smile softening his stern expression. “The stable boys were more amenable to my ‘request’ for the truth than I predicted. But the knowledge that my cousin and her mother are on their way to China in disgrace was as persuasive as their broken noses.”

Wong Li took the letter, his expression impassive. “I will see that Daiyu receives this.”

“Wait, Sensei. This letter is for you. We will post this revision to the Ong León Code next to the handbill proclaiming Daiyu’s innocence. As you can see, women may now practice kung fu—with one important caveat. They must be under your tutelage.”

Seeing the tears in his beloved sensei’s eyes, Wei pressed his advantage.

“Now, may I see her?”

A firm click of a door closing confirmed that Daiyu had overheard. Wei brushed by Wong Li and strode to the practice center.

~~

When Wei entered, Daiyu glared at him, folding her arms across her chest. “What do you want, Wei? Haven’t you and your father done enough damage to my father and me?”

“Daiyu, I know you overheard our conversation. You must know how deeply sorry I am for the grave injustice you endured. I am here to ask your forgiveness and to give you this.” Wei inched closer to her holding out a small velvet covered box.

Daiyu lifted her chin, her voice rich with disdain. “I am uninterested in either your apology or your gift.”

A wicked grin tugged at Wei’s mouth. “Hmm, seems you are as stubborn as you ever were. Looks like I’ll need to take matters in my own hands. I propose we settle this the way we did when we were children. I challenge you. As a warrior, you must accept my challenge or concede that you are a coward and unwilling to fight with me.”

Ignoring her surprise, Wei continued. “The stakes are these. If I win, you must accept and wear this gift.” He added with a brash wink, “In the odd event that you win, you may choose how to reward or punish me.”

Daiyu frowned, then turned away as if to leave, but instead swung around arching a fierce kick at his shoulder. Wei stumbled back, shrieking with laughter.

“Ah, my ferocious warrior woman! That’s how it will be? A sneak attack? Damn, that’s the way you fought when you were nine years old!”

With a fierce spirit yell, Daiyu whirled around and drove a hard kick at Wei’s groin. Wei caught her foot and dragged her close to him. Avoiding her sharp elbow jab, he wrapped his foot around her knees and jerked her to the floor, landing squarely on top of her. Daiyu struggled for a moment, then burrowed her face against his shoulder.

As he settled over her, Wei’s hand slipped across one firm, full breast. He grinned and said with a wry chuckle, “Hmm, some things are definitely different than they were ten years ago…”

Daiyu pulled away with a snort, but not before he saw her smile. Wei stroked her cheek and whispered, “Say it, Daiyu. Say you concede.”

She shoved him aside and jumped to her feet, her eyes glittering with scorn. “Fine, dammit! I concede. You win.”

Wei leapt up beside her and handed her the velvet box. “I brought you this pendant from China. It made me think of your eyes.” Pointing to the silver dragon and snake entwined around the gleaming dark green stone, he said, “I added these while I worked to prove your innocence. Turn around.”

Daiyu allowed him to fasten the pendant around her neck, then walked toward the door. She looked back over her shoulder and said with a saucy tilt of her head. “It is just as well that I did not win.”

“Why is that?”

“If I had, I would have forced you to kiss me.”

Wei’s eyes flared in disbelief, but he quickly recovered, a broad grin stealing across his face.

Assuming a solemn expression, he said, “I see. Given that, it is only honorable that I give you the opportunity to regain your standing. I challenge you to a rematch.”

Ignoring Daiyu’s shocked gasp, Wei strode toward her. He fell to his knees in front of her, his eyes sparkling with laughter. Raising his hands in defeat, he said, “Enough. I concede. You win.”

A hint of a smile tweaked Daiyu’s lips at his antics. But, when Wei stood up and reached out to pull her into his arms, Daiyu startled, her eyes widening in wonder.

Wei’s voice was whisper soft, but commanding. Lifting her chin, he looked deep into Daiyu’s dark jade eyes and held her close. “And now, my feisty warrior, I will pay the price of defeat and take my punishment like a man.”

As he leaned down to kiss her, he added, “The man who loves you.”

# # #

THE RECKONING

“Now I know why tigers eat their young.” Al Capone

En route New York to California

Summer, 1901

Click clack, click clack
… The repetitive smack of the wheels on the track comforted her. It drowned out the smells. For the moment. Not for long. Human beings have five senses, correct? With luck they are all well developed.
Not mine
, Ah Lam thought with a grimace. Smell was her forte. Her sense of smell was so acute that even hours after the fact she could tell you the last thing a person had eaten before he died. The smells of death were her expertise. Granted her demographic specialty was narrow: girls between the ages of ten and fifteen. But for a sixteen year old, her sample was impressive. It numbered in the hundreds. Five days into the journey the air was fetid. Not surprising in a cattle car crammed with forty young girls. Finessing the stench, Ah Lam’s nose told her to add two more to her grim total. Her challenge was to find the bodies in the crush and isolate them. Before the newly dead frightened the nearly dead.

She had discovered her “gift” while caring for her mother’s dead body. Murder victims have their own special smell. It had been her first olfactory insight. It was something few eleven-year-old girls knew. But few girls grew up the way Ah Lam had.

Drowsing against the wooden slats of the cattle car, she took shallow breaths, doing her best to protect her lungs from the putrid smells of human waste and fear. She had done what she could to quiet the girls. She had told stories of fierce warriors saving young maidens from evil dragons, had sung Chinese lullabies, humming softly until most of the girls drifted into a restless sleep. She was the oldest of the girls in the car, and the most experienced. No matter what horror any of the others had faced, Ah Lam could out-horrify them. Hers was a ghastly repertoire that no one would seek to emulate.

* * *

It wasn’t always that way. At one time Ah Lam was convinced she was the luckiest girl alive. Her mother told her that continually. The evidence was there. They lived in a special suite of rooms in a castle. The room where she and her mother slept was filled with books, toys, and dozens of dolls. Elizabeth, her favorite, had long blond hair and round blue eyes. The Big Man sent it to her for her eighth birthday. Ah Lam hoped she would be as beautiful as her mother when she grew up, but instead of her mother’s black hair and slanted, almond eyes, she wanted to have blond hair and blue eyes like Elizabeth.

Her mother was the most beautiful woman Ah Lam ever saw. She was special. Everyone told her that. She heard the servants say Ming Lu was the Big Man’s woman. That was why most nights Ah Lam slept alone. Ah Lam loved watching the maids prepare her mother for her visits to the Big Man. They washed her body in water infused with honeysuckle, lavender, and jasmine. They rubbed lotions and creams on every part of her. When they finished, she smelled like a heavenly garden. Her long hair was brushed until it shone like a river of black gold. They outlined her eyes with kohl, making them seem even bigger, and swept lovely colors on her cheeks and lips. The maids paid particular attention to what her mother called her treasure trove, her breasts, and the secret places between her legs. The maids trimmed the hair that grew there, occasionally removing it entirely. Amazing creams made parts of her trove swell and glisten. They rubbed her breasts with oils and tweaked the ends until they were long and hard. When Ah Lam looked askance at her own unremarkable body, wondering why she didn’t have hair on her trove or nubbies on her chest, tears flooded her mother’s eyes.