White Ginger (20 page)

Jason was waiting for her outside the recovery room. She stopped to look him in the eye. “I want her guarded until Elizabeth arrives. I need to know you'll keep her safe.”

“If it'll make you feel better, I'll leave two of my best men here to watch her. I'd stay myself, but there is pressing business that requires my attention.”

“Anything I should be concerned about?”

He shook his head in denial. “I can assure you she's safe here. Word of Shan's deviant behavior is spreading rapidly. Those who supported him will find it difficult to defend a man who beats children to death. I just need to tie up some loose ends before Tommy arrives.”

He paused, his lips pinched together in thought. “As you can imagine, it's become common knowledge that Tommy is coming to Vancouver to clean house. I have men deployed to watch some of our more restive associates. It's especially important I don't lose any of
Sun Yee On's
assets. Tommy's made it clear he doesn't want to finance a bunch of dissident rivals.”

“If Shan's any indication of what infests
Sun Yee On
, a housecleaning is long overdue,” Bai observed.

“Shan was an aberration,” he said defensively, “but there's no denying a bit of restructuring is in order.” He put his arm around her shoulders to steer her away from the recovery room. “The car's waiting under the front portico.”

She walked with him down a long hallway to the hospital lobby, then out glass doors to a tall, covered driveway. A black limousine waited with the engine running. White exhaust plumed in the chill.

She stopped to look around. A light mist hugged the ground to mute the lush, green foliage of the hospital grounds. Dew-laden grass scented the morning air. “It smells cleaner here, different from the city.”

“Not as many people peeing on the sidewalks,” quipped Jason, taking some of the magic out of the moment. “Canadians, in general, seem to be better about that sort of thing.”

She stared at him in despair. “You really know how to kill a mood.”

“Among other things.”

He opened the door of the car as the driver came around to take her bag. She stepped into the car with Jason right behind her. Two of his men already occupied the opposite seat. One of them cradled a pump-action shotgun across his lap while the other listened to an MP3 player with his eyes closed.

She spoke to them. “Hello, Jon. Art. You two are a long way from home.”

She recognized the men from long acquaintance in San Francisco. They were older than she and had served under Tommy when he'd been
Hung Kwan
. Both men were experienced enforcers and reputed to be very good at their jobs.

Art, the one listening to music, pulled his earplugs out and smiled at her. “There's a story going around that you went
mano a mano
with Shan and put a hatchet in his head.”

The two men beamed at her.

She frowned at the comment. Without anger fueling her bloodlust, she'd started to second-guess her homicidal behavior. Even though she couldn't work up any remorse for killing Shan, she couldn't take pride in her actions either. Mostly, she just felt empty.

“The first one's the toughest,” Art offered solicitously.

“Hopefully, it'll be her last,” Jason stated, not bothering to mention it had been her second killing of the day.

Art was going to say something else, but Jason intervened. “I think a little contemplative silence would be good.”

His suggestion was met with obedient nods.

The car pulled slowly away from the hospital. They rode quietly toward the airport as the sky lightened by shades. Weak winter sunlight quickly burned off the mist. By the time the car reached the fenced area of the airport where
Sun Yee On's
private jet waited, the sky had turned a vibrant blue.

Jason got out of the car to walk Bai to the ramp of the plane. Jon and Art followed, their hardware concealed beneath open trench coats.

When she reached the ramp, Jason held out her bag. “Remember, you don't do anything but ask questions until I get back. Whoever initiated the contract on you is obviously dangerous. I don't want you and Lee tackling this without me.”

She nodded in understanding and bestowed what she considered her sincerest smile on him. He scowled in return. His expression suggested he wasn't convinced by the easily won concession. He probably feared she'd keep pushing until something gave, regardless of the danger. It was her nature.

She placed her hand against his cheek before turning to walk up the ramp. Stopping at the door of the plane, she turned around to see him staring up at her with a deep frown etched on his face. She smiled and waved. He shook his head and turned away to walk back toward the waiting limo.

She stepped through the hatch of the plane and made her way toward the cockpit.

The walls of the jet were paneled in a glossy red wood. Oversized recliners in dark blue leather provided individual seating for eight. She appeared to be the only passenger as she sat in a seat situated mid-cabin over one of the stubby wings.

“Would you like something to drink?”

She started and turned to find a woman standing behind her. A lovely smile accompanied the inquiry. The stewardess was petite, Chinese, and wore a black skirt with a starched white blouse. A small set of silver wings glistened on her collar.

“Coffee, if you have it,” Bai replied. “Am I the only passenger?”

“Yes, it'll just be the two of us and the pilots. My name is Mei. We'll be taking off in about ten minutes. In the meantime, I could bring you an espresso, cappuccino, café mocha, or just coffee. Which would you prefer?”

“Just coffee, thanks. Black. Is it all right if I use my cell phone?”

“As long as we're stationary. Once we're in the air, we have phones onboard you can use while in-flight. Just let me know what you need, and I'll be more than happy to provide it.”

“Thank you.”

The young woman bowed and turned away to walk toward the back of the plane where a partition door stood ajar. Bai assumed there was a galley behind the screen. The hidden compartment explained the young woman's sudden appearance.

She tossed her bag into the seat next to her then pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. She called Lee, fully aware he wouldn't be thrilled to hear from her so early in the morning. The phone rang for a long time before he finally picked up.

His voice was slurred. “Did somebody die?”

The question startled her. “Why? Did you hear something?”

“Wait a minute! Somebody really did die? What time is it, anyway?”

“It's six o'clock. Answer my question.”

“What?”

“Why did you think somebody died?

“What other reason would you have to call someone in the middle of the night?”

“The sun is up! It's six in the morning.”

“Just because the sun is up doesn't mean it's day. Only barbarians are awake at this hour. Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“More than you could ever imagine,” she divulged. “There's been a change in plans. I'm flying home. I'll be there in about three hours. Dan and Elizabeth will be flying out with Tommy this morning. You and I have some work to do, and it may be dangerous.”

His voice dropped an octave. “Tell me.”

“Someone's trying to kill me, Lee. And I haven't the slightest idea who or why.”

“What do you need me to do?”

She smiled. She knew she could depend on him. It wouldn't have mattered what she'd asked of him.

“For right now, get Dan and Elizabeth ready to travel. The tricky part will be not alarming them. Tell them I need them here in Vancouver to take care of Jia. Also, I need you to make an afternoon appointment with Hung and Chin. Robert left a message yesterday saying he had something urgent to discuss, and I need to speak with them about a contract they handled.”

“Evidently you found the girl.”

“I found her, but she's in bad shape. She's been nearly beaten to death. That's why I need Elizabeth and Dan here to take care of her while you and I take care of matters at home.”

“Got it,” Lee affirmed. “Will you need a ride from the airport?”

“No, don't worry about me. Just take care of them. I'm pretty sure Tommy will have an armed escort waiting for me.
Sun Yee On
has taken an interest in my problem. That's part of the story I'll have to explain in person. It gets a little sticky.”

“Sticky” was their code word meaning “bloody.” Lee would understand.

“I'll be waiting,” he replied with a note of worry in his voice.

“See you soon.”

She ended the call just as her coffee arrived in a large ceramic mug. She dipped her nose into the cup to smell the bitter fragrance before taking a long, slow sip. It was surprisingly good. The plane started to vibrate, so she pushed the seat into a reclining position as the jet taxied out to the runway. There, it turned on the tarmac and gained speed as the whine of the engines turned into a roar. The plane began to ascend. Bai felt herself pressed back against her seat as the jet leaped into the air.

Bright sunlight from an oval window warmed her shoulder. Putting her coffee cup on the tray next to her, she looked out the porthole to marvel at the brilliant winter day. Fluffy white clouds dotted a pastel-blue sky. She reflected on the beauty of the world around her. There was nothing, it seemed, like a near-death experience to give one a new appreciation for life.

The plane rolled to the end of the runway at San Francisco International and slowly turned away from the passenger terminals. Taxiing to a hangar on the other side of the tarmac, the jet lumbered noisily between massive doors as the light outside dimmed. Overhead lights flickered on to cast a stark white light over the parked jet while leaving the rest of the cavernous structure in shadow.

Bai waited for the engines to wind down before unlatching her seat belt. The young stewardess was already pushing open the door of the plane. Bai grabbed her bag and walked toward the exit. The flight attendant smiled warmly and bowed.

“Thanks for the ride,” Bai said over her shoulder as she stepped onto the ramp.

She negotiated the narrow metal steps one at a time until she reached the bottom, where a customs agent dressed in a black uniform waited. The officer smiled. It was a more gracious reception from customs than she was accustomed to.

“May I see your passport?” he asked.

She fumbled her identification out of her pocket. When she handed him her passport, her hand trembled, surprising her. She'd naturally assumed her body would follow her will despite being sleep-deprived, neglected, and generally abused. The tremor served as a warning. Her body plotted rebellion.

She looked up to see if the customs agent had noticed her quivering fingers. He seemed preoccupied. His eyes dropped to glance at her passport. “Anything to declare, Ms. Jiang?”

“No, nothing.”

The cavernous hangar echoed with emptiness. Her voice sounded hollow in her ears.

While she stared at the agent, it occurred to her she did have something to declare, though it was nothing he'd be interested in. She wanted to tell someone she was being hunted like an animal by an unknown adversary. She wanted to say she didn't have the slightest clue as to why. Instead, she swallowed her anxiety and took a deep breath.

The agent pressed an arrival stamp onto her passport and handed it to her with a deferential nod of his head and a brief “Thank you.”

The sound of tires scrunching against cement drew her attention. A black limousine glided out of the shadows to park a few feet from where she stood. A man she knew, a member of
Sun Yee On
, got out of the driver's seat to open the rear door for her. It appeared Tommy had thought to send a car after all.

She greeted the driver. “Hello, Martin.”

“Good morning, Bai. Did you have a good trip?”

He made a chopping gesture with his open hand to mimic a hatchet. Apparently, her adventures in Vancouver were already a hot topic of discussion at
Sun Yee On
. She'd hoped to beat the rumors home. She feared Dan and Elizabeth might hear the stories before she had a chance to explain herself.

She shook her head in exasperation at Martin's grisly taunt and slipped silently into the back of the limo without offering a reply. To her surprise, Tommy waited for her inside.

He smiled. “Did you have a pleasant trip?”

“Is it safe to talk?”

He nodded. “Yes, the car is shielded.”

“Two attempts on my life were made in less than twelve hours. I have reservations about defining it as a pleasant trip. What do you think?”

His lips quirked up in amusement. “I think you're alive to tell of it, so it isn't all bad. Those years of training finally paid off. And, I hear you got the girl back, which is reason to celebrate. I'm proud of you.” He beamed at her and shook his head, marveling, she supposed, at her good fortune at having survived. “I heard about how Shan died,” he added as an afterthought. “His seems a fitting end. I'm only sorry I wasn't there to see it.”