| One-Shot |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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Bloody Idols: Chapter Six
It's still night, and our heroes are busy. The body of the dead foreigner has been searched, and amongst some personal effects was found a small notepad. The body was then placed in the car with the other cellophane-wrapped body, and the car was driven into the warehouse, locked, and left. Once that was done, Shiao called one of his more unsavory friends, who cheerfully promised to get rid of the evidence, and turn up with another car for the group to use.
Upon examination, the little notebook has revealed some very interesting data. Firstly, and most strangely, it's written in English. Fortunately, this is readable by at least two of the group, and is translated for everyone. Second, the information is a to-do list which explains a lot of what's been going on in the background.
Comparing the list with what they know, the three learn the foreigners are Sunnites attempting to recover four semi truck-beds which are filled with money and archaeological treasures stolen from Iraq by one of the fleeing Baathists factions. Apparently on the ship ride over to Hong Kong, the Baathist accompanying the cargo died.
Through a series of curious coincidences, and due to being the union leader of the cargo unloaders, Kai found out what was in the semis. Since there was no one in Hong Kong to claim the treasure, he apparently was overcome by greed -- and had the semis quietly secreted away in one of the many, many warehouses on the dock. Then, as extra insurance, he gave the key to his current favorite, Willow Down.
Then the Sunnites turned up, and unfortunately the tongs (or at least one of them) found out, and the dockworkers were restless at the disappearance of their union leader... and the hunt was on for the location of the treasure warehouse, and its key.
Most of the to-do list items are checked off already -- questioning dockworkers for which warehouses have been recently used, observation of the embassy to see if the ambassador was still a Baathist, finding Kai and rifling his office and home for either him or the key, and so on. The last item on the to-do list, which is not yet checked, is to find out who Willow Down is, and visit her apartment to question her.
Shiao-Chiang says, "Why do unscrupulous bastards always give their spare keys to pretty girls?"
Shiao-Chiang sighs and shakes his head.
Wu says, "It is doubly important that we find Willow Down. Not only can we warn her to stay the hell out of this mess, but we can make her aware of her parents' offer."
Shiao-Chiang nods. "Guess it all depends whether she's a willing co-conspirator or an innocent patsy."
As the group finishes reading this, a car turns down the little road to the warehouse. It's soon revealed to be Shiao's underworld friend, who unloads his bicycle and a large bag he handles with care. He cheerfully waves, fading into the darkness as the group departs on their way to the apartment of Yu-soo Fan or, as she's also known, Willow Down.
The car turns into the apartment complex, heading for the correct building. As they head past some of the buildings, which are still under construction, the headlights sequentially illuminate the tiny parking lots, most of which are filled with building equipment. Then, in one of them, a curious scenario appears for split seconds in the headlights.
There's a long, sleek black limo parked there across several spaces, disgorging several dark-suited men carrying guns. A struggling young girl is being yanked violently out of the car by some of dark-suited men, and there's time for her to give only one desperate glance at the approaching vehicle of our heroes before the light flicks on past.
The headlights show her gagged face clearly for a second -- it's Yu-soo Fan -- then she's unceremoniously yanked towards the skeletal outline of the apartment building that's under construction there.
Chin shouts, "Hang on!" and throws the car into a hard swerve, blocking the bigger car. "Everybody out!"
The half-built apartment building stretches skeletal bamboo fingers towards the sky, which is cloudy and rumbling ominously with an approaching storm. Lightning flashes blindingly on occasion, lighting up the area with surreal black and white glare. It's the small cargo elevator lights, the little strung floor lights, and the arc lights on top of the highest floor, which make movement around the building possible, though.
The building, when finished, will be about 16 floors tall, even excluding unlucky 13. One of the cargo elevators is already rising steadily up the building's side... the other waits at floor level, with a shadowy figure holding the metal door open.
In the elevator, the shadowy figure waves and calls, "Hellooo! White Dagger says hurry up -- he's expecting you!"
White Dagger -- the Ping tong's killer. Some say he's out of control... others that he's simply a reflection of the lack of respect and the brutality of the Ping tong.
The goon in the elevator is wearing the usual dark suit, with the added interesting fashion statement of a heavily padded, somewhat military-looking, white canvas vest of some sort. He's leaning out of the elevator so he catches the light, grinning and looking rather pleased as he waits for a response.
From the top of the half-built apartment building, where White Dagger and the others are, there's a sharp crack! of sound. Could be a rifle shot... hard to tell. It's followed by an ugly, ominous growl of thunder.
Bursting from the car, Chin dashes to the elevator, and grabs the goon. "No stragglers, boy, just drive this thing."
Wu shouts back at the guy at the lift, "Be right there!" and runs across the lot, heading for the lift, head slightly down. He doubts it's them White Dagger is expecting, but he'll just have to cope with who he gets instead.
Shiao-Chiang goes tumbling out of the car, rising to his feet in one smooth motion, guns blossoming from his hands like dark steel flowers. He runs for the lift on the ground floor.
The man laughs at the three in the lift with him, "Don't be stupid! If you want the girl and the treasure, you'll come up quietly. Otherwise he'll throw the girl off the building!"
The man steps aside for everyone to enter the elevator, looking quite pleased, "Hello, hello! So pleased to see you all! White Dagger's expecting you, yes, yes -- he's quite the artisan, you know!" He hits the button for the elevator to start, which it does with a screech of metal.
He continues to talk as he struggles with the door, "It's quite -- oof! -- quite the honor to be in- erg! -invited!" He finally gives up on the jammed door, looking exasperated as he wipes his forehead. "Damn. Well, just stay well back from the door."
Just as quickly, Shiao's guns vanish somewhere in his coat. He frowns.
The elevator starts up, rattling and jerking mechanically. The man beams at the threesome, then pulls out a walkie-talkie, "Hello, boss? They're with me!" There's a static crackle simultaneous with a flash of lightning and the grumble of thunder again... then the tinny reply, "All of them?" The man replies with a proud, "You betcha, sir!"
Wu wonders silently just who is expected, and just how unhappy Mr. Dagger will be when it turns out to be their little party. He doubts they number among those that were invited. He gets a half smile; nothing like crashing a party.
Aside from the loud rattling and chugging of machinery as the elevator passes floor after floor, and the cold, weird whisper of the rising storm wind through the open metal cage of the lifting elevator... there's silence for a moment in the car. It's a strange, almost eerie sensation for the three... almost as if the wind is tickling the back of their necks, causing their hackles to rise...
Then the tinny voice on the walkie-talkie returns, calm and with an aristocratic accent, "Excellent work, Feng." The smile in the voice can be heard as he adds, "Goodbye." There's a click, then a ticking noise from the vest Feng is wearing. He looks confusedly down at himself, "Huh...?"
Wu grabs his friends, and says, "Wait."
Wu waits a half a heartbeat for the lift to be at a point where leaping out of it won't cut anyone in half, and then says, "Now!" When he says this, he leaps from the car, pulling his two companions with him, making sure to clear the narrow opening in front of the car, throwing themselves at the platform in front of it.
Chin shouts, "Bomb! Jump!" and leaps off into the unknown...
Shiao-Chiang swears and leaps off into the unknown thinking, Couldn't we have just tossed this loser?
The sacrificial victim is terminally confused, unfortunately. The last seen of him, he's backed up into one corner of the elevator, looking around wildly -- and then there's a painfully loud, echoing, BOOOMMM! A bright flower of fire spreads through the elevator cage, reaching greedily outwards... then reluctantly withdraws, as the huge shards of the former elevator start an almost slow-motion tumble out of sight, towards the ground.
Once again, hearing returns with a painful, almost echoing clarity... the wind whispering restlessly through the girders of the open, half-built building... the heavy slam of metal hitting the ground, piece after piece... and then, piercingly, a woman's scream, followed by sobbing. Deafeningly close, there is a lash of lightning followed by an angry snarl of thunder, like a big cat padding restlessly closer.
Wu watches, unsurprised. He murmurs, "Not often I get psychic or mystic warnings, but I did this time. Something odder than usual is going on. Be careful."
The threesome find themselves, in varying degrees of readiness, sprawled and clinging to one of the higher floors. Fortunately this level is pretty well put together already, and while the structural bamboo supports are still in place, there's a solid floor as far as the eye can see. Dimly lit stairs are visible in the center of the building's body.
Wu suggests, quietly, "Let's go upstairs." He grins, maliciously, "We were invited to this party, and I'd hate to be late."
Chin says, "Well, we seem to have regained the element of surprise."
The three race upwards through the half-built building. Almost startlingly suddenly, they burst out into open air!
They're at one corner of the rooftop. Across the roof from them is a partially erected little structure, which will probably someday house machinery. Sitting relaxedly within is a slender, graceful man having a martini -- the White Dagger. Several black-suited men stand nearby, and the girl is bound to what appears to be part of a small crane on the roof. Between them is an obviously unfinished section of roof -- as in there isn't any. A few boards cross the wide chasm... nothing more.
The White Dagger rises languidly, "Ah, excellent, you've arrived... and no worse for wear; how charming!" He finishes his drink and sets the glass aside. "We can finally start."
The girl is looking somewhat the worse for wear, actually... it's obvious she's terrified, and her flowing white clothing has some ragged rips in it. There are tear streaks through her makeup, and she's struggling with biting back sobs. At the White Dagger's words she bursts out fearfully, "No! No, wait, I told you I'd show you -- please! Please, just d-don't hurt me an-ny m-m-more...!" She can't stop the crying, and her voice gets incoherent at the end there.
Chin sighs, "This has to be said, you know," and clears his throat. "This is the police, you're all under arrest. Drop your weapons, and raise your hands." He finishes with a bit of snarl, "...now's let's begin the thrashing you so richly deserve..."
The goons all keep extremely wary eyes -- and weapons -- on the threesome. White Dagger doesn't appear to register Chin's comment at all, creepily enough. Instead he straightens his jacket, then pulls out a handkerchief, strolling over to the girl. Eerily, he's almost crooning, "Now, now, enough sniveling... let's clean this up a bit so we can see your face more clearly, eh? Visual artistry should be appreciated..." He wipes all the makeup off Willow Down's face -- weirdly, it looks like the scarification make-up she'd used to pass as her sister's ghost -- then tosses the hankie casually over the edge of the building. It flutters, a forgotten wisp, out of sight until the wind whips it away.
White Dagger regards the girl thoughtfully, tapping one finger against his chin, "Hm... where to start..."
In the sudden sharp slash of lightning, Shiao's rictus grin lights his face up, and reveals the guns once again in his hands. The sharp chatter of gunfire is lost in the crack and roar of thunder, but the bright flash of gunfire shows his bullet trail following the goons.
Wu calls out, "How about you pick on someone your own size, White Dickweed?" and lean cockily on his staff.
The girl is almost babbling, "I'll show you, I'll show you, I have the key, I promise!" Her eyes are wide with terror -- it's obvious she really doesn't want to recognize that White Dagger just... doesn't... care.
The guns are in his hand and he's firing, targeting the goons in the gloom -- one, two, three.
White Dagger turns slowly towards the sound of gunfire, his eyes narrowing. His eyes are on the three embattled men, although his words are for the girl, "Have the key? My dear little girl, why do you think your dress was torn? You don't have it. You're useless to me... and you're lying." He sighs melodramatically, "Liars so annoy me...!" Almost faster than the eye can see, one hand lashes out, cracking across the girl's face and rocking her head back -- and the crane creaks, the end with the girl shifting slightly, swinging out towards open space.
The goons are returning fire, and conversation is rapidly becoming impossible between the rising crescendo of thunder and machine gun chatter.
Charging across the roof in the darkness toward White Dagger, Chin is in amongst the thugs, making it difficult for them to get a clear shot at him. "Dagger! Your thugs won't keep us from you! Come out and fight like a man, you pig!"
Unfortunately for at least one of the goons, the combination of Chin's sudden appearance among them, and the darkness, causes him to misfire. There's a bright bloom of flame and a scream.
Wu lets the guns firing across the gap light his way across the maze of planks, towards the other side, heading slightly to one side, hoping most of the shooters will ignore him. He flicks his staff up in front of him, and uses it to knock any goon fool enough to get in his way to one side. His eyes are set on White Dragon and the girl.
Shiao-Chiang's face is set grimly as he ducks and bobs among the scattered assortment of windblown junk strewn across the floor. Doesn't look like I hit any with that first salvo, dammit. Lightning crashes and muzzle flashes illuminate his prey in scattered patches, as they dive for cover and trying to keep a bead on him as he moves swiftly towards them like a wolf in lawyer's clothing. One topples backwards over a bucket of rusted parts, arms flung wide as he hits the ground dead. Another flash of lightning, another thug slumps to the ground, others throw themselves flat to avoid the spattering gunfire. Shiao comes up from a crouch and picks off a third goon half-hidden in the gloom, his body falling between the boards to vanish into the darkness below.
The White Dagger tilts his head, regarding the approaching two with faint amusement, "Excellent, I was starting to worry there were no more heroes in the world." He tosses his head as he laughs, airily and without a hint of sanity, the wind whipping his long pale hair about him."
Then abruptly his demeanor changes. Glaring at the closer Chin, he snarls, "You want the millions as much as I and everyone else. The question is where... and I have the girl." He sighs melodramatically, his expression changing yet again, "True, the clumsy git has lost the key... but it's amazing what one can do with explosives nowadays!"
He grins, his eyes alight with... something, "But please! Do keep trying -- it's so much more fun that way!" As he speaks, he kicks out a brace on the crane standard. The arm creaks and swings a little further out towards open air, causing the girl to gasp and desperately try dragging her toes on the ground to slow it down, even as the wind eagerly tugs at her clothing.
Shiao-Chiang finds a toppled ladder to crouch behind, and eyes narrowed continues to punctuate the rising storm with gunfire and the shouts of his quarry. Efficiently and coldly, he separates the two quick from the two dead.
The wind howls hungrily, tugging at the girl's ragged dress where it flutters over the edge of the roof. White Dagger tilts his head again, obviously waiting... with lessening patience. Finally he sighs again, "Nothing new... never anything new." He turns disinterestedly away, waving a dismissive hand, "Kill them."
The goons renew their attacks, machine guns chattering counterpoint to the wind, and muzzle flashes counter-pointed by the occasional spangggg! of bullet-struck metal. Unfortunately, the major damage done is only to a few buckets and other small objects, which bounce and splatter, ricocheting madly about the rooftop.
Without stopping, Chin charges across the flimsy boards lying over gaping holes in the floor. He's pretty spry for an old guy. As he rushes over to White Dagger and the girl, Chin sneers, "I'm glad we finally got your attention, you cheap thug, or you wouldn't have even see this coming," and throws a blow straight into his face. White Dagger casually reaches up to block, but Chin drops into a spinning leg sweep. With a small smile, Dagger deftly avoids Chin. "...and you'll never find the key, Dagger. It's too well hidden."
Shiao-Chiang's next shots aren't so lucky, going wide over the heads of his terrified opponents, their faces etched with determination in the brilliant staccato light. A bucket explodes, showering a cowering thug with bits of nails, but they fight on.
Wu darts through the goons, ignoring the hail of bullets, and heads straight past the madman, towards the girl. He comes to an abrupt halt at the crane, only realizing how fragile and makeshift the thing is once he's up close. Lighted by the building's faint, yellowish construction lights, the weakened bamboo creaks badly in the wind. The terrified struggling of the girl is not helping, making the crane sway. She will soon work herself free, and she's panicked enough now that telling her to hold still would be futile. Her freedom would almost certainly mean her death, as she sways back and forth over the precipice of the building.
Shiao-Chiang slows, with a frown, realizing that haste is making him sloppy. He remembers sifu's words on breathing. The gun cycles and jerks in his hand. Another down. He takes a breath. Turns and meets his enemy's eyes. Fires. His opponent slumps. This is me breathing. His mind is far away and calm like the surface of a lake on a still day.
The White Dagger gives Chin a languidly amused glance, casually brushing back a white wisp of hair -- then abruptly slashes out one claw-fingered hand with blurring speed.
Lit by lightning, metal gleams between the White Dagger's fingers... and blood sprays away in heavy droplets.
The various remaining gunmen determinedly do their best to keep Shiao pinned down -- but unfortunately none of them seem capable of actually hitting him.
Chin is surprised to feel blood running down his side. Rolling to his feet, and falling into stance, he focuses on White Dagger and launches a flurry of blows, driving him away from the crane and Wu. "The dry cleaning for that is coming out of your hide, Dagger." The final blow is a short, sharp jab to the gut, as Chin steps in, face-to-face. It lands with a dull thud.
Wu carefully moves past the crane to the dangling, terrified girl. With easy grace he pulls her back to safety, collecting her with his staff. He pulls the struggling girl down below the continuing gunfire, and frees her from the crane's cable. She will have little trouble untangling herself. He tells her, "Stay down! Don't get shot!" and then looks back over to White Dagger, standing up to a low crouch slowly, and swinging his staff menacingly.
The girl, unsurprisingly... faints.
Calm lakes. Bang. Another drops. And Another. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he watches himself pivot to wing a third. Lines from an old poem run through his head. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water...still water.
Shiao-Chiang breathes out and makes a decision. He stands up and shouts. "If you want to live, leave now. If you stay, you will die - each and every one of you. The choice is yours!" His expression is calm, his guns lowered a bare fraction of an inch.
White Dagger looks a little surprised at actually being struck -- then shakes his head and lashes out again at Chin, "Peasant! Get back to where you belong."
After Shiao's shout there's an eerie silence, punctuated only by the sibilant hiss of the wind... then, carefully and slowly, moving as much under cover as he can... one last wounded man sidles through the shadows, cautiously heading for the stairs.
Almost contemptuously, White Dagger's fist slams into Chin... even as Chin dodges slightly, avoiding the worst of the blow. White Dagger then draws back, waiting for Chin to fall -- and looks a bit taken-aback when his opponent staggers, but remains upright.