CHAPTER 2: TERRI JIE

"Care for a lift, beautiful?" I pulled up at the curb next to where Jess was standing. I had intentionally driven over to where she worked in the hope that I would catch her. I saw her the minute I turned the corner. She was in a power suit - green skirt and jacket with a light beige silk shirt inside. She looked simply stunning, and I couldn’t help but feel a tad jealous when I saw her talking to some good looking guy who was standing next to her.

"Oh my gawd," she gawked. "You bought a new car!" referring to the red BMW M3 I was driving. "I can’t believe you!"

"So, are you just going to stand there with your mouth opened or are you getting in?" I said with a grin.

She laughed, waved goodbye to that guy and hopped right in. "Where are we going?"

"What makes you think we’re going anywhere?" I chortled, tickled by her presumptuous nature.

Her face screwed up in disappointment. "We’re not?"

I laughed out loud. She always did have that effect on me. "Be patient. You’ll soon find out. By the way, who was that guy you were talking to?" I was curious to know. Anxious even.

She chuckled, "He’s Steven, a colleague. Why? Are you interested in him? Hmm...since when did guys interest you?"

I pretended to ignore her comment and instead concentrated on the road. Oh yes, I had forgotten to mention. Jess knows I’m gay. She doesn’t know I love her, but she knows I’m gay. What a joke. I wanted to believe that if she could accept the fact that I was gay, maybe she could accept it if I told her I loved her. However as I have said, it was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. She trusted and believed me to be nothing more than a good friend and I cherished that trust. If I were to disclose my true feelings for her, I would be breaking such a trust. So I was a coward. But I would rather a coward be than to lose her completely.

"Hey! I was talking to you!" She shook my shoulder forcefully.

"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?" I asked blankly.

She sighed and pulled a silly face. "I asked...what’s the reason for this new car? Didn’t you just get the CLK?"

"Don’t you like it? I figured you’d probably need a car. I can’t be chauffeuring you around everyday you know. But if you don’t like it, I could always return it," I snickered.

"WHAT?!" She shrieked. "This is for me?! Are you serious?! Are you mad?! Won’t I get in deep shit with ICAC?"

I cracked up again. "Silly, I’m not asking for any favours from you. Also, the car’s under my name so you don’t have to worry about a single thing. As far as others are concern, I’m lending you MY car," I told her.

She threw her arms around me with a squeal. I swerved erratically, caught unawares by her action. "Careful! Or I’ll crash YOUR new car," I laughed.

She settled down and shook her head. "You’re amazing Terri. You think of everything." Then she chuckled. "I swear, if I were gay, I’d fall head over heels in love with you."

Her words hit me like a brick wall and I felt a deep, sinking sensation in my stomach. I swear, if I were gay, I’d fall head over heels in love with you. Only she wasn’t and would never be. Jess was into men as much as I was into her. To ask for more was only wishful thinking. I choked back my emotions.

"Hey, don’t go putting thoughts into my head or I may just decide to ‘kau’ you," I grinned.

"Yea, sure!" She laughed sarcastically. But I had detected a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Hah! You wished! My girlfriends are a thousand times prettier than you," I snorted. It was lame but I hoped that it would reassure her all the same. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her shoulders relax a little, obviously relieved by what I had just said. I continued staring ahead at the road although the stabbing pain I felt in my heart had already started to blur my senses and vision.

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I brought my CLK to a screeching halt. Three attendants rushed towards me as I climbed out and tossed my keys towards one of them. "Miss Au, they’re waiting for you inside," another said. I ignored him and casually walked towards the entrance of the huge mansion. As I reached the doors, they opened and a roomful of people stood before me. "Miss Au", "Miss Au", "Terri jie", "Miss Au", "Terri jie". I nodded my acknowledgment and strolled in.

Seated in the living room were 3 men and a lady. They turned to look at me, their stoic faces showing no emotion whatsoever. Jordan rushed to my side. "Where were you? They’ve been waiting all morning," he whispered to me. I gave him a look that said I could handle whatever it was. He looked worried and although I didn’t show it, it disturbed me a little. Jordan hardly worried about things but when he did, it normally meant that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Hung yeh, Loong yeh, Uncle Tim, Sandra jie," I greeted each of them as I sat down.

If police were to raid this place at this precise moment, they would probably have crippled the biggest crime network in the whole of Hong Kong. For in this house sat the five most powerful persons in the country - they were the people who ran the economy, the country and who controlled all of the island’s triads. Seated directly opposite me was Hung yeh, the leader of the Royal 13s. Next to him, on the other sofa, was Loong yeh who controlled Tung Sing. On his left, Uncle Tim of Tiger Hill. On Hung yeh’s right, sunk into the sofa was Sandra jie from Hung Hing. And there was me. I had inherited the ‘business’ from my father two years ago when he passed away. Me, whether you believed it or not, I was leader of the White Dragons.

Loong yeh waved his hand. "Those who need not be here can go."

Very quickly the room cleared, leaving only the 5 of us, one of Loong yeh’s aides and Jordan. Loong yeh stared at Jordan. "I said, all those who need not be here could go."

"Jordan’s my right-hand man. He stays here with me," I said matter-of-factly, as I returned Loong yeh’s stare. I had learned to stand my ground with the rest of these triad heads, refusing to let them bully me. I knew they saw me as a little girl - a nervous, inexperienced green horn incapable of running, let alone leading the White Dragons. I was determined to show them otherwise. In our world, respect was earned, not inherited.

Hung yeh sneered. “Loong yeh, our Terri jie is but a little girl. She still needs her security blanket.”

I ignored the insult, which I knew was an obvious attempt at trying to unnerve me. I felt Jordan move and I quickly placed my hand on his thigh, signalling him to sit back down. I can take care of it. I composed myself, willing my anger to subside and waited to see what else they had to say.

Loong yeh pursed his lips and clasped his hands together. “Terri, Terri. You do know that in our business, trust and loyalty are the main key words, don’t you? Whether we like it or not, we’re all connected - don’t you think that if something went on in the White Dragons, it would not affect Tung Sing, Hung Hing, the Royal 13s and Tiger Hill?”

“Why not go straight to the point, Loong yeh,” I said nonchalantly though I was irritated by the tone of his voice. It sounded condescending and patronising.

His lips curved into a smile, as if what I just said amused him. He gestured to his aide who nodded and went out the back. When he returned, he was dragging something with him. I stole a glimpse and realised that it wasn’t something. It was someone. He then dropped the bloody and badly beaten body at my foot. It was only then that I recognised who it was.