Chapter 4
Patrick Tam – Devin Hsu
Vivian Leung – Erin Yeung aka Scorpio
Ruby Lin – Mia Lam-Chiu aka Pisces
Nick Cheung – Darren Chiu aka Taurus
Julian Cheung - Doug Chung aka Virgo
Gallen Lo – Matt Tong aka M.T.
Joyce Tang – Reina Ng aka Gemini
Charlene Choi – Jenna Cheung aka Aries
Edison Chan - Ryan Tong aka Sagittarius
Jessica Huen – Carmen Hui aka Cancer
The following morning, Devin woke up early to prepare the group for training. He reached the meeting area behind the temple but was surprised to see one agent beat him to it. Tilting her head with grin, she greeted him “Morning.”
He smiled at the familiar grin he knew on a personal basis “It’s still early.”
“I’m ready for whatever you have planned.” Erin shrugged her shoulders with ease. She was sore but wouldn’t let him see it.
He stepped closer until they were close enough to breath the same puff of air “I have separate plans for you.” He slowly leaned down to give her a kiss when she heard footsteps behind.
Pulling away as she adjusted her eye “Thanks Devin, I think the lint is out of my eye now.” She quickly covered and blinked a few times.
Darren rolled his eyes “Oldest lie in the book. Allow me.” He stepped over and took Devin’s position “Oh, you’re right. Your eyes are brown. Or my favorite, no that’s not a pimple.”
The two exchanged knowing smiles “Keep the secret for us?” Devin asked.
“Consider it done.” Darren agreed, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you but Mia is on to you two. She’ll drag it out of you.” He warned Devin “Using her secret weapon.”
“Jenna?” Devin guessed.
“No, Bonnie.” Erin knew her friend too well.
The three quickly stopped talking when the others came stumbling out. Mia yawned widely and didn’t bother to cover her mouth “Too early.”
Ryan and Doug were carrying Jenna by the arms and legs “We bring food. Start fire. We eat tonight.” Doug used his most masculine tribal voice as they dropped the unconscious girl on the cold grass.
She curled in a fetal position while Ryan shook his head “We tried everything.”
Devin knew his lazy niece too well as he bent on one knee and advised her with a booming voice “Who ever does not finish today’s training will not get to sleep!”
Instantly, she was up “Okay, I give up. Man, I shouldn’t have told you my weakness.” She stood up and sighed, “I want my nice Uncle back!” she whined.
Doug turned to her in shock “You made us carry you all the way from the room out here and you were awake the whole time?!”
She giggled while nodding her head vigorously “Yeah, it was fun! But I think you need to work out your arms a little more.” She squeezed them playfully “Your chest was heaving up and down like crazy.”
He whipped his body towards her threatening as she darted behind Ryan with a laugh. Devin shook his head “Guys, can we focus? Reina and Matt have a few gifts for you guys while you do the five mile run this morning.”
“A beef jerkey tied to the end of a string stick while they ride in front of us?” Mia snickered “That just crosses borderline of cruel and unusual punishment.”
Carmen laughed “You know that’s the first thing on Mia’s mind in the morning. Poor Darren.” The group joined in the laugh but Mia was the least bit amused.
“Shh! New girl can’t make jokes yet.” She snapped.
Matt appeared around the corner with a box and Reina on his side. They heard her last comment “Mia, Carmen has been with us for almost a year. I doubt she’s consider new anymore.” Reina reasoned.
“Shush! Or I’ll disown you too.” Mia snarled.
“Wow, grumpy Mia.” Matt raised his brows “I kinda like it.” He dropped the box in front of them “Okay gang, to help your stamina. We’re adding a little weight to your arm and legs.” He pulled the box open and threw little three pound bean bags made to tie around the ankles and wrists.
Reina helped Mia put on hers “See, it’s like an anklet and bracelet.” She giggled while moving on to help Carmen.
“The only things I wear around my ankles and wrists have diamonds on them.” Mia looked at them with disgust.
Darren laughed as he turned to his wife “It’s not that bad. Kinda matches your outfit.” He pointed to her gray jumpsuit.
Jenna placed her wrists out as if she was being handcuffed “Take me away.”
“You’re not going to jail Jenna.” Erin shook her head at the overly dramatic girl.
“We might as well be. We live in jail and we train like dogs.” She groaned, “I quit!”
Ryan laughed at his girlfriend’s desperate plea “Honey, I don’t think that’s possible. We signed our names to the devil. He has our souls now.”
“Devin the Devil.” Mia said dazily “I like the sound of that.”
Devin laughed purposely “That’s good Mia. Just for that, I’m going to make this a little more challenging.”
“More than these?!” she demanded while shaking her wrist and ankle at him.
“You guys will run in a long line. The last person in the line will sprint to the front of the line each time Matt blows his whistle. If you guys keep a good pace, they are not required to blow the whistle. But if you are slow…well then…you know the consequences.” Devin had no intention of making it easier for them.
“It must be nice huh? To stand there and command everything. We do all the work while you watch.” Mia asked.
“Very nice.” Devin closed his eyes with a look of satisfaction.
She narrowed her eyes evilly “Fine…okay. Two can play at that game. Have fun with Bonnie today.” she laughed viciously.
Darren sighed as he patted the Head on the shoulder “Good luck.” He led the group in the jogb as they followed Reina’s bike. Before they even hit three feet, a whistle was called out.
“What the hell?!” Jenna cried in disagreement as she was the last in line and was sprinting to the front of the line.
While they jogged, Devin returned to the girls’ room to check on Bonnie. When he didn’t see her in her bed, his heart nearly stopped. Spinning around, he found her walking back groggily. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, her hair was a mess. He sighed with relief “There you are. Don’t go anywhere without telling an adult.” He ordered.
Bonnie looked up at him with barely open eyes “I had to pee.” She advised while climbing back into bed. He watched as she fell into a deep sleep within seconds. Sighing, he returned to his room to get a book to read. When he got back to the girls’ room, she was missing again.
Grunting with frustration, he retrieved his steps outside “Bonnie!” he called. Refusing to panic after five minutes of unsuccessful searching, he heard a feeble voice coming from the garden. He wasn’t sure how she climbed herself onto the big apple tree “Bonnie!”
“Uncle Devin, my cat!” she pointed excitedly “It’s my cat!” She claimed.
Sighing, he shook his head “I’m going to kill Mia.” He muttered and walked under where she sat on the branch “Bonnie, come down please. I don’t want you to get hurt. Your mother will be very angry with me.”
“If you get my cat, Felix, I will come back down.” She offered the deal.
“Okay. I promise.” He stepped over to the tree to help her down.
She looked down and her eyes instantly filled with fear “I’m afraid…” she whimpered.
He turned his head strangely “You managed to climb on the tree but you can’t get back down?” she nodded vigorously. He smiled “Okay, jump. I’ll catch you.” He lifted both arms at her.
“You promise to catch me?” she asked for certainty.
He nodded “I promise.” He waved for her to do so as she closed her eyes and pushed off from the branch. He caught her with ease and noticed her eyes were still closed “You can open your eyes now.”
Bonnie opened one eye at a time when she realized she was safe. Smiling, she wiggled her way to the ground “Thank you Uncle Devin. My cat.” She pointed to the tree.
Devin looked up to find the feline but it was nowhere in sight “Are you sure it’s up here? I don’t see it…” he walked to the back and looked again “What color is it, Bonnie?” he looked over to where he last put her down “Bonnie?” again she was missing. He was beyond frustrated as he gritted his teeth while calling her “Bonnie!!”
*************
The group grew restless as they waited for the slowest teammate “Come on Mia!” Jenna cried, “I’m hungry! We can’t eat until you finish!!” she called. She was only a couple of yards away but she treated it like a mile.
Mia’s legs gave out when she reached the finish line and fell to the grass “You try…having …a …kid …and run five…miles after…” she said between gasps.
Erin leaned on her thigh to rest “Bonnie is five years old Mia. You didn’t just have her yesterday.”
“Well, it feels like it.” She breathed.
Matt checked his watch “Well, thanks to Mia, you guys only have a 10 minute break before the next training. Breakfast is in dining room.” He pointed.
The girls supported Mia while the guys rushed to get their food. When they reached their tables, Mia quickly snapped off her weights “Get these things off me.” She groaned painfully rubbing her tired and sweaty wrists “If Bonnie hasn’t finished him off, I’m going to.” She vowed.
Darren returned with a bowl of congee and fried dough breads “Here you go my darling.” He placed it before her as she hungrily ate it. He turned to the guys who widened their eyes “See, with years of marriage, there is no need for courtesy anymore.”
“Or manners.” Doug winced after Mia spit back the hot congee and dipped the bread instead.
Erin came over with two trays, leaving one down for Darren “Slow down before you choke!” she scolded her friend.
Just as she finished Mia began coughing up the congee that went down the wrong tube “You and your curses.” She glared at her “How many more days til we go home?”
Doug pretended to count his fingers as he lipped the numbers silently “Um…fifty eight days.” he concluded.
Jenna cracked with a pointed thumb “Math wiz, ladies and gentlemen.”
“Two days?!” Mia exclaimed “Only two days?”
“One and a half.” Ryan corrected, “It’s not even lunch yet.”
Reina smiled at her friend “Time will go by fast once you guys get use to the routine. The faster you finish the training, the more free time you will have at night.”
“What?!” Jenna exclaimed, “No one told us that.”
“That’s because she just made it up.” Matt shook his head at the naïve girl.
“So we won’t have more time even if we finish early?” Carmen asked with pleading eyes.
He looked around at the table with eyes staring at him waiting for an answer “I’ll ask Devin later.” He promised.
Chapter 5
Patrick Tam – Devin Hsu
Vivian Leung – Erin Yeung aka Scorpio
Ruby Lin – Mia Lam-Chiu aka Pisces
Nick Cheung – Darren Chiu aka Taurus
Julian Cheung - Doug Chung aka Virgo
Gallen Lo – Matt Tong aka M.T.
Joyce Tang – Reina Ng aka Gemini
Charlene Choi – Jenna Cheung aka Aries
Edison Chan - Ryan Tong aka Sagittarius
Jessica Huen – Carmen Hui aka Cancer
Amy Kwok – Janine Wu
After their lunch break, they were back at gun and battle training. Devin had long ago found Bonnie and to keep her from running away, he tied a rope around her waist and connected the other end to his wrist. Every time it tugged, he knew she was trying to get away. He was in the kitchen looking over the fridge, they were low on food. He would have to go to the market himself and get food.
He felt the pull again and turned to find Bonnie running in one place, she was struggling to get away. Shaking his head with a smile, he pulled her back to him “Bonnie, how would you like to go to the market with me?”
“Can I have ice cream?!” her eyes lit up like a million lights.
Devin laughed, “Ice cream? Isn’t it too cold for that?”
Shaking her head, she replied “Mommy calls me little snowgirl cause I eat ice cream all the time of the year. I love ice cream!” she sang with a little hopping dance.
He figured if Mia allowed her to eat it, there would be no harm. Nodding, he agreed with her “Okay, but you have to listen to Uncle Devin.”
“Okay.” She smiled sweetly.
He untied the ropes and carried her in his arms as they drove out to the market in the van. He parked near a village and walked the rest of the way there. Knowing his team would need more protein than just pork and chicken. He decided to buy steak for dinner that night. He found the butcher and asked for a couple of large pieces of the best beef. He paid for it and turned to Bonnie, who was staring at a woman gutting a fish. Her eyes widened with fear. Devin bent down to eye level with her “Bonnie?”
“Fishy.” She pointed, “It’s still alive.”
He realized the girl was scared “No, it’s dead. She’s just cleaning it for people to bring home and eat.” Devin diverged her attention with a pointed finger “Look, ice cream.”
“Where?” She was out of the daze and turning towards the ice cream cart man.
Devin picked her up and walked over to the man “What kind of ice cream do you have?” he spoke in their dialect.
“Green bean, red bean, yellow bean and lychee.” He said in a monotone voice.
He turned to Bonnie, who tapped her chin “Red bean!” she concluded.
“One red bean ice cream.” He said to the vendor. The man looked bored as he handed it over to Devin “How much?”
“Two dollars.” The man answered.
Devin dug in his pocket for change when someone paid for him “I got it.” A female voice spoke up as she handed the change to the man. He turned to the familiar voice “Long time no see.” She was as how he remembered her. Her smile still as she glanced at Bonnie in her hands “She’s cute.”
He quickly snapped out of the daze “Oh, she’s not mine. I’m babysitting.” He shook his head in amazement that they could run into each other in such a big country “I didn’t know you were back?”
Janine smiled her signature grin “Devin, we haven’t kept in touch for ages.”
“Right…” he nodded awkwardly.
“Mommy!!” a tiny voice called.
Devin turned to see a little boy not any older than Bonnie come running to Janine as he wrapped his small arms around her legs adoringly “I know a place we can let the kids play.” Janine hinted.
He nodded “Sure.” By the time they reached the park, Bonnie had finished her ice cream and was playing with the boy named Ah Ming. Devin smiled as he noticed Bonnie pushing the boy on the swings, they were laughing deliriously “Cute boy.”
Janine’s content smile faded “He should be.” She turned to him “He’s yours.”
His face dropped as he turned to her “He…he’s mine?”
“You don’t have to admit it.” Janine said casually “I married John after he chased me for three years. He doesn’t care that Ah Ming is not his, he treated him like his own. But I know it’s not right for my son not to know who his real father is.”
“So you’re just going to tell him? How can he accept it?” Devin raised his voice as he widened his eyes in shock.
“You mean, how can YOU accept it.” Janine smiled, she was prepared for the reaction “I told you Devin, you don’t have to be responsible. I’m not asking for anything from you.”
“I’m a father.” He said the words as if they were foreign. He was astonished by the news and found it hard to swallow, but knowing Janine, she would not lie to him “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“After we split, I realized I was pregnant. It did cross my mind to tell you but I thought what’s the use? Would you return to me if you knew? Even if you would, I had too much pride to accept.” she had no grudge left in her heart since her son was well taken care of.
He was shameful and angry at himself “You should have told me.”
She shook her head “No, it was for the best. You had more important things in your life. I didn’t want to be second. I guess it was selfish of me not to be understanding. I wanted a family, you weren't ready. It just didn’t work out.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly.
Devin was prepare to apologize when he heard Bonnie’s scream “Uncle Devin!!!” she was on the slide and pointing to a man holding onto Ah Ming.
In a heartbeat, he was up and chasing the man. The kid looked petrified as he reached his arms out to Devin. He caught up to the man and knocked the back of his knees down at the same time, he grabbed the boy from the man’s weakened grasp. Janine caught up as she reached for her son desperately. Devin noticed the guy trying to get away as he stopped him with another kick. Pinning his arm behind his back “How dare you kidnap a kid in broad daylight!”
“Devin.” Janine placed a hand on his shoulder “Let him go.”
He turned to her in astonishment “What?”
“Let him go.” She tugged his arm away gently as he slowly let go. The guy sprinted away before he changed his mind. She ignored his stare and put on a forced smile “Anyways, it was nice seeing you again. Say bye Ah Ming.” She nudged softly.
“Bye.” The boy repeated.
“Janine…” Devin was not finished and she knew it.
“I’ll be down in Hong Kong in a few months. Look me up.” She turned and left without looking back.
Bonnie rushed over to his side as she pulled on his pant leg “Uncle Devin, is she your girlfriend?”
“No.” he said without acknowledging her.
“Is Aunt Erin your girlfriend?” she recalled her mother specifying the question to ask.
Devin was snapped back to reality when he heard her name. Leaning down at Bonnie, he shook his head “No. She’s not.”
“Why not?” Bonnie questioned further.
“Because she’s not.” He answered shortly and picked her up as he went back to the bench and picked up the beef to return to the temple.
“You don’t like Aunt Erin?” the little girl tried.
Devin turned to her with a sly expression “Bonnie is too small to understand. When you grow older, Uncle Devin will tell you anything you want to know.”
“Daddy says I’m a big girl now.” She argued.
He decided to make a deal with her “When you grow as tall as your mother, then you are a big girl.”
Bonnie lowered her puppy eyes “Mommy says that I will never be tall because I have daddy short genes.” She scratched her head “But I can’t fit daddy’s jeans. It’s too big.”
Devin laughed at the innocence of her explanation “Oh…little Bonnie. You are too cute to be Mia’s.”
*************
During dinner, Erin noticed Devin especially different. She didn’t want to appear too concerned so she made eye contact with Darren and nodded slightly wards Devin. He took the hint and cleared his throat “Hey boss, thanks for the steak dinners.”
“You’re welcome.” He nodded briefly.
“Yeah, what’s with the steak dinners?” Mia stopped eating “They better not have any medicine in here and we wake up on a deserted island you tell us we have to build a raft and get back home on our own.”
Devin couldn’t help but laugh, “Now I know where Bonnie got her crazy imagination from. Your little girl is quite the handful. Did you know she climbed the tree this morning claiming she saw her cat and made me go fetch it. But when I went to look, there was nothing there.”
The group stifled their laughs with shaking heads “Were you living under a rock?” Mia asked, “Bonnie has an imaginary cat named Felix that follows her everywhere.”
“Since when?” Devin apparently was the only one that didn’t know.
“A few months now.” Doug answered with a mouthful “I accidentally stepped on his tail a few weeks ago and Bonnie was mad at me for days.” he whispered.
“Well, I guess that makes more sense.” Devin turned to Mia “But maybe you should have her talk to Jessie. It’s not normal for a kid to imagine pets.”
Doug shook his head and pointed the fork at Devin “Actually, that’s not true. Jessie said it was normal for a kid to have imaginary friends or in this case pets. It helps them get away from social anxiety syndrome. Something 3 out of 10 kids have today. Especially at the age of four to eight. It’s most crucial that you do not make them feel silly for having such an imagination.”
He had earned everyone’s attention with the explanation. Jenna turned to Ryan “You get the holy water, I’ll get the cross.” She began climbing off the bench when Doug pulled her back.
“I’m not possessed, you freak.” He snapped.
Reina smiled “But you’re educated. We’re just not use to it.”
“I guess the saying is right. You lean more to light, you become smarter.” Mia laughed with a shaking head. This time, everyone turned to her in confusion.
“Brighter.” Erin corrected her friend.
“What’s brighter?” Mia was completely lost.
“Never mind. “Erin laughed as she continued eating. She glanced at Devin and noticed a worried expression on his face.
After they finished dinner, everyone returned to their rooms ready for an early night. Erin made an excuse that she had to go to the bathroom but headed to the guy’s room instead. She was about to knock when her eyes moved over to a figure in the garden. She recognized his silhouette as she approached him. Without saying a word, he knew it was her “You couldn’t sleep?”
Erin took the empty seat next to him on the stone bench “I think it’s the opposite.” She turned to the full moon “It’s gorgeous tonight.”
“But the moon in Hong Kong is still the best.” He sighed with the double meaning that she couldn’t begin to comprehend.
She smiled at him with a tilted head “So we made it through the small talk. Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or should I guess?”
“You couldn’t guess.” He whispered more to himself. Erin reached her hand out and took his. He looked up with surprised, shocked that she wasn’t afraid “You’re not worried that Mia might be behind those bushes?” he nodded to her left.
She didn’t bother turning and shook her head “I think you need this more.” She tightened her grip on his hand. He smiled gratefully as he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed them. Switching hands, he reached one arm over her shoulder and hugged her warmly “Whatever it is, I’m here if you ever need help.” He nodded into her shoulder but wasn’t ready to tell her.
Chapter 6
Patrick Tam – Devin Hsu
Vivian Leung – Erin Yeung aka Scorpio
Ruby Lin – Mia Lam-Chiu aka Pisces
Nick Cheung – Darren Chiu aka Taurus
Julian Cheung - Doug Chung aka Virgo
Gallen Lo – Matt Tong aka M.T.
Joyce Tang – Reina Ng aka Gemini
Charlene Choi – Jenna Cheung aka Aries
Edison Chan - Ryan Tong aka Sagittarius
Jessica Huen – Carmen Hui aka Cancer
Gigi Lai – Chan Yan Kiu
Michael Tong – Ah Chung
58 days later
After lunch would be the team’s last day of training. Although progress has improved, Devin had not noticed for his mind was somewhere else. He sat in the lunch room while Bonnie ate her fried chicken lunch. Grease covering her fingers and lips “Should I tell her?” he asked the little girl, who was oblivious to his troubled expression “If I tell her, there’s a chance she can’t accept it. I can’t even accept it, how I do I expect her to? But this is so big.” He rubbed his eyes in frustration “Tell me what to do.” He begged.
Bonnie turned to him with big eyes “I want more chicken.” She threw the bone onto the plate and grinned at him.
Devin sighed as he pushed his full plate towards her “How pathetic I’ve become. I’m talking to a kid that has no idea what I’m talking about.” He laughed at himself “Devin Hsu, you sure turned out swell.”
“Felix, get down!” Bonnie suddenly cried. She turned to him with begging eyes “Uncle Devin, make him go down. He’s licking my food.” She pointed.
He had grown use to her little imaginary cat. Smiling he picked up the fake cat and placed it on the floor “Now sit and let Bonnie eat.” He ordered with a pointed finger.
“Thank you Uncle Devin.” She said sweetly.
He crossed his arms on the table and leaned his chin on his arm “Bonnie, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” She replied with a short nod.
“If your parents were to divorce, who would you want to live with?” he knew Mia would kill him for the question but he wanted to get inside a child’s mind.
“I don’t know.” She answered after a long pause “I like Daddy’s home but Mommy gives me anything I want. Why do they have to divorce?” she asked.
“Sometimes adults cannot work through a problem so they have to split up.” He explained in the simplest terms “If you stayed with your mother and she starts to date another man. Would you be mean to the man?”
The girl began to scratch her greasy finger on her hair but he quickly caught her fingers and cleaned it with a napkin. He raised his eyes for an answer “Who is the man?”
“Mommy’s new boyfriend or maybe your new father.” Devin said.
Bonnie tilted her head to the side and hummed “I only have one daddy.” She said after a moment.
He sighed, “That’s what I was afraid of.”
“Uncle Devin, you don’t make sense.” Bonnie said with confusion.
He laughed, “I know. Now finish your chicken and we’ll go watch your parents and the others train.” She gobbled the remaining chicken and brought her hand out so he can wipe them. He did it automatically as he picked her up and tapped her bottom “Go to the bathroom and clean your hands. I’ll be there in a second.”
“Okay!” she bounced away while he finished cleaning. It had not occurred to him that he was her guardian for the past two months. Growing accustomed to tending to her needs, he did everything for her without question. He met her at the door of the girls’ room as she jumped into his hands “All clean.” She wiped the wet hands on her jacket while he grimaced.
“Bonnie, your clothes is not a towel.” He scolded lightly.
“Mommy does that to daddy all the time.” She argued.
“Well, mommy is a little coo-coo.” Devin finished with a laugh. They headed off to the gun training. He found her some head phones to drown out the gunshots and put one on himself. He placed her on the ground and walked with her hand in hand down the row watching the agents shoot. He nodded with approval when they hit their targets to perfection. Aiming for the heart, it seemed Erin was the most accurate. Smiling proudly, he caught her grin when she turned to reload the gun.
Bonnie was not fond of the sound as she eventually dragged him outside. Devin smiled when she sighed with relief “Bonnie don’t like guns.” She shook her head “Daddy says, it’s not good for kids to play with guns.”
Devin nodded “Your dad’s right.” He never knew how much he could learn from a little girl old enough to be his own kid. But he had a kid. The thought of his own son looking at him like a stranger, he could feel the little tugging on his heart.
“Uncle Devin…” Bonnie yanked on his shirt as she pointed to a man talking to a monk in the garden “Bad man.”
His brows furrowed, he too recognized him. He was the one that attempted to kidnap Ah Ming. Pulling out his handy cell, he zoomed in and snapped a picture of the man without him noticing. He suddenly had an idea. He brought her back to his room and opened his laptop. Connecting his cell to the USB plug, he was able to download the picture. Sending it off to the China police station of Beijing, he used his code as the Head of Security to request information on the man. It would be weeks until he got a response but it was a start.
After dinner, the group returned to their rooms to rest. Mia felt the weights lifting off her shoulder “Goodbye hard bed.” She kicked it roughly “Goodbye musty smelly room!” she spun around in circles while the girls laughed.
“You have to admit, it wasn’t that bad.” Reina curled under the blanket as she sat watching her friend twirl herself into a dizzy state.
Carmen was quick to agree “I have never been in better shape.” She showed off her muscles.
“Thanks to those stupid weights. I'm so bulky!” Jenna complained, “All I know is that I can’t wait to get back home and sleep.”
“Not so fast speedy.” Erin reminded their junior agent “You still have to train for the Taekwondo tournament.”
Mia pointed at Jenna with a laugh “I wouldn’t be laughing turtle.” Reina snorted, “Devin said you didn’t improve on your quickness. He’s going to have you train on cardio every morning before our meetings.”
It was Jenna’s turn to laugh at Mia’s misery “Yeah grandma, you were the slowest runner everyday for the past month.” The other girls agreed with laughter.
In the guy’s room, they were ready to hit the sack when Doug announced, “I’m going out.”
“Where?” Ryan asked with a frown “You know, I noticed you leave everyday around this time. Where do you go?”
Doug was ready for the question as he answered, “Before I sleep I always have to have a midnight snack.”
“No you don’t.” Ryan snipped “I’ve lived with you for years, I’ve never seen you get a snack at night.”
“That’s because you are so dead asleep, how would you even know if I go downstairs to get a snack?” Doug argued.
Matt and Darren shook their heads with a laugh as they went to sleep. Devin covered a yawn “Just let him go Ryan. It’s our last night here. Come back soon, I’m turning off the light in five minutes.”
Doug agreed as he left the room. When he reached the kitchen, he was surprise not to see Ah Kiu there. She was never late and he was certain he told her it was his last day in China. After the first month, the girl had learned to trust Doug. She didn’t have a home but often told him stories of where she lived or stayed for shelter from the night. He decided to wait for five minutes but when she was still a no show, he grew worried. It didn’t take him long to decide to go searching for her. The last thing he wanted was to regret not making an attempt. He glanced at the guy’s room, which was pitch black.
Sneaking out quietly, he left the temple and took a bike to the city. There were little lights and the market was closed and most of the vendors were gone. Only a few stayed behind to clean their floors. He looked for the street that Ah Kiu mentioned before.
***********
A few streets down, Ah Kiu stumbled over a few straw waste basket as she tried to get away from the growing footsteps. She curled underneath an old cloth and covered her mouth, trying not to breathe “I think she went this way.” One guy observed.
“Split up.” A male’s voice ordered. The guys obliged as they began to move in different directions of the alley. But the one in charge lingered behind “Come out, I know you’re here!” She closed her eyes and wished him away but when she opened them, she was disappointed that he didn’t give up. Suddenly, he began pushing at things and when he got near, she panicked and threw the cloth off and began running “Stop!” he ordered.
“HELP!!” Ah Kiu yelled while she ran from her attacker.
Doug spun around when he heard a female voice. Instincts told him to check it out as he biked towards the direction of the voice. The guy caught up to her before she hit the big street and yanked her back by the arm. Pushing a palm over her mouth, he leaned her against the wall “Shh!! Don’t scream, I won’t hurt you.”
Her eyes widened in fear but something in his eyes told her to do as he said. Nodding her head, he slowly loosened his grip “What are you doing?!” Doug demanded as he dropped the bike and went after the guy.
“Doug!” Ah Kiu was ready to run to his side when the guy pulled her behind him.
“Who the hell are you?” the guy was buff, he could tell from his shirt and a tattoo sneaking from his left arm. Doug guessed he must belong to some sort of a gang.
“That’s none of your concern.” Doug replied coolly “I won’t ask you again to let her go.”
“And I won’t ask you to get lost. I’ll show you.” he let out an ear piercing whistle calling all his boys back to his side.
Doug refused to show fear. He calmly stood in his stance “This should take about five minutes.” He waved mischievously.
The guy raised his brows at the cocky Doug. Waving a hand shortly, the guys came at him in unison “Please, stop. They’ll kill him.” Ah Kiu begged.
“Siu Jei, I’m just testing him.” He smiled.
Ah Kiu was taken aback. She had never been called the polite form of a girl before. For a whole year it was street rat or beggar. She turned to the guy in confusion “Do I know you?”
“You don’t but I recognize that.” He pointed to her necklace.
She touched it softly while her eyes wandered to Doug, who was easily defeating the guys. She smiled with relief to see the last guy go down. Wiping his hands against his pants. He pointed to the tattoo guy “You’re next.”
“We’re all here for one reason. I don’t need to fight you.” He smiled “They call me Ah Chung.” He reached out a friendly hand to shake Doug’s.
“Doug.” He turned his head unsurely. Nodding to Ah Kiu, he asked “Are you okay?”
Ah Chung laughed “Not a scratch on her. Don’t worry, we wouldn’t do anything to hurt Siu Jei.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” Ah Kiu asked “I really don’t know you.” She insisted.
Ah Chung nodded in understanding “We have never met, Siu Jei. But Hung Gor often talks about you. After the news of his death a few months ago, our gang broke apart. But his last request was for you to be safe, we are just paying our last requests.” Doug turned to Ah Kiu with raised brows, she was Hung Gor’s sister. He could feel the chills running down his spine.
SIUBINGLIBRARY 2004
