Shadow Harvest (A Sydney Rye Mystery, #7) Page 13

  By staying, by forcing my way to the tai chi center, I was making it obvious that I was not what I pretended to be. It was all pretend though, wasn't it?

  The message in that note wasn't really what they were trying to say. The problem getting to the tai chi center wasn't just a matter of not enough tires. I was ready to play the game, to keep pretending, but Loki and I had agreed that we needed to be ready for a fight.

  "I wonder if they will attack before we get to the tai chi center or wait until we arrive," I said.

  "Who do you think 'they' are?" Loki asked, his fingers tightening on my shoulder. I sat up, and he let his hand drop.

  "I'm looking forward to finding out."

  "What makes you think we will make it through? Why would we not meet the same fate as your friend Merl?"

  "Are you afraid?" I asked, looking down at him.

  He didn't look scared. His tattoos made him look tough. Incredibly tough, like a warrior clad in armor. "Yes," he answered. "You'd be a fool not to be afraid."

  "You don't look scared."

  He smiled, almost shyly, and I got a glimpse of the child he'd once been. Not for long but at one point in this man's history he'd been a boy, a playful one.

  "Practice," he said. "You don't look scared either."

  "I'm not afraid of a fight."

  “What about your own death?"

  "No." I didn't fear my death. I was afraid of the death around me. Of the curse I’d become. Somehow Blue and I always survived. I couldn't say the same for those who joined me in battle. "I'm more worried about you," I said.

  He raised his brows. "Really?"

  "I'm pretty indestructible."

  "Whereas I am a mortal?"

  "Something like that."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I'm a survivor," I said.

  He laughed. "And you think I’m not?"

  "I have a way of ending other people's streaks of luck."

  He sat up and our faces were close. "Sydney, I am the lone survivor of a shipwreck. I have a golden star of my own."

  "Good, I think we're going to need it. I wish we had some guns."

  "Yes, I agree. That is something I was thinking."

  I threw off the covers and climbed out of bed, stretching toward the ceiling, bending one way and then the other. Blue wagged his tail and yowled a good morning then bowed down, joining me in a morning stretch. "Have you ever done any tai chi?" I asked.

  Loki nodded.

  "You don't practice now?"

  "I do."

  "I haven’t seen you."

  "You only believe what you see?"

  I laughed. "Sorry, you're right. I just thought real practitioners did it every day."

  "You don't."

  "I'm not devoted. Merl has been trying to get me into it for years. And I go through phases. But meditation is hard for me."

  "That probably means that you need it."

  "Sounds like something Merl would say."

  "I look forward to meeting him."

  I bit my lip. "I hope that happens."

  "We will find him."

  "I like your confidence."

  #

  An hour later, after breakfast and an apology from Ming about not having the tires yet, I was making a scene in the hotel lobby. Wearing big sunglasses, the gold bracelet on my wrist glinting in the sun streaming through the glass lobby doors, I was slowly raising my voice. "I came here for the tai chi," I said, staring at Ming. He kept his gaze cast to the ground. "And if you're telling me that you cannot provide a ride then I will have to get my own car." I turned to the man at the front desk whose cheeks had turned bright red watching me berate the two men working for me.

  "Can you hire me a car?" I asked him, my voice hard, loud.

  He didn't make eye contact. "That is a very rough road-"

  I cut him off. "This is a yes or no answer."

  A woman came out from the back wearing a blue suit. Her eyebrows raised and her nails flashed red when she placed her hands on the counter between us. "May I help?" she asked.

  "Well, I hope so because no one else seems to be able to. I came here because I heard about the tai chi center. Apparently their phone does not work." I made a kind of disgusted snorting noise I'd heard a lot of rich pissed off ladies make when they were repulsed by the perceived inadequacies of others. "So, fine. I'm willing to drive there unannounced, but-" I pointed around the room, first at the man behind the desk, then Ming, and finally landing on Loki. "None of these men can help me." I dropped my hand. "Can you?"

  "The road is-"

  I cut her off. "If one more person tells me about the condition of the road I'm going to scream. Do you hear me, I will scream."

  "Yes, madam, I understand."

  "So, can you get me a Jeep? Or perhaps find Ming here some tires. Are there no tires in this town, is that really possible?"

  "I will see what I can do. Please enjoy a cup of tea in the restaurant while I make some calls." She picked up the phone to show me how serious she was about my request.

  "I'll be back in fifteen minutes," I said before turning on my heel and marching into the restaurant, my chin up, eyes slits of anger. Blue walked by my side, his tail low and ears flat to his head.

  Loki followed, but kept his distance. I sat down and moments later a waitress arrived with two cups, green leaves on the bottom, and a pot of boiling water. She poured the first cups and then left the pot between us.

  "I'm serious," I said to Loki as he sat down next to me. I kept my voice high so that everyone could hear me. "I won't have the time and money I spent getting to this place wasted.”

  "Of course," he agreed.

  We sat in silence, as I stared out the open balcony doors to the rice fields beyond the canal. The women were out there, moving through a different part of the field today. The water reached their calves, the bundle of their skirts around their thighs reminded me of old-fashioned pantaloons.

  I kept a scowl on my face. Faking anger always brought that simmering beast to the surface. I was angry that I couldn't get to the tai chi center. I hated yelling at Ming and the hotel staff. I'd worked enough service jobs to know how it felt when a customer acted the way I just had. Lots of people thought they were better than those who served them. Many didn't even think of them fully as people. They would get mad at staff when things went wrong the same way they got made at their computers when they didn’t work. Even when the angry people were at fault, their wrath was directed outwards.

  But I also knew from my years of working in coffee shops that it was the loudest, most awful customers who got what they wanted first. Being the quiet, nice customer was good for your karma but not for getting things done. I sipped at the tea. It was hot and perfumed. I kept that scowl on my face, pretending to be angry at the world around me instead of at my own deep failings.

  The woman with the red nails came in. "I've worked with Ming to get some extra tires."

  I nodded. "Good." Not bothering with a thank you. You wouldn't thank your computer for working the way it was supposed to, would you?

  #

  The mood in the Jeep was uncomfortable. I looked out the window, my face relaxed, but still ready to get angry. Ming looked nervous, his eyes kept jumping to the mirror, checking on me.

  We traveled the same route we had before, though it was earlier in the day so the light was different, coming from above rather than the west. The mountain's shadows were small, their green surfaces brilliant in the bright midday sun.

  Blue laid next to me, his head on my lap. My thigh touched Loki's with every bump. He did not put his arm around me.

  Ming slowed down as we neared the rocky section we'd blown our first tire on during our earlier journey. Taking it slowly we made it over the rocks without incident. We continued in silence until Loki asked Ming to turn the radio on. Then we traveled with the familiar chords of pop songs, many of them American with a Chinese singer replacing the likes of Britney Spears and Madonna.


  The beats almost matched the bouncing of the Jeep. We were approaching the spot where we'd hit the tacks. I felt Loki tense next to me though his expression stayed mild. Glancing at Ming I saw a line of sweat along his forehead despite the air-conditioning spewing out into the car. I leaned forward, "Remember there are tacks on the road up here," I said. "Be sure to avoid them."

  He nodded and drove onto the grass, around where the tacks gleamed in the high sun. I was watching Ming closely, he looked more nervous by the moment. I petted Blue's head. His body bounced with the bumps but he didn't seem to sense any danger. Loki on the other hand was like a hard statue next to me wearing a passive mask. There was something coming. Something soon.

  I was wearing my leather jacket and pressed my arm against my side, feeling the heavy pipe there. I didn't think we'd be killed. Just be killed, I mean. Whoever was doing whatever they were doing would want to know who we were, why we wanted to see this tai chi center so badly. We'd shown them that we were not just tourists. That I was not just another rich bitch. But killing me without gaining some knowledge of my purpose would seem stupid.

  The left front tire exploded and we veered off the road, smashing into a rock on the side. Blue fell off the seat into the foot well. Loki and I were both wearing seat belts but lurched forward, the straps biting into our chests. I gripped the end of the pipe with my right hand and reached with my other to unlatch my seat belt, staying low, bent over, as if I'd been hurt.

  Ming, who'd not been wearing his seat belt, had smashed his face on the steering wheel. He reached up, looking dazed and touched the trickle of blood running from his hairline. Loki leaned over me, pushing me back quickly, so that I didn't know exactly what was happening until he punched Ming hard in the face, knocking him out. Reaching into Ming's jacket Loki came back with a revolver in his hand. He looked out the front window while I looked out the back. There did not seem to be anyone coming toward us.

  "They probably have sharpshooters in the rocks there," Loki said, pointing to a pile of boulders that looked like they'd broken loose from the mountain above.

  "So, we wait in the car?"

  "Yes, I think they will come for us."

  "Unless that was just an accident," I said, turning in my seat to look back at the road. I didn't see any tacks but dust was still settling after the crude movements of the vehicle. Blue climbed back onto the seat and looked around. "You okay, boy?"

  He leaned into my touch. I felt along his legs and body, not finding any obvious injury. He growled, his nose sniffing at the air. "Gas," Loki said.

  I smelled it then. "Yes," I said, looking forward at the crushed bonnet. "Crap."

  "I guess we're going out."

  "Yes," I agreed.

  Loki put the revolver into his pants. "Look dazed," he suggested. “Stay on this side of the Jeep." He was referring to his side, which faced open fields rather than rocks and mountains perfect for hiding in.

  He got out first, offering me his hand. I climbed out and Blue leapt to the ground. "We've got to get Ming out," I said. Loki nodded and opened the passenger side, leaning across the seat and grabbing the unconscious man. "I don't think he wanted to betray us," I said.

  "Hardly betrayal," Loki said, his voice tight with the effort of hauling the dead weight across the seats. "He never promised us safety. In fact, he practically begged us not to go. If anything-" with one more pull Ming fell out of the car, his feet hitting the dusty road, "we betrayed him."

  "How do you figure that?" I asked, watching the rocks beyond the Jeep. There was no movement.

  "I just punched him in the face and took his gun."

  I nodded. "Good point. But don't you think he was setting us up?"

  "That's why I did it, it was only an assumption. We don't know what his plan was. Maybe he wanted to protect us and that's why he brought the gun."

  "Is that what you think?"

  "I think he has a family and protecting us would be putting them at great risk."

  Loki dragged Ming away from the gas-scented Jeep and I followed, out into the open. We were targets now. If they wanted to kill us they could. And still no shots.

  Once we were a safe distance from the Jeep Loki laid Ming down. Then I heard the thwap of a silenced rifle. The bullet hit the Jeep, rocking it slightly. "Get down," Loki said.

  "No, run," I said, grabbing his arm and sprinting into the open field. "They are trying to blow the Jeep."

  The explosion came milliseconds after another thwap. It knocked us off our feet, flying forward into the rice field. We splashed into the shallow, muddy water. It got into our eyes and mouths, and I came up sputtering. Loki was looking back at the burning Jeep.

  Behind it three men were coming out from behind the rocks. "Here we go," I said.

  "Yes," Loki agreed, standing up with his hands in the air.

  The men yelled, motioning with their weapons for me to rise as well. Blue was by my side, his teeth bared, hackles raised. Brown water splattered his coat, making him look mangy, crazy. One of the men pointed his gun at Blue and I stepped in front of my dog.

  The man yelled at me. "He is telling you to move," Loki said.

  "Tell him if he wants to kill my dog, he's gonna have to kill me first."

  Loki translated and the guy glanced over at the man in the middle. The one aiming at me was young, the one he looked to was older, maybe in his forties, and apparently in charge. They all wore worn cotton pants and shirts, their black hair shimmering in the bright sun. "Do you speak English?" I asked the older man. He looked at Loki. "Guess not," I said. "Tell him we are here to negotiate the release of our friends."

  "I don't think that's a good idea."

  "Just do it."

  Loki translated and I saw the men's expressions change, they were suddenly unsure. Was it because they were considering our offer or because they had no idea what we were talking about?

  The older man spoke, his weapon still facing us. They'd reached Ming at this point and one of the two younger guys bent down and checked for a pulse. I assume that he found one because Ming began to moan slightly. "They want to know who our friends are."

  I looked at Loki, Blue still behind me. "What? Tell them our friends were at the tai chi center. Mo-Ping."

  Loki translated. The man shook his head. "What? Are they dead?" I asked.

  Loki spoke. The man responded. "He wants us to go with them," Loki said.

  "Where?"

  "Back to the village. They want us to leave."

  "Not without Merl, not without Mo-Ping."

  Loki translated.

  The man raised his gun aggressively and yelled something at Loki. "He says this is not a negotiation."

  "Tell him it should be. I'd happily make them all rich men. For their help. If they are just hired guns then let them become mine."

  Loki translated. The younger men looked at their boss. I took off my gold bracelet and threw it at the one closest to me. It landed in the dirt at his feet. "It's worth $5000. Tell him."

  The man closest to the bracelet spit at it. "I don't think that is going to work," Loki said.

  "Why not?"

  "No amount of money can protect their families."

  "Okay, then we're going to have to neutralize them."

  Loki looked over at me. His hands were in the air, as were mine. "How do you propose we do that?"

  "They want us to go with them, let's pretend like we are. Then take away their weapons, you know," I smiled. "Get the upper hand."

  "You're a dangerous woman, Sydney Rye."

  "And you're a survivor, Loki."

  He spoke to the men, letting them know we were surrendering. I told Blue to stay behind me as we slowly walked toward the armed men. As I approached, the one closest to me motioned for me to walk in front of him, but I kept going toward him. He motioned again with his rifle, swinging it out to the side, directing me to walk around him.

  When he pointed it away from me I leapt for it, grabbing the long barrel, forcing it into
the air. The man was surprised, his eyes wide, mouth yelling. I could hear other yelling and then a man screaming. I had both hands on the barrel and the man I was facing had both hands on the stock. I kicked out, taking out his left knee so that he fell, but kept his hands locked on the weapon.

  He pulled the trigger and a shot rocketed out, flying into the clear blue sky. I kicked him again, this time in the stomach. He bent forward, but kept his hands on the gun. I jammed it down hard at him, forcing it into his chest. He fell back and I ripped the rifle from his grasp, turning it on him, slipping my finger against the trigger and backing up so I was out of his range.

  I glanced around. Blue was shaking the other young man's arm. His rifle was several feet away from him, knocked out of his hand when Blue went for him. Loki and the older man were grappling on the ground. I ran over to where Blue was and picked up the other rifle, then told Blue to release. He hurried to my side.

  I pointed the rifles at the two younger men before turning my attention to Loki and the leader struggling on the ground. Blue went in, helping Loki by grabbing the older man by the shoulder, digging his teeth in deep. The man screamed. The rifle was between them, or at least I didn't see it on the ground. I had one in each hand, facing the two unarmed men.

  The man Blue had taken down was bleeding pretty badly from his arm. He held it to his chest and lay on his back, not looking like he was planning on doing anything stupid. The other guy, the one I'd disarmed, was sitting up staring at me, at the barrel of his gun, the black hole aimed at his face.

  Loki and Blue managed to subdue the older man. Loki sat up, swinging his fist and connecting hard with the guy's face. His head whipped toward me and I saw blood and a tooth fly from his mouth. Loki jumped back, the rifle in his hand, a bruise forming on his left eye.