7

Way of the White Crane

It was tonight Bruce could feel it in his gut, they were going to make him do it on his current shift and there was nothing he could do about it. The gleam in Gary's eyes told him that his moment of truth had come and as soon as the five year veteran returned to the patrol car with coffees he said.

"Time to become one of the boy's kiddo," the cup was handed over, "Initiation time," he grinned, "I know you won't let me down." Gary had proposed Bruce, bigging him up to the others in the changing room and later at bowls when they were off-duty. As a rookie Bruce was intimidated by the others many of whom had been on the job longer than Gary so they knew the score, they were the ones to impress because one day they might just save his life.

Putting the car into gear he drove around the block and he hadn't gone a mile before his partner nudged him, "Look at that," two bums were having a fight over a package one of them had pulled from a garbage can, "Tell these people are even human," said Gary, "Who the hell would miss them?"

Somebody would have once Bruce thought in better days, in a past life when they had jobs, homes and maybe even wives.

"About the initiation," he began but Gary cut in sharply.

"It's not voluntary kiddo you have to do it, understand; we all had to in our time…prove ourselves."

"But I got through the academy with top marks," Bruce protested and it was true.

"The academy," Gary sneered, "The real academy is out here on the street, it's not about grades or assignments it's about being a real man and showing some balls."

He indicated another bum, a tall man in a floppy hat walking with a dignified way; he was mixed race with an open fawn coat and some kind of back pack; he reminded Bruce of an old style hippy.

"He's the one," Gary decided, "A loner by the way he avoids the others, bit of yellow in his blood don't you think; hell he's not even wearing shoes can you believe that?"

"What do you mean he's the one," Bruce felt sick, the coffee tasted like bile on his tongue? Ignoring this Gary used his cell phone to contact another patrol car talking to Jack and Marvin another pair of initiates. He gave them the street and described the 'mark' – mid thirties, part Asian, bare feet.

"You can't miss this turkey, he's ideal," almost frothing at the mouth Gary took out his own gun to check it, "Heading for China town I'd say, the northern entrance near the ping wu market."

Bruce tried to swallow but there was a knot in his throat that just wouldn't shift, then Gary told him to turn around and follow the 'mark', Jack and Marvin would be with them in under three minutes.

"We can't just pick some guy off the streets," Bruce objected, "People will see us."

Gary's look was withering, "Losing your nerve sport," he mocked, "We select, we stalk, we isolate and then," he slapped Bruce on the bicep; "You finish the job."

Kill in other words, murder an innocent man, shoot someone already down on his luck a transient, a homeless person; a guy nobody would miss. But murder was still murder and aren't we supposed to prevent such things, isn't that what the uniform is about?

"Perfect," Gary said as the stranger entered an alley in between Cisco's bar and the ping wu market, he seemed totally unaware of the patrol car or his impending doom. He seemed different somehow, unusual, oddly confident and self-contained in a way most transients weren't, he did not look like a man who begged or starved. Can I kill him thought Bruce; can I put a bullet into another human being?

"Pull over," he was told, "Check your piece, you don't want it jamming at the crucial moment; remember you are the kill-shot not me."

The alley was long maybe 200 yards with only two ways out of it, the street they were on and Pinkus Avenue at the far end where Jack and Marvin had just arrived, something they told Gary over his phone.

"Move in slowly and cut him off," Gary told them then to Bruce, "Well come on superman, time to waste a bad guy."

Not moving the youngster tried to control his breathing, not something he found easy. I can't do this it's wrong he told himself, "Gary," he began but the bigger man, barrel chested and thick armed gripped him tightly.

"Don't let me down Bruce okay; don't make me look stupid in front of the others," he leaned in, "This is a real honour, do you think we select just anyone to join our order," he bared his own wrist and branded into the flesh was the head of a wolf, "In this life kiddo you're either a wolf or a sheep, remember that, a winner or just so much refuse – like that bum in the alley."

They got out, Bruce with the greatest reluctance he felt sick and heavy limbed, wishing for all the world he was back home with Alice his young bride, the love of his life. What would she say to this – she'd be appalled and disappointed, he was himself.

Gun out he followed Gary into the darkness, the stench of rotting food, used weed and dead rats climbing up his nose to poison his brain. He could see a tall figure loping ahead, the flop hat unmistakable as was the gait of the man he seemed strangely fit for a mere tramp – what if he was an undercover officer?

"Come on," Gary hissed urging him to hurry up but Bruce hung back his heart really not in this, his conscience screaming at him to turn and walk, to report Gary and the others.

Then Gary's phone bleeped and he answered it impatiently, "What do you mean you can't see him he's coming your way and there are no doors or yards he could have used?"

Squinting into the gloom Gary let out an oath, Bruce couldn't see the bare foot man either; he appeared to have vanished into thin air.

"Where is he," he tried not to let the joy filter into his voice, he wanted the stranger to escape to vanish in a puff of smoke but he couldn't let Gary or the others know this.

"Move in," Gary snarled, "You to Bruce, show some spine."

The four cops closed in on each other in a pincer movement, two from one end two from the other; they met in the middle; Jack and Marvin shaking their heads and shrugging, the tramp hadn't passed them they'd swear to it.

"So where the hell is he," Gary was red-faced with fury, "He can't have just disappeared."

Still and silent Caine watched and listened, he was only a few feet from the four hunters but he might as well have been miles away, totally immobile he didn't even seem to be breathing and whilst partly covered by shadow he wasn't obscured totally from human vision.

"Find him," the leader of the pack barked, a chunky bull-necked man in his thirties with cruel, predatory eyes, "He has to be here somewhere, nobody can just vanish."

"There's nowhere to hide," one of the other men bleated earning himself a fierce glare from bull-neck.

"That's right Marv nowhere at all and he isn't getting away from us, we find him and kill him right here and now, no mistakes, no foul-ups – so get busy."

Caine studied each man in turn they all had the same energy the same chi – violence and cruelty, all except one the youngster with fair hair, he was different, reluctant and out of the place – his face, manner and movements all confirmed it – he did not want to do this he was not a killer.

"Where can he be," the kid asked, "How can a man just disappear?"

Caine thought back to another time and place to a wise master, an expert in chi Kung and to a garden with a lake.

The huge white bird was totally still, so still it barely appeared to be alive. Poised on one leg only it gazed down at the water with total detachment, young Caine was fascinated by the creature.

"Sir what is that bird," he asked and Master Wei followed his gaze; a lean agile man of about forty.

"The white crane is one of the five creatures that our art is based upon, selected for its grace, elegance and its stillness for it can remain still and silent for long periods without fatigue – a gift that renders it invisible to other forms of life especially the fish it so craves for supper."

"Can we also be still and silent in such a way," the boy enquired.

"Indeed we can," Wei agreed, "It is why you are here today to be schooled in this discipline, if a man can relax totally, suspending all tension and movement he cannot be seen by other men no matter how observant they are or how close."

Caine was intrigued, he listened intently.

Wei patted his own belly, "The key is to focus the mind here in the tan tien just below the navel; it is the centre of all physical strength and ability, the seat of our chi. By placing our awareness here we can link up with abilities and gifts denied to other men, it makes us stronger, more secure and stills all random thoughts. In effect one becomes unseeable."

Stood with feet just apart Caine tried the exercise, part of the crane system. It sounded easy when described but to do it for any length of time required practise and patience, it was much harder than any of the stances or forms it had learned for their was no movement and that was the point.

Finally his eyes popped open, "My concentration falters master."

"As it does for us all at first, but with practise one can hold stillness for ever longer periods."

Suddenly the great bird moved, its neck extended downwards and its long beak pierced the water with a splash emerging with a fish, supper had been secured. Totally impressed Caine looked on with awe, what an amazing skill and on one leg; something he couldn't do stood on two – not yet anyway.

Bruce should have been relieved but he wasn't, when the search yielded no results Gary became even wilder waving his gun around and yelling at the others like it their fault; the guy was losing it big time.

"He was between us," the big cop raved, "he must still be here, he can't have gone anywhere."

"Well he obvious has," Marvin made the mistake of saying, the next instant Gary's piece was in his face right up to his nose, it looked for one terrible moment as if one cop was going to shoot another then Jack broke the tension.

"Hey look at that you guys," there was a door inset into the left wall on it was printed DELIVERIES TO MARKET and the padlock was busted, "He must have nipped in here."

Letting go of Marvin, Gary kicked the door and it flew inwards, "Okay," he panted, "We go after him and finish what we started."

The others held back with jack voicing their collective worry, "But there could be people in there, witnesses."

"They'll be Chinese," Gary said sarcastically, "Blind eyes, deaf ears, right," he snapped? "Now come on, especially you kiddo," he told Bruce, "You have unfinished business."

There was little choice but to follow and Bruce conceded, wishing he could find some way off this hook and away from crazy Gary.

Observing the men Caine knew he could escape now this was his chance, he could slip away while they occupied and they wouldn't know any better; yet he didn't he couldn't. He had to follow them and resolve this, he felt a kinship a link with the young cop, he didn't know if was sympathy or karma but he knew he had to help the youngster. He saw in him elements of himself, the doubt, the uncertainty and the desire to do the right thing – Caine flowed.

Dark and dirty the tunnel they found themselves in soon widened out into a bay of some kind with storage pallets, boxes and bins everywhere. Bruce saw signs that said spices, veg, herbs and other ingredients. Luckily there were no people around at least not at that moment but he knew the market never slept, The Chinese beavered away 24 hours a day and then there was bound to be some kind of security, what if they encountered guards what could they tell them?

"I don't see anything," Marvin sounded discouraged, "This is a waste of time Gary."

Gary's look warned Marv he was on thin ice, "Spread out that punk is here somewhere and we're going to nail him," his eyes fixed on Bruce, "Our young friend here has something to prove."

Bruce had thought of using his personal radio to call the precinct, but if he did that he'd be dropping these men right in it and himself as well, and who was to say that men at the precinct weren't in on this, maybe the sergeant was; Gary had hinted that the wolf pack was a big group with friends in high places.

As Jack and Marv moved away to check out other passages Bruce stayed where he was, "Gary," he said, "About the initiation."

The other man rounded on him face belligerent and questioning, Bruce swallowed what he'd been going to say knowing it was pointless.

"Check over there," the big man hissed, "Do a good job of it."

"What if I meet a market worker?"

"Tell him you're chasing a suspect," Gary snapped. Yeah sure I am thought the youngster, I'm hunting an innocent man with a view to murdering him and for what – to pass some stupid test, won't that put me in Gary's pocket forever, he'll hold this over me for the rest of my career.

Bruce had joined the force full of youthful idealism and bravado, keen to make a difference, to protect the public but that wasn't what he was doing now and it wasn't what guys like Gary did; just how many cops like Gary were there, men who abused their power and didn't even care?

His hand flickered to his radio; maybe he should risk a call after all. But a hand touched his arm it belonged to Marv, a guy only two years older than him.

"They'd kill you," Marv's voice was tight with emotion and his eyes wide, "They've done it to others," he added.

Bruce sagged, "I can't do this Marv its wrong you know it is, Gary's completely…"

A hand closed over his mouth pressing hard, "You can do this it isn't so bad and you will get over it, believe me; but if you cross Gary your future will be measured in hours, and he won't just hurt you, remember you've got a pretty young wife."

Alice, they'd hurt Alice? Feeling crushed Bruce nodded okay his nod said you win, but deep down he was furious he hated Gary; nobody was going to harm his wife the woman he loved more than life. Somehow he was going to find a way out of this, even if it wasn't obvious in that moment.

Gary paused in front of some pallets his gaze climbing up them higher and higher to the top, he blinked was it the light in here or was there a figure on top of the stack, an outline, hell it looked like a shadow or a ghost. He lifted his gun two-handed but he didn't fire because he wasn't sure what he was seeing, was it a man or an illusion?

He almost called Bruce but he had to be sure first and he wasn't, sweat ran into his eyes forcing him to blink hard several times. When he looked again there was nothing there, maybe there never had been; it was just nerves.

But he turned he was shocked to see a face looking right at him, the hippy, the half-breed and he was only two feet away stood there as bold as brass, no fear just that serene calm detachment.

"Bruce," Gary snarled, "Get over here I've found him," or he found me more likely, why wasn't the man scared of the uniform, the gun?

The kid appeared pale and nervous, he'd holstered his gun; why the hell had he done that? Marv was with him and soon Jack appeared to but the bare foot man still displayed no fear.

"Do it kiddo," Gary ordered, "This is your initiation."

Turning his attention to Bruce the stranger said, "I am Caine," what he seemed to be saying was that I am a human being, my life matters how can you just take it? This seemed to occur to Bruce as well because his answer was.

"No," voice having taken on a new certainty the rookie did not take out his gun, "This is wrong Gary it's illegal it's not what I signed up for."

Cheeks bubbling with rage the older man drew in a slow sinister breath, "What are you saying sport you'd rather be a sheep," he bared his wrist exposing the wolf brand, "We all did this to prove ourselves now it's your turn."

Caine gazed at the wolf head and experienced two things, pain and pride in equal measure.

The cauldron crackled and sparked on its plinth its contents red raw like larva from a volcano, the cauldron itself was extremely heavy and it bore no handles because it was not designed to be lifted by hand; it was a test the final test for a shaolin disciple requiring mental as well as physical strength, you had to want to move it more than anything.

Engraved on the sides were two brands – the dragon and the tiger – studying them Caine recalled seeing them on the wrists of the masters they all had them and he had often asked himself, "How could a man do that to himself," now here he was about to do the self same thing?

"But why do we maim ourselves," he had asked Master Wei?

"The brands are marks of honour young man they symbolise graduation and attainment, those who wear them are not maimed or disfigured they are true shaolin masters and forever more everyone will know it when their arms are bared."

"But to burn oneself is painful."

"Pain is no more than a tool a lesson, we at shaolin seek to make it work for us not against us, pain like fear can teach us much and the pain of branding is brief it passes, the sign of the dragon and tiger will last a lifetime."

Caine faced Gary a dangerous enemy a killer who would kill him without hesitation he knew; he had met too many killers to doubt it.

"What does it symbolise," he asked, "the wolf, what does it make you?"

"It makes me a hunter, a predator, a winner," Gary responded, "The wolf is strong and powerful."

"To take a life is not strength it is not power and it does not make you a winner," Caine shook his head, upon hearing this Jack and Marv touched their own wrists as if embarrassed, Bruce looked at them then at Gary he had been moved by these words as had they all.

"He's right Gary."

"He's not right," the words exploded into the darkness, "How dare you say that, how dare you challenge the pack?"

"I'm not going to commit murder for you or the pack it's not right."

Bruce stiffened as the gun swung towards him, he knew Gary was a good shot the best in the precinct; the range champion 3 years in a row.

"You're a coward kiddo, I had my suspicions earlier but now you've confirmed them; you haven't got what it takes to join the pack or be a cop you're spineless; maybe you should be working in an office or selling cars."

"Are you going to murder me Gary, how will you explain that – an accident, self-defence or will it be justifiable homicide?"

"No way Gary," Marv said this shaking his head, "You can't shoot the boy, we won't back you up on that."

But Gary didn't look as though he cared, he seemed crazed with obsession that was when Caine kicked out, it was an odd sort of kick that Bruce had never seen before it moved in a semi-circle from floor to arm and when it hit Gary's arm the gun flew away sideways.

Enraged the big cop took out his night stick, he'd used it often to batter suspects into submission but as he brought it around another kick even stranger took it from his grasp.

Reduced to empty hand Gary lunged at Caine a bigger, younger and possibly stronger man but Caine didn't try to fend him off he sat down on the floor and rolled back, one foot in Gary's stomach to pitch him up and over to send him somersaulting through the air. Crashing into some crates winded Gary let out a gasp of pain and dismay but pride got him back on his feet he was not a man who just gave up.

Grabbing a chunk of broken wood with a jagged tip he attacked again slashing and stabbing but Caine was too deft too fast, he wasn't there to be impaled. Evading he tripped his rival, kicked the back of his legs, spun him around with a shoulder charge then threw him cross-buttock to the deck.

For once Gary wasn't winning a fight he didn't look invincible anymore, he no longer resembled the wolf he so idolised.

Getting up slowly he bunched his fists but moving right up to him Caine cupped his cheeks with both hands, it looked no more than a caress. Gazing into the pain-filled eyes he pressed his finger tips skilfully into the muscles and nerves of the face and Gary sank to his knees like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

"Are you a hunter now," he asked softly, "Are you a predator," there was no response beyond a kind of strangulated gurgle, "Where is your strength," letting go and stepping back Caine maintained eye contact. Gary just knelt there out of breath and confused defeated very easily it seemed by a mere tramp, the lowest of the low in his book a man who didn't deserve to live.

"Who are you," Bruce asked impressed by what he'd seen?

Meeting his gaze Caine shrugged, "Who are you?" he responded meaning what kind of man do you wish to be, what kind of cop?

But Bruce already knew that he had always known; he took out his cuffs it was time to end this to stop Gary and those like him. Caine smiled as he left the market.