That's for Cho!
Chapter 01
(Old Pain, Old Memories)

With almost military bearing he strode toward his destination. His pace was brisk, but not hurried, and it was obvious that he was keenly aware of his surroundings. He considered the mile and a half walk from CBI headquarters to his apartment part of his physical fitness routine. None of the team was actually 'soft', but Cho was proud of his level of physical fitness. Gang banging and military service had taken a toll on his body, not to mention a few CBI incidents, but he'd overcome it all.

He was an advanced practitioner of Krav Maga, a form of combat martial arts developed by the Israelis for their troops. It was essentially defensive, but was based on instinctive movements to escape and the concentration of maximum violence on the vital areas of an attacker to disable. He was every bit as confident as he appeared. With justification as anyone who had confronted him would attest.

Approaching his apartment, he was oblivious to depressed nature of the neighborhood. He lived on the third floor of a three floor walk-up, and it served his needs. Kilball Cho focused on results. The narrow stairs forced and almost single file access, a factor that had contributed to his selection of this building. Should he ever have to defend himself, here, shooting down a narrow stairwell was, as he put it: "Like shooting fish in a barrel." One never knew.

The three flights up did not even cause him to breath hard. His room was neat, almost spartan. There was a compact, desktop computer on table, a laptop next to it. Upon examination, the room would be remarkable, more for what it did not have, rather than what it did have. There was no TV, there was no Stereo. There was a closet full of very nice suits, Cho's one extravagance. He did enjoy a quality, tailored suit! He felt no need for a TV or stereo. The computer served those functions as well as being an effective work too. It was very practical. Very Cho!

He'd stripped, carefully hung up his suit and put on sweat pants and muscle-T. He liked the freedom of movement that the outfit offered and he was vain enough to be proud of his lean, muscular frame. He tossed a cushion on the floor and assumed a cross legged position on it. He closed his eyes and allowed the tension of the day to ease from his body. He'd been suspended in timeless nirvana for some time when the chirruping of his cell phone abruptly jarred him into reality.

He lithely stood and picked the phone, flipping it open it an easy move. "Cho," he said.

He listened silently. "Ok, 20 minutes," he said. He debated on whether to change into "work" clothing, (his suit), and decided not to. It was Friday night and if anyone objected to his mode of dress on his 'off' time, they would get over it. He grabbed his badge and gun, slipped on a pair of Wal-Mart jogging shoes and headed down the stairs, two at a time.

As he approached the scene, he saw Lisbon and Jane had already arrived. Lisbon had move the uniformed officers back so she and Jane could examine a relatively uncontaminated site. He could see shell casings in the street and some had flipped onto the pavement. "Drive by," he thought. The sight of the dark haired Asian female, lying in a pool of blood, slammed him in the chest.

oOo

Today was her birth day. She was 15. A 16 year old Cho's leg hurt from the bullet in it, but he was not feeling it. All he could feel was a deep grief as he held the cooling body of Kyushu-soon on his lap. He could not even kiss his first love good by. The lower part of her face had been shot off in that drive by shooting that had gone so wrong. All he could do is hold her and rock back and forth, saying, "It's alright, it's all right. I'll always love you."Always!"

He knew that he'd never forget.

Never!

oOo

"Drive by," he asked as he walked up. "That's what one witness said," Lisbon replied. "There' no real description of the vehicles or the shooter. I'm hoping Jane can get something out of them. He does have a way."

Cho nodded. He guessed that was one word for it. "Jane may be a disorganized loose canon, but he does get results," Cho mused, the memory of that night, a life time ago, still clinging to him. He mentally shook himself and walked over to examine the body. It was too similar. He focused, closing off his emotions. He had a job to do.

Van Pelt and Rigsby never showed. Teresa did say that there'd been no answer, and she went to voice mail when she called them. No, it didn't prove anything, but it did suggest some possibilities. Cho mentally shrugged. None of his business. You do what it takes, and that's personal decision.

While none of the witnesses had mentioned it, Cho knew the territory and knew the style. Everything about this screamed Suey Sing. That made his teeth clench. His last encounter with them had been when he was 16, on that night. He'd tried. He'd really tried, but he just didn't "pack the gear." At least not then. Now, things might be different. Now, he had a badge and a gun. He also had one of the counties best analysis teams behind them, though the hadn't really considered that, yet.

He straightened and looked where Jane was in deep conversation with three witnesses, all Asian. "If he gets anything out of them, he is magic or can read minds," thought Cho. No one in this neighborhood would be crazy enough to cross the Suey Sing. No one."

"So, what have we got," he asked Jane as he left the witnesses and came back over.

oOOOo