Elise wandered casually through the streets, revelling in the press of people moving and shifting around her. As she made her way from the canals to the market she could feel the pulsing music emanating from the nightclub below. She liked Hong Kong, she enjoyed its crowds. Only here was she able to shift out of focus, become just another face in a sea of humanity. The place was always such a mess, so gritty and base and she enjoyed being a part of the filth, rebelling momentarily against all that was pure and clean. As she muscled through the market place she spied two triad members harassing a shopkeeper in a dark corner. Red Arrow from the markings on their clothes and she glared at them as she walked past. One of the triad thugs met her gaze.
"What are you looking at?" He grunted and took a menacing step toward her. Most of the populace were conditioned to lower their eyes and scuttle away, but she kept her cold eyes locked firmly to his. His resolve melted and he halted in his stride, deciding instead to shake his fist and return to his friend and the shopkeeper. She smirked inwardly as she continued through the market. It didn't surprise her that Triad scum were all truly cowards. She continued through the noise and bustle, neon light pouring from store signs, turning the marketplace and its inhabitants into strange alien figures.
The last time she had been in Hong Kong she had posed as a simple tourist, keeping a low profile. She didn't doubt she would excite more interest this time. Foreigners weren't as rare in Hong Kong as they had been a year ago but the powers that be still liked to keep tabs on suspicious new visitors. At first she had escaped their notice, but after spending most of her time walking near the marketplace, speaking to no-one and buying nothing, they had started watching her. And tonight with her coat sitting heavily around her frame, bulges in all the wrong places, Elise knew she looked like bad news and she liked it. She was a killer, there was no point in trying to hide it anymore. Not long after she had left her hotel she had picked up a shadow. She could feel his eyes on her as she strolled clear of the market and set off toward the nearby temple. There were far fewer people here this late at night and he was doing a lousy job of remaining inconspicuous. A grin twitched on her lips as she rounded the corner of the temple. Seconds later the shadower passed the same corner and stopped short. He looked around frantically, scurrying to the other end of the building and scanning the streets for her. He stood dumbstruck, scratching at his head, wondering where she had disappeared to. Elise chuckled from her perch on the roof of the temple as she watched him wander off toward the Canal Road Tunnel. How she loved heights. She crept to the other side of the roof, a nest of pigeons taking off frantically as she went past.
From her new location she had an excellent view of the Luminous Path compound. She had been watching the place intermittently for three days, trying to get some kind of indication as to whether Tong was actually there. As far as she could tell he was either away from Hong Kong, or never left the compound. At least not by any route that she knew of. Triad members patrolled the compound religiously, and dogs were always on guard. There were always no less that ten men inside the main building, or training in the courtyard, and nearly always in sight of each other. It was a dangerous place to break into and the last thing she wanted to do was to face such a risk only to discover that Tong wasn't even inside.
"I was wondering why I hadn't heard from you. Why haven't you done it yet?" Elise jumped slightly; she still wasn't used to the Info-link.
"I can't go in there and kill everyone." She replied sternly.
"It's a triad compound you stupid girl." If Morgan had physically slapped her it would have hurt less. "It's not as though they are innocents."
"I don't even know if Tong is there." Her pride bristled up, she wanted to be argumentative.
"Of course he is. I spoke to him two days ago and his transmission came from that compound."
"Why didn't you tell me that?" Elise failed to hide her exasperation.
"Because you don't need to know. Just obey!" Her hands flexed involuntary into fists, she had been able to tolerate his recent mood swings, but it was becoming a real trial.
"I'll check back in eight hours, and you'd better have finished." She ground her teeth together at the command, knowing she couldn't resist but wanting to disobey him like she had as a wilful, spoilt child. She would have to console herself with killing no-one but Tong, he hadn't directly ordered her to kill everyone.
'Easier said than done.' She thought as she watched the men in the compound. Elise slithered down the side of the temple and moved to the rear of the walled compound. With little effort she jumped up and caught hold of the top of the wall, pulling herself up slowly and checking that it was clear for her to drop over. No-one was near and she hauled herself over and scurried to a shadowy corner.
Patiently she waited until one of the guards came past her and she silently jumped out behind him, knocking him out. She was pulling him back into the darkness when the sudden barking of a dog froze her in place. She looked up at the dog, howling and tugging at its lead, it's teeth snapping as it worked itself into a frenzy.
"Dammit!" She growled.
By now all the other guards had heard the dog's warning and followed the direction of it's gaze. They began shouting and one of them moved to sound the alarm. While they were still caught by surprise she sprinted across the compound, moving with inhuman speed, which caused the guards to pause uncertainly. He was mere feet from the alarm when she jumped, her momentum carrying her forward and she caught him in the side with bone shattering kick. The air exploded from his lungs as he skidded backwards. The guard writhed in the dirt, moaning and clutching at his broken ribs. Elise spun around, tranquilizer gun in hand and she unloaded the clip into the nearest three guards. Another guard had rushed her blind side and knocked the gun from her hand. She turned so quickly he faltered with his next strike and she slammed him in the throat. He went down, gurgling and gasping for air. The remaining guards had decided that distance and heavy gunfire might be a good idea when a high pitched siren reverberated throughout the compound. Her first victim had tenaciously dragged himself to the alarm panel before slipping into unconsciousness. The guards laid down a warning spray of sporadic gunfire and unleashed the dogs as she hurried toward the main building, she had to reach Tong.
"Good to see your back in top shape Paul." Tong grasped Paul's hand warmly as he offered it for a shake.
"I'm glad to be. I was getting restless being the invalid while JC was out saving the world." Tong laughed heartily, not the least put off by Paul's cold demeanour.
"Too bad there isn't anything exciting happening. Except for this business with Everett." Tong rubbed at his temples, trying to ease his anxiety.
"What's he up to now?" Paul asked as he took a seat, nodding at Alex Jacobson, who only barely acknowledged him; the young man was so engrossed by his computer.
"I wish I knew. When I last spoke to Dowd he said he was very concerned, that Everett had become agitated, explosive. Our tech crew at Area 51 reported that Everett shut himself away in his lab there for 6 months. Then he finally emerged with no explanation as to what he had been doing. He merely hauled all his equipment out of there, locked down the lab and returned to his apartment in Paris." Tong took the seat opposite Paul but could only sit for a brief moment before he was up and pacing again.
"I know that Everett had very little interest in helping to produce and distribute the vaccine worldwide. He was so keen to get his hands on all the data stored at Area 51. We have to know what he is up to. We're still recovering from the machinations of one Bob Page." Paul wondered what Morgan Everett was playing at. It was a concern to everyone that he had been so intent on harvesting all the information from Area 51. Paul thought that perhaps JC should have destroyed the place when he had the chance, despite the consequences. Surely it would have been better than another power crazed madman. He was brought from his ruminations as Tong continued to bring him up to speed.
"Dowd said he feared it may be too late to stop Everett, that what he has planned has already been set in motion. And when I tried to pry something out of Everett a few days ago he cut my transmission off. Told me to mind my own business."
"I heard you couldn't contact Dowd?"
"Not for a week now. Your brother is in Manhattan, trying to find him."
"You could have asked me to look into it, I…" Paul was cut off by the shrill of the alarm sounding.
"Whoa. Bringing up security surveillance." Alex's fingers flew across the keyboard and the view of the compound flickered before them. The guards were running around like mad ants, pointing and shouting at the roof.
"Lot's of bodies, lot's of gunfire, but what are they shooting at?" Alex changed the camera angle, trying to get a better look at the roof.
"I'll handle it." Paul stated, already moving toward the door.
"Ok, big man." Alex drawled. Paul ignored the crack and made off for the courtyard, pistol in hand.
By now the call would have gone out to all members of the Luminous Path and they would be making they're way back to the compound. Whoever or whatever was on the roof was taking a big risk in hanging around. He vaulted up a flight of stairs and could now hear the shouting and gunfire. Minutes later he rushed into the courtyard just as a volley of gas grenades bounced to the ground. Paul skidded to a halt and jumped back the way he had come as the grenades exploded into a noxious cloud. The dogs yelped and crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed by the fumes, while the guards coughed and scratched at their skin and eyes. Their pain was further compounded as the assailant on the roof opened fire. They collapsed to the ground in agony, their knees and shins mangled and bloody.
The intruder was clearly attempting to only maim not kill and Paul took this as a good sign. He edged along the building, staying undercover but looking for a way onto the roof. A figure suddenly dropped down in front of him, the dirt swirling up in a cloud from the impact. He levelled his gun when suddenly the intruder spun and he was face to face with a blue eyed she-devil. They both moved in a blur of speed and he caught hold of her wrist as she tried to pistol whip him. He blinked when he realised she had ensnared his other wrist, pointing his gun away from her. She bared her teeth in a grimace as she tried to free herself from his clutches.
'Not a chance lady.' He thought as he tightened his iron grip, but he was surprised to find that he could not pull out of her grasp either.
For a moment they danced around the courtyard pushing and pulling, trying to unbalance the other. He tried to kick out at her knees but he could only just lift his foot off the ground before she pushed it down with a strike of her own. They stood locked together, neither giving ground, but Paul knew time was on his side. It could be mere seconds before the compound was flooded with Triad members, yet she did not seem afraid. Slowly, giving her plenty of time to surrender, Paul began to squeeze with his hand, crushing her soft flesh painfully against bone. He was surprised when she mirrored his action but he was confident he could hold out longer. With his augmented strength he knew it wouldn't be long until she capitulated.
They both heard the clatter of numerous feet closing in on the compound and for the first time her steely glare wavered. Frustration was marked clearly on her face but he had yet to see fear creep into her eyes. In a last ditch effort she tried to pull away from him with all her strength. She would have broken free if Paul had not reacted instinctively and squeezed her wrist with all his might while simultaneously trying to push her to her knees. There was a sickening crunch as her wrist bones were crushed and her gun clattered to the ground. The cry of pain that erupted from her throat was so piteous and her eyes brimmed with such fear and painful tears that Paul immediately relented. He had not meant to hurt her only to keep her from escaping. Thinking she was beaten he relaxed his grip on her wrist. The next thing he knew he was writhing on the ground, the most intense pain in his groin where she had kicked him. All he could do was watch through tear stained eyes as she vaulted over the compound wall and into the night as a dozen triad members came bursting into the courtyard.