Dark Winds, Part 7


Mike Stone and Dave Trundle, detectives from opposite sides of the Bay, came together to speak with Tan Choi. Realizing the import shop was closed, Trundle found a separate side entrance to the living quarters upstairs and knocked on the door. Seconds later, Choi appeared and greeted his two visitors.

"Lieutenant Stone, I've been expecting you," the older Asian man acknowledged.

"Is Steve here?" Mike asked sternly.

"Yes, he's upstairs resting in my brother's room." Choi took a quick glance at Trundle. "You're the detective who is handling my brother's case."

"Yes, may we come in?" Trundle asked politely.

"Please, come on upstairs." Choi showed the way to the small living room in the upstairs residence. "Have a seat. May I offer you anything?"

"Just some facts, Choi, and then I'm going to want to see Steve." Mike said as he sat down on the small settee.

"Of course. Lieutenant, I've told you everything I know. How more can I help you?"

"You can start by telling Detective Trundle and me what happened to your sister twenty years ago."

Choi was silent as he looked at the other detective. "I knew there was something familiar about you when you were here after my brother's murder. Going back all those years, I should have realized it, but you were much younger then."

Trundle nodded. "Choi, let me get to the point. Twenty years ago, there was a young man infatuated with your sister. Your sister and brother-in-law ended the man's employment with them as a result. That same day, your sister was murdered and the young man was found hanged. Could you tell me, especially in light of what's happened recently with your brother's murder, if there's anything else we should know about your sister's death?"

"You will not believe me."

"Try us," Mike urged. "There are things I've seen now which I can't explain, and I'd like to put some logic and reasoning to all of this. Were these so-called spirits involved in your sister's death?"

"So you are accepting of these things, Lieutenant?"

"I'm not saying if I am or not. All I know is that you have two siblings who have died violently, and there are unexplainable circumstances with each death. I believe you can shed some light on both cases."

"I believe the Huai was in the form of my brother-in-law twenty years ago. He's returned as someone else."

Trundle asked, "What happened to your brother-in-law? He disappeared so suddenly after your sister's burial."

"Chen and I thought our sister was slain by the young man. His name was Martin Lo, but they called him Marty."

"Yes, he's the one," Trundle agreed.

"After we heard Martin was dead, we returned to the shop only to find my sister's husband here. He tried to fight both my brother and me, but was no match for us. Twenty years ago, we were fit fighters and between the two of us, we were able to battle him. We did not destroy him, but he fled the scene."

"And did he have this spirit? The Huai?" Mike asked, somewhat unbelieving he was uttering the question.

"Yes, I believe he did. He knew too many secrets of the Huai's way of fighting."

"And you think that your sister was murdered by her husband? Was it because she was a Yon as well?"

"I do not believe that her husband was really a human, but really just a physical form to house the evil Huai. I believe the Huai was seeking more power and knew that my brother, my sister and I were together. How better can he gain his strength than to defeat three Yon at once?"

"But he wasn't able to."

"No, our sister was the physically weaker of the three of us, so she was his first mark. But my brother and I were prepared for him. Like I said, we didn't destroy him because we did not have the pewter wrap knife at the point."

"The what?" Mike asked.

"It's the traditional knife used to defeat the Huai. My brother and I only acquired the knife after my brother-in-law left."

Mike could only nod. "But destroying him," Mike began as he attempted to articulate his unease. "Mr. Tan, unless you are in a position of self-defense, please understand that you are talking about committing a murder. Whomever has been here and is after you and your brother must be apprehended and tried by the courts. "

"This is beyond your system, Lieutenant. This Huai is not human and must be destroyed."

Trundle picked up on the comment "And you think whoever killed your sister has returned?"

"Yes, I think he's back. He's waited for us to age while he has probably taken the form of another."

"And this 'other' would be the man who killed your brother?" Trundle said.

"Yes, he's the man I described. A white male, stocky, with dark black hair."

"If he's taken on another form, who's to say that he isn't already different?" Trundle asked. Mike thought it was a good question.

A tired voice from the other room responded matter-of-factly. "He's not a shape shifter. His form slowly evolves."

Mike's ears perked as he realized it was his partner. He slowly made his way into the room and took a seat on a chair across from the settee. Gaunt with dark circles under his eyes, the young man looked completely unkempt.

"Buddy boy, you look like death warmed over…" Mike was stunned as he saw how pale and in pain his partner looked.

"I'm all right. It's just a bad headache." To Choi, Steve continued, "Sleeping didn't help. I guess I'll take some more tea."

Choi got up to get some more of the beverage.

"Steve, I need to get you out of here. I'm really worried about you." The concern showed in the older man's voice.

"There's nothing that can be done, Mike. At least not by regular doctors. This is so different. I know it's crazy, but I've seen and heard too much."

"Look, I talked to Lenny. You probably have something in your system. Some sort of toxin, maybe. We can get you somewhere - a rehab center - and get this out of you."

"No, Mike…" Steve began as he shook his head. His discomfort increased.

"Or an exorcist. I have friends in the church, you know that." Mike countered.

"No!" Steve answered as he felt his blood pressure sky rocket.

"If I have to take you by force, I will." Mike's voice quickly became harsh.

The young man took deep breaths as he grew angry with the threat. Mike saw a new look in his partner's eyes. Steve glared at his mentor with a laser focus that would cut like a sword if allowed. He ran his hand through his hair, a common nervous habit Mike had witnessed countless times before. But instead of retreating from his anger, the detective became more enraged.

"Wo dúzì yīrén líkāi!" (Leave me alone!) Steve brought his knees up to his chin as if he was about to spring into action against the older man. Trundle looked on in fear.

"Steve…" Mike tried to reason. Good heavens, he's lost it.

The young man continued to breathe deeply and began to rock in his seat. "Mike, just go. This is beyond anything either of us has faced before." As the breaths became deeper, Steve shuddered. "Qing líkāi zhīqián, wéi shí yi wan." (Please go away before it's too late)

Tan Choi returned to the room. "Steven, you must be calm and quiet." He handed the detective a cloth which had been saturated with different herbs including a special kind of lavender. "Go lie down again and put this over your face. It will help."

Steve took the cloth without hesitance and brought it up to his face for a quick breath.

Choi pleaded with Stone. "Please go, Lieutenant. You are disrupting the Yon and that will only place him in danger. You can do nothing more for him and he knows it."

"I don't like this," Mike countered.

"The circumstance that brought him here was not of his doing. He's a victim in this and he knows what his chances are. But his character shows that he's a survivor. He will do what he knows he must. So now, he's here of his own free will. You can check on him as you need to, but he must remain stable."

Choi's explanation did not help Mike, as Steve headed back to Chen's room. Mike quickly got up and grabbed his protégé' by the arm.

"You are coming with me. I have to get you out of here. I won't lose you to this." Mike was certain he was doing the right thing and Steve would understand.

Steve turned and faced his partner. Swiftly, his right hand grasped Mike around the throat. He shoved the taller man into the wall with one move. Trundle jumped up and drew his gun.

As Mike felt Steve's grasp tighten, his worry quickly became fear. Mike swung his right first directly into the fold of Steve's arm, but Steve's grip remained. Next, he tried to pry the younger man's fingers from his throat to no avail. Mike looked into his partner's eyes and saw they were pitch black. The normal hazel green was completely gone.

"Wo dúzì yīrén líkāi!" Steve repeated forcefully.

"Let loose of him or I'll shoot," Trundle shouted.

"No," Mike responded hoarsely. He knew that Dave was doing what he thought was best. "Don't shoot. He won't hurt me."

Steve took a deep breath and after several seconds, the fierce edge began to fade. Mike noticed the darkness in his eyes became less intense. "You must go," Steve said in quieter tone. "I'm trying to stay in control, but I'm losing the battle with the spirit just as the girl did. I wouldn't put my worst enemy through this, let alone risk this happening to you. I'm sorry, Mike, but this must end with me."

Steve removed the grip around the older man's throat. He met his partner's eyes one more time and then retreated to Chen's room without another word.