- Chapter Twenty-Eight -

Eye Spy With My Little I/Confidence Is Key

"Man, these jobs are the worst." Conversing casually in Mandarin with a similarly suited peer, a millennial with a studded nose ring sighed into his cigarette. He probably should consider quitting, but eh. "I say either just do away with this arranged marriage business or just tranq the bride-to-be. Sort it out as man and wife if you're feeling generous, or otherwise just leave her to sort herself. The rest of us shouldn't have to suffer for one cunt's entitlement."

Exhaling a puff of her own, a sharply dressed chauffeur leaned back against the building thoughtfully. Just glad to be on break so that they didn't have to run the risk of being put under the psycho in charge of the hunting party, she shrugged against the scratchy surface. "I'm more annoyed that Jian won't let us smoke indoors. Who the hell cares about safety hazards? It's fucking cold!" Rubbing her hands together, she glanced over at the door resting perpetually upon its prop, "I hope his mole hears that!"

Jian seemed to either not know that his superiors had placed a nark within his ranks, or he simply didn't care, because so far as either of the two knew, nothing was being done to suss out the unloyal party. In fact, it was such a non-issue for the boss that his underlings would frequently joke about the mystery person bluntly and in the open. Certain members would treat the topic a hair more seriously, although they too would ultimately laugh about it as more of a judging bogeyman type figure than treat it as a genuine concern. As the most important of the U.S. chapters, their branch had a good thing going, so who would have been foolish enough to ruin it?

"But... you aren't wrong." Relationship evolved beyond simple ribbing, just the thought of agreeing with her companion was usually enough to quiet wagging tongues. He probably could have said the same for her. "Zhihao's granddaughter or not, this is too much trouble - I'd say just let the bitch go to her lover and kill them both in retribution. Maybe in the mainland her name means something, but here it just doesn't carry the same kind of weight. Am I wrong?"

"Hmm." Biting back his own pride to admit that his comrade wasn't far off the mark so far as he was concerned, nose ring merely nodded.

Grade-school antics through and through, the woman made kissing noises and laughed. "Whichever she goes for in the end, Jian could do better." Truthfully he'd forgotten just how much he loathed the sound of her mirth. But who wouldn't?! It was an irritating noise, like a stuck pig being grated alive by old sandpaper.

Unperturbed by the face being made at her juvenile act (which was more than fitting given how young the boss's little hussy was), the professional driver frowned at the glorified kitchen boy all the same. He was such a bummer! Really it was a good thing that they rarely had to interact outside of the odd work hour. "You can't tell me you'd be so quick to make face-time with the little mongrel, after what Angel and Ashley did."

And there it is.

Commonplace as the adoration of the butchers was, he still rolled his eyes. There might have been a time when he thought that his co-worker was above being another sheep among the flock, but it had passed long ago. Both of the killers-for-hire were outsiders with not a drop of Asian decent in their blood, yet somehow or other the majority had come to overlook that tiny fact. Worse, the pair had even received a pass on that count in most courts.

But they hadn't pulled the wool over his eyes. "I'm no hypocrite. And if they were so great at their jobs, the boss's fiancée never would have escaped in the first place. There may be a brutal artistry to what they've done, but them even finding her in the first place was luck. Blind luck. You throw out enough nets, and you're bound to catch a fish. So before you bow before your false idols, remember for a moment that that could have been anybody. You, me, that half-blind bum off of 5th. Anyone."

Sensing the anger that was brewing at him applying simple logic, nose ring addressed his point before she could squawk, "Angel and Ashley might be the best there is at dismembering, but there are plenty other guys out there that could track the bitch."

Indignant on behalf of heroes that she had never even spoken to, the woman scoffed, "What, like you?" Tracking and being blessed enough to actually apprehend were two entirely different things. "Please, it took you two months to be able to find your way to work without a neon arrow."

Of course he'd never be able to live that one down; not everyone was as gifted behind the wheel as the former stunt driver. While it would have made sense to point out as much, instead he remained silent and sulked to himself. Purposefully glancing away to gaze at the colors collecting in the granite-hued dish on the ceiling, neither had noticed the shadows moving beneath their feet.

Flicking ash into the air like dead leaves in a strong current, he opened his mouth to say something, however no words came out. In a flash something thin and silver wrapped around his neck, the metal string cutting the words off unexpectedly, leaving that final train of thought a mystery. Instead of what could have been the speech of a lifetime, all that spilled from his lips was a ghastly mixing of gargled noises and primal static.

Assuming that the asshole was only trying to screw with her - as he'd done so many times in the past - the chauffeur didn't give the strangled gasp a second thought.

Until the blood came out. Fresh, scarlet, and warm enough to steam the air, the carmine line on her old friend's neck was the last thing the woman saw...

[Silhouette of a Soldier]

Stealth incarnate with his weapon of choice at the ready, the soldier signaled for his own companion to stop short as they came underneath their targets. So far as he could tell from his vantage point, there were only two shadows standing overhead. Noise somewhat deceptive in the wind, from the sounds of them the pair was too engrossed in their own thing to be any wiser of the infiltration.

Though older and arguably the more experienced of the duo, the military-trained adventurer had allowed him to take the lead on this one. Perhaps her motivation came from a place of guilt, or maybe it was as simple as professional courtesy. Either way, the merc-turned-treasure seeker paused at his nonverbal command and awaited further instruction. Or to phrase it in another way to cushion the ego, opinion.

Indicating the wear and tear surrounding the frames uniformly set into the structure, he pointed at himself and then upwards. Gesturing to Nadine, he permitted her to resume taking the fire escape.

Understanding what he meant without a problem, the former mercenary inclined her head. From the sounds of it she'd scaled her fair share of vertical obstacles in the past, so this was nothing for her to fret over. Really the only risk that came from falling here was a broken bone or two and the alarm being raised. Miracle machine that it was, the human body would mend over time - assuming that he had lived long enough to see another day - but being discovered could have entailed more than a sudden death. So far he's been lucky in that regard, but luck was not something he cared to rely upon more than he could help it.

Verifying that the handholds eroded into the wall would support his weight, he was off to do whatever it took to gain entry.

Willing to shed blood for his objective (whatever it may have been at the time), the soldier confirmed that there were in fact only a couple of goons to clear out once he was in a position to do so. Fingertips dusted by loose rubble and chalk, Wyatt hadn't even noticed that he had torn up his calloused hands while shimmying over to the platform above the poor man's balcony. Nary a complaint uttered, the young man dropped on his back and squirmed beneath the shoddy railing until his torso was one with the iron-like platform.

The view was nice, but he had grimmer things on his mind than the sunset.

Extending his arm so that he could uncoil the wire he used for such operations, he made sure once more that his knees were hooked around the flimsy edge to keep from plummeting to his death. More than one decent soldier worth their salt had been lost to a lack of proper preparation, including one he had called a friend.

Quick as a flicker and at least twice as silent, the soldier made short work of the one with the nose ring.

The last person to distinguish gender on the field, he watched his partner with a newfound appreciation. Nadine Ross had earned a name for herself and had maintained it all these long years, even after the change in profession, but it was something else entirely to see the woman at work firsthand. Having cleared the way for his partner to strike, his mother had unequivocally proven once more what he had already known when she grabbed the woman by the ankles.

Jerking motion coming the same exact instant that her co-worker had perished, the suited female had hit the ground with such force that she was out immediately.

But he wasn't about to take any chances of being detected, especially prematurely. Tucking mid-decent into a neat flip, Wyatt dropped down with the grace of a feline. Blade drawn and intent transparent for all to see, the soldier took his blade and drew it across her neck for good measure. Now the pair could bicker in hell, similar smiles etched into their throats.

Wordlessly the young fighter nodded at the door. So far as he had been concerned, Nadine Ross was the absolute last person in the world that needed to be protected (and genetics had little to do with that feeling). Striking formation was immaterial in truth, however they were the type of people that liked at least some order where it could be found. Ironic, all things considered.

Eyes keen as they ever had been, she could count how many guys were coming and divvy them up accordingly. Presumably the hallway would be empty (or close enough to) if there had only been two employees taking their break at once, but there was no way to be sure. No matter - she had this.

Poised for a fight that could spring at any minute, just as the battle-hardened veteran headed for the door to peer inside, a third warm-up appeared to block the path. Taller than the other two by at least a good head, the standard-issued wall of bulk and padding stomped heedlessly into the picture. Balding and inked so intensively that there was barely any room left upon the natural canvas, the least generic thing about this new obstacle was the slicked-back braid dangling over his shoulder.

Left with no time at all to strategize, she used the few milliseconds at her disposal to take advantage of the element of surprise.

French fries and milkshakes slowing down the slob's reaction time, the apparent lack of vitamin A did nothing to assist the brute's night vision. Gleaning the same weakness, the former mercenary dropped her crouched position by the side door and stood at her full height to take on the big guy. The difference in height was considerable, but she would not be cowed.

Prepared for this as much as anyone could be, the lithe jungle cat pounced upon the unsuspecting warthog, claws aimed at the jugular. There wasn't a lot of neck there to throttle, however there was enough to buy her teammate some time. Arms snaking around the meaty stump, the former mercenary jerked her head towards the entrance and grunted with the effort of subduing the the giant, muscles put to the test almost instantly. "Go!"

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Wyatt obeyed the command. This wasn't nearly as seamless an infiltration as they'd planned, however they were all versed in the risks. Even the civilian had been clued in that this wouldn't be a cakewalk - somewhat admirable, the blonde man hadn't been deterred. Yet it remained to be seen how long that foolish courage would see him through.

Honoring his mother's wish, the young man slipped through the door before the struggle escalated and raised any red flags.

If the blueprints were still any shade of accurate, the rooms up ahead were empty cells for interrogation. Branching at regular intervals, offices would be left and right, the meeting point interrupted by a pair of lifts at the far end. Frankly the accuracy of the information was highly doubtful since the lease had changed hands, however it was better than going in completely blind.

Resuming the trail, he kept close to the wall.

Opting for the left-hand route, he marked his path with a bloody print, the scarlet ink coming courtesy of nose-ring. Placement not quite subtle, he was in too great a rush to consider leaving a better mark that could distinguish his path. Besides, it would be a waste to not make some kind of use of his fresh kill.

"And now we begin." With any kind of luck, he'd be the first one to the Adler girl...

[Someplace In Or Near Chinese Waters]

Floor anything but steady as the waves rocked the seaplane, Bai clutched the edge of her seat so hard that her knuckles had gone white.

Hidden away in a cozy little alcove, there was a slim possibility of being seen from the cliffs above, however the businesswoman had insisted that the odds of being discovered increased tenfold by stepping on dry land. Obviously not every single person could identify her by sight, however she wasn't about to take that gamble, even for a moment. Victor had been sorely tempted to call her out for that kind of ego, however he'd gotten quite an earful already.

Think I'll leave poking the bear to the boys.

In a gentlemanly gesture, Sullivan had offered to move the operation inland when he first noticed how pale the woman had gotten during the voyage, however she shot the idea down in flames. Though he had a tougher skin than to mind all of what she had said, it was all rather rude and overtly threatening. And that was only the bits he had understood. Forming a much clearer understanding of the businesswoman and her motives, there was no mistaking what they were there for. Hell, he'd be willing to risk the same in her position - except that was hardly an excuse to bite his head off.

"Yahui should be calling any minute now." One of the few redeeming qualities about the criminal was his punctuality. Having spied on over a couple hundred conversations by this point, Victor could honestly say that he wasn't much of a fan otherwise. His companion on the other hand... Well, her opinion shouldn't have come as much of a surprise given the kind of man that took her fancy. "The question is if Jian will answer this time."

Bai had only met Jian once that she could recall, and he had been a small child then. Come to think of it, that might not even have been him that she was thinking about it was so long ago... Regardless, the boy had already ignored the last two calls, so he wouldn't dare miss this one. "He'll answer. His position depends on it."

Sully wasn't as convinced, yet he kept that to himself. If there was one thing he could say about this experience, it was that the woman wasn't particularly keen on hearing things that clashed with her vision.

[The Call]

Daniella Adler... In another life she might have had quite the future running her late father's empire.

Annoyed one word for it, he was more irritated by his best men not doing more to break his potential bride-to-be's spirit than he was impressed with her little stunt. Icy outside but a smoldering inferno within, if it had been anyone else that kind of initiative would have netted both a job and a position on the shortlist for the next available promotion. As it were, that thoughtless display of moxy landed little more than a few points of respect.

Hired in large part to prevent attempts at future bravery, Angel and Ashley both ought to have done better. Granted they hadn't had the biggest window of time to work their magic, for what they were being paid he should have seen better results.

But maybe they weren't fully to blame...

Compiling every last shred of data that could be dug up before the impending nuptials, any fool with eyes to see could gather that there was incentive for young miss Adler to play hard to get. First and foremost, it was just in her blood to fight, even if she didn't realize it. However that seemed too convenient an answer, so Jian only put so much stock into that theory. He'd dealt with all kinds, so for him it wasn't so far-fetched to put his money on a simpler explanation: anatomy. Considering her age and background, there was no better reason.

Facts all pointing to something mature and untoward between the heiress and one of her former educators, dating was a strong term for the affair. Shame, shame, it would appear that the young lady wasn't quite as pure as her mother would like to pretend she was. As all mothers longed to believe their child was. Although with his own record, who was he to judge? Despite there being something to say for having a partner with some experience, it wasn't whatever teacher and student shared that had him concerned.

No doubt hired by the defiled defector to keep her little girl out of the worst of it while she worked her magic off screen, the explorer was a known figure, even among the Orange Tiger. Somehow they hadn't really crossed paths before, but the name was still a familiar one.

Question was, what precisely was the extent of that situation?

Rafe, Shun, even good old Keats to some degree, it seemed that every man the girl came to care about all ended up rather dead. Surviving that many dead father-figures was a recipe for disaster - oh, wait, too late. Princess had already hit that check mark on the list of common 'daddy issues' bingo. Engaging with her professor the way that she had, it really wasn't much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that certain lines had been blurred with her newest guardian.

Unsure how much credit to give his young bride-to-be, Jian didn't rule out that the heiress and the thief had kept things strictly professional. But what fun was there in that? While it was a possibility, the evidence all pointed to the contrary, so in his mind the suspicion alone was enough to paint the colors of her guilt. Forget that the scoundrel had a certain kind of reputation...

Damned if she did and damned if she didn't, miss Adler was trouble. Lucky for her, he liked a bit of trouble.

Bracing for the biting winds that were expected to pick up into the night, the young crime lord slid his hand first into one leather driving glove and then another. Honestly if he were to be completely honest with himself, Jian had to admit that he didn't hate the idea of his fiancé. Not completely at any rate. Marriage in general simply wasn't an appealing notion, and he doubted that at the end of the day they could spin some fairytale ending for one another, but at least she wouldn't bore him from the get.

Armed with the power to make almost any and everything a reality, if the promising gang leader desired something (or someone) badly enough, he would make it happen. Jumping out of a two-story window left no doubt in his mind that the young woman was just as resolved as he was. Determination could be a deadly thing, but in this case... Well...

Boss of an entire city branch and confident in his position, as he left the interrogation chamber Jian glanced around the abandoned vestibule.

Free to do as they pleased on their own time, on a normal night it wasn't uncommon to find men and woman milling around to make plans with one another. As to that, he could care less. Off hours were off hours so far as he was concerned, so the peons could relax and take a moment for themselves. As a gang obviously they were beholden to answer his call whenever it might come, but he considered himself to be fair on that count.

Except tonight wasn't an average night, was it?

Immediately sending all available units to comb for the runaway, those that hadn't been deployed were in the lounge downstairs. Not a resource going to waste, they were prepping to bring her back in the event that the first wave failed. Drake would inevitably be coming to collect the girl at some point, so a team had been dispatched to entertain him as well. There were a few known associates that the rogue might call to aid in the rescue, however with the circumstances being what they were, Jian wasn't anticipating a huge team. Greed was quite the force to be reckoned with, it turned out.

Name not unknown to them, Chloe Frazer would doubtlessly be among the effort; after all, she'd been with the heiress at the time of abduction. Nadine Ross had strong ties to the pair, and a distant connection to the hostage as well, however reports had her out of the country. And anyways her involvement wasn't a guaranteed thing. Beyond that, it was anyone's guess as to who would even hear of this little adventure. The best tactician's could theorize until they were blue in the face, however nothing was certain at this stage.

"Remind me to pay a visit to the hospital." Speaking to his phone while lingering at a cross-roads, the AI made a memo for a later date. Such a useful technology, he could hardly imagine a life without it. No, seriously.

Strolling down the hall at a leisurely pace, the young man surveyed his surroundings with bored interest. There was a new app on his phone just begging to be tested, however that would have to wait until he was in the car. What was some writing on the wall to him when he had a pressing engagement?

And speaking of engagements...

Phone still in hand, the electric vibrations went off to demand his hourly progress report. If indeed they were hourly. Between his meeting with Daniella and her subsequent escape, there really hadn't been all that much to say to his so-called superiors. More specifically there wasn't much he could add, however it would have been unwise to ignore yet another call. Call him sentimental for it, but he was rather attached to everything where it was.

"Wèi?"

Reality what it was, Yahui sounded less than thrilled that his previous calls had gone completely ignored. Predictable much? Shoe on the other foot, Jian supposed that he also would have been more than a trifle miffed, however had he been in the other man's place, the sap a wrung below wouldn't have had such a short leash. Really, was it so difficult to remember that to climb a ladder it required climbing above one level to reach the next? Surely management wasn't old enough to forget that greatness just needed a chance to prove itself.

Voice more of a growl than anything decidedly human, the return greeting was anything but cordial. "You may have been chosen for the honor of marrying the honored granddaughter, however that does not automatically mean you share her importance. As my own family, I must caution that you test your boundaries too fine. As per my orders from above, if you don't get the girl back, it could be your last mistake."

Jian struggled to keep his backtalk to a minimum. A feat worthy of the Olympics, dealing with the old stick in the mud was more hassle than it was worth, however at the end of the day said stick was kin, so a bullet and a note home just wouldn't do. Besides, the next guy to take the position could always be worse. "So I see you have been updated after all." The ensuing eye-roll was just as audible as if he'd voiced his lack of patience aloud. "While I must compliment your agent's work, I don't see why you need to cling to my back-"

Had the conversation not taken place over two different continents, that insolence would have been the ideal cue for the blood-curdling stare that had broken lesser men. "Someone needs to keep you in check. As leader, it is your responsibility to-"

"I know my responsibilities, thank you for the concern." Perturbed that it had taken all of nine seconds to play the duty card, Yahui wasn't the only one that could carry an edge in his tone. Cut-for-cut, the younger man knew every speech by heart and could even recite a number of them in flawless English. "I know what I'm doing, believe it or not. For what I don't know, the most intelligent of my men are downstairs tempering the steel so that we are always ready to strike."

Impressed by the surge of confidence in the boy's voice, Yahui was sorely tempted to believe the boast. As the future of their family, the elder generation only grilled the child so that he might elevate the line in his own right and have a son worthy of inheriting the title someday. Assuming of course that the honored granddaughter was anywhere near as fertile as her mother had been.

Little more than a boy at play in his eyes, the time was fast approaching for Jian to become an adult. "Big words. I suppose that the only thing that really matters is the end result. Very well, if you prove yourself I just might become less inclined to call you so frequently to make sure you're doing your job."

Scorn and mockery not always immediately discernible in the old man's voice, Jian chose to see this as the first steps of real trust. Just the opportunity he'd been waiting for, if he were actually ambitious. Sometimes playing the part of leader got to his head, but at the end of the day he didn't want anything to change. Daniella was the key, however she hadn't exactly warmed up to his alpha persona.

Refusing to break character, Jian callously shrugged. "Soon enough that burden will fall on my wife's shoulders." Not to mention a good many things besides. "It is my sincerest wish that the next time I speak with you is also the last - at my wedding."

Yahui truly wished that that might be possible, both as a go-between with better things to do with his time than babysit and as a kinsman. Not that he would show enough of his heart to let anyone think as much. "To your honeymoon."