9:48am
CHINATOWN
PETER'S APARTMENT
Peter, Lo Si, and Caine exited Peter's residence. Caine carried a duffel bag, while Lo Si held a crate filled with herbal supplies.
Peter locked the front door with his keys and put them in his coat. "So are we ready guys? All packed up for Pennsylvania?"
Caine nodded in agreement. "Yes, my son. But..do your friends at the precinct know you are leaving?"
Peter smiled. "Oh, sure. I was due for some time off last time, but I saved it because I had to finish up a case. Don't worry, Jordan will inform Captain Simms."
Caine said, "Good. Then we must go now."
Then, as they walked to the Stealth, four men approached. They wore black suits with dark orange undershirts. They were all Chinese. One of them said, "Time to pay, Shaolin..the Crane dies now!!!"
Peter smirked at his father. "Hmmph. I should have *known* these guys were Tiger assassins."
As they rushed in, the three Shaolin put down their belongings. Peter kicked one in the gut, then an elbow on to the back, knocking him over.
Caine came behind one and applied a pressure point to the shoulder, and the man slowly went down.
Lo Si used one of his tai chi forms, dancing around his enemy. When the 'tiger' grabbed his arm, the Ancient merely threw him over his shoulder. Then he brought a foot to the man's chest once he was down.
As they got up, the third grabbed a hold of his friend, helping him up. "Come, we must go! Let's get outta here." They quickly ran off.
Peter asked, "So, Pop, what brought that on?"
Caine replied, "Are you working on a case? Something to do with Bon Bon Hai? Or politics, something controversial..."
Peter answered, "No. The only thing I've worked on was that stakeout a few days ago. But we were just watching a woman being stalked by a rapist or two. Nothing to provoke our enemies."
Caine said, "Ahh. The Sing Wah attack even without reason, Peter. We do not have to deserve it...just the fact of *being* Shaolin threatens them. They will not give up until they kill us."
Peter pointed to his gun. "Or until one of *US* kills them, right?" He caught the look on Caine's face. "Oh, never mind. Let's get going."
They picked their stuff up and headed over to the flashy car.
The Sing Wah agents who attacked them were near the Golden Dragon. The third guy was talking into his cell-phone. "..yes, that's right. They beat us. Huh? Oh, they were carrying personal supplies. The Shambhala Master had a big sack, probably clothes or something else. The old one had his herb stuff. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they were going on a long trip somewhere. We did overhear the cop say something about Pennsylvania... that's all, nothing more detail. That must be where they're headed. So now what?" He waited. "Yes! Yes, there may be clues at Caine's place. Yes, Master Damon. Of course, we'll meet you there. Bye." He clicked it off.
The first assassin asked, "So we go to the priest's shop?"
The third one replied, "Yes. The Shaolin are headed somewhere in Pennsylvania. We should look for clues at the apothecary, something that will give a more exact location."
***********
10:13am
CAINE'S APOTHECARY
Damon Caine stood in his brother's quarters, searching through the incense and candle-holders. He wore a black suit, with a black cape. He had short hair, except for a long pony-tail on his right side. He also wore a golden necklace(a tiger). His sword was in the scabbard around his left side. "So, brother, where are you headed off to now? Well, run all you want, we WILL find you."
One of the agents came in. "Master Damon, any luck?"
The master replied, "Not yet. Come, help me look."
They searched in the shelves, among the herbs. The agent saw something on the counter, between a few bowls and a couple fruits. "Oh, what's this?" He picked up an envelope. It was opened. He looked inside, but there was no letter. "Oh, Damon...look."
Damon turned around. "Yes, you found something?"
The man gave the envelope to him.
Damon held it up. "Well, there's no letter, Caine must have it. Hmm.." He turned it over, looking at the addresses. "Addressed to Peter, my nephew."
"Who's it from?"
"Ahh, yes. From a 'Cole Sear' in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It even has the house number and street." He smiled. "Good work. Very good."
"But who is Cole? Another priest, a cop? Sing Wah?"
"Let me see." He held the envelope in both hands, feeling the energy from it. He focused his mind on the imprints from it. "Ohh. Caine opened it, but Peter had received it first. Let's see who delivered it..." He forced his mind to expand his powers, searching for the essence of the letter's sender. "Cole is..a nine-year old boy. Single mother...yes, I see his room. A red tent in the middle that has the sign 'Do Not Enter', with Biblical statues inside. It
appears to be some kind of sanctuary. Oh, what do you hide from, little boy? Where are you now, Cole? Hmmm?...he was afraid when he wrote this, fearful of an enemy. Someone my brother knows.."
"Can you sense the boy?"
"Yes, a little. I know what he looks like. Wears a school uniform, goes to some academy. That's where he is..yes. Also, he has a streak of whiteness in his hair, he must be a mystic or something. I *sensed* he was gifted somehow.." He opened his eyes, disconnecting the vision.
"So, that's where they went? Philadelphia?"
"It would appear so. We will go there."
"Do we have any agents there?"
"Yes, there's a few. One of them, a married woman..Mrs. Winthrop. She has a son--named Darren, I believe--who attends St. Anthony's Academy, where Cole apparently goes to. I'll call her to ask about this 'Cole'. Then, I'll inform Bon Bon Hai of our departure."
*************
10:20am
101st PRECINCT
Jordan McGuire was standing by Captain Simms' door. It was open. She stepped into the doorway and lightly tapped on the door. "Captain, can I come in?"
Karen Simms looked up from her desk. At the moment, she was looking through a recent file. "Yes, Jordan."
Jordan came in. "Peter left on a trip. He said he was due for time off, but instead of taking it, he saved it for later. Well, he's taking it now."
Simms said, "That's alright. I'm sure we have more detectives here that can handle the work. So, where did he go?"
"Philadelphia."
Simms arched an eyebrow. "Oh..really. Did he give you any reason for this sudden departure?"
"He said it's got something to do with his father. They're helping a friend of theirs, a boy. It's something about phantoms, dark forces..you know, what Caine deals with."
"Right. Well, it's just as well."
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
"Oh, it's just that this vacation goes right in line with the case I was about to assign him."
"What case is that?"
"What do you know about Bon Bon Hai?"
"He's the mobster who took over Dao Tan's business. Peter also tells me that Hai is the leader of an ancient sect called Sing Wah."
"Yes, the antithesis of Shaolin kung fu. Anyway, many who worked under Tan now work for Bon Bon Hai. We received news from Peter's snitch, Donny Double-Dee. It turns out that Jack Wong left to Philadelphia as well."
"What's odd about that? Aren't there agents of Sing Wah near Pittsburgh?"
"Not to our knowledge. The kicker is this: he wasn't ordered to go, it was his choice. TAN had business in Pittsburgh, sometime before he returned to kill Caine."
"Okay, captain. But I still don't understand. *Why* would Mr. Wong, who now works for Bon Bon Hai, go to an area where he worked under his previous employer? With Tan's contacts, not Bon Bon Hai's."
"I was just getting to that. He left with someone very close to Mr. Tan. Tan's daughter, Xia."
"What?"
"She left work early yesterday, cancelled her appointments, then ordered a plane ticket. Both she and Wong left for Philly last night."
"Oh, boy. I guess Peter has his hands full...Wong, Sing Wah, Tan's old associates? Speaking of Tan's past contacts, do you know who they are?"
"Yes. Here's a few. Tony Rogers, who works for the local paper. Derek Tammosimo, who works as a technician at a computer software company. He has a son named Thomas that he put in a private school. The rest are all mostly petty thugs, gangsters."
"Well, at least Peter has his father to help out."
"Do you have his beeper number handy?"
"Yes. I'll call him as soon as possible." She left the office.
Captain Simms closed the file. "Good luck, detective. But this time around, I think you'll need a lot MORE than just luck."
CHINATOWN
PETER'S APARTMENT
Peter, Lo Si, and Caine exited Peter's residence. Caine carried a duffel bag, while Lo Si held a crate filled with herbal supplies.
Peter locked the front door with his keys and put them in his coat. "So are we ready guys? All packed up for Pennsylvania?"
Caine nodded in agreement. "Yes, my son. But..do your friends at the precinct know you are leaving?"
Peter smiled. "Oh, sure. I was due for some time off last time, but I saved it because I had to finish up a case. Don't worry, Jordan will inform Captain Simms."
Caine said, "Good. Then we must go now."
Then, as they walked to the Stealth, four men approached. They wore black suits with dark orange undershirts. They were all Chinese. One of them said, "Time to pay, Shaolin..the Crane dies now!!!"
Peter smirked at his father. "Hmmph. I should have *known* these guys were Tiger assassins."
As they rushed in, the three Shaolin put down their belongings. Peter kicked one in the gut, then an elbow on to the back, knocking him over.
Caine came behind one and applied a pressure point to the shoulder, and the man slowly went down.
Lo Si used one of his tai chi forms, dancing around his enemy. When the 'tiger' grabbed his arm, the Ancient merely threw him over his shoulder. Then he brought a foot to the man's chest once he was down.
As they got up, the third grabbed a hold of his friend, helping him up. "Come, we must go! Let's get outta here." They quickly ran off.
Peter asked, "So, Pop, what brought that on?"
Caine replied, "Are you working on a case? Something to do with Bon Bon Hai? Or politics, something controversial..."
Peter answered, "No. The only thing I've worked on was that stakeout a few days ago. But we were just watching a woman being stalked by a rapist or two. Nothing to provoke our enemies."
Caine said, "Ahh. The Sing Wah attack even without reason, Peter. We do not have to deserve it...just the fact of *being* Shaolin threatens them. They will not give up until they kill us."
Peter pointed to his gun. "Or until one of *US* kills them, right?" He caught the look on Caine's face. "Oh, never mind. Let's get going."
They picked their stuff up and headed over to the flashy car.
The Sing Wah agents who attacked them were near the Golden Dragon. The third guy was talking into his cell-phone. "..yes, that's right. They beat us. Huh? Oh, they were carrying personal supplies. The Shambhala Master had a big sack, probably clothes or something else. The old one had his herb stuff. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they were going on a long trip somewhere. We did overhear the cop say something about Pennsylvania... that's all, nothing more detail. That must be where they're headed. So now what?" He waited. "Yes! Yes, there may be clues at Caine's place. Yes, Master Damon. Of course, we'll meet you there. Bye." He clicked it off.
The first assassin asked, "So we go to the priest's shop?"
The third one replied, "Yes. The Shaolin are headed somewhere in Pennsylvania. We should look for clues at the apothecary, something that will give a more exact location."
***********
10:13am
CAINE'S APOTHECARY
Damon Caine stood in his brother's quarters, searching through the incense and candle-holders. He wore a black suit, with a black cape. He had short hair, except for a long pony-tail on his right side. He also wore a golden necklace(a tiger). His sword was in the scabbard around his left side. "So, brother, where are you headed off to now? Well, run all you want, we WILL find you."
One of the agents came in. "Master Damon, any luck?"
The master replied, "Not yet. Come, help me look."
They searched in the shelves, among the herbs. The agent saw something on the counter, between a few bowls and a couple fruits. "Oh, what's this?" He picked up an envelope. It was opened. He looked inside, but there was no letter. "Oh, Damon...look."
Damon turned around. "Yes, you found something?"
The man gave the envelope to him.
Damon held it up. "Well, there's no letter, Caine must have it. Hmm.." He turned it over, looking at the addresses. "Addressed to Peter, my nephew."
"Who's it from?"
"Ahh, yes. From a 'Cole Sear' in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It even has the house number and street." He smiled. "Good work. Very good."
"But who is Cole? Another priest, a cop? Sing Wah?"
"Let me see." He held the envelope in both hands, feeling the energy from it. He focused his mind on the imprints from it. "Ohh. Caine opened it, but Peter had received it first. Let's see who delivered it..." He forced his mind to expand his powers, searching for the essence of the letter's sender. "Cole is..a nine-year old boy. Single mother...yes, I see his room. A red tent in the middle that has the sign 'Do Not Enter', with Biblical statues inside. It
appears to be some kind of sanctuary. Oh, what do you hide from, little boy? Where are you now, Cole? Hmmm?...he was afraid when he wrote this, fearful of an enemy. Someone my brother knows.."
"Can you sense the boy?"
"Yes, a little. I know what he looks like. Wears a school uniform, goes to some academy. That's where he is..yes. Also, he has a streak of whiteness in his hair, he must be a mystic or something. I *sensed* he was gifted somehow.." He opened his eyes, disconnecting the vision.
"So, that's where they went? Philadelphia?"
"It would appear so. We will go there."
"Do we have any agents there?"
"Yes, there's a few. One of them, a married woman..Mrs. Winthrop. She has a son--named Darren, I believe--who attends St. Anthony's Academy, where Cole apparently goes to. I'll call her to ask about this 'Cole'. Then, I'll inform Bon Bon Hai of our departure."
*************
10:20am
101st PRECINCT
Jordan McGuire was standing by Captain Simms' door. It was open. She stepped into the doorway and lightly tapped on the door. "Captain, can I come in?"
Karen Simms looked up from her desk. At the moment, she was looking through a recent file. "Yes, Jordan."
Jordan came in. "Peter left on a trip. He said he was due for time off, but instead of taking it, he saved it for later. Well, he's taking it now."
Simms said, "That's alright. I'm sure we have more detectives here that can handle the work. So, where did he go?"
"Philadelphia."
Simms arched an eyebrow. "Oh..really. Did he give you any reason for this sudden departure?"
"He said it's got something to do with his father. They're helping a friend of theirs, a boy. It's something about phantoms, dark forces..you know, what Caine deals with."
"Right. Well, it's just as well."
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
"Oh, it's just that this vacation goes right in line with the case I was about to assign him."
"What case is that?"
"What do you know about Bon Bon Hai?"
"He's the mobster who took over Dao Tan's business. Peter also tells me that Hai is the leader of an ancient sect called Sing Wah."
"Yes, the antithesis of Shaolin kung fu. Anyway, many who worked under Tan now work for Bon Bon Hai. We received news from Peter's snitch, Donny Double-Dee. It turns out that Jack Wong left to Philadelphia as well."
"What's odd about that? Aren't there agents of Sing Wah near Pittsburgh?"
"Not to our knowledge. The kicker is this: he wasn't ordered to go, it was his choice. TAN had business in Pittsburgh, sometime before he returned to kill Caine."
"Okay, captain. But I still don't understand. *Why* would Mr. Wong, who now works for Bon Bon Hai, go to an area where he worked under his previous employer? With Tan's contacts, not Bon Bon Hai's."
"I was just getting to that. He left with someone very close to Mr. Tan. Tan's daughter, Xia."
"What?"
"She left work early yesterday, cancelled her appointments, then ordered a plane ticket. Both she and Wong left for Philly last night."
"Oh, boy. I guess Peter has his hands full...Wong, Sing Wah, Tan's old associates? Speaking of Tan's past contacts, do you know who they are?"
"Yes. Here's a few. Tony Rogers, who works for the local paper. Derek Tammosimo, who works as a technician at a computer software company. He has a son named Thomas that he put in a private school. The rest are all mostly petty thugs, gangsters."
"Well, at least Peter has his father to help out."
"Do you have his beeper number handy?"
"Yes. I'll call him as soon as possible." She left the office.
Captain Simms closed the file. "Good luck, detective. But this time around, I think you'll need a lot MORE than just luck."