12:15pm
PHILADELPHIA
J.C.PENNY
Lynn Sear was working now. She stood behind the register, while Cathy, her employer AND friend, was in Storage checking the inventory. Lynn noticed a few Asian customers in the store.
They had been there for some time. And they were very well dressed, so they didn't appear to need any improvements.
Lynn asked with a smile, "Excuse me, do you need help with anything?"
A man with a pony tail walked up to her. He looked at the name-tag. It read "Lynn S." So, this was Cole's mother. Time for some fun.
Lynn couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt very uneasy around him, like he was dangerous somehow. Oh well. Right now, he's a customer.
The man said, "No, we're just looking. In fact, we're sort of lost. See, we have a friend who has his son in a private school.."
Lynn asked, "Who's your friend? I might know him."
The man replied, "Derek Tammosimo. His son, Thomas-"
"You mean Tommy? He's into acting, right?"
"Yes, that's Tommy. Anyway, we're going to meet Derek today. I need to know where their school is. St. Anthony's Academy?"
"Oh, it's on Whitehall Lane. Big two-story building. It used to be a courthouse, actually."
"Right. I may have seen it."
"In fact, my son goes there."
"Oh. Well, it's good to have education. But you know..."
"What?"
"So much can go wrong."
"How so?"
"Well, there's been a lot of school shootings and violence. Remember.. Columbine?" He smiled slyly. "Oh, I would 'hate' for that to happen to my son in that school..if I *had* a son, that is."
Lynn felt like she was in danger. Or worse, her son. She replied shakily, "Who..who are you?"
"Jack Wong. But it's true. There's so much wrong with the world. First, it was high schools. Now it's starting to happen in elementary. I wouldn't be surprised if an 'altercation' occurred at privately-funded centers like St. Anthony. Doesn't look good at all. So much can go wrong...you know. Sports injuries, grass stains, playing too rough in football. Not to mention a few bullies like Tommy and Darren. I mean, it can happen to anyone. Hmm. You can't too careful, Mrs. Sear." He motioned to the men who were with him. "Let's go, guys." He said to Lynn with mock concern, "I *really* hope Cole is alright." Then he laughed. "You have a nice day, ma'am. Don't
worry, we'll be back." And with that, he and his thugs left the store.
Lynn was shaking. She didn't like being around that Mr. Wong. She felt even worse now, because she knew her son could be in danger. Wong and his friends looked...powerful, she guessed. Sort of like mobsters. After listening to him, she knew they very well could be part of a mob.
Cathy came out of the back room and onto the sales floor. She noticed that her friend was quivering. "Are you alright?"
Lynn said with cold anger, "A man came here. He threatened my son, more or less. He said his name was Jack Wong."
"What did he want?"
"The address for the academy. But I think he already knew it, he just used that as an excuse to scare me. He did a fine job of *that*."
"Should we call the police?"
"I don't think it'll do any good. No witnesses besides his men.. and it's my word against theirs. Besides, a cop is coming to see me sometime tomorrow. Peter Caine and his father. Maybe THEY can do something."
"But Lynn, that's tomorrow. I think you should take the rest of the day off."
"You're right." She grabbed her purse and coat. "I'm going over there right now to make sure my son is ok. Are you sure it's alright?"
"Sure, I think I can find someone to cover for you. Go."
"Okay. Thanks, Cathy." She ran out.
*************
12:25pm
CHINATOWN
DOUG'S AIRSTRIP
Damon and the agent who met with him--Fong--were taking off in Damon's private plane.
Fong asked, "So, we'll be there in a few hours?"
Damon answered, "Yes. My brother should be there tomorrow, sometime in the afternoon."
"Oh. We'll be there first. But some people are already there."
"Really? Besides Mrs. Winthrop, who is one of us?"
"Yes. Our sources in Pittsburgh told me that it's Jack Wong and Xia Tan. They arrived on Delta Airlines about 2:00am last night."
Damon laughed. "Oh, Tan's daughter. Her father was killed by my brother. Not that he didn't deserve it. He destroyed the temple a few months before we had a chance to. Then, he caused the separation between father and son, tried to kill the Ancient twice...hell, I would've killed Tan *myself* if he did that to me. Anyway, this is very intriguing."
"Will they be a threat, master?"
"No. Xia is not Shaolin. Her father had forsaken that Path long ago. And Jack...he works for our Overseer, Bon Bon Hai. I still don't understand why he left to go there. We don't have any major operations there yet. But don't worry, Fong..I know he'll play ball with us. He won't have a choice. Well... besides dying, anyway."
They both laughed at Damon's joke.
PHILADELPHIA
J.C.PENNY
Lynn Sear was working now. She stood behind the register, while Cathy, her employer AND friend, was in Storage checking the inventory. Lynn noticed a few Asian customers in the store.
They had been there for some time. And they were very well dressed, so they didn't appear to need any improvements.
Lynn asked with a smile, "Excuse me, do you need help with anything?"
A man with a pony tail walked up to her. He looked at the name-tag. It read "Lynn S." So, this was Cole's mother. Time for some fun.
Lynn couldn't put her finger on it, but she felt very uneasy around him, like he was dangerous somehow. Oh well. Right now, he's a customer.
The man said, "No, we're just looking. In fact, we're sort of lost. See, we have a friend who has his son in a private school.."
Lynn asked, "Who's your friend? I might know him."
The man replied, "Derek Tammosimo. His son, Thomas-"
"You mean Tommy? He's into acting, right?"
"Yes, that's Tommy. Anyway, we're going to meet Derek today. I need to know where their school is. St. Anthony's Academy?"
"Oh, it's on Whitehall Lane. Big two-story building. It used to be a courthouse, actually."
"Right. I may have seen it."
"In fact, my son goes there."
"Oh. Well, it's good to have education. But you know..."
"What?"
"So much can go wrong."
"How so?"
"Well, there's been a lot of school shootings and violence. Remember.. Columbine?" He smiled slyly. "Oh, I would 'hate' for that to happen to my son in that school..if I *had* a son, that is."
Lynn felt like she was in danger. Or worse, her son. She replied shakily, "Who..who are you?"
"Jack Wong. But it's true. There's so much wrong with the world. First, it was high schools. Now it's starting to happen in elementary. I wouldn't be surprised if an 'altercation' occurred at privately-funded centers like St. Anthony. Doesn't look good at all. So much can go wrong...you know. Sports injuries, grass stains, playing too rough in football. Not to mention a few bullies like Tommy and Darren. I mean, it can happen to anyone. Hmm. You can't too careful, Mrs. Sear." He motioned to the men who were with him. "Let's go, guys." He said to Lynn with mock concern, "I *really* hope Cole is alright." Then he laughed. "You have a nice day, ma'am. Don't
worry, we'll be back." And with that, he and his thugs left the store.
Lynn was shaking. She didn't like being around that Mr. Wong. She felt even worse now, because she knew her son could be in danger. Wong and his friends looked...powerful, she guessed. Sort of like mobsters. After listening to him, she knew they very well could be part of a mob.
Cathy came out of the back room and onto the sales floor. She noticed that her friend was quivering. "Are you alright?"
Lynn said with cold anger, "A man came here. He threatened my son, more or less. He said his name was Jack Wong."
"What did he want?"
"The address for the academy. But I think he already knew it, he just used that as an excuse to scare me. He did a fine job of *that*."
"Should we call the police?"
"I don't think it'll do any good. No witnesses besides his men.. and it's my word against theirs. Besides, a cop is coming to see me sometime tomorrow. Peter Caine and his father. Maybe THEY can do something."
"But Lynn, that's tomorrow. I think you should take the rest of the day off."
"You're right." She grabbed her purse and coat. "I'm going over there right now to make sure my son is ok. Are you sure it's alright?"
"Sure, I think I can find someone to cover for you. Go."
"Okay. Thanks, Cathy." She ran out.
*************
12:25pm
CHINATOWN
DOUG'S AIRSTRIP
Damon and the agent who met with him--Fong--were taking off in Damon's private plane.
Fong asked, "So, we'll be there in a few hours?"
Damon answered, "Yes. My brother should be there tomorrow, sometime in the afternoon."
"Oh. We'll be there first. But some people are already there."
"Really? Besides Mrs. Winthrop, who is one of us?"
"Yes. Our sources in Pittsburgh told me that it's Jack Wong and Xia Tan. They arrived on Delta Airlines about 2:00am last night."
Damon laughed. "Oh, Tan's daughter. Her father was killed by my brother. Not that he didn't deserve it. He destroyed the temple a few months before we had a chance to. Then, he caused the separation between father and son, tried to kill the Ancient twice...hell, I would've killed Tan *myself* if he did that to me. Anyway, this is very intriguing."
"Will they be a threat, master?"
"No. Xia is not Shaolin. Her father had forsaken that Path long ago. And Jack...he works for our Overseer, Bon Bon Hai. I still don't understand why he left to go there. We don't have any major operations there yet. But don't worry, Fong..I know he'll play ball with us. He won't have a choice. Well... besides dying, anyway."
They both laughed at Damon's joke.