Author's Note: Many thanks to my new readers as well as old! And, as always, a special thanks to Diane H., who gives me great feedback on my work. I think this chapter is something of a turning point. I honestly don't know where I'm going with it after this. Whatever expectations I had when I began have been met and surpassed. Now I'm in unchartered territory and looking forward to seeing what happens next as much as all of you. Anyway, enjoy!

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Chapter Nine

Meg rolled over, trying to avoid a sliver of bright sunlight that seemed intent on blazing right across her eyelids. She finally gave up trying to sleep and looked at the clock. Seven thirty-one. She then looked over at Mia, who was still sleeping soundly. Oh, to have the constitution of a twenty year old, Meg thought, forcing herself out of bed.

In the bathroom, she snapped on a plastic shower cap and quickly showered. She then dressed in a new pair of underwear and the same black slacks and garnet blouse from the day before, travel pouch securely in place around her neck. After inserting the contacts and pulling on the wig, she picked up her knapsack, grabbed her coat from the closet, and headed out to the living room.

The dishes and juice pitcher from the night before were still sitting on the room service trolley. John's bank papers were no longer out in the open, but his briefcase had been set back on the coffee table. She assumed the papers were inside. The duffel and first aid kit still sat on the couch. She picked up the phone and ordered breakfast, then went to the desk and opened it, taking out the Vektor and slipping it into her waistband. She went back to the bedroom and woke Mia to shower.

A knock on the door prompted her to slip on her jacket and check the peep hole. Room service. She opened the door and directed them to the small table where they set out breakfast and cleared away the used plates.

After room service left, Meg walked to John's door and listened. Silence. She didn't want to intrude on his sleep, but they really needed to get going soon. She knocked softly and waited. No response. She knocked louder and called out his name. Still nothing. Suspicious now, she opened the door. The bed was empty. A quick search of the bathroom and closet revealed that John and his new suit were gone. In a daze, Meg walked to the couch and sat down.

"Son of a bitch," she said under her breath, feeling the sting of tears. I will NOT cry, she told herself firmly, taking deep breaths. Finally under control, she stood and headed to the bedroom to get Mia.

Before she made it, the front door began to open. Lightning fast, she pulled the Vektor and aimed. She had to blink several times when it was John who entered. She pointed the gun away from him.

"Jesus! Where the hell were you?" Meg asked angrily. John frowned at her gun and held up three China East flight itineraries.

"The airline desk in the lobby." Meg returned the gun to her waistband and stood before him a moment looking at the plane tickets. She looked up to meet his eyes.

"Three, huh?" she asked, hoping he understood the significance of her question. John smiled slightly and nodded. Meg paused and then nodded back. "Okay, then." She fetched Mia from the bedroom, practically having to drag her out. Mia was wearing her white Gucci blouse and skirt set and looking very stylish.

Mia stood still, head down, hands clasped in front of her. She looked terrified. Meg realized she must still think John was mad at her for the night before.

John stood in front of Mia for a few moments before he lifted her chin with his hand.

"You look beautiful," he told her, kissing her on the forehead. Mia's face nearly split in two she was smiling so big. Meg grinned. John told Mia to eat some breakfast, then motioned Meg out to the balcony. "I tried to contact Soom at the temple, but was unable to reach him. I am worried." Meg didn't need to ask what about. They both remembered Alan's fate for helping them.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I must go to the temple."

"We're going with you," Meg immediately replied. John started to shake his head. "Hey! Did we or did we not discuss this separating thing last night?" He still didn't looked convinced. "John, whatever has happened to Soom has happened." She paused to let this sink in. "But I know you have to find out for sure. And we're going with you," she repeated. John looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

They joined Mia at the table and finished breakfast. John then explained to her about the bank accounts. She didn't seem to grasp the sheer volume of money that was now at her fingertips, taking it all in stride. She was only concerned that she would be with her brother and attending school in America.

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After the room service trolley was set outside the door, the trio went about gathering their belongings and packing. Finally ready, they left the room, entered the elevator, and descended to the lobby. John checked them out at the front desk while Meg and Mia secured a taxi out at the curb. He joined them and they headed for the Winjin Jie Temple.

As the taxi pulled up across the street from the temple, they could see a 'closed for repairs' sign on the front double doors. John frowned and put his hand on the door handle to open it. Meg touched his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait. I have a better idea." She directed the driver around the block and down the street from the alley behind the temple. Meg turned to Mia. "Do you still have that key?"

"Yes," Mia replied, removing the key from around her neck. "I was going to mail it to Soom when we reached Los Angeles." She handed it to Meg, who motioned John outside. When they were standing outside the car, he lowered his head to the window to speak to Mia.

"If we do not return in twenty minutes, you will go to the airport and leave China. Do you understand?" Mia's eyes grew wide and she nodded solemnly. When he stood, Meg glared at him over the top of the car, then had her own conversation with Mia.

"Hey," she said, poking Mia on the shoulder, "we'll be fine. In and out. My women's intuition tells me so. Okay?" Mia gave her a small smile and nodded. Meg stood and gave John a look that said "that's how you handle it." They then set off around the corner and down the alley to the door in the wall. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, John pulled one of the Beretta's from his shoulder holster and clicked the safety off. Meg did the same to her Vektor after removing it from the small of her back, then unlocked the door and slipped the key into her pocket.

The door opened inward, so John squeezed in, checking quickly left and then right. He motioned Meg in and they entered the house from the back door. It was immediately apparent that the place had been tossed. What few bits of furniture there were had been turned over, pulled apart, and generally trashed. Papers and books were strewn about and the crockery from the kitchen was smashed and scattered.

Staying within close proximity of each other, they methodically searched all of the rooms. No Soom Meng. They exited the house through the front door and started walking through the garden towards the temple.

As John passed a small pond, a shot pinged off one of the boulders surrounding the water. He and Meg immediately dropped to the ground, trying to discern which direction the shooter was. And wondering if there was more than one. Another shot told them it was originating from the temple.

John and Meg signaled silently to each other, deciding to split up and enter the building from different points. Meg took the entrance John had shown her the day before. She didn't like the dark twists and turns, making her way as quietly as she could. Before she rounded the last corner, she heard a scuffle and shots from several different guns. Trying not to panic, she sped into the main room and quickly looked around, gun following her eyes.

At least two gunmen that she could see had John cornered. One of them had his back to her and she took him out with a shot to the head. A third who must've been out of her line of sight took a shot at her, missing by only inches and splintering the wall beside her. She ducked and slid behind the statue of some Buddhist deity she didn't recognize. She peeked around the statue's arm and aimed at the second gunmen, who was exchanging gunfire with John. Before she could pull the trigger, two shots from John caught him and he was down as well. The third was still hidden somewhere and didn't seem keen on revealing where.

Meg got down on all fours and started crawling along the floor. Thankfully, the interior was rather dark, lit mostly with candlelight and some filtered sunlight from small windows spaced along the walls. As she rounded a low lying table draped with a silk tapestry, she heard the sound of a gun cartridge being ejected. Taking advantage of this, she jumped to her feet and ran in the direction of the sound. She startled the man just as he was about to insert a fresh cartridge into his gun. She hated to shoot an essentially defenseless man, but when considering the alternative, she didn't have much choice. She pulled the trigger.

The sound of voices led her to the other side of the room where she found John bending over something. She stepped to his side. A man dressed in black laid at his feet, hands beside his head, a gun on the ground a few feet away. A fourth man John must've taken out before she entered the room. He was alive, but bleeding from a shot to the leg. John had his gun aimed at the man's head, speaking to him in Chinese. The verbal exchange was short. John finally nodded and fired his gun. Meg flinched but said nothing. If the man had been allowed to live, he would've been a threat later on. One less gun to deal with. John turned to Meg.

"He claimed that they found no priest here. They were left in the event we returned."

"So Soom must be safe somewhere, right?" John nodded. "Then let's get out of here, we have a plane to catch."

They had walked a few steps when Meg stopped. "And when we get back to the States, remind me to have my women's intuition checked."

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Before they could go the airport, they made a stop in the Chenxie District to dispose of their weapons. There was no way to get them through customs. Besides, America was full of guns. Meg hesitated when it came time to hand over her Vektor. She really liked that gun.

"I will buy you another," John told her. Meg grinned and looked over at him.

"Why, John, that is the sweetest thing a man has ever said to me." John looked as if he couldn't tell whether she was kidding or not. Mia giggled. Now illegal paraphernalia free (except for the fake passports, of course), they headed to the airport.

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Walking towards the China East counter, Meg couldn't remember a time she'd felt this good. It was almost a foreign emotion. Now she knew what those cheesie ass people meant when they said pure happiness was like walking on air. She also felt an emotion even more rare to her. Contentment. She had her man beside her. She liked the sound of that. Her man. And a kid sister to boot. She'd always wanted a sister when she was little. Her euphoric feeling didn't last long.

Meg gazed idly over at the Customs area and felt as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. As casually as she could, she steered John and Mia to a 'You Are Here' map on the wall, leaving their backs to Customs. John looked at her questioningly.

"Koy's here. He just came out of Customs. Dark gray suit, two goons in black beside him." John chanced a look over his shoulder and zeroed in on Koy. He nodded and turned to Mia.

"Stay with Meg, she will look after you. I will join you in America as soon as I can." Mia looked mildly panicked and clutched at his arm. He smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. He then turned to Meg, who was shaking her head.

"Uh-uh. I don't even think so. You're not ditching me and going after Koy alone. Mia can go to Chien in LA, I'll stay here with you. You need my help." It was John's turn to shake his head as he set his briefcase on the ground and took hold of her shoulders.

"I want Mia with you," he told her. "I trust only you." He looked at her until she finally nodded. He was about to let go of her when she put her hands over his. She moved her palms along his arms and walked into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist. John hesitated at first, then tightened his arms around her. Not yet satisfied, Meg ran her hands inside his suit jacket along the ridges of his back, then up to his chest. She touched her forehead to his and then slid her cheek against the side of his face.

"Come back to me and you can have more of this," she whispered in his ear. Knowing if she didn't let go now she never would, she turned abruptly away from him. She grabbed his briefcase with one hand and Mia's arm with the other and resumed their course to the China East counter.

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John stood where Meg had left him. He was afraid to move, his body felt almost electrified. He turned and put his back against the wall for support and steadfastly avoided looking in the direction Meg and Mia had walked in. He couldn't become any more distracted than he already was. If he'd had doubts before, Meg had just banished them. He wanted a normal life. With Meg and his sister.

But first Koy had to die.

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After checking in and getting their boarding passes, Meg and Mia started toward the Departure terminal. Getting out was certainly a lot easier than getting in. They hadn't made it far when Mia began crying uncontrollably. Meg pulled her into the nearest ladies room and then into a stall in the corner.

"Hey," Meg said soothingly, running her hands over the girl's hair, "it's okay. What are you crying for?" Mia couldn't answer for several minutes.

"I am worried for John," she finally responded, between sniffles. "What if -."

"Hey!" Meg said, more forceful this time. "Nothing is gonna happen to John. Got that? He's very good at what he does. You think this is the only time he's been in a spot like this?" Mia reluctantly shook her head, conceding Meg's point. "Do you trust your brother?" Mia nodded.

"Yes," she replied with conviction in her voice.

"So do I. And I also trust that he'll do everything in his power to come back to us. Do you?" Mia nodded again. "Okay, then, no more crying." They exited the stall and Mia splashed her face with water. Satisfied that they were both presentable, they left the restroom and continued to their departure gate.