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I drove and drove. I had no destination. I could still hear Mingmei's words echoing in my ears, "There were complications last night...Anthony died....I'm not saying it's your fault." He couldn't be dead, if he was, was it my fault? I knew I should have taken him to the hospital when I found him in my bathtub. He asked me not to, for him the looking in his eyes was practically begging. Maybe I didn't think. I let me emotions get the better of me. I then realized I wasn't thinking currently either; racing away from my friends, people who I should have been able to turn to. So i pulled over wiped the warm moisture of my tears away and called Alex. I wanted her to know that I was okay. I called her cell and there was no answer. I left a message but then realized I had left her in Wong's restaurant and imagined any thing bad that could happen to her there. I then called Nat. She picked up on the first ring. "Nat, Its me."

"Dylan where are you? Alex said you ran out on her."

"I....is she there?"

"She was, she just left. Alex told me about Anthony."

I had been doing fine until she brought him up. I had shoved the though of him to the back of my mind for a moment so i could try to remember the thought I had before Mingmei interrupted. Now I started softly crying. Not in sorrow but anger. "It was my fault. If I had taken him to the hospital this wouldn't have happened."

"Dylan, if its your fault its also, my fault, and Pete's and Alex's. We didn't make you take him the hospital either. Come to the office. Alex is checking out John Does in morgues all over town."

"I'll be right there," I said looking around, "as soon as I figure out where I am." I wasn't sure if I had driven north, east or south, I was sure I didn't go west because if so I would have been half way to Hawaii by now with the fish of the Pacific swimming in my windows. I turned the car around and followed the signs back to LA. It didn't take me long once i hit the city limits to arrive at the office despite the chemical spill detours. The chemical spill, I had to tell them about my theory on that.

I approached the door and ran my fingers along the engraving of the brass plaque next to the door. I swallowed hard to keep my emotions under control and walked in. Nat and Bosley were on the couch talking. "Hi guys." I said happily.

"Dylan," said Nat as she practically jumped off the couch and threw her arms around me. "How are you doing?"

"I'm good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Have you heard from Alex?"

"Right here," said Alex appearing from the foyer. "We defiantly need to talk, Dylan."

"Okay but before you start I've got to tell you something." Nat and Alex looked at each other then at Bosley. Alex sat down between the two of them while I leaned against the heavy desk at the front of the room. "I don't know how much Alex told you about what happened at Wong's."

"I just told about Mingmei." At this point I hated Mingmei's name so much just hearing it made me want to throw the expensive vase on the desk out the window, it happened to be a Ming.

"OK then you didn't mention an international arms dealer slash man with very close ties to various terror groups named Fahid Mahubabi having lunch at Chinese restaurant with a state of the art medical facility in the basement. And the owner of said Chinese restaurants daughter having degrees in Biology, chemistry and is a possible arms dealer herself..."

Then Alex interjected, "And at the same time a truck with Aluminum Chloride and several vials of viruses over turns quarantining and entire area."

"That means," said Nat excitedly, "That it wasn't an accident that the truck over turned it was maybe a test. See how effective the virus is."

"Bingo"

"Wow you girls are good," exclaimed Bosley.

"I don't know about you guys," I said to my three colleagues, "but I want to take down Mingmei." They all were in agreement.

"Dylan," said Alex softly, "We really do need to talk."

"Not about that. Not right now."

"Okay, are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"It might make you feel better and give you a little more incentive to take the bitch down."

"Fine, tell me."

"None of the John Does I checked out today were Anthony. Either they disposed of the body in an illegal manner."

"Which wouldn't surprise me."

"Or," continued Alex, "he isn't dead."

Mingmei wiggled into my room. "You knocked down your breakfast. Father," she called, "can't you bring A, some toast and tea? He will get it. I'm a bit busy with a client but I am sure you know that." She sat on the edge of my bed and took my hand, "Since you know that I suppose I should ask you for your decision. Will you come to work for me? I know we haven't discussed payment but trust me when I say the finer things in life won't be a problem for you."

I wrote a single word on a piece of paper. She took it from me not looking at it. "Before I read this I want you to know that I saw your friend Dylan."

I looked up at her in surprise. "She told me that you ruined her life since you came to her injured. She said she didn't trust you and she never wants to see you again. She really was quite upset."

I wrote, "I don't believe you."

"She asked me to give you this." Dangling from her fingers was the medallion she had taken from me at the Coal Bowl only a few days before. I reached out to take it with my good arm but Mingmei pulled it out of my reach. "Are you sure you want me to look at your answer?"

I didn't acknowledge her. My mind was whirling as I thought over my time with Dylan. I thought she enjoyed being with me. I remembered lying with my head in her lap as she stroked my hair, watching Cary Grant chase the Leopard. I remembered her concern when she found me in the door burning up with fever. May it was true and she decided taking in a killer like me wasn't worth it. I picked up my pen again and wrote, "I'll take the job."

"Good," she said slipping my medallion around her slender neck. "I think it suits me don't you?" With that she walked out of the room shutting the door on me and my thoughts of how Dylan played with my heart. I actually thought I was in love with the angel. I thought she might love me in return, how silly was that. I may have attracted women, but normally once i pulled their hair they were gone. Dylan was different I knew that from the first fight outside Corwin's in the alley, the way she moved, her coppery red hair in the street lamps, then on the roof the night of my fall. I thought of Mingmei having my necklace and decided why not let her have it I didn't love her either but I didn't want the necklace back.

It took us a day to plot our takedown of Mingmei and her virus wielding crime family. Nat was going in as the leader of a new organization who wanted to threaten the French because his son was in a prison in Paris. Once inside she was to get as much information as she could about Mingmei then we would just have to bring in the police. Easy enough; you would think that just having a sophisticated lab in your basement would be enough but without proof of what they were using it for the lab itself wouldn't be enough to have them arrested.

"Ok Nat, you look great. Remember you are Sheik Abduhla Fadil and you had heard about a new virus that she came up with." Alex said into the microphone. Nat and I were wearing the molar mikes and Nat had a very tiny micro-camera in her staff.

Nat glanced back at the van in which concealed Alex and Bosley. "I feel like a shepherd from a Nativity play in Sunday school."

"You look more like one of the three wise men. I," I said dramatically waving my hand down in front of my costume, "look like a shepherd. I envy you playing the sheik."

"Ok ladies," came Alex's voice. "Dylan you are his aide Ahmed Hakan."

"Isn't Hakan a Turkish name?"

"Fine you're his assistant Ahmed Hakan and from Turkey. I'm not a director here to give you inspiration; Mingmei should give you all you need." And into the restaurant we went. I prayed that Sun-Yu wouldn't recognize me. He was seating people this afternoon and came directly over to us and bowed.

"Good day gracious, sir. Smoking or non?"

"Non," said Nat and he led us to the table Alex and I had sat at the day before.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"Tea... Do you know a Wong Mingmei," I asked.

"Are you here for business with Ms. Wong?"

"Yes, but she isn't expecting us." answered Nat.

"I will tell her you are here. What are your names?"

Nat paused and I heard Alex through the mike, "This is my friend Ahmed Hakan and I am Sheik Abduhla Fadil." Nat it repeated word for word. She then held out a business card that Bosley made up before we left the office.

He looked it over and left us alone. "Wow this place isn't as bad as it looked last night. Of course that was the kitchen so I don't think I'll be eating anything," said Nat looking the place over. We sat there in silence listening to the bubbling of the fountain in the corner and the tinkling sound of the music being piped through the speakers. Sun-Yu brought us tea and asked if we needed anything else. We shook our heads no and he moved on. A few minutes later Mingmei approached our table smiling as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"Sheik Fadil I presume," she said offering her hand.

The Sheik (Nat) kissed it extravagantly. "Let me introduce you to my partner Ahmed Hakan."

"Mr. Hakan," she said offering her hand to me. I shook it roughly. I noticed a wince go briefly across her face and smiled to myself. Then I saw it glittering from around her neck, Anthony's medallion. I felt my anger level go way up. I was wearing that last night and was sure I had it on this morning. It was all I could do not to reach and check around my neck. It occurred to me that she must have taken it when Alex and I were there earlier. I knew one thing when we were done kicking her butt and putting her in jail it would be around my neck.

"I hope you don't mind if we change tables to that one over there," she signaled to the table in the corner where earlier today Mahubabi sat. "Its more private and we won't be disturbed by other customers."

"That will be fine," said the Sheik.

Mingmei said told a different waiter in Chinese to bring the tea and then she led us to the table. Once the waiter had left she began, "How did you come to hear of me, may I ask?"

Nat scanned the area with her staff. We heard Alex say as Natalie explained to Mingmei how we were informed be a former DTA operative who happened to be in Morocco during an arms buy. "Nat turn it a bit towards the right and zoom in on the potted plant," said Alex, and Natalie rotated the staff. "There stop. Bos can you help clarify the picture?"

"You got it," we heard Bosley say.

"Okay there is a camera in the plant. It looks like it's been equipped to take facial measurements to verify a person is who they say they are. Hang in tight and we'll hack her computer."

"What exactly are you looking for, Sheik Fadil. We offer a wide range of services."

I spoke up, "We want a biological weapon that we can target a certain area with and area but not have a full blow epidemic."

"I see," said Mingmei thoughtfully.

"The pictures and bios are uploaded into her computer system. Should be smooth sailing from here on," said Alex.

"Well we might have something that would interest you. It still is, of course in the testing stage," started Mingmei when Sun-Yu came up to her and said something. "Well Mr Hakan, Sheik Fadil, it seems you two do check out quite well." She then reached over her shoulder and moved the leaves back from the plant revealing the camera that Alex had spotted. "Its just a little precautionary measure to make sure you are who you say you are. I'm sure you understand."

We both agreed that we did and then she said, "Come its time to show you the heart of our operation and tell you more about our product."