Chapter 6 – "All I have"

Liling snapped the cellphone shut, "Our target's moving. We have to go."

"Revy, Revy, Revy," sang Lifeng waving her arms and spinning.

Liling frowned and motioned to the man standing by the cars. He was a large in stature, and his enormous arms drooped by his sides. "Chuluun, help her. She needs assistance. Get her to..."

"I am all here Lili, you will not need to slap me again" said Lifeng sharply. "When I hold the yin wa in my mind, the thoughts don't run away. Was she told the story?"

"Yes," said Liling reluctantly. "Our men confirmed that the target thinks her associates were killed because of ... me. And... again.. I can't do this. Please, let's just shoot her down, she'll be exposed on the dock and then we'll deal with Big Brother later."

Lifeng stamped her foot, "NO! We've put so much into this; so much time, so much thought. It will come together. I want her to see, I want her to feel, I want her to bleed! You're the brave one! You can do this: you promised!"

Liling bowed her head, "I promised."

"Tell her the truth," said Lifeng, she was now the one in charge. "Just not... everything. We'll take our positions and drive this she-tiger into the trap with brother as the bait. It's going to get exciting. You have the GPS transmitter, yes?"

Liling nodded.

"Are you afraid?" said Lifeng blinking. The thought had just occurred to her.

"Yes," murmured Liling.

"Good," Lifeng smiled cheerfully. "Because if you aren't, she will kill you. Chuluun, hit my sister."

--

Bai Ji-Shin Chang was standing by the desk, tapping on the marble top with his fingertips. He had the look of having just got up. He turned his head slowly as Biu entered the office.

Chang said: "I expected one but not the other. I could make an educated guess, but let's hear it."

Biu cleared his throat, ran his hand through the long lank hair. "The G Spot was the target of a bombing this morning, just an hour ago. It appears several Japanese tourists were killed. That will definitely bring some unwanted attention from the media. It also appears someone launched an attack on the Black Lagoon company -- again. They appear unrelated, but I wouldn't make such an assumption."

Chang thought for a long silence, then he spoke. "the Russians?"

"We've heard nothing from the Russians, Chan da ge."

"Contact Boris then," said Chang casually. "Let them know we weren't involved in the G Spot unpleasantness. I told Balalaika a couple of months ago I disapproved of the opening of that place in her quarter of town."

"It is puzzling," said Biu blandly, hands folded. "After all she is the one who took care of the late Mr. Chin."

"Chin was nothing," said Chang coldly. "It's that Sarkhanese filth up in Bangkok who interests me. Balalaika allowed Jin Cheong a foothold, a small foothold here in Roanapur. She did it mostly to irk me. The woman is bored, dangerously bored. That trip to Japan just made it worse."

Chang moved to the window and looked down at the city. Biu said, "And now someone has blown the G Spot establishment up."

"With each passing day," said Chang, "this city becomes more and more unmanageable. But we must make of it what we can. There may be an opportunity in all this. My sources tell me Jin Cheong may be coming here to meet with Balalaika -- but why would he take such a risk?" His voice trailed away.

"Biu?"

"Yes, Chan da ge?"

"Find out how Lagoon fits into this."

--

The Burakku Ragun listed to port. The heavy pall of smoke from the boat had mostly dispersed throughout the harbor environs. Revy stalked mechanically down the silent pier with the Beretta's in hand. Her eyes had a wide stare that took in everything and nothing.

"Dutch!" there was no response.

"Dutch! Goddamnit Dutch!" she shouted, but it ended as a shriek and stopped abruptly, biting her lip. The guns dropped to her sides.

The neighboring docks were deserted. People knew better than to involve themselves in any troubles involving the Black Lagoon Company, and Roanapur's police force weren't known to hurry into these situations.

Gritting her teeth as the injured leg almost buckled under her, Revy scrambled onto the stern of the boat. There was a slight hissing noise coming from the nozzles of the smoke generators and an acrid smell still lingered that caught at the throat. The damage to the bridge was not as bad as it appeared from a distance.

Revy stepped over the blown off entry door and stepped into the interior of the bridge. She swore harshly and jerked the guns up. A woman crouched by the broken steering wheel started up and tried to scramble away, arms flailing.

"Please no! It's a trap," the woman yelped as Revy lunged across the length of the bridge, leaping over the two dead bodies that lay crumpled on the floor. She was small, with tousled black hair, almond shaped eyes set in a face that was Eurasian. She had a dark bruise over one eye.

Revy kicked the woman's feet out from under her and followed her down to the deck. The woman squealed as Revy grabbed a handful of hair and thrust the barrel of a Beretta into the side of her temple.

"Who are you, and why should I care?" Revy leaned in so their faces were within inches of each other.

"I told you, it's a trap! They killed Dutch and they're waiting for you!" The woman gasped for breath. They're right outside, aaiii, you're hurting me!"

"I'll keep hurting you until you answer the question," Revy spit. She pushed the barrel harder into the woman's temple so that the flesh folded in a curve where the metal met the skin. The other gun lifted and covered the entryway to the bridge.

"Please, my name is Lucy – I was doing a job with Mr. Benjamin and Dutch. It all went wrong."

"No shit." Revy pulled back slightly. "Because of you my partners are dead. You move – and I'll make you die slow and ugly. Don't even nod. Just. Don't. Move."

Revy sidled over to the bridge hatchway, moving in a crouched position. She began to peer around and then snapped her head back. The sound of the shot followed. She looked back at the woman. Revy's face was empty, expressionless.

"Talk."

Liling took a deep breath, rubbed her temple: "I had information for Mr. Benjamin concerning a lost treasure. But it appears it was all just a setup. I was supposed to give him the information, but all they wanted to do was take out your partners so they couldn't help you. They want to kill you. They killed Benjamin and that other fellow and then brought me here to fool Dutch. But he shot these two men instead and here I am, I don't dare leave..."

"Uh huh," said Revy. One of the guns was bothering her, she disengaged the magazine from the handle and reset it, pulling back the slide and chambering a round. She nodded, "What's so special about me?"

Liling's lips trembled, "Jin Cheong's the big boss up in Bangkok. You killed his mother's sister. When he found out you were here in Roanapur he said you had to die. In fact, he's here in Roanapur to oversee the hit."

"Isn't that special?" said Revy sarcastically. "I usually just kill guys, they're the dumb ones with the guns. I've heard of Jin Cheong, but I don't remember killing whoever the hell his stupid relative was."

Liling leaned forward, "They said you killed her ten years ago, in America. Her name was Lijuan."

Revy shrugged, she was still toying with the Beretta she had had problems with, her brow was furrowed. "Nope. Whatever. Wasn't me, I'd definitely remember that."

Liling's mouth dropped.

Sirens wailed. Immediately Revy knelt down by the bridge entry. It was a risk, but she looked around so she could see what was happening. Figures were vanishing into the shadows by the half rebuilt warehouse. Three squad cars were racing down the bay road towards the dock, lights flashing.

"It really is the fucking end, the police are actually coming for once," she exclaimed.

I'm not going to Bankhen prison," said Revy to herself, eyes flickering over to the two dead bodies on the bridge floor. "Chief Watsup's been wanting to screw me over since the day I showed up here. It's not happening. I won't fade away. Time t'a rock."

The sirens were getting louder.

"I don't want to go to Bankhen either," said Liling urgently, crawling over the debris to join Revy at the bridge doorway. "It's not fair, we can't let that bastard Jin Cheong get away with this. I know where he is, he's hiding up at Nakhon Ratch, up on the north part of the bay."

"You're just full of crap aren't you Lucy," jeered Revy. Her head was down. Liling shrank back. "You're right though, this ain't the time or the place... yet. Here's what you're gonna do. Go down the hatch to the middle section of the boat. The weapons are stored there, but I don't care about those and don't even think about sneaking something, I'll know. There's a green bag hangin' on a hook. Go get it."

"What's it for?" said Liling, curious in spite of herself.

"It's all I have," Revy said bitterly. "Now shut up and do what you're told."

As soon as Liling had clambered down the hatchway, Revy brushed aside a scorched piece of debris and a crushed beer-can on the floor to pick up a torn fragment of paper. Her eyes darted around, found the stub of a pencil. Quickly she scrawled five words, and then slid the paper beneath the edge of a dial below the instrument panel on the helm.

Liling's head poked up through the hatch. Before she could fully stand up, Revy grabbed her by the collar and swung the smaller woman about forcefully against the bridge bulkhead, away from the helm. Liling quivered in her grasp and blinked rapidly.

"Let's take a walk," Revy suggested.

--

Sergeant Sensak's gaze hardened. Flanked by three officers of the Roanapur Provincial Police and a tall westerner he stood with hands on hips as Revy and Liling came slowly down the pier from the boat.

He barked. "Step away from each other and keep your hands in sight. Miss, I want you face down on the dock now; legs and arms spread. Don't try anything funny."

"Everybody funny," said Revy conversationally. "You funny. Step aside boys, or I'll blow this bitch away."

Liling gulped as Revy pulled her close and thrust a gun barrel into her ribs. The officers fanned out raising their guns. "I don't like this idea..."

"Stop! Let's not get carried away!" the westerner stepped forward raising his hand up. He was tall, sandy haired, in a black business suit. "I'm Special Agent-in-Charge Cooper of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. We have an outstanding warrant for your arrest. Put the guns down little miss, I can promise you won't be harmed."

"Little miss?" Revy snapped. "Blow me, butthole. You got five seconds to get out of the way or I splatter her entrails all over my dock."

"Sow deh lar!" shrieked Liling, suddenly pale. "Tzao gao! She's serious!"

"Revy, drop your guns now," shouted Sensak. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. Agent Cooper gritted his teeth.

"Four... Three... Two..."

"Stand down," Sensak shouted in frustration, stepping back. "Men, lower your guns."

"Thank you," purred Revy as she urged Liling along past the tense group of policemen. Her eyes flicked ahead. The Harley was too far away, parked alongside the warehouse. "Hey Sensak, you left your engine running."

"What? No! Maeeng!" shouted Sensak as Revy heaved Liling into the driver seat of the nearest police car and then jumped in herself, thrusting the Chinese woman into the passenger side. As the officers lunged forward, Revy threw the car into reverse, and stomped the accelerator hard. The Chevrolet Optra slammed into the second police car with a crash of metal and glass.

"Oops," muttered Revy. Sensak ran in front of the car waving his gun, his face contorted with fury. Revy shifted into forward and stomped on the accelerator again, tumbling Sensak over the front hood. She swung the wheel hard to the right and spun out of the lot and onto the road. She headed north along the bay road. "Hey sirens," she flicked the switch on.

Sensak lurched to his feet. "Call the other units! Get after them now!"

--

"We could be at Nakhon Ratch in about fifteen if we weren't about to be screwed," Revy said, steering furiously as she slid into an intersection and tried cutting up the boulevard into the city proper. She careened around a truck and forced a screaming woman on a motor scooter onto the curb and into a crowd of people. The two pursuing police cars followed close behind.

Cursing, Revy cut to the right and down a side road back towards the harbor. "Damnit, they got the main road blocked. Unfreaking believable, I'll be the laughingstock of the underworld if these turds arrest me. So Jin Cheong thinks I shot up his auntie? Don't see how I coulda done it. I was sort of in a coma."

"What do you mean a coma?" Liling's mouth was dry as she clutched at the seat belt. "What about that barang back there? Why are the American's looking for you?"

"Almost everything. Yeah, coma, exactly what I mean; some New York city cops beat me senseless and put me in a hospital about ten years ago. I wasn't shooting anyone," said Revy pressing down hard on the brakes. "Where you from Lucy Liu-girl? Barang, that's Cambodian talk isn't it?"

"I'm from Sarkhan," Liling shouted. "Oh no!"

Revy surged forward spinning the wheel to the left. She drove the police cruiser into a thick crowd of pedestrians who scattered shouting. They had turned onto the side road along the Khancha Klong Canal that cut through the lower part of Roanapur. The way before them was blocked by a thick crowd out on a Saturday market day. Vendors were standing up on the long tailed boats that filled the canal from one side to the other, heads turning to see the commotion.

"I've always meant to come here," Revy grunted as she was forced to bring the car to a halt due to crowd. She kicked open the door and grabbed the bag and Liling. One of the police cars following couldn't stop in time and toppled over the side into the canal behind them with an enormous splash. "How 'bout you Lucy, do you like like shopping?"

"I'm wearing heels!" shouted Liling in pain as Revy dragged her forward.

Fifteen meters in front of them the crowd swirled like an eddy in a pool. Policemen poured out of a side alleyway fifteen meters in front of them. Revy stopped, snarling with fury.

"Revy!" Sensak shouted from behind as men, women and children scrambled away leaving them isolated. "Throw down your guns! Now! Or we'll shoot!"

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Liling threw herself to the ground. Revy stood crouched, legs apart.

Then Revy stood up, laughing.

"You're baggage," she said to the prone Liling.

Then Revy turned and flung herself off the edge into the small boats tightly packed in the canal. She dropped with both feet extended into the nearest and the jumped for the next. The boat vendor stood up, his mouth open and Revy stiff-armed him into the water. Arms and legs pumping she ran the length of the boat and hopped to another one. And then another.

Revy left a trail of destruction in her wake; the small boats capsizing and turning over in the oily waters of the canal. Men and woman cursed as they were unceremoniously and suddenly dunked, bowls and baskets of food and cheap wares tumbling over the sides. There was further chaos as Sensak and his men made a disastrous attempt to follow Revy, smashing apart the first boat they collectively jumped down into. Angry boat vendors began to throw fruit and vegetables at the floundering police officers.

Only one boat was between her and the other side. A family of four stood up underneath the awning of the boat, frantically waving her away, the man desperately trying to get the engine going. Gritting her teeth, Revy sprang for them, arms outstretched and crashed onto the boat, a jolt of pain rocketed up her injured leg.

For a brief moment the family members and Revy punched and kicked at each other in a frenzied struggle and then Revy found herself plummeting over the side, head over heels. Someone tumbled over after and landed on top , forcing her underwater.

Revy came up sputtering and pushed the person away. The canal stunk of sewage; she struck out for the bank. She was still clutching the bag. Both Berettas were still safely holstered. She pulled herself up the muddy, slippery bank with a convulsive effort.

In front of of Revy was the Salam, the squatter slums of Roanapur. a shambling maze of shacks made of corrugated sheets and particle board remnants. Ignoring the stream of insults and shouts that followed her from the market place, Revy lurched forward and was lost in the buildings pressed up against the canal's edge.

--

Special Agent-in-Charge 'Cooper' helped Liling to her feet. Furious, Liling pushed him away.

"You, you idiot," she hissed, brushing at her clothes, one of her heels was broken and she stood awkwardly. "Nothing but a fucking Gaijin in the end. For a moment I actually thought those morons were going to gun us down."

In her anger, she forgot herself and swore in Japanese. It was the birth language of the Aisin Gioro of Sarkhan.

"How was I supposed to know they'd call out the entire police department? That Sergeant fellow must be bucking for a promotion," protested Agent 'Cooper.' "This whole business is turning out to be a bloody cactus. Now if ya don't mind, I'll take my payment and split before the fellas can stick their nightsticks up me freckle. It won't take them long to figure out I'm a fraud once they start checkin' back."

"Give me a cell phone," said Liling coldly. She shook off the persona of the girl Lucy with a shake of her head. "That damn bitch thinks she's given us the slip, but she's wrong."

"How's that," said the man as they hurried away from the marketplace.

"I stuck the homing transmitter in her bag when I was on the boat," said Liling.