Chapter 1-Dragon's Breath
China Town, Palm City, June 28th
Lee Zhu Hon marched into the Emerald Dragon, the restaurant owned by him. On the surface a normal, upscale Chinese Restaurant but beneath the façade, a front for his operations. Lee passed several happy smiling couples and nodded. He emerged into the kitchen, a sparkling example of good dining. Lee's father, who gave him the Emerald Dragon the day he died, had always told him that just because it was a front did not mean it was not a business. Lee passed through as waiters and cooks stood rigidly as he passed before resuming work when he entered his private office via a red door marked private. In the spacious office were two men. One, his lieutenant and best friend Francis "Dog" O'Reilly and a large man in a red cloak who was making a name for himself within the hired muscle world. The Lich a psychotic terrorist who had attempted to bomb the city during a parade.
"What is this job you told me about Francis, I didn't break out of Owl Island for nothing" the Lich said in his deep, raspy voice.
"Lee, I'm hearing that you've got something big?" Francis said with a grin on his face revealing the three gold teeth he had.
"Yes, a former associate of mine is moving a stash of counterfeit bills through West Beach Harbor" Lee said sitting down. "You bring me that money and we'll split it three ways". The Lich seemed to be thinking it over, as he was quiet for a moment. He slowly nodded. Dog smiled and picked up a rifle from on top of a desk. The Lich glided out after Dog out of a back door.
Dog slammed another clip into the rifle and turned and fired. The rival gangsters, Taiwanese if he guessed it fired back. As the gunfire died down a shot sounded from a window in the right corner of the warehouse. Dog ducked down. Did the Lich get his hands on a sniper rifle? Francis couldn't begin to understand that freak. He turned around the corner again and popped off two rounds at a nearby smuggler and kicked down the door to the warehouse the money was supposed to be in. Instead the warehouse was empty, no money in site. Francis cursed and was about to leave before he caught a shiny metal box sitting on a table at the far side of the room. Francis closed the door and moved to the box. The lock wasn't your average dollar store lock. Francis considered taking the box and dealing with it later but soon decided against it. He stood back and fired three rounds at the lock. The first bounced off to the right, the second struck the side of it and the third delivered the killing blow. Francis opened the box. Inside was a gilded revolver stuck in the black foam next to six perfectly silver bullets.
"Amazing isn't it?" a voice said. Dog turned and saw a kid wearing dark blue pants and a flak vest.
"What'd you want kid?" Dog exclaimed.
"I'm here to get paid, you?" the kid replied lifting up an AK.
"About the same" Dog shrugged. "What is it?"
"It's the silver bullet" the kid replied pulling the trigger. Dog crumpled to the ground with a final groan and the kid tossed his AK to the floor. He threw his foot over the railing and dangled over the side for a few moments before dropping to the ground with a thud. He gathered up the AK and the metal case. As he walked out he dialed a number on the prepaid cell phone.
"It's me" he said. "I've got it, have you got my money".
"We'll have your money when you bring us our gun" the voice said. The kid ripped the batteries out of the phone and dropped it on the ground. Unaware of the figure following him. When the kid was a safe distance away the Lich pulled the phone off of the ground. He fished the SIM card out of the phone and smile beneath his cloak. This was better than money.