John listened quietly in the shadows of some cargo storage units, waiting for the first sign of trouble. At the mention of General Lien's name, he briefly turned his attention to the scene unfolding before him, peeking through the gap between the units so he wouldn't be detected. With the brightness of the lights affecting his vision, he could vaguely make out the figure of a young woman. That can't really be her... he thought, not believing at first that this was really the woman who was the leader of a gang of criminals; but then he thought back to when he learnt about Mary's past and chastised himself for letting himself be fooled by the woman's looks.
"You are correct once again, Mr. Holmes." Lien suddenly spoke. She circled the detective slowly, like a lioness circling her prey. "I imagined you to be shorter... but the eyes, they are unmistakable." she chuckled.
"I take the advantage of having a modest sense of style and a somewhat short friend." Sherlock answered coolly.
Having taken in his features, Lien walked back to where she was originally standing. "And you are punctual as well. Good. I prefer my foes to be on schedule." she began. Taking a dagger out, she slowly trailed her tongue along the blade.
Sherlock watched the woman closely. His eyes flicked around, taking in the smallest details as he guessed what her next move was. "Your dagger, it was a gift from someone dear to you. It's been used recently; the blade has smudges from when it's been cleaned. The way you handle it shows your confidence in its effectiveness." he began.
Lien turned her attention to Sherlock. "Do continue, Mr. Holmes. I find your deductions to be quite fascinating." she smiled.
Raising an eyebrow, Sherlock knew that she was most likely trying to catch him off guard. "You dress far too modestly for a killer; most likely you want to trick your enemies into thinking you mean no harm, but we both know it's quite the opposite." he added, noting Lien's current outfit. "Now then, your character overall; you've been trained how to think and act like a killer, and rather well I might add. Your posture and stance shows you've been taught how to behave like a woman should, yet you're not one who hates to get her hands dirty; you savour the thought of it. Now, the red lipstick, it's your choice as it's one of the most symbolic colours in China and also because it reminds you of the blood you've spilt throughout your life." he continued.
Lien chuckled and made her way towards Sherlock. "I am most impressed. The Black Lotus could use a man with your...skills amongst its ranks." she purred, trailing her hand along his cheekbone.
"An interesting offer, but I decline; makes for too much stupid to contend with." he answered in a deadpan tone.
The general gave a small sigh. "That is a shame. It just means you'll have to be the next person to satisfy my blade's never-ending hunger for blood." she replied in a mocking tone. She then paused to consider her thoughts. "But what would I do with the girl? It would be an even greater shame if something were to happen to her." she taunted with a cold smirk.
"But if you killed me, you'd never be truly satisfied once you had your revenge. That's what it's been all about, hasn't it?" Sherlock asked suddenly, now starting to realise who Lien was. "That dagger was given to you by someone very dear to you. Not a lover, your killings would've been classed as crimes of passion... No, this was driven by someone in your family. Not a sibling then, the murders were far too aggressive. Which means that this was driven by love for a parent." he deduced.
"Be quiet!" Lien snarled, her smirk immediately vanishing and being replaced by a look of murderous rage.
The detective smirked back. "Ah, it looks like I may have hit a nerve. So, was it your father who gave you all of your killer lessons, or... your mother?" he asked, noticing she'd now exposed her true self before him.
"I said: BE QUIET!" Lien shouted. The gang members slightly shrunk back, most likely in fear.
"I see... You got to the top not because of seducing higher rank members, you inherited it from your mother." Sherlock mused, noticing the members' expressions.
Growling, Lien turned away, knowing he'd locked onto a painful subject. "My mother was my hero... and she's dead because of you and your friend, John Watson." she hissed, her voice sounding like it was close to breaking.
In the shadows, Lestrade and John exchanged looks. "What's she on about?" Lestrade whispered.
"Your guess is good as mine, Lestrade." John shrugged.
Sherlock chuckled a little. "Well, John and I do love making the most interesting of enemies." he admitted.
Lien turned to Sherlock. "Don't act coy with me, Mr. Holmes! My mother was the previous leader of the Black Lotus Tong, and she died after her encounter with you." she snarled, her voice full of hatred.
John's face paled when he realised who Lien was speaking about. "That can't be possible..." he muttered to himself.
"John, you okay? You've gone white as a sheet." Lestrade asked.
John looked over to Lestrade. "This woman's mother was General Shan... the gang's previous leader." he gulped.
Lien turned to face the ocean. "My mother was the most extraordinary person I've ever had the honour of knowing, and being her child is an even greater honour." she began.
SHANGHAI, CHINA, THIRTY YEARS AGO...
A midwife knelt down as a young woman screamed out in agony. "I can see the head. You're doing well, General Shan." she soothed.
"Please, get this child out of me!" Shan yelled in pain. She gripped onto the bed sheets, her nails quickly digging into them. As another contraction struck her, she began to wonder if she had made a mistake in allowing her pregnancy to continue.
It had all been a moment of weakness on her part; she had gone undercover for an operation and met a handsome man who she took as a lover as part of her disguise. Shan knew that she had to keep her emotions in check, but she'd realised too late that she had developed a genuine attraction to this man and they were wed in a small ceremony after a yearlong courtship. Sadly, six months into their marriage, Shan's husband was killed in a tragic car accident. While she mourned, Shan made the discovery that she had fallen pregnant with his child. Instead of terminating the pregnancy so she would be able to resume her activities with the Black Lotus, Shan chose to keep the child so that she would have an heir to her title, and also as a reminder of the man she lost.
Her thoughts were interrupted by an overwhelming urge to push, and eventually the sound of a newborn's cries could be heard in the delivery room. The midwife inspected the child and her face immediately fell. "It is a female." she announced quietly.
Shan struggled to sit up in bed. The midwife placed the baby girl into her arms. As she drank in her child's features, Shan felt nothing more than an overwhelming sense of pride. While she knew that a boy was more favoured traditionally, all that mattered to her was that she had an heir. "I will keep her." she announced.
"B-But, my lady..." the midwife stammered in shock.
"Enough. My decision is final." Shan replied calmly. She cast her gaze to her newborn daughter who had drifted off to sleep in her arms. "My daughter will become the next leader when I am gone. There is something special about her, and she will become my legacy. And to that end, I will name her Lien, in honour of the Black Lotus Tong." she announced.
As the years passed, Lien grew into a strong and healthy child. She had more than lived up to Shan's expectations, having become a skilled and efficient fighter. The Black Lotus had even started referring to her as Lady Lien when addressing her, even though she was still a child. As a teenager, she became more than willing to participate in the gang's operations. Shan was very proud when she received news that her daughter had completed her first kill.
One evening, Shan and Lien sat drinking some tea together. "You have grown into such a beautiful lotus, my child." Shan smiled.
"Thank you, Mother. But, if I am honest, the credit should really go to you." Lien replied, taking her mother's hand and kissing it as a show of respect.
Shan rang a bell for a servant to enter the room. "Lien, I have a special gift for you." she began. The servant bowed and handed an intricately wrapped item to Shan, who in turn handed it to her daughter.
Lien carefully removed the wrapping of the item and gasped in delight. "Mother, it's...beautiful!" she exclaimed, taking out a magnificent dagger to admire it.
"It is believed to have belonged to a member of the Han dynasty. But, I know that it would be more magnificent in your hands." Shan explained, watching her daughter's reactions to receiving her gift with a smile.
"I will guard it with my life. Thank you, Mother." Lien replied. She gazed at the blade and smiled at the light reflecting off of it.
SOMWHERE IN BEIJING, 2010...
Years passed, and Lien had grown into a confident woman who had more than shown that she was as good as any other member of the Black Lotus. Shan had been recently giving her lessons in leadership to prepare for her takeover as leader, and Lien had started to make her mark in the criminal underworld. Lately, the Black Lotus had been in meetings with a mysterious man known only as M, and Lien had started to have a bad feeling. This led to the gang's newest scheme; smuggling ancient Chinese artefacts into London to sell.
When Shan was due to leave for England, Lien was there to see her off, having been told to stay behind in China to ensure the gang was running smoothly. "Mother, are you sure that we can trust this M man? I have a very bad feeling about this..." she asked with anxiety.
"Lien, I understand that you are worried, but do not concern yourself. M has full confidence in our skills." Shan reassured her.
"General, the men are ready to go." a man announced.
Shan nodded and gave her daughter a hug. "I will be home soon, Lien." she whispered.
"Good luck, Mother..." she whispered back. She gave her a bow as she watched her mother go and then turned to the men who were staying behind. "What are you all standing here gawking for? Get back to work!" she barked.
Some weeks later, Lien waited for any news from her mother. She was in her office when a man walked in looking solemn. "Yes, what is it? What do you want?" she asked, looking up from the desk with an impatient look.
"Lady Lien... I have some news. It regards...your mother." he began.
Lien slowly rose from her desk. "No... D-Don't say it... Please..." she begged, a lump forming in her throat. She clung to the desk, trying to stop herself from crumbling to the floor.
The man sighed. "Lady Lien... There's been an incident. Most of our men were killed, and... I'm sorry to tell you this, but... your mother's body was found just hours ago." he announced solemnly, knowing that he was about to tear the young woman's world apart forever. "There was a direct shot to the head and it seems it was an instant death." he continued.
Lien's legs finally gave in and she sank to the floor, screaming "Why?!" over and over again. Hot tears of anguish spilled down her cheeks. Thinking back to when she'd last saw Shan, it broke her heart now knowing that it would be known as the last time she would ever see her mother alive again.
Once her mother's body had been returned to China, Lien somehow managed to find the strength to start planning the funeral. She wanted it to be a private affair, as she wanted at least one chance to say goodbye and thank her for everything she'd done for her. After it was done, Lien knew that the responsibilities of leadership rested on her shoulders. "Someday, Mother... I will get justice for you..." she vowed to herself.
PRESENT DAY...
Lien turned to Sherlock. "My mother was the only person in this world that mattered to me, and it's because of you and your friend that she is no longer here." she hissed.
"As much as I enjoyed your little story, I believe you wanted to see me for something else." Sherlock replied.
Lien gave him a dark look and nodded towards a man who brought out her hostage. "As you can see, she is unharmed...for now." Lien announced.
Molly was forced onto her knees. "Sherlock, you have to go! She's a complete psychopath!" she yelled, pleading for him to leave before it was too late.
Lien then looked towards the storage units. "You can come out of hiding, gentlemen. I promise I will not bite." she called. Right on cue, some men came out of hiding behind John and dragged him and Lestrade to where Sherlock was.
"John! Greg!" Molly exclaimed.
"Are you alright, Molly?" John asked. She nodded in response.
"Now, I have all the pieces of the puzzle in one place. And at last, it's time to put the jigsaw together." Lien smiled. "But the real question, Mr. Holmes, is this; which one of your friends should die first?" she asked, drawing her dagger. "Will it be the policeman who follows you blindly? The army doctor who you take along on your many adventures? Or...will it be the pretty pathologist, who has more love for you than anything in this world?" she smirked, pointing the dagger to each person she mentioned.
Sherlock narrowed his eyes and then smirked. "You forgot one other person, General Lien." he answered.
"Oh? And who would that be, if I may be so bold enough to ask?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.
The detective exchanged looks with Lestrade, John and Molly and dropped his smirk before saying just two words: "Vatican cameos!"