Bitter Waters

Part Three

A couple of days later, Kermit found himself in the surrounding woods two miles outside the small town of Braniff, California staring at a structure that could have been built in China a couple of thousand years earlier. Kermit circled the building only to find that the best access point for not being seen was on the northern side where the woods nearly brushed up against the walls. There was a cliff on the western side and below that was a lake.

Hours before Kermit had circled that lake and came upon a granite marker. The name on the stone caused Kermit to pause.

"Laura Caine, Beloved Wife and Mother"

He was surprised to learn how young the woman was when she died. He took note of the last name. He would hear about the name Caine from time to time. In certain circles the name was despised, in others revered.

"I'll look up the name when this business is over,' he thought. 'Must be an extraordinary person to be revered and despised at the same time.'

Kermit walked back to his rental not far down the road. He pulled his car into an overgrown track that was once a fire road.

'Wonder if the locals know what's really going on, or if they heard any rumors of strange things at that monastery, if that's what it really is.'

Kermit often found that the locals could be a wealth of information. He pulled his car back on the road and head back to the town, looking for the most likely place where he might find that information. A bar where a lot of regular customers came and went was often a wellspring of gossip just waiting to be tapped. Rumors often held some grain of truth, if you knew what to listen for. One such piece of information he was looking for was on the man name Dao. Supposedly he was from the Chinese government, and in a small town like Braniff someone who was certainly not local, would stand out like a sore thumb. Braniff was white Middle America, and some one like Dao would certainly fit the description of the proverbial sore thumb indeed.

Kermit pulled his car into the most likely place, a tavern called the Golden Nugget. There were a few already starting at their cups, and Kermit did his best to blend in with the rest.

"Give me a beer." Kermit watched the bartender fill a large mug and place it on the bar.

"That will be five bucks,"

Kermit handed over the money then moved to a spot in the shadows. If there were going to be any gossip about the monastery, it would happen in the shadows, at least the kind of gossip he was looking for, other types would be spoken openly. He didn't have long to wait.

Kermit observed two men come in. They looked like they were of Chinese origin. He noticed how some of the locals stared with frowns on their faces but then quickly returned to their own drinks. No one wanted to cause trouble, which was a blessing for Kermit. He didn't need a bar fight to liven things up. They moved to the booth just in front of him after they got their drinks. Since he was sitting in the shadows the two men weren't aware of his presence. Kermit's attention continued to be piqued regarding these two, especially after they sat down and started in on their conversation. He knew he hit pay dirt when they started speaking in Chinese and their voices were low, as if they did not want anyone else to overhear their conversation.

"Are you certain it will begin tonight?" The first one began.

"He has promised that it would, once night has fallen. We have been waiting a long time for this."

"Are you certain that the grandson of the dishonored has taken over?"

"That is what Tan has said. He was to become Master, but the old one chose HIM instead. The taint continues to spread. It is as if all have forgotten what had been done in the past."

"I heard that He has a son as well."

"Yes, a mere child. Even so, the line cannot continue."

"What of the rest?"

"He cares nothing for the rest. This is a chance for our order to prevail. If they were to survive, our order would diminish. It must not be allowed to happen. Careful, there are eyes upon us. We best not speak of this further."

The two men grew silent after that as other customers entered the bar. The conversation soon turned to other matters. The two men spoke in English this time, as if to draw suspicion away. Kermit puzzled over their words. Even though he wasn't fluent in Chinese, he got the gist of their meaning. Whatever was going to happen would be tonight. Something about the conversation disturbed him, but he didn't have the opportunity to explore it further. Besides, it probably had nothing to do with what he was here for, and he did have an appointment to keep.

Kermit waited for the two men to depart. He waited for a sufficient amount of time so it didn't look like he might be following the two. Kermit threw down a few coins for the waitress then left to meet the man called Dao.

Continues with Part 4