Pt. 12

Peter eyed the stranger warily, his instincts screaming warnings he didn't quite understand. There was something about the man, an utter stillness and coldness that was unnerving. Not even Kermit had made him as nervous as this man did. Yet his father didn't seen to be terribly concerned. "Ever taken Kung-Fu before?" he asked suspiciously.

Michael eyed the other man impassively. "I've had some lessons." He replied quietly.

"Peter." Caine warned, placing himself between the two young men. He had thought that Peter had resolved his ambivalence after Caine had taken Jake as a student. But now his son was sizing up this stranger as he would a potential opponent. "I teach many different people here, Mr. Simone, many different styles at many different levels. What would you learn from me?"

"What you would wish to teach me." Michael replied, turning away the question as he evaluated the situation. He had not really expected to find Miriam at the studio. This place fairly reeked of peace and tranquility, an oasis of calm in the midst of the chaos that was Chinatown. Tranquility was not a natural state for a Section agent, though Miriam and Jurgen had managed to make a good show of contentment in their lot. At least she had until Jurgen had died.

"Great. Someone else who can't give a straight answer. " Peter muttered. He glanced out of the window and frowned. "Oh Hell! What's she doing here?"

"She?" Caine asked, his eyes not leaving the stranger before him.

"Sandra Mason. You know, the news reporter. She must have been assigned to the "Dr. Death" story. God, the last thing I need today is to talk to her." The sound of a cell-phone ringing distracted him momentarily; just long enough for Michael to move out of the half-light of the doorway into the shadows. Peter flipped open his receiver, keeping the stranger in his sight. "Yes?"

"Kid, it's Kermit."

There was a tight tone to the ex-mercenary's voice that caught Peter's attention. "What's up?" he asked.

"Sandra Mason is on her way to you. She's been told you'll have information your willing to share with her about "Dr. Death."

"What idiot told her that?" Peter exclaimed, then stopped and stared at the phone. "You didn't!"

"Trust me, it wasn't my idea. Miriam will explain. Is she there yet?"

"No, not yet." Peter watched as Michael slowly made his way around the dojo with his father walking just outside of his reach. "Listen, do me a favor. Run a name and description for me."

"Whose name and description?" Kermit's voice suddenly iced over, as his hunter's instincts flared.

"Some guy that just walked into my dad's dojo. There's something about him, I can't explain it. He just creeps me out."

"I'm almost to the dojo." Kermit interrupted. "Let me handle this guy and you handle Sandra Mason." The phone went dead in Peter's hand.

"Great! And just what am I suppose to tell her?" Peter groused to no one in particular.

"Exactly what I tell you to say." A woman's voice called out from the back of the studio. The three men turned to see Miriam standing in the half-light holding a revolver on them. "Hello Michael. Long time no see." She smiled and calmly pulled the trigger.