China 1851

Yulong Yeoh nodded to his wife as she brought out tea and moon cakes. She set them on the small table and filled two cups before quietly leaving the room.

Yeoh indicated the table. "Please, help yourself." He said as he picked up one of the cakes. He always looked forward to the mid-autumn festival and his wife's moon cakes. Particularly the ones made with nuts.

"You said you would help me." The priest said, picking up neither cup nor cake. He folded his trembling hands in his lap.

"I did," Yeoh said. "I also told you there would be a price for my help."

The man nodded.

"Do you have what I seek?" He asked, taking a delicate bite of the cake. "Come now, Master Yuan, I'm not going to eat you alive. Not while there are better things to eat before me."

"The scrolls are protected. I could not bring them out of Shamballa." He said.

"Then you do not have what I seek." Yulong Yeoh said, and the priest was certain that the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.

"I can bring you copies, a little at a time." He said.

"And when you do then I'll do that little favor for you."

"Why are you so interested in the prophecies of the line of Kwai Chang?" Yuan asked.

"There are things you don't need to concern yourself with. That is one of them." He said "Now, I must insist that you drink your tea and try the cakes. I will not have you insulting my wife by refusing."

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Present day

Javier Navarro thanked the hostess for showing him to his table. He stared at the menu, not that he intended to order more than a cup of coffee. He was there for one reason and one reason only and it wasn't to eat.

He looked up as Yulong Yeoh sat across the table from him. "Good Morning." He said setting aside the menu.

"Did you find it?"

Navarro shook his head. "Not in either location." He said. "If the girl still has it, she's not keeping it close at hand."

"You had better hope she has it well hidden then because without that book I cannot give you what you seek."

"Why don't you just go and ask her for it like a normal human being?" Navarro demanded. "I'm not some cat burglar."

"Because I am not a normal human being as you put it, and neither is she. It is not time for me to reveal myself again. As for you." Yeoh looked at the man as though he were something to scrape off of his shoe. "You are what I tell you to be or you are nothing. I can all too easily imagine that the lovely Laura would go back to her actual husband if you were no longer a powerful man. They were quite the love match you know." He was certain he could make that happen too, with the proper manipulation.

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Peter stepped out of the shower and toweled off. It had been a long night and he was still tired. It wasn't anything new to the former detective. There had been many double shifts that had him catching a nap on the sofa before heading right back to work for his normal shift the following day.

"Morning," Leanne said and handed Peter a strong cup of coffee once he'd finished shaving.

"Good morning." He said and kissed her as he took the cup in hand. "You are a lifesaver. I think I'm going to need about a dozen of these to stay awake."

She wiped away a spot of shaving cream from his jaw. "We probably should have waited to clean up until today."

"There is no way we would have been able to sleep if we hadn't." It wasn't just a mess. It was an invasion. He set the coffee aside long enough to get dressed.

"Yeah. You're probably right. I'll see about replacing the living room furniture when I take my lunch break."

"I can do that, don't worry about it," Peter said. "There's a furniture store not far from Chen's groceries." They didn't make a lot, but the Kwoon and her counseling sessions brought in enough. He was sure that the store would give them a small line of credit. Enough to get a sofa and a chair to replace what had been destroyed the night before.

She nodded. "Promise me you'll be careful today."

He kissed her forehead gently. "I promise." He said and meant it. He'd told former lovers that he'd be careful but he hadn't meant it, not really. It had only been his life that he was risking and he hadn't cared about living or dying. Merely getting the job done. This was different. If they failed to protect that book from the Sing Wah the world was going to become a much uglier place. Not merely his corner of it. "You need to be careful too. When they took you… I… I was certain that I'd lost you forever. They took my grandmother, you know. She was pregnant with the uncle we don't talk about. She was killed after he was born. I couldn't bare it if I lost you that way."

"I'll be careful." She promised. "I am thinking that … after the wedding… we should destroy the book."

"You're sure?" He asked. "You can do it now if you feel it needs to be destroyed. I don't need immortality. Our souls are entwined. We've been together before, we'll be together again."

"Are you sure? It's safe where it is."

"I'm sure. I love the thought of spending an eternity with you… as I am now. But that is the only reason I would even consider immortality. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be considered worthy of it anyway."

"You're wrong about that. You are more than worthy, but it's not a choice I would ever make for you, or take from you." She caressed his face.

"Unlike what was done to you." He said and turned his face to kiss her palm. "I just know the book is special to you."

"My grandfather was special to me. Now I'm not sure I ever really knew him at all." She sighed. "Unfortunately I can't destroy it while the Sing Wah are still making moves against us. If it was them that did this then they are probably watching us."

Peter nodded. "It's possible that this was another attempt to make us take the book out of hiding."

"It's safe where it is unless they take up bank robbing," Leanne said.

"I wouldn't put anything past them." He grumbled and finished off his coffee. He sighed. "Time to get back to our lives I guess. Bad guys don't get to win." Which is what would happen if they let it change their lives. They would take precautions, but they could not stop doing what needed to be done.

"I'll be at the Kwoon all day." She said. "I have three clients and then my anger management Tai chi class is after lunch."

"By then I'll be through my rounds and back to the kwoon to help with the afternoon classes."

She nodded as they exited the apartment. "The caterer is dropping off cake samples today. We can try them out after we lock up."

"Not that I am complaining about cake. I like cake, I can almost always eat cake. But, Sweetheart, it's cake. I will even eat bad cake and enjoy it because it's cake. Whatever you want is fine with me. I promise I won't be disappointed by what you pick." He opened the passenger side door for her and closed it once she was settled.

He got in the driver's side and closed the door.

"You are not getting out of helping me decide on the cake. You deferred the invitations to me, now you get to help with the cake." She said.

" Hey, I'm helping. I picked the officiant. My Pop is going to do it." Peter said as he started the car. He would be glad when the apartment above the kwoon was finished. He missed living in the heart of Chinatown.

"That's wonderful," Leanne said with a smile. "I'm so glad. I adore your father."

Peter smiled at that. " Yeah, he likes you too." Which was a relief. Paul was willing to fake his way through it because there was nothing he could do to change Peter's mind. Peter appreciated that. He did. But the fact that his father knew everything and still approved of their relationship meant the world to him. "Look, I guess I'm playing into the stereotype. A wedding is the bride's big day. The groom shows up, terrified, pretending he's not, and he waits for the most beautiful woman he has ever seen to walk down that aisle, all the while hoping that she hasn't changed her mind."

Leanne laughed. "Well, I am never going to change my mind. But it's our day, not just mine. Who is going to be your best man?"

"Kermit." He said. They had gotten closer since he'd left the force. Partly because Kermit had made a point of coming around regularly to check up on him. They had found things in common beyond police work. It was nice. That and He was one hundred percent behind their getting married. "Your maid of honor?"

"I asked your sister, Kellie." She said. "We've been spending a lot of time together." Leanne had rarely gotten close to anyone. It was easier to keep secrets if she didn't have people to tell them to. "If he returns in time I want to ask Lo Si to give me away. Are you okay with that?"

Peter sighed "Yeah. I'm okay with that." He said. "I have a lot of hang-ups from my time in the orphanage. Knowing that he's the one that not only sent me there but made me think I was an orphan in the first place is hard to swallow. But … I don't think he knew the hell he was sending me into. I'll get over it when I talk to him… I hope."

"You don't talk about your time there at all." She said. "Was it truly horrific or horrific through the eyes of a child?"

"Both," Peter said as he drove. "I still have nightmares about that place. No matter who we told about it, they didn't believe us. They skirted right under the lines of abuse because they never laid a hand on us. You can't prove mental and emotional abuse as easily. It was lord of the Flies meets boot camp. It didn't get all the way to Oliver Twist but that was only because of regular visits from the oversight committee. You complain or run away you're labeled as a troublemaker, which means no one outside takes you seriously when you tell them."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." She said. "Maybe, when this is all over… the sing wah, my grandfather and the book," She smiled a little, "and our honeymoon, we can go after them." She was a social worker after all. People would listen to her if she could find proof that Pine Ridge was a living nightmare.

"I'd like that." He said. "It would feel good to put paid to that bill. I couldn't do anything as a cop. Maybe I can as a priest."

"Then that's what we'll do." She said as he pulled the Stealth into a parking space behind the kwoon. "Who knows… it might be fun."

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Kwai Chang Caine opened the portal to Shamballa and walked through.

He gave a polite nod to the first priest he encountered. "I am seeking Master Lo Si. Is he here?"

"No, Master Caine. He is not. He was here yesterday but has returned to Kunlun Shan."

"Kunlun Shan?" Caine repeated. His brow furrowed. "Why has he chosen to go there."

"I do not know, perhaps you should speak with Master Yuan. I believe he was the last to speak with Master Lo Si."

"Where would I find Master Yuan?" He had never cared for the man but he didn't have to when it came down to it.

"He is in the library I believe."

"Thank you," Caine said. He nodded politely and then followed the corridors until he came to the vast library of scrolls and tomes. He walked through the aisles and to the tables in the back of the room until he stood in front of the table where Qianfan Yuan was seated.

Yuan looked up, surprised to see Kwai Chang Caine. "I heard of your father's passing. jié'āi shùnbiàn" he said.

"Thank you," Caine said. "I have come seeking Master Lo Si. I understand you spoke with him last."

"Yes. He was here a few days ago." He said and indicated that Caine should be seated. "But he has returned to Kunlun Shan."

"Why has he gone there?" It wasn't entirely unheard of for those who could travel the realms to do so now and again. But it was unlike Lo Si to leave Chinatown while there was a threat to the people there. Especially if there was a threat to Peter. Which meant it was not merely a vacation to a holy realm.

"I am not certain I should discuss this with you, Master Caine. It is… perhaps a little close to your heart for you to be objective."

Caine raised an eyebrow. "My objectivity is my concern. Not yours. Why has Master Lo Si gone to Kunlun Shan." He said, his tone was tight, controlled, displeased.

Yuan studied the man and managed to suppress a smile. "He seeks the means to undo Yulong Yeoh's elixir of immortality."

"Has Yulong Yeoh transgressed to the point that his life is forfeit?" He asked. It would not surprise him to learn that he had fallen that far, just as Tan had done. There were things he was learning every day that made it seem likely. There was no reason to undo his immortality if there was no intent to kill him.

"Yes. Although there has been no official decision as he has not been able to defend himself against the accusations. When he is brought before us it is unlikely that we will change our minds. The elixir is made with stolen souls according to Master Lo Si. It is an abomination." He shrugged "Unless of course Master Lo Si has misspoken …"

"And you were," Caine paused ever so briefly, "reluctant to tell me this why? How is this close to my heart?" He watched Qianfan Yuan closely, he watched his respiration, the beat of his pulse at his neck, and most of all he watched the man's eyes. People didn't realize how little control they had over their eyes. Tiny movements that to some were imperceptible, but to others were glaringly obvious.

"Your son is about to wed Li Na Yeoh, yes?" Yuan asked. He was pleased to lay this at Caine's feet. He didn't think Lo Si was the best choice to destroy Yulong Yeoh. Especially with his foolish devotion to the current members of the line of Kwai Chang. Caine however would do whatever it took to protect his precious son.

"He is," Caine said, his own eyes narrowing slightly. "Her grandfather will face his fate when it comes to him. It has little to do with the girl other than the grief she will feel at his passing."

"We can but hope," Yuan said. "Other than of course, for her immortality that came to her by way of her grandfather."

"Do you know where in Kunlun Shan Lo Si has gone?" Caine did not speak to Yuan's implication that Li Na would meet the same fate as her grandfather. He would not allow that to happen. He would not have allowed it to happen even if she wasn't going to marry his son. He still needed to know more to know if Yulong Yeoh was deserving of death as well.

"No, he is not sharing much with us at all. It concerns me a great deal, to be honest." He said.

"Yes. I am concerned as well." Caine said, but not about Lo Si's decision to keep his information to himself. That was his way. Although this time, Caine thought it was the best choice he could have possibly made.

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Kermit Griffin knocked on the hotel room door. He glanced over at Jody Powell, who had come with him because Skalany was too closely involved to be part of the investigation. He wasn't sure that Jody wasn't as well. Even after two years, she was still holding a torch for Peter Caine.

A pretty middle-aged woman opened the door. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"Hello, Mrs… Navarro." He said politely, as he showed his badge "I'm Detective Kermit Griffin and this is Detective Powell. May we come in?"

Laura's brow furrowed. "Yes, of course," She said, stepping aside to let them in. "Is there something wrong?"

"We're looking for Mr. Navarro. Is he available?" Jody asked.

"Not at the moment no." She said. "Can I help you?"

"Can you tell us where he was last evening, between the hours of seven and ten?" Kermit asked.

"Not off hand. I had a particularly trying day yesterday and I went to bed early with a headache. I believe he said he had gone down to the bar for a drink or two. Why do you ask?"

"Did Mr. Navarro go with you to Kwai Chang Caine's brownstone yesterday?"

Her eyes narrowed. "No, he did not. I really must insist that you tell me what this is all about." She said. "Did Kwai Chang say that he has done something?" It wouldn't be at all like him if he did but then again, what did she know? She hadn't spoken to the man in decades.

"No. He hasn't." Kermit said.

"I know things are a little awkward with your situation with the Caines, how is he dealing with that?" Jody asked.

"That's a little personal don't you think, Detective?" Laura said tightly.

"No, ma'am. Not under the circumstances." Jody said. So this was the woman that abandoned Peter as a little boy, standing there like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

"What circumstances?" Laura asked sharply.

"Mr. Navarro's fingerprints were found in the brownstone and Peter's apartment," Kermit said. "If there is a logical explanation for that I would like to hear it."

"Are Peter and his father alright?" She asked. "Something has happened or there would have been no reason for you to check for fingerprints. Although how you have anything to compare them to I am sure I don't know."

"They're on file with Interpol," Kermit said.

"What?" Laura frowned. "You need to answer my question. Are Peter and Kwai Chang alright?" She demanded, her voice growing increasingly shrill with each question.

"They're fine," Jody said, not sure if she believed the woman genuinely cared or not. "But their homes were broken into and ransacked last night. Where can we find your husband, Mrs. Navarro."

"I don't know. He went out for a meeting just after breakfast. There has to be another explanation for why his prints are there. Javier would never break into someone's home and trash it like a common criminal. Certainly not my son's home."

"We're trying to get to the truth, Ma'am, that's all," Kermit said handing over a business card with his name and cell phone number on it. " When he gets back to the hotel have him contact me as soon as possible."

Jody pulled a folded piece of paper from her coat pocket. "This is a warrant for your and Mr. Navarro's passports. Just until this is all cleared up."

"I cannot believe this is happening," Laura said as she went to get the passports for the officers. "I promise you, you'll be hearing from our lawyer."

"That's fine, Ma'am," Kermit said. "Just as long as we hear from your husband as well. You have a nice day."

"We'll show ourselves out," Jody said.