Distant Cousins
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Chinatown
Bon Bon Hai handed a folder to Jack Wong.
"Are you sure this is the guy?" Jack Wong stated as he scrutinized the file. "I've never heard of him."
"He is the one. Though the Caines have been a thorn in my side far longer than he has, the man is only a simple cop. He will be easily taken care of, and with him out of the way, the Caines won't be bothering us for a while."
"I don't get it. Why is this guy so important?"
"Read the file Mr. Wong, and learn."
Jack Wong turned his attention to the folder. The information just didn't seem to add up. Why did Bon Bon Hai want this man out of the way other than the obvious. Jack read that the cop was from the Los Angeles area and had made several raids on some warehouses that Bon Bon Hai owned. It had cost his employer several million dollars in lost revenue. Other than that, Jack Wong could not see what was so special about the guy. Then something glared out at him. It couldn't be that simple. Jack Wong held up the photograph that rested in the folder. He didn't look related, accept for maybe around the eyes. There was something familiar about them and Jack Wong shuddered from a sudden chill that ran down his spine. If the man was related, he would certainly be trouble.
"Okay, what do I have to do?" Jack Wong asked.
"Just make certain he cannot interfere then bring him to me."
"Why not just kill him and leave his body as a warning?"
"I do not wish the man dead, not at this time. I may still have a use for him."
Bon Bon Hai watched Jack Wong leave then turned back to his own plans. Taking Caine had been his first move, but that move proved nothing. Caine had somehow escaped. Taking this man, however, will keep Peter Caine's attention elsewhere and perhaps draw him further into his trap. Once Kwai Chang Caine realizes that both were gone, the priest will have no choice but to come to him. Their final confrontation will decide who will rule Chinatown.
***
The day had been long. Henry Raphael McLean-Caine leaned back in the seat of his rented Saturn. His eyes were sore and his head was pounding. He just could not believe what had been written in the folder that Captain Simms had provided for him. There were things in the folder that hinted at that Bon Bon Hai was some sort of supernatural being, and yet the words had been crafted carefully to hide such superstitious nonsense. Facts were what the police relied on to solve a case, not suspicions and hokus-pokus nonsense.
Still, after what Henry had witnessed in Caine's apartment, he would not be surprised if Bon Bon Hai did have some supernatural powers. It would explain a lot when it came to those times when he and his partner, Joe Greenhorn, would go over to Bon Bon Hai's place of residence to question him, and find no trace of the man, even though evidence clearly showed that he was home. There was just no way he could have left a room with no windows and only one door that opened inward when moments before he and his partner entered, they could clearly hear the voice of the Tong leader speaking on the phone. One moment he was there, the next moment he was gone. It was like chasing a phantom, much like chasing the phantom of his cousin, but that phantom turned out to be very real. Bon Bon Hai had to be just as substantial.
As Henry thought back on the day's events, someone rapped on the window of his car. He pressed on the button to lower the window.
"Can I help you?"
"Are you that cop whose helping out the police? I've got a tip for you."
"Yeah, so tell me," Henry clipped out his words, his impatience showing after a long day.
"I can't tell you here, too open. Someone could come along. If they see me talking to you, they could tell my boss."
"Okay, one moment. Henry raised the window and took his keys out of the ignition. As Henry got out of the car, a small object dropped on the ground. Both men did not notice it had fallen. Henry shut the door and hit the security button on the key fob.
"We can talk in my hotel room," Henry stated.
"No way. If someone sees me entering your hotel room, they'll know something was up. I know of a better place."
The stranger walked toward the darkened alleyway between the hotel and its neighboring building. Just as the two men entered, two others who had been in shadow stepped in behind the two men then grabbed Henry, pinning his arms.
"Hey! What is this?"
The stranger who spoke with Henry McClean-Caine pulled out a syringe and approached the cop. Henry struggled to be free from the grasp of the thugs who were holding him, but they pulled tighter on their grip, causing Henry to flinch with pain. The stranger that lured Henry to the alley came close enough where he could feel the man's breath on his face. Without a word he proceeded to pump the contents of the syringe into the cop's exposed neck. Within seconds, Henry stopped his struggling.
"Sweet dreams," Jack Wong stated. "One of you take him to Bon Bon Hai. He's going to want to deal with him personally. You search his room for anything that might be incriminating. Don't leave anything untouched. I'll search his car."
The two men that held the drugged cop carried him to a nearby van and tossed him inside, none too gently. Then the three men went in search of what they could find.
Jack Wong approached Henry's rental car. His foot brushed up against something small and it skittered under the car, out of his reach. He looked down to see what it was, but quickly lost interest. Jack pulled on the door handle only to find that the car was locked. He thought about breaking the window, but then spotted the blinking light of the alarm and thought better of it. He did not want to draw attention by breaking into the car. Perhaps the cop's room would reveal more secrets. Besides, Bon Bon Hai was waiting and one did not keep the Tiger waiting too long.
Continues with Part 17
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2003.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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