Distant Cousins
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Chinatown
Henry's eyes opened to a dingy ceiling and the smell of incense. He blinked his eyes a couple of times thinking that he might be dreaming. Then a familiar face came into view.
"He's awake, Pop," Peter Caine stated to someone out of Henry's line of vision.
"What happened?" Henry questioned and tried to rise. His voice sounded nasally and it was hard to breathe. Henry reached up to find that a bandage had been placed over his nose. He suspected that he had broken it in the fall.
"My Pop and I brought you home after the Monks of Shambhala examined you," Peter stated.
"What's Shambhala?" Henry asked.
Peter continued as if he had not heard Henry's question. "You've been unconscious for the better part of a day. Do you remember what happened?"
"I remember we were in that cell. Then we were in that white world. I tried to attack Bon Bon Hai, but don't remember what happened after that. What happened with Bon Bon Hai?" Henry asked.
"Bon Bon Hai is no longer a threat," this time Kwai Chang Caine spoke.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that Bon Bon Hai has been taken care of," Peter relied.
"Do you mean he's in jail?" Henry stated hopefully, pleased to hear that the Tiger would soon be put away for life.
"Not exactly," Peter said sheepishly.
"Well, where is he?"
"Do you think we should tell him?" Peter asked his father.
"I do not think he will believe if we do," Caine replied to his son.
"Look, if you know something you've got to tell me. Or I may be arresting you two for obstruction of justice."
"Sounds a little like me when I was a cop."
"Well, he is a Caine, my son."
"Come on, what are you two up to?"
Caine and Peter both turned toward each other then both sighed. "You tell him," Peter stated. "You're the one who defeated him, and you're also the Shambhala Master."
Caine gave in then proceeded to tell Henry all that had transpired with Bon Bon Hai, right down to when the Brothers of Shambhala took the Tiger away to be imprisoned.
"What am I going to tell Captain Simms? Not to mention my own Captain when I return to Los Angeles?"
"Who said you had to return to Los Angeles?" Peter asked in return. "Why can't you stay here for a while?"
"I may have to once I make my report. He's not going to believe me."
"Look, just tell your Captain that Bon Bon Hai disappeared."
"I can't do that," Henry stated. "I would be falsifying my report."
"Look, I've had to reword some things myself because no one would have believed me either with what I've seen. Take my word. You're better off not explaining the whole truth."
"Besides, Bon Bon Hai will be back," Caine paused. "In about 1000 years."
"Man talk about a long sentence," Henry quipped, but still shook his head at the impossibility of it.
Caine gave a sigh then stated to both men. "There is someone I must see," then he turned and picked up the pouch that Peter had returned to him.
"Where's he going?" Henry questioned.
"Don't worry. I think I know whom he's going to see. He's not going to get into any trouble, at least not much."
Both men went silent for that moment, lost in their own thoughts when someone cleared their throat. Both looked up to see a Chinese man in the doorway.
"Uh, my name is Ma Peiling," the man stated. "Did you really mean it when you said to come to Chinatown and you would help me?"
Peter gave a wide grin and approached the Chinese with his hands out stretched, the brands peaking out from the cuffs of his shirt.
"Of course," he replied and shook Ma Peiling's hand. "How can I help you?"
Concludes with Epilogue
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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