Stealing the Dragon

Chapter Fifty-seven

“It’s too risky.”

Cape heard Dong before he could see him over the jumbled furniture. As he neared the center of the chamber, he saw Sally sitting across from Xan, with Dong standing next to her, the guard named Shen a few feet away.

Sally turned toward Dong. “You have a better idea?”

“He’ll be expecting you,” replied Dong, nodding toward Xan and adding, “Or someone like you.”

Xan nodded. “Surprise is lost, the field of battle is under his control. The Art of War-”

“-is irrelevant,” snapped Sally. “Because we have no time.”

“He won’t be expecting me,” said Cape.

All heads turned.

“Think about it,” he said. “Yan met me only once, and I asked for his help. He may not trust me, but I doubt he thinks I’ve got the heart.”

“We’ve got the heart,” said Dong. “Not to put too fine a point on it.”

“I have plenty of paperweights already,” said Cape. “But Yan thinks I’m just a gwai loh-and I must be, because everyone keeps calling me that.”

“It’s colloquial Chinese for someone who is white-an outsider,” said Sally. “It means devil.”

“White devil, actually,” added Dong. “Nothing personal, of course.”

“Of course,” said Cape. “But Yan is expecting someone who’s Chinese, not me. Someone connected to the heart is supposed to walk through the front door.”

“What do we do?” asked Dong.

“Come through the back door.” Sally turned to face Dong. “You’ll be relieved to know I want you to stay here.”

“With the heart?’

“Not a chance,” said Sally.

Dong looked crestfallen. “And the guards?”

Xan shook his head. “Sei chun.”

Sally glanced at Cape. “He said ‘stupid.’”

Cape looked at Shen, who seemed oblivious to the remark. He had a pistol holstered on his hip, which Cape pointed to as he addressed Dong. “Mind if I borrow that?”

Dong barked something in Cantonese, and Shen came over and handed Cape the gun, an H amp;K 9-millimeter semi-automatic, black metal and composite with a contoured grip. Cape got the same sensation he always had holding a gun, an almost primal fear mixed with an undeniable sense of power. It sickened him to admit how good the weight of the gun felt in his hand. He glanced up to find Sally looking at the gun, a somber look on her face.

Cape caught her eye. “We can’t all leap tall buildings.”

“You should try sometime.”

Sally walked toward the south tunnel and came back with a sword slung across her back. She was still wearing the black clothes she’d had on the night before.

Xan stood. “How far away is this bakery?”

“Five blocks,” said Sally. “But if we take the tunnels, we can cut it to three.”

“Don’t forget what was in the box,” said Dong. “This man is dangerous.”

Cape looked at Sally, then at Xan. “So are we. Besides, I might be able to distract him.”

“How?”

“I know something about him.” Cape patted the pocket where he’d put his notes.

“What?” asked Xan.

Sally said, “We don’t have time.”

Cape slid the gun into his belt and pulled out his shirttails. “I’ll tell you on the way.”