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Authors: Barry Reese
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then
scurried along the side of the shop. She couldn’t see past the clutter that blocked
the window but she placed her ear against it, hoping that she might hear
something useful.
To her glee, she did just that.
Though it was stifled a bit by the wall, she made
out Bingwen’s voice. He was obviously talking to someone on the phone.
“A chòu biǎozi was in here asking
about you,” the old man said. Li’s cheeks reddened at the words he used to
describe her – in Mandarin, they meant ‘stinking whore.’ “She has no contacts
with the police, I am sure of that. Her name is Li Yuchun… She claims you hired
her and did not pay.” There was a moment’s pause and Li suspected that Meeks
was denying her claims. “I will be there. Five o’clock.”
A click told Li all that she needed to know. Meeks
wanted a meeting with Bingwen… and all that needed to be done now was to follow
the old man when he went to their chosen site.
Li hummed happily to herself as she sauntered away.
***
Shortly after 4:30, Bingwen stepped from his shop
and locked the door behind him. A soft drizzle had just ended and the streets
were still wet as he began to move away from his home. He kept his head down as
he moved and showed no knowledge that someone was following him.
Li had changed her clothing. She now wore a hat
with matching blue dress and heels, with enough makeup applied to change her
appearance somewhat. In fact, with the hat tilted just so, it was hard to tell
that she wasn’t Caucasian.
She had thought about visiting Charity and telling
her what she’d found out… but in the end, she’d decided against it. She
reasoned that it was better to find out more before reporting in.
A thrill went through her, remembering how Charity
had looked in her Gravedigger uniform. It was all so terribly exciting, like
something out of the pulp magazines that they sold on the newsstands. Li
sometimes spent her money on the cheaply printed stories, relishing the lurid
covers and exotic settings. She knew that there were real people who led
similar lives to those in the stories – Sovereign’s own Fortune McCall, Doc
Daye and Lazarus Gray being among them – but to actually have a friend of hers
turn into a masked vigilante? It was enough to make Li’s adventure-loving heart
swell.
Bingwen led Li out of Chinatown and into an area
of the city known as Hogan’s Alley. It was not far from the harbor and was
frequented mainly by sailors, many of whom were of the sketchy variety. Li had
visited the place before but she hadn’t found it very safe and thus usually
avoided it. She was a bit surprised that Meeks would choose this part of the
city for his hideout but then again, she mused, he was trying to lay
low… and nobody would be looking for him here.
Bingwen eventually stopped outside an apartment
building and studied the row of buttons that were on the switchboard. He buzzed
G-8 and after a moment, a voice that Li thought she recognized as Meeks’
answered.
“Yes?” Meeks demanded.
“It is I,” Bingwen answered.
The door popped open with a electric hiss. “Come
on up,” Meeks said.
Li rushed forward and grabbed hold of the door
before it slammed shut behind the old man. She peeked inside and saw that
Bingwen was already moving up the stairs. As quietly as possible, she stepped
inside and let the door clang behind her.
It suddenly dawned on her that she should have
just stayed out on the street – it was unlikely she would be able to find out
anything else from inside the building. She’d confirmed that this was Meeks’
new base… Charity would probably be thrilled with that information.
But then she heard the sounds of conversation
drifting from above. Creeping over to the stairwell, she leaned over and looked
up. She couldn’t see anyone above but the old building’s walls produced fine
echoes that almost made it sound like she was right next to Bingwen and Meeks.
With a huge grin, she realized that
scurried along the side of the shop. She couldn’t see past the clutter that blocked
the window but she placed her ear against it, hoping that she might hear
something useful.
To her glee, she did just that.
Though it was stifled a bit by the wall, she made
out Bingwen’s voice. He was obviously talking to someone on the phone.
“A chòu biǎozi was in here asking
about you,” the old man said. Li’s cheeks reddened at the words he used to
describe her – in Mandarin, they meant ‘stinking whore.’ “She has no contacts
with the police, I am sure of that. Her name is Li Yuchun… She claims you hired
her and did not pay.” There was a moment’s pause and Li suspected that Meeks
was denying her claims. “I will be there. Five o’clock.”
A click told Li all that she needed to know. Meeks
wanted a meeting with Bingwen… and all that needed to be done now was to follow
the old man when he went to their chosen site.
Li hummed happily to herself as she sauntered away.
***
Shortly after 4:30, Bingwen stepped from his shop
and locked the door behind him. A soft drizzle had just ended and the streets
were still wet as he began to move away from his home. He kept his head down as
he moved and showed no knowledge that someone was following him.
Li had changed her clothing. She now wore a hat
with matching blue dress and heels, with enough makeup applied to change her
appearance somewhat. In fact, with the hat tilted just so, it was hard to tell
that she wasn’t Caucasian.
She had thought about visiting Charity and telling
her what she’d found out… but in the end, she’d decided against it. She
reasoned that it was better to find out more before reporting in.
A thrill went through her, remembering how Charity
had looked in her Gravedigger uniform. It was all so terribly exciting, like
something out of the pulp magazines that they sold on the newsstands. Li
sometimes spent her money on the cheaply printed stories, relishing the lurid
covers and exotic settings. She knew that there were real people who led
similar lives to those in the stories – Sovereign’s own Fortune McCall, Doc
Daye and Lazarus Gray being among them – but to actually have a friend of hers
turn into a masked vigilante? It was enough to make Li’s adventure-loving heart
swell.
Bingwen led Li out of Chinatown and into an area
of the city known as Hogan’s Alley. It was not far from the harbor and was
frequented mainly by sailors, many of whom were of the sketchy variety. Li had
visited the place before but she hadn’t found it very safe and thus usually
avoided it. She was a bit surprised that Meeks would choose this part of the
city for his hideout but then again, she mused, he was trying to lay
low… and nobody would be looking for him here.
Bingwen eventually stopped outside an apartment
building and studied the row of buttons that were on the switchboard. He buzzed
G-8 and after a moment, a voice that Li thought she recognized as Meeks’
answered.
“Yes?” Meeks demanded.
“It is I,” Bingwen answered.
The door popped open with a electric hiss. “Come
on up,” Meeks said.
Li rushed forward and grabbed hold of the door
before it slammed shut behind the old man. She peeked inside and saw that
Bingwen was already moving up the stairs. As quietly as possible, she stepped
inside and let the door clang behind her.
It suddenly dawned on her that she should have
just stayed out on the street – it was unlikely she would be able to find out
anything else from inside the building. She’d confirmed that this was Meeks’
new base… Charity would probably be thrilled with that information.
But then she heard the sounds of conversation
drifting from above. Creeping over to the stairwell, she leaned over and looked
up. She couldn’t see anyone above but the old building’s walls produced fine
echoes that almost made it sound like she was right next to Bingwen and Meeks.
With a huge grin, she realized that
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