I don’t remember what happened next.
I was in a constant daze. My mind could hardly function.
I knew I was half dragged along the warehouse until we got to a flight of stairs leading to the basement.
Xuehua left me on the floor as she unlocked a large blast door with a key pad on the side of the wall.
I could hear the hiss of the hydraulics as it releases the bolts in the solid frame.
I had sank down on my butt with my feet on the ground as I stared blankly at the corridor beyond. I could see a couple of people walking around. They cast us a disinterested look before getting back to what they were doing.
Xuehua took the wall opposite me and she too leaned back before sliding down onto the floor, bring our faces to the same level.
I wanted to speak but I can’t.
There is just so much going on in my head.
I almost killed my girlfriend, and the man I was working for for the past years turns out to be the man that killed my father.
Xuehua did not say anything either. She pulled off her gloves that are soaked with dried blood. I could see the bruises immediately.
The knuckles, the back of her wrist, I could only imagine the amount of burst blood vessels underneath the skin.
She saw me looking at her fingers and she brought them away from my line of sight, as if she’s suddenly aware that she’s no longer Jane in front of me.
Jeff : I…..i….
Xuehua looked at me, waiting for me to finish what I wanted to say.
She bit her lips, and pouted and I could see her holding back her tears.
Jeff : I’m…. I’m sorry…..
Xuehua : I’m sorry too…
She wanted to hug me but I could see she was in pain. The amount of abuse our bodies have been through that night is unimaginable.
I saw a man in white coat approach us from down the corridor.
He’s in his late fifties I reckon and he gave Xuehua a nod as he came closer.
When he knelt down, I could see him checking Xuehua out, shaking his head slightly.
He looked at her, starting from the bottom of her legs to her head. His hands reached out and touched her gently on her head.
Xuehua : Hi… Dr Cheong….
Cheong : You’ve grown prettier….big girl already….
Xuehua smiled.
Cheong : It’s been so many years since I last saw you….
Xuehua : it has… I’m… I’m sorry I didn’t come visit….
Cheong : that is suppose to be a good thing isn’t it…. Never a good thing to visit your doctor…
Xuehua laughed.
Cheong : and who do we have here… ?
Xuehua : Dr Cheong… meet Jeff….. he’s my boyfriend…
Cheong : Hi Jeff…. You look terrible….
Xuehua : We just tried to kill each other today….
There was a moment of silence before Cheong immediately lightened up the mood with a well-timed joke.
Cheong : I can heal the body, that’s covered under the company……….. matters of the heart is a separate charge…..
Xuehua smiled and she tried to stand back up. Cheong offered me a hand and I took it.
Despite his age, I could feel the firmness in his grip as he pulled me off the floor.
Cheong led us to his clinic. Set under the warehouse, Xuehua told me that the location has been actively in used for close to 40 years. Ron inherited it from someone else and he struck a deal with the operator of the warehouse.
No questions asked. Just money changing hands.
The warehouse operator will not bother what is going on in the basement. At the same time, they provided the perimeter security and keep people from poking around.
The heavily tattooed men shaking their legs and eye balling passer-by at the main gate works better than a commercial security guard.
The word is that the site belonged to some local triads that Ron works with.
Jeff : triads ?
Xuehua : It used to be a big group… but over the years it has splintered into many factions…..without a unifying leader… it’s a far cry from it’s former glory…now they just focus on earning money….
Jeff : I never thought they would still exist in today’s day and age…
Cheong asked Xuehua and I to undress and I felt a tinge of jealousy when I realised Xuehua had to undress in front of another man. As we pulled off tops and our vests, the extend of our injuries made Dr Cheong shake his head.
I could see the large bruises underneath the black sports bra she was wearing.
From torsos, to forearms, to shoulders and our backs. There is hardly a spot without a bruise or a scratch. Even our legs, thighs and calves were not spared the swollen reddish and purple plague of bruises.
Cheong made us take a few xrays and we waited in a small lounge.
It was sparsely furnished, a couple of old sofas with a modern looking fridge that looked totally out of place.
Xuehua and I finished a whole 1.5 litres of water each and I opened a packet of almonds to share.
There’s a lot to talk about between us but neither of us know where to start.
Xuehua : How long … have you been working for Owen…. ?
Jeff : 10 years… give and take… I don’t know…right around my enlistment period I think … how long have you worked for Ron ?
Xuehua drew her legs up and hugged them, bringing her chin to her knees.
Xuehua : Since I was 10 i think…. i don’t remember…..
Jeff : What ?!!! you’re shitting me… 10 ?
Xuehua : My parents…. They passed on…. And I was…I was adopted…by my dad’s cousin…..back then….
Jeff : Eddy ?
Xuehua : no… I have no blood relation with Eddy… but he’s the closest person to being a father to me…. My dad’s cousin,…he took me in…. but things didn’t work out…
Jeff : what happened ?
Xuehua : he raped me…
I dropped the packet of almonds on the floor as I watch a drop of tear roll down Xuehua’s cheek.
Jeff : what…
Xuehua : Not only did he raped me….. he got his friends….to…. to do the same…
Jeff : you’re 10….
Xuehua nodded.
I could feel the pick up in my heart rate as I suppressed a animal like growl in my stomach.
Jeff : where are they now… ?
Xuehua chuckled before looking up at me.
Xuehua : I killed my dad’s cousin….i hit his head in with a hammer…. I hit him again and again until his face caved in…..
I got out of my seat and went over to Xuehua. I hugged her and tears continued to flow from her eyes.
Xuehua : I would have kill the rest… but I was just a little girl… I was over powered…. They beat me….and they raped me again….. I wanted to die…I wished I was dead…
I kissed Xuehua on her head and held onto her.
Jeff : It’s all in the past…. It’s all in the past….
Xuehua : Eddy….. finally found me after a few months…. He was my dad’s sworn brother….
Jeff : he saved you…..
Xuehua : He did…. He came with Ron…. And he killed everyone… with his bare hands….sobzz…
Xuehua broke down in my arms and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. In that moment, I realised we are all broken in one way or another.
If we are not broken, we will not be doing what we do.
Xuehua : i….i tried to kill myself…. I wanted to cut myself…the pain… I just didn’t want it anymore….sobzz… Eddy…..Eddy knelt down and begged me not to….that was the 1st and last time I saw him cry….
Xuehua told me that Eddy blamed himself for being late, he should have found Xuehua earlier.
Xuehua : Ron, cleaned up the scene and covered everything up….and….and I …. I started working for him….
Jeff : oh my god…
Xuehua : I told Ron I never….ever want to feel weak and vulnerable…. Ever again…. That I will do anything…. To make sure no one can hurt me…
Xuehua sniffed and wiped off her tears with the back of her hand, and she chuckled, looking a little embarrassed.
Xuehua : I’m sorry…. I got a little too emotional…. You ok ?..
I nodded.
Jeff : I will be….
We were left alone for a while before Cheong came into the room with a tablet.
Cheong : ok… thankfully… no broken or cracked ribs…. The bruising will take a while to heal though….your bodies took a beating but otherwise…. Both of you are in great shape…. Painkillers….. something to help you sleep… some cream for the cuts….anything else you guys need ?
We shook our head.
Cheong : room 5B is all yours…Ron asks me to pass along a message…. Meeting at 8am…. This gives you….4 hours to catch some quick winks…
Xuehua and I walked almost naked towards the room assigned to us. She was just wearing her black sports bra and I’m in my boxers. No one bat an eyelid when they walk past us.
Xuehua and I showered together in the attached bath. It only comes with cold water and we shared whatever warmth our battered bodies could afford to spare. We kissed, we fondled with each other’s body.
By the time we dried ourselves, we were groaning in pain as we made our way to the bed.
Every position we wanted to adopt came with it’s fair share of pain. I wanted to fuck to numb my mind. Xuehua wanted the same thing but it was too painful for us.
Xuehua :argnnhhh !! god… it hurts…
Jeff : arghhh !! ouch… arguuhh… fuck…
We ended up laughing with Xuehua straddling me. My erected cock entered her vagina and I could feel that familiar gasp of her breathe on my face.
We kissed for a very long time, breathing into each other’s face.
Jeff : I love you dear… I’m sorry… I didn’t know…
Xuehua smile as she caressed my face.
Xuehua : I’m sorry… I didn’t know too…
We kissed for a while longer before Xuehua said she was only brought in onto this situation recently. She sort of recognised Owen from his past visits to the café but she did not know who he is.
Xuehua : I know you work for him…. But… not in this capacity….you… you just don’t look like….
Jeff : don’t look like what ??
Xuehua : hahaha… you don’t look like someone who can do what you can do… haha
I tried to tickle Xuehua but the pain in my arms made my movements slow. Xuehua caught hold of both my wrist and pinned them down above my head and I could feel the squeeze of her vagina walls.
Jeff : ernghhhhhh!!! Ohhh… I didn’t know you are into this… holding me down like that.
Xuehua ; hahhaa….i believe I’ve let you hold me down in more ways imaginable the past few weeks… ahhaa..
Jeff : ernnang…arghhh
Xuehua : erngh… ernhhh….
The gyrating of our bodies lasted less than a minute as Xuehua and I are more satisfied by the touch of our bodies than the thrusting of my cock into her vagina.
Looking at Xuehua in her eyes, I told her I still can’t believe how madly in love I am with her.
Xuehua : Even knowing what I can do to you in your sleep ? hahaha
Jeff : haha… especially…. Knowing what you can do to me in my sleep…
Xuehua : I think I’m madly in love with you too….. Hibiki….
She whispered softly like a seductive siren by my ears as she chuckled.
I could feel the wetness of her tongue in my ear as it slowly drags down the side of my neck.
Then I felt it.
It came without warning.
The tongue stud felt different.
It was then I realised what that stud is hiding all this while.
I froze as I felt that sharp blade on my neck running dangerously close to my artery.
I felt more aroused than ever, my cock getting so hard that I could feel Xuehua’s vagina squirming as her love hole tried to accommodate me.
When she finally got to my lips, the blade is gone, in it’s place is once again that teasing metal stud that made my knees go weak everytime she employs it on my cock.
Jeff : i…. don’t know what to say…..
Xuehua smiled and we kissed again.
When she pulled back , she gave me the sweetest smile ever and she said to me in such a soft soothing voice. It was almost like a coo you use on a baby but there is no hiding the seriousness of her statement.
It was a warning.
A warning that made me want her even more than ever.
Xuehua : If you ever cheat on me…… don’t let me find you…
Jeff : hahahhaa…
I laughed and I hugged onto Xuehua tightly rolling over so that I’m on top.
I blocked off everything in my head, I mentally shut down all the pain and so did Xuehua.
We fucked.
Amidst groans of pain came moans of pleasure.
I remembered I came raw inside Xuehua, depositing my semen deep inside her vagina as her legs griped tightly onto my back.
We felt asleep naked.
I don’t know what time it was but there was that constant knocking on the door.
I had to crawl out of bed with a splitting headache.
When I opened the door, I saw Ron and his men looking at us impatiently.
Ron : get some fucking clothes on….
I could not be bothered with myself and I walked with my cock dangling towards Xuehua. I covered her with a old looking gown before shaking her awake. She woke with a jump and her right hand went straight for my neck, clamping down before I could say anything.
Almost immediately, she regained her composure and apologised.
Xuehua saw the gathering of men outside the room and quickly got dressed while I threw on some old ill fitting pants from the cupboard.
Ron and his men did not wait for us to get ready, they were already in the room and they made themselves at home, sitting and settling down on whatever surfaces they could manage.
I could see their bloodshot eyes. They no longer mask their faces. It’s obvious none of them had any sleep.
Ron : We have to get the evidence from the office……Owen knows what we want… that building will be heavily guarded…. Let’s not forget there will be other civilians in that building as well. ….
Ron’s plan was for Xuehua to stake out the office surrounding in a couple of days time.
Ron : the bruises on your face should heal a little by then, allowing for easier cover with makeup…. You will be our eyes on the inside….. no one knows who you are….
Jeff : No.. it’s too dangerous for her….
Ron : Shut up… I make the plans… not you….
Ron turned to Xuehua, ignoring me totally.
Ron : You’re sleeping with him…. I hope you know what that means…. If he sells us out…. You will be the one to kill him….
Xuehua : Ron stop it…. Don’t say things like that…. Jeff isn’t that kind of people…. Owen killed his father for god sake….
Ron : As far as I’m concern… he is your responsibility …. Did you get anything out of him last night….? Besides the contents of his testicles…
Xuehua grabbed the table lamp and sent it towards Ron but his men caught it without hardly batting an eyelid and put it aside.
Xuehua : you can be such an ass sometimes… !!
Ron took a deep breath, aware that he might have gone a little overboard.
Ron : Owen will be busy… trying to cover up the mess from last night for the next few days…. He lost many good men too….we have a bit of time….
Ron got up and pointed at me with his walking stick.
Ron : I’m only going to ask this once….look at me in the eye and answer me…. Are you going to stop Owen …. ?
I nodded.
Jeff : Yes… whatever it takes…
Ron kept his gaze on me for a while trying to get a read on me. After he was satisfied that I was telling the truth, he nodded his head.
Ron : good….
Ron started to lay out the plan for us.
Ron : There will be questions for Xuehua when she goes back to the café…. If Owen’s people know you guys are dating, you can be sure Owen does too…. Jeff is dead…. As far as the rest of the world is concerned….. everyone will want to know how you are dealing with a missing boyfriend….
Xuehua will resume her daily routine. Owen no doubt will increase the number of people he has guarding the office after this incident. There is no way we can safely get in and out without suffering heavy causalities on both sides.
Ron : We lay low for a while….and I will be making sure Owen stays busy…Owen is aware we know something…. He knows his plan will be compromised if he does not change them…. My take is he will be changing his plans , his hit locations and probably the place he is housing his private army as well….
Ron’s plan is to keep Owen busy by stretching his resources thin.
Ron : I know the kind of jobs Owen has to undertake…. The kind that gets thrown to him…. I’m going to stretch him thin on all fronts….this is the only way….. once I’m sure his resources are stretched…. We will make our move…
Jeff : How long will this take ? a week ? two ?
Ron : No… a month… maybe two ??
Jeff : What ?
Ron : I will not send…. My men….. nor Jane… to their deaths….. storming a fortress that is filled with Owen’s men….we will do it covertly….
Jeff : What do I do in the meantime ??!! play dead ??!!!
Ron gave me a look before turning to look at Xuehua.
Ron : maybe try to be get better…. So you don’t get beaten up by your girlfriend…
Jeff : You !
Xuehua gave an irritated ‘Tsk’ at Ron and held me back.
Ron : I will be thinning out the occupants of the building in the meantime… as many as I can manage… companies not associated with Owen will be made to move…. One way or the other…. Owen cannot keep an army at the office indefinitely….
Xuehua : What about Aiko ?
Ron pointed to me.
Ron : Jeff will stay here…. Aiko’s safety is his responsibility ….
Jeff : what about you… ?
Ron : I’m leaving after this…. I will run this Operation remotely ….
Jeff : wow… you’re serious…
Ron : one day… perhaps you would get the chance to see everything from another perspective….that Owen is just another small problem in a big fucked up world….
Ron asked to speak with Xuehua in private and they left the room.
I turned to the closest man standing behind him. He was trying hard to stay awake.
I could not help but notice his weapon. There is something amiss about it.
There’s a large claw like scratch cutting diagonally across the butt of the weapon. The scratch even cut into the metallic part of the weapon housing.
He saw me looking and he swung his weapon behind his back. I turned my attention to his uniform. There were no names, nothing to identify him but there are 4 hydra like symbol etched to his collar.
It’s round with 4 serpent like lines stretching outwards all contained within a small circumference of a 20 cent coin.
Jeff : what is that ?
He stood up and walked out of the room, ignoring my question totally.
That really made me draw a conclusion of sort with the prerequisites Ron is looking for if you want to work for him.
Have a fucking attitude problem.
Xuehua returned to the room 10 minutes later and Ron left with his men.
Jeff : Everything ok ??
Xuehua : yeah….
Jeff : What’s going to happen now… ?
Xuehua : We have to bid our time….wait for Owen to let his guard down…. It’s the only thing we can do…
I nodded.
Xuehua : you have to stay here…..
Jeff : I know… what about you ?
Xuehua : I’ll be here…. At least for the next few days… hahah…
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Whenever I had time to allow my mind to wander, I would think of what Ron said. What he told me. I read the recruitment brief several times, it was all there. Written and signed off by Owen himself.
I’ve had a few good days of rest spending time with just Xuehua. We fucked so many times that I was doubtful the bruises on our body would ever recover but it did get better.
4 days after the incident she’s gone, leaving me all alone at the stall.
We have our story ready. Xuehua would be contacting Billy asking for my whereabouts. That I stood her up on a date a few days ago and she hasn’t been able to contact me since.
She was busy preparing for some art exhibition the past few days and there’s absolutely no word from me.
I could not help thinking about Billy and Belinda. Whose side are they on ?
If Owen goes to the trouble to lie to us, there’s a high chance he’s keeping them in the dark as well. Well, the way I see it, base on the scale of the operation he is planning, there’s no way he’s doing it on his own.
He will definitely have someone on the inside helping him with various aspects of the planning.
Probably someone lower down the hierarchy. I’m pretty sure he did not tell any of his top 5 operators. I doubt any of my past colleagues is that sick to start blowing up schools. If only their ego did not get better of them, they would still be alive.
No. If it wasn’t for Owen, they would still be alive.
He knew from the start Aiko had help, he just didn’t know from who but he knew. He knew she had help from someone who was good enough to kill an operator of his. That was why he sent in all of us.
He went all in and lost.
I asked around the compound for access to the internet and there was only one terminal available that is secured enough for me to use. Even then it was to be supervised.
I had to tell the staff the site I wanted to go and what I’m looking for. I was not allowed to even touch the terminal.
It was more of a formality. The staff attending to me is close to 50 years old. He typed at the speed of a snail .
When he logged into the surveillance system I had set up for my house, I was surprised to see an empty shell. My house has been cleared out.
Not even a piece of furniture remain.
I directed him to go back in time as I scanned through the archives for the past few days.
We paused when I saw Owen entering my place at 3am in the morning. He walked around my place, looking at the things in the house.
I don’t know what to feel. I don’t know what to think. Anger. Disappointment. Sadness. Regret. I don’t know.
Owen paced about for a few minutes before grabbing a bottle of whisky from my shelf.
He poured 2 glasses, presumably 1 for me.
I could see his lips were moving. He’s talking, he’s saying something but I have no audio for the footage. I never thought it was necessary.
5 minutes later, he touched my glass and finished his drink then he left.
At 8am on the day of that footage, a team came in and started clearing out my stuff.
I directed the staff to switch to another camera. One I had trained on my front door from opposite my flat.
Owen’s men stripped my place clean.
Cold and surgical, that flat is now a resource that I no longer need from his perspective.
I thanked the staff for his help and told him I’m done.
I walked around the perimeter of the warehouse everyday, there was nothing much I could do.
Eventually I settled down into a routine.
I wake up and I would join Aiko and her daughter Miki for breakfast.
They are very shy and reserved.
They hardly spoke. No matter how I try to engage them, they would just nod shyly and avoided extended conversation.
I don’t blame them.
Imagine being told the man that was initially sent to kill you is now protecting you and your daughter. That’s a pretty fuck up thing to say to a pregnant mother. I gave them space, the only time we meet everyday are during meal times.
All the staff within the small facility eat together at a small canteen.
It was a whole week before Aiko finally allowed me to help her with their dishes after the meal.
2 weeks later, Aiko trust me enough to let me read to her daughter.
Just a short reading session, but I enjoyed it. It helps take my mind of things.
I could only keep in touch with Xuehua via a landline. She would call every alternate nights at 11pm.
Security at office building has been beefed up several notches. With so many additional people, the business at the café is buzzing.
Xuehua : we sold out at 3pm… can you believe that ?
Jeff : well… Eddy must be happy…
Xuehua : he’s not… he’s fucking cursing because it’s so hectic…. Hahaha
I laughed as I played with the cord of the old phone. I felt as if I had travelled back in time. Having to speak with some high school crush on the phone, tethered to the device by that black cord.
Jeff : Eddy……
Xuehua : yeah ?
Jeff : He’s one of the 4 pillars….. isn’t he….
Xuehua laughed.
Xuehua : are you more afraid of him now ? haha
Jeff : hahaha… I’ve always been afraid of him… haha
Xuehua : your girlfriend is Jane… what’s there to be afraid of ? ….
We would end our phone banter at 11.30pm before I go for my run. I can’t leave the compound, but that doesn’t mean I can’t work out. The warehouse sits on a pretty big piece of land. It’s about 80m in length and 30m across.
With a clear perimeter around all sides, it gave me all the space I needed to get my heart pumping. I did 60 rounds every night before I sleep.
It was during this period I got acquainted with the people that ran the warehouse.
The tattooed men with blonde hair, all of them are chain smokers.
They watched in amusement from their small table where they drank their beer when I ran.
I heard one of them commented I was probably crazy.
Far from it actually.
I know my body, I need to get better, faster than I already am.
I know we’re going to the office and I’m sure Owen will be ready for us.
I’m not worried about myself, I’m worried about dragging a heavily pregnant Aiko with me.
How the fuck am I going to do that ?
Would she be covered in blood by the time we get to the office floor ?
It would be a traumatic experience for her if she had to see people die along the way up.
I found a old piece of wood to practice my knife work at the back of the warehouse. The only way I would allow myself to fall asleep every night is from exhaustion.
30th Sep 2013
It’s been more than a month since the night at the school.
Xuehua visited twice in the dead of the night before leaving right before the sun comes up.
The security at the office is still tight, there’s a drop in the number of men posted there but it’s still much higher than normal.
Ron is true to his word. Xuehua told me that 4 companies vacated their office that month.
I wonder what he did.
Owen is kept busy by Ron. He has his bag of tricks that he can employ.
A group of hackers are wreaking havoc in the country, hitting government linked sites and shopping malls. It’s Ron’s doing no doubt.
Owen has his men chasing blind leads that Ron had set up. They would not find anything. Eventually a few fall guys would take the blame so an answer could be given to the public.
31st October 2013
I lost 4kg and I look like a damm hippy with the mop of hair on my head.
It’s been more than 2 months since I had a haircut.
I found new joy being cooped up within the compound with a new friend.
A middle age man. Uncle Ben.
He saw me playing with my knife one night and he walked over with a swagger.
I will never forget the manner he spoke. He reminded me so much of a Hong Kong actor, with his slick hair and gangster like demeanour.
I saw him approaching and I was immediately on guard.
Not only is he walking towards me slowly. He had something in his hands.
He was holding onto 2 metal pole.
Uncle Ben : Xiao Peng You !!!! ( Young man ! ) …..
I looked at him, unsure of what he wanted.
He pointed at me with a metal pole of his.
Uncle Ben : Playing with that piece of wood… you will never get better… whahahahahahahhaha….
His laughter was cut short by his sudden lunge towards me.
He’s fast, and he’s unpredictable. His swings, the way he handled the makeshift weapon. You could tell this is someone who grew up in the streets.
He fought his way up in the streets literally.
I blocked off his initial strikes and by the 3rd time I ducked his swing , I could feel the rush of adrenaline in my body. He moves differently. He counters my attempt to tackle him down in a different way too.
The way of the streets. There are no proper locks or submission with Uncle Ben. He just fucking know where it hurts most.
Just when I thought I had him his hands grabbed onto my head and I felt his thumb sink into the soft side of my temple by my right eye. The pain was instantaneous, I dropped my guard and the next thing I knew, I was sent sprawling onto the ground on my back.
Uncle Ben : hahahahahahaha…. Hwhahahahaha….. again …. !! again !!! whahahhaah….
I have never felt so excited in a long time.
That was the first night with Uncle Ben and it will not be the last.
Once a week, Uncle Ben will join me at the back of the warehouse.
He fights dirty, he bites, he claws and he hit below the belt. He even stormed on my feet, he dug the heel of his shoes into my ankles.
Instead of hard hitting jabs to vital organs, Uncle Ben taught me how to inflict pain on different scale. It does not matter how you hit or how much it hurts, as long as it gives you an advantage over your opponent.
November 2013
Ron was wrong when he thought he could effectively thin out the people at the office to the point it would be easy on us.
Owen had more resources than anyone imagined.
He now has metal detector set up at the entrances of the office.
The side entrances are sealed off on pretext of upgrading works. The only way in are through the front door and the loading/unloading bay or carpark.
Xuehua told me there are a lot more security guards now but they are not from the same company engaged by the company’s management.
They are a mix of Indians and Japanese.
Xuehua : Ah Leng is pretty happy though…. With so many people,… he hardly needs to do anything…. Just watch his hong kong drama on tablet everyday….
Ron made an unexpected visit in November.
20th November 2013
10.20am
Aiko has given birth early to a boy earlier that day.
Dr Cheong delivered the baby within his clinic and no one expected Ron to visit.
After a cursory visit to Aiko and her child, Ron gathered everyone in the dining area for a meeting.
This includes all support staff, even Dr Cheong.
Ron : I’ll go straight to the point….
I could see Ron looking better than the last time I saw him. He was no longer using his walking stick. His voice got better too and there’s no hiding the renew vigour in his eyes.
Ron : I’ve kept Owen pretty busy the past couple of months…. My men… those that I can spare …. Have been trying to prod at the office every now and then….. the security arrangement currently is at it’s lowest….. it’s time for us to act….
Ron paused and searched the room for Aiko. She was sitting on a wheelchair and holding onto her newborn son.
Ron : My men will create a diversion…. At the perimeter of the site…. We are going to seal off the entire neighbourhood……
Jeff : How is that possible ?
Ron : We just need to set things in motion….. Owen will take care of the rest…
Jeff : What do you mean ?
Ron : We have a very short window of opportunity…. Once Owen knows we are there… he will respond immediately…. He will know the temporarily chaos is a diversion… our target is still the office…..
Ron told us that we can expect Owen to close off the entire district.
Ron : He will not let us leave….not with the evidence…. If I were him…. I will bring all public transport to a standstill…..cut off the flow of people in and out of the neighbourhood…..
Ron’s men put up a large map with multiple highlights of the neighbourhood surrounding the office on the notice board.
Ron : We’re right smack in the centre….Hastings road, Campbell Lane….Dunlop street… right up to Dickson road…where the junction meets at Serangoon road…. All these will be sealed off….
Ron took a yellow highlighter and cut across the map to bring attention to the junction he just mentioned.
Ron : On the other end,…. Where the streets meet Perak Road… you can be sure these will be sealed as well…. Our way out… will be by the star shaped junction where multiple roads meet… over here…..
Everyone looked at the unique shape of that cross junction Ron was talking about.
Shaped like a star fish extending it’s reach into the heart of Little India, 5 different streets converge at that point.
Ron : Head to the carpet shop over here…. You can cut through the shophouse to the exit at the back…….where the open air carpark is….Vehicular movements will be near impossible…. But I will have men stationed there to cut off anyone that may be in pursuit….
Ron used a different coloured marker and drew a line towards the HDB estate bordering Little India. The block where Xuehua is staying.
Ron : cut through the estate….. and get to the Rochor river Canal…. A boat will be waiting …. It will be the only way out of the city…. Questions….
I put up my hand immediately.
Jeff : How do you expect Aiko to do this ? She just gave birth….
Ron : Aiko’s job does not involve any heavy lifting…. You just need to get her to the terminal…. And get the evidence….
Jeff : how do you expect her to run out of this mess in her state ??
Ron : don’t underestimate what a determined woman can do….. Aiko ?
All eyes turned to her who was cradling her son close to her chest. Miki was holding onto her mother’s hand.
She spoke in a weak and accented English.
Aiko : yes…. For my husband… I can do this….
Ron nodded his head and looked to Jane and me.
Ron : Jane and you…. Has a good lay of the ground….the 2 of you will bring Aiko in….i’ll leave it to you 2 to find the best way to do it…..
I felt a skip in my heart as it dawned on me that it’s going to just be the 2 of us.
Ron : We will strike on a Sunday…. The office will have minimum occupants….
Ron planned to broadcast the evidence he has currently to all company employees a few days before we hit the office. Not only is he sending the evidence out, he planned to announce our intention.
Ron : it might sound crazy….. , but I’m hoping the smart ones will be able to see what is going on…..I hope it would make some of them think twice about stopping us.
Jeff : this is madness….
Ron : exactly…. And we’ll need someone crazy enough to pull it off….
I turned to look at Xuehua.
She had turned a chair around with it’s backrest facing forward. She sat with her legs open and arms resting on the top of the backrest.
She gave me a smile that turned to a chuckle.
Ron : I have limited resources….but I will do what I can to keep Owen’s men at the perimeter as long as I can….
Jeff : what if they are already within the perimeter itself.
Ron : Then you’re fucked…
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I went back to my room with Xuehua after Ron’s briefing.
I saw Xuehua pulling a trolley behind her as we walk down the corridor.
It’s been a while since I saw her and I know we’re definitely going to fuck.
Ron has set the date on 8th December. That’s about 3 weeks away.
It would give him enough time to get things ready and for Aiko to recover a little after her delivery.
Jeff : What’s inside that trolley ?
Xuehua : I made something for you…
Jeff : Really ? … like a… birthday card or something ? … a painting… ?
Xuehua : hahaha…. No…
We shut the door and we kissed immediately.
Xuehua : I missed you….
Jeff : I missed you too…
She pulled herself out of my embrace and brought the trolley case up onto the table.
When the zip was removed and the trolley opened up, I froze.
I was at a lost for words.
Jeff : What… the…what… the fuck….
Xuehua : tsk…. Can’t you say something nice…. I made it for you…
She gave me a playful kick as my hands touched the mask inside the trolley.
It’s a set.
It looked amazing.
Sitting beside Jane’s mask is another.
The curves and lines are a lot more masculine. The jaw lines are more defined. Where Jane’s mask had 2 spikes on the top, mine had none.
I do not have glowing slits for the eye sockets, mine isn’t sewn shut.
The entire construct is just a different texture and gradient of black.
It’s sleek, the eye shape with the expressionless face reminded me of the mask a mime wears. It’s terrifying the longer you look at it.
Jeff : wow….i…I’m speechless….
Xuehua : well…. I don’t think you’re a couple t-shirt kind of guy anyway…. So… hahaha… I made this for you….
Jeff : It’s…it’s amazing…. I love it…thank you…
Xuehua laughed as she asked me to try it on.
I grabbed her towards me and she screamed.
Xuehua : no !! NO!… no!! no way !!.. NO!! arghh.. ernghh !!!
She tried to struggle but I pinned her to the bed effortlessly.
Jeff : why are you pretending to struggle….? Haha
I knew if she really wanted to refuse, she could easily get out of my grip of she wanted to.
Xuehua : Because…… I know you like it….. Hi…..bi…. ki……
She said my call sign out softly like the purr of a seductive kitten. Xuehua chuckled as I removed my clothes.
Jeff : when we fuck…… call me Jeff….
She laughed and the rest is history.
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8th December 2013
Sunday
7am
It was the first time I left the compound in almost 4 months.
And I knew the first place I wanted to go.
Chinatown.
Xuehua had rented a car. I told her I needed to pick up some kit and I drove us to the pawn shop in Chinatown.
It was too early and the door has yet to open but I know they are operational 24 hours a day if I need to get something.
I knocked on the door and looked up at the camera.
10 seconds later the heavy wooden door opened and I could see the staff giving me a nod. His eyes immediately went over to Xuehua.
Jeff : She’s with me….
He said nothing and shut the door behind me.
I could smell the aroma of spices being pounded a few steps away. Stepping into the courtyard I tried to do a mental inventory of what I have. No guns, they make too much noise and we are in the middle of a dense residential and commercial estate.
A stray round could be fatal on passerbys.
Jeff : Don’t talk to anyone…. Don’t touch anything… I’ll just be a minute….
Xuehua : orh…
I entered the courtyard and I was greeted with the familiar sight. It never changed.
The boss is still there playing with his bird.
Someone walking towards him with tea.
There are men huddled in the corner as I walk towards the waiting attendant.
I got to the attendant and waited for him to unlock the door to my locker.
He didn’t move.
He was looking past me.
Jeff : errr…. Are you going to open the door ?
The attendant stepped past me and paused.
When I turned, I felt as if time had stopped in the courtyard.
The old ladies stopped pounding chilli.
The huddled men in the corner stopped talking.
The boss stopped playing with his bird.
Jeff : what the fuck…
Everyone, and I meant everyone in the courtyard looked at Xuehua.
The boss got up off his seat and walked slowly towards my girl. He had a shocked expression on his face.
It’s like he could not believe what he was seeing.
Boss : you… you came back…
Xuehua : hi Uncle Yeo….
My Jaw dropped an inch as I watch the boss embraced Xuehua as he burst into tears.
Boss : I always knew you will be back….
The rest of the staff bowed, and I looked on in sheer astonishment. If there is an overwhelming aura that is to be felt within the courtyard, it’s one of respect.
The respect the older people are giving to Xuehua.
They exited the courtyard without a word as Xuehua smiled at them. Even the attendant left after unlocking the door for me to access my cabinet.
Jeff : fuck me….
I felt like jumping inside a hole as I watch the boss personally unlock the biggest storage unit his facility offered. The door right behind his seat.
Boss : my family owes you a debt…. We can never repay…
Xuehua : don’t say that Uncle Yeo…. That’s all in the past.
I can’t bring myself to look at this. There is nothing left of my ego after this episode.
I opened my cupboard and grabbed my knife.
A situation like this calls for both of them and having spend some time with Uncle Ben.
I started to fall in love with wielding both at the same time.
Clothes, boots, socks, cash, I had everything.
I changed on the spot, throwing aside the old clothes I brought along from the warehouse. Xuehua had gone inside her storage facility. An entire fucking room.
After I was done, I sharpened the edges of my knife on a grinding stone.
I adjusted the sheaths behind my belt and got acquainted with the weight of the knives behind me. My hands reached back and I could easily touch the reassuring grip of my weapon.
I threw on a jacket with a attached hoodie and I was good to go.
Moments later, I saw Xuehua exit her storage room. She’s dressed totally in black with matching boots. The tapered and figure hugging pants accentuated her sexy legs and beneath that windbreaker at the small of her back, I have no doubt she has her hudiedao tucked away.
Those were not the only things she carried. In her right hand held a massive cleaver. Almost 1.5 times the size that butcher wielded.
Jeff : that’s too big for you to wield. ….
Xuehua : that’s not mine…. It’s Eddy’s….
Jeff : alright…. I don’t mind some additional help….
I saw Xuehua checking out my storage cabinet.
Jeff : ok..it’s not as big as yours…. Whatever…
She did not respond. She walked past me towards my cabinet and I immediately felt my testicles shrink in half.
I backed away from my cabinet as I put up both my hands to try and calm Xuehua down.
Jeff : I…. can explain that…
Xuehua took Yiling’s heels off the cabinet with her left hand and gave me a look which told me I better have a good reason for those.
Xuehua : whose heels are these…. ?? ….
She took a look inside and at the bottom before commenting that these are not new.
Xuehua : these have been worn before…
Jeff : dear…. Listen…. I … I can explain that….
She put the heels back with a rather audible thud and accidentally pushed the photo album off the ledge onto the floor.
When the photo album fell, it opened up and that was when I was pretty sure my testicles disappeared.
The fucking wedding photo of Yiling and I took for the project is staring at us on the floor.
Yiling had half her thigh exposed and she was sitting on my lap.
I looked at the photo, back to Xuehua, and then to the massive cleaver she was holding.
Jeff : I….dear…. I can explain this…. I really really can explain this….
Xuehua : you !!! grrrrr !
Jeff : it’s from a old project… I just kept them as memento… !!
Xuehua pointed a warning finger at me and I quickly went over to hug her with only 1 arm.
My right hand immediately held onto the hand that was holding Eddy’s cleaver.
Jeff : dear calm down…. Please calm down…
Xuehua : arghh !.. let me go !!
She pointed a finger at my face and grunted that this is not over before storming out into the courtyard.
Jeff : fuck !…
I closed up and went after Xuehua, trying to cosy up to her with a smattering of apologies and chuckle.
Jeff : dear… that was really just a project… there is nothing… nothing between us… I’ve never seen her since…
Xuehua gave me a irritated look from the corner of her eye as I said the nicest things I could think of while keeping an eye on the knife she was holding onto.
Xuehua : arghhh… don’t come and sweet talk me….
A staff came with a large canvas bag for the cleaver. I took it from him and helped to bag Eddy’s knife. I know she’s not really angry, just throwing a tantrum like all girls do.
When we got to the entrance of the pawn shop, I could see all the staff gathered within the area, including the boss.
Xuehua : We’re in a hurry Uncle Yeo…I’m sorry I can’t stay…
The boss nodded in a understanding manner.
His staff opened the door and Xuehua went straight to the car. Right before I stepped out, the boss held onto me.
He has never spoken to me before.
Boss : If you hurt her….. we will no longer be able to do business together…
My jaws dropped as I looked up into the ceiling of the pawn shop as I squeeze my fist into a ball shaking it in exasperation.
Boss : She buried 14 men…. Beneath the foundation of this very pawn shop…. Before you even had pubic hair you punk….. you hurt her…. I will make sure you join them….
Jeff : wow….ermmm… ok…Uncle Yeo…
Boss : fuck you !…. call me Towkay ( boss in Teochew )
I quickly ran out of the pawnshop and into the waiting car.
What a fuck up Sunday morning.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Xuehua and I went back to the warehouse after taking a quick drive past the office.
I could see the metal detectors set up outside the entrance under temporary tentage.
It’s a Sunday and the guards are just milling about.
There’s not much activity going on for now. We went around the back and there were guards there too.
Back at the warehouse, Ron updated us that the messages and mail he broadcasted out the past few days is working. Some of the people in the company are starting to ask questions and Owen is kept busy trying to fend them off on top of the shit he needs to do on a day to day basis.
There are no exact numbers but Ron believes some operators are adopting a wait and see strategy to see how these play out.
We ate, we rested and we checked on Aiko.
At 8pm, Aiko left her kids with Dr Cheong and the facility staff before hopping into the car with us.
She was shaking in the backseat.
You could see she’s on the verge of breaking down and doing all she could to keep it all together.
8.30pm
It’s a Sunday night and the entire neighbourhood is abuzz with activity.
All the foreign workers are here in little india for their weekend break. There are people getting haircuts in the alleyways, groups of friends having picnic by any open spot they could find. Some just drank openly and peed on the streets as they caught up with friends they haven seen in a week.
We circled the office a few times before parking at the HDB estate a short walk away.
We have to wait for Ron’s signal.
I will be creating a diversion at the front door. That will draw the guards towards me while Jane and Aiko head up to the office. Aiko did a quick check of the access cards Ron had someone delivered and stuffed them deep inside her pocket.
9.00pm
Ron sent us a message, asking Jane and I to get ready.
I got out of the car and pulled the hoodie over my head. I took a slow casual walk towards the entrance of the office, checking out the yawning guards who were busy with their mobile phone.
9.20pm
I heard a loud commotion a few streets away and the noise got louder with each passing second. A couple of minutes later, there were shouting followed by a small explosion.
That’s it.
That’s Ron’s signal.
I walked towards the checkpoint slowly.
My heart was racing.
My palms are sweating. That feeling I was getting is out of this world, impossible to describe.
I could see the bored guard waving me to walk through the metal detector as I flashed him a staff pass to indicate I was an employee of the building.
As I put my foot past the detector, I smiled to myself.
I always wanted to do something like this after watching Neo do it on the matrix.
The alarm went off, the lights flashed angrily as the guard jumped to his feet.
The Indian man gestured to me, speaking in broken English.
Indian : what you have ?? what you have ??!! you carry what ??
I looked up at him and smiled.
I opened up my jacket and I saw the change in his expression as he saw the 2 large knives I was carrying behind me.
Before he could reach for his baton, I garbbed him and sent his head onto the makeshift table he was resting on earlier. I grabbed his hair , pulled him up and kicked his feet off the ground before kicking him in the face.
His friend who was smoking a few steps away came towards me with his baton raised. I ducked, grabbed his hand and threw him off his balance before relieving him of the weapon.
I bitch slap him across the head with it, drawing blood immediately before kicking him in his chest to send him rolling down the gentle slope.
I could hear the clattering of boots as I saw the men from the loading and unloading bay hurry to the entrance.
There were 3 men and they spoke Japanese.
Ok, I can do 3.
At the 1st man ran towards me with his baton raised, I saw Xuehua slipping into the lift with Aiko behind them.
A hard slap on the knuckle was all it took for me to get the 2nd baton and within seconds, I was dual wielding both metal sticks at the 3 poor chap.
It took longer than I expected but I was panting and I took a painful hit on my shoulder, but I had all 3 of them on the ground bleeding at the head and face. They were groaning and hardly moving.
I panted and caught my breath as I stood in the centre of the office lobby.
All was quiet.
Things are looking good so far.
Time seemed to crawl as each second ticked by.
I could see the reddish and orange glow of the chaos that is happening outside right now. It’s a fucking riot. The TV in the lobby is now showing live footages of what is happening.
Utter chaos has descended on little india.
I could see workers shouting and cars being set on fire.
The riot was being kept to the perimeter of the zone Ron drew. My eyes alternated between the TV which was bringing up to date happenings and the exterior of the office.
I felt the hair on the back of my neck stood on it’s end when I saw a group of 3 men running towards the office. They were carrying machetes.
Jeff : fuck…
I got ready as the 3 men charged into the lobby with no hesitation.
Men : arGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They shouted like crazed mad men as they charged at me.
I was about to face them head on when another figure appeared near the entrance.
His massive hands grabbed onto one of them as if he was a rag doll before throwing him into the middle of the road.
I engaged the 1st man to reach me and before the 2nd one could join his friend, Eddy had his head in his massive hands before sending him face first down into the ground.
I could hear a sickening crunch and I could not make out whether is it the marble tile or the skull of the man that caused it.
I whipped my baton into the windpipe of the 1st man and was rewarded with a death bringing croak. Sweeping the baton into the back of his knees, I made sure he never stood up again.
Another man appeared, jumping like a monkey at Eddy but he grabbed him and threw him at his friend that was a few step behind, sending the both of them crashing into each other by the main door.
I could see more men approaching outside. They are smarter this batch. They did not rush into the lobby blindly.
Eddy gave me a nod of acknowledgement. There was no need to say anything.
I checked the temporary phone we got earlier that morning.
It was Xuehua.
They found the files. They need 10 minutes.
I kept the phone and told Eddy.
Jeff : She needs 10 minutes…..
Someone burst through the side entrance by the café and he made a mistake of underestimating Eddy.
Eddy :whuarrr !!!!!!!!!!!!!
His jaw like grip clamped down on the man’s face as he sent him back first towards a column. The fucking cladding snapped and there was a permeant dent. Eddy finished him off with a punch and the lifeless body dropped to the ground.
The entrance on the other side was smashed open and I saw 2 men curing in Japanese with axes kicking away the temporary barrier.
I turned to face them but before they could get close, I saw the glimpse of a trolley in their path and they tripped clumsily over each other in an attempt to avoid the cleaning trolley.
I could not believe my eyes when I saw Auntie Annie roll over the back of one of the man before using his axe and burying it into the left side of his friend’s face.
There was no time even for him to cry out in pain.
The guy she rolled over tried to use his axe on Annie but she ducked with dexterity you seldom see in people her age.
Her hands went to the handle of her trolley, I watched in awe as she tapped the brakes of her customised trolley and in a swift motion, pulled out 2 hudiedao hidden within the handle of her cleaning trolley.
The man did not even see it coming, he could only feel the pain of the 2 hudiedao buried inside his body.
Annie pulled the bloodied weapons out of his body and backed herself slowly towards the centre of the lobby.
Loud shouting was heard from behind us where the loading and unloading bay is.
I turned, I could not see anything.
I could only hear the cries of pain and agony.
Men are dying back there.
The perimeter of the office is getting crowded.
There are now about 2 dozen men loitering outside the lobby. They are all armed.
Watching.
Waiting.
I heard rapid footsteps behind and I saw the blood stained face of a man running towards us with a dagger in his left hand.
Before he could get close, i saw the hard plastic of the carpark barrier arm smash into the right of his face so hard that it sent him into the wall.
Yes the arm. That carpark barrier arm that always needed fixing.
It’s cracked and broken in several spots as I looked at the man holding it.
Leng’s security uniform has been partially torn off, revealing the faded tattoo of a 5 claw dragon on the front of his chest.
He smashed hard onto the hard plastic of the arm, cracking the cover and revealing something within.
I felt the rush of goosebumps in my body as Leng pulled out the dark silhouette of a soul spear in it’s original condition.
“ erGNHHaRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!!! “
The spear tip found it’s way into the stomach of the man on the ground and when it’s pulled out, I could smell the iron in the blood.
The gathered men outside grew in numbers as seconds ticked by.
There was another loud roar and my eyes was greeted with the head of a man being lopped off his shoulder near the side entrance where Eddy was standing at.
The sea of bodies parted ways as men scurried out of the reach of that monster blade Lala’s father was using.
That’s not a knife, it’s not a blade, it’s the fucking cutting edge of a industrial cutter with a handle bolted at it’s end.
Freddy cut a path through the gathering of men outside. Many scurried out of his way. No one in their right mind will want to be within reach of that massive 80cm piece of steel.
As the seconds ticked by I could see more and more men gathering outside.
If they all rushed us at the same time, there’s not doubt we would be dead.
Numbers always win. Period.
I was afraid and aroused at the same time.
Even as the numbers grew to almost 4 dozen men within our line of sight though the glass cladding of the lobby, my companions did not move.
They did not even fidget.
The 4 of them stood, steadfast and unmoving in the face of overwhelming adversity.
They belonged to the generation of men and women that built our nation from the ground up. They are the ones who toiled in the sun and waded through the mud so we have paved roads to walk on.
They are the pillars of strength and support from which the next generation build upon.
There are movements up ahead and I could see someone approaching.
As he came into view, I recognised him immediately.
His face. One that I will never forget.
Owen entered the lobby with 4 men holding Katanas,
Our eyes met and I could see the look on his face. His questioning look, as if I had betrayed him.
Owen : Why…..
Jeff : you need to stop…. Before it’s too late….
I could see the seething anger in his eyes.
Owen : There is no stopping this….you cannot win….. just look outside….. what do you see ??
I did not answer Owen.
He’s right.
He has the numbers.
I heard the chime of the lift to announce the arrival of a car on the ground floor.
From the click of the boots I could tell who it was.
Aiko saw the scene in front of her and I could hear her exclaim in shock.
Aiko : oh…. Oh my god….
I could hear Xuehua panting beside me. There are streaks of blood on her face and she’s holding one of her hudiedao.
Aiko was clutching onto hardisk.
Owen : you…..this explains why….
Owen turned and looked at me in an accusing manner, trying to imply I betrayed him for a girl.
Owen : all for a pussy…..
Aiko : oh my god…. Oh my god… there’s… there’s so many… so many…. Sobzz.. sobzz… oh my god….
Aiko dropped the canvas bag that she was holding onto and Eddy heard the loud clank of his cleaver hitting the floor.
He went to pick it up and spit on the floor in front of him.
Xuehua picked up the mask she made for me that she had packed inside the canvas bag together with her.
Xuehua : you forgot this….
I smiled as i dropped the 2 baton and pulled on the mask.
Xuehua tied up her hair and pulled on hers as well.
Owen had a scowl on his face when he issued the order . I could hear it. Loud and clear like a church bell on a quiet Sunday morning.
Owen : Kill them…… Kill them all…..
He backed off 3 steps before turning and started to disappear into the crowd.
I reached behind my back and pulled out both knives and exhaled slowly, trying to calm my heartrate down.
The men outside started to move.
They started to close in on the lobby where we were at.
The 4 pillars stood, undeterred at the 4 entrances of the office tower.
Aiko : oh my god…oh my god… sobzz… sobzz…
I could hear Aiko starting to cry.
Then she started to pray.
Aiko : Even …. Even though I walk though…. The valley of shadow of death … I will fear no evil…..for you are with me…..
I heard the whirlwind swing of the soul spear behind me. Leng brought his spear up and started to walk towards the loading and unloading bay.
Freddy dragged his massive blade along the tiles as he headed for the side entrance.
Eddy removed the thick steel chain around his neck and connected it to his cleaver and walked towards the main entrance.
Annie had both hudiedao up as she put each foot carefully on front of the other, threading cautiously towards the side entrance on her end.
Jeff : you ready dear ??
I heard a soft chuckle. A very soft one.
I saw the errie glow of Jane’s mask lit up the around the eyes and Xuehua’s reply told me she’s ready.
She’s more than ready.
Xuehua : When we’re working……. Call me Jane….
………………………………………………………………………….
Quote:
Originally Posted by
zhot
Seriously TS. Every story you wrote is better than the last 1. Whenever I think the story is too awesome and no way you are able to another story better, you ALWAYS proof me wrong. Not complaining thou.
Thank you TS for all your time and effort.
PS. I have already purchased a few stories from you. All worth it.
Sent from the mobile client - Forum Talker
Thank you for the compliment & support.
Thank you all for reading my work and the kind words of support and encouragement.
There are a few more updates left before we wrap this up.
Check back next week for update.
I’m still editing the main fight scene.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Cheers
James
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Funerei86
Thanks Bro ilock for this masterpieces.
Looking forward to the next updates
You are seriously the best writer on SBF!!
Thank you for the compliment. There are many good writers in SBF.
Many retired and disappeared over the years.
I just happen to step in when the crouching tigers and hidden dragons no longer want to come out and play.
Xuehua grabbed Aiko onto her feet and started to back away from the centre of the lobby.
We can see a high concentration of men within a 270 degree angle and common sense dictates that we try the back of the building as a means of escape.
Owen issued the command vocally, I reckon that maybe the men within a 5-8 metre radius would have registered his intent. It doesn’t look like the order was communicated throughout the men on the ground.
The first few minutes of chaos are precious. It won’t take long for the message to spread.
A lot of the hired help are looking at each other, as if unsure of what to do. The 4 men with katanas that I flagged as higher threat has retreated into the crowd together with Owen. Those are not your average grunts.
Leng : houarrrrarggg!!!
Leng’s shout was quickly overwhelmed by the sound of crying man with a large machete on his hand. I turned to check out the situation behind us. Even with his stomach pierced by Leng’s spear, he was still trying to swing his weapon at him.
Leng kicked him back and a loud thud was heard as he fell down the 1.2m ht drop down to the loading bay below.
I see a bigger number of men moving towards my left, at the same entrance where Annie is at. There was a lot of hesitation on everyone’s part. Eventually they came to the conclusion that maybe Annie is easier to deal with.
For one she is a female and she’s holding the 2 smallest knives among the group.
Annie did not wait for the men to gather and form up, she went in for the kill the same time I saw Eddy swing his massive cleaver towards the approaching group.
Freddy’s knife remained on the ground and he stood 3m away from the side entrance.
No one wanted to come within range of that monster blade.
Xuehua : the group at the back is smaller…. Less than 10…. We need to hurry…
Seeing that the front is holding, I turned and charged towards the loading and unloading bay. If Leng and I can clear a path out from the back, we can get Aiko and the hardisk out of the site.
I emerged into the loading bay to see Leng swinging his spear into the ribs of a man with a timber baton with nails driven into it’s end. I swung my knives, carving a radius of space as the gathering men retreated, shouting and cursing in languages I do not understand.
I walked briskly, taking the same path that Xuehua and Aiko would take, down the steps by the side of the ramp.
There was so much hesitation on the side of the men on the ground that we manage to cover a bit of ground despite the group surrounding us.
Leng jumped off the 1.2m platform with his spear raised.
I could see passerbys and innocent bystanders on the opposite side of the road scurrying away.
Leng and I did not pause, we kept walking. Towards the exterior of the building.
The moment anyone comes close, the determined swing of our weapons will send them back.
No one wants to die aimlessly, not even if you are paid to.
The men spoke in Hindi and Japanese, many of them sounded like they are urging the others on but no one dared approached us.
Leng and I formed a protective circle of sort as Xuehua held onto Aiko with her left arm while her right hand gripped onto her hudiedao tightly.
Someone was foolish enough to try and test the circle by running towards me with a raised baton.
I saw his approached, and timed my move. Before he could get within striking distance, I charged him, rolling towards him and driving my knife into the side tummy, at the same time my left weapon slicing through the wrist of his weapon holding hand.
“arghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “
His screams sent everyone back a step and I could see the eyes of the men filled with anger and fear on me.
I held onto his struggling body, and tried to use him as a shield for a few steps but he was too heavy to move about. His legs are giving way and I managed less than 2 metres before I had to let him go.
He fell to the ground and I could see he was crying.
No one came forward to help him.
Leng made a few false stabs at the semi-circle of uncertain men, driving them back another 2 steps as we continued making our way out.
We got out into the open, well away from the cantilevered back exit of the office building when we heard some shouts from a distant away.
Japanese.
The handful of Japanese in front of us spoke in broken English, asking the Indians to back off from us.
Leng and I stopped moving.
Something is wrong.
The men are retreating, no, they are getting out of the way, but they are doing so not because they are allowing us to leave.
They did not want to get in the way of someone else that is coming.
I saw 2 figures walking with a swagger towards Leng and I from about 30 metres away.
They approached swiftly with a semi crouch,
My eyes immediately saw the large Katanas that they are holding onto by the side and I adopted a defensive stance.
Xuehua : watch out !!
The men spread out and I could barely see the swing of the knife cutting an arc through the air.
I could only feel the whoosh of the blade ringing by the side of my ears and I engaged one of them.
The man I was entangled with shouted something and the rest of the men started to move towards Xuehua and Aiko while Leng and I were kept occupied by the 2 of them.
Xuehua : focus on your end….. I’ll take care of mine….
My girl did not need a reply given the tone in which she spoke.
Aiko was left sobbing and squatting on the ground and like a spring loaded monster, Xuehua’s slender body attached itself to the nearest chap before swinging to his back with her hudiedao buried in his neck.
Jumping off, she did a low row and blocked off a weak swing of a machete by another that tried to take a shot at Aiko.
I blocked off several strikes by the man in front of me.
His weapon has a longer reach and he knows how to use it. Leng’s advances stopped too as his concentration increased. He’s holding onto the spear with both hands for the first time, keeping the pointed edge at his opponent.
Sparks flew and the angry grind of metal against hardened steel rang out in the chaos of Little India. A distant explosion could be heard and the chanting of an angry mob reached my ears.
Every slice and stab of mine missed by just a fraction of an inch, so did the large swing of the Katana.
I took a risk and went in close, the blade came so close that I was sure the man would have sliced off a few stands of my hair if I was not wearing the mask. Our wrist and forearms locked tightly against each other and he immediately tried to trip me by throwing me down the side of his waist.
I ducked my head low and braced for the pain as I jumped up with my head directed at his face.
I could feel the cracking of his nose cartilage as the insides of my head gets shaken around hard enough to disorient me. As he stagger backwards with blood gushing down his mouth and nose, I sliced through his knuckles , causing him to drop his katana.
Spinning 180 degree in my stooping position, I used the momentum of the turn to drive my weapon into the side of his cheek. I was trying to aim for the neck but I missed.
Instead my knife went through his cheeks. His own bodyweight which was still backing away from me together with the help of gravity, dislodged my knife cleanly 90 degree through the front of his mouth, separating the flesh that held his top and bottom jaw together.
He’s still alive, as he collapsed with blood bubbling above his mouth.
When I turn to look at Leng, he has a large gash on his shoulder and his spear was on the floor, but he was holding onto the katana blade as he sent it 1/3 of the way through the sides of it’s original owner.
Xuehua on the other hand pulled her hudiedao out from the thigh of a man who still had the other lodge in his neck.
I went over to Leng and used what’s left of his old top and helped him tie it around his wound tightly.
Leng : arghh!! CCB ( curse in Hokkien ) …..aeghh…!! CB.
Out of the original group of men that were at the back to stop us, only 3 remained at the peripheral of the semi circle they had formed.
Jeff : Quick…. Let’s go…
Before we could get 5 steps in, we paused.
Xuehua : fuck !..
Another 3 men holding makeshift weapons were running towards us but it was not them that we are worried about.
Our concerns are with the other 3 behind them. The 3 with Katanas who approached at a much slower pace.
Jeff : go… GO!.. I’ll hold them off….
Leng : Ah girl…. Go !! ..
I kept one of my knife and picked up the Katana on the floor. Leng chose to arm himself with the club fill of nails as well after picking up his spear. He must have realised he needed something now for closer range.
Xuehua hesitated for a brief second before dragging Aiko along with the towards a small opening but she cursed loudly barely moving away from us.
I turn and caught a glimpse of another 2 men with Katanas that had arrived with 4 others wielding baseball bats.
The approaching group alone has effectively cut off the exit from the back of the office.
There’s no way we can fight our way through so many.
Leng : back… back… back into the lobby !…
Leng had to help drag a Aiko who was just a weeping mess by then back up the steps of the loading and unloading area.
No one rushed us from the back as they knew they had us cornered. They are slowly closing the noose around their prey.
I shut the door as I retreated into the lobby. There’s no way for me to lock it. I toppled recycle bins in front of the door. A large pot of sad looking office plant joined the bin as well.
I even used the stand which held plastic for wet umbrellas.
A couple of disused queue management stand and a wet floor sign were all added to the pile. Anything that I could use to slow them down even for a few seconds, I threw it all in front of me.
The chaos in the lobby cannot be described. The smell of vapourised blood hung heavy in the air. It’s as if each breath I take is wet and the humidity of the office lobby is now determined by how much blood was spilled.
I could see at least a dozen bodies in total in front of the entrances. Eddy, covered in blood had just send another swing of his massive cleaver on the chain 1m in front of him, driving the men that were trying to get a hit on him back.
Annie had managed to pile at least 4 bodies in front of the small entrance she was guarding by falling them exactly where she wanted them to be.
This created a temporarily barrier for the men who are trying to squeeze in from the outside. Eddy’s entrance is a lot bigger, more men are spilling into the lobby with each passing second.
Freddy’s large blade just found another victim but not without paying a small price of his own. The baseball bat hit him on the side of the face before his blade lodge itself into the side of the man’s face.
Using both hands and the body of the dead man as a tool, Freddy swept the lifeless body towards the few man at the entrance.
I was about to head over to Eddy to help him cover the main entrance when Leng shouted a warning to his friends.