The Adventures of Gravedigger (6 page)

“Is there some sort of black magic stuff involved
here?” Li asked, skepticism lacing her words. “I know that Bingwen is into that
stuff… though he’s got his fingers in opium, too. He used to funnel money for
The Ten Fingers.” Li knew that her friend was aware of The Ten Fingers, an Oriental
crime cartel that was run by the infamous Warlike Manchu.

“Yes. Meeks has gone into hiding and I need to
find him. You know a lot of people… could you ask around? See if anybody has
seen him or heard anything?”

“Of course I’ll help you! I’ll start with Bingwen.
He’s just down the block.”

“Be careful. Meeks is dangerous.”

Li shrugged. Her fearlessness was evident. “What
do I get for helping?”

“What do you mean? You want money?”

“Pshaw! I have money. There are plenty of men who
give me presents.” Li grinned. “I mean will I get to help out more often?”

“You’d want to?”

“It sounds exciting!”

Gravedigger wondered if Josef had gained any
informants this way – because of their innate nature as daredevils. Still, it
wouldn’t hurt to have a network of aides to help her over the next few years.
She had Mitchell already and it looked like she’d be able to call on Max for
information… so why not add a femme fatale like Li to the mix?

“C’mon,” Li prodded. “Say yes. You know you want
to!”

“Do a good job on this… and we’ll go from there.”

“You’re such a tease!” Li exclaimed, laughing.

Gravedigger turned and hurried back up the fire
escape. “Get to work.”

“Wait!” Li called after her. “How will I contact
you?”

Gravedigger didn’t answer until she was back on
the rooftop. She leaned over the edge and tossed down a business card. Li
snatched it out of the air and studied it. An embossed scythe was at the top of
the card and below it was an address. Li recognized the street – Gibson Avenue
– as it was just a few blocks over from Robeson Avenue, the home of Assistance
Unlimited’s headquarters.

Looking up, she wasn’t surprised at all that
Charity was gone.

Tucking the card between her breasts, Li adjusted
her bodice and hurried out of the alleyway. She walked straight to Bingwen’s
shop, which featured no name on the placard out front – there was simply a
Chinese dragon painted on its surface. That was enough, since everyone in
Chinatown knew the old man with the long white beard and one blind eye.

Barely able to contain her glee, the pretty young
Asian American entered the shop. She was eager to join the dangerous world that
Gravedigger was offering her and she had no regrets as the door shut behind
her.

***

Gravedigger hoped that she wasn’t making a mistake.
She had spied on Li as the girl had approached Bingwen’s establishment. She
loved the other woman like a sister but Li’s refusal to bow down before common
sense was an open invitation to danger.

A shuffling sound made Gravedigger pause. Perched
as she was atop a rooftop, there should be no one up here with her… but that
noise distinctly sounded like someone in padded shoes stealthily moving behind
her back.

Making sure that her crossbow was ready to be
fired, Gravedigger spun about quickly. There was not one man there, but rather
three – and all were dressed in identical black attire. She dimly recognized
them as ninja – another memory passed on to her by Gravediggers past, she
realized. These assassins had been feared throughout history for their
murderous zeal.

“I don’t suppose you boys would be willing to talk
this over, would you?” she asked. Excitement was coursing through her veins and
she was ashamed to admit that she was looking forward to the violence.

With a thick Japanese accent, one of the ninja
replied, “You have been targeted for death. That is enough.”

“That’s what I thought.” Gravedigger clenched her
right hand and a crossbow bolt shot forth, burying itself deep in the ninja’s
throat. He staggered back but much to Charity’s surprise, it wasn’t blood that
oozed from the wound but something more akin to sawdust.

Realizing that she was once again faced with
something beyond the ordinary, Gravedigger unsheathed her sword. It was a move
that came at just the right moment for the other two ninja both attacked at
once. Her own blade met theirs, the sound seeming very loud to Charity’s ears.

She parried another thrust and ducked down to
avoid being beheaded. She was functioning on automatic now, allowing her body
to fight without her conscious direction.

The ninja with the crossbow bolt in his throat
took careful aim and hurled two shuriken. The throwing stars whistled through
the air and caught Gravedigger in the thigh of her left leg.

Cursing under her breath, Charity realized that
the attack was bound to make her slower – something that she could ill afford.

Eager to end the battle quickly, Gravedigger went
on the offensive. She grabbed hold of her sword’s hilt with both hands, driving
it forward with all her strength. She caught the closest ninja in the belly and
then, grunting with the exertion, she yanked up. Her sword sliced him open from
belly to throat, spilling dust and dried entrails to the ground.

With a bone-chilling groan, the ninja fell over,
whatever awful force that had been powering him no longer in existence.

Gravedigger then threw herself at the next closest
ninja, her shoulder striking the undead warrior in the chest. The impact
knocked him back and over the edge of the rooftop. He landed in a dusty heap on
the street, just in time for a swiftly swerving car to run him over.

The final member of the murderous trio advanced
upon her, sword in hand. He whipped it about in an impressive manner, obviously
hoping to intimidate her.

Instead, Gravedigger spun toward him, her own
sword a blur of motion. The two exchanged parries for nearly a minute before
Gravedigger surprised the man by reaching out with her free hand and grabbing
hold of the crossbow bolt. She used it to yank the ninja forward, right onto
the end of her upturned blade. She gave it a hard twist and pulled it back,
drawing his mummified intestines with it.

There was a moment of regret, where Charity wished
that she had kept one of them for questioning. She quickly dismissed the
feeling, however. She knew that they were somehow linked to Meeks and she doubted
that they would have told her more than that.

After cleaning her blade with a small cloth that she
carried just for that purpose, Gravedigger exited the scene. She had to trust
Li to do her job – and with any luck, she’d be that much closer to finding her
prey.

***

From the shadows, Mr. Black watched in silence. He
had expected the ninja to fail in their mission… indeed, their primary purpose
was simply to engage Gravedigger so that he could see her in action. She wasn’t
the equal of Goldstein at this point but she had a natural ability that
surpassed the Jew’s.

Knowing that all of his plans were now threatened,
the dark messenger of beyond blended into the darkness around him, vanishing
completely.

Bingweng stood behind a crowded counter, stroking
his long white beard. He said nothing as Li sauntered about, pretending to look
at the many odd items on his store’s shelves. It wasn’t until she turned to
look at him, a bright smile on her pretty face, that he spoke up.

“Li Yuchun,” he said. “You do me an honor by your
presence.” He bowed politely.

Clasping her hands behind her back, Li approached
the counter. “You’re too sweet.”

“If you are here inquiring about work, I have none
for you.”

Li adopted a pouting expression. Though she liked
to think of herself as something akin to the Japanese Geisha girls, she was
more to the point a prostitute. She did not always service her clients sexually
but they certainly paid for her attentions, in some cases simply desiring a
beautiful woman to be seen on their premises or with them at social events.
“But Mr. Bingweng, surely there’s something I can do for you… Would you like me
to massage your shoulders? Or I could stand out front for you and bring in
customers?”

“That is not necessary. My customers do not visit
here because of pretty girls.” Bingweng eyed her suspiciously. “You know this…
just as you know that I am too old to desire your flesh. So why are you here?
What game are you playing, girl?”

Looking defeated, Li sighed and lowered her voice.
“You are too wise for me, elder. I should not have even attempted to fool you.”

Bingweng grunted. “Tell me what you are after.”

“I am looking for a
Laowai
who owes me
money,” she said confidentially, using the Mandarin word for foreigner. “He
came through here not long ago and we spent a pleasant evening together. When
he left the next morning, I learned that he had not paid me my wages.”

The old man clucked his tongue in disbelief. His
lips formed into a frown. “So many Americans are like that,” he said, his body
language suggesting that he was shifting from a wary stance to one of sympathy.
“They come here and take, take, take! They think us fools.” Bingweng looked up
suddenly. “But why are you here?”

“You know this man and I thought you might know
where I could find him. He has come to your shop in the past.”

Bingwen stiffened. “His name?”

“It’s that man who’s in the papers today – Meeks.
Arthur Meeks.”

“I have not seen him!” he replied hotly. “Now you
must go!”

Li blinked in surprise. The old man was known to
have a temper but he had shifted so abruptly that she was taken aback. “Did I
offend you? If I did…”

“Go!” he bellowed, hurrying around the counter. He
literally shoved her towards the door. “And do not come back here again! I know
nothing of this man!”

A moment later, Li was on the street outside the
shop, hands on hips. She’d certainly struck a nerve, hadn’t she?

Suddenly grinning, Li glanced around and 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 Meeks wasn’t
inviting Bingwen into his apartment – he was talking to him in the hallway!

“What did you tell her? Exactly?”

“Nothing!” Bingwen responded. “I told her to get
out of my shop!”

“And you don’t think you aroused her suspicions?
You should have just shrugged your shoulders and pretended not to care.”

Li’s grin spread wider. Meeks sounded seriously
upset with the old man.

“I thought it best to cut her off before she
questioned me further,” Bingwen replied. “She is just a nosy whore… do not
worry about her!”

“She might go around telling people that you got
upset when she asked about me. That’s going to start a new round of questions.
If you panic when the cops come to see you, what’s to stop you from leading
them right to me?”

“I would never do that! I have been loyal to you,
have I not? I turned away from the Ten Fingers, in favor of you. I’ve helped
you find the occult objects you’ve needed… and I helped you find this place.”

“That’s true… and all because you want to receive
your just due when I’ve gotten my power….”

There was a pause before Bingwen agreed, saying
that it was only fair payment for all his assistance.

What happened next was somewhat of a mystery to
Li, since she couldn’t bear witness to it… but its aftermath would be
permanently seared into her brain.

There was a flash of light from above, brighter
than an exploding light bulb but similar in most ways. Accompanying this was
Meeks’ raised voice, shouting, “You stupid gook! You’re worthless to me now!”

A moment later, a body hurtled over the railing,
landing with a thud mere feet away from Li. It was smoking, the flesh having
been seared away in a burst of extreme heat. The smell was revolting – a sickly
sweet odor that emanated from the old man’s body, reminding her of roast duck.

Despite her precarious position, Li couldn’t
stifle the scream that bubbled up inside her. It exploded in a terrified
ejaculation. She tore her eyes away from the corpse, seeing Meeks’ head appear
over the railing. For a moment, their eyes met and what she saw there was
enough to break the spell of fear that had descended upon her.

Li bolted for the door, running out into the
streets of Sovereign. She ran as fast as she could, not stopping until she
stumbled onto the front steps of 1931 Gibson Avenue.

Gasping, she climbed the front steps and pushed
the doorbell. Though she was out of breath and sweating profusely, she still
managed to stand up straight and toss her hair when she saw the man who
answered the door.

Momentarily forgetting Meeks, Bingwen’s death and
everything else related to it, she smiled and asked, “Are you Max Davies?!”

***

Li sat back in the cushy chair and sipped her hot
tea. She was enjoying the pampering she’d received since her arrival at
Gravedigger’s home, especially when she’d told about Bingwen’s murder. She’d
spared no detail, relishing the interest shown by her audience.

Max and Mitchell were standing, both looking very
handsome to Li’s wandering eye. Charity, dressed in a summery green dress, was
seated at her friend’s side.

“You’re positive it was Meeks?” Max asked. The
handsome philanthropist stared at Li with an intensity that brought a flush to
the young girl’s cheeks. She’d always thought he was handsome, having seen his
picture in numerous society columns, but up close, he was breathtaking.

“Positive! He got a good look at me, too.”

Charity sighed. “I shouldn’t have asked you to do
this. Now you’re in it deep.”

“I had fun!” Li argued, drawing a surprised look
from Charity.

“I know you’re a daredevil,” Charity replied. “But
I took advantage of that and sent you into trouble. You could have gotten
killed.”

“But I didn’t.”

Mitchell spoke up, his strong British accent
seizing control of the moment. “We can’t second-guess ourselves, mates. We’re a
team now, every one of us.” To Charity, he said, “Your friends are doing this
of their own free will.”

Charity looked away. She hadn’t really thought of
Mitchell as being a friend and that realization shamed her. He’d been very good
to her and she certainly needed his counsel.

Max drew up a chair and sat down, resting his
elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “While you were out, Charity, I did
some digging around on those objects that Meeks stole. I think I have an idea
what he might be up to.”

“Let’s hear it,” Mitchell prodded.

“Both the ring and the urn have histories that
suggest they are repositories for sorcerous energies. I think Meeks is going to
draw the energy from the both of them and use them to open a gateway.”

Li set aside her tea. Her eyes were wide with
curiosity. “A gateway to where? Hell?”

Charity barely hid her smirk. Li actually sounded
like she was
hoping
for some terrifying reply to come from Max.

“Not quite, but close. According to the
information Mitchell and I were able to piece together, Meeks has been
collecting rare artifacts and books related to a group of entities known as The
Great Old Ones and The Outer Gods. This jibes with what Goldstein told Charity
– that Meeks has possession of
The Necronomicon
. I think that Meeks is
going to attempt to summon one or more of them to Sovereign.”

“Hasn’t he ever read
Faust
?” Mitchell
asked. “Deals with the devil never work out well.”

“That never seems to stop men like Meeks,” Max
countered.

Charity drummed her fingers on the armrest of her
chair. “Okay. So, it’s like Josef said… I need to kill him before he can do
that.” She looked at Max with challenge in her eyes, as if she expected him to
try to talk her out of her plan. To her surprise, he nodded in agreement.”

“We need to move quickly… before he vanishes
again.”

Charity stood up. “He may already be gone.”

“I doubt it. If he’s preparing a major ritual like
this, it’s not like he can just throw his items into a bag and do it somewhere
else. It takes time to prepare. He might still go on the run but I guarantee
you that he hasn’t done it yet,” Max said.

“I’ll go get dressed.” Charity headed for the door
but stopped when she felt Max’s hand on her wrist.

With a lowered voice, he said, “Let me come with
you.”

“Are you going to help me zip up?” she asked,
teasing him.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’ll have Mitchell in the car. He can provide
backup if I need it.” Her eyes searched his own, aware that he was close to
revealing… something… to her. Again, she thought about the way he moved, the
dangerous flex of his muscles, and she wondered about what he did when he wasn’t
at board meetings.

“Let’s go in the other room,” he said.

Charity agreed, looking back at Li. “Stay here
until I’ve dealt with Meeks, okay? I don’t want anything happening to you.”