Year of the Golden Dragon (20 page)

“She referred to the scroll and its legend as ‘proof’ for the existence of the jade and Black Dragon. She told her financial backers that their investment in ‘The Dragon Project,’ as she calls it, would earn them millions of yuan. She convinced them that a dragon, dead or alive, would attract thousands of tourists, foreign and Chinese. Of course this was just a ploy. She only wants you to lure Black Dragon to her so that she may bargain with him. Though why she gathers you here puzzles me. The prophecy…”

But Hong Mei had stopped listening at the word
bargain
. “Please,” she whispered. “May I say something?”

“You may speak quietly, but remember that we are in grave danger.”

“I understand the jade has very special powers…” and she briefly told him about the two times she had used it. He listened with interest, but didn’t look surprised.

“You, young Chen, were very fortunate with Madam’s men at the airport. They are all thugs. I am quite sure you would never have woken up again.”

“Is it this power that Madam Ching wants so much? So much that she is willing to kill for it?”

“Oh, it is not just what the jade can do. In fact, she is afraid of its power. She believes in the stories of people dying with it around their necks. That is why she has used you three heirs to bring her the jade, just in case there is any truth to it.”

“To what?”

“She believes that the jade, if handled by someone who is not
always
honest, can bring bad luck, even death. One of the wives of an ancient emperor died with it around her neck.”

“But Ryan, Alex and I are fine and we wear it.”

“Yes, but that is because young people are pure at heart. Madam Ching is not and she knows this.
And
she is deeply superstitious. She doesn’t want to take any chances, not after she was nearly caught in Canada.

“That is why she decided to act according to what was written in the scroll. She would go so far as to allow you three to get close to Black Dragon at the appointed hour. Just when you are about to hand over the jade, she will move in and make her deal with Black Dragon.”

“What kind of –” But Hong Mei didn’t have a chance to finish. She was interrupted by a deep sound of a gong coming from one of the courtyards.

“That is for me,” Lao Ming said. “It’s time to go and bring the young masters back here. In case someone follows me, you had better hide somewhere in this room.”

Hong Mei nodded in agreement and said, “Lao Ming? Do you know where my mother and father are?”

For the first time, the old man smiled. “Yes, they are safe and together.”

Hong Mei thought she would cry with relief.

“I must go and bring the brothers back here. After that I will bring you something to eat.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Oh,” Lao Ming said. “Do not forget to tell the heirs about Master Chen’s box.”

“What? What box?”

“The one they came with,” he said looking annoyed. “Your grandfather’s box also has great power. How do you think they got here?”

The gong sounded again. “We can talk about this when I bring your food.”

Hong Mei watched the old man go out. She noticed he didn’t bother locking the door.

Her head spun with what Lao Ming had told her.
Master Chen’s
box? She had thought it was Black Dragon’s. Why had Madam Ching given her a magic box? Why hadn’t she kept it for herself? And what kind of deal did she want to make with Black Dragon?

Hong Mei couldn’t focus on any of the questions filling her head. Lao Ming had said her mother and father were both safe. At the moment, that’s all she really wanted to think about. She drifted over to the wardrobe as if she was walking on air, and climbed inside to wait for Ryan and Alex.

•~•

After Lao Ming brought the brothers back to the room, Hong Mei listened from inside the wardrobe. She heard Lao Ming say in English, “Lao Ming sleep here, right outside door.” There was silence from the boys. “Lao Ming keep you safe tonight,” the old man said before Hong Mei heard the door close and the click of the lock.

She opened the closet door slowly and said, “Ryan? Alex?”

The boys yelped and jumped back.

“Do not be afraid. It is me, Hong Mei.” The room was dim, but she could see the look of shock on the brothers’ faces. She put a finger up to her mouth and whispered, “Shh.”

Ryan ignored it and stomped toward her. “You’ve got something that doesn’t belong to you. Give it back!”

“Please,” Hong Mei said, panicking. “Madam Ching must not know I am here. Be quiet!” she whispered hoarsely.

Alex stood by the door with his arms folded across his chest.

Ryan rushed at Hong Mei and said, “I don’t care –”

She didn’t let him finish his sentence. Reacting to his aggressive move toward her, she automatically responded with a basic “bridge-smashing technique.” The
gong fu
move pushed Ryan’s energy back on him, and sent him tumbling across the wooden floor.

Huh! She hadn’t lost her skills.

Spread out on his back, Ryan lifted his head and stared at Hong Mei.

Alex gasped. “Hey, how’d you do that?”

Once again, Hong Mei raised her finger to her mouth. She looked quickly at the door and said in a loud whisper, “We are in great danger. Please, listen carefully.”

Ryan sat up and shook his head. In a low voice this time, he said, “You’ve got a lot of nerve. First, you steal our jade, leaving us some old box. Then –”

Hong Mei interrupted him. “You saw the box? Did you read the poem inside?”

“Read the poem?” Ryan asked, standing up and brushing off his clothes. “As if we were in the mood for reading poetry after discovering our family heirlooms had been stolen!”

Hong Mei saw Alex moving over to the bureau.

“I will give you back your jade, but you must listen,” Hong Mei said. “Lao Ming will try to protect us, but if Madam Ching –”

Ryan interrupted her again. “Yeah, right. That guy couldn’t hurt a flea.”

“Lao Ming is on our side. He is a friend of my father’s.”

“Oh, and who might your father be? They certainly hadn’t heard of him at that hotel in Kowloon!”

“Ryan, please. I am sorry. Let me explain.”

“Sorry?” Ryan looked incredulously at her. “Look. I don’t know who you are. All I know is that I want our jade back. And as soon as I get that, I’m going back to Hong Kong and straight to the Canadian Embassy. Madam Ching is a kidnapper and a murderer. If you don’t get us out of here, I’ll make sure you get arrested for being an accomplice.”

“Please,” Hong Mei said. “I beg you. Listen.”

Alex had come up and stood next to her. He held the box with its lid broken off and said, “If I give this to you, will you give us our jade back? Madam Ching wrecked it, but I think you could glue it back together.”

Hong Mei felt her heart trip at Alex’s words. She immediately reached into her pockets to retrieve their jade and give them back. When she took them out, she saw the boys’ eyes light up. Holding them in her hands again, she marvelled again at how beautiful they were. She remembered how gorgeous it had been when it was one whole piece. She didn’t really have to give them back, did she? Perhaps she could keep them awhile longer.

The sound of Ryan clearing his throat brought her attention back to reality. Whew! She felt dizzy. Looking at Alex as he held the box in his hands, she remembered what he had just said. The poor kid was probably so scared, but here he was trying to be brave and help his brother get their jade.

Hong Mei shook herself. She needed to think about who she was and what she was really made of. She
knew
that she could be bigger than this.

“Do not worry about the box now,” Hong Mei said gently. She held all three pieces of jade out toward the boys. They snatched their jade out of her hands, ignoring the third piece. Alex studied his and she watched Ryan lovingly trace the etchings on his. They laced them onto their cords and tucked them inside their shirts.

Hong Mei took the container that Alex gave her. It wasn’t broken too badly. She felt her heartstrings pull again when she saw her poem.

A few moments later she said, “Lao Ming thinks this box is very special.”

Ryan gave her a withering look. “Madam Ching didn’t seem to think so.”

Hong Mei felt her face turning scarlet.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “When Ching Long brought us here from the train station, Madam Ching –”

“I do not understand,” Hong Mei said. “When were you at the train station?”

“That’s where we ended up,” Alex said. “We got on the subway in Hong Kong, and the next thing we knew we were in Beijing, like, thirty minutes later.”

Is this what Lao Ming meant? Had Master Chen’s box brought them here? “Tell me what happened,” she said.

“So, we were just sitting on the train,” Alex said, “watching the different stations go by. Ryan couldn’t decide which one we should get off at.”

“Well, you were no help,” Ryan said.

“And?” Hong Mei asked.

“We were, like, sitting there and I was holding the box. Just like this,” Alex said taking the box from her to show her. He held the box in one hand and the lid in the other.

“That is it? You were not doing anything else?”

Alex said. “Well, we recited Papa’s poem about then, I guess.”

“Can you say this poem again?”

“I don’t see –” Ryan interrupted.

“Please. If the box brought you here, perhaps it can take us back to Hong Kong.”

“I thought you said Lao Ming was on our side,” Alex snorted. “Why doesn’t he just get us out of here?

“Because Madam Ching will kill him.”

Hong Mei felt Alex come closer to her. “Ryan? Please?” he asked in a squeaky voice.

Ryan took a breath and looked from Alex to Hong Mei and back to Alex again. He sighed, but started reciting the poem. Alex quickly joined in.

It sounded like the same one she’d grown up with, but their words were in English. When they came to the last lines, the floor began to tremble. A second later, the beds, dresser and wardrobe shook and shimmied across the floor.

“Was this what happened on the train?” Hong Mei asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she was trying to keep her balance.

“No,” Alex stammered.

“Yeah, this feels like an earthquake,” Ryan said. “Quick, get on the floor!”

Hong Mei didn’t need to be told again. The last time an earthquake had hit the region was only two years ago. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed. And that had been a small earthquake. They were usually far deadlier.

The three of them scuttled for cover under the two beds. As the room heaved up and down and side to side, Hong Mei, Ryan and Alex covered their heads with their arms.

As quickly as it started, the upheaval came to a stop, but Hong Mei said, “We should stay where we are for a little while. There may be more.”

Hong Mei heard Alex ask Ryan, “Is this what it’ll be like if we have an earthquake in Vancouver?”

“I guess so.”

“But why didn’t the box work? How come we’re still here?” Alex groaned.

“I don’t know,” Hong Mei said, “but Lao Ming will probably check to make sure we are fine.”

They stayed under the beds waiting for the old man to unlock the door and come in.

They waited and waited, but Lao Ming didn’t come. Nobody did.

Finally, Hong Mei decided to try call out to Lao Ming. Perhaps he’d been hurt.

She crawled over to the door and reached up to the handle. It wasn’t locked anymore and turned easily. Hong Mei stood up, opened the door and peered into the darkness. She found it hard to see. “Lao Ming?” called quietly.

There was no answer.

Hong Mei tried again, this time more loudly. “Lao Ming? Are you here?”

There was only the echo of her voice.

Hong Mei stepped out of the door to where the courtyard should be, but the ground felt different. There were no cobblestones, only bare ground. Directly in front of her was a high, stone wall. She looked up, but instead of the night sky, there was a huge, open-beam ceiling overhead. Way up, dangling from high above, was a row of dimly lit light bulbs.

Ryan had come to stand beside her. Alex joined them, the box held tightly in one hand.

A low, crunching rumble came from behind them. Turning, Hong Mei saw that a huge, flat boulder now stood where the doorway had been. They appeared to be in a very large hallway with no visible exit.

“I was wrong,” Alex said. “It
did
work.”

Chapter 18