The Diaries of Ayesha

Those words from the movie "Road to Hong Kong" kept running through my head as the ferryboat took me across the harbor.  I'd never been in the Far East before, and I have to admit I was excited by the sights and sounds and to a certain degree, the smells.

Some call it exotic, others would say it stinks.

The reason we were in Hong Kong was no less exotic or odoriferous.

I was on the hunt for slave traders. Not for the sort of purposes for which Ay'esha captures people and trains them. Captivity by Ay'esha is at least benign for the most part.

When I received a telephone call from Mr. Levy, Mei Ling's father I was a bit surprised. One that he even had my phone number, and two, that he would call me.

"Mr. Levy. What can I do for you?"
"Mr. Forbin, a matter has come to my attention that I felt you should hear about."
"Well of course sir. But why me, and not the Mistress?"
"I am not totally sure of the facts at this point, and do not wish to bother her with speculation.", he said reasonably.
"I see. Go ahead."
"If you please, I would like to see you personally. Come to my shop in an hour."
"Let me sign out with the Mistress and I'll be right there."

She was busy with a report on medical technologies and waved me off casually.

"Check in with me when you come back. I may need you tonight.", she said without looking up.

I left the bank and hailed a cab for the ride to Mr. Levy's tailor shop. I remember the first time I had gone to the shop. I had been fitted for a suit, and had also been fitted into a corset by his daughters.

I had met his daughter Mei Ling, during my training with Mistress Minx when I was first brought to Ay'esha. She had helped train me to serve Minx. I hadn't seen her for some months. Minx had said she was back in Hong Kong on business.

We talked about his business for a few minutes and I wished him a happy Chinese New Year before he finally came to the point about his call.

"Mr. Forbin, Mei Ling sent me some news clippings from Hong Kong that I found greatly disturbing. There are reports that a kidnapping gang is taking advantage of the confusion in the transition from British rule to Chinese rule. The only problem with that theory, is that there have been no ransom demands.."
"So people are disappearing, but there aren't any ransom notes. So what does she think is going on? Are they being taken back into Mainland China?", I suggested.
"Perhaps. "

He nodded and took the piece back.

"To sum up the article, a mutilated body was found in Kowloon Harbor. The police have determined it was murder, and have attributed it to a gang killing. The body however was missing a kidney. While a gang killing might involve cutting out the heart of someone,it would be most unusual to cut out a kidney."

"The guy might have had a bad one removed. Do you think some one is killing people for parts? I mean that is a common urban legend in this country. A guy gets picked up by some woman and wakes up later missing a kidney.", I said casually. "It's a fairly common urban legend. Although one cartoonist turned it around by having the character wake up in a bathtub full of kidneys, rather than ice."

"I have not heard from Mei Ling for a week." he said quietly

I looked at him horrified.

"Mr. Levy, you don't think she's dead do you?"

He sighed.

"My daughter is a dutiful one, and she has not called or written in a week. She would not fail to call me. And she has not been at her office. Her assistant said she left one evening and has not returned."

I thought about his words. I owed much to Mei Ling, both as a teacher and as a friend.

"Mr. Levy, have you contacted the Hong Kong Police?", I asked.

"I did. And as one obviously overworked police inspector put it, what's one more missing Chinese girl out of five million people in Hong Kong? With no evidence other than the fears of a father half a world away, they can spare no one.
"That is the favor I must ask of you. Will you speak to Mistress Minx and the Mother of Many and ask the help of Ay'esha for me?"

I was a bit surprised by the request. Mr. Levy had been a servant of Ay'esha far longer that I had. His daughters were all members of Ay'esha.

"Is there some reason why you can't ask yourself?", I asked kindly.

He blushed slightly.

"I would fear to lose face with the Mother of Many and Mistress Minx if I asked and nothing was wrong."

I understood completely. If he asked and nothing was wrong, it would be like crying wolf with no wolf in the meadow.

"I will ask for you sir. As a sign of respect for your daughter."

When I returned to the Bank and checked in with Minx she was on a call to Tokyo.

"What do you mean that the Tokyo investors have decided to cancel their subscription in the fund?", she was almost shouting into the phone.

This sounded ungood.

She listened to the words on the other end of the line and then hung up swearing.

"If this isn't a good time Miss Dawes, I can come back later.", I said backing towards the door. Never get in the way of an angry Mistress.

She took a deep breath, counted to ten in English, Greek, and French, and then ordered me to sit down and explain why I had needed to leave in the middle of the day.

"Mr. Levy called me today about Mei Ling. It seems that she hasn't called him in a week. And no one has seen her in the same period of time. The Hong Kong police brushed him off when he called them about it."

"Did he call the American Consulate?", Minx asked.

"I doubt it. Why?"

"Mr. Levy considers his daughter Chinese. It never occurs to him that she is an American citizen and entitled to assistance from the government. I'll call the Consulate and see if they can find out anything."

"Thank you Mistress. I'm sure that will help relieve his concerns.", I said starting to get up

"But not yours.", she said indicating I should stay seated.

"Honestly no. Mei Ling has been telling him about people disappearing from Hong Kong and she seemed interested in the problem. I'm a bit worried she might have found something. Or something found her."

Mistress Minx rose from her chair and looked out her window over the city at the setting sun for a few moments.

"M-5, you have learned a bit about Ay'esha in your time with me. And you have always been a bit surprised at all the places Ay'esha has influence. You know we have people in high places all over the world.", she said gazing out at the view.

"Yes, Controller.", I said wondering what she was leading up to.

"With what you know of us, would you say we are evil or destructive?"

"No, Controller. The people I have met that are of Ay'esha have been good and kind. They use their power and abilities for good things."

"But we take people against their will and turn them into our servants. We make slaves of them. Is that a good thing?"

I was becoming terribly confused at the way this conversation was going.

"Controller, I was taken by you and tested. If I had been unsuitable, you would have released me. I am not held to you against my will. I serve willingly. qatoyqangneS , in Klinhazi. You restored my life to me. I owe you no less. Should I assume that others that are of Ay'esha that serve are being forced to. I don't think so.", I said in quiet disagreement.

She turned and smiled at me.

"Well I'm glad to see you've learned at least one new language. Even if it is an artificial one."

"Controller, so is Esperanto. But may I ask why you are asking me these questions?"

"Michael, Ay'esha has tremendous influence in the world. And we have a responsibility to use it properly. You are my slave, and a willing one. But you know slavery exists that is not willing or even slightly consensual.

"You recall when we were in England at the Institute, the mention of Kali?"

"Yes Mistress. Kali is the Goddess of Death in the Hindu mythology. I thought it was appropriate considering what Mistress Simel was trying to do to me.", I said remembering how close a call it had been.

"We learned from Mistress Simel that Kali is an group much like Ay'esha. We have been in existence for many years, they have existed for only a short time.

"They however take slaves and keep them no matter what. Rebellious ones are killed. And they buy and sell them in secret. When there is a need for cheap labor somewhere in the world, people disappear in one part of the world and appear in another. Kidnapping, murder, death. These are the signs of Kali.

"Kali needs money for their plans and selling slaves is their main source of funding."

"And Mei Ling was investigating the disappearances in Hong Kong for Ay'esha.", I said grasping the point at last.

"Yes. She should not have been communicating with her father about these things, but she loves him very much. And I see that if she had not, we would not have learned of her disappearance as quickly."

"Then you knew about it?", I said.

"Michael, I know a great many things that you don't. And until now you haven't needed to."

I saw a change in her, a lightening of spirit for a moment, as if a great decision had been made.

"We will speak to the Mother of Many tonight. Are you prepared for a trip?"

"Yes Mistress."

"We will leave in an hour. Go to your home and wait for my arrival."

It seemed like an eternity before the driver of Mistress Minx's limousine knocked on my door and escorted me to the car.

My Mistress was waiting there dressed in a business suit, and as I entered the car she ordered me to lay down on the floor face down.

The drive seemed to take hours and during the whole trip Mistress Minx said nothing to me. I wondered where we were going and more importantly what would happen at our destination. Part of me feared that the decision she had made was to free me from her service. Then I recalled her words about not needing to know something until now.

The car halted and the door was opened. Mistress Minx stepped out and ordered me to get out as well.

When I got out I looked around . We had returned to the place I thought of as the Beginning, the place Minx had first tested and trained me.

"Come along Michael. We'll be staying in my quarters tonight, and tomorrow morning we will speak to the Mother of Many.", she said leading me up the steps and towards the rooms that I had first shared with my Mistress.

The driver placed Minx's bag in the room as well as mine and then left, closing the door behind her. I was about to ask if I should fix a meal when a messenger arrived bearing a note from the Mother of Many requesting our presence at dinner.

"Please tell Anna that I would be honored to dine with her.", she told the young man, dismissing him with a wave.

Minx herself was dressed in an elegant black gown and was wearing boots and long gloves. A silver belt with a whip dangling from it completed the outfit.

She curtsied to the Mother of Many while I knelt head down and waited for her to speak.

"Minx, you will sit at my right hand and Michael... you will sit at my feet. A place of honor for a slave such as yourself.", I heard Anna say.

My dealings with Anna, the Mother of Many had been limited and not always in the best context, so I was a bit startled to be granted that honor.

Minx was seated and I knelt between the two women who had control over my life.

Dinner was roast beef, and Minx and Anna were both kind enough to toss me scraps as the meal progressed.

Most of their conversation was about trivia, with Anna inquiring as to how well Ay'esha's investments were doing.

Minx gave her a brief summary and was kind enough to praise the work I had done in preparing the information and keeping it updated.

The meal had reached the coffee stage when Anna finally asked Minx why we had come to see her.

"Michael is my slave and my assistant,. He has served me and by serving me, served Ay'esha. I would like to include him in our plans as a whole."

"Minkin , I am aware of his service to you and his service to Ay'esha. And he has, despite a problem with his discipline at times, been of great use to us. He swore the oath of service at your joining, but will he live by it?" , Anna said raising my head to face her.

"Anna, has he not risked his life for me and Ay'esha? He helped discover a traitor in our midst and put us on the trail of Kali. He has been an example for other slaves to follow. He has demonstrated his willingness to serve as required."

"Perhaps he should speak for himself on this matter.", Minx suggested.

"Michael , you may speak freely. Tell me your feelings on this matter.", Anna said.

"May I stand up Great Mother?", I asked, feeling the cramps in my legs.

"Yes you may. You may sit on my left and have coffee if you wish.", she said agreeably.

I sat down in the chair on Anna's left and accepted a cup of coffee from the slave girl in attendance.

"Great Mother, since I became a servant to Ay'esha I have learned many things. Things of life and death, of the mind and of the heart.

"I know how extensive Ay'esha's power is and I know that Ay'esha has locations around the world. Ay'esha's investments are huge and the amount of money that is controlled directly or indirectly is staggering. I am loyal to Mistress Minx. But I am no less loyal to you and Ay'esha."

Anna considered my words for a moment and then asked a simple question.

"If it was required that you never see your Mistress again, could you do it?"

Could I do that? Could I live without her, never see her again?

"Yes, Mother of Many. If it was necessary to protect her or Ay'esha I could. I regret exposing her to the danger from Lydia and her agents. I have thought many times about leaving her, but have never been able to make the final decision."

Anna and Minx both smiled at me then.

"You understand very well. But you always did, even from the day you insisted on taking Minkin's whipping for her. The needs of the many do at times outweigh the needs of the few or the one.", Anna said with respect.

"Thank you.", I said bowing my head.

"Now we need to decide what to do with you. I suspect Minkin has an idea."

"Anna, Michael has learned that Mei Ling has disappeared from her place in Hong Kong. I would like to send him there to find her.", Minx said.

"And how did he learn of this?", Anna asked in surprise.

"Mei Ling has been keeping her father aware of her comings and goings. When she did not contact him , he contacted her office and the police in Hong Kong. She has not been seen for a week."

"I was not aware of that."

Anna clapped her hands three times sharply until a slave girl appeared.

"I want you to find Yoni. Have her bring the last two weeks of reports to me now."

The girl scurried off and returned a few minutes later with a young Indian woman wearing glasses and carrying a folder.

"Why was I not informed of Mei Ling's failure to report?", she demanded.

"Great Mother, it is in the report I sent you. The police were contacted as well as the Consulate. They report no sign of her. I have been waiting for your orders on this matter for the past three days.", she explained, handing Anna the folder, who quickly read through it.

Anna cleared her throat and ordered me to raise my head.

"You are willing to go?", she asked me.

"Mother of Many, Mei Ling is a friend. I am concerned and if the authorities are not inclined to help, then I will do the work myself, with the help of Ay'esha."

"Do you think you can do better than the police?"

"I know who I'm looking for. And I know why she may have been abducted. Unless you wish to inform the police of all her activities, I think my going is the best way."

Anna looked at Minx and laughed.

"Well, he's determined at least. And I can spare no other Daughters right now. When can the two of you leave for Kowloon?"

"I can't leave right now Anna. The Bank requires my presence, but I was thinking I could send him ahead and join him in a few days.", Minx deferred.

Anna turned back to me.

"I want you to understand me very carefully Michael. You are not to take any risks."

"I understand Great Mother.", I said respectfully.

She surveyed me for a moment then turned to Yoni.

"Make the arrangements for him. And I want you to send someone with him to keep him out of trouble.", she ordered.

"Yes, Great Mother. Did you have a suggestion as to who?"

Anna looked at me for a moment and then smiled.

"Send two of Mei Ling's sisters with him. They can guide him and teach him our methods. And tell them that they are not to make trouble of their own. The last time they were assigned to anything, the whole building blew up."

"Yes Great Mother. Will he traveling as himself or another?", Yoni said making notes on a pad.

"I think not. He is known to some of our enemies."

"Thank you for allowing me to serve you this way.", I said to Anna.

"You serve all of us and the world at large when you do these things. You are a good and honest man and truly wish the world to be a better place. You have always fought evil in it's various forms from ignorance to hatred. You have risked your life for others at times because it is the right thing to do, if not always the wisest.

"Do our bidding, slave and return our Daughter to us."

Mistress Minx had told them specifically that they were to follow my orders unless they conflicted with the instructions that the Mother of Many had given them.

It felt funny to be traveling across half the world without Mistress Minx as my guide. Sort of like going away to camp for the first time.

I had my passport, or I should say George Kaplan's passport in my pocket and a wallet of identification showing him to be with a large multinational trading firm.

Yoni hadn't caught the joke when I gave the name I wanted used on my false documents, but I suspected that her assistant had, judging from the faint smile she gave me.

The two women were traveling under the names of Kei and Yuri which also gave me the idea of how deep someone's sense of humor was.

I just hoped the names weren't prophetic.

It was a long dull flight and I slept most of the way in hopes of adjusting my body to local time on arrival. When I wasn't sleeping, I was trying to memorize as much about Hong Kong as I could. The maps in my laptop computer were as complete as a printed one, but without actually being able to see the landmarks, I knew I was going to get lost. The few things I did manage to get straight were the locations of the Central District police station and the American Consulate as well as the location of the hotel.

I was counting on the girls to help me with the cultural barrier. I had hopes that people would talk to them, where they wouldn't talk to me.

The briefing I had received from Yoni had covered what little Mei Ling had learned. The one piece of information that she sent to Ay'esha indicated the involvement of a company named Hindu Partners LTD. Mei Ling hadn't learned a lot about them before she dropped out of contact, but they seemed to be a conglomerate with all sorts of interests, including a shipping company and an employment agency.

When we arrived at Kai Tak there was a car waiting to take us to our hotel, but I told them to drive us around and see the sights a bit before starting for Victoria.

It was sunrise and already the streets were filling with people of all kinds. I knew that Hong Kong was crowded but until I saw it, that fact had never sunk in. People in business suits mingled with old Chinese men in baggy black pants and even at this early hour it was noisy.

I directed the driver to let us off at a ferry dock and take our things to the hotel, then meet us at the Sheung Wan pier.

The ride across Victoria Harbor was a real eye opener for me.

Our ferryboat made it's way through the smaller boats and even an old fashioned Chinese junk passed by as we approached the skyline of Victoria.

The driver met us at the pier as directed and I instructed him to take the girls to the hotel after dropping me off at the police station.

"Mr. Kaplan. We were instructed to stay with you at all times.", Li ,or rather Kei reminded me.

"If you insist. But I'll want to see the police alone."

"As you wish Mr. Kaplan", she said, never letting on who the real boss was.

The Central District police station was as solid as anything the British ever built. In fact the only thing more solidly built was the police inspector I tried to speak to about the missing woman.

"Mr. Kaplan, you must understand that this is a very crowded city. If we took the time to look for every person reported missing for such a short time, we should soon founder under the sheer mass of reports.", Inspector Maxwell proclaimed.

"Inspector, I have traveled halfway around the word for a meeting with Mei Ling Levy, and to arrive and find out that no one knows where she is, or if she is even alive is appalling to me. She's a United States citizen and I expected you would be more cooperative given the international nature of the inquiry. I have already spoken with the Consulate by telephone on this matter and I will be visiting them later today as well. I expect you to do your job sir, not tell me how hard it is.", I argued.

"Mr. Kaplan, with the transition to Chinese rule, if you don't think we're doing enough, than you can complain to the Chinese, or your Consulate, or for that matter the Queen herself. I'm doing what I can , but there are more people disappearing than I can even try and find.", he snapped, obviously out of patience with me.

I rose from my chair and leaned over the desk.

"Inspector, you have not heard the last of this. I'll see that your superiors are informed at the highest levels about your lack of cooperation.", I said pointedly.

"Please do. Good day Mr. Kaplan."

During the ride to the hotel in Kowloon , I reflected on the Inspector's problem. He was right of course. With five million people in the city, it was like trying to find a lost cat in New York City. With the exception of course that Mei Ling was far smarter than a cat.

The hotel room at the Peninsular Hotel was a stunner. Traveling with Minx, we had always traveled first class, but this was like traveling with the Royal Family. I could almost swim in the bathtub, and there was even a small library of books in the room.

"Are your rooms as nice as this?", I asked the girls, after looking around.

"This is our room.", Kei said. "You will sleep on the floor of the closet. Or you may sleep at the foot of the bed. Those are your choices."

"Miss Li," I started to protest.

The protest was cut off by a gentle hand placed across my mouth .

"While we are on assignment I am Kei. Remember that. And you are not in charge of this mission, I am. You are to assist me as you would your Mistress. Nothing more."

"Yes Mistress Kei", I said hanging my head.

She lifted my head and smiled in reassurance.

"You are very new to this sort of thing and your head is full of James Bond notions. This can be very serious and very dangerous at times. ", she said.

I have to admit, even the closet was comfortable. In fact , my room when I was in college was smaller and Li, sorry Kei, and her sister did order extra pillows so I had a nice little nest to sleep in for that evening.

I came out of the closet, (not that kind of a closet...I've been out of that one since I spent time with Mistress Tamara) and sat down at the desk to try and determine the next step.

As I sat thinking my eyes roved around the room and fell upon the books in the bookcase.

I walked over to see what was on the shelf, needing a distraction. There was a dictionary, a Bible, an Almanac, and a book of the collected works of Great Authors.

I flipped through the collection and noticed pieces from Twain, Colridge, London, and then Doyle.

Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes.

How would Holmes solve a problem like this? How do you find a single person in a city of five million? And of course did Dr. Watson ever manage to convince Holmes to listen to him?

I picked up the newspaper on the desk and skimmed it for local news and then out of habit, looked at the want ads. Not that I needed a job or anything. The personal ads caught my eye and I went down them and found a few that would be interesting if I was alone.

Then my mind clicked in on something. A travel agency owned by Hindu Partners LTD.

"Mistress Kei, may I go to your sister's office to look for something?", I asked.

She walked over to the desk and I pointed out the ad.

"And you think this is significant?", she said doubtfully

"Mistress, if the number appears anywhere in your sister's files or phone records, it's a clue. I'd like to check please."

"I will call her assistant and she can look through the records. There is no need for you to go there.", she said, rejecting the idea.

"Mistress, please. I know you and your sister have orders to protect me. But if I don't look for myself, something may be missed."

She sighed and then indicated that her sister would go with me to the office.

Mei Ling's office was situated not far from the hotel in one of the major shopping districts, so Yuri and I walked to it.

I was still amazed at how many people you could fit in one place. I was equally amazed at how quickly Yuri caught up to the young man who tried to pick my pocket.

I had just felt the tug and then Yuri had him on the ground face down with one arm twisted behind his back and pinned with her high heel to the pavement, the wallet still in his hand.

The crowds just ignored the little scene in their midst, and flowed around us as Yuri explained that "It is not respectful to steal from a visitor.", driving the heel deeper into his neck.

The young Asian man wiggled under the pressure of the heel as I removed the wallet from his free hand.

"Thank you Mi'lady.", I said tucking the wallet into my vest pocket.

"Yes sir. Shall I summon a police officer to deal with this miscreant?", she asked.

"I bow to your superior knowledge of the local customs.", I said with a slight inclination of from the waist.

She levered him to his feet and we walked him to a Chinese police officer standing on a nearby corner, and in quick musical tones told him what had happened. At least I think that's what she said.

I can't even order lunch in Chinese let alone understand it.

The police officer cuffed the man and led him away and Yuri and I continued towards the office.

"What did you tell the police officer?", I asked as we threaded our way through the people surging around us.

"I told him what happened and that you would not be pressing charges. I suggested that a visit to the jail would be more productive in the long run."

We turned into a side street and climbed a set of stairs to a door marked in Chinese characters and English that said " Levy and Associates."

The door was half open and the lock assembly smashed. I could see papers scattered around the anteroom and a toppled file cabinet.

"I think we might be a bit late.", I said pressing myself against the wall as Yuri took up a position on the other side of the doorway.

"Or perhaps right on time. We should be able to find out what we want to know from this visitor.", she said softly.

"Don't you think calling the police would be a good idea at this point? They may be armed.", I suggested as I heard more crashing sounds from inside the office.

"This is a British Crown Colony Mr. Kaplan. No self respecting thief would carry a firearm.", she replied as she kicked the door all the way open.

The response to the door slamming open was the booming of two heavy caliber shots that split the door frame into kindling over our heads.

"Obviously this person has no self respect!", I said pressing myself closer to the wall.

The two shots were followed by the sound of shattering glass and wood and then silence. We crept inside and discovered our predecessor had departed through a back window, which accounted for the broken glass and wood sounds.

All of the file cabinets in the outer office had been opened and their contents scattered. In the middle of the debris was a smashed computer and monitor.

Yuri checked the door to Mei Ling's private office and found it still locked.

"We arrived in time it would seem.", she said taking a set of keys from her purse.

She opened the door and went inside, while I pawed through the piles of papers scattered across the floor. In the distance I could hear the braying of a police siren coming closer.

I followed her into the office after a few moments of searching and found her going methodically through Mei Ling's file cabinets.

I took a little different tack and started searching the desk drawers. Nothing that stood out, nothing in her Rolodex, no scraps of paper.

I lifted her desk blotter and found one thing. A business card.

VALE OF KASHMIR

It was a strip bar. Now I knew the Mei Ling liked to slum a bit, but a strip bar was not exactly a place I could picture her in.

I had just slipped the card in my pocket as the first police officer entered.

"Stand where you are!", he snapped, baton at the ready.

I kept my hands away from my body as two more officers entered.

Yuri removed her identification from her purse, and handed it to the first police officer.

"How are you related to the owner of this establishment?", he asked, handing the card back to her.

"I am her sister. Mr. Kaplan was invited here to see our facilities. He is a buyer of clothing for a chain of shops in the United States.", she said

I picked up on her cue.

"Yes, I've traveled across half the world and to find that this sort of thing happens even here is a great disappointment. I expected to meet with Miss Levy, not find myself in a gunfight with a criminal.", I said sharply.

"Your identification please, sir.", he said holding out his hand.

I removed my wallet, checked to make sure I handed him the right ID card and waited while he examined it.

"You don't look a bit like Cary Grant.", he said looking at me with a slight smile.

"You know, I've heard that before .", I said, with the same level of smile.

He handed the ID card back and then started looking around the room.

"Do you have any idea what the suspect was looking for Miss Levy?", he asked.

"I wouldn't know. I expected to meet my sister here and then go to the factory with Mr. Kaplan. When we arrived we found the office door open and signs of forced entry. Mr. Kaplan opened the door and two shots were fired.", Yuri said.

"What has happened here?", a young man said in a slight Middle Eastern accent, pushing his way into the room.

"It seems that you've had a visitor, Shahid.", Yuri said to him. "I have brought Mr. Kaplan to meet with my sister and found the office in disarray."

Disarray. Not only was she a Mistress of Ay'esha, but a Master of understatement.

"I have not seen your sister since last week. She told me nothing of your visit.", he said, looking at the damage

Well, duh.

"And you did not inform the police?", Yuri said pointedly.

He looked offended at the very idea of inquiring as to the whereabouts of his employer.

"If Miss Ling had wanted me to know where she was going, she would have informed me. It is not the first time I have been left without instructions for long periods.", he said reasonably.

"A wonderful lack of curiosity. I hope your sister pays him what he's worth.", I said to Yuri.

He looked offended and I hoped he was.

The police officer decided to enter the conversation at that point and offered to take a report on the missing woman.

"Thank you.", Yuri said and gave him the description of Mei Ling and her home address.

"We will send a man out to check on her home. Do you have a local address where you can be reached?", he said after writing down the information

"Yes, contact me at the Peninsular Hotel.", I said handing him my business card with the suite number written on it.

"Miss Ling, Mr. Kaplan, we will do our best. ", he said giving me his card.

They left, leaving Yuri, Shahid, and I to sort through the papers and clean up the mess in the main part of the office. I pushed the file cabinet back upright and then turned to the damaged computer.

"Don't bother with that Mr. Kaplan.", Yuri directed as I placed it back on the desk.

I looked at her for a moment, and then started to remove the hard drive.

"I think the data may still be intact. I doubt that your sister would be thrilled at losing all of her information.", I said trying to convey the urgency of the idea.

"I would not bother Mr. Kaplan. Miss Ling always kept copies on tape.", Shaid said, pointing to the file cabinet.

"I see. She kept them in the cabinet that had it's contents spilled all over the floor. Did you pick up any tapes?" , I asked looking around.

"No."

"Then our visitor may have removed them. In fact they may have been the object of his break in.", Yuri said. "Thank you for thinking of that Mr. Kaplan."

I handed the drive to her and she put it in her purse, and she directed Shahid to have the door fixed and the rear window replaced.

"When the office is cleaned up and the repairs made, you may take the rest of the week off. My sister or I will call you when you are needed.", Yuri said, starting for the door.

As we walked back towards the hotel ,Yuri lectured me on my insistence on having my own way.

"You were correct this time Mr. Kaplan, but I do not encourage you to disobey my commands. You are very willful for a slave.", she chided.

"Mistress, in order to serve properly I must have some amount of freedom to make decisions. I am not a puppet or a dumb animal when I am functioning in the real world. That is why Mistress Minx commanded you to take orders from me, unless they conflicted with the Mother of Many's orders. In order to serve Mistress Minx properly I have been given a certain amount of latitude in my actions. I do make errors. But when I am charged with providing the best support possible, I do need some leeway to explore.", I said as reasonably as possible.

"I understand that is how Mistress Minx does things. But my sister and I do things in another way, and you will do it our way, or be punished. Is that very clear?", she said with perfect calm.

"Yes Mistress Yuri.", I said, chastised.

When we reached the hotel room, Yuri explained to Kei what had happened and gave her the hard drive.

She also informed her of my misdeeds.

"Michael, I see that we have a communications problem. You will follow our orders. Mistress Minx is not here and our orders come from the Mother of Many. And you will not assume that your judgment is better than ours. You are more experienced in some things. This is not one of them. Remove your pants and bend over the desk.", Mistress Kei said sternly.

I dropped my pants, bent over and waited.

WHACK!

I almost yelled from the pain as I was struck with what felt like a cane.

A whistling sound then WHACK!

The burning stroke across my ass felt like fire and my knees started to buckle.

Some light tapping that still hurt, and then WHACK!

The third stroke put me on my knees.

"You will now put your pants back on and go sit in your closet until I tell you to come out.", Mistress Kei said.

I did as I was told and sat in the dark closet, sore and hurting, and wishing for Mistress Minx to come soon.

I had a lot of time to think as I sat there in the dark.

I had grown accustomed to doing things my way with minimum direction from my Mistress. She gave me a task , a minimum set of guidelines, and then let me go.

But Mei Ling's sisters had a little different take on matters.

They wanted me to check every thing with them. It was like being chained up after the freedom of action I had with Mistress Minx. I had to quickly unlearn the "bad" habits I had developed over the time with her, or I would embarrass her and get my ass beaten black and blue.

When the door opened again I kept my head down as I knelt waiting for permission to speak or rise.

"You may come out now if you are ready to follow orders without interpreting them to mean something else.", Mistress Kei said.

"Yes Mistress.", I said rising.

"Good. I know that this is difficult for you, but you must do your best to obey."

She led me out of the closet and suggested that we all go to dinner.

I maintained my silence at dinner, speaking only when spoken to, and letting Mistress Kei order for me.

"You are very quiet Mr. Kaplan. Is there something wrong?", Mistress Yuri asked, as we ate.

"I am trying not to make any further errors Miss.", I said quietly.

"You act as if you have never been corrected before. Is Mistress Minx so lenient that disobedience to her orders is tolerated?", Mistress Kei questioned.

"Mistress Minx gave you her orders. You may find out how she feels about violations of them. I always pay for it, in flesh or in loss of privileges.", I said.

"Then why don't you stop disobeying?"

I shook my head.

"It's not a question of disobedience. It's a question of success. Believe me I'm tired of getting hurt. I've been shot and shot at, hit by a car, had most of my blood drained out, and many other minor injuries. But each time, I get the job done and please my Mistress. That's what makes it worth it."

"You are a very strange man Mr. Kaplan.", she said.

"Yes Mistress."

Hey, what can I say?

When we went back to the hotel room, Mistress Kei asked what my intentions were for the disk drive.

"I had intended to purchase a cheap case and power supply for it and hook it to the laptop SCSI port to examine it for clues.", I said.

"That is well thought out. There is a computer store a few streets away. I will call them and have the parts delivered.", she replied reaching for the phone.

Fifteen minutes later I had the drive I salvaged from Mei Ling's machine running on the portable.

After an hour of snooping through the files I decided enough was enough. There wasn't anything that could provide another clue. I was about to shut the system down when I noticed something strange about the directory. The drive was a five hundred meg drive, but the directory showed that only about half was used. When I tried to save a file though, I was told the disk was full.

I reset the file protection and suddenly there was a whole new directory named HINDU.

I skimmed the new directory and found that Mei Ling had been collecting information about Hindu Partners LTD for months.

She had discovered not only the travel agency, and the employment agency, but also a medical clinic. Her research had even covered a small charter airline under the control of Hindu Partners LTD. But the strip club wasn't mentioned in the files at all.

"It seems my sister has been very thorough in her investigation. Now if we could find her from this information.", Mistress Kei said.

I controlled my urge to show the card from the strip club to her.

"Mistress, may I go out tonight to see the town?", I said mentally crossing my fingers.

"You are not tired?", she said looking at me with suspicion.

"I'm still on California time, and this is too exciting for me to sleep. I'm in Hong Kong, I've never been here before."

"If you are permitted to go out, you will refrain from going to any of the places that Mei Ling has listed in her files?"

It was phrased as a question, but I knew it was a statement of fact.

"I would never lie about that Mistress.", I said earnestly. I really didn't intend to go anywhere near any on the places on Mei Ling's list.

"I have your word and your oath to your Mistress?", she pressed.

"Yes Mistress."

She still wore a doubting look, but then nodded.

"You will refrain from drinking.", she reminded me.

"Mistress, I do not drink, smoke , or use drugs. I only serve my Mistress. That is how I gain pleasure."

She looked at her sister and then waved a hand in dismissal.

"You will return here by midnight."

Unspoken was the implication that I would be turned into a pumpkin if I didn't.

I thanked her, grabbed my coat and set off for the VALE OF KASHMIR.

I will say one thing: Tourist traps in Hong Kong aren't much different than ones in the States. More neon, but the same sleazy feel, including the doorman.

I played a bit hard to get, but finally let myself be persuaded and entered the loud, smoky club.

Of course I did arrange a trail of bread crumbs of a sort. I left a message with the desk clerk with the address of the club and my suspicions.

I figured if it paid off, all would be forgiven. And if not, I could always hide behind Minx.

The patrons were a mixture of obvious tourists, some "gentlemen" from the waterfront, and a few working girls, one of who hit on me almost as soon as I got in the door.

I excused myself politely untangling myself from her arms and made my way to a table near the stage and ordered a drink from the waitress.

I stuck to my word, I ordered a ginger ale, which got a derisive hoot from a group at the table next to me.

"Why don't you order milk?", one guy laughed.

I just looked at him for a moment then turned away to watch the girl on stage. She wasn't very good, but she had , as Monty Python would put it ,"Enormous tracts and tracts of land." .

A couple of hours later I had seen each girl at least three times, deflected the bar girls at least twice and was about to float away from all the ginger ale.

I was headed towards the bathroom when I was joined by a old man in ill fitting clothing, who followed me into the men's room with a mop and bucket.

"Excuse me, but I think I can do this alone.", I said to my new companion, as I stepped into a stall.

"Perhaps. But you won't find what you need without me.", he said in a soft whisper.

I turned to him and looked at him sharply.

"And what do you think I need?", I said suspiciously.

"You are looking for a very special woman. Perhaps a very young one. I can arrange it for you.", he suggested.

I almost laughed, but remembered I was technically on duty.

"The woman I'm looking for is very special. She has an interest in ... pain.", I probed.

His head nodded in understanding.

"A special woman indeed. You wish to give her pain?"

I shook my head negatively.

"She must be young and understand her power over lesser men and women.", I hinted.

He drew in a sharp breath.

"I understand. You wish to serve such a one."

"If it can be arranged.", I said , showing my wallet.

His eyes widened at the sight of the money, and I started regretting my impulse.

"I will see if I can.", he said, as I gave him a few bills.

"I'll be in the bar.", I said as he left the room.

I vented my bladder, and transferred my money to my sock, as a precaution against a common thief.

I went back into the bar and loitered near the front door, so I could watch the comings and goings of the patrons. I had waited about twenty minutes and was getting ready to leave, when a young woman walked into the bar wearing a long coat and carrying a crop.

Most of the people looked at her and then looked away again, but I watched as she made her way towards me.

She stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes.

She was a young Asian woman, with eyes of tiger green and long dark hair. She wore an expression that reminded me of Mistress Minx on her face.

"You will come with me.", she ordered putting the crop against my cheek.

I looked steadily into her face and smiled gently.

"Will I?", I said mockingly.

She drew in a breath and let it out slowly.

"Oh yes. You will."

A few minutes later she ushered me through a doorway a few streets away and locked the door behind us.

"You will remove all of your clothing and place it here.", she ordered gesturing towards a table with the crop.

She watched carefully as I removed my clothing and placed it on the table and then knelt head down facing her.

"I see you have some experience with serving a Mistress. This is good."

I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing being there, but I was stuck now.

"Follow me on your hands and knees.", she ordered.

I scrambled along behind her across the hardwood floor and down a hallway to a door that she unlocked.

I followed her inside and waited as she sat in a wide backed rattan chair and looked towards me. She stared at me for a few minutes considering her options, and then opened her coat to reveal a tight black corset underneath it. She was wearing thigh high black boots that were polished to a high shine.

"Come here and kneel before me.", she commanded.

I scrambled to her and waited head down.

"You wish to serve me?", she asked.

"Yes Mistress.", I said, keeping my voice low.

"And why should I permit you to serve me?", she asked.

"You might find me amusing Mistress."

She laughed softly.

"I already find you amusing, kneeling naked before me. You might be even more amusing after a few minutes with my whip and my cane. I like seeing a man cry and beg for mercy.", she replied.

"If it would please you Mistress.", I said controlling my fear. I knew I could take it. It didn't mean that I wanted to take it.

"You say that very easily. You have submitted to the cane before?", she questioned.

"Yes Mistress. I did not enjoy it. But it gave my Mistress pleasure."

"You are owned?", she queried.

"I was once. But she no longer needed my services, and released me."

Oh Goddess, was I a liar!

She ordered me to stand and turn slowly so she could examine every party of my body in detail. And while she examined me, I examined the room.

There was a bondage table, a set of stocks, a spanking bench, and a set of chains attached to the wall. An assortment of whips and crops were on a near-by rack along with some heavy restraints.

I watched her examine the scar on my leg with interest and then as I turned, felt her hand tracing the one on my ass.

"You have had an accident at some time.", she stated.

"Yes Mistress."

"Do you have any medical problems I should know about?", she asked

I thought about it, and then decided that telling her the truth would be a good idea.

"Yes, Mistress. I had a kidney stone at one time."

She ordered me to kneel again and got up from the chair and left the room locking the door behind her.

I assumed she was probably going through my wallet, and checking my identity six ways from Sunday, so I relaxed slightly while I waited.

When she came back in and resumed her seat, she ordered me to look up at her.

"Mr. Kaplan, you are a liar.", she said sharply.

Uh-oh.

"If you did not enjoy the cane , you would have objected."

Whew!

"Yes Mistress."

"I will not use the cane on you because it would not have the desired results. I have other methods to bend you to my will."

She reached out and took my chin in her hand and stared into my eyes.

"You know that a tribute to me is required.", she said, evilly.

"All that I possess is yours.", I said looking deep into her green eyes.

"I know."

It was long after the session when I was laying across the bondage table, my back stinging from the whip, that I decided that I had wasted time and money in running up a blind alley.

I just hoped that the Mistresses wouldn't take too close a look at my expense account.

"Did you enjoy yourself slave?", the Mistress asked.

"Yes Mistress, Thank you Mistress.", I sighed.

"The next time you come to Hong Kong, you will visit Mistress Jade again.", she ordered.

"Oh yes Mistress."

I returned to the main hallway and was dressing again when a side door in the hallway opened and two men came in with an ice chest.

They stopped when they saw me and then backed up into the door again. The two men would have been suspicious enough, but the ice chest really attracted my attention.

The writing on the side was Chinese, but the red cross on the side didn't need any translation. It was a cooler for transporting medical items, like blood. Or body parts.

Mistress Jade hissed a few words at them and they melted back into the shadows again.

"You did not see anything Mr. Kaplan, did you.", she said in a tone that indicated the answer had better be "NO".

"No, Mistress, I didn't see anything."

I felt like Sergeant Shultz in Hogan's Heroes. "I know nuzzing, I see nuzzing."

"Good night Mr. Kaplan."

She opened the door and I stepped out into the night air of Hong Kong. My eyes swept across the street and other than a beggar staggering towards me the streets were empty. As I made my way back towards the VALE OF KASHMIR  he beggar caught up with me as I turned the corner into the main street, and took a grip on my elbow.

"Do you always go into strange Mistresses dungeons?", Mei Ling said softly.

"Gee, I thought it was a church." I replied somewhat tartly.

"Manners, Michael. I am still a Mistress of Ay'esha.", she replied with a tone of iron.

"Yes Mistress.", I replied instinctively." The Mother of Many sent me to find you. "

She shook her head negatively.

"I am very close to proving that Mistress Jade is at the center of Kali's activities here. I know she controls all of the local operations of Hindu Partners LTD. in the city. I just need one thing, anything to prove she is breaking the law."

"I'm confused. What difference does that make? "

I heard an exasperated sigh from her, and then she laid it out for me.

"Ay'esha must follow the law as much as possible, or we are no better than Kali. We could stop one of Mistress Jade and Kali's activities, but unless we have the force of law behind it, Kali will just rebuild."

"Well, your sister and I were shot at by someone ransacking your office. Would possessing a firearm and breaking and entering count?", I asked tightly.

"Yes, that would ...", she started to say, then stopped." My sister is here?"

"Actually Li Doa and Ming Chou are both here. ", I said.

She moaned at the news.

"Is Mistress Minx here as well?", she asked.

"No, she will be here in a few days. The Mother of Many sent me here and they were supposed to follow my orders until Mistress Minx arrives. The problem is, they have decided they know better, and won't listen. And I have the bruises to prove it."

"You tell the "Dirty Pair" , that I said you are in charge until Mistress Minx arrives. In fact, give me a piece of paper. I'll put it in writing.", she said with a rush of anger in her voice.

I pulled a notepad out of my coat pocket and handed her a pen.

She scrawled a few quick characters in Chinese and handed it back .

"There. Now what was that about being shot at?", she said as we walked back towards the bar.

"Ming and I went to your office. When we got there someone had broken in and went through your files. They got your tapes and smashed your computer. I saved the hard drive though, and recovered your files. I found the card for the VALE OF KASHMIR under the desk blotter, so I made an excuse and slipped out to try and find you."

"Do my sisters know about it?"

"No. I left a note with the desk clerk to be delivered in the morning if I didn't return."

We rounded the corner in time to see the door of the bar fly open and someone fly out.

"They know." Mei Ling said with a resigned tone in her voice that indicated it was not the first time this had happened

All we could do was stand and watch as two more people were propelled through the door and landed in the street.

After a few more minutes we crept up to the bar and Mei Ling and I looked inside to see Kei and Yuri holding one of the larger patrons at bay with a broken bottle and a chair leg. Any further festivities were interrupted by the EEE-OW of an approaching police car.

Most of the people broke and ran at that point, leaving only an handful of patrons in the bar as the police arrived.

We were not however, among the escapees, and I soon found myself sitting in the back of a police wagon on the way to the central jail along with Kei, Yuri, Mei Ling, and the gentleman that Kei and Yuri were having the dispute with.

He was somewhat more tractable in handcuffs, but not really any happier about things.

"You two come busting into the place, start asking a bunch of nosy questions and then when I tell you to get out, you start throwing people around. What sort of coppers are you?", he snarled.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you.", Yuri said seriously enough to halt the conversation.

Mei Ling and I made it a point to ignore the two girls as much as possible in order to preserve our cover and theirs. In fact my main concern was who to call to bail us out.

When we got to the jail, I discovered that getting bailed out wasn't going to be much of a problem.

We were being held without bail for inciting a riot.

"A fine example of law and order. We weren't even there when the fight started. Why are we being held?", I groused more to myself than to anyone else.

"Because you were dumb enough to be there when the cops showed up.", the big man said reasonably.

"Thanks. I figured that out all by myself.", I snapped.

"Don't worry about it. You're an American. The clerk will contact the Consulate, the Consulate will send over a release order, and you're out. Now me, I have to wait for my boss. And she's not going to be happy.", he said in a friendly enough tone.

"Don't you own the place?", I asked.

"Naw, I run it for Her.", he said. The way he said Her, I knew it had to be with a capital letter.

"Well, I hope she won't be too pissed off. It's not your fault. It's those two idiots across the hall.", I said pointing to the cell that Kei and Yuri were sitting in. Mei Ling caught my eye and winked at my fine display of outrage.

My demonstration of Method acting was cut short by the arrival of a police sergeant and to my dismay, Inspector Maxwell.

"Mr. Kaplan, I think you and I need to have a talk about your activities in Hong Kong.", he said as the door was unlocked.

I was led out , but before Mei Ling could turn away, the Inspector saw her.

"Good Heavens!", he said, "That's the .."

He didn't finish his sentence because of a well placed elbow to the ribs.

"Roughest looking tramp you ever saw.", I continued for him.

He stuttered for a moment and then recovered.

"Yes, well. Not a credit to the jail, I will say that much. Sergeant, bring that one along to my office as well."

As soon as we left the holding area, Inspector Maxwell took me by the shoulder and pushed me against the wall.

"Mr. Kaplan, I hope you have a very good reason for your actions back there. Striking a police officer is a serious matter here."

"Inspector, there is more at stake here than a missing girl. In fact, the safety of a great many people may depend on what you do next.", I said in an attempt to impress him.

He gripped my arm and led me to his office and we waited silently until Mei Ling was brought in.

He closed the door and then sat back down.

"Mr. Kaplan, and you must be Miss Levy. We haven't met before, but I'm Inspector Maxwell. Now, that we've covered that, exactly what in the Hell is going on here?", he said changing from an English calm to a Hong Kong typhoon in attitude.

Before I could stick my foot in my mouth any deeper, Mei Ling stopped me.

"Inspector, call this number now.", she suggested, giving him a phone number. Strike the word suggested. Insert the word commanded.

He looked at her skeptically and dialed the number.

"This is Inspector William Maxwell of the Hong Kong Constabulary. To whom am I speaking?', he asked in crisp official tones.

His crispness melted slightly at the reply and he took on a new attitude.

"Yes Ma'am. I'm calling regarding a Miss Levy and ..."

Before he could say anything more, he was obviously cut short."

"Yes Ma'am. I understand. Full cooperation with Miss Levy and her associates. Yes Ma'am. God Save the Queen."

He hung up and looked at Mei Ling and I.

"Her Highness sends her regards. I have been directed to provide any assistance you may require."

I looked over at Mei Ling who had not changed expression during the whole conversation with .. well, whoever was on the other end of the phone.

I couldn't be sure it wasn't someone in the Royal family with Ay'esha's connections, but I wasn't planning on inquiring.

"The only assistance I require right now is to return Mr. Kaplan to his cell .I want him released at the same time as the manager of the bar and assign a detective to follow him. And I want him to be discreet .As to the other two young women, I want you to hold them until I tell you to release them.", Mei Ling directed, all business.

"On what charge?", the Inspector asked.

"Inciting to riot, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, pick one. But do not let them loose until I tell you to."

Inspector Maxwell looked as if he wanted to object, then thought better of it. He pressed the intercom button on his phone and when an officer appeared, directed him to return me to the cell, and release me when the manager of the bar was released.

"Excuse me Miss Levy, exactly what do you want me to do when I am released.?", I said before the officer led me away.

"Go with them."

Why did that almost sound like it should have "And hope they don't have blasters." at the end of that statement?

I rejoined my cellmate, much to his surprise.

"I thought you'd left with the Inspector. What happened?", he said.

"Well, let's just say he made me an offer I could refuse. Damned if I'll pay a fine when I didn't do anything.", I said hotly.

He reached out and shook hands with me.

"For a Yank, you've got a sense of honor. I'm Morgan Bates."

"George Kaplan", I said." I'd say nice to meet you, but not here."

"You got that right. Well, hold tight. I'm sure when my boss gets here, she'll be inclined to bail you out as well. That is if you can pay her back.", Morgan said in agreement.

"I've got money enough, that's not a problem."

The sergeant returned at that point and ordered the two of us out.

"Ok, Bates, you're free to go. Your boss posted bail for you, and as to you, Kaplan. The Inspector says to plan on leaving Hong Kong soon.", he said.

"Tell the Inspector to stuff it.", I said , pushing my way past him.

When we got to the front desk I found my things had been packaged and were waiting for me, with one addition. A small cell phone. I slipped it into my pocket while Morgan was signing for his things and then we were led out to the main part of the station.

My suspicions about the real owner of the bar was confirmed, because there stood Mistress Jade smoking a cigar, and impatiently tapping her booted foot on the floor.

"Mr. Kaplan, why am I not surprised to find you here.", she said, throwing her cigar to the floor and grinding it out with her boot heel. "Morgan, I expect you to tell me exactly what happened and why it was necessary to bail you out of jail at this hour of the night.", she demanded, pushing him towards the door.

I followed as Morgan Bates told the story in detail, including the fact that Kei and Yuri were looking for Mei Ling.

"I knew that woman would be trouble.", I heard her mutter as she led the way towards a car parked nearby.

I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder to see if we were being followed. I knew that if we were and I kept looking around, it would attract attention.

Mistress Jade got into the back seat of the car and ordered Morgan to sit up front with the driver.

"You will accept a ride from me Mr. Kaplan.", she said as a statement of fact rather than as an invitation.

As the car moved slowly through the streets of Hong Kong, Mistress Jade kept looking at me as if deciding my fate.

"Mr. Kaplan, you are in the import/export business according to your papers. Would your company be interested in importing low cost goods to the United States with a healthy profit margin?", she finally said.

"How healthy are we talking about?", I said trying to sound disinterested.

"Would a five hundred percent margin be adequate?", she suggested.

"What sort of goods are we talking about with that sort of markup? Drugs? I don't think so.", I said.

"No Mr. Kaplan, not anything illegal. A company I have interests in has access to a low cost labor source. Your company provides materials, we provide manpower. We can even arrange a sharp discount if you use our shipping company."

"Keep talking.", I said, "I'm listening."

She laughed.

"I'm sure you are. But are you willing to put your money on it?"

I hesitated.

"I'll call your bluff Mistress. I'm submissive in the bedroom, and dominant everywhere else."

"I have you on video tape doing disgusting, degrading things. I'm sure your company wouldn't like to know that a senior member of it's staff was a pervert."

Well now I knew how she did some things. Of course , threatening to "out" me was a flaming joke. I'm weird, I'm here, get used to it.

"Is blackmail a standard part of your business practices?"

"Blackmail is such an ugly word. I prefer to consider it insurance of your good faith.", she said lightly.

" And what if I can't sell your deal to my company?", I asked tightly.

"Then I suppose you should start looking for another job."

"Bitch."

"Yes. I am. Do we have an agreement?", Mistress Jade said without changing expression.

This was it.

"Show me your facilities.", I said resentfully.

Mistress Jade smiled, knowing she had won, and directed the driver to change direction.

We had just entered the Transharbor tunnel, when the driver indicated we were being followed.

"Police?", she asked disinterestedly.

"I don't think so Mistress. A small motor scooter has been following us for the last two miles, turning as we do. Perhaps someone with an interest in Mr. Kaplan."

Mistress Jade looked at me with new eyes.

"Would someone be interested in your activities Mr. Kaplan?", she asked, leaning towards me.

"Well, Inspector Maxwell and I didn't get on at all well. I think he'd like to have me PNG'd from Hong Kong.", I said, looking back.

I could see the scooter, but it wasn't anyone I knew driving it.

"PNG'd? I've never heard that expression before."

"Persona Non Grata. Kicked out, deported, put on the next plane out of town."

"Why Mr. Kaplan?"

"I've been nosing around trying to find a good import/export business. I even checked on the place Morgan mentioned, if the Mei Ling he was talking about was named Levy. I got there just after someone had broken into the office, and the police questioned me. Seems the owner is missing.", I said boldly.

"And?"

"And what? I told the police to bugger off. I'm a businessman, and if the company I'm interested in isn't open for business, I write it off."

She settled back in her seat again and addressed the driver.

"Deal with our friend.", she said coldly.

The driver increased his speed and started weaving across the traffic in the tunnel with our motor driven friend trying to keep pace. The rider closed the gap and was behind us in the same lane, only two cars back when I found out what Mistress Jade had intended.

Our driver slammed on his brakes throwing us forward against the seat belts. I heard the sound of shattering glass and crumpling metal behind us, and looked back to see the cars following us had hit each other and the motor scooter rider had slammed into the wreckage and was laying on the pavement.

I started to release the seat belt to get out when the driver hit the gas again and threw me back into my seat.

"You just murdered that man!", I shouted.

"Yes Mr. Kaplan. And you may be next.", Mistress Jade said with a total lack of remorse.

The car sped out of the tunnel and turned onto the Hong Chong Road headed northwest towards the border with the People Republic of China.

" You are out of your mind! I can't get my company involved in murder.", I protested.

"Relax Mr. Kaplan. There isn't anything to connect you to the accident. These things happen in Hong Kong all the time."

I kept silent as the car proceed further and further north until we reached Fanling, then turned west. The car finally slowed to a halt near the waterfront of Sha Tau Kok and parked in front of a guarded warehouse.

"Out.", was all Mistress Jade said, stepping out of the car herself.

I followed her with the driver and Morgan behind me into the warehouse and up a flight of stairs to a platform overlooking the floor of the building.

Packed inside was a sweating group of people, laboring over rows and rows of sewing machines. Armed men and women roved the aisles watching for any signs of the work slowing down.

"This is how we keep our production costs low. We feed them and house them in barracks. They don't need to be paid, and if they become ill, they are easy enough to replace..", she said with a satisfied smile.

I turned to her controlling my anger at the scene.

"Of course. And the moral problems don't bother you at all."

She laughed at that.

"Morals and business? Those are two words that are not even slightly related. Your company wants a maximum profit and so does mine. You are responsible to your stockholders, and I am responsible to a higher authority."

"So what does Levy and Associates have to do with your business?", I said.

She looked at me.

"You are asking a great many questions Mr. Kaplan. Let's just say that we're competitors on a higher plain than business.", she said with some unease.

I looked down onto the room again and then turned back to Mistress Jade.

"May I say something?" , I asked politely.

"Of course.", she said with some surprise.

I turned away from her and looked over the slaves to Kali's evil plan.

"Workers of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!" , I shouted.

At first there was no reaction at all from the sweating workers and then I heard one voice from below start singing, followed by another, then another.

As Morgan pushed me towards the stairs I could hear a ragged chorus of the "Internationale" from the slaves.

Mistress Jade struck me across the face with her fist as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

"And what did that accomplish Mr. Kaplan.", she shouted in anger.

"It pissed you off enough. Those are people, not pieces of meat to be used and discarded.", I said wiping a trickle of blood from my mouth.

"Life is not as precious here Mr. Kaplan. They are born, they work, and they die. And even in death they are useful.", she said regaining control over her anger.

"As body parts.", I said, having had enough of the charade.

"Yes, as body parts . Mr. Kaplan, you seem to know a great deal."

I shrugged.

"The ice chest your two men brought in. Those are used for medical transport of blood and organs. Not exactly the sort of thing you lug your beer around in"

She looked at me grimly.

"Mr. Kaplan, I think our business is at an end.", she said.

I stepped towards the door and was blocked by Morgan and the driver.

"I wouldn't suggest you do anything rash Mistress. ", I said slipping my hand into my pocket and feeling for the phone.

"And why not Mr. Kaplan?", she said sweetly.

I thumbed the phone open and then froze. What was the emergency number in Hong Kong?

"Because my organization will simply replace me and the next agent will have orders to kill you.", I bluffed.

"Who do you think you are? James Bond, agent 007?", she laughed.

007. 999. The emergency number in Hong Kong is 999.

I pressed the button three times and hoped I was in range of a cell site.

"Not exactly. More like Agent 86.", I said pulling the cell phone from my pocket. "Except the phone is in my pocket rather than my shoe."

The three of them stared at it as if I had just pulled a full grown dragon from my pocket.

I took advantage of the situation and threw the phone towards Mistress Jade and while she stepped back and Morgan and the driver stepped forward, I dashed between them and out the door.

I ran towards the pier hoping I could dive in and hide before they could catch up to me but when I got to the end of it all I could see was mud flats and rocks below.

I heard running footsteps and shouts behind me and was just about ready to take a mud bath when a helicopter came from around another warehouse and flashed its spotlight on the men running towards me.

"This is Inspector Maxwell of the Hong Kong Constabulary. Stand where you are, you are under arrest.", a loudspeaker boomed from above.

I could hear sirens in the background and the sound of screeching tires and relaxed at last. I'd actually managed to get the job done with only a slap to the face.

An hour later I was sitting in Inspector Maxwell's office with a nice cup of Darjeeling tea dictating a report to a very attractive policewoman.

Mei Ling had already come up with an elaborate cover story for our activities and I was simply filling in the blanks so a proper set of charges could be drawn up against Morgan and Mistress Jade.

Well, at least against Morgan and his people. The screeching tire sounds I had heard was Mistress Jade making her escape.

"And that's about it Inspector. Unless Miss Levy has anything more to add?", I said looking towards her.

She shook her head no as I stood up to leave.

"Well Mr. Kaplan, this has been the most extraordinary case I've ever been involved in I must say.", the Inspector said reaching out to shake hands with me.

"I don't exactly do this everyday either sir.", I said grasping the hand.

When Mei Ling and I returned to the hotel we found Mistress Minx waiting for us.

"I see you found her Michael. Well done!", Minx said hugging Mei Ling.

I blushed slightly and admitted that Mei Ling had found me.

"He was hot on my trail Minx. In fact, he almost single-handedly destroyed Kali's activities in Hong Kong.", Mei Ling said. "There will be no more slave trading by Kali here."

"The Mother of Many will be very happy with you Michael.", Minx said gesturing for me to kneel.

"Yes Mistress. I hope so."

"And Michael."

"Yes Mistress?"

"I will reward you this evening."

"As will I", Mei Ling said linking arms with Mistress Minx.

It was late the next day and we had flown halfway back to the United States when it occurred to me that Kei and Yuri were still in jail.

"Master, what about your sisters? They're still in jail.", I said softly.

Mei Ling looked back at me and smiled.

"I know. Isn't it wonderful?"

I didn't know what to say to that. But if Hong Kong was still standing when Mei Ling got back, I'd be surprised.

Chapter 8

Road to Hong Kong