Young Again
Copyright© 2018 by Edward Douglass Patterson
Chapter 22: Assassins
Cindy, Boa, and Mei-Xing Wong, accompanied by Anita Silva, walked over to where Julia Evans sat. “Julia, you’ve met my cousins Boa and Mei-Xing. This is Anita Silva. She is engaged to my cousin Cheng, who is Romano’s next opponent. Anita, this is Julia Evans.” Cindy studied Julia. “You are looking much better.”
“May is the best doctor I ever had. She has even given me exercises and herbal potions to ensure I quickly recover. She’s the type of doctor I had wanted to be.”
“Why did you change your mind?” Mei-Xing stepped closer and took Julia’s hand.
“Money,” Julia smiled at the concern for her the young girl was showing. She decided to explain. “The only money in my family was from drugs. Barry, my older brother, was killed by another gang. I needed a way to get away from the gangs quickly. I’m very good with computers. Good enough, I could have paid my way to college without my scholarship, but I cannot study medicine and support myself that way at the same time.” The big smile on Cindy’s face caused her to stop.
“They didn’t know. At least I don’t think they did.” Even as close as Cindy was to Ashley and Sarah, she was often unsure about what they knew or what they could do. They had said they were no longer holding back on what they did, but she knew they still did. “Sarah is looking for people interested in medicine to help with finding out what happened to Mark Sawyer. It’s a work-study program including med school. The only catch is the med school is Stanford.”
Julia saw Cindy’s smile get even bigger, then she realized what she really meant by the catch. “Oh, I think I’d be OK with Stanford, especially with Romano here.”
“We’ll have to go there also.” Bao was almost able to keep a straight face. “I’ll miss the beach, especially the surfing, but otherwise, I cannot wait.”
“I’ll be all alone when Derek and Shen go here to college in two years. It’ll take another five years before I can go.” Mei-Xing was the only one not happy about Stanford.
“Ashley and Sarah are entering college early. I think you could also do that.” Cindy’s hand rested on her youngest cousin’s shoulder. She understood what it was like to be separated from her family.
“Momma always said she didn’t have to worry about paying for your college.” Bao ruffled her sister’s hair.
“I’m glad Ash convinced Brian not to stay in and get injured.” Cindy was relieved that Brian’s match against Chanarong was over.
“His last hit before stepping out definitely hurt Chanarong.” Anita shared the relief Cindy was showing now that the match was over.
“Yes, he charged out of the circle after Brian. If those guys hadn’t gotten in between them, I think Brian would have gotten hurt.” Bao wasn’t used to that type of aggression.
“It wasn’t an accident they were there. Two of them were the SEALs who had competed yesterday. I think they had orders.” Cindy wondered who had given the orders, but no matter, she was glad they had.
“I think Romano can take him, but I’m not as sure as I was.” Julia looked worried. “He might get injured. I don’t think the guy is used to holding back his hits.”
Cindy saw her uncle talking with Masters Chang, Lee, and Overton. Sarah and Ashley were standing there listening, but they also looked like they did when they were working together. Glances, facial expressions, body and hand movements, and other things she probably missed conveyed information between them. She had heard the two of them a few times in intense conversations when they used the same methods to add to what they said. She couldn’t follow what they said because of the added information they passed non-verbally. She hadn’t known they could do the same without talking. She could tell when they reached a decision. Ashley turned towards the masters, but Sarah’s hand reached out and touched her before she could speak. Sarah started to smile, then her expression changed to worry.
Cindy turned toward where Sarah was looking and saw Kelly, John, and Bert Wilson at the doorway looking around. Bert waved and led his sister and cousin across the floor.
“Bao, get Shen, my brothers, and Debbie. We need to stay with them.” Cindy nodded towards the Wilsons. “I think Ash and Sarah have something planned. I will talk with them. Julia, hold this spot so we can watch Cheng and Romano’s match.” As she crossed the floor, she looked for Sarah’s family and found them with four of Sandy’s people guarding them. With the Pierces, she saw Maria Cuervo and other of the Woodside students. Someone there also had been watching Ash and Sarah for Jimmy, and Maria started towards them. Cindy changed direction to intercept them.
“Yes, they are up to something. I think the Wilsons are at risk.” Cindy held her hand up when Jimmy started to speak. “I will handle it. Let’s find out what they are planning.”
Jimmy saw Cindy had some idea what might be going on, so he just nodded.
Sarah was introducing the Wilsons to Master Chang, who was looking at Bert and smiling. When she finished, she looked at Cindy, Jimmy, and Maria and then the two groups they had come from. “Thanks, Cindy.”
“Master Chang, we need to separate the local threat from the external threat. If you change the order of the matches, but don’t announce it until just before the change, it should cause Chanarong and Sumalee to act before those outside can. Put the match with Sarah and me first and right before the lunch break. We don’t want this change to go beyond us here. We know of at least one person who is passing information to them. We will use the change of plans to force him to call. Wayne should be able to determine where they are.”
“Done right, Chanarong and Sumalee will also be surprised.” Master Chang understood the two girls were planning to draw an attack on themselves.
“Sumalee has been tailing me. When I leave the room after the last semi-final match, she will follow me.” Cindy suggested.
“She’s looking for an advantage.” Her uncle looked concerned. “She may attack you if she realizes what is going on.”
“I have nunchucks.”
“I have my throwing stars.” Mei-Xing’s voice from behind her cousin surprised them.
“And why are they not at home?” Her father couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice.
“I didn’t have a chance to use them the last time. I’ve been practicing.”
“I had wondered at your newfound dedication. I suspected you were unhappy when you didn’t contribute on the beach.” He turned to his niece. “She is unsurprisingly good though she still lacks strength. A surprise to put Sumalee off balance?”
Cindy looked down at her young cousin. “Stay with me but away from Sumalee. Don’t throw until she attacks. You will get one chance. No more than three stars then move away.”
Mei-Xing nodded with just a little smile showing.
“You need to let your parents know.” Master Lee knew Mark Sawyer wasn’t coming until later hoping to delay the outside attack.
“No, I will let them know when you make the announcement. They have already accepted that Ash and Sarah were targets.” For some reason Jimmy was feeling a little sorry for Chanarong since he didn’t doubt they would be able to handle him.
“He’ll attack with his sword.” Ken Overton had seen Chanarong sitting and polishing his sword as he watched the matches.
“We are armed and armored.” Ashley didn’t explain.
Bruce Canham and Chang Kuo had taken over as Ash and Sarah’s security. Then Chang Kuo was sent to order a large quantity of pizza and soda for lunch for the girls, Sarah’s family, their friends, and their security. He had been surprised neither girl had a cell phone. They always were using them.
Master Chang left the conversation with Sandy Vickers, Ashley, and Sarah and turned on his microphone. “We will have one of our finals before lunch to accommodate a scheduling conflict for the contestants. Ashley and Sarah, are you ready?”
The girls finished putting in their mouthpieces and walked onto the mat. At Master Chang’s signal, they started.
Chanarong looked around for Sumalee and found her on the far side of the room. She was arguing with her opponent for her final match. I don’t need her to handle two unarmed girls. He drew his sword and swiftly moved towards the match.
Sumalee had been surprised when Cindy had turned back at her and started yelling at her. She didn’t hear the announcement with Cindy only inches from her face.
“Sarah!” Sally Pierce screamed as she saw a man with a sword running towards her daughter’s back.
Sarah took her cues from Ash and smoothly dodged the sword blow. As she turned to face the attack, she held a strange Sai in each hand. Ash also had two identical Sai with green crystal blades.
Ash was the first of the girls to attack. When Chanarong moved to meet her attack, she pulled back and Sarah attacked. The speed and skill of the girls’ moves left the sword swinging with nothing to hit since the girls chose not to parry with their knives against a sword wielded by a much larger man.
“Mom, Dad. They set this up. They wanted to control when the attack came and make sure those attacking from outside weren’t ready to attack.” Jimmy had come up behind his parents and put his arms around their shoulders.
“Those daggers are made out of the same green crystal as the ball bearings.” Sally didn’t relax. The man was trying to kill her daughter and Ashley.
“Teresa said they were able to machine the green crystal so as to put an edge on it. It was in a status report she gave last week. I had wondered what they were making which needed an edge.” Jim Pierce decided he would ask more questions at the meetings. He wasn’t sure though if he really would have wanted to know beforehand what the girls were planning.
Sumalee had turned around when Sally screamed. When she saw Chanarong attacking the girls without her, she realized she had been drawn away and diverted from what was going on. She drew her sword and swung at Cindy, but Cindy had moved. She felt a sharp hit to her sword hand, then one to her cheek, and another to her sword hand. She concentrated to keep hold of the sword while she brought her other arm up to protect her face.
The arm Sumalee swung up protected her head from Cindy’s first nunchuck, but the broken arm dropped with the blow, leaving her exposed to the second nunchuck. Her scream cut off as she was knocked unconscious.
Chanarong didn’t understand the girls’ attack. Were they waiting for someone to shoot him? I should have waited for Sumalee. The blond girl slipped, and he struck down at her on the floor. She smoothly rose up and braced her Sais to catch his sword. She doesn’t have the strength to catch my sword. I will break her arms, then kill the other girl.
When the sword hit the crossed green crystal blades, it was cut off at the hilt. Chanarong was unprepared for the sudden loss of resistance and almost lost his balance.
Ashley jumped up and back. Her right hand was bleeding from where the very short stump of the sword blade had scratched her. She continued to back off.
Sarah had started the attack before Chanarong’s stumble. A quick slash allowed her to hamstring his left leg. She then moved quickly off the mat.
Brian, Romano, and Cheng carefully moved in to restrain Chanarong.
Chang Kuo realized something was wrong. Ashley and Sarah had set this up without telling him or Bruce, who were supposed to be guarding them. He turned to leave.
“Chang, Sandy and I want to have a talk with you.” Jason Daniels was standing there with his gun drawn. Sandy was to the side with her gun also aimed at him. “We want to talk to you about the phone calls you made. We don’t appreciate our people selling out our clients, especially when they are also our bosses.”
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