Night Tigers Chapter Eleven

From: Cheryl Baumgartner(C Baumgartner, Posted Date: Jan 13th, 2011

Harold Smith sat at his desk and looked at the four individuals sitting in front of him.  “Miss Bellringer, I’m glad that your ordeal was not overly traumatic.  I know that both Stanley and Kai were worried about you.”

“Speaking of which, where is my hunk of delectable death?” 790 demanded.

“A question that is also on my mind, along with a missing Master of Sinanju I might add.” Smith said looking pointedly at Chuin.

“I believe the young men can take care of themselves Emperor Smith.” Chuin said.

“Master Chuin in the last four days over 30 Asian males all with ties to David Chang have been killed.  They have all been killed with the same weapon.  I’m much less concerned with the fact that Remo and Kai can take care of themselves as I am with how they are doing it.

 Freya has been assigned to this case but even she is going to have to show some progress on it.  Progress will lead back to our two ‘wayward’ young men.” Smith said.

“Maybe not Smitty.”  Ruby said.  “Somehow there are rumors beginning to circulate that the Russians are making a pre-emptive strike against the triads.  So if we are lucky it will all be pinned on them.”

“Yes and then we will be dealing with a Gangland war that will make the worst of the Luciano-Capone era look like a stroll through the park.”

 

 

Vitorio “Vito” Palazzo as usual was in his private dining room.  Danny Li eyed the plate of food in front of him.  Vito didn’t talk business with anyone except over food.  That’s probably what accounted for Palazzo’s great bulk.  Danny was not a fan of Italian food, he gingerly took a bite of the ravioli before him.

“So Danny, the Russians are making a move against you and you come to me for help.  I would normally be flattered in a situation like this but, I am not.  Do you see the word fool written on my forehead Danny?”   Vito asked.

“Of course not Vito.  I like to think that we are if not friends, at least businessmen that have a common interest.” Danny replied.

Vito laughed. “I believe you do see the word fool written there.  Do you honestly believe that we do not see how precarious our position is?  Do you believe that we do not understand the threat of both the Russian Mafiya and your Triads?”

“The Russians will turn their attention to you next.  We must present a united front to face this threat.” Danny argued.

“No Danny let me explain how we will handle this situation.  The family will stay out of it.  We will not take sides.  As I said you are both a threat to us for all that we have played nice with each other thus far.  We will allow this scenario to play out to its natural conclusion, the Mafiya and the Triads destroying themselves.

As a matter of fact, we will even help speed it along to its conclusion.  I’m the one who fed you the information on the Russians. Truth is, no one knows who decided to target your uncle’s organization but it presented an opportunity for us.

While you have been sitting here, poor Victor Ivanov has met his end.  Of course Victor’s people will avenge his death.  I understand that a medallion bearing the Chinese symbol for war will be found on his body, of course that will lead them back to your people.”

Danny was roughly grabbed by two of Vito’s soldiers. “And Danny nothing personal, it’s just business.” Vito added as Danny was dragged out the back door.

 

 

Remo looked down at the body of Danny Li.  “So how does this figure into your objective?”  He asked Kai.  “Somebody offed him before you could.”

“He is dead.  It does not matter how he came to that state.” Kai said.  “I think that this would be less alarming for your Harold Smith.”

“You would think so but Smitty gets bent out of shape really easy and the media is already speculating on your kills.” Remo said.  “Let’s get to the airport so that we can get back to New York.”

“My protoblood may not last that long.  I estimate the first stage of protoblood failure in less than eight hours.  Monitoring my protoblood level has not been a priority” Kai admitted.

            “Well then, you can demonstrate your skills at playing dead.” Remo said.

“I am dead Remo.”

“Yes, which is why you are flying cargo, and I’m flying coach.” Remo said with a laugh.

 

 

“Sir, I’m sorry unauthorized personnel are not allowed in the baggage area.” The man running the forklift told him.

“I just want to check on my brother.  I want to make sure that his coffin is safely loaded on the plane.  I don’t see his coffin here, he has to be on the same plane as I am.”  Remo told him with feigned sadness.  “I have to take him home to our family.”

“Look, I can’t let you back here but losing your brother, man that’s tough.  Tell you what, I’ll personally check to see if the body was received if you wait right here I’ll be back to let you know.” The man said with sympathy. “What’s his name?”

“Kai, I mean Kai Garza.” Remo swallowed as if he was grief stricken.

In five minutes the man was back.  “Mr Garza, the body of your brother was loaded on board the plane 10 minutes ago.  I understand that arrangements were made with a local funeral home to meet him.  I’m sorry about your brother.  I called up to the control tower they are holding the plane for you.”

 

 

Six hours later, Remo was looking at the group gathered in the morgue.  Smitty, Stanley, Chuin, Xev and Ruby holding 790.  Two men from a local funeral home were wheeling an extremely expensive steel and chrome coffin into the morgue. 

“We are so sorry for your loss.” One of the men said as he held out a hand to Remo.  “Your brother did a good thing donating his body.  It will help a lot of people.”

“Yes thank you.  If you don’t mind, we’d like to be alone with him now.” Remo said shaking the offered hand.

“Of course.  Again I’m really sorry.” The man said as he and his assistant left the room.

Remo turned and unsealed the coffin, opening the lid. “Dead people like pretty satin.” Kai slurred. He sat up and tried to climb out of the coffin.  After a couple of failed attempts he tumbled out onto the floor.  “Oops! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Stan and Xev looked on in disbelief as Kai started giggling. 

He rolled over and heaved himself up on to his hands and knees.  “Kai flew cargo, it’s cheap and you can’t have a stiff going stiff at 20,000 feet.” He said crawling over to the counter and using it to pull himself to his feet.

“Kai, what’s wrong with you?” Xev asked.

“I think it’s the protoblood.  It’s synthetic, not like what came from the Gigashadow.” Stanley said.  “He’s in protoblood failure but it’s different.”

“It’s like when we were on Ruuma.” Xev said.

“Ruuma?  I must sing my song! The wheel it turns, it rolls around. It makes an ancient rumbling sound!  Spinning wheels go round and round!”  Kai sang as he pirouetted around the room and crashed into the coffin he had just fallen out of. “Oooooh! Pretty shiny box with pretty satin!  Top of the line for the dearly departed!  Can’t send your loved ones off in a cheap pine box!”

“Oh shut up!” Stanley said.  “Let’s just get you home and in your cryopod.”

“No no, cryopod bad. I have a job to do.  No sleeping till I’m done! I still have 40 more people to kill just for fun!” Kai giggled as he stumbled over to Ruby and snatched 790 from her. “Gimme my head!”  He said as he finally went into complete protoblood failure and did a face plant on the floor.

“Okay Now let’s get him to the cryopod.” Stan said.

“No!  If you freeze him now, he’ll attack everyone and everything in front of him when he wakes up.  Including me!” 790 said.  “He’s under the control of a cleansing program moron!  We just have to resupply him with protoblood.”

 

 

“Danny Li was already dead when we found him.  We had nothing to do with that one Smitty.” Remo was saying.

“Yes,  I know.  It’s being attributed to the Russians as retaliation for Victor Ivanov’s murder.  Someone is using Kai’s little killing spree to incite a war between the Russians and the Chinese.”

“And there’s only one group that would benefit from a war between the Mafiya and the Triads.” Ruby noted.   “The old school Sicilian mob.”

“At least Kai is out of the picture now.  Nothing will come back to him.” Smith said tiredly.  “By the way how much did that coffin cost?”

“$15, 995… plus tax.  Here’s the receipt” Remo answered as Harold Smith reached for his bottle of Tums.