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Date Posted: 08:10:36 07/21/07 Sat
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: wnpp-p-144-134-167-55.prem.tmns.net.au / 144.134.167.55
Subject: Chapter 120
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "The Rising Dragons ... continued ..." on 06:47:34 06/09/07 Sat

Chapter 120


Nikita hurried back to where Karen was still sitting on the bench, unaware that the man who had bumped into her had been tailing her the whole time. Karen sat up when she saw Nikita approach jogging back to the park bench.

“Hey what just happened? I heard a loud bang.”

“Yeah ... a car just exploded in the car park.”

“Oh my goodness! ... Was anybody hurt?”

“I think so ... but I’m not certain.”

“That’s too bad. How horrible.”

Looking at her friend on the park bench, Nikita asked, “How are you feeling Karen?”

“Much better thanks ... My ankle’s still a little tender ... but it’s okay.”

“That’s good.”

“Perhaps we better get going ... This place is going to be swarming with police soon Nik,” Karen added as they heard the loud shrill of police sirens pierce the air.

“Good idea ... we might get caught up otherwise.”

“Exactly ... Hey! We might bump into Steven on the way home. He did say he would try to meet up with us.”

“Perhaps he was held up with the commotion on the other side of the park.”

“Yeah ... knowing him he probably went for a stickybeak. He’s such a “Nosey Parker,” Karen laughed as together they set off again but this time on a slow jog.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As they jogged along, they noticed a steady stream of people make their way to the scene of the explosion in the other direction in the park. Then winding their way back along the path, Karen and Nikita soon came to a small wooden bridge across an ornamental pond in the park. Since her ankle was still causing her grief, they decided to take a brief rest. Karen sat on the railing staring at the water below, while Nikita leant her arms on the railing doing stretching exercises.

“We seem to be the only ones here at the moment,” Nikita replied looking around evident that they were alone in this part of the park.

Karen glanced around too. “I suppose people are curious as to what happened on the other side of the park,” she said.

“Probably ... and the flea market too.”

“I told Steven we’d stop at this bridge on the way home, but I guess he went the other way too.”

Nikita saw a few lone joggers pass by out for their morning exercise but Karen’s boyfriend Steven wasn’t one of them. “So you really think he is the one then?” She asked wistfully.

“Oh yes ... yes I do.”

“That’s good ... Never be with a man who fails to treat you as you deserve.”

“Steven does. He takes such good care of me and he spoils me rotten.”

“Ooooh ... Karen that’s awesome.”

“Thanks. He’s a good man.”

With her thoughts on one man in particular Nikita answered pensively, “Good men are hard to find.”

“Yes, they are. I was so lucky to meet Steven at the club. We hit it off straight away.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


While they rested a while, the two women continued their conversation unaware that someone was approaching the bridge. Unexpectedly a man quietly drew nearer to them as they were talking. Distracted by the sound of footsteps, they were soon conscious that they did have company after all. Karen looked up but her delight soon turned to disappointment when she saw who was approaching them, but she quickly masked her reaction.

Nikita also turned in the direction of the footfalls. Her eyes lit up when she saw Michael approach casually dressed, wearing a black beret and dark glasses. Once he reached where they were standing, he smiled broadly at her seemingly at the “coincidence” of running into her in the park. Leaning towards Nikita, Michael kissed her on the cheek in a friendly greeting. However, because of his dark glasses, she was unable to see the penetrating gleam in his eye as he spoke.

“Hi Nikita!”

“Michael! Fancy seeing you here? I thought you had gone to Shanghai on business,” Nikita stated smiling brightly and staring intently at his lips. She gave him a secret look then glanced down. “What are you doing in the park?”

Despite her friendly banter, to Michael’s ear, the inflection of her voice indicated that she would be waiting for an explanation as to what had happened a short while ago. He thought he had seen her behind a tree, now he was certain.

“I had planned to meet a client here but they failed to show up.”

“Oh!”

He’d found out certain information that he needed to know about Inspector Jiang Ng, but there were still too many loose ends about the man still dangling. Perhaps when Birkoff analysed the disc that Ami Yeung had given him then Section would know a lot more.

However, his rendezvous with his informant had unfortunately ended in tragedy. She had been worried that she may have been compromised and the explosion was proof that her fears were warranted. She had provided Section with invaluable Intel but her death was the price you paid when dangerous men became ruthless. All the more reason he was glad he was back in Hong Kong to keep an eye on Nikita. Things could become volatile if and when Inspector Ng was backed into a corner.

Michael didn’t give any more away about why he was in the park this morning but merely replied with a double entendre question of his own, “So how are you?”

“Fine.” Then breaking from his penetrating scrutiny Nikita gushed, “Oh! Karen. You remember Michael?”

“Sure.”

He glanced at Karen who had quietly witnessed the exchange between the two people.

“Nice to meet you again Michael.”

“Do want to join us for juice?” Nikita asked swiftly interrupting before any conversation could take place.

“Why not?”

“I’ll just be a few seconds,” Nikita said leaving Michael and Karen alone as she went over to the vendor to get the juice.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


The two people stood on the bridge not communicating, but silently sizing each other up as they watched Nikita make her way towards the juice vendor a little way from the bridge. Michael was well aware of Karen’s unease in his presence although she tried hard to cover it up. She apprehensively looked around as if waiting for someone to appear and didn’t immediately look at Michael.

“Do I make you nervous?” He asked noting her behaviour.

That got her attention and Karen looked at him. “No of course not ... It’s just that you surprised me when you appeared out of nowhere.”

What she saw was a man who had a handsome face but with a demeanour that gave her nothing to go on. The dark glasses didn’t allow her to read his eyes either, so it was impossible to see what he was thinking or feeling. However, he did make her nervous. Nikita’s friend Michael unbalanced her and despite his friendliness towards her ... she just knew this was a dangerous man.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. What is it about me that scares you?

With bravado, Karen answered his probing question. “I guess … I guess ... You’re a little intimidating ... Which means you’re not very nice.”

Michael’s blank stare was his only answer, but Karen was not to know that, and she rambled on. “You’re handsome too. You probably get everything you want from women.”

He elicited a wry smile at her statement.

Looking at him, Karen saw her reflection in his glasses which was a little off putting and tried another tact, “So Michael what ... do you do?”

“I’m an art dealer actually ... I buy art for galleries,” he replied reaching into his inside pocket of his jacket and withdrawing a business card. Michael handed it over to her and she looked at the inscription as he continued. “I’m looking for unique Asian art here in Hong Kong and mainland China which is hardly intimidating or scary,” he added candidly.

Karen fingered the card then placed it in the pocket of her sweat pants. “I heard that Chinese works of art are very popular in the States. Is that true?”

“Yes ... some artists are fetching millions of dollars for their work.”

“Oh ...” she replied surprised. Then completely out of the blue, Karen changed the subject. Focusing the attention back onto him and trying to unnerve this menacing man at the same time, boldly she asked, “Is Nikita your girlfriend?”

“No.”

“But you love her, don’t you?”

“Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know ... just a hunch,” she replied smugly thinking she had achieved a victory by hitting the nail on the head about their relationship because of the way Michael was being evasive.

“So? How long have you and Nikita been jogging together?” Michael asked ignoring her jibe.

“Quite a while.”

“Do you always jog alone?”

“Usually ... but sometimes we run into my boyfriend. Lots of people jog in this park Michael. It’s very popular.”

“Yes ... I had noticed.”


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


As they were talking and waiting for Nikita to return with refreshments, a man’s voice unexpectedly called out from the path as he ran up to them.

“Hey Karen!”

Looking up she noticed that Steven had arrived. He looked pleased to see her and smiled. Moving over to where she was standing talking to the stranger on the bridge he leaned over with his hands resting on his thighs breathing heavily.

“Hi babe ... Sorry I’m late. It couldn’t be avoided. Will you forgive me?”

“Of course. Where have you been? Nikita and I have been here for ages,” she replied trying to cover up her displeasure at his lateness.

“There was an incident on the other side of the park. It’s sheer chaos over there. People and police everywhere. I had to take the longer route.”

“Oh.”

Looking at the tall imposing stranger on the bridge Steven placed an arm around Karen to gather her to him then whispered in her ear in the guise of a kiss.

“Who’s the guy?”

Michael keenly watched the exchange between the two. Appearances were not as they seemed and his suspicions about the couple were heightened. The tension in the air was palatable.

Just who was this woman really and who was the man with her?

Karen made the introductions. “Steven ... this is Nikita’s friend Michael.”

“Michael,” he cordially replied extending his hand in greeting. The two men looked at each other. Steven could tell by Michael’s handshake that he was an imposing man.

“Steven,” Michael replied sizing up Karen Ho’s companion as he was him.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Play on text from ... Obsessed, Choice, BIS and LHAC

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Replies:

• Very interesting -- KT, 01:54:34 07/25/07 Wed
  • Hey KT ... -- taurus2124, 00:39:07 07/29/07 Sun