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Date Posted: 06:20:08 02/12/07 Mon
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: wnpp-p-144-134-159-51.tmns.net.au / 144.134.159.51
Subject: Chapter 97
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "The Rising Dragons ... continued ..." on 21:09:02 01/20/07 Sat

Chapter 97


Madeline closed the White Room door behind her and stopped for a moment. A Mona Lisa smile enigmatically but fleetingly bowed her mouth as she softly began humming. The melodic sound echoed in the room bouncing off the walls, a strategy she knew would unnerve the stoic figure of Madame Cheung who sat shackled in the centre of the room. Section One’s second-in-command, a specialist in psych analysis, interrogation and torture techniques enjoyed matching wits with the targets and eventually breaking them by any means necessary. Alone with her thoughts, Madeline quietly observed Madame Cheung strapped into the chair in her foreboding domain before proceeding towards the target. Walking across the cold, stark floor her footsteps echoed with each step she took.

With a self belief that she would do what she had to do in order to extract the information about the Rising Dragons for Section's benefit uppermost on her mind, Madeline approached the lone figure of their latest incarcerated triad member. Now at long last Madame Cheung was her latest victim. From what she had observed so far, she knew that this woman would be interesting to say the least and there would be no holds barred. She’d read Michael and Nikita’s debriefs and had viewed the mission tapes. Madeline was well aware of Madame Cheung’s strengths but her forte was finding weaknesses. She left no stone unturned in her pursuit, for it was in so doing that she gained the higher ground, and Madeline had every intention of finding Madame Cheung’s weakness.

Although the triad member had proved to be ruthless, little did she know that Section One’s chief strategist was more so. Madame Cheung was in her domain now, and there would be no escape from her fate there.


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


Madame Cheung sat manacled in the metal chair lost in her thoughts. Reciting the Rising Dragon’s mantra in her mind in some way gave her comfort and strength.


“Death with Honour” its way of life

With motto “Strength by Dare”

Once you yield fear nought … but

When it seeks you, beware!

The Rising Dragon!


She had been in this stark room for some time, but how long she did not know. There was little she could do except wait to see what would happen next. It was obviously some kind of interrogation room as it was devoid of colour and furniture. Her hands were shackled and Madame Cheung had little chance of escape although she’d tried to loosen the restraints on her wrists, but to no avail. No one had entered since two men had placed her in this chair. So she had little choice but to play the waiting game ... then she would know where she stood and what, if any options she had.

Madame Cheung’s steely resolve was exacerbated, particularly when she relived the duplicity of her protégé Nikita.

She had been betrayed by Nikita and her bitterness at her treachery knew no boundaries. Jacques LeDeaux too had deceived her. They had totally fooled her after having won over her confidence. To think that her uncanny wiles had let her down was unforgivable. She had failed to see their subterfuge ... and at no time had she suspected them of being anything other than who they were pretending to be. They had ingratiated themselves into her world of the Rising Dragons for ulterior motives. She had trusted them but they had betrayed her. Now because of their ruse, she was a captive in this place.

She had meant every word uttered to Nikita when she’d been captured. Not only would she need to be wary but Jacques LeDeaux ... Michael ... would also need to be vigilant. When Sun Yee Lok found out about her betrayal at the hands of these individuals, as she knew he would all in good time, then he would seek vengeance as only the triad could ...the triad way. It was her one consolation for her stupidness in being so gullible and being deceived by this slip of a girl who had got under her guard.

As another consequence she had lost face ... not only with herself but with her leader. When Sun Yee Lok found out, he would be merciless in his retribution of her, so whatever she was dealt here in this place of incarceration, would be nothing in comparison to what he would do to her if they should meet once more. She was after all part of his trusted inner circle. How had she been fooled so easily? Betraying the triad was reprehensible and because she had been duped this played more heavily on her mind. It was now perfectly clear that other members of the triad had gone before her and had met a similar fate at the hands of these mercenaries. Sun Yee Lok had been most displeased with the death of Tony Wong but his suspicions had led to another rival triad rather than other foul means. The other deaths had not been suspicious ... Now it was she who was on the receiving end ... one that found her in a predicament ... and one that she may have trouble getting out of.

What was this place? Who were these people and what were their motives?

As her thoughts reverberated in her head Madame Cheung felt a wave of doom course through her body at what her fate might hold. Although she would never show it, she was afraid.


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


Unable to see when someone entered the room because her back was to the door, Madame Cheung was aware she had company. She listened to the sound of the creaking hinges as the door was pushed wider and wider, then came the closure and the clack of a bolt moving into the locked position. Shackled in the chair, she wondered who had entered. The unwavering gait of light footsteps resonated on the flooring as a woman, most probably, came into the room. Then she heard the humming sound. Her eyes narrowed as an expression of determination crossed her face not dissimilar to that of other Triad members who had been Section One’s guests here in the White Room before. Hearing the footsteps draw nearer, Madame Cheung steeled herself for what may come. However, little did she know, but her fate had already been sealed … a fact she would discover shortly.

Madeline stopped behind the target and addressed her back. “Hello, Madame Cheung ... Can I get you anything? ... Some water?”

The woman’s voice chillingly reverberated in the quietness. Madame Cheung’s body tensed. She opened her eyes slowly and focused on the voice that had spoken to her. Saying nothing in reply she just stared down at the floor in defiance.

A wry smile crossed Madeline’s face at her non compliance. Circling the chair in her usual interrogation manner, her next verbal banter began to increase her advantage over Section One’s victim by destroying the subject's defences. “I've looked at your file. ... You present similarly to our other detainees from the Rising Dragons triad. Bright ... well connected ... very attractive, but ruthless ...”

Madeline stoped talking and stood in front of Madame Cheung resolute, determined and unflinching. Eyes as cold as steel never left the woman in her sight and watched her straight-faced and emotionless. They missed nothing. They saw everything. Neither woman flinched as steely looks passed between the two women. Two pairs of cold eyes appraised one another as they sized each other up. Although one woman was in control, the other would never admit defeat and she waited to see how things would pan out with the formidable woman dressed so austerely.

With bravado and venom Madame Cheung hissed in reply, “The triad will seek vengeance.”

Madeline smiled her Mona Lisa smile letting the target know in no uncertain terms who indeed had the upper hand. As she studied her opponent too, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she did not like to be bettered on power games. Her greatest talent was her mind, so if Madame Cheung wanted to play mind games with her she would come off second best.

“Interesting ... but I think not. Tony Wong, Alain Dubois and Oliver Chan ... have been our guests ... All were members of the Rising Dragons... All are dead!”

“The triad is much bigger than the individual. It will atone for the deaths of its members,” Madame Cheung retaliated with as much audacity as her inquisitor.

“Perhaps ... then again ... How will it atone for yours Madame Cheung?”

A cold, piercing stare angrily held Madeline’s gaze.

Madeline scrutinised the hostile watching for any facial movements that would betray that her words had hit a nerve. Bravado by the victim was the first stage of capitulation and Madeline relished the chance to pit her wits against this new adversary. Bit by bit she would wear her down as she always did. Some targets were more obstinate than others but in the end there would only be one winner. After she had finished messing with her mind, acting on her fears, Madame Cheung would wish she had never been born.

Not only was she the one in control but the White Room was her domain after all. No one bettered her perception about people and she had Madame Cheung figured out. The woman was a carbon copy of herself. As Section One’s resident torture expert she definitely had the upper hand. Madeline knew exactly which buttons to push, when to push and how to push them to get the required results. Her cold demeanour allowed her to torture people for information without batting so much as an eyelash. Her methods were succinct, purposeful and she got the job done with as little fuss as possible.

Given her confidence in the face of adversity, Madame Cheung may prove to be difficult. Madeline, however, relished the thought of matching wits with her for there was nothing she liked better.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Play on Text from ... Not Was

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