Chapter 155 -- LFN Storyboard 2

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Date Posted: 07:28:44 03/16/08 Sun
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: NoHost / 124.188.1.184
Subject: Chapter 155
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "The Rising Dragons ... continued ..." on 07:29:54 02/23/08 Sat

Chapter 155

Michael had one thought on his mind as he made swift headway back towards Hong Kong ... he would complete his mission to find Nikita before reporting back in to Section One. He had automatically gone into mandatory refusal for this left him with few options other than to go dark for a while until he found her. Michael had been given no choice in the matter as Operations had refused to allow him to use any of Section�s facilities or time to search for Nikita. Then when he had called in his favour, Operations had reluctantly given him the fifteen days owing to him when backed into a corner.

Although he�d been completely cut off from Section One by orders from Operations, there were always ways and means around his directive. Michael knew Section back the front and could easily make his way in and out if needs be. If by some strange miracle Section heard anything from the kidnappers about Nikita, Michael knew Walter and Birkoff would try and contact him someway or other on an undetected channel. Regardless of what Operations had ordered, Michael knew they would be there if needed for assistance. The two men would certainly make sure that Section�s leader didn�t find out if they were helping him in any way.

Madeline and Operations would not be happy if they found out he was using Section One�s resources or personnel. Although he was a master at deviation from protocol, Michael didn�t want to implicate the two friends. Birkoff and Walter had already helped him with a possible location but he didn�t want to put them in jeopardy anymore than necessary. He would locate Nikita no matter what. With a steely determination and his normal methods of persuasion, he would make sure, one way or the other that Jason Smythe had no choice but to give him the information he wanted on Nikita�s whereabouts.

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

Michael accelerated the SUV wishing that it had wings to fly. Although he made steady progress, the time spent in travelling was an anathema to him. Expediency was a necessity at the moment and the quicker he could find Nikita, the better it would be for all. Armed with the address of one of the kidnappers Michael made his way to the beginning of Route 1. His destination was in Waterloo Road north of Kowloon Tong and towards the Lion Rock Tunnel.

Turning at the intersection with Lai Cheung Road and Ferry Street, he drove east past Nathan Road then proceeded on to a northeast-southwest alignment through the eastern part of Yau Ma Tei. Passing by the wholesale Fruit Market, the abandoned Yaumati Theatre and the Yau Ma Tei Station of MTR, Michael then proceeded on to Mong Kok. When he reached the intersection with Princess Margaret Road, Waterloo Road turned in a northward direction. This was the route Michael took as it was close to the address he was seeking. He cruised along the road and soon arrived at the proposed destination of the kidnapper.

Parking the SUV a short distance from the house, Michael surveyed the perimeter for movement along the street. Although there was a car parked in the driveway, the house looked deserted. He watched for several minutes before approaching the door. Michael knocked once ... but there was no answer. He knocked again and waited. Yet again there was no answer so he peered in the window. What he saw was of some concern. It didn�t look like Jason had been at his house for some time as there seemed to be no presence of it being occupied. Michael�s spirits were somewhat dashed. That could mean one of two things ... Nikita was not here ... this was not the kidnap site or Jason had done a runner. Either way he needed to find something in the house that would help him find where Jason and ultimately Nikita could be found.

This was a quiet neighbourhood and few people passed by. Casting a glance up and down the street Michael made his way around to the back of the house. Breaking the glass of the back door with his clenched, gloved fist, he leaned in and opened the door. He entered with his gun drawn. There were two plates on the table and signs that someone had eaten a meal recently. There were pots on the stove that had clearly bubbled over and the stove top was still warm.

Michael went to the living room and quickly made his way through the house but it was unoccupied. He made his way up the stairs and searched all the rooms but no one was there. It was obvious that whoever was here recently had left in a hurry. Clothes were scattered and the bedrooms were unkempt. Regrettably the location Birkoff had given him was cold, for the house was now abandoned. It looked like Michael had just missed whoever was here but he knew he couldn�t be far behind them.

What now? he thought. Precious time was slipping away and the longer it took to locate Jason Smythe the longer Nikita was in captivity and the longer she was at the mercy of the Rising Dragons.

Making his way downstairs Michael checked for any Intel that may help in locating Jason. He entered a small study where he found a desk littered with papers, a diary and a notice board that contained a series of papers and clippings. Rifling through them he came across an assignment paper with the insignia motto �Sapientia et Virtus� � �wisdom and virtue� � the Latin motto from the prestigious City University of Hong Kong the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. It was apparent that he was a university student at HKU.

Michael declared that these words would come back to haunt Jason Smythe for he had neither wisdom nor virtue. This student had become involved in the dirty work of the Rising Dragons by kidnapping Nikita. He would pay the price for his association with the triad. If her kidnapping was some form of initiation into the triad, there may be other students who were involved as well. University student bodies provided opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities but were more renowned to be the main driving force behind the student activist movement. Jason Smythe, if involved in such a group, would be ripe for the picking by recruitment personnel for the Rising Dragons� triad. His kidnapping of Nikita was probably just the first step to his acceptance into the brotherhood. Jason had made his bed and would have to lie in it for there would be no going back if he�d been recruited by the triad.

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

Michael knew what it was like to become involved in student organisations only too well. Along with some other extremist students of Paris University, he�d formed the radical activist group called "L'Heure Sanguine." Like his fellow student activists, he was so filled with the anger of youth that they had gone too far. There was a bombing during the student protest in Paris. Michael could remember vividly the video of the protest and the British announcer describing the action.

The protest didn't start until everyone had had lunch. But then, the niceties were over ... Students, and their teachers, hit Paris in waves, the largest in the month-long series of demonstrations ... Officially, nearly 3,000 extra riot police turned out to meet them, but some said the number was double. At any rate, they and the students have played this game before. They both knew the rules ...

It was the biggest so far of the recent student demonstrations, a national one called to protest against government plans to reform the universities. But the government has handled it so clumsily that, although the plans are deliberately vague, everyone � left and right � feels threatened. It was mostly the right who turned out today ...

He�d been arrested during those student protests in 1984 and had died in prison ... then his life had changed forever in Section One.

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

Breaking from thoughts of his youth, Michael systematically sought another plan of action. Perhaps Jason had come back to collect an assignment that was due in for assessment today to make things appear as normal as possible. The university wasn�t that far away and although it was a long shot it was something he could check out. At the moment he had few leads to go on, hence it was at the City University of Hong Kong that Michael decided to begin his search once again. Someone would surely know Jason on campus and where to find him. Somebody, somewhere, knew something.

And ... if he were to find Jason Smythe he would surely find his accomplice too.

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

Michael drove past luxurious residential houses on LaSalle and Oxford Road as he made his way to the university in Kowloon Tong. Eventually he came to the university's main campus on Bonham Road and Pok Fu Lam Road. He drove his car along the driveway past red brick British Colonial architecture and pulled the SUV into the parking lot out the front of the administration block. Getting out of the car, he quickly climbed the stairs and entered the university offices.

One of the clerical staff saw the imposing man enter and came to the front desk. �Oh hi ... Can I help you?�

�Hi ... I am hoping that you can help me. I�m looking for my nephew Jason Smythe. He�s a student here. I was wondering if you could give me his current address.�

�I�m sorry sir, but I can�t give out any personal details about our students ... confidentially you know.�

Showering the woman with one of his irresistible smiles Michael asked, �Could you make an exception this one time?�

�Excuse me?�

His eyes held hers as he wove a spell around the woman with his tale. �You see ... this is a family matter ... My sister ... his mother has just died and I have come to Hong Kong especially to tell him in person, but he didn�t know I was coming.�

�I�m sorry to hear that ... I�ll see what I can do but I�ll have to check with my supervisor. Could you wait a moment please?�

�Certainly ...�

Michael watched as the woman singled out another person and spoke rapidly to them while looking in his direction once or twice. Finally the supervisor came to the front desk. �I believe you are looking for Jason Smythe?�

�Yes that�s correct.�

�He�s a fine student ... I only just saw him today.�

�You did?�

�Yes ... He handed in a due assignment and asked for a leave of absence from his studies for personal reasons.�

�Do you know where I can locate him? ... This is most important. I�ve already checked his current address but he was no longer there. Did he say where he could be located?�

�Under the circumstances I would refuse ... but he was obviously in an agitated, distressed state. He needs his family around him at this sad time. One moment please. I�ll check if he left a forwarding address ... it�s a mandatory requirement of this university.�

The supervisor checked his student database and gave Michael the address where he could be found. �Ah ... there you are.�

�Thank you.� Michael replied taking the address from the supervisor.

�My sincere condolences. I hope you find Jason soon.�

�Yes ... so do I.�

�Something was really bothering him today. Perhaps someone has already told him about his mother�s death.�

�Perhaps ... thank you for your assistance.�

Michael turned and quickly strode from the office hoping that the address wasn�t a bogus one and that he was chasing a red herring for Nikita�s life was at stake.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Play on text ... Half Life and TITB

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