Chapter 159 -- LFN Storyboard 2

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Date Posted: 10:46:36 04/13/08 Sun
Author: taurus2124
Author Host/IP: CPE-124-188-0-230.nsw.bigpond.net.au / 124.188.0.230
Subject: Chapter 159
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "The Rising Dragons ... continued ..." on 02:14:32 04/06/08 Sun

Chapter 159

Jason Smythe had served his purpose.

It had been easy to extract the location where Nikita was being held for Jason had capitulated easily when he�d seen what had happened to his friend Simon Leung. He had given Michael all the information he needed as to Nikita�s whereabouts as well as spiling the beans on how they had kidnapped her and why. However, once armed with the Intel he required, Michael knew he would be pushing to make the address where Nikita was held captive by nightfall. He had to travel from the New Territories in the north to the southern most Peninsula of Hong Kong Island. Hence, due to the tyranny of distance, his main concern was that he wasn�t too late to rescue her before the triad tried to extract information she may know about them.

Michael vowed to do whatever it took and however long it took to find her. Nikita would risk everything to save him if the situation was reversed and he could do no less for her. He had fifteen days. He didn�t want to waste one moment.

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

The address Jason had divulged was in the beautiful seaside fishing village of Stanley. Located on the isthmus of Hong Kong Island's southernmost headland, it was a sleepy, beach hollow famous for its covered market and Dragon Boat races. Although Michael had driven like the wind, it had taken him some eight hours or so to drive from the north of the country to Stanley. But he didn�t care; he had only one purpose in mind ... to rescue Nikita. Jason had said that she was in a residential area behind the Temple of the Queen of Heaven and Protector of Seafarers ... the Tin Hau Temple. It was here Michael hoped to find something concrete with which to start or indeed end his search for Nikita. His wish was that she would still be there, but if not, perhaps Nikita may have been able to leave a clue as to her whereabouts if she�d been moved.

Michael drove along Stanley Beach Road and headed into the fishing village. At Stanley Market Road, he passed the large open air marketplace well known for its bargains. There were many stalls selling ready made clothing such as silk garments and traditional Chinese dress. Further on people were milling around the many toys available, while arts and craft ornaments, luggage and souvenirs were well patronized. It was a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike drawn there by the cheap goods that would usually fetch a much higher price elsewhere. Keeping a keen eye on the people as he passed, Michael scanned the faces looking for one that he might recognise, but alas to no avail.

Heading west he drove down Stanley Main Street close to Stanley Bay, where a host of western style bars and restaurants lined the waterfront. Many people were enjoying the ambiance of the picturesque scenery of the sea front while cultivating an atmosphere of European panache by al fresco dining on the pavement in the evening air. Cruising along the main road Michael was vigilant. He scrutinized the diners as he drove slowly past looking for those familiar faces he would never forget. Thinking that he saw a couple dining that looked like Steven Ma and Karen Ho, he slowed down to make sure. When they glanced his way, Michael sped up again realising he�d been mistaken. The couple were not who he was looking for.

Driving to the outskirts of the city, he headed towards the Tin Hau Temple, one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong. This was the time of the year for the Tuen Ng Festival in the region. As he came closer Michael saw many of the local population gathered around the shrine while others were congregating at the temple with candlelight. There appeared to be some sort of pilgrimage to the Goddess of the sea. It was a tradition of the fishermen and their families to make wishes to Tin Hau in order to protect them from dangerous seas and to reward them with a bountiful catch. The locals were also obviously praying for success in the Dragon Boat Championship races that were held at Stanley Main Beach each year to celebrate the festival.

It was to his advantage that so many of the locals were at the temple tonight. His movements in his search for Nikita would now go unobserved while so many people were occupied elsewhere. Michael drove on to the huge residential estate behind the temple. This area was of importance to him, for it was here, somewhere, that Nikita was being held hostage by the triad.

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

In the older part of the village Michael eventually arrived at the address Jason had given him of her containment. Parking the SUV a short distance away he got out of the car and quickly surveyed the area. It was dark and he merged into the dimly lit street easily. Double-checking the number, the house he was looking for was just up the street from his parked van. Wasting no time he swiftly ran along the pavement with the finesse of a jaguar in flight. Michael�s fluid movements were poetry in motion. His heels clipped his backside as he ran towards the house. Once again he observed his surroundings, then, with his weapon drawn, he cautiously entered the residence as quietly as a shadow.

Although the house looked old and dilapidated from the outside and appeared as if it had been unoccupied for some time that was far from the truth. There was evidence on the ground level that someone had been there of late but they had left recently as well. Obviously Nikita must have been moved. Michael explored the house going from room to room looking for any evidence as to who may have her or where they may have taken her. The search didn't take him long but unfortunately he came up empty handed. Judging by the state of the rooms, Michael ascertained that he couldn�t be that far behind them. Somewhat despondent that he hadn�t been able to get here quick enough to rescue Nikita, his foot accidentally dislodged the rug covering the floor. To his surprise it revealed a hidden trap door.

Bending down he lifted up the hatch, lowered the stairs and quickly made his way down. As he did so a rat suddenly scurried over his foot and he jerked back. Michael hoped that Nikita had not been subjected to any rats. Her fear and abhorrence for the rodents was the one thing that she detested above all else. He listened intensely, but whoever had been here had long gone. In their obvious haste they had forgotten to turn off all the lights and he was able to see for himself the place where Nikita had been held prisoner. What Michael saw was a makeshift cot in the corner and he made his way over to it. Gliding his fingers over the pillow he saw what looked like blood stains there. Remembering the conversation in the woods between Jason and Simon, Michael was confronted with the reality of what her kidnappers had done. The blood stains confirmed that Nikita indeed had been held hostage at this house and what they had told him was true ... he had the evidence that she had been injured.

She�d been hit on the head and the discovery of her blood on the bedding made Michael seethe inside. He looked around and on further discovery saw surveillance equipment and a glassed wall. This was most unusual but as he looked closer he realised that Nikita had been kept under close observation. He noticed a trail of dry blood droplets that had fallen to the floor. Jason had admitted to shooting Nikita with his gun. Michael followed the trail ... they led to another set of iron stairs and he walked down them.
At the bottom he discovered another room that was locked from the outside.

Time held no meaning for him at this point. Michael didn�t know what was beyond that door but he suddenly needed to know. He fired his gun at the locked door. It splintered everywhere. Forcefully he then kicked it open and entered. It was obvious they had intended to keep Nikita prisoner here for some time as the room was basic with the bare necessities with a bed in one corner. Michael saw the rumpled bedding and thoroughly searched the bed for any clues. He lifted up the pillow then looked under the bed to see if Nikita had left anything at all that would lead to her captors� identity ... but found nothing.

Turing around his eyes thoroughly scanned the room, then the floor and Michael noticed that there were marks on the floorboards. It looked like Nikita had been dragged from the room. Bending down to study them closely he saw the scuff marks of two sets of muddy footprints. One was large ... obviously the imprint of a male and the second was smaller ... petite even. Putting two and two together he came up with the only conclusion that he could ... a woman was somehow involved. If, as he thought, it was Karen Ho that was involved in Nikita�s kidnapping, then her boyfriend Steven Ma was too. His suspicions were substantiated when he noticed something in the corner near the bed that had been dropped unnoticed on the floor. Bending down Michael picked up some embossed matches. He examined them flicking the small package over and read The Triangle nightclub.

His suspicions were confirmed. Somebody had been here ... but who? Was it her neighbour or had Any Koo been here as well? Either way he had concrete proof that someone from the nightclub had been involved in Nikita�s capture and hostage incarceration.

There wasn't anything more he could do here.

Michael put the matches into his pocket and climbed the stairs. He knew he would need to begin his hunt in earnest starting with her neighbour Karen Ho. The message Karen had left on Nikita�s answering machine had said that she was going on another business trip ... this had obviously been it. Perhaps he could catch her unawares at her apartment. Karen would not know that he knew of her involvement in Nikita�s captivity. And now having found a clue here that implicated her, Steven ... and Andy Koo, Michael knew that if Karen was to have an alibi it was logical that she would have to return to her apartment as if nothing had happened.

When he found her he would find Nikita.

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

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