Jia took in his meeting with Lotus. He didn't want to and he was none too happy about doing so, but he figured it was better to know what she had to say since she had told me information. I went with Jia that next afternoon and stood by his side as Tai sat in the other chair across from Lotus's desk. Toki was also there as he stood behind Jia and smoked as I stood near Tai. Lotus then spoke once we all settled in.

"I'm glad you came."

"Yeah, so what do you want?"

"Listen Jia, you and I, we have no real reason to fight."

"Okay. Says you."

"Do you want to fight with me?"

"No, I have a thing about fighting with women who are my ex wives."

"How many do you have?"

Jia laughed slightly as did Toki as he said,

"Woman you would be insane to think I have more then one."

"Oh. But seriously, we have no reason to fight."

"Other then your father's friend wants to kill me no, we don't."

"I don't want quarrel between the two of us."

"So call off your uncle."

"Will you please let me finish?"

Jia rolled his eyes as he went into his pockets as Lotus continued.

"I was going to say, I don't want quarrel between the two of us, but you have to understand my own reasons. Couldn't we come to some kind of an agreement?"

"Like what? You get Hong Kong I leave empty handed?"

"I would have to be an idiot to know you would never go for that."

"Good you're not a total dumb female."

"But, I do want some kind of agreement."

"It all depends on what you have in mind. You have to know, right now, that I will not give up or walk away from anything in this country. I worked for it."

"But you did not even want it. My father bribed you into it."

"A poor bribe actually."

Jia was cruel when he had to be. Though he really didn't have to be right now, he was. I saw a sting of pain flash through Lotus's eyes as she looked down at her finely groomed nails and said,

"Was I that poorly of a bribe?"

Jia turned away as he had his cigarette lit by Toki's hand and then he exhaled as he said,

"You get me wrong. I wasn't talking about you. Your father couldn't bribe me well enough."

Lotus looked up slightly as she said,

"What would you want in order for all this to end without blood shed?"

"Well see that can't be done now."

"Why? You just said you were willing to an agreement."

"I am. But that doesn't take back the fact that last night someone shot at me and my people during dinner."

Lotus looked genuinely surprised as she said,

"But...how?"

"Guns usually do it."

"That's not what I mean. I mean how could bofu get anyone to go after you?"

"I don't know. Don't care. Whatever you had in mind cannot, not include blood shed now. It has to be done."

"Why?"

"I already told you. Don't be dense."

"You would kill whatever I have left."

"Hey! Don't bring it back on me like I'm the bad guy here. I own this land, buy and sell it a million times if I please, I earned it, own by LAW even, I had to go through four lines and linage, war, hell and back and even ties with the fucking Teo Chiu and an ex wife I didn't want in the first place. I'm not the one that tempted me to come all the way over here so I could continue doing battle in MY territory because some old bastard and a bitter woman could continue fucking with me! So don't you bring that I would kill what you have left bullshit because if you want the truth, YES. I would kill anyone and anything even remotely resembling a Kenimin and frankly I'm starting to regret leaving you alive in first fucking place!"

Lotus flinched back. I could see tears rising to her eyes as she fought to keep them back. She then cleared her throat and said,

"I have nothing to offer you Jia."

"Then why are you wasting my time?"

Jia stood up, Tai following as he then put out his cigarette in the ash tray on the corner of the desk. He then said,

"I'm going to end this as soon as possible. You cross me, now or anytime in the future and I'll bury you too."

He then turned and left, the rest of us following.

It was harsh and Jia was unapologetic about it. He didn't care. We all gathered in Jia's apartment that night as he said,

"This meeting with Lotus was a waste of time."

He took off his coat as he sat down on his sofa, everyone else standing near the edge of the living room, except Toki who was laying down, putting his head down on Jia's lap, a cigarette still in hand. Jia only looked away from us for a moment as he took off the bandanna Toki was wearing as he ran his fingers through that dark hair. He then looked back at us as he continued.

"The woman doesn't see what she caused. She pissed me off finally that I have all cause and reason to get rid of her if I so pleased. Stephen's the only one left anyway and he's in Vegas so he's of no problem to me. Just this one and Xiao Na."

"So you think we should act on Xiao Na now?" Asked Tai.

"Hai. He already made his move. He's expecting retaliation and I say let's give it to him."

Aoki then lit his cigarette, his arm dropping down beside him as he put his lighter in his pocket and said,

"So what should we do?"

"You can take care of it. You are all professionals."

Toki turned from his side and laid on his back as he looked up at Jia and said,

"I should go too."

"No."

"Why not? It's work man. The best shit I'm good at."

Jia sighed as he said,

"Fine if you want."

Toki sat up, his hair falling back in place as he ran his hand through it and then picked up his bandanna and said,

"I'll be back later tonight."

He leaned down, kissing Jia quickly before he left with the rest of us.

We didn't have usual partners. Mine was in New York wounded, Mikkie's was tending to him and that left the usual. Tai and Gabriel, who were no longer on any terms but partner/business like Akio and myself, Aoki and Aya who were still, apparently together, Mikkie, Toki and myself since Jia was not working. There was three of us left after the usual four broke into pairs and Mikkie said,

"Toki you could work on your own."

"I was gonna say that anyway."

Toki then checked his gun as we all did before we split up in different directions. And went through Hong Kong.

Mikkie and I went through our part of the city quietly. I missed being around Mikkie and for some reason, looking at him now, I saw he was different. Not some radical change that could be seen by anyone, but something else. He seemed more relaxed, though still alert in his job. He looked younger, his face more clearly visible, his skin so damn white it was almost see through. I tried not to stare now that I could see him better as we walked. Every now and then we got calls from everyone else tracking where places Xiao Na was and where he could be. I stopped for a moment to light a cigarette after a while as Mikkie sighed and said,

"You shouldn't smoke so much."

"Too late for that now."

"You really do look like Aoki now."

I shrugged, getting use to hearing that as we continued walking. We both got to a near by restaurant as we went inside. We both sat down to get something to eat since it wasn't too late into the night. Everyone gave us strange looks but we paid them no mind. Mikkie ordered some tea and a serving of soup as I had jus a drink. As we waited for the order to come through, more people came in. I looked over at them from over Mikkie's shoulder. I didn't say anything and looked back down at the table as I toyed with my napkin. Mikkie then took a sip of his water as he said,

"How many?"

"Four."

He nodded as he set his glass down and then set his cell phone on the table. I watched the four that came in last and went to a far away table near the corner. A few moments later, our order came back as Mikkie then looked at the small bowl of soup. He stirred it but never took a sip. Same with his tea. It made me suspicious of my own drink as he said,

"Don't drink it."

"I don't plan to."

He nodded continued stirring the small bowl, his spoon clacking against the sides every now and then in a soft mellow ting. After about twenty minutes, Mikkie then looked at me as he said,

"Ready to go?"

"Yup."

I put my hands in my pocket as I paid the bill, also checking for my switch blade in the process, feeling the other knife I had in there that had managed to cut off a chunk of my hair the other night. I then paid the bill as Mikkie got his cell phone and we got up and left without another word. Once we were outside, Mikkie said,

"Watch your back."

I turned to see the four coming out behind us as I palmed my blade in my hand and then turned back around. They circled us as one of them said something in Chinese. The other laughed as Mikkie and I stood motionless and stern. One of them reached out to touch Mikkie's face and that's when Mikkie reacted, grabbing his hand, twisting upwards with a sickening crack as he turned the guy around and pushed his arm against his back. The guy cried out in pain and Mikkie had barely blinked as he went into his pocket and withdrew his gun. I took out my own at the other two as they stepped back and did nothing. Mikkie then said,

"I'm sure you can understand pretty clearly of what's going on now."

Mikkie cracked the guys wrist as he let him go and said,

"Touch me again and I'll break your arm."

The guy fell to his knees as I kept the other two at bay. Mikkie then said to me,

"You ready to go?"

"Yup. Let's go."

We both began to back away slowly as we headed to another direction.

It was close to two thirty that morning when we got a call from Toki. We headed over to the business district of Victoria as we saw everyone else had already gathered there. Toki then said,

"Xiao Na's place."

"This isn't the same building as before." I said,

"Nah, the first place was Kenimin's, which is why Lotus was there. This is Xiao Na's building."

"No point in everyone going in." Said Tai.

Aoki and Toki smirked at each other as Toki said,

"Let's get it goin."

They both started going inside as Tai sighed and said,

"Gabriel, Jo, Mikkie, back those two up. We'll be out here if anything."

We nodded as we went in after them. We only got as far as the lobby when we heard a scream. The three of us stopped for a moment as the elevator doors closed behind Lotus and Xiao Na. Toki and Aoki followed, guns pointing as Lotus stood in front of Xiao Na. She begged them not to shoot him. Aoki and Toki just looked at each other as Toki said,

"You better move. We won't ask again."

"You can't shoot him. Please...he's all I have left."

"He ain't even real blood."

"He's all I have."

Xiao Na, grabbed her shoulder as he tried to force her out of the way, but she wouldn't budge. Toki rolled his eyes as he said,

"Fuck it."

He and Aoki took a shot a piece. Toki's shot hit Lotus, making her fall as Aoki's hit Xiao Na. Aoki's shot was direct, killing Xiao Na almost instantly. But Lotus was still alive. We all went around her as Gabriel said,

"What should we do?"

"Call an ambulance?" I said.

"Nah, fuck it. I told the bitch to move." Said Toki.

He then stepped over her as he said,

"Come on. Let's be out."

We started to leave and I looked down at Lotus. She held her injured side and I felt bad for her. I didn't want to leave her here...but I didn't really have a choice either. She was an enemy after all. Female or not she was still a Kenimin. She should have moved. It was all I kept thinking as I looked down at her, watching as blood started to pool around her. She should have moved. Why didn't she move? I finally took a step back as the puddle started getting bigger and I turned and left with my associates.