Cho Chan Li was not used to those he protected resenting him. Usually they were grateful for their lives. He had never had one who would sooner run from him then be protected by him. Miss Sounder would always run. He could see it now, in the way her eyes darted around, that she was looking for an escape. How was he to honor his promise if she ran from him? She wasn't that easy to find, if she got away from him he couldn't guarantee he would find her in time again.
The logical step was to plant a tracker on her but she had powerful enemies that might be able to trace that. The next logical step was to take her hostage. Once the thought entered his mind he figured his next move was to incapacitate her. He didn't want to hurt her. Before she could think about what he was doing he had her hands zip tied in front of her.
She would still be able to run, if she relied on him, but she wouldn't be able to go far without him. Her life was on the line. He knew her well enough to know she would be sensible.
He was proved correct when she didn't fight, just turned and walk/ran behind him, allowing him to pull her along.
"What do you think you will accomplish by doing this?" I demanded.
"In short, You will live." He said.
He had a very good point, but, at what cost.
"I would rather die." I spoke under my breath. I knew he heard, but didn't respond.
"Why are you here?"
He remained silent. He wouldn't look at me. Obviously he was not used to being questioned. Well I wasn't used to being ignored.
It suddenly occurred to me to wonder how he even knew I was in trouble. In trouble enough to come and find me. It's been months since we had left Shanghai. His contract was up. He wasn't responsible for my safety any longer.
"My brother called you!" The realization came quickly.
He stiffened slightly. That was as good as confirmation.
"Why would Alec call you?"
"I owe him." He said simply
I have had extensive training in reading people. Far more then even the Americans F.B.I profilers. I was talented. I wasn't bragging, that was the description my trainers used. Most of it was by instinct. Even so, Li was always hard to read.
He dragged me away, crisscrossing through the main streets until the map in my head was a muddled mess.
"Where are you taking me?"
Li had draped his jacket over my bound hands so as to not draw attention. He stopped suddenly and pulled out a cheap flip phone from the inside pocket.
"Are you well?" He asked as he dialed a ten digit number from memory.
He looked up at me when I didn't answer. I just nodded my head. I was out of breath. He was barely winded.
"We will be able to stop soon." He said.
I wondered what his definition of soon was. I was nearly dead on my feet after the day I had had. I soon realize we were far from being out of danger. Two more assassins came at us once we had left the main streets. Cho placed me out of harms way and approached the two.
He flowed so freely from one form to another. All moves blended together like an intricate melody, so finely tuned and in balance with each other. He almost appeared to be flying. My fondest dream of flying , it seems, had come to life in a form I detested. An art of combat that trains how to not only disable your opponent but to kill them with ease.
He was a killer, a warrior, a hero. It didn't matter what word or prejudice you used, he still encompassed everything that I was a hundred percent against. He had also just saved my life. That was very frustrating. I didn't want to die but I didn't want anyone else to, either. Especially because of me.
This was my worst nightmare come to life in front of my eyes. I had refused to be protected for that very reason. I hid my eyes but couldn't help looking back. I could have called him if I had wanted his help. I hadn't. I ran away. Still, here he was, doing just what I feared; killing or being killed for my sake.
I breathed a sigh of relief when
the second assassin, realizing how badly he was out matched, turned and ran.
My...hero...turned to me.
"That was very foolish." He said with a deadpan face.
I knew he was referring to trying to handle things on my own. I didn't know how to answer.
"Perhaps." That's as much as I was willing to admit. He seemed satisfied with it. He nodded his head and grabbed my arm and lead me away.
"Wait, is he alive?" I gestured to the inert form on the pavement.
He barely paused. "He will live."
He pocketed the flip phone. He hadn't let it go the entire time. Had carelessly fought with it still in his hand. My mind had a hard time processing how easy it was for him.
I also wondered who he had tried to call. I didn't think he knew anyone in England but I didn't really know him that well. He had been my bodyguard for three years but I knew next to nothing about him.
I grew up in Shanghai, went to school there, had a life there, felt safe there. Then when I was heading into secondary school something changed. With the change came Cho Chan Li and a life I had come to resent. But with the absence of Cho Chan Li came danger, my life uprooted, and my parents gone.
"Ah… were you calling someone for help?" I asked finally.
He had guided me safely to an old run down house on the outskirts of the big town. Didn't look like many lived around here. I just saw stray cats and a mangy old dog.
"No. I am the help. More people bring more problems."
"Than….?" I gestured to the phone that was now in his pocket. Prompting him with as little of words as possible.
" You don't need to worry about that."
" Worried? Who's worried I'm not worried." I faked nonchalance with a light laugh.
I swear I saw a slight smile appear for a split second. I dismissed it as an illusion on my part. Li didn't smile. He didn't smirk. He didn't even grimace when in pain or when passing gas. (And that was me assuming he did have normal human digestive functions).
Li finally was kind enough to cut the ties from my wrists. I rubbed the raw feeling away. Tried to start circulation flowing freely once more. Li glanced at the red marks. I think he looked guilty, but he was just so hard to read.
"One hour. Then I am getting you out of the country." He said flatly.
"Why an hour?"
"That's how long it will take the choppers to get here."