~Prologue~ “...And may the good Lord be waiting as the gates of heaven open wide to accept our dear sister. Amen.” The spindly priest’s voice was barely audible amidst the gusts of wind and pelting rain. Water drizzled off the canopy that had been put up, in anticipation of the storm, to offer protection to the attendees; a futile effort at best. A small group of mourners gathered around the open grave, bowing their heads in silence as Father Robert closed his bible and stepped back, indicating that he had completed what he had come to do. His eyes bore into the crowd as if he were searching for something; but what? Although he had never met the deceased, he had been a long time friend of her uncle who had entered his church asking for help after immigrating from China twenty years ago. The priest knew that there was a small population of Catholics in China, but he never dreamed one of them would find his way into his small congregation. Curious to learn more about the conditions of Chinese Catholics and duty bound to help those in need, Father Robert eagerly took the family under his wing and soon developed a genuine affection for them as their population slowly increased in number over the years. The deceased was Li Rong, a Chinese woman in her thirties who was to join her husband, who had immigrated three years earlier to join his family, but had disappeared after leaving China. There had been rumors about where she was and why she had disappeared ranging from ‘she met someone while traveling and ran away with him’ to ‘she had become a vampire and was killed by a blonde American’. Father Robert had heard them all, but the latter raised his curiosity. What would cause such a rumor to start? He made a brief visit to the funeral home to inspect Li Rong’s young, emaciated body. He noticed the scars on her wrists and one at the nape of her neck and questioned the doctor, who explained them away as scabs from living in an unclean environment for an extended period of time; or perhaps she fell asleep in a rat infested alley and was bitten. The doctor did say that her blood seemed tainted, but there was no sign of drugs and so he concluded that it was from eating garbage or rodents. There seemed nothing that would indicate that she had been anything more than a beautiful Chinese woman who had taken a wrong path in life and literally starved to death. Father Robert had developed a stronger understanding about Chinese culture over the years and their powerful ties to ancestral tradition. Because of this, he was as surprised as his Chinese comrades at the alarming amount of women from China who seemed to be running away before they would reach their final destination and the arms of their awaiting loved ones. It seemed almost epidemic. Something in his gut told him that there was more to it than simply Western ways reaching and influencing these women; and it had a sinister feel to it. He had prayed for clarity, but received no answer that could shed light on the situation. The wind seemed almost angry as it howled amongst the thick oak trees that afforded a small amount of protection to the endless rows of ancient headstones. Flowers escaped the confines of their tightly woven arrangements and swirled through the air, riding on the closed casket as it was slowly lowered into the ground. Father Robert adjusted the collar of his black trench coat in preparation for his drudge across the cemetery to the dry warmth of rectory. He looked briefly at the figure of a man making his way across the cemetery toward them and sighed. Normally he would wait and offer comfort to late arrivals, but he was cold and wet and his head was beginning to pound to the point he felt it would burst. He wanted nothing more than to be dry and warm with a cup of hot Earl Grey tea. With a parting nod to the remaining mourners, he stiffened his body against the pelting rain and steadied his umbrella in preparation for the rapidly increasing wind and then made his leave. An elderly Chinese woman shifted uncomfortably while the crowd around her slowly dispersed. Strands of long gray hair had escaped her tightly wound bun and her rain-soaked, thick legging-like stockings were beginning to sag along her calves; but she seemed not to notice. As if mesmerized, she focused on the slow moving casket until she heard the “thud” that indicated it had reached the bottom of the neatly dug grave before raising her gaze to the late arrival. Dave walked slowly across the well groomed cemetery toward the dispersing group. He wore a Fedora that was pulled down low over his eyes, completely covering his close cropped blonde hair and had flipped his coat collar upward in a way that allowed him to burrow his chiseled face, making it barely visible. This gave him the ability to not only ward of the stinging pelts of rain, but maintain a small amount of anonymity. His strong hands clutched the remnants of a flower bouquet that had suffered the storm’s as he made his way to Li Rong’s grave. He saw no one that might know him amongst the remaining mourners, but he still decided to stop far enough away to keep him from being recognized, just in case; he was in no mood to converse and explain who he was and why he was here. The old woman stared in his direction. Dave did not know her, but felt a small comradeship with her that he could not place. Was she related to Li Rong? Although old with deep set wrinkles, her face still had the remnants of the beauty she once was and he thought he could see a resemblance. Or, was she more than just a mourning relative? Did this old woman know who he was? He searched her hooded eyes for answers but they, as well as her face, were an unreadable stone image. Two workmen strode rapidly through the rain with their cart of tools and started to shovel dirt onto the coffin, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there were still mourners mingling around it. When Dave moved closer, one of them tapped the other on his shoulder and motioned for him to stop and leave the grave site. The worker reluctantly put his shovel down and backed away with a dark scowl covering his face. His co-worker opened an umbrella and tipped it forward to offer the disgruntled grave digger some small amount of shelter from the thick, cold pellets of rain. “Don’t these folks know it’s raining? It seems to me they would want to get out of this shit and into a warm house. I know I do.” The disgruntled worker’s voice carried to the straggling attendees and, with a look of disdain, they slowly made their way toward their cars; leaving the Asian woman and Dave as the sole attendees. “Hush now and have some respect for the dead, will ya? We’ll be done soon enough.” The co-worker pulled his hooded coat over his hat in an effort to provide greater protection from the storm. A native of Phoenix, with its arid climate, he was still trying to adjust to the New York’s ever changing cold and wet weather. Trying to perform a funeral service in such an unpredictable climate was something they had not experienced prior to coming to the east coast. He sympathized with his co-worker, but death was not something that could be scheduled for a sunny day and it was always a crap shoot with the weatherman. They knew this when they took the job. And besides, they got paid extra for inclement weather. Dave moved past the huddled grave diggers and stood at the grave opening. Looking down at the casket through teary eyes, he fell to his knees and gently placed the remnants of the bouquet of flowers on top of it; ignoring the sensation of the old woman’s eyes burrowing into his back. Forgetting about his desire for anonymity, Dave pulled his hat from his head and wiped a stray tear as it coursed its way down his cheek. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. If only I had been... if only... Oh God, why... “She is safe now.” The old Chinese woman’s voice was just as emotionless as her face. Dave watched through red rimmed eyes as she turned and silently picked her way through the ancient headstones in the older part of the cemetery until she had made her way over the small mound in the distance and disappeared. ~One~ You could hear a pin drop in the studio as Dave listened intently while his instructor, Li, addressed the class that sat in neatly defined rows as it gave him its utmost attention. He smiled as he recalled the first time he had met Li, ten years earlier. It was early evening and Dave was seventeen and feeling his need for independence. He had just had an argument with his parents about this fact. He was in his final days of high school and his parents wanted him to focus on college, while he wanted some time to discover who he was and what he wanted in life. He felt it was time to strike out on his own, at least for the summer, and discover new people, places and things. His parents, on the other hand, felt that he should be selecting a college and a career. The fact of the matter was that he did not know what he wanted to do with his life. He had been working part-time over the years at the local gym to pay for his lessons in martial arts after his father had lost his job and become disabled and the household budget no longer allowed those types of extras. He thrived on the physical discipline and the gym had offered him a full time position as a personal trainer; all he had to do was study for and take the test. His parents had visions of him moving into a career with, as his father put it, more substance. He was deep in thought and brooding yet another argument over the same topic as he attempted to walk off some of his frustration and he walked straight into Li, who was coming out of his uncle’s Kung Fu studio. Dave excused himself and kept going. Li stood watching Dave before he crossed the street and walked in the same direction. As Dave turned the corner a searing pain pierced his temple as a set of brass knuckles slammed into his head. He fought to keep his senses about him while a small group of thugs circled around him. Li stopped and watched intently. Blood was visibly trickling down Dave’s face as he positioned his body for combat. It was obvious to Li that Dave had been trained in Kung Fu and, although his style was unusual, he showed skill and promise as he fought off an occasional attack from the circling thugs. A couple walked past them, slowed down enough to see what was happening, and then moved on, apparently disinterested. Li hesitated. He was still new in the country and wanted to keep a low profile but he was unaccustomed and even surprised by this type of apathy he had just witnessed by the young couple. And so, shaking his head in disbelief, he moved in a cat-like motion across the street. In a flash he was positioned next to Dave. “What are you after, fried rice?”, someone in the group shouted. The others joined in with more taunts and laughter as the circle tightened. Their leader held up his fists in preparation for battle. He was excited to have the opportunity to display his fighting skills against the Chinese man. “Maybe he wants some of this? Is that it fried rice; do you want to play?” Li showed no emotion as the leader moved forward and punched toward Li. Li blocked and kick-ed him in the face with incredible accuracy and force sending him crashing down with lightening speed. The other thugs growled their threats as they moved forward. Dave paused briefly to acknowledge Li and coiled for action. But, before he knew what was happening, Li had taken down the rest of the thugs and they lay in a heap on the pavement. Dave shook his head in amazement. “Are you alright?” Although Li’s accent was strong, his command of the English language was very good. Dave grabbed his outstretched hand and shook it. “Thanks, man.” “I think you need the hospital.” “I think I need to learn to fight like you!” Dave was not new to the world of martial arts, in fact, he had been taking it for years, but he had never been taught to move like Li had done; nor had he ever seen anyone move like that; and he wanted to learn. “I saw you coming out of the Kung Fu studio a few blocks back. Are you an instructor there? Tell me yes and I’ll enroll right now.” Li grinned and nodded. He had just emigrated from China and was assisting at the studio that was owned by his uncle. He walked with Dave and answered his questions and, true to his word, Dave became a student the very next day. It was not long before Dave earned status as the star student and was paired up with Li for demonstrations to new groups. Li was an easy five inches shorter than Dave, and his wiry physique looked to be no match against Dave’s muscular, Nordic-type, body. Dave stood before Li, certain that he had learned enough to show him he was his equal. This was an arrogant misconception that he would live to regret. What Li lacked in size, he more than made up with style and wit and it was not long before Dave was duly humbled. As time progressed, the two were paired together more and more by Li’s uncle and eventually learned each other’s style, strengths and weaknesses. Their mutual respect for each other’s abilities grew steadily as they formed a strong and solid friendship. The students sat in a relaxed group on the floor, listening intently to Li’s soft, confident voice. “You do not have to rely on physical build, but on a logical sequence of movements. Of course, speed is important, but no matter how hard you train or work to improve, there will always be someone bigger than you, stronger than you, or faster than you. You can overcome your opponent’s superiority by applying these principles of speed. If you can not overcome your opponent with one principle of speed, you can beat him with another. There is the speed of traveling, the speed of distance, the speed of readiness and the speed of reaction” Li paused and surveyed the faces of his students before continuing. “Now, the speed of traveling is when speed can be calculated in feet per seconds; through a punch or a kick. The speed of distance is the theory that the straight line between two points is the shortest distance; therefore, punching straight is shorter and quicker than a hook punch or a swing.” Li searched the room with is eyes until he found Dave. He smiled devilishly and motioned for Dave to come up to the front of the room. Dave obeyed and got into position without being asked and Li continued on with his demonstration. “You do not have to rely on physical build, but on a logical sequence of movements. Of course, speed is important, but no matter how hard you train or work to improve, there will always be someone bigger than you, stronger than you, or faster than you. You can overcome your opponent’s superiority by applying these principles of speed. If you can not overcome your opponent with one principle of speed, you can beat him with another. There is the speed of traveling, the speed of distance, the speed of readiness and the speed of reaction” Li paused and once again surveyed the faces of his students to measure their comprehension before continuing. “To bring your foot with a roundhouse kick to the head covers a greater distance than a shorter and quicker punch to the head.” Dave responded quickly to block Li’s powerful kicks. “It is typical to cock back your leg or arm before executing a movement.”, Li continued. This wastes valuable time in the extra motion and it clues your opponent on your next move.” Li demonstrated again with Dave. “When your power is not generated just by the moving hand or leg, there is no need to cock. You use the other side of your body to pull back as you rotate to push out the punch or kick simultaneously. This is what we call the speed of readiness. People spend most of their time practicing until they are good with all these techniques, but in true combat, the application is not priority. This is because the proper reflexes and feeling of balance were not developed. You can train and fight with yourself all day long, but unless you apply the techniques with another person, you will not get very far. A fight requires at least two people.” Li bowed to Dave, who reciprocated the gesture before returning to the back of the room. Li motioned for the group to rise and then paired them off. They bowed to each other and began to practice what Li and Dave had demonstrated to them. Li walked around the room, slowly; stopping on occasion to provide some one-on-one instruction. The group had an odd count for attendance, leaving an enormous man standing on the side of the room who was in need of a partner. Dave groaned as Li motioned him to partner up with the student. As Dave moved in position with the lone student, he felt a surge of energy projecting from this enormous man who, if Dave did not know better, had the blood of Goliath running through his veins. He swallowed and looked over at Li with uncertainty. Li maintained a stone look on his face as he methodically walked around the room, seemingly not noticing Dave’s distressed glowering. Resigning himself to the situation Dave bowed to his opponent and positioned his body. Li clapped his hands and they began. Li had a pleased look in his eye as he watched Dave’s agile, muscular body move with style and grace against the aggressiveness of his gigantic opponent. Dave entered the neighborhood diner and eased himself onto the stool at the counter. The waitress nodded in his direction as he gave a slight wave. She poured a cup of coffee and silently slipped it in front of him while she examined his face more closely. “That looks like it might hurt, honey.” She cupp-ed Dave’s chin in her hand as she surveyed the bruises on his jaw and temple. “I’m alright. But some ice wouldn’t hurt.” “Good idea.” Li entered the diner in time to witness the exchange between Dave and the waitress. Since the day he met Dave, he had marveled over how women were drawn to him. The fact that Dave was handsome was the main factor, of course., but it seemed like it was more than that; as if he held some magic spell over the female species. He need only enter a room and they were at his mercy. The waitress disappeared into the kitchen and Li gently slapped Dave on his back before easing himself onto the stool next to him. “You look like hell, my friend.” Dave scowled. “Are you hungry? I ordered steak... raw.” The waitress returned with ice wrapped in a towel and gently helped Dave position it over his temple. She smiled sheepishly at Li before scurrying off to fetch him a cup of coffee. Li chuckled and shook his head as he watched the waitress blush when she dropped a cup. “You were up to it. You just need more confidence. I believe in you man. You need to believe in you too.” Dave rolled his eyes as he listened to Li give him the standard speech he used on his newer students. Dave was anything but insecure with his knowledge and abilities. Knowing this, Li would deliberately antagonize him with such comments. It was Li’s form of amusement and Dave had stopped trying to impress upon him years ago that he did not find this type of nudging humorous. Li touched Dave’s chin and Dave winced. “That son-of-a-bitch wanted to kill you.” Dave’s chuckle had a sarcastic ring. “So, you noticed? It was a damn good thing he didn’t know what he was doing. He is one crazy bastard!” “That is why no one ever wants to pair up with him.” Li grinned. “And you knew this?” Dave growled in surprise. Li gave his good friend and star student a familiar pat on the back. “You have come a long way over the last few years.” Dave grumbled to himself, refusing to take the bait and encourage Li with his twisted sense of humor. It was good to see his good buddy in such a feisty mood. It had been a long time since he had seen Li smile, let alone show his devilish, teasing side. After Li’s uncle had been involved in an accident that resulted in the loss of one of his eyes, Li had been quiet and sullen most of the time. “You’re pretty chipper these days. It’s nice to have you back, buddy.” “Thanks. Now, I have something to show you.” Li reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope that contained the most recent letter and picture sent to him by his Chinese fiancé. He gently laid the picture on the counter and slid it in front of Dave. “Hey, man, she’s beautiful.” Dave could not have been more serious. His friendship with Li had exposed him to the Chinese culture and its people and he had developed a strong understanding and appreciation for them and their ways. Not only would this young girl be considered a beauty in her culture, there was not a man alive who could look upon her and not appreciate her femininity. Dave was not a strong advocate of marriage, but might be tempted if he was presented with a woman such as this. Li was a lucky man. Li beamed with excitement. “I want you to be my best man.” Dave knit his brows together and looked his friend straight in the eye. His brain was arguing with his lust in this matter. Li had been in his country for a decade now and had created a solid financial foundation for himself. He was a handsome catch that any woman would be happy to have. “Are you sure this is what you want? Women practically fight over you. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a beauty. But you haven’t seen her in quite some time. There are so many beautiful women here in your neighborhood, of several nationalities, who would kill to have you. I don’t get it.” “It does not matter that we have not seen each other for years. Our bond it strong and we write all the time. I have been in love with Lin Yao since we were children. I could not imagine being with anyone else.” “Wow, I had no idea you were so crazy over this girl. Of course, it would help if you would open up once in a while and share a confidence or two.” Dave’s eyes twinkled playfully. “Forgive me. It is not my intention to keep you a stranger to me. You have become like a brother to me. I hope you realize that. But, you must remember that I was raised in a different culture and my family ways were instilled within me during my formative years. My parents and their parents all believed that one should hold their thoughts and words and share them sparingly. It is the ways of my ancestors, and it is not so easy to turn away from these ways. Can you understand this?” Dave picked up the picture and looked at It closely. “And it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful.” “No, it does not hurt.” For a brief second Li looked as if he was miles away in his mind. “We would have been together by now if she had not been called back to China.” “What do you mean? Was she here and I never knew it?” “No. She was in school at UCLA in California. She was studying to become a doctor.” Li’s face beamed with pride. “But her father became very ill last year and he died. Her mother can not afford to continue her education.” Dave’s eye brows knit together. “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that she was in this country and I never got to see her?” Li heaved a sigh. “Yes. It is complicated. In the beginning she was struggling with the language. Even though she had been taught English in school, she had not used it in general conversation enough and she found it difficult to keep up in school. We felt that the excitement of visiting me would create an even greater burden on her abilities to concentrate on her studies. But, I did go to see her twice while she was there.” “Ah, I remember, when you said you were visiting family in California?” “Yes, then. You should have met her over the summer. She was going to come here but she was called back to China.” “I’m sorry, man.” “Me too,” Li heaved a sigh. “But soon we will be married and we will work together to find a way to complete her education and I will be the proud husband of a great doctor.” Dave chuckled at his friend’s enthusiasm as he placed the picture back on the counter with a gentleness that equaled what Li had displayed just moments earlier and slid it back to his friend. He slapped Li on his back and smiled. “Sure, I’d be honored.” ~Two~ Jennifer eased her slender body out from the driver’s side of her silver BMW convertible. Her pale skin was in stark contrast to the thick ebony hair that cascaded over her shoulders. She struggled to balance the bulging bags of groceries in her arms as she carefully picked her way up the steps. Dave had repeatedly questioned her as to why she insisted on loading her arms instead of making multiple trips. She could not really explain it. It was not as if she was a lazy woman. It was more the way she was raised. Her mother was a stickler about doing things in the quickest time possible. One trip was obviously faster than two. Dave heard her struggling and briskly pulled the door opened before he quickly disappeared, leaving Jennifer to enter and shut it with her foot. She did not take offense by his seemingly offensive mannerism, since she knew this was the time of day that he always dedicated to training in his make-shift in-home gym. Bags toppled over as she set them on the counter and she rushed to retrieve several runaway apples before they rolled out of the kitchen and down the hallway. A scowl wrinkled her brows as she inspected the last apple and saw the severe bruising the rolling had caused. Dave turned on his soothing music and began his cool down session with Tai Chi. He found the slow and gentle movements of this ancient practice just the thing to help his body cool, stretch and relax after a vigorous training. Jennifer leaned on the wall and peered into what should have been the dining room, but was now Dave’s work out room. His muscular back glistened with sweat as he moved slowly around the room in disciplined and controlled postures. His strong, chiseled features reminded her of a Greek god she had seen in a book as a child, minus the beard. Jennifer’s eyes traced the bulges down his spine, admiring the round of his buttocks as it flexed beneath light weight sweat pants. He’s a living work of art. She had learned a long time ago not to interrupt Dave when he was training. He took his training very seriously and the simple gesture of allowing him those few hours of peaceful focus made all the difference in his frame of mind for the rest of the night. She heaved a satisfied sigh before heading back to the kitchen and setting the apples on the counter. She slowly and methodically unpacked the contents of the grocery bags and put each item in its respective place. Looking around the kitchen, she spotted some dirty dishes in the sink and set to task of putting them in the dishwasher and tidying up the counter tops. When she was finished, she stepped back and placed her hands on her hips, giving a satisfied nod. Just as Dave was set in his ways when it came to his training, she was set in her was when it came to her home. She did not function well when things were not in their proper order. It was an affliction that had been with her since childhood; something her mother was certainly pleased with, but her drop-as-you-go boyfriend took time adjusting to. Jennifer peered once again in Dave’s direction and smiled as she watched, mesmerized by his statuesque beauty, as he moved slowly across the room. His finely tuned muscles flexed and strained against his skin while he moved from one Tai Chi position to the other. His powerful essence filled the room, making it seemingly smaller than it actually was. When he reached the far side of the room, his eyes met hers as he slowly turned, causing a sensual chill to run down her spine. She felt as if she could fall into his eyes and be lost forever. Sensual chills were not always the reaction she had. Jennifer recalled the fear she had experienced the first time she had witnessed and experienced Dave in this state. But, as time went on she grew more comfortable and eventually discussed her fears with him and was satisfied with his explanation that he was not really looking at her, but was in a form of walking meditation and his mind was anywhere but in the room; which was perhaps why she felt as if they were the doorway to an eternal abyss. She shook her head to clear away the hypnotic sensation and made her way into their bedroom. Her day at the office had been stressful, more so than usual, and she longed to soak in a hot bubble bath. She quickly stripped off her clothing and headed for the bathroom. Pouring a generous amount of bubble bath into the running water, Jennifer helped distribute the bubbles by slowly swishing her hand back and forth in the soothing, warm water. She reached over to turn on the radio that was precariously perched on the edge of a shelf and set the dial to a new age station before easing her slender body into the deep, claw-foot tub. The low tones of a flutist working his magic permeated the air as it cooed her muscles into deep relaxation. Her eyes were closed in blissful tranquility and she sensed, more than heard, Dave as he stood in the doorway; his smoldering eyes permeated the pink flesh of her breasts as they bobbed above the bubbles. “Got room for me?” Jennifer peered from under her thick black eyelashes and smiled seductively. “Come on in, dirty man.” Dave wasted no time stripping off his sweats and climbing in, easing himself opposite Jennifer. She giggled mischievously and tossed bubbles at him before he lunged forward and covered her mouth with his. Their passion rose as she returned his kiss with a sensuality that flared his loins with desire. Their lips never parted as he stood and pulled her up onto her feet. Scooping her into his arms, he made his way into the bedroom and gently lowered her onto the bed. Their brief time in the bath was not enough to remove the scent of Dave’s strenuous workout and it roused a primal excitement within Jennifer. They devoured each other with passionate lovemaking until both of them fell, spent, upon the bed. Dave pulled Jennifer close and she laid her head on his chest. All tension and anxiety from her stressful day was ebbing away. She cooed to the beat of his strong heart and was almost asleep when the ringing of the telephone competed with the beating of his heart and she was brought back to reality. Reluctant to break the mood of the moment, they decided to let the answering machine answer the call. “Dave, this is Li. It is important. Please call me as soon as you can... Please.” Dave sat up and to reached for the receiver. There was an unmistakable sense of urgency in Li’s voice; something that he had never heard before. Jennifer felt Dave’s muscles tense as he shifted position. She was not ready to release this feeling of euphoria and pulled him back down to her with sensual persuasion. “He said as soon as you can; right now, you can’t.” She climbed on top of him, running her soft, moist tongue across his chest and coaxed all resistance that he may have had out of his mind. He shuddered with excitement and shoved Li’s phone message in the recesses of his mind as his passion took over. It was several hours after Li’s message before Dave slipped from the embrace of a sleeping and satiated Jennifer and made his way to the phone in the kitchen. Guilt swept over him as he dialed Li’s number. Li’s voice had sounded so urgent, it was clear his friend had something very important to discuss. Shame filled his being as he listened to the ringing of Li’s telephone through the receiver. Why did he allow lust to control him so? Why couldn’t he be more like his buddy, Li? Dave could not recall a time when Li had allowed his body’s desires to take control. Dave promised himself that he would work on this weakness and correct it. Li commanded that Dave to meet him as soon as possible at their favorite Chinese restaurant, with no further explanation. Although he was confused and curious, Dave was also remorseful for ignoring his good friend for his own pleasures and he readily agreed. Jennifer popped her sleep tussled head through the doorway, “What is it baby?” Dave heaved a sigh. He had always known Li to be calm and collected. Hearing the strain in Li’s commanding tone put him on the alert. Something very serious must be happening. “The craziest thing, I... I just don’t know.”