Captive Bride, page 19
The tiger roared with laughter. “You care so much for my well-being that you would give up your death for me? What a clever one you are. You almost deserve to live for your wit.” He paused and showed his razor-sharp teeth, leaning so close that his rancid breath bathed the rabbit’s face. “Almost.” With that, Jade Tiger scooped up the rabbit and swallowed him whole.
At that point in the story, Grandma Mei used to stop. Huiann and her sisters would feign shock at the horrible fate of the clever rabbit then prod their grandmother toward the exciting conclusion of the story.
She could hear Grandmother’s voice now, as clearly as if the woman were beside her. “But sometimes, when all hope seems to be gone, that is the very time we must be our bravest. Clever Rabbit had not gone into the jaws of death unprepared. In his paw he clenched a long, sharp thorn, as well as the sharp little claws a rabbit is born with. All the way down greedy Jade Tiger’s throat he scratched a bloody trail, and once inside the belly of the beast, he ripped and shredded, causing the tiger unbearable pain.”
“What happened then, Grandma?” one of the girls would always ask. “Did the rabbit get free?”
“Yes, my child, he certainly did. The tiger rolled on the ground, groaning in agony, then he vomited the offending creature from his stomach. The young rabbit didn’t hesitate. Before the tiger could recover, he bounded away into the woods, and you can be sure he was never again so careless as to be caught by Jade Tiger.”
A wonderful story, Grandmother, Huiann thought, but I’m not sure it will help me now.
She navigated the bedroom in semidarkness, searching for a makeshift weapon. The bed frame was joined together with large bolts, and the mattress was supported by interwoven strips of leather lashed to the frame. She tried to loosen one of the bolts, but it was immovable.
After she’d investigated every bit of the bed, she went to the wardrobe. Inside were several hooks for hanging clothing. She tested each hook until she found one that was loose. After twisting and turning it, she wrenched it free of the wood, leaving a splintered hole behind. The pointed end of the hook was sharp. She tested it against her palm and scratched a thin red line. Then she hid it up her sleeve and practiced letting the metal hook drop down into her hand then clawing at the face of an imaginary foe. She wouldn’t hesitate to stab Xie Fuhua or any of his men if the opportunity arose.
Footsteps approached her door. Heart pounding, Huiann tucked the hook into her sleeve along the inside of her wrist and stood waiting for whoever might enter.
Liu Dai threw open the door and strode into her room. Another man carrying a lamp entered behind him. Grabbing hold of her wrist, Lui Dai flung her onto the bed. His eyes were savage with hatred, and Huiann could imagine the trouble he’d gotten into for allowing her to escape.
“Pull up your skirt. The doctor will examine you.”
Her gaze swept to the shorter, older man. He wore a pair of spectacles and a Western suit. He set the lantern on the nightstand and regarded Huiann. “Don’t be afraid, girl. I won’t hurt you. Master Xie wants your body checked for…intrusion. I need to make sure you are intact.”
Terror rushed through her. She had planned to convince Xie she still had value as a courtesan, that he shouldn’t kill her or throw her into one of the cribs, but now he would know she was no longer a virgin, and her value would diminish.
“Come now.” The doctor tugged up her skirt and pulled down her undergarment then pushed her legs apart. “Hold the light close so I can see,” he told Liu Dai.
The other man picked up the lamp and stood beside him, examining Huiann’s private parts. Humiliation enflamed her as the doctor’s hand touched her vagina, parting her and thrusting cool fingers into her opening. She gripped the bedding on either side of her and felt the metal hook pressing into her wrist. She considered rearing off the bed and striking at one man then the other, taking them by surprise. But there was no way she could fight both men and get out of the house before being caught. The time for escape was not yet right.
The doctor grasped her knees and brought her legs back together. He smoothed her skirt down and Huiann met his enigmatic gaze with a pleading look. Lie for me. Please, I beseech you, lie to Xie Fuhua. Protect me from his wrath.
“What’s the verdict? Is she still pure?” Liu Dai snapped.
“It is not a question for me to answer to you. Take me to your master.”
The two men left, taking the light with them, and once more Huiann was left in gray limbo to ponder her fate. What would Xie do with her now? Could she still convince him of her worth, promise to behave and to satisfy his clients to the best of her ability? Having sex with strange men here would be bad, but anything would be better than being locked in the cribs from which there would be no chance of escape ever. This way she’d still have hope. Pretend to be chastened, obey completely and, when the moment came, attack like the clever rabbit with her sharp, little claw.
She turned on her side and pressed her legs tight together as though to belatedly stop the doctor’s invading hands.
Time passed. She dozed and dreamed of Alan. He came to her and lay with her on the bed, cradling her in his arms. He whispered words of love and covered her with kisses. But all the while anxiety made her skin prickle. Something evil was coming to get them—a devil that would imprison them in an everlasting world of darkness and pain.
“Run,” she warned Alan. “Don’t stay here. Save yourself.”
He looked at her with his eyes as blue as the sky, but in the next moment he disappeared, vanishing like a ghost from her embrace.
Huiann jerked awake as the door opened and again Liu Dai was silhouetted in the frame. “Come.”
She rose from the bed. He grabbed her arm and held tight as he escorted her to Xie’s office once more. The route was familiar and felt like a recurring nightmare from which she couldn’t escape. They passed several other people on the way, servants cleaning, guards watching. There was no chance to fight or to run.
In his study, Xie stood looking out the tall, many-paned window. He turned toward them. Huiann imagined rushing past him, catching a glimpse of his surprised face as she crashed through the casement. She’d run away through the city streets and out to the country where he’d never find her.
“So, your flower is plucked. What have you to say for yourself?” Xie’s voice brought her back to the room like a tether. His tone and words reminded her of her father taking her to task for one of her childhood misadventures.
She swallowed the bile in her throat, folded her hands together and bowed deeply. “I humbly beg pardon, Master, for my foolish behavior. I was afraid to face the man you’d chosen for me and ran away, only to find a worse fate. Afterward I was too ashamed to return to you, even if I’d had the opportunity.”
“You’re saying the man, Sommers, kept you and used you against your will?”
“Yes, sir.” She prayed forgiveness for the lie as she stared at Xie’s shiny black shoes in abject contrition.
“That’s very interesting, especially since one of the men I hired to search for you informed me weeks ago that he spotted you walking freely on the street.”
“I wasn’t alone. A woman was with me, watching me. We ran from the white man because I had no idea you’d sent him.”
He took a few steps closer and his shoes seemed to fill her vision. A cloying whiff of bay rum aftershave tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze. He was so close she could strike at his eyes with her hook if she dared. Liu Dai would kill her, but it might be worth it.
“Do you think I am a stupid man, Chua Huiann?” Xie’s tone was calm and even. “Do you think I’m not aware you’ve been working for the shopkeeper? My agents thought you were there, but their suspicions were only recently confirmed. A man named Stubbs told them about you for the price of a couple of drinks. After that it wasn’t hard to find a way to get you back.”
Rage and guilt slammed through her with every heartbeat. It was her fault the store had been destroyed. They’d thrown the firebombs to get to her. She’d already known that, but hearing Xie state it aloud made it worse. Alan had been her savior and she’d been his ruin.
“Now you try to pretend you were a prisoner there?”
“Yes, sir.” She continued the lie with a leaden heart.
Xie Fuhua heaved a loud sigh. “Such trouble you’ve turned out to be, Chua Huiann. You are neither kind nor peaceful, as your name implies. And now I’m afraid the time has come to punish you for your misdeeds and to continue the training which Madam Teng had begun. Today you will learn how to properly beg forgiveness from your master. Put your hands on the arms of that chair and lean over.”
Her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow as she moved to obey, gripping the leather-covered arms of the chair in front of Xie’s desk and bending her body.
“Lui Dai will administer your punishment, which will gratify him greatly since he suffered due to your foolish behavior, as did the useless Madam Teng who trained you so poorly. She’s a whore once more. It’s amazing how some men will fuck a woman no matter how old or ugly.”
Heart pounding, Huiann tightened her grasp on the chair arms. She would almost prefer Xie to beat her since his temper appeared to be under control. She listened to Liu Dai’s quiet footsteps cross the carpet then felt him raise the skirt of her dress, fling it over her back and bare her bottom. She wore no undergarment. Liu had taken her drawers and stockings when he left with the doctor, and no other clothes were in the room.
Having her naked rear on display for the two men made her skin crawl. Yes, she’d submitted to this kind of treatment before, when Xie would bring a prospective client to examine her, but with her head down and her bottom lifted and the prospect of pain to come, it was even worse.
The first blow came suddenly and unexpectedly, a smack of Liu’s hand across both buttocks. She caught her breath and waited for another. Liu kept her waiting and wondering before abruptly hitting her again. The second blow was much harder and must have stung his palm as much as her rear.
Huiann rocked on her feet and braced her arms against the chair as a hail of blows rained down on her. She clenched her teeth, refusing to cry out as the slaps jolted her body.
Suddenly he walked away, leaving her breathing hard, her bottom heated. She longed to glance over her shoulder to see what he was doing but kept her face submissively turned down toward the chair.
When he hit her again, the pain sucked the breath from her chest. This was no slap of a hand but the sharp bite of a leather strap. It cut into her tender flesh and nearly startled a howl from her. She clamped her jaw even tighter. She wouldn’t give these men the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.
But her silence was a mistake, inspiring Liu Dai to give greater pain. As the strap struck her again and again, the stinging pain turned to burning fire. There was no escape from the whipping that flayed her buttocks, lower back and thighs. She gasped for breath and a whimper escaped her.
“Ah, at last you begin to learn. Liu Dai has earned your tears from all the trouble you’ve caused him. Now beg the man’s forgiveness and mine.”
She heard Liu Dai’s grunts as he struck her, the slap of the whip against her flesh and her own harsh breathing. Three more strikes and she could stand it no longer. “Please. Please stop! Forgive me. I’m sorry. I was bad to run away. I was wrong. Forgive me.”
Her litany of pleas went on until her words dissolved into sobs. She slumped over the chair, her head lowered so her cheek rested on the leather seat. Hot tears burned her eyes and she felt destroyed, weak, pitiable, less than human.
Then she became aware of the metal hook, still tucked up her sleeve and pressing hard against her inner wrist. Its solidity gave her hope. She might weep and beg for this torture to end, but when it was finally over, she would remain unbroken—still waiting for her chance to rip and claw out the insides of her tormentors.
Chapter Seventeen
Alan walked through the wet, ashen rubble of the store to his rooms in back. The kitchen area was barely scorched and he was able to go upstairs to his room where he’d placed his service revolver in the nightstand drawer. He checked the chamber and loaded it with bullets, then tucked the heavy pistol in his belt since he had no holster. He buttoned his suit coat over it as he hurried back downstairs.
Dora was in the store, starting to pick up debris as he strode through. “Good luck. Be careful,” she offered her blessing.
The livery stable was closed so Alan walked to Dong Li’s warehouse, where he hoped to learn the location of Xie’s bordello. But the warehouse was locked and Alan didn’t know where Dong Li lived.
Frustrated at the wasted trip, he went to Chinatown and walked along the row where prostitutes were kept in stalls. This late at night the street was quiet, the visitors who paid a few coins for a fuck had all gone home. Despair swept through Alan as he imagined Huiann behind one of those doors, or she might have been tortured or even killed by now.
A man leaned against the wall, arms folded. “You want pussy? Good pussy here. Only ten cent.”
Alan hesitated. For a few dollars he could take a look into each of these enclosures, although he was almost certain Xie had Huiann in his house. She was more valuable than this. She was too beautiful to be wasted as human cattle.
“Come on. You try Chinee pussy.”
Alan took a coin from his pocket and tossed it to the man. He unlocked and opened one of the doors and stepped inside to light a candle before ushering Alan into the cell.
After the door closed behind him, Alan immediately wanted to bash it open as his claustrophobia rose. The tiny chamber contained a low cot, a chamber pot at the foot of it and a basin of water in one corner. The woman sitting on the edge of the cot was completely naked. She leaned forward so her long hair shielded her face. White hairs threaded the black.
Alan stared at her hands, thin and bony like those in his recurring nightmare. She lifted her face to stare at him with dead eyes as she reached for his fly. He pushed her hands away.
“No. Don’t.” He crouched before her, trying to make eye contact, but her eyes were unfocused. “Do you know a woman named Chua Huiann?”
A flicker of recognition lit like a candle flame in her vacant eyes and she finally appeared to see him. Her lips formed the name soundlessly, and then she shook her head.
“Yes, you do.” Excitement surged through him. “You know her name. Where is she? Where does Xie Fuhua live? Tell me.” He grasped her shoulders and gave her a little shake.
The woman cringed and spoke a few words in Chinese.
“Tell me!” He shook her again.
“No English,” she whimpered.
Alan realized he was going to get no information from her. He let go of her shoulders. “I’m sorry.” He rose to his feet, pushed open the door of the stall and stepped outside, drawing a deep breath of the fetid air.
The procurer smiled. “Quick one. Come again. Bring your friends.”
“No. I’m looking for something else.” An idea came to him. “I heard there was a place owned by a man named Xie Fuhua where a man could get a princess. That’s the kind of girl I’m looking for.”
The man stared at him.
Alan drew a half dollar from his wallet and offered it. “Xie Fuhua’s place?”
The man tucked the coin in his pocket and gave him directions.
Alan’s heart lifted for the first time that evening. At last he was on the right track. He jogged several blocks to the street the man had indicated and soon came to the red door with the sign above which the man had told him meant Pleasure Palace.
Alan stared at the unassuming board front, the barred grilles over the darkened windows. He studied the second-story windows where Huiann might be right now. He wanted to break down the door, climb the stairs and rescue her, shooting anyone who stood in his way. But a guard standing near the door of the building stopped him from making an impulsive charge that might put her in more danger.
He’d come armed with a weapon but not a plan. Now he must use his wits to get her out of there safely. To do that he needed backup. The only man he considered a trustworthy, loyal friend was Jeremy Taylor. But could the man handle a firearm?
After one last look at the house, he walked quickly away, heading for Jeremy’s place. It felt like he was abandoning Huiann.
By the time he reached the clerk’s apartment, it was a few hours before sunrise. Alan knocked, waited and knocked louder. He was beginning to fear Jeremy had eloped with Cynthia Dodge, when the door finally opened.
The clerk’s hair was tousled and his nightshirt was unbuttoned. He stared at Alan. “What are you doing here?”
“I need your help. Do you have a gun?”
Jeremy’s eyes opened wider. “A gun?”
“The store was broken into and burned and some men took Huiann. I believe I know where she’s being held, but I’d like someone outside when I go in. If I don’t come back, you should get the police.”
“Did you tell them all this?”
“They made it clear they won’t go after a kidnapped Chinese woman, but a missing storekeeper whose business has been burned might get their attention.”
Jeremy rubbed his furrowed forehead. “Why would someone take Huiann?”
“I’ll tell you on the way. We have to move fast.” Alan pushed past Jeremy into the room and saw why he’d blocked the doorway. Cynthia Dodge stood in a corner of the one-room apartment with a blanket wrapped around her naked body.
Alan was too worried about Huiann to feel more than a flicker of surprise. He pushed Jeremy toward his bureau. “Get dressed. Hurry!”
“I—I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Alan growled with impatience and quickly blurted the story to get Jeremy moving. “The man who took her is a Chinese crime boss. Huiann came to America to be his bride, but he planned to put her in a whorehouse. She ran away and ended up in my shop. Now he’s taken her and I have to get her back.” He glanced at Cynthia. “I can see this is bad timing, but I didn’t know who else to ask for help.”
At that point in the story, Grandma Mei used to stop. Huiann and her sisters would feign shock at the horrible fate of the clever rabbit then prod their grandmother toward the exciting conclusion of the story.
She could hear Grandmother’s voice now, as clearly as if the woman were beside her. “But sometimes, when all hope seems to be gone, that is the very time we must be our bravest. Clever Rabbit had not gone into the jaws of death unprepared. In his paw he clenched a long, sharp thorn, as well as the sharp little claws a rabbit is born with. All the way down greedy Jade Tiger’s throat he scratched a bloody trail, and once inside the belly of the beast, he ripped and shredded, causing the tiger unbearable pain.”
“What happened then, Grandma?” one of the girls would always ask. “Did the rabbit get free?”
“Yes, my child, he certainly did. The tiger rolled on the ground, groaning in agony, then he vomited the offending creature from his stomach. The young rabbit didn’t hesitate. Before the tiger could recover, he bounded away into the woods, and you can be sure he was never again so careless as to be caught by Jade Tiger.”
A wonderful story, Grandmother, Huiann thought, but I’m not sure it will help me now.
She navigated the bedroom in semidarkness, searching for a makeshift weapon. The bed frame was joined together with large bolts, and the mattress was supported by interwoven strips of leather lashed to the frame. She tried to loosen one of the bolts, but it was immovable.
After she’d investigated every bit of the bed, she went to the wardrobe. Inside were several hooks for hanging clothing. She tested each hook until she found one that was loose. After twisting and turning it, she wrenched it free of the wood, leaving a splintered hole behind. The pointed end of the hook was sharp. She tested it against her palm and scratched a thin red line. Then she hid it up her sleeve and practiced letting the metal hook drop down into her hand then clawing at the face of an imaginary foe. She wouldn’t hesitate to stab Xie Fuhua or any of his men if the opportunity arose.
Footsteps approached her door. Heart pounding, Huiann tucked the hook into her sleeve along the inside of her wrist and stood waiting for whoever might enter.
Liu Dai threw open the door and strode into her room. Another man carrying a lamp entered behind him. Grabbing hold of her wrist, Lui Dai flung her onto the bed. His eyes were savage with hatred, and Huiann could imagine the trouble he’d gotten into for allowing her to escape.
“Pull up your skirt. The doctor will examine you.”
Her gaze swept to the shorter, older man. He wore a pair of spectacles and a Western suit. He set the lantern on the nightstand and regarded Huiann. “Don’t be afraid, girl. I won’t hurt you. Master Xie wants your body checked for…intrusion. I need to make sure you are intact.”
Terror rushed through her. She had planned to convince Xie she still had value as a courtesan, that he shouldn’t kill her or throw her into one of the cribs, but now he would know she was no longer a virgin, and her value would diminish.
“Come now.” The doctor tugged up her skirt and pulled down her undergarment then pushed her legs apart. “Hold the light close so I can see,” he told Liu Dai.
The other man picked up the lamp and stood beside him, examining Huiann’s private parts. Humiliation enflamed her as the doctor’s hand touched her vagina, parting her and thrusting cool fingers into her opening. She gripped the bedding on either side of her and felt the metal hook pressing into her wrist. She considered rearing off the bed and striking at one man then the other, taking them by surprise. But there was no way she could fight both men and get out of the house before being caught. The time for escape was not yet right.
The doctor grasped her knees and brought her legs back together. He smoothed her skirt down and Huiann met his enigmatic gaze with a pleading look. Lie for me. Please, I beseech you, lie to Xie Fuhua. Protect me from his wrath.
“What’s the verdict? Is she still pure?” Liu Dai snapped.
“It is not a question for me to answer to you. Take me to your master.”
The two men left, taking the light with them, and once more Huiann was left in gray limbo to ponder her fate. What would Xie do with her now? Could she still convince him of her worth, promise to behave and to satisfy his clients to the best of her ability? Having sex with strange men here would be bad, but anything would be better than being locked in the cribs from which there would be no chance of escape ever. This way she’d still have hope. Pretend to be chastened, obey completely and, when the moment came, attack like the clever rabbit with her sharp, little claw.
She turned on her side and pressed her legs tight together as though to belatedly stop the doctor’s invading hands.
Time passed. She dozed and dreamed of Alan. He came to her and lay with her on the bed, cradling her in his arms. He whispered words of love and covered her with kisses. But all the while anxiety made her skin prickle. Something evil was coming to get them—a devil that would imprison them in an everlasting world of darkness and pain.
“Run,” she warned Alan. “Don’t stay here. Save yourself.”
He looked at her with his eyes as blue as the sky, but in the next moment he disappeared, vanishing like a ghost from her embrace.
Huiann jerked awake as the door opened and again Liu Dai was silhouetted in the frame. “Come.”
She rose from the bed. He grabbed her arm and held tight as he escorted her to Xie’s office once more. The route was familiar and felt like a recurring nightmare from which she couldn’t escape. They passed several other people on the way, servants cleaning, guards watching. There was no chance to fight or to run.
In his study, Xie stood looking out the tall, many-paned window. He turned toward them. Huiann imagined rushing past him, catching a glimpse of his surprised face as she crashed through the casement. She’d run away through the city streets and out to the country where he’d never find her.
“So, your flower is plucked. What have you to say for yourself?” Xie’s voice brought her back to the room like a tether. His tone and words reminded her of her father taking her to task for one of her childhood misadventures.
She swallowed the bile in her throat, folded her hands together and bowed deeply. “I humbly beg pardon, Master, for my foolish behavior. I was afraid to face the man you’d chosen for me and ran away, only to find a worse fate. Afterward I was too ashamed to return to you, even if I’d had the opportunity.”
“You’re saying the man, Sommers, kept you and used you against your will?”
“Yes, sir.” She prayed forgiveness for the lie as she stared at Xie’s shiny black shoes in abject contrition.
“That’s very interesting, especially since one of the men I hired to search for you informed me weeks ago that he spotted you walking freely on the street.”
“I wasn’t alone. A woman was with me, watching me. We ran from the white man because I had no idea you’d sent him.”
He took a few steps closer and his shoes seemed to fill her vision. A cloying whiff of bay rum aftershave tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze. He was so close she could strike at his eyes with her hook if she dared. Liu Dai would kill her, but it might be worth it.
“Do you think I am a stupid man, Chua Huiann?” Xie’s tone was calm and even. “Do you think I’m not aware you’ve been working for the shopkeeper? My agents thought you were there, but their suspicions were only recently confirmed. A man named Stubbs told them about you for the price of a couple of drinks. After that it wasn’t hard to find a way to get you back.”
Rage and guilt slammed through her with every heartbeat. It was her fault the store had been destroyed. They’d thrown the firebombs to get to her. She’d already known that, but hearing Xie state it aloud made it worse. Alan had been her savior and she’d been his ruin.
“Now you try to pretend you were a prisoner there?”
“Yes, sir.” She continued the lie with a leaden heart.
Xie Fuhua heaved a loud sigh. “Such trouble you’ve turned out to be, Chua Huiann. You are neither kind nor peaceful, as your name implies. And now I’m afraid the time has come to punish you for your misdeeds and to continue the training which Madam Teng had begun. Today you will learn how to properly beg forgiveness from your master. Put your hands on the arms of that chair and lean over.”
Her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow as she moved to obey, gripping the leather-covered arms of the chair in front of Xie’s desk and bending her body.
“Lui Dai will administer your punishment, which will gratify him greatly since he suffered due to your foolish behavior, as did the useless Madam Teng who trained you so poorly. She’s a whore once more. It’s amazing how some men will fuck a woman no matter how old or ugly.”
Heart pounding, Huiann tightened her grasp on the chair arms. She would almost prefer Xie to beat her since his temper appeared to be under control. She listened to Liu Dai’s quiet footsteps cross the carpet then felt him raise the skirt of her dress, fling it over her back and bare her bottom. She wore no undergarment. Liu had taken her drawers and stockings when he left with the doctor, and no other clothes were in the room.
Having her naked rear on display for the two men made her skin crawl. Yes, she’d submitted to this kind of treatment before, when Xie would bring a prospective client to examine her, but with her head down and her bottom lifted and the prospect of pain to come, it was even worse.
The first blow came suddenly and unexpectedly, a smack of Liu’s hand across both buttocks. She caught her breath and waited for another. Liu kept her waiting and wondering before abruptly hitting her again. The second blow was much harder and must have stung his palm as much as her rear.
Huiann rocked on her feet and braced her arms against the chair as a hail of blows rained down on her. She clenched her teeth, refusing to cry out as the slaps jolted her body.
Suddenly he walked away, leaving her breathing hard, her bottom heated. She longed to glance over her shoulder to see what he was doing but kept her face submissively turned down toward the chair.
When he hit her again, the pain sucked the breath from her chest. This was no slap of a hand but the sharp bite of a leather strap. It cut into her tender flesh and nearly startled a howl from her. She clamped her jaw even tighter. She wouldn’t give these men the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.
But her silence was a mistake, inspiring Liu Dai to give greater pain. As the strap struck her again and again, the stinging pain turned to burning fire. There was no escape from the whipping that flayed her buttocks, lower back and thighs. She gasped for breath and a whimper escaped her.
“Ah, at last you begin to learn. Liu Dai has earned your tears from all the trouble you’ve caused him. Now beg the man’s forgiveness and mine.”
She heard Liu Dai’s grunts as he struck her, the slap of the whip against her flesh and her own harsh breathing. Three more strikes and she could stand it no longer. “Please. Please stop! Forgive me. I’m sorry. I was bad to run away. I was wrong. Forgive me.”
Her litany of pleas went on until her words dissolved into sobs. She slumped over the chair, her head lowered so her cheek rested on the leather seat. Hot tears burned her eyes and she felt destroyed, weak, pitiable, less than human.
Then she became aware of the metal hook, still tucked up her sleeve and pressing hard against her inner wrist. Its solidity gave her hope. She might weep and beg for this torture to end, but when it was finally over, she would remain unbroken—still waiting for her chance to rip and claw out the insides of her tormentors.
Chapter Seventeen
Alan walked through the wet, ashen rubble of the store to his rooms in back. The kitchen area was barely scorched and he was able to go upstairs to his room where he’d placed his service revolver in the nightstand drawer. He checked the chamber and loaded it with bullets, then tucked the heavy pistol in his belt since he had no holster. He buttoned his suit coat over it as he hurried back downstairs.
Dora was in the store, starting to pick up debris as he strode through. “Good luck. Be careful,” she offered her blessing.
The livery stable was closed so Alan walked to Dong Li’s warehouse, where he hoped to learn the location of Xie’s bordello. But the warehouse was locked and Alan didn’t know where Dong Li lived.
Frustrated at the wasted trip, he went to Chinatown and walked along the row where prostitutes were kept in stalls. This late at night the street was quiet, the visitors who paid a few coins for a fuck had all gone home. Despair swept through Alan as he imagined Huiann behind one of those doors, or she might have been tortured or even killed by now.
A man leaned against the wall, arms folded. “You want pussy? Good pussy here. Only ten cent.”
Alan hesitated. For a few dollars he could take a look into each of these enclosures, although he was almost certain Xie had Huiann in his house. She was more valuable than this. She was too beautiful to be wasted as human cattle.
“Come on. You try Chinee pussy.”
Alan took a coin from his pocket and tossed it to the man. He unlocked and opened one of the doors and stepped inside to light a candle before ushering Alan into the cell.
After the door closed behind him, Alan immediately wanted to bash it open as his claustrophobia rose. The tiny chamber contained a low cot, a chamber pot at the foot of it and a basin of water in one corner. The woman sitting on the edge of the cot was completely naked. She leaned forward so her long hair shielded her face. White hairs threaded the black.
Alan stared at her hands, thin and bony like those in his recurring nightmare. She lifted her face to stare at him with dead eyes as she reached for his fly. He pushed her hands away.
“No. Don’t.” He crouched before her, trying to make eye contact, but her eyes were unfocused. “Do you know a woman named Chua Huiann?”
A flicker of recognition lit like a candle flame in her vacant eyes and she finally appeared to see him. Her lips formed the name soundlessly, and then she shook her head.
“Yes, you do.” Excitement surged through him. “You know her name. Where is she? Where does Xie Fuhua live? Tell me.” He grasped her shoulders and gave her a little shake.
The woman cringed and spoke a few words in Chinese.
“Tell me!” He shook her again.
“No English,” she whimpered.
Alan realized he was going to get no information from her. He let go of her shoulders. “I’m sorry.” He rose to his feet, pushed open the door of the stall and stepped outside, drawing a deep breath of the fetid air.
The procurer smiled. “Quick one. Come again. Bring your friends.”
“No. I’m looking for something else.” An idea came to him. “I heard there was a place owned by a man named Xie Fuhua where a man could get a princess. That’s the kind of girl I’m looking for.”
The man stared at him.
Alan drew a half dollar from his wallet and offered it. “Xie Fuhua’s place?”
The man tucked the coin in his pocket and gave him directions.
Alan’s heart lifted for the first time that evening. At last he was on the right track. He jogged several blocks to the street the man had indicated and soon came to the red door with the sign above which the man had told him meant Pleasure Palace.
Alan stared at the unassuming board front, the barred grilles over the darkened windows. He studied the second-story windows where Huiann might be right now. He wanted to break down the door, climb the stairs and rescue her, shooting anyone who stood in his way. But a guard standing near the door of the building stopped him from making an impulsive charge that might put her in more danger.
He’d come armed with a weapon but not a plan. Now he must use his wits to get her out of there safely. To do that he needed backup. The only man he considered a trustworthy, loyal friend was Jeremy Taylor. But could the man handle a firearm?
After one last look at the house, he walked quickly away, heading for Jeremy’s place. It felt like he was abandoning Huiann.
By the time he reached the clerk’s apartment, it was a few hours before sunrise. Alan knocked, waited and knocked louder. He was beginning to fear Jeremy had eloped with Cynthia Dodge, when the door finally opened.
The clerk’s hair was tousled and his nightshirt was unbuttoned. He stared at Alan. “What are you doing here?”
“I need your help. Do you have a gun?”
Jeremy’s eyes opened wider. “A gun?”
“The store was broken into and burned and some men took Huiann. I believe I know where she’s being held, but I’d like someone outside when I go in. If I don’t come back, you should get the police.”
“Did you tell them all this?”
“They made it clear they won’t go after a kidnapped Chinese woman, but a missing storekeeper whose business has been burned might get their attention.”
Jeremy rubbed his furrowed forehead. “Why would someone take Huiann?”
“I’ll tell you on the way. We have to move fast.” Alan pushed past Jeremy into the room and saw why he’d blocked the doorway. Cynthia Dodge stood in a corner of the one-room apartment with a blanket wrapped around her naked body.
Alan was too worried about Huiann to feel more than a flicker of surprise. He pushed Jeremy toward his bureau. “Get dressed. Hurry!”
“I—I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Alan growled with impatience and quickly blurted the story to get Jeremy moving. “The man who took her is a Chinese crime boss. Huiann came to America to be his bride, but he planned to put her in a whorehouse. She ran away and ended up in my shop. Now he’s taken her and I have to get her back.” He glanced at Cynthia. “I can see this is bad timing, but I didn’t know who else to ask for help.”
