White Tiger

still. Leo carried him to us.
    ‘Check if this is one as well, sweetheart,’ Leo said. ‘I want to be sure.’
    ‘Okay, Leo.’ Simone shook my hand free and went to him. I tried to stop her, but Leo raised his free hand.
    ‘It’s okay. Let her.’
    Simone touched the young man’s arm. He screamed and his arm went black. When Simone moved her hand away, his arm returned to normal.
    ‘Thanks, sweetheart,’ Leo said. ‘I just wanted to be sure. Next time, tell me if any are nearby, okay? I’m not as good as you.’
    ‘Okay, Leo,’ Simone said. ‘You’d better take it to Daddy, he’ll want to see.’
    ‘I know. That’s why I didn’t destroy it.’
    Simone came back to me, took my hand and smiled up at me. ‘Leo’s really good, isn’t he?’
    I was speechless with shock.
    ‘You okay, Emma?’ Leo said.
    I recovered my voice. ‘What the hell is going on?’
    ‘I’ll explain when we get back to Ms Kwan’s house.’
    I opened my mouth to protest and he raised his hand to stop me. ‘I promise. I’ll tell you all about it when we get back. Right now,’ he glanced at the young man hanging limply in his hand, ‘we need to take this one back to Mr Chen.’
    It was an uncomfortable ride back to Montmartre. Leo put me in the front passenger seat and the young man in the middle seat in the back, between himself andSimone. Leo’s trouser legs were covered in black sticky foul-smelling goo, from when he’d destroyed the other two men.
    At Ms Kwan’s house, Leo hoisted the young man out of the van and carried him into the house. The driver didn’t seem to notice.
    Leo stopped in the entry hall. ‘Mr Chen!’ he called.
    Mr Chen hurried out from the back of the house. He stopped dead when he saw the young man. He sighed. ‘What happened?’
    ‘Three of them attacked us. I thought I’d better bring this one back here for you to question,’ Leo said.
    Mr Chen glanced at me.
    ‘Yes, I saw a great deal of very strange stuff,’ I said, ‘and if you don’t tell me right now what’s going on, I’m out of here.’
    Mr Chen and Leo shared a look.
    Ms Kwan came out of the back of the house. ‘Is there a problem, Ah Wu? Why is there a—’ She saw Leo holding the young man and sighed. ‘Dear Leo, you are such an idiot sometimes.’
    The young man struggled and freed himself from Leo’s grasp. He threw himself to lie at Ms Kwan’s feet. ‘Protect me, Merciful Lady!’
    ‘Shit,’ Mr Chen said under his breath.
    ‘Chen Wu!’ Ms Kwan scolded.
    ‘Protect me,’ the young man said again, watching Mr Chen like a rabbit caught in headlights.
    ‘Leo, you have broken every seal in this house and ensured that we will gain no information,’ Mr Chen said. He gestured towards the young man. ‘The Lady’s nature is mercy to any creature that requests it. Even one of these.’
    ‘Uh-oh,’ Simone said.
    ‘Oh no, damn !’ Leo said. He ran his hand over his bald head and turned away. ‘I am so sorry.’
    ‘What’s done is done,’ Mr Chen said, still watching the young man cowering at Ms Kwan’s feet. He glanced sharply at Leo. ‘You destroyed the other two?’
    ‘Yes, sir. This is the only one left.’
    ‘But I must release it, Ah Wu,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘It will return and report, and there is nothing we can do about it.’
    ‘Damn,’ Leo said again, softly.
    ‘Emma, please take Simone upstairs to wash for dinner,’ Mr Chen said.
    I opened my mouth to protest.
    ‘Just do it, Emma,’ Leo said gently. ‘I’ll tell you everything after dinner. I promise.’
    I glared at him. ‘I’ll hold you to that.’
    I took Simone’s hand and led her up the stairs. We looked at one another quickly, then crouched at the top of the stairs to watch the little drama below.
    Leo brightened. ‘How about you let it go and I nab it again?’
    ‘That is not possible, Leo,’ Ms Kwan said stiffly. ‘He has asked. I must give.’
    ‘Thank you, thank you, Merciful Lady,’ the young man said, still not shifting his eyes from Mr Chen.
    ‘Go,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘The Dark Lord will not follow, neither will his Retainer. Go far, go fast, they will not follow. I will not tolerate you, I detest your kind.’ She raised her hand towards the front door. ‘Go.’
    The young man turned, flung open the door and ran through it.
    Ms Kwan closed the door as if nothing had happened, then linked her arm in Mr Chen’s. ‘Dinner time. I have employed a wonderful French chef to prepare something special for