Blue Dragon Part 68

'I'll present it to you myself,' Leo whispered.

'There's nothing we can do. We'll just have to wait,' John said.

Leo rose and moved to sit next to me, putting his arm around me. I wrapped my arm around his waist and we held each other.

'I have a really, really bad feeling about this,' I whispered.

The doorbell rang.

'Everybody get weapons now now,' John said. 'It's a huge demon.'

'One Two Two?' I said. 'Why here, now?'

'It's not One Two Two,' John said grimly. 'It's Number One.'

'What's he doing here?' I said as I rose to get my weapon. Leo waved me back and went into the training room to collect them.

John went to the front door, grabbed Dark Heavens from its clips, then threw the door open.

Number One stood on the other side of the gate, smiling without humour. 'I think you need to hear what I have to say.'

'Come in.' John opened the gate and Number One entered. He went into the living room and sat on one of the couches.

'Your son has been duped.'

'What?' John said, standing over him.

'One Two Two is immensely powerful. I don't know what it's done to itself, but it can do astonis.h.i.+ng things. It took my form, promised your son it would not harm the child, and said that if Ming Gui took her to a place it knows, she would be safe and protected and they could spend some more time together.'

I took a huge deep breath. 'Martin's taking Simone to One Two Two One Two Two?'

I heard a clatter behind me. Leo stood in the doorway, the weapons in a pile at his feet. His face was grey.

'I thought Ming Gui would be useful,' Number One said, studying his hands. 'He has been much more trouble than he is worth.' He glanced up at John. 'Are you sure that this one is yours, Turtle? Everybody knows that your kind produce nests of mixed parentage, that you just walk away from.'

John stiffened and his eyes blazed. Then he sagged. 'I can't contact either of them.' He fell to sit on the other couch and put his head in his hands. 'No.'

The demon rose. 'I'd better go and clean out my nest,' he said. 'You should have taken me up on my offer.'

'Wait!' I said before he disappeared. 'Where's Simone? Where are they?'

The demon shrugged. 'Don't ask me. Could be anywhere.' He smiled. 'I suggest you give my dad a call, Emma. The only way the child will stay safe now is if you go and screw the h.e.l.l out of him.' He nodded to John. 'Turtle. It's been nice knowing you. You should have given me your head.' He disappeared.

John grabbed Dark Heavens from the couch next to him, threw himself up and went into the training room without saying a word. Leo turned like a puppet and headed down the hallway, also towards the training room. I followed them. John waited for Leo with Dark Heavens in his hand.

'Kneel,' John said.

Leo fell to his knees without a word.

'Leave us,' John said.

'No,' I said. 'Anything you do to Leo, you'll have to do in front of me.'

'Very well then,' John said, and hefted the sword. He moved to stand over Leo.

Leo smiled slightly and lowered his head.

'Wait,' I said. 'If we trade your head for Simone, I'll need Leo to a.s.sist me guarding. And I may have to use the phone. If I use the phone, then Leo will be all she has left.' I gestured impatiently. 'We don't have time for this. Let's just go and get her out!'

John hesitated.

'Do it,' Leo said without looking up.

'You would forfeit your life?' John said.

'I have failed. Again. I should pay.'

'And you will,' John said. His voice was very mild. 'First, you will pay by living. Then you will pay by helping us to get her back. And then, if we do get her back and you survive it, you will pay by guarding her until the day you die. A natural death. That's an order.'

Leo collapsed over his knees and moaned, a wordless sound of agony.

'You have failed me, Leo,' John said mildly. 'And your punishment will be: that you live.'

'No,' Leo whispered into the floor.

'Get up, collect your weapons and prepare,' John said. 'Both of you.'

'I still don't have your promise, Emma,' John said as Leo drove us to Kowloon City. John sat in the front seat, I was in the back.

'Where's Michael?' I said. 'Do you have any other Celestials to help out?'

'I sent Michael home. He and Gold will guard the apartment so you have a safe place to return to. The Tiger, the Phoenix, the Dragon and the Third Prince will meet us at Kowloon City Park. I want your word, Emma.'

I tapped the stone.

'I was awake. I know what's happening,' the stone said.

'Do you know where the entrance to the tunnels is?' I said.

'In the yamen yamen building,' the stone said. 'I couldn't find exactly where. Gold will have to help me look. We will both need to move around the room to find it.' building,' the stone said. 'I couldn't find exactly where. Gold will have to help me look. We will both need to move around the room to find it.'

'Your word, Emma,' John said. 'Promise me.'

I was silent.

'Please, Emma, don't make me beg you. I will if I have to. Ngoh kow Ngoh kow-'

'Don't you dare beg me-you're a Celestial Emperor!' I snapped. I ran my hands through my hair with exasperation. 'I don't want to give you my word on this, John, you know I don't.'

'I want you safe when I return, love.'

'What's he asking, Emma?' Leo said softly.

'He wants me to pretend to fall for the Demon King if I have to use the phone. So that I won't be thrown to the Mothers.'

Leo was silent, watching the road.

'Promise me, Emma.'

'Only if I have no other recourse. Only if that's the only way to avoid the Mothers. Only as a last resort,' I said.

'Your word,' John said.

'Do it, Emma,' Leo said without looking away from the road. 'This is about as close as he can get to a last request. Both of us will be able to die with our minds at ease, knowing that you won't be hurt.'

'We will find Simone and get her out of there,' I said grimly. 'And then we will all go home and spend a few more weeks together.'

'I will not come out the other side of this, and you know it,' John said. 'Either the demon will capture me and take my head, or I will take True Form and tear it into very small pieces. There is no other way out of this. So I ask you, Emma Donahoe, as a woman of your word. Promise me.'

'No,' I whispered.

'Promise him, Emma,' Leo said.

'Do it, dear,' the stone said. 'It would rea.s.sure me as well. I don't want to see you thrown to the Mothers. All three of us are asking you here.'

'Promise me,' John said. 'You will only use the phone if I go down or if Simone is in real danger. And if you must use the phone, you will pretend to give in to the King's advances. Promise me.'

'Only if I must,' I said. I took a deep breath. 'I promise.'

'I thank you, my Lady,' John said, and turned back to the road. 'Now let's go and destroy this demon and get our little girl back.'

'This is all my fault,' Leo whispered.

'You have failed us, Leo,' John said. 'If you wish to redeem yourself, then do your best to stay alive.'

'My Lord.'

Leo stopped the car in a yellow-lined no-parking zone directly in front of the Kowloon City Park gates. We slammed the car doors shut, pulled our weapons out of the trunk, and moved as one through the gates of the Park. John took Dark Heavens; he was too weak to carry Seven Stars. I had my Serpent sword. Leo carried Michael's white sword.

It was nearly six o'clock and there were still many people strolling around. The park was Chinese-style gardens with paved paths meandering between them, and pavilions alongside the paths. A large pond formed the centrepiece. We attracted quite a few concerned glances as we stormed along the path holding the blades.

The Tiger, the Phoenix, the Dragon and Na Zha appeared from behind a pavilion and joined us. They all appeared as perfectly normal Chinese; they'd even made themselves very plain. The Phoenix was a middle-aged Chinese lady; the Dragon and Tiger were men of similar age. Na Zha looked like a regular Chinese teenager.

'There is an entrance under the yamen yamen building,' I said. building,' I said.

'Let's go,' the Tiger said, and we headed through the gardens towards the building.

John stopped dead. 'Wait.' He concentrated. 'Stone.'

'My Lord?' the stone said.

'Will you be able to talk to us once we're under here?'

'I will be able to communicate with the Lady,' the stone said. 'Other than that, I will be silenced.'

'Not even Gold?' John said.

'No,' the stone said. 'Only the one who bears me.'

'Okay,' John said, glancing around. 'Mark this place. About one hundred metres below us, directly below me, Simone is being held. Can you guide us back to this location once we're under?'

'Yes,' the stone said. 'Done.'

'Can you see through, John?' I said.

'No,' he said. 'I can just sense her presence. She is there.'

'Can you talk to her?'

'No,' he said. 'From what I can see, however, she is unharmed.'

'Can you sense Martin?' I said.

'No.' He hefted his blade and continued along the path, pus.h.i.+ng past a family who were strolling very slowly through the park. 'Let's go.' The family saw the blades, exclaimed loudly and took off, walking quickly.

'd.a.m.n,' I said. 'They'll probably call the police and report a gang war.'

'Here's the yamen yamen building,' Na Zha said. 'The police won't find anything.' building,' Na Zha said. 'The police won't find anything.'

The yamen yamen building was the old administration building for Kowloon Walled City. It was red brick, with a traditional green tiled roof and a pair of cannons flanking the doorway. Inside, it was bare concrete. We all stopped and looked around. building was the old administration building for Kowloon Walled City. It was red brick, with a traditional green tiled roof and a pair of cannons flanking the doorway. Inside, it was bare concrete. We all stopped and looked around.

'This is difficult,' the Phoenix said, concentrating. 'Because of the blockage to our vision, we cannot see the entrance at all.'

'Stone?' I said.

Gold appeared and saluted us. He took his stone form and floated around the room, checking. The stone drifted out of my ring, grew to a similar size to Gold, and moved along the opposite perimeter of the room from Gold. It shrank and returned to my ring, and Gold returned to human form, gesturing to indicate the floor.

'The entrance is here. I don't know how to open it. It appears to be some sort of trapdoor.'

John nodded. 'Don't worry, we will find a way in. You are dismissed. Well done.'

'Get the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who did this to my siblings,' Gold said, and fell to one knee before us, saluting. 'Lord Xuan. It's been a blast.'

'I hope you're free when I return, because there's a job for you if you are,' John said.

'Double my salary and I may consider it,' Gold said. 'I have a family to support now.'

'Done,' John said, and Gold disappeared.