Chapter 13

Fang gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white. Helping Orm by delivering Prim to the police had seemed like the right thing to do, the only thing to do. Now, surrounded by twisted metal and the glint of gun barrels, she was questioning every decision she'd ever made.

"The fuck! Are they trying to kill us?" Fang spat, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Men were pouring out of the surrounding vehicles, their faces hard, their weapons trained on her car. This wasn't just a roadblock; it was an execution.

Orm, usually the picture of calm and collected, was a mess of wide eyes and trembling hands. "Now we're trapped!" she wailed, her voice laced with genuine fear.

In the backseat, Prim, bound and gagged but somehow managing to project an air of smug amusement, broke into a wide, unsettling grin. "There's something you can do about it," she mumbled around the gag, her eyes sparkling with malice. "You should set me free."

Fang's disbelief was immediate and visceral. The idea was so ludicrous, so infuriating, she momentarily forgot the armed men outside. "Oh, is that so? Then let me kill you inside," she snarled, whipping out her Glock and pressing the barrel against Prim's temple.

"Are you crazy?!" Orm shrieked, grabbing Fang's arm. "You and Ling are always like this! Put the gun down!"

Fang wrestled her arm free, her gaze unwavering. "Oh please, I can't stand being trapped here and get insulted by that woman. Orm, you better get some action and it's good for your exercise."

Orm shook her head in exasperation. "Don't you realize I'm pregnant, huh?"

Fang rolled her eyes. "Obviously I'm seeing it, here we could start action pack! Brace yourself." She shoved her handgun into Orm's lap, and with a practiced motion, retrieved her trusty magnum from the glove compartment. This was going to get messy.

"What are you doing?!" Orm protested, clutching the smaller gun like a lifeline. The fear hadn't subsided, but a flicker of steel entered her eyes. This was it. Survival mode was kicking in.

Fang ignored her, rolling down her window, the scream of protesting metal momentarily drowning out Orm's panicked cries. She took a deep breath, focusing on the closest threat – the driver of the battered sedan to her left.

"What are you doing?! Take me there! I want to leave now!!" Prim begged, her voice muffled by the gag, her eyes wide with genuine terror. The smugness was gone, replaced by raw, unadulterated fear.

Fang grinned, a predatory expression that sent a shiver down Prim's spine. "Hold on tight, sweetheart," she said, her voice dangerously low. "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

With a deafening roar, Fang floored the accelerator. The car lurched forward, smashing into the sedan blocking her. Metal shrieked, glass shattered, and the world became a chaotic blur of motion and noise. Fang gripped the wheel, her senses heightened, her body responding instinctively. She fired the magnum, each shot precise and deadly, taking out the drivers of the surrounding vehicles.

The car bucked and swayed as she plowed through the makeshift blockade, the tires squealing in protest. She weaved between the wrecked vehicles, using them as cover, turning her car into a battering ram.

Orm, despite her fear, was surprisingly effective. She used Fang's handgun to provide suppressive fire, keeping the remaining attackers pinned down. Her pregnant belly pressed against the dashboard, she fired again and again, the smell of gunpowder filling the air.

"You alright?" Fang yelled over the din, her voice surprisingly calm.

Orm gasped for breath, her face pale but determined. "Just...drive!"

The car finally broke free of the trap, tearing down the road at breakneck speed. Fang glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing the surviving attackers scramble back into their vehicles. They were in pursuit.

"Not good," she muttered, her eyes narrowing. "This isn't over."

Prim, miraculously still alive in the back seat, was whimpering softly, her eyes darting from Fang to Orm and back again. Her bravado had completely evaporated.

Fang knew they had bought themselves some time. The police that Orm wants to send Prim into was still far. But she also knew that these guys wouldn't give up easily. They were relentless, and they were coming. She could feel it in her gut.

"Orm," she said, her voice grim. "We need a plan. And we need it now." The wild look in her eyes was growing while the thrill of the gunfire raised.

Fang shoot every men in the outside and was planning something extreme.

The amplified voice boomed, shattering the already tense silence. "Let Miss Prim go!"

Fang slammed on the brakes, the tires of the black sedan screeching against the asphalt. Orm's breath hitched. She knew this was coming, known it since they'd snatched Prim right out of her own gala. She just hadn't anticipated Fang's stubborn refusal to adjust the plan.

Before Fang could react, Orm yanked open the back door and shoved Prim out onto the road. She stumbled, her designer dress momentarily catching on the door frame.

"Are you crazy?!" Fang exploded, her voice laced with disbelief and anger.

Orm sighed, the sound heavy with frustration. "I can't handle this stupid act of yours. We were supposed to find Ling, not play bodyguard for some corporate shark. I'd rather she handle her problems on her own."

Fang's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp enough to cut steel. "You've got to be kidding me. You change the plan because you don't want to? So unreasonable, Orm! Maybe there's a reason Mei suddenly disappeared – maybe it's connected to this."

Orm smacked Fang lightly on the head. "No! I don't want you putting yourself in danger with Ling, and I certainly don't want us involved in Prim's mess."

Prim, recovering her composure, was now surrounded by her own men. They formed a protective circle around her, weapons glinting in the afternoon sun. She spoke, her voice cold and devoid of emotion. "There's no need to escape us. Either you die, or you come with me!"

Orm, already halfway out of the car, stepped onto the asphalt. Fang followed, her hand instinctively reaching for the Glock tucked in her waistband.

"What do you want?" Orm asked, her voice deceptively calm. "Killing us now is pointless. I don't know where Ling is, if that's who you're looking for."

Prim considered her, her eyes calculating. She realized she was telling the truth. They were looking for Ling. "See, you can even tell me who the imposter Mei is in my company. I agreed to let you out of your contract, Orm, but that won't come easy! Now, no one needs to get hurt."

Prim clearly thought she had them trapped. But she was wrong. Very wrong.

Fang had been subtly scanning their surroundings, her eyes constantly moving, her senses on high alert. She'd noticed the subtle signs – the way the delivery van parked across the street was positioned, the almost imperceptible nods between the sanitation workers leaning on their brooms. And the subtle flicker of recognition in the eyes of a seemingly innocent old woman pushing a shopping cart.

Chinese Triad. They were everywhere.

A slow smile spread across Fang's face. She wasn't trapped. Prim was.

"You think you've got us, Prim?" Fang asked, her voice laced with amusement. "You think because you've got your little bodyguards here, you're safe?"

Orm frowned, confused by Fang's sudden shift in demeanor. She followed her gaze and her eyes widened in understanding.

Prim's brow furrowed. She didn't understand what they were talking about. But a growing sense of unease began to creep into her heart. She glanced around, her eyes darting from face to face of her own men. They seemed...unfazed. Too calm.

As if on cue, the sanitation workers straightened, dropping their brooms. The delivery van's engine roared to life, blocking the street. The old woman with the shopping cart stopped, reached inside, and produced a silenced pistol.

Prim's carefully constructed facade crumbled. The blood drained from her face. Her eyes darted wildly, searching for an escape, but there was none. She was surrounded.

"This is not ideal," Orm muttered, drawing her own weapon. She knew Fang had a plan, but she also knew how quickly those plans could go sideways.

"Don't worry, Orm," Fang said, her voice deceptively light. "I think we just stumbled into something much bigger than we thought. And," she added with a wicked grin, "it looks like we're going to find Ling after all."

The air crackled with tension. Prim's men tensed, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons. But they hesitated. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered.

One of the Triad members, a man with a shaved head and intricate tattoos snaking up his neck, stepped forward. He looked at Prim with open contempt. "Miss Prim," he said, his voice a low growl. "You have been a very naughty girl."

Fang raised an eyebrow at Orm. "Naughty?" she repeated, a playful glint in her eyes. "Now that's a word I haven't heard in a while."

Orm rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a grin. She knew what was coming. Chaos. But controlled chaos. Fang's specialty.

The Triad member nodded to his men. "Take her."

Prim's men finally reacted, but it was too late. In a whirlwind of movement, the Triad swarmed them, disarming them with brutal efficiency. Prim screamed, struggling against her captors.

Fang watched the scene unfold, her expression unreadable. She knew that this was just the beginning. This was a power play, a message being sent. And she and Orm were right in the middle of it.

"So," Orm said, holstering her weapon. "What's the plan, Fang? Besides surviving, of course."

Fang turned to her, her smile widening. "The plan, Orm, is to find Ling. Because our problem is solve for now."

"About that, Ling was busy with something. She told me she needs to do it for your sister." 

Fang smiles with a shrug face. "Sorry with the chaos, I don't want you to over stress and blame me soon I'm stressing your baby, you shouldn't be here and they will get harm with them." 

Orm sigh with annoyance. "Do I look like stupid not knowing that? But for lying you and Ling are part of these Chinese triads are killing me!" she's safely holding her swollen belly. 

"Let the triad do their job now, I will take you home safely." 

They were getting back in the car and Fang was taking Orm to Ling's place.  

The warehouse reeked of damp concrete and desperation. Ling savored the high-pitched whine of the taser gun charging, the sound a prelude to Tan's inevitable agony. He was strapped to a metal chair, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead. Each jolt of electricity sent tremors through his body, yet he stubbornly refused to break.

"Oh yeah, you're making me difficult to do it," Ling drawled, her voice a cruel counterpoint to his ragged breathing. "Why can't you just simply apologize and beg for forgiveness? Is that difficult?"

Tan's eyes burned with a mixture of pain and defiance. "What? You? I don't apologize to an impostor who is just trying to mess with my life. You've ruined me, and there's nothing else you can change with that."

Ling's smile tightened, a flash of anger flickering in her eyes. "Oh really? Then it's your problem, not mine." She pressed the taser against his chest. Another scream ripped through the warehouse, echoing off the corrugated iron walls. Ling watched, unmoved, as his body convulsed. She wasn't finished, not even close. This wasn't just about extracting information; it was about retribution. He had crossed her, humiliated her, and she intended to make him pay.

But the satisfaction she craved remained elusive. Tan's resilience frustrated her, a constant reminder of her own vulnerability in this game of cat and mouse. She glanced at her triad members, their faces impassive, waiting for her next command. A wave of restlessness washed over her. This was taking too long.

Just then, Nene, one of the younger members, hurried into the room, her expression urgent. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Ling, but there are some men who were looking for Tan. I think they are his personal bodyguards or something."

A flicker of something akin to relief crossed Tan's face. A confident smile, infuriatingly familiar, spread across his lips. "Took you long enough."

Ling laughed, the sound sharp and devoid of humor. "Oh boy, why make it so difficult? You could just say, 'I'm sorry for murdering Mei, and I regret what happened to her.' You thought you could relax here, but I think they already miss you. I have an idea for that." She let the words hang in the air, heavy with menace. This wasn't just about revenge for Mei; it was about making Tan pay for the pain he had inflicted, for the life he had so casually extinguished.

Even as she spoke, the first shots rang out. Tan's personal bodyguard, a hulking brute, barged through a side door, followed by a wave of Tan's men, weapons blazing. The triads returned fire, targeting the shoulders, aiming for incapacitation, not immediate death. Nene, Ling's second-in-command and closest confidante, positioned herself strategically, guarding the flanks, ensuring no one could get behind them.

The warehouse erupted in a chaotic ballet of gunfire and panicked shouts. Ling moved with a brutal efficiency, weaving through the melee, a whirlwind of lethal grace. She delivered a swift kick to the jaw of one man who was trying to raise his weapon, sending him sprawling. Another lunged at her, but she deflected his attack with a forearm, then slammed her taser into his chest. He crumpled to the ground, convulsing.

Then, with a flourish, she produced her magnum. The heavy gun felt comfortable in her hand, a familiar weight of power. Instead of aiming for vital organs, she shot the ground near Tan's bodyguards' feet, the bullets kicking up sparks and splinters. They jumped back, startled and momentarily disoriented. It was a macabre game, and Ling was thoroughly enjoying it.

"Oh, killing us won't do anything to make me stop!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the din. One of Tan's men, seemingly braver or more desperate than the others, pushed forward.

"We only want to save Mr. Tan, and we want you to let him go before we do anything to arrest him." He managed to stammer out.

Ling paused, a slow, predatory smile spreading across her face. An idea, dark and satisfying, began to form in her mind. "Okay, if that's what you wanted."

Nene glanced at her, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. Ling's next move was unexpected, even for her. With a swift motion, Ling untied Tan's hands and feet. But instead of releasing him, she grabbed him by the neck, her grip tight and unyielding. She hauled him to his feet, using him as a human shield.

As she moved towards Tan's men, she could feel his body tense against hers. He probably thought she was going to let him go, that he had somehow gained the upper hand. The arrogance of the man was astounding.

"Don't get any ideas," she hissed in his ear.

When she was close enough, Ling acted with lightning speed. She shoved Tan forward, using his body as a momentary distraction, and then unleashed a barrage of shots, targeting the chests of his men. They crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

A stray bullet, fired in panic, ricocheted off a metal beam and struck Tan in the upper knee. He screamed, a raw, animalistic sound that echoed through the warehouse.

"Oh, you assumed you could just let yourself go? I'm not finished with you yet," Ling said, her voice soft and dangerous. "Also, tell me if you have enough supply of bodyguards to kill me, okay? I think you're lacking now because I have so many." She laughed, a high, mocking sound that grated on Tan's nerves. He couldn't move, trapped in her grip, his leg throbbing with pain.

Her triads grabbed his arms roughly, pulling them behind his back. He knew what was coming next. More pain. More humiliation.

"How could you think this can make you feel good, huh!" Tan spat, his voice laced with fury and fear.

Ling's laughter intensified. It was a symphony of vengeance, long overdue. She casually walked over to a rickety table in the corner of the warehouse. A rusty knife lay on its surface, glinting ominously in the dim light. She picked it up, testing its edge with her thumb.

"What are you even going to do with me now? Kill me now!" Tan demanded, his voice cracking. He was tired of the endless torture, both physical and psychological.

"It's better than that," Ling replied, her voice low and husky. "I don't care if you don't beg for forgiveness. I can still do something with that."

She stalked towards him, the knife held casually in her hand. She began to unbuckle his belt, her movements deliberate and slow. Tan's eyes widened. For the first time, a flicker of genuine fear replaced the arrogance in his gaze.

"Oh really, are you desperate for that?" Tan asked, his voice laced with a false bravado. He saw Ling staring at his crotch, and a twisted smile touched his lips.

"Don't regret it later," Ling whispered, her eyes gleaming with a dark satisfaction. With a swift, brutal motion, she sliced downwards.

Tan's scream was deafening, a primal roar of agony that ripped through the warehouse. Blood gushed, staining the floor a crimson red.

Ling giggled, a sound that was both chilling and triumphant. She picked up the severed member, dangling it between her fingers.

"Teach your son to be a good boy, so you can have grandkids soon," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

She dropped the knife onto the blood-soaked floor and gestured to her triads. "Let him go."

Tan collapsed to the ground, clutching at his groin, his face contorted with pain and disbelief. He was a broken man, both physically and emotionally. His cries echoed through the warehouse, a testament to Ling's ruthlessness and the devastating power of revenge. Ling watched him with cold satisfaction, knowing that she had finally avenged Mei's death. And Ling was finally at peace.

Ling watched him, a chilling calm settling over her. The turmoil that had consumed her for months, the gnawing grief and burning rage, finally began to dissipate. Mei's face, her gentle smile, floated in her memory, a silent acknowledgment.

Nene, a younger member of the triad, her face pale and etched with concern, approached Ling cautiously. "What are you planning to do now?" Her voice was soft, laced with apprehension.

Ling's eyes remained fixed on Tan, a predatory glint in their depths. "Let our members vote on who wants to take him to the hospital before I'm planning to take his kidney out." The words were delivered with a chilling nonchalance that made Nene shiver.

Tan's whimpers intensified, escalating to desperate pleas. He shook his head frantically, tears streaming down his face. "Please stop! I couldn't take this pain anymore! Please take me to the hospital! I want to see my family!"

Ling let out a short, mirthless giggle. "Aww, now you care about them after you lost your precious genitalia, but you don't care if you can kill people's lives and raping your own employee. Come on, I know it's not enough. I will take your kidney to charity, and I'm serious about it. Do you want me to start with that?" She grinned, a flash of something truly dangerous in her eyes.

Tan's response was immediate, a frantic, silent plea conveyed through violent headshakes.

Nene stepped forward, her voice gaining a bit more strength. "I prefer we should take him to the hospital, it's gonna be brutal for taking one of his kidneys, Ling. I think you did enough." She paused, adding for emphasis, "Dandao would also say the same thing." Dandao was their underground leader, wise and respected, even feared. Her opinion carried immense weight.

Ling's expression softened, a flicker of doubt crossing her features. She listened, the fury that had driven her momentarily subdued by Nene's words. "Okay," she conceded, a hint of weariness in her voice. "I guess the winner is the hospital, but with my one condition."

"Please, I need the hospital now! This is a serious thing!" Tan's voice was weak, ragged with pain. A dark stain was spreading rapidly across the warehouse floor.

Ling sighed, the sound heavy with annoyance. "Then do something that I make that as a priority. I don't care if you don't see your family anymore. You die because of loss of blood. It doesn't matter. At least Mei could see now that you suffer so hard!" She punctuated her words with a kick to Tan's chest, the force of it sending him sprawling, a fresh wave of agony contorting his features.

"Please," he gasped, his voice barely a whisper. "Forgive me..." The plea was wrung from the depths of his being, a pathetic offering from a broken man.

Ling crouched beside him, her face inches from his. "Huh? You see you can even say it out loud, just for the sake of your wife. Let me tell you one thing, If you dare to mess with my family, Orm, and the rest of my connections, I will dare you, I can take any of your organs, and I will even take off your feet as well!" Her voice was low, a venomous hiss that promised unimaginable suffering.

Tan, his eyes wide with terror, nodded weakly, unable to speak, understanding dawning in his pain-filled gaze. He knew then that mercy was a foreign concept in Ling's world, that he was entirely at her whim.

The tension in the warehouse seemed to dissipate slightly. Ling stood up, stepping away from Tan, a subtle change in her posture. The burning rage had subsided, replaced by a chilling satisfaction. The need for vengeance had been sated, at least for now.

A flicker of something akin to weariness crossed her face. She gestured sharply towards two of her men. "Take him to the hospital. And make sure he understands this: he owes Mei his life. Every breath he takes is a debt he can never repay." The words were final, a grim pronouncement.

The two men moved quickly, hauling Tan to his feet, his body limp and unresisting. As they dragged him toward the exit, leaving a trail of blood in their wake, Ling watched them go, a strange emptiness settling within her. The peace she had sought was fragile, tainted by the violence she had embraced. She wondered how long it would last.