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Falling to his knees, he gasped for air, trying to control the pain and shock. He stuffed the area with gauze, squelching the bleeding for the time being. Washing his hands once again, he removed the gauze and took the small cautery device he’d purchased at the medical supply store.
Unsure of what to cauterize and not, he simply went wherever blood was seeping. The pain was excruciating, taking him back to his training days. When it was done, he was left with a large gaping wound.
Once more, he gathered his breath, washing his hands a third time. Lifting the hand-held stapling device, he stapled his own flesh together, then dressed the wound as best he could. He wrapped everything in a plastic bag, shoving it into the trash can. Wiping down the countertops, he placed the soiled towels in another plastic bag and put them in his bag.
Finally, he washed his hands once again, then his face, gulping down several glasses of water. As darkness fell, he lay face down on the bed, trying to ignore the throbbing pain at the back of his head.
When the phone rang, he ignored it, even turning off the ringer. Tonight, he needed sleep. Tomorrow, he would find the woman, kill her, get his money, and leave this horrible country.
Tomorrow would be a new day.
Tomorrow.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
May, Tanner, and Hiro landed in Beijing, exhausted from the long commercial airline flight. They’d usually take one of the corporate jets or Ospreys but didn’t want any attention on them at all. Just getting through customs was an ordeal.
“Why are you here?” asked the man in Mandarin.
“We are visiting my family,” smiled May.
“Where?” asked the man.
“Just outside of Yushu,” she said, smiling again. “It’s not very large, but my family has always lived there.”
“And those men. Are they with you?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “They are my cousins.”
The agent stared at them, then back at her as if trying to see a resemblance. Tanner and Hiro both wore loose, baggy clothes, not wanting to show their physiques or give any indication that the men were physically superior. It was always best to appear meek.
“How long will you be here?”
“I’m afraid only a week, maybe less,” said May with a sad face. “I hope to say goodbye to my grandmother and then leave.”
The man nodded an apology and handed her the passports.
“Enjoy your stay. Welcome to China.”
The three nodded their thanks, leaving with only their small carry-on bags. Yushu was a ten-hour drive without delays, and they were going to need to trade off driving so that they could each get some sleep. May was the most familiar with the route, but the others had been in-country as well.
“There are several prefecture cities along the way.”
“What does that mean?” asked Tanner.
“It means that more than fifty percent of their population is ethnic. In this case, this far north, most are Han Chinese,” said May.
“Do we expect any challenges?” asked Hiro.
“No. I wouldn’t think so. We need to make sure we’re not in anything Western-looking. No designer labels, sneaker labels, denim, that sort of thing. Change into the clothes I gave you on the plane.” Both men nodded at her.
“What would have made them risk everything to come into China?” asked Tanner, staring out the car window.
“They had to have been terrified of Park, but if he’s dead, why not go back?” said Hiro.
“Maybe it wasn’t Park they were afraid of,” said May. “Maybe there’s someone else that they fear. One of the assassins, or perhaps the person pulling the strings of the assassins.”
“Who would that be, though? Why would anyone want to kill Erica or Jennifer? They don’t want to go back to North Korea.”
