Page 51 of The Wind Dancer
“You know what happens to those who push their luck for too long. You saw it in that house. You will play along.” He leaned over and looked me straight in the eye, smiling eerily. “Or I will have your liver and heart for dinner.”
And he said it so calmly, like he was discussing the tea blend. Blasted cultist.
“Think carefully, Feng Lao. Tomorrow at one. And none of those tricks your mentor loved so much. This is your only chance.”
He stood up, took one last look at me, and left. And I sat there smiling. I did it, I pissed off the old snake, and now it was Mei Lin’s agents’ turn. I swore to the heavens I’d tear out his rotten heart.
***
I stood in the shadow of the alley, breathing in the cool night air. The wind played with my hair, which I had pulled back in a ponytail. Somewhere in the distance, brothel girls were giggling, inviting customers in, and pickpockets were moving between drunken residents who had gone out to have fun at the night market. The night in the city went on as usual, the people unaware that there would be blood.
Mei Lin was leaning against the wall next to me. One look at her outfit was yet another confirmation that my old man had indeed been a member of the Secret Chancellery. He used to wear something very similar on certain missions.
The uniform fit Mei Lin naturally, like a second skin.
The dark silk clung to her frame, and the wide sleeves were perfect for hiding weapons. A wide, sturdy leather belt with blackened metal plates covered the vital organs without hindering movement. A dozen throwing knives hung from it in plain sight, and I had no doubt there were more hidden beneath the fabric. She carried a multi-shot crossbow on her forearm. The thin, faceted bolts were black and coated with poison.
Her hair was braided in a complicated bun, and not a single strand escaped. She was perfectly still, I could barely see her breathing. The only thing that surprised me was the hilt of a short sword peeking out behind her shoulder. I had always considered such weapons unnecessary, but she clearly thought otherwise.
A dark fabric covered her face, leaving only her piercing eyes visible. She was a completely different person now. She wasn’t this intimidating even when I had made the deal with her.
“Are you sure he doesn’t suspect anything?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the house across the street.
“Absolutely. My people know their craft. He checked for tails three times. Smart bastard.” Mei Lin’s voice was as cold as steel in winter. “But he thought you’d be the one who would follow him. He took a few people with him. He thought you would try to kill him.”
“And he’s absolutely right.”
“But you’re not alone now, partner.” I was sure she was smiling under the mask. “Relax, everything went perfectly. The area is blocked off. He has no way to escape.”
I nodded. I knew that her people didn’t make mistakes.
Fu Shang was spending the night with his mistress, a woman named Liang Su. Mei Lin already knew everything about her. For a moment, I acknowledged that working for the Chancellery had its advantages.
The house stood on a quiet side street, a small residence with a courtyard. Two guards at the gate, three more inside. More mercenaries Fu Shang had hired hid in the shadows, but we knew their positions. Every window, every possible route had been accounted for.
“How do we proceed?” I asked, my hand on the handle of my dagger.
“The plan is as follows. My people will work in three groups. The first group eliminates the guards. The second blocks escape routes. The third enters through the roof. The two of us go in through the main entrance under the cover of the first group.” Mei Lin looked at me. There wasn’t a sliver of doubtin her eyes. “Anyone who tries to stop us will die. Chancellery orders.”
“I want to take him alive.”
She nodded, confirming our agreement, and then raised her hand and clenched it into a fist. Obeying her silent command, figures began moving in the shadows.
There was a deadly silence.
The first crunch was barely audible, like a branch underfoot. The man at the gate froze, his body jerked strangely before he went limp and collapsed to the ground like a broken doll.
His colleague opened his mouth, but a black, needle-thin crossbow bolt struck his throat. He wheezed, clutching at the bolt, a look of mute, panicked confusion in his eyes. Then his body slowly slid down the wall.
Inside the house, someone tried to scream, but the sound was instantly cut off by a wet squelch. There was a thud as something heavy hit the floor.
I saw shadows moving along the wall, heard blades striking flesh, and strangled wheezes. It all happened in seconds.
A muffled crack came from the roof above. A man tried to escape through the window, but three crossbow bolts struck his chest in quick succession. He jerked, doubled over, and hung limply on the windowsill, blood dripping from his mouth.
“Move out,” Mei Lin ordered.
CHAPTER 15
