by Bob Gansler
# 11 - Feb 2002	Face to Face

HONG KONG

The MI6 car wound its way from the private airfield to the address that Fah Lo Suee had given the driver. Beside her sat her two hulking bodyguards, Mingo and Han. They were not much for subtlety, but they were quite effective when it came to a fight. She was certain that she would need to employ those abilities soon. With J.B. Reston (as well as Shang-Chi and Leiko Wu) incommunicado, she had been forced to assume a personal involvement in this effort against Fu Manchu.

On the plane ride across Asia, she had read numerous diplomatic reports on the situation in Hong Kong. The rhetoric of both the Chinese and British sides had increased as "revolutionaries" continued to speak for a return to British rule. With the assassination of Britain's best Oriental negotiators, the prospect of a diplomatic resolution seemed dim. While none of the reports mentioned him, Fah Lo Suee was certain who was the puppet master here - her father, Fu Manchu.

Progress was slow on the busy streets. It tested her patience, but she remained in control. Wasteful emotion could not be allowed to rule her thoughts or to interfere with her plans. Her father had taught her that, though her maternal-side Russian blood had grated against cold logic. Emotion had its place and her hatred for her father had its place.

Where the car eventually ended up was somewhat of a surprise to Fah Lo Suee's companions. Not that they had thoughts of questioning their mistress' judgment. They were completely devoted to her; the fact that she worked for MI6 and represented the British government was irrelevant to them. They were now in one of the seedier sections of town. Even the unsophisticated eyes of Han and Mingo could tell that. The car pulled over and discharged the passengers. Fah issued a few quick words to the driver, impressing further upon his mind her hypnotic suggestions. He would retain no memory of transporting her here when he returned to the MI6 safehouse.

The car pulled away, and Fah led her personal protectors into a particularly bawdy nightclub, the Pirate Cove. She paid no heed to the line of waiting customers and headed directly for the door. The doorman thought about confronting her, but when he saw her two companions, he opened the door for them.

Inside was a phantasmagoria of light and sound. There were important people from all walks of Hong Kong life here. It was a literal cornucopia of information of what was happening in Hong Kong. Since her MI6 agents had not been able to ferret out much information about Fu Manchu's operations, she would find it personally here.

The mimosa-like gas had worn off with Fu Manchu's concoctions' characteristic lack of side-effects. Now Leiko Wu and J.B. Reston had joined Shang-Chi in the realm of consciousness. Since freeing them from the taxicab, Shang-Chi had carried his unconscious allies to a small, closed fish shop.

"Queen and country," J.B. muttered. "The stench of this place could wake the dead."

Leiko yawned slightly. "It's not that bad. And it's better than waking up dead."

Shang-Chi brought over two bottles of water. He had already put some money down on the counter to pay for the unknowing shopkeeper's trouble. He handed a bottle each to J.B. and Leiko. "My father would not be content to have you die unaware. He went to considerable trouble to deliver us alive."

"Either to gloat or to try to brainwash us into Si-Fan agents." J.B. checked his weapons. He was glad that Shang-Chi had possessed the foresight to grab their bags as well when the Master of Kung Fu effected their escape.

"So what do we do now?" Leiko wondered if a head-on confrontation would be wise.

"We must assume that there is a Si-Fan base here," Shang-Chi replied calmly. "Cat has holdings here. The way in which this play has unfolded would indicate that the two are one in the same. Regardless, either we will find Cat or Si-Fan."

"Or both," Leiko added.

"The future may unfold that way," Shang-Chi nodded.

Fah Lo Suee wove her way through the bumping and grinding crowd towards the bar. She signaled to the bartender. The burly skinheaded native finished mixing up a cosmopolitan and came over to her.

"What'll you have?" he shouted over the din.

"A martini." She thought about ordering J.B.'s favorite style, but she did not like it shaken. "Stirred, please. And I'd also like to talk to Mei Lin."

"Boss very busy.." He started to turn away but Fah grabbed his arm. She looked deep into him with her jade green eyes.

"Tell her the devil's daughter is here. She'll see me."

The bartender paused for a moment, taken by the beauty of the gaze, and then dutifully went to work mixing the martini. After handing her the drink, he went out a door at the back of the bar.

Fah Lo Suee slunk into a barstool that an interested young man offered her. The fellow hovered over her and tried to impress her with his occupation and friends in high places She could barely hear him over the blaring techno mush, and even if she could have, she found his words boring and trite. Before she had to endure much more of his prattling, the bartender reappeared at the door. Holding it slightly open, he motioned for her to come.

Running one of her exquisitely painted nails over his cheek, she took her leave. It momentarily froze the fellow's mouth as well as the rest of his body.

Pushing her way through the crowd once again, she followed the bartender through the door to the back offices. He showered her to the last office, but Fah certainly knew the way already. "Thank you," she said as she brushed past him.

In contrast to the Western décor of the club outside, Mei Lin's office was decorated with more traditional Chinese furnishings. There was a definite dragon motif among the tapestries, the vases, the hanging lanterns. It well fitted the woman's reputation of years past.

Mei Lin sat behind her desk. While the flower of her youth was faded, she was still a stunning woman. Her raven black hair was now streaked with gray, and her face showed a few wrinkles. Still, she was remarkably well-preserved for someone of her age, Fah noted. Perhaps she had acquired some secret like the Elixir Vitae?

"My dear Fah Lo Suee, we are honored by your presence," Mei Lin rose and bowed.

Fah returned the bow. "I'm gratified by your hospitality. You have worn the years well."

"Not as well as you,' Mei Lin chuckled. "Would you care for some tea?"

"Yes, please." Fah Lo Suee took a seat on the divan and waited to be served. "You realize that this is not a social call."

"Have any of our meetings ever been?" Mei Lin poured a cup and offered it to Fah. "We are women of the world. Idle social pleasantries are not on our path. You come regarding your father, I take it."

"Yes," Fah nodded. "But first tell me if you are in his employ. Answer truthfully. I will bear you no ill will if you are. My father has all too many ways to convince others to work towards his ends."

"No, your father's schemes do not include me, and you know you can trust me to speak the truth. Yes, I have heard rumblings of his activity here in Hong Kong, but neither he nor his associates have approached me. My days as an ingénue, a scoundrel, a pirate are long past, as is my old foe Terry. No, today I am content simply to operate this club."

Fah shared a glance with Mei Lin. The two shared too much honor to be willingly untruthful with one another, and she could detect no trace of Fu Manchu's imposed will, whether it be in hypnotic or alchemical form. "I am happy to hear that. Now I would like to ask a favour of you."

"Please let it not be that you want me to join in your vendetta against your father," Mei Lin countered. "I have had enough of that life."

"No, I merely wish to use your establishment as a base of operations, nothing more."

Mei Lin rose and stalked the Persian rug-covered floor, her hands held behind her back. "The thought of MI-6 agents milling around my club makes me uneasy."

"No agents, only I."

With that, it didn't take Mei Lin long to decide. "Certainly then. What will you need?"

"Only your permission to join the partying. In that way I hope to pry information out of some of your customers."

"Ha ha," Mei Lin chuckled. "Sometimes the old ways are still best. It will be interesting to see how well you can still dance."

Moving from warehouse to warehouse, Shang-Chi, Leiko and J.B. looked for traces of Si-Fan. These were all buildings associated with Cat's enterprises, so there certainly were signs of illegality, but there was nothing to connect them to Fu Manchu's plot to put China and Britain against each other.

"Perhaps they were taking us to a pick-up point in order to take us somewhere else," J.B. suggested.

"That is a possibility, but we have not yet exhausted the list of our search. There still are many more of Cat's buildings in the area." Shang-Chi could almost feel his father's evil radiating the area. The Devil Doctor had to be in this area, he just had to be.

"It's getting really late, Shang." Leiko kept a firm grip on her pistol. "And it's been a really long day, not to mention getting drugged and kidnapped. I think we should turn in for the night and resume tomorrow. If Fu Manchu is here, he's not going to pack up and move overnight."

"He could, but it is unlikely," Shang-Chi admitted. His father was not one to leave in the middle of a plot. The Phantom of Fear liked to see his schemes carried through to completion.

"Smashing idea," J.B. noted. His eyes darted around in the direction of the rafters. Blighters always seemed to hide up there. "I know of a safe place where we can spend the night and then get back on the job tomorrow."

"You know a safe place in this part of town" Leiko asked. "Is there anything you don't know about Hong Kong?"

"Where Fu Manchu is," the veteran agent said grimly.

In one of the dressing rooms of the Dragon Club, Fah Lo Suee had undergone a startling transformation. She had donned a long green flowing dress. Atop her head she had fitted a voluminous wig adorned with golden combs. She had painted her face in such a way to make her appear even more ravishing than before. She would have no trouble garnering any man's attention now.

She stepped out into the hallway and entered the club proper. Immediately heads turned and conversations stopped upon her entrance. She could have her pick of any man in the place, but this was not a time for pleasure. Her task was to ferret out information regarding Fu Manchu.

While she knew the most fanatical of the Si-Fan would never frequent a place like this, there were always those of the Order of the Golden Dawn who had to straddle Fu Manchu's mythical world and the real world. They would likely be at a place like this.

Fah Lo Suee walked out of the dressing room and onto the main floor. Many a head turned at her entrance, so striking was her appearance. She took a spot on the dance floor and began to move. Now there were even more eyes upon her. Her movements were smooth and seductive, enchanting and exhilarating. In a matter of moments, she had made a lasting impression on many of the attendees.

When she wasn't on the dance floor, she mixed among the crowd, flirting with innocuous phrases and brushing innocently up against many a patron. This went on for a number of nights as she gained the unconditional trust of all who attended the club. Soon she was gathering interesting bits of information about the local scene. While her MI6 agents searched futilely for intelligence regarding Fu Manchu's operations in Hong Kong, Fah Lo Suee was gleaning all sorts of clues from offhanded remarks and innuendo. Still there was more to gather.

Shang-Chi and company had been moving methodically from one Cat holding to another without any measurable success. Those buildings that were still in operation were no longer part of Cat's enterprises. Those that still were Shen Kuei's were no longer occupied. Finally, there was only one building left for them to investigate.

"Perhaps they've moved on, lad," J.B. suggested. He was getting frustrated with these investigations. Now that action was once again in his life, he wanted to feel some adrenalin pumping through his veins. Reconnaissance simply didn't fit the bill.

"They may be onto us," Leiko added.

"That is a possibility," Shang-Chi admitted grudgingly. He, too, did not care for this type of activity. For that matter, he did not much care for resuming the fight against his father's evil. How he wished to return to the simple life of a fisherman, but while his father lived, Shang-Chi could not allow that evil to flourish.

They crept up upon the building in question. Though darkness and relative quiet had descended upon Hong Kong, there was activity here. Numerous trucks were in the process of being loaded or unloaded along the docking bays. What caught their notice was the garb of those doing the loading and unloading. They were not the typical dockworkers. Shang-Chi's keen eyes picked out a few notable types of garb - Dacoit, Phansigar, and Hashishim among others.

"The Si-Fan are here in strength," Shang-Chi hissed. "As is my father, undoubtedly."

"There certainly are a number of them here. Perhaps we should call in the authorities. MI-6 still has a presence here, as I understand." This information had come from J.B.'s employer, Fah Lo Suee. He figured that she must be livid with him for not checking in, but there had been no opportunity to do so since they arrived.

"We have faced greater odds before. Si-Fan fight with fanaticism. We fight with placid reason. The advantage is ours." There was no doubt in Shang-Chi's voice. "We shall find Cat here, and we will see if he is complicit in Si-Fan affairs."

While Shang-Chi had been engaged in one search, his doppelganger, Xan-Chi, the cloned creation of Fu Manchu, had been engaged in another, a quest to find the Devil Doctor's firstborn, Fah Lo Suee. He had been charged with slaying the Devil's Daughter, who now operated Mi-6 against the Order of the Golden Dawn. His search had been marked by a complete lack of success. Now his handpicked squad of Si-Fan had gotten word of an exotic beauty who frequented the Pirate Cove. She seemed to be very interested in trading information. Xan-Chi decided that perhaps she could lead him to Fah Lo Suee.

Xan-Chi arrived at the club. He was alone. While the Si-Fan under his direction were very devoted and efficient, they were not trained for delicate activity such as this. He had stationed them in the nearby area while he endeavored to meet with the siren known as "Madame Ingomar."

While the civilian garb felt strange against his skin, it did allow Xan-Chi to mix in with the revelers. The music was loud and annoying but he did not allow it to deter him. Across the room, separated by a score of gaudily clad men and women was his quarry. Her back was to him, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was whom he sought. A long tight green dress clung to her shapely frame. Long raven tresses were arranged most delicately about her head. She moved and swayed much to the delight and entrancement of others.

Xan-Chi glided through the crowd until he reached her side. He tapped her on the shoulder and shouted above the din "May I buy you a drink, Madame Ingomar?"

She turned slowly. When her eyes met his, a slight shock came to her. "Sha …" She quickly cut herself off.

The scar on Xan-Chi's face seemed to come to the fore as he stared at her. Despite the costume and makeup, he could recognize her. The image of her face had been drilled into his mind. This was his quarry, this was Fah Lo Suee. He cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. "Madame Ingomar" was an alias that Fah Lo Suee had used many times in the past. Fu Manchu had taught him that, and he had failed to recall the lesson.

The scar told Fah that this was not her brother but rather the doppelganger. Her hand darted out and grabbed the wrist of one of her male admirers. With a quick tug, she transposed him between her and Xan-Chi. Then she headed for the back rooms.

In response, Xan-Chi drove his elbow into the fellow's stomach. Forcing the innocent bystander to double over in pain. Some of the other patrons stepped in to come to their fellow partier's aid. A few efficient chops dissuaded others of the notion as the first wave lay crumpled at Xan-Chi's feet.

Fah Lo Suee had hoped to gain some of her small arms that she had stashed in her dressing room, but she had found the door inexplicably locked. Had she a few seconds to spare, she could have picked it easily, but she knew that she did not possess that luxury. She knew that the clone was Shang-Chi's physical equal, without any of her brother's sense of honour. In a fair fight, Xan-Chi was her superior, though she had no intention of fighting fairly. She decided to head out to the street and rendezvous with her hulking minions, Mingo and Han. Touching her bracelet, she activated the radio that allowed her to tell the duo where to meet her. Then she pushed through the emergency exit onto the alley outside.

She hoped that the chaos of the alarm that her departure had activated would buy her some more time to get away. As it happened, it was not a bad time to abandon the role of Madame Ingomar. From the information that she had gleaned, enticed, or seduced, she was certain that her father was operating out of the warehouse district with Cat as his unwilling accomplice. Her agents, Shockwave and Dark Angel, were undoubtedly there as prisoners, if not dead. If she could meet up with Mingo and Han, she could reach a MI6 safehouse and organize a team to storm the area. If only she had gotten some information from J.B. she would be more content, but he had been unreachable since she adopted this role.

Fah Lo Suee quickly but discretely strode the alley towards the main street. While her exotic garb might garner her a few stares, it would not be completely out of place in late night Hong Kong. She hoped that the doppelganger did not have associates outside. She was quite noticeable and unmistakable in appearance right now.

Before she could even reach the street, she was brought to a stop. A leaping figure flew over here, twisting in the air, so that he faced her upon landing. It was Xan-Chi, and his face was filled with rage.

"Fah Lo Suee, the faithless daughter," he sneered. "I have been given the honour of apprehending you. The Celestial One would prefer to have you brought in alive, but I request that you resist - futile though that may be."

"So my father has created a dog that obeys his every whim. You are not a duplicate of Shang-Chi, you are a sad mockery."

Xan-Chi advanced towards Fah Lo Suee, his hands moving slowly and methodically. "Do not mention that false son to me. When you and he are destroyed, I shall be the sole inheritor of the greatness of Fu Manchu's empire."

Fah Lo Suee slipped out a dagger from the locks of her ornate wig. "What makes you think that there ever will be an inheritance? With the Elixir Vitae, he is nigh-immortal." She twirled the dagger in her hands expertly, showing Xan-Chi that she was no novice.

"Then I will wait forever, forever loyal to Fu Manchu." Xan-Chi was close enough to strike now, but he held back.

"Do you fear my blade, dog?" Fah Lo Suee cut through the air. "Many have fallen to its bite." She had to make a move now. Delay could only bring more danger. She thrust forward and tore through Xan-Chi's shirt, but she did not draw any blood. The foremost minion of Fu Manchu had dodged to avoid the deadly blow.

Xan-Chi laughed insidiously. "Was that the best you could do, 'sister'? For your sake, I hope not." He launched himself forward, lashing out with fist after fist. The fury of the attack drove Fah Lo Suee back. She parried a few blows with her free left hand, and struggled to duck away from the others. Finally, Xan-Chi spun around and delivered a devastating kick to her mid-section. Fah Lo Suee was sent flying into a group of trashcans.

"Too easy!" Xan-Chi exclaimed.

"Your celebration is premature." Fah Lo Suee rose to her feet as she brushed off the litter from her frame. Her makeup was now stained with unknown liquids, but her beauty and her determination were still there. She had lost the dagger in the impact; there was no time to retrieve it now. She had to get out of the alley and link up with Mingo and Han. There was no time to call them now. The battle would be over, one way or another, before they could arrive.

With a high-pitched cry, Fah Lo Suee took to the air. Xan-Chi's reflexes were too quick for her. He was in the air a split-second later. Before she could prepare for her intended strike at a stationary target, she was in Xan-Chi's grasp. While still in the air, he applied a vicious blow to her head, rendering her unconscious instantly.

Xan-Chi twisted in the air so that Fah Lo Suee would bear the brunt of their impact. He took a sadistic pleasure in doing that. Grabbing her by the hair, he began to drag her out of the alley. He figured that Fu Manchu could make her death much more painful than he himself could imagine.

J.B. took careful aim with his pistol. He was trying to line up as many shots as he could. He knew once the fighting started in earnest, there would be little use for his sidearm. Following the relative movements of the Si-Fan upon the loading dock, he figured that he could take out 3, perhaps 4, before chaos made targeting too problematic. He nodded towards Shang-Chi. "Let me take my shots before you go wading into them, lad."

"I seek not to wade through them. They are a barrier to the destination. I take no pleasure in meeting them or disposing of them." He crouched and steeled his muscles. Once J.B. finished firing, he would launch himself among them. He hardly noticed the hand that Leiko put on his shoulder.

"Right, then." J.B. whispered and took final aim. Four rapid shots went off. Three hit their targets perfectly; three Si-Fan dropped to the ground. One shot caught a dacoit in the arm. Shang-Chi bounded forward with Leiko close behind. Before the Si-Fan could get their deadly weapons to bear, the Master of Kung Fu was laying them low. His timing was flawless, his execution utilizing only the necessary energy to complete the task. No strike was the same as the next. A fist to the solar plexus followed a heel to the temple which preceded a open hand to the face. Whoever he touched, fell.

Leiko Wu, for her part, did not fare badly either. She took a bo-staff off of a fallen Si-Fan and was now putting it to good use. She swept a pair out of her way before using it to pole vault over another. When she landed, she swung back with the staff, not even bothering to turn to see her target. The Phansigar she had vaulted was greeted with the staff-end to his forehead.

J.B. had rumbled forward and made sure that those who were down stayed down. A few well-placed nerve pinches assured that.

When the trio had cleared the dock of Si-Fan, they stepped cautiously through the plastic shrouds that separated inside from out. As they emerged into the dark interior, they were welcomed with the glare of blinding spotlights. As their eyes fought to overcome the startling light, they could hear all sorts of footsteps around them. When they could see again, J.B. and Leiko were held tight by burly dacoits. Shang-Chi was free but another figure faced him, standing far ahead in the dimly lit warehouse.

The Master of Kung Fu studied the shape ahead of him. The figure was familiar, and the stride, though marked with a bit of hesitancy, was also. "Cat?"

"Yes, it is Cat." A voice called out from the rafters. "Though that is only his name. It does not describe who he is. Once he led, now he serves."

There was no mistaking the sound of the voice above. Though he had not heard it for some time, its sinister nature could not be imitated or truly captured in any recorded manner. It was he, and he was alive - his father, Fu Manchu.

"Fu Manchu," Shang-Chi muttered. He had foresworn addressing the menace by any other name. Any degree of family respect had long since been abolished.

"Yes, it is I," Fu Manchu called down. "You had evaded my traps and have found me nonetheless. You are to be commended. Smith would have been proud of you."

"This gambit is foolish," Shang-Chi shouted. "China and Britain will not go to war over your antics."

"Perhaps, but then you might be overestimating the folly of politicians," Fu Manchu chuckled. "But it is immaterial. While China and Britain rattle sabers over Hong Kong, my operations in the mainland go unopposed. China will be restored to her glory under my rule."

"That day will never come."

"It will, but you will never see it." Fu Manchu responded. "Shen Kuei will destroy you first. If he cannot, you will be in no position to overcome the Si-Fan."

Cat emerged fully from the shadows. His was the honour to confront Shang-Chi first. A score of Si-Fan surrounded them, waiting eagerly for the opportunity to please their master by destroying Shang-Chi.

NEXT ISSUE: The fear-fraught conclusion to my run on Master of Kung Fu. Even if Shang-Chi can overcome Cat, he must face a horde of Si-Fan before he can hope to reach his father.

Bob Gansler