Sigma/Star

Chapter 69: Enter Beijing Part 2

"Those purposes being?" Porter enquired.

The grin came out again and the tour stopped. "We are the Jade Fang. We are an underground resistance movement here in the Eastern United States."

"And you're telling us all this?" Chase blurted out. "This isn't some secret?"

"What would you do with the information?" Ling Shi laughed. "You are hostages here, where would you go? Besides, the government and people know we exist, we make that very clear to them. Even if you escaped, you don't know where you are, so I don't see any harm in explaining this to you. I believe you have your own equivalent in the Enian Federation, the Red Scarf Gang."

Chase's eyes shifted sideways to look over at Porter, whose face had darkened and pointed at his feet. Memories of Sigma's betrayal were still freshly burnt into Porter's mind. "You know of them then, yes?" Ling tilted his head with his query. "Good then I shouldn't have to explain what it is that we strive to achieve here." Ling Shi picked up the walk again, letting the other two keep up with him.

The pair began to notice the other members of the Jade Fang wandering through the halls, most of whom were wearing dirty brown or black outfits that would be hard to pick out of a crowd. Any who had open mouths had one of their canine teeth replaced with a jade one, which seemed to be the group's marker. "So now you have still not truly explained what it is that brings you to my country." Ling spun around and halted in front of a door, staring down the teens, searching for his answer.

"Well," Porter answered, figuring honesty would be the best policy, "we came here to see if we could find any information on an old prisoner of war from ten years ago. He was my friend's brother you see and nobody has heard from him since then..."

Ling Shi's eyes had brightened at hearing this and he again waved his hand to silence Porter, who immediately complied. Never argue with a man with a weapon. "And what did you plan on doing with this information, if you could find it?"

"Well it would depend on what the information said, I suppose..." Porter trailed off, not wishing to reveal they would try to break out the imprisoned brother, if needed, but he realized the hint he had dropped was far too obvious.

"And you guys say I have a lack of tact!" Chase leaned over and whispered into his ear before being waved away by an irritated Porter.

"Very interesting." Ling scratched his chin a little as he mused over the situation. "A prisoner of war from years ago, forgotten by his country, save for family and friends. The United Eastern States place great value in taking captives as spoils from battles, and ones from the past would be no exception." As if reading his thoughts, a handful of Jade Fang members began to surround Ling Shi, some of them standing and looking imposing while others whispered ideas into his ears.

The two teens exchanged uneasy glances as they watched the scene unfolding in front of them. This could either be going towards a very terrible situation wherein the two were instantly gutted for having thought about freeing a precious prisoner, or they just gave a rebel group a wondrous plan to get back at the government. They hoped for the second.

Ling Shi finally waved aside his cohorts, shooing them into corners to give himself some much-needed space. He took in a deep breath and threw his prized smile at the boys. "How would you two be interested in working with the Jade Fang?"

* * * * *

"There's a storm coming in." Raven glanced up from scrubbing pots to see Aunt Shauna staring out the kitchen window, across the green fields of Easley. There was only a cloud or two hovering in the sky, thin little things that could hardly be considered omens of a torrential downpour.