WAITING FOR THE BEGINNING

24. White Washing Sins of the Past

"Convince me."  Wei Xin tosses the folio in front of Hong Ge. 

"Black letters on white paper.  What more do you want?" She looks at him as if defeated, resigned.  "You caught me and I'm just trying to make a deal to survive."

"By betraying your own husband and father?" Wei Xin questions her.  "I don't believe you."

"What's not to believe."  Hong Ge eyes turn colder.  "Haven't you already seen what I'm capable of?  How else was I to get away with my crimes?"

"I thought there were honors among thieves."

Hong Ge laughs out loud.  "I didn't realize that an experienced agent such as yourself could be such a romantic.  Either that, you are an idiot."

"They are family."

"Oh?  News to me."  Hong Ge studies Wei Xin like a predator and not so much the prisoner in handcuffs.  "He was not much of a father.  And even less a husband was that waste of DNA."

"What do you have to gain?"

"Besides my freedom?"

"I don't think this is about freedom."  Wei Xin spells it out. "You seem to be offering up a meticulous revenge plan."

Hong Ge raises one eye brow.

"As if you are borrowing our hands to put away your enemy.  Or enemies."

After a moment of debate.  "You are smart."  Hong Ge laughs, pleased.

They stare at each other for a long while, seeing who would break first.  Yet when Hong Ge finally speaks, Wei Xin is expressionless.

"Your choice is simple. If you want to take down the Black Dragon."  Hong Ge's put her handcuffed hands on hims hand.  "It require you to take a step of faith towards me."

"You give me no reason."  Wei Xin shakes off her hands.  "This conversation is over.  I'm filing paperwork for your transfer."

"That's it?"  Hong Ge seems surprised and awed.  "You are going to give up ..."

"I never said anything about giving up."  Wei Xin has neared the door.  "I just don't like you or your plan."

She hangs her heads, lost momentarily in her memories.  Then she smiled sadly and spoke softly.

I loved  Hwang Hai Shong.  Or as you would've called him - Detective Li.  We walked a mile on the Great Wall.  Dipped in Heaven Lake.  And made love under the shooting stars.

Those words shock both Wei Xin and all those present. How could she know that the man she butchered is an undercover agent. 

First thing you need to know is that it was not an arranged marriage between Wu Zhao and me.  It was more like a hostage situation. 

Wu Zhao needed an inside man at a cargo company.  He found a greedy middle level manager who had a naive daughter and set out a campaign to woo both of us.  He dangled the largest contract the company had ever seen and gave it to my father as a way of winning my hand in marriage.

I was eighteen and still believed in prince charming and romance.  Wu Zhao fit the description - at least outwardly.  He was handsome, smart, powerful and very rich.  And I did fall in love, hopelessly.  After three months of him dating me.  Inwardly, he was as cruel as they came.  On our wedding night, he... 

Hong Ge clenched her fist, trying to forget that first night of her marriage.

Afterwards, he told me that the whole thing was a sham; he told me that as long as I was useful to him, he would not kill me.   As long as I could keep my father in line. He threatened my father with my life and made my father to do his bidding - to ensure the transport of the illegal goods with proper paperwork.

 At first, I thought I could please him if I obeyed him.  That he would see me differently.  

Hong Ge laughs, an ugly and bitter laugh.

I begged to have a child with him.  He told me to not have any stupid ideas.  I realized then that this was never going to be a marriage.  And that my life was not safe.  I went to my father for help.  He said he would think of something.  

One day, Wu Zhao asked if I were still hoping for my father to save me.  He laughed at me and said that my father could barely save himself.  That my father was too deeply entrenched.  

"Why didn't he kill you then?"

At the time, I had become his favorite sex toy.  He promised me that when he got bored with playing with me, he'll let me know.  What he meant of course was that I'd be dead.

So I set out to make myself useful in his business.  I... I did things that I never thought I would do.  I became indispensable. 

Hong Ge's face becomes even harder, under the awful lighting in the interview room.

Over time, he did lose interest in me.  One could say that I got a promotion.  From wife/sex toy to wife-in-name/partner-in-crime.

I thought this was my lot in life; until some horrible death come to release me from this life.  About a year ago, I decided to beat death at its own game.  

Silence descends as Hong Ge stops her storytelling.

Of course, you must have guessed, Detective Li saved me.