you."
"And?" Rebecca was becoming impatient.
"These are high profile Chinese gangsters. They work corporate mostly, but can be hired out for the cost of a small country." He hovered to a board with blinking lights. He pressed several buttons, shook his head, and pressed some more. "They are called Hei Xin. It mean's Black Heart, and their calling card is that phrase— gei wo ni de xin ."
"Give me your heart."
"Why do they say that?" asked Andy.
"Because that's what they want, literally. Your heart. They're organ pirates. Body thieves. Whatever you want to call them, they were there for something immensely valuable."
"My organs," murmured Rebecca.
"Which ones?" asked Panchet.
"All of them. Kumi said that all my organs had been levied."
"And now you're a target." Andy eyed Panchet. "Is there anything we can do?"
The Asian shrugged. "Someone is hiding something," he said.
"What?"
"The reason they levied all the organs is because one is more special than all the rest. They're hiding it."
"But why? If the organ was that special, she'd find out on a body scan." Andy paced across the room and pointed to the screen. He snapped his fingers. "But they hadn't planned on her surviving long enough for that. They wanted her dead."
"Surprise," said Rebecca weakly.
"You must keep her out of the ID." Panchet frowned solemnly. "And I am afraid to say that you must also leave."
Rebecca started to open her mouth, but snapped it shut as she caught Andy's lead.
"No problem, my friend. Thank you for all your help."
Panchet nodded, then said the strangest thing to Rebecca. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rebecca. Thank you for everything you've done. We are better for it."
Again she started to say something, but this time she was physically pulled from the room by Andy. When the door closed, she jerked her arm free.
"Don't handle me like that again!"
"We need to leave. We've put them in danger."
"Fine. But don't do that again, Andy. I don't like being jerked around."
He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. He didn't say a word, merely walked ahead of her.
She hurried to follow, thinking of the things she wanted to say to him.
Chapter 5
T hey found a noodle kiosk and sat awhile for tea and pho . Probably mediocre by street standards, the tastes amazed Rebecca's palate. Maybe if they added more lemon grass to the institution food, people would want to stay. As she slurped the noodles, she thought about what had happened. So much had happened since yesterday she felt overwhelmed. Was she really free? Was David really dead?
She remembered Andy passing David's miniVid to Panchet. She'd wanted to scrutinize the vids and see her brother, how he really was. In the commotion she'd forgotten to ask.
Sucking down a noodle, she gestured with her chopsticks. "Why'd you give David's minVid to Panchet?"
Andy's chopsticks paused on the way to his mouth. He examined her, then took a bite. Around the noodles he said, "He and David had a partnership. There was some work-related stuff on there that Panchet needed."
"I wanted to see it. I wanted to see David."
"We can get it back from Panchet when he's done."
"If we survive." Rebecca laughed half-heartedly.
Andy nodded as he took another bite.
"If he survives," she added, meaning Panchet.
Andy put his chopsticks down. Although there was a third of a bowl left, he pushed it away and wiped his face with a napkin. "Why the interest, Bec? No offense, but David's death hasn't disturbed you in the way I'd anticipated. Frankly, I thought you'd be crushed."
Her inclination was to get mad, be angry and show him how much emotion she could muster. How dare he say something like that? Except he was partially right. Rebecca understood exactly what Andy meant. She'd been thinking on that subject for awhile. "David was a concept for me," she began slowly, feeling her way through her own thoughts. Her voice was low enough so that Andy had to lean close to her to hear. "He was my
"And?" Rebecca was becoming impatient.
"These are high profile Chinese gangsters. They work corporate mostly, but can be hired out for the cost of a small country." He hovered to a board with blinking lights. He pressed several buttons, shook his head, and pressed some more. "They are called Hei Xin. It mean's Black Heart, and their calling card is that phrase— gei wo ni de xin ."
"Give me your heart."
"Why do they say that?" asked Andy.
"Because that's what they want, literally. Your heart. They're organ pirates. Body thieves. Whatever you want to call them, they were there for something immensely valuable."
"My organs," murmured Rebecca.
"Which ones?" asked Panchet.
"All of them. Kumi said that all my organs had been levied."
"And now you're a target." Andy eyed Panchet. "Is there anything we can do?"
The Asian shrugged. "Someone is hiding something," he said.
"What?"
"The reason they levied all the organs is because one is more special than all the rest. They're hiding it."
"But why? If the organ was that special, she'd find out on a body scan." Andy paced across the room and pointed to the screen. He snapped his fingers. "But they hadn't planned on her surviving long enough for that. They wanted her dead."
"Surprise," said Rebecca weakly.
"You must keep her out of the ID." Panchet frowned solemnly. "And I am afraid to say that you must also leave."
Rebecca started to open her mouth, but snapped it shut as she caught Andy's lead.
"No problem, my friend. Thank you for all your help."
Panchet nodded, then said the strangest thing to Rebecca. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Rebecca. Thank you for everything you've done. We are better for it."
Again she started to say something, but this time she was physically pulled from the room by Andy. When the door closed, she jerked her arm free.
"Don't handle me like that again!"
"We need to leave. We've put them in danger."
"Fine. But don't do that again, Andy. I don't like being jerked around."
He raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. He didn't say a word, merely walked ahead of her.
She hurried to follow, thinking of the things she wanted to say to him.
Chapter 5
T hey found a noodle kiosk and sat awhile for tea and pho . Probably mediocre by street standards, the tastes amazed Rebecca's palate. Maybe if they added more lemon grass to the institution food, people would want to stay. As she slurped the noodles, she thought about what had happened. So much had happened since yesterday she felt overwhelmed. Was she really free? Was David really dead?
She remembered Andy passing David's miniVid to Panchet. She'd wanted to scrutinize the vids and see her brother, how he really was. In the commotion she'd forgotten to ask.
Sucking down a noodle, she gestured with her chopsticks. "Why'd you give David's minVid to Panchet?"
Andy's chopsticks paused on the way to his mouth. He examined her, then took a bite. Around the noodles he said, "He and David had a partnership. There was some work-related stuff on there that Panchet needed."
"I wanted to see it. I wanted to see David."
"We can get it back from Panchet when he's done."
"If we survive." Rebecca laughed half-heartedly.
Andy nodded as he took another bite.
"If he survives," she added, meaning Panchet.
Andy put his chopsticks down. Although there was a third of a bowl left, he pushed it away and wiped his face with a napkin. "Why the interest, Bec? No offense, but David's death hasn't disturbed you in the way I'd anticipated. Frankly, I thought you'd be crushed."
Her inclination was to get mad, be angry and show him how much emotion she could muster. How dare he say something like that? Except he was partially right. Rebecca understood exactly what Andy meant. She'd been thinking on that subject for awhile. "David was a concept for me," she began slowly, feeling her way through her own thoughts. Her voice was low enough so that Andy had to lean close to her to hear. "He was my
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