The Adventures of the Jade Dragon

Episode 8

The Jade Dragon and the Mountain of Heaven

Chapter 3 Bandits

Two days later the expedition set out from Kunming. They traveled by road to Chuxiong, and there they abandoned their vehicles and went on foot. It was quite an expedition, consisting of the three heroines and their children, Hedridge, four Chinese governesses, ten mules, and about twenty Chinese porters.

It would have been more efficient to take trucks all the way, but where they were going the roads would deteriorate quickly and the Monsoon season was only a couple of months off. If they hadn’t completed their journey by then the roads would be impassable to vehicular traffic. Mules and porters simply made more sense, and they didn’t require gasoline, another commodity in short supply in China.

It was an interesting change for the three women, especially Sun Lin. Strangely, in spite of her Chinese heritage, both Natassia and Melissa were more Chinese in many ways than she was. Melissa had actually been born in China to missionary parents and then had been trained in the brutal profession of assassin after being kidnapped by members of the Assassins’ guild. Natassia had grown up in the country after being abducted in an act of vengeance against her parents and sold into slavery in China. Fortunately she had managed to escape and was adopted by Taoist Monks. Sun Lin had been born in the United States and her first glimpse of China had been when the ship had sailed into Hong Kong. She was a stranger in her own country.

A second change was the fact that they were going to have to walk farther than most of them had ever walked in their lives. They were urban crimefighters, and although they were in incredible physical condition, they were not used to traveling more than a few blocks on foot. It would be a most interesting experience for all of them.

The first two days of the trek went well. Yunnan was one of the most beautiful regions of China and one controlled by the new government. For the most part they encountered only Chinese intent on going about their business, and their procession drew only curious stares as they marched through the peaceful and beautiful countryside. Yunnan was, however, one of the most rugged regions of China and the farther they walked the steeper the route became. Fortunately, the relatively high elevation meant that the temperature was rarely excessively hot; however, the trek did lead to problems.

Sun Lin pulled off her boot. “I think,” she said, somewhat embarrassed, “that I’ve got a blister.” They had only been walking for a couple of hours and at Hedridge’s suggestion had just made their first rest stop.

“Don’t want to rush into things,” the English guide said. “It’s better to break yourself in easily rather than wear yourself out.”

Under other circumstances, Sun Lin might had resented the comment on the grounds that the ex-officer was coddling them due to the fact that they were women, but the pain in her right foot made her grateful to stop.

“Ah yes,” Hedridge said, much to Sun Lin’s chagrin. “You’ve got a dandy there. Best to take care of it before it gets worse. I’ll get the medical kit.”

“I could just heal it,” Natassia whispered, moving close enough to Sun Lin that Hedridge could not hear. She was now wearing the Dragon’s Eye under her clothing. The power of the gem enabled her to heal even the most deadly wounds with ease.

“No,” replied Sun Lin. “You’ll be healing me every five miles. I’ll let Hedridge tend to it. It is the only way my feet will toughen up.”

“If you say so,” Natassia said dubiously.

Hedridge rubbed some foul smelling ointment over Sun Lin’s feet. “Something I picked up in Kunming. Not the best smelling stuff, but I was assured it was an excellent foot balm.”

“Thank you,” Sun Lin said. She waited until Hedridge had bandaged her foot and then pulled her sock and boot on.

Sun Lin’s assessment proved accurate. Her feet did toughen as did Melissa’s who had to be given the same treatment. Only Natassia needed no assistance. The power of the Dragon’s Eye healed any injury she received, no matter how minor, and if her feet suffered any damage there was no evidence of it.

They moved at easy stages partly to give the members of the party time to acclimatize and partly to toughen them for the steeper terrain ahead. Sun Lin also wanted time to train. Honing her martial arts skills was an important part of her daily regimen and she and her companions practiced for two hours every morning in order to maintain their fighting edge. In Metro City she considered six to eight hours of training a day to be normal, but the current situation made that impossible, so she contented herself with what she thought was a minimum. It was fortunate that they were not particularly pressed for time, although it was important that they reach their goal before the advent of the monsoon season. Sun Lin had calculated, however, that they would reach the destination proposed by Master Zhou with plenty of time to spare as long as there were no serious delays.

Two weeks into the trek, they were deep into the range of mountains called the Wuliangshan. The rugged mountain terrain slowed them considerably, but Sun Lin kept track of their progress, there was still plenty of time. For the first time since taking up her crimefighting career she felt completely relaxed. She had not realized how refreshing it would be have nothing more to do than look after Huan Yue and hike through the most beautiful countryside she had ever seen.

The terrain they were now traversing was quite mountainous. They had left the main road and were trekking up step trails lined with lush vegetation. Every now and then they would chance upon a startling mountain vista that soon had both Melissa and Natassia busy snapping pictures. It was an almost idyllic existence. Free for the first time in years of the responsibility of keeping the forces of evil at bay, Sun Lin found herself wishing that their journey to the Mountain of Heaven would last a little longer.

Saihan Khasar watched the small procession work its way up the mountain track. Two white women, a white man, and about two dozens Chinese servants. Only a few of them seemed to be armed. It was just as Roshac had said it would be. The treacherous European was someone he wouldn’t want to trust too often, but in this case he had come through. The members of this poorly armed expedition would hardly be a match for his 200 well armed bandits. He was curious, however, as to why they were in the mountains in the first place. This was a most inaccessible region, which was why he had chosen it as his sanctuary. As a member of Yunnan’s numerous ethnic minorities, he had fought constantly against the authority of the Chinese government. His men were drawn from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and religions, but Mongols like him dominated his tiny band. So far he had been successful in his lawless career. Government troops had never tried to follow him this far into the mountains and even if they did, there were so many valleys and ravines that he could easily slip away. He shrugged. It really did not matter why they were here. They had blundered into his territory and he intended to take full advantage of it. The Chinese women would make a fine addition to his camp. There was a real shortage of women amongst his men, a situation that often led to brawls. The addition of some fresh fodder would be good for morale. As for the two white women they would probably fetch a good ransom. The four infants might also be useful. They might provide added incentive for someone to pay a ransom. If not, they could be easily disposed of. He raised his arm and gave the signal.

Sun Lin and her companions were quite unprepared for the attack. One minute they were traversing a narrow and seemingly empty ravine; the next instant screaming demons erupted from out of the foliage on either side of the trail. The bandits had chosen their spot well. No one in sun Lin’s party had the faintest idea that they were there until they swarmed over the terrified porters.

With wails of terror, the male porters and the four governesses attempted to run back the way they had come, but there was no safe place to retreat, as the bandits had sealed the trail behind the expedition. In terrified panic Sun Lin’s expedition disintegrated as its members fell all over one another in a futile attempt to escape.

Not all members of the expedition ran. Hedridge, supported by three of the men he had hired, fired into the bandits as they attacked, but such resistance lasted only seconds. They went down in a hail of gunfire from bandits posted higher up the slopes of the narrow defile.

Sun Lin quickly assessed the situation. The men attacking had no firearms. Apparently the bandit force lacked weaponry. The greatest danger, therefore, came from the riflemen posted above the ravine. They could easily kill anyone on the floor of the ravine including the four children. Her eyes swept the ravine looking for someplace to hide. Two massive boulders on one side of the ravine provided the refuge she sought. Quickly she directed the mules carrying the four infants into the space between them and then backed into the narrow space herself. Melissa and Natassia followed.

“We have to wait until they get close,” Sun Lin said. “If we can get amongst them we will be too close for the men above the ravine to shoot at us without endangering their comrades.”

Melissa and Natassia nodded. “I’ll go after the men at the top of the ravine,” Natassia said. With the power of the Dragon’s Eye to aid her, she was the obvious choice. She would be able to scramble up the side of the ravine before the men with rifles had a chance to hit her.

“Let’s go,” Sun Lin said. Several of the bandits had appeared at the entrance to their boulder refuge. They were an ugly looking bunch, apparently armed with whatever weapons they could scrounge. The men facing them had everything from curved swords to axes, and wicked-looking knives. Several of them were even wearing what appeared to be leather body armor and metal helmets from Chinese antiquity. The leading bandits grinned when they saw the three women. They were clearly not expecting any opposition from three unarmed females.

Melissa and Sun Lin went first, clearing the way for Natassia. The two highly trained heroines moved among the men facing them like ghosts, easily avoiding their uncoordinated and stunned efforts to kill them. But they did more than avoid the attacks of the bandits. Their fists, elbows, knees, and feet carved a bloody path through the startled bandits, leaving a pile of injured and unconscious men behind them. Neither woman moved too far from the shelter of the boulders. They didn’t have to. As they eliminated the first wave of their attackers more swarmed in their direction.

Natassia ignored the men charging toward Melissa and Sun Lin. They were not her concern. It was imperative that the bandits armed with firearms be eliminated and with her enhanced speed that was a job she could handle better than either of her companions.

From his position overlooking the trail, Khasar watched astounded at the incredible spectacle in the ravine. His men had routed the members of the expedition with ease, but now something unbelievable was happening. Fighting from the protection of two large boulders, two of the women he had thought to capture were systematically eliminating his heavily armed troops. They moved almost too quickly for him to follow their actions. Even more fantastic was the fact that a third woman had swept past the men in the ravine and was tearing into the riflemen he had posted over the ravine. Already more than a dozen men were down and the rest were on the verge of panic. In a few seconds his entire force would be routed.

He cursed vividly. “Roshac did not warn me about this,” he muttered. He had to move quickly. He ran to his most prized possession. It was a weapon he had only recently acquired and it had cost him a month’s tribute from the villages he controlled. It was a Vickers heavy machine gun, and it was to be used only in the most extreme emergency. He had set it up, thinking confidently that it would not be needed. Surely such weak opposition did not warrant the use of so expensive a weapon. He gained it just in time. Already his men were streaming away from the demoness that raged among them. Shoving the two wavering gunners who were supposed to be manning the weapon out of the way, he flicked off the safety and swung the gun toward the charging white woman.

Natassia grinned in triumph. In her wake were more than a score of bandits. Using the power of the Dragon’s Eye she hurled herself at the attackers, striking left and right at the swarm of bandits. Each blow was deadly, breaking bones, and hurling bodies right and left. Within moments she had ripped a swath through the stunned bandits. The battle was almost over, the remaining bandits taking to their heels and running for their lives. She chanced a quick look over her shoulder to see how Sun Lin and Melissa were doing.

Below her the ravine was littered with the broken bodies of bandits. It appeared that those who were not hors de combat were running for their lives. The battle was theirs. At that moment something struck her in the stomach with the force of a sledgehammer. The impact lifted her up and dropped her over the edge of the ravine. She tumbled down the steep slope aware only of the terrible pain from the bullets that had hit her.

She had been hit at least three times, once in the stomach, again in left shoulder, and again in her right thigh. The bullet holes traced a diagonal line from her thigh to her shoulder. Even the power of the Dragon’s Eye could not protect her from such damage. Blood pulsing from her wounds, she lay in a pile of bodies at the bottom of the ravine, dimly aware of the fact that whoever had fired the machine gun had killed several of his own men to get her. “Ruthless bastard,” she thought, and then she fainted.

“Natassia!” screamed Melissa. Charging toward her friend, she found her way barred by half a dozen bandits. She made short work of them. Spinning like a dervish her deadly feet shattered the jaw of the man closest to her and knocked him into the others. Using the opportunity provided, Melissa scoop up the curved sword the man had dropped and used it to deadly effect against the others.

Trained since infancy as a member of the Assassains’ Guild, Melissa had mastered all of the hand weapons of ancient China. She swept through the remaining five men like a scythe through grain leaving a trail of screaming bleeding bandits behind her. Within seconds she was at Natassia’s side. Lifting her fallen comrade, she pulled her toward the shelter of the two large boulders where Sun Lin waited for her.

Natassia was breathing, but not conscious. Incredibly the terrible wounds that the bullets had inflicted on her were no longer bleeding, but the heroine seemed to be in a deep sleep. “The Dragon’s Eye must be healing her,” thought Melissa.

Without thinking she unbuttoned Natassia’s blouse, revealing the pulsing green stone. In the shade of the rock it glowed with a powerful intensity as it sought to heal the comatose heroine. “We’ve got to keep her safe,” she said to Sun Lin. “The Dragon’s Eye will heal her injuries. She just has to be protected for awhile.”

Sun Lin nodded. While Melissa stood guard over Natassia, she watched for any further efforts by the bandits to continue their assault. Behind her were the four children, strangely composed in the bloody chaos that surrounded them. With any luck the bandits would not come back, but that hope was almost immediately dashed when several men armed with rifles appeared at the entrance to her refuge. She acted immediately, giving no time for the men to fire their weapons. Her movements were so fluid it was almost as if she was dancing as she moved among the men who had sought to capture her. But it was a very deadly ballet. Faster than any eye could follow, her feet and hands flicked out. Each blow found its mark with unerring accuracy. A knife hand crushed a larynx; a knee ruptured a groin; a foot shattered a kneecap. Within seconds more than half the men were down and the rest were fleeing for their lives.

Khasar watched in disbelief as the Chinese martial artist destroyed his men. What kind of women were these? He had thought the small band of men and women would be an easy target, but it had already cost him more than two score men and all of the damage had been caused by three women. He swung the Vickers toward her and pulled the trigger, deliberately aiming high. The stream of bullets swept over her head ripping splinters of stone from the sides of the large boulders protecting the four infants. It had the desired effect. The woman stopped fighting and moved back toward the place where the children were sheltered.

Khasar grimaced in approval. More than anything else he wanted these women alive. And he wanted to capture them without taking any more casualties. With a shout he ordered his men to break off the attack and then stood up where the remaining women could see him.

“I know where the children are,” he shouted. “Surrender or I will direct my fire into the rocks that shelter them.

Sun Lin looked toward the top of the ravine. A powerfully built man of far more than average height stood with his hands on his hips looking directly toward her. Behind him were a score of men armed with rifles. She glanced quickly behind her and saw that the children were still sheltered. But for how long? She was surrounded by dozens of armed men. She and Melissa couldn’t hold them off forever, not with only her bare hands. And Natassia was badly wounded. If the battle continued it was likely that her friend would be killed. But of even greater concern was the danger to the children. Even sheltered by the large boulders she could not be sure that they were safe. A ricochet might hit any one of them or the bandits might have grenades. She had seen no sign of such weapons, but if they had a heavy machine gun there was no telling what other weapons they might possess.

She looked at Melissa. Her young companion’s face was grim. She knew what had to be done. With a brief nod she showed that she understood.

Taking a deep breath, Sun Lin stepped from her hiding place and slowly raised her hands in a gesture of submission. There was still a chance. It was obvious that the bandit leader did not want her or her companions dead. If he did then he would have simply shot her the way that he had shot Natassia. He wanted her alive, and that meant that there would be a chance to escape. It was her only chance. She couldn’t risk the lives of the children. Beside her Melissa got to her feet. Raising her hands she stepped out from between the boulders.

Immediately several dozen bandits swarmed over them. They were roughly seized and then securely bound. Between the two large boulders several other men found the unconscious Natassia. It took only a few seconds for them to spot and remove the belt containing the Dragon’s Eye. Melissa watched helplessly as the bandits dragged her still unconscious companion from her hiding place. She could only hope that the mystical gem had been given enough time to heal her fallen friend. Then she and Sun Lin were marched off into captivity.

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