Impossibly expensive antiques vied for space in every nook and cranny of the room. Priceless vases kept company with stunning statues of ivory and jade. Bejeweled weapons of all types hung on walls covered with skins of big cats. Massive windows gave view to the lush greenery of the estate’s acreage. “Nice setup,” Kael remarked, snickering.

“Behave,” Geraldo chided. “We don’t want to upset the man before we even get a chance to see him.”

The grin turned into a full sneer as Kael took her attention off her partner, turning to run light fingers over the weaponry. An ornately carved heavy wooden door opened soundlessly and a short, slight man wearing western clothing stepped out to greet them. “Ming Dao will see you now. Please, follow me.”

Tearing her gaze away from the weapons, Kael quickly fell into step beside Geraldo as they crossed the marble floor, their footsteps echoing mournfully in the cavernous room.

They were ushered into a large office modeled in the typical western style. A huge teak desk sat imposingly near one wall. A fireplace, its mantel holding more priceless pieces of antiquity, housed a cheerily blazing fire. Thick burgundy carpeting covered the floor.

The man sitting behind the desk was broad of face and form. Thick glasses magnified his almond eyes to the size of small eggs. His hair was short and slicked back with the first hints of silver slashing through. He kept his attention glued to the desk top until his two visitors were standing in front of two chairs positioned in front of the desk. Only then did he deign to look up, a falsely convivial smile on his thick, rubbery lips. “My name is Ming Dao. Welcome to my home.”

“We are honored by your welcome, Ming Dao,” Geraldo replied, bowing. Kael managed to keep the smirk off her face as she inclined her head slightly. “I am Geraldo Nunez Rodriguez and this is my partner, Kael Evan Antrostos.”

Ming Dao eyed them both, his gaze staying longer on the beautiful American. His smile turned into a leer. A coated tongue protruded from his mouth, licking his lips. “Please,” he said, gesturing. “Sit.” He gestured to a young boy of no more than five dressed in an absurd imitation of a British schoolboy, flannel Bermudas, beanie cap and all. “Allow me to introduce my son, Ming Lao. I hope you’ll excuse his presence at this meeting, but a boy needs to learn to deal with all sorts of people.”

“We are honored to be in his presence,” Geraldo replied, bowing his head to the boy whose expressionless eyes were set in the cold mask of his face.

Kael covered her sneer with one hand as she cut her eyes to the fireplace in an attempt not to laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing.

“Does something here amuse you, Ms. Androstos?” Ming Dao asked primly.

“No. Please. Continue,” she answered, ignoring Geraldo’s warning glance.

Ming Dao folded his hands on the desk top. “Very well. The reason I asked you to this meeting is that I had heard of the job you did on a competitor’s associates. I was most impressed with what I heard.”

“Every word of it is true,” Kael boasted, her eyes filled with pride.

The Chinese drug lord looked at the American, non-plused for a moment. “Ah. Yes. Based on that information, I decided that perhaps your company is in a position to aid mine in distributing our product beyond the boundaries of this country. I was given to understand that this is something you might wish as well?”

“A partnership is something we desire very much, Ming Dao,” Geraldo said humbly. “We are prepared to give you whatever assistance you may require to bring this to fruition.”

“My requests are simple ones. Your business associates come into this country, armed with proper documentation of course, retrieve my product and return it to your own country. From there, you distribute it as you wish. For this, you get thirty percent of the receipts, minus whatever shipping and labor charges you might accrue, of course.”

“Wha-at?” Kael asked, her head snapping up from her study of the carpeting.

“Is there something in my explanation you did not understand, Ms. Androstos?” Ming Dao asked, scowling.

“Oh no. I understood ya perfectly. It’s belief that I’m havin’ trouble with at the moment.”

“Kael,” Geraldo hissed half under his breath. “Behave!”

Kael shot a glare to her partner before returning her attention to Ming Dao. “Let me be sure I got this right. We send men in here, taking the risk of being stopped by governmental officials or blown to bits by your rivals, bring your shit home with us, distribute it, again running the risk of dealing with the government and rivals, and for that you offer us the magnanimous gesture of thirty percent?” She turned to her partner, a bold sneer splitting her full lips. “And you thought I was crazy.”

“Kael!” Geraldo repeated, shouting this time.

Again, Kael ignored him. “No dice, Ming. I’m not gonna risk my people just so your fat ass can sit in that chair getting fatter. No offense, little Ming,” she sneered at the silent, wide-eyed child.

Ming Dao pushed his chair away from the desk, rising to his diminutive height. “I believe this conversation is ended, Mr. Rodriguez. I had thought that you spoke for your people. Apparently I was mistaken.”

Geraldo shot up from his chair. “No! Wait! Please, Ming Dao. This is just a simple misunderstanding, I assure you.” He put on his most charming smile. “She tends to open her mouth without thinking sometimes. I can assure you that this will not happen again.” He shot another warning glare at his partner.

Kael took a deep breath, then let it out. “Fine,” she spat. “Your funeral.” Rising from the chair, she pinned a glare on Ming Dao. “Please, continue this conversation without my interference. I know my place now. If it pleases you,” she said, sarcasm dripping from every word, “I’d like to be taken back to my hotel room.”

Kael watched as Ming Dao stared up at her, disgust, lust and a small inkling of respect warring for space in his magnified eyes. “Very well,” he said, finally breaking eye contact and pressing a hidden button on his desk.

In response, the door swung open and two burly guards stepped through, bowing formally at the waist. “Please take Ms. Androstos back to her quarters,” the drug lord ordered imperiously.

Nodding and bowing again, the silent guards fell into step behind the tall American’s shoulders, escorting her from the estate.

Same evening. Hotel Room. Chengdu, China.

Geraldo was seeing red as he almost knocked the flimsy door off its squealing hinges. Stomping into the room and throwing his keys on the battle-scarred table, he strode to the bed where Kael was sitting. Swinging his hand up to his opposite shoulder, the Colombian lashed out at the seated woman, intending to make sharp contact with the high cheekbones of her face.

His blow never landed, caught as it was in a grip of solid steel. Eyes the color of that steel peered murderously into his own, a smile blooming on perfect features instead of the handprint he’d expected there.

“What the hell were you hoping to accomplish back there?” he demanded, jerking his arm free and pacing the length of the tiny room. “You made me look like a total idiot in front of that man!”

Kael laughed dryly. “Didn’t need my help for that,” she said, clapping her hands together in front of her face and sketching a mock bow in her irate lover’s direction.

Snarling in rage, Geraldo whirled, arm up once again. He quickly lost his legs from a sweeping kick and bounced onto and off of the bed, to land hard on the floor, the heel of Kael’s boot firm between his nipples. “You’re pathetic,” she snapped, pushing down on his sternum until he winced in pain.

Released from the grinding pressure of her boot, the drug lord scrambled back up to his feet, leaning against the wall and rubbing his chest. “You don’t understand anything.”

Kael raised one eyebrow. “Oh, I understand plenty alright. I understand that that bastard’s giving you a good screwing and you’re just grabbin’ your ankles and beggin’ for more.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Geraldo retorted. “I’ve got to earn that man’s respect so … .”

“Respect?!” Kael stated, whirling, her long hair fanning out from her shoulders. “Is that what you think you need? He’ll never respect you, Geraldo. To him, you’re nothing more than a common street thug. Look around you, Geraldo!” she shouted, flinging her arms wide to encompass the tiny room they were given. “Look at this place! I wouldn’t make my dog live here!” Dropping her arms, Kael cocked her head, affixing her partner with a genuine look of sympathy. “And you know what the worst part is? The worst part is that tomorrow you’ll go back to that bastard and act like he put us up in the fucking Ritz Carlton!”

“Kael, this isn’t some street war, you know. It’s the fine art of negotiation… .” his words ended in a gasp as long fingers melded themselves to his throat.

“Don’t you presume to tell me anything about negotiations, you bastard,” Kael snarled in his face. Releasing the man, she pushed him hard back onto the bed. “You make me sick.” She stared down at his reclining figure for long moments before her face split into a feral grin. “However, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

Geraldo’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t do this, Kael. Don’t ruin our plans here.”

“Take your ‘plans’ and shove ‘em up your ass, Geraldo. Assuming they’ll fit with Ming’s dick up there already.” Whirling away from him, she picked up her leather jacket and thrust it on.

The drug lord struggled to sit up. “Where are you going?”

“Out,” she snarled. And did just that, the door slamming loudly behind her.

The bathroom mirror rattled, then fell from its brackets, shattering into the sink. “Dios mio,” Geraldo moaned, burying his head into his hands.