Page 98 of Serpent King's Revenge

He led us through the familiar lobby of the teahouse, back to a private room…then through a secret wall at the back of that room. Women sat with their hands hidden in long skirts, watching us like hawks. I assumed they had weapons hidden there–protecting their chosen champion.

Xinyi Lin was waiting in the hidden room–a space as large as a dining room, sitting at the head of a long table. Off to the right, her son Andrew was going through a large stock of weapons and what looked like homemade bombs. The FBI agent in me screamed that this was dangerous…but we needed this to survive.

“Nathan,” Xinyi said. “Abigail. Glad you made it out alive.”

“You too,” Nathan said. We took seats at the table with her, Nathan staring her down. “Are we ready?”

“No,” Xinyi said. “But it’s time to act. We can’t wait any longer.”

Chapter Forty-Four: Nathan

It was high time we took down my father.

Abby, Alex, Jack Kensington, Xinyi Lin, and I huddled around a table in the back corner of the teahouse, a map of San Francisco spread out like a battleground before us. Xinyi leaned in, her eyes sharp as she traced routes with her finger, while the rest of our ragtag bunch whispered about the stakes.

I pointed to a cluster of marks on the map.

"Each one of these spots," I said, tapping the paper, "is a front for the Serpents' cash flow. If we start burning them, one at a time…my father will have to split his forces. He won’t have a choice—and he’s already alienated so many of his people that it will leave him exposed."

Abby sat close, her knee brushing against mine under the table, tension lining her face. "So we make him think we’re dismantling his op…while we dismantle him."

"Exactly." I looked around at the faces watching me. "Money is the lifeblood of the Serpents’ operation. We choke that off, my father has no power anyway. He’ll sacrifice his own safety to protect his business."

Time ticked by, measured in the soft clinks of teacups and the low murmurs of strategy. Abby's hand found mine, squeezing tight enough to send a message without words.

"Clock's ticking, Nathan," Xinyi muttered. "We need to move fast."

I nodded, feeling the weight of every second slipping through our fingers. "We'll get this done. We have to."

"Let's just hope it's enough," she said, her voice steady but her eyes telling a different story.

We were wrapping up, finalizing the last details of our plan when a shuffle of footsteps caught my attention. We all turned to look and found Abby’s dad walking in, escorted by two Triad women. He had that look of confusion people get when they walk into a room and forget why they came in, only this time it was because he'd just walked into something way out of his norm.

He was a cop…but now he was an accomplice.

Just for tonight, I hoped.

"Abby," he said, voice steady but eyes scanning the room, taking in the arsenal laid bare on the tables. "You called?"

“What is he doing here?” Xinyi hissed.

Andrew Lin didn't break his gaze from the older man as he stepped closer. The tension in the room spiked like we were back at square one, nobody sure what move to make next.

“I called him,” Abby said. “Don’t worry. He won’t rat us out.”

She got up, then, and moved toward her dad. In an instant, her arms were around his neck, squeezing tight. I stood and watched them, trying to figure out how Abby’s dad could help at this point.

"Hey, Sprout," he said, voice gruff but his arms squeezing her tight.

"Hey, Dad," Abby breathed out.

They parted, and Abby beamed up at him, that spark of hers burning bright. "Dad, remember when you married off Sarah and Tom? You were the officiant."

He scratched his head, looking puzzled at the question. "Yeah, sure do. That was a hoot. But why—"

"Are you still able to do that here? In California, I mean?"

"Got my license renewed just last year." He gave her a curious look. "Why are you asking, Abby?"

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