Chinaman's Chance

"Shall we start planning an Easter promotion, Emma?"

"It'll have to be something different than ribbons," Emma responded. "I've heard rumors that a dozen different saloons plan to copy the ribbon thing. There are probably several more that I haven't yet heard about." I never got a chance to plan another promotion.

I walked into work early the following Monday morning and came face to face with George, one of the cop rapists. He was talking to Emma, who was the only other person there. I think we recognized each other at the same time. I spun around and took off.

"Stop!" he yelled. I ran to the corner and chanced a look behind me. The bastard was right on my tail. I ducked into an alley hoping to lose him and ran right into a dead end. There was a ladder nearby and I scampered up that intending to escape via the rooftops. I shoved the ladder off in an effort to delay him and looked for an escape route. There was some scaffolding erected in a small open-air courtyard. The only doors below me had huge padlocks on them. I climbed the scaffold, edged to the other side and looked for another foothold. Shit! There weren't any. I was trapped. I saw the top of the ladder back up and then George's face peering over the edge of the roof. He was wearing a huge smile on his face.

"I know these streets like the back of my hand," George said. "I knew you couldn't escape this way. I'm also pretty good with faces. It will take more than a shaved skull and some dirt for you to escape my notice. Come along now. Madame Bordeaux is going to be very glad to see you."

"Go fuck yourself," I replied. I wasn't going to make it easy for him. He didn't like my response. At least he wasn't smiling any more.

"You know, I can just shoot you right here."

"You can," I allowed. "Except I don't think a dead body will be worth anything to that bitch, so there won't be any reward money. In fact, she might be upset enough take it out on you somehow, maybe even kill you."

"You're right," said George. "I guess we'll have to wait for one of my colleagues to show up. One should be along in a few minutes."

"But then you'll have to share the reward money. Too bad! So sad! You know what? I think you're too much of a fucking coward to handle me yourself, too cowardly to handle an unarmed little girl half your size. Wait until that story gets around."

"Watch your mouth, girly," George warned. He was turning red in the face.

"I'm sure you'd be acting real brave if you had your two pals backing you up. But alone, you're just a chicken." I made some clucking sounds and he turned even redder. I didn't have a hope of escape. I just wanted him to get close enough to me so I could kick him in the nuts. Maybe he'd shoot me then. That would be doing me a favor. I just knew I wasn't going to return to that brothel alive. I finally realized that George was a bit nervous with heights even though we couldn't be more than ten or twelve feet up. I continued taunting him.

"You know what, Georgie? I think you could do really well at Madame Bordeaux's because from behind you look like you have womanly hips. Gosh! Do your pals already use you like a woman, Georgina?" George roared in anger and started across the planking. I waited until he was halfway across before I kicked out at him. I missed, but it startled him. He squawked, flinched, lost his balance, over-corrected and then tumbled head first into the courtyard below. He tried to break his fall with his hands. That saved him from cracking his skull wide open, but it couldn't save his neck. I heard it snap from where I was standing. I was now a murderer. I didn't get any satisfaction for getting revenge on one of my rapists, but I didn't suffer any regret either. I didn't hear anyone screaming or yelling, so there were no witnesses so far.

I jumped down beside the body and felt for a pulse just to make sure. He was dead all right. I began to strip it of valuables. I was going to be hanged for murder if they caught me so it didn't matter how many other crimes I committed. And they can only hang me once I thought. I hit the jackpot. George had a large leather bag filled with gold coins. He must have been collecting bribes or protection money, something like that. He had a notebook with various notations written in with pencil. His wallet was in the waistband of his trousers.

The man's pistol was a Colt revolver called a Peacemaker, a single action six shooter. A fellow stuntman I was dating used one for his quick draw exhibitions. It was big for my small hands. I still took it. George also carried a double-barreled derringer in his pocket and a smaller Colt in his boot. A knife, blackjack and billy club rounded out his arsenal. The knife was an Arkansas toothpick. I didn't take the billy club because there was no more room in the bag.

"Thanks for the goodies, George," I said and then spat on the corpse's face.

There wasn't any problem climbing back up the scaffolding and then down the ladder. I imagined the cop's body would soon be discovered and I had to get out of the area more or less on a permanent basis. That meant leaving Emma's employment. I walked back to the saloon as casually as I could, acting like I had nothing to hide. Emma grabbed my hand and walked me back to the office the moment she saw me.

"Why was that policeman chasing you? You know he'll be back looking for you, don't you?"

I nodded my head. "I know he'll be back," I said. "I can't go into why he was chasing me, but please believe me that I did nothing wrong."

"I do believe you, darling," Emma responded. "Oh I hate that bastard so. I wish something bad would happen to him. He was here to collect for the so-called police widows and orphans fund, but in reality it's just an extra tax on the business owners so the police can line their own pockets. They make it rough on us if we don't contribute, but I suppose it's just a cost of doing business."

"I just came back to say goodbye."

"I understand." She reached into a bag and handed me an eagle coin, ten dollars gold.

"I can't take this," I protested.

"Yes you can. It's your bonus. Everyone got a bonus, even Joe. Your bonus is a bit larger because it was your idea. And when that awful policeman comes back around asking about you, I'll just tell him I don't know a thing." He won't be back around. Trust me on that, Emma.

"Thanks, Emma. I'll miss you."

"And I'll miss you, darling," Emma responded. "More than you could know." We hugged each other. I felt like crying.

"If anyone asks me about me tell him I went back to Ireland. Erin go Bragh!"

"You're home early," Chen said when he found me waiting for him in our room. I had been waiting there for hours, afraid to go anywhere else.

"I killed George the policeman," I said.

"That was you?" He sat down beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. "Tell me everything." Chen's reaction told me that the body had been found and the news had spread. I told him everything that had happened. He listened without interruption.

"You didn't murder anyone," my husband said. "The man fell and broke his neck. He got what he deserved." He gave me a reassuring smile.

"You still love me?"

"More than ever," Chen responded. "However the authorities probably have a different opinion. We must leave the city."

"Maybe we could stay. I don't believe there were any witnesses," I said. "So no one else knows how that swine died except you and me. Mrs. Crabtree said she would just claim ignorance if anyone asked about me."

"What you say is true," Chen responded. "However the police will be very energetic in their investigation since it was one of their own who died. They will be questioning many people and one of the saloon customers may remark on your absence since the incident occurred. That will prompt more questions and perhaps an effort to find you in furtherance of the investigation. Two of the police looking for you might include the dead man's two colleagues who know you and may also be able to see through your disguise."

I nodded my head. "I'm glad you're the one doing the thinking for us."

Chen was astounded when I showed him the loot I collected. I knew there was over a thousand dollars because I had plenty of time to count it. "You have quite a windfall here," he said.

"You mean we have quite a windfall here," I responded. "What shall we do with the money?"

"Nothing for now. Sudden prosperity will attract unwanted attention wherever we go. At least we won't have to worry about everyday expenses." Chen's mantras always seemed to be security first. Don't attract attention. If you have to attract attention, use it to mislead real and potential enemies. Others would try to take what we had by hook or by crook. I hated having to live by that attitude, but I deferred to Chen on that. He had the experience to go by. I was still a lamb surrounded by packs of hungry wolves.

We did have one area of disagreement on which I remained adamant. That concerned what to do with the firearms I looted from George. Chen wanted me to get rid of them right away.

"If you have a gun, you might be tempted to use it," he said.

"If I use a gun, it will only be for protection," I responded. "I'm tired of being unable to defend myself."

"I will always do my best to protect you, Lihua."

"I know you will, husband. But I would have been in the hands of Madame Bordeaux or one of the tongs today except by pure luck. I would prefer not relying on luck any longer. From now on, if anybody attacks us I'm going to fill his belly with lead."

"A Chinese with--"

"I am not Chinese. My ancestors were Chinese. I happen to be a red-blooded American born and raised in the USA and I will defend my constitutional rights against anyone who tries to fuck with me without regard to race, color, creed, national origin or gender to my last dying breath. Give me liberty or give me death. E Pluribus Unum. Stand your ground. Don't tread on me." I picked up the large Colt. "From my cold dead hands," I declared.

Chen looked at me like I'd lost my mind and maybe I had. Or maybe not. I was tired of being scared because I was a woman, because I was the wrong race or a combination of the two. I wasn't going to be easy prey anymore. If anyone tried to screw with me or mine, he was going to get a very unpleasant surprise. If I was back in the 21st century, I would be hiring an attorney to defend my rights. In this century, I'd be using a gun, a knife or whatever lethal weapon I could get my hands on at the time. Chen was smart enough not to argue further. I think he realized I wasn't going to budge on that issue.

There wasn't much to take with us so we didn't attract any attention leaving our room for the final time. We didn't intend to return, but neglected to tell our landlord. We crossed the bay by ferry to Oakland. We were directed to a section of the boat reserved for 'Negroes, Mulattoes, Malays and Mongolians'. I guess we were included in that bunch somewhere. I was relieved to be leaving San Francisco and sad at the same time. I expected Chen felt the same way, but I wasn't sure. He seemed distracted and I couldn't get him to talk about it.

"We will discuss it later," was all Chen said so I just shut my mouth. I knew he had his reasons. As we were approaching the Oakland docks, Chen jumped up and grabbed my hand. He hurried me through the section reserved for whites and then down a maze of corridors. I was completely mystified.

"Hey! You two can't be down here," a man yelled and blocked our way.

"So sorry. Got lost," Chen said in a servile tone of voice and bowed repeatedly. "Boy sick." I immediately put my hand to my mouth and acted woozy. The man jumped out of our way and pointed down a corridor. No more than five seconds passed before we heard the man shouting again. Chen opened a maintenance hatch and gave me some quick instructions. I just nodded and didn't ask any questions. I knew the man had spotted another threat and our lives were at risk.

Following Chen's instructions was pretty easy. I just had to let our pursuer spot me, act frightened and duck through the maintenance hatch. I didn't have to act. I really was frightened. We spotted each other at the same time. He was a grim looking Chinese man much larger than average. I braced myself against the far bulkhead on top of a crate and got ready to defend myself with a large wrench.

My pursuer wasn't stupid. The man was cautious as he entered the small room, wielding a hatchet and checking likely places where Chen might be lying in wait to ambush him. He spoke to me in Cantonese. I raised the wrench above my head, threatening to brain him if he got near enough. He laughed and then grabbed the wrench away from me before I had a chance to use it. He let the wrench drop and I squeaked in terror as the man grabbed me and hugged me to his chest. He turned back toward the hatch, but then got a surprised and puzzled look on his face. I felt his grip loosen and I pushed away from his body to avoid being crushed as he collapsed. Over half of the blade of my Arkansas toothpick was sticking out of his back. Chen stood over the body and smiled.

"I was not certain this would work," Chen said.

"Me neither," I said. Chen was hiding behind the crate and I provided the distraction so our assailant wouldn't think to look in such an obvious place. Chen yanked the knife out of the man's body and then slit his throat to make sure he was dead.

Chen told me that one of our fellow passengers was a well-known tong honcho who went by the name of Louie Fung. He suspected that Fung had recognized us and that we would be waylaid soon after we left the docks. The only way to test his suspicion was to make a run for it. The armed henchman chasing us proved Chen wasn't being paranoid.

"Besides being an immediate threat to us, I also have a personal vendetta against Louie Fung. I would like to see him dead, but I will need your assistance," Chen said. "Will you help me?"

"Your enemies are my enemies," I responded. "Of course I will do it."

"You're a mad-woman. But I'm glad we are on the same side. Otherwise, I would be very nervous."

"You're learning," I said. On the voyage from China to San Francisco, Chen had befriended a boy a little older than him. They were met at the dock by Louie Fung, who offered them both good-paying jobs. Chen was warned away by another recent immigrant who said Louie Fung was nothing more than a pimp who forced young men into prostitution for clients who were into abusing young boys anally. Chen tried to warn his friend also, but was too late. The young man was dead less than two months later, a suicide. Chen vowed revenge, but never thought he would get the chance. The plan was to lure him away to a less frequented area. Without his bodyguard, Louie would be an easy target for murder. I disembarked with the other passengers at the Oakland ferry terminal and stood around like I was waiting for Chen. A well-dressed middle-aged Chinese gentleman seemed to be waiting also. He was our quarry, Louie Fung. As the disembarking crowd cleared out and others boarded for the return crossing the man spoke to me in Cantonese. I responded in Mandarin that I didn't understand him.

"Do you speak English?" he asked.

"Yes I do," I responded.

"We both seem to have misplaced our companions."

"He will be here soon. He just has to." I made sure I displayed a certain amount of anxiety. "My uncle told me to hide until he came for me. He didn't explain why, but I'm sure he didn't want me to take the ferry alone back to San Francisco." Even as I spoke, the ferry was signaling for its return trip across the bay. It seemed that the dead man's body was yet to be discovered. "What shall I do?"

"Wait here with me," the man suggested. "We can keep each other company until either your uncle or my associate returns. At least we won't be alone. I am sure they were both unavoidably detained."

"You're very kind."

"May I ask what your plans are here in Oakland?"

"Jobs are hard to come by in San Francisco so my uncle thought that perhaps we should try our luck elsewhere."

"Jobs are hard to come by everywhere, but this is a fortuitous meeting. I am a businessman here in Oakland and I just happen to have a couple of openings which you and your uncle might be interested in."

"That is good news indeed. We are both hard workers. I'm certain we won't disappoint you."

"I am certain you won't either."

There is some old adage about plans going to hell the moment they're put into action. Two men showed up who appeared to be more of Louie Fung's henchmen. We didn't count on that. What was I going to do now?

"I think it may now be safe for us to leave," Louie Fung said.

"I cannot," I protested. "If I leave now I may miss my uncle. He won't know where I've gone."

"One of my associates will stay here to alert your uncle when he appears."

"But still--"

"We can dispense with this charade now," the tong boss said. His tone of voice had gone from jovial to sinister. "I know who you are and I know who your so-called uncle is or more likely was. If he somehow lived and got the better of my man, he will not be able to savor that victory for long. Now don't try to make a scene and just come along quietly. We'll share a pot of tea and talk about your new duties. You may even call me Uncle Louie."

"Uncle Louie," I muttered and shrugged my shoulders. I didn't have any choice but to cooperate, being surrounded by three men. I hoped Chen had his act together. "Don't worry, Uncle Louie. I'm tired of running." I bowed in submission. I glanced up and Louie was smiling.

"That is the correct attitude to take," Louie said. "Come along now." I fell in next to Louie Fung as we left the ferry landing. One of his 'associates' was just a step behind me. I didn't think I'd be successful in making a dash for it, but that wasn't the plan anyway. As we had hoped, my captors failed to check me for weapons. To them I was just a weak little girl. I still had the two shot derringer on me. It was to be used as a last resort in case things went wrong. Things were already wrong, but I wouldn't have time to use the derringer on more than one of these thugs if it came to that. Chen was supposed to have set up an ambush where he could kill Louie Fung with the Arkansas toothpick. He also had the Colt, but guns were noisy and attracted attention. Heck! I didn't know the where and when of the ambush or if Chen was in position and he didn't know that Louie had reinforcements.

"Did you know that Madame Bordeaux's real name is Sally Collins? She was a newly arrived young prostitute from a city called Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio when I first met her."

"No I didn't know that," I replied. "I wonder why she changed her name."

"She thought the new name gave her some class."

"A pig is still a pig no matter what she decides to call herself."

"You and I agree on that," my new uncle said. "I heard she was livid when she had to return the money she was paid for you. I think I will take some pleasure in informing her that you are now in my service."

"Be sure to send her my lowest possible regards when you see her."

I saw a sign in Chinese and I started to sweat. I had a feeling we were almost at our destination and then only the gods knew if I could escape. As we crossed a darkened alley, I heard the man behind me cry out and then slump to the ground. I was as startled as Louie, but he reacted quicker than I could. He pulled a gun and started firing blindly into the dark. Shit! So much for a quiet ambush.

"Behind you Uncle Louie!" I shrieked in an effort to distract him. It worked. I stuck my foot out as he spun around and the crime boss tripped. He sprawled to the ground. I didn't waste any more time. I had my derringer out by then. I pressed the dual barreled pistol against Louie's neck and pulled both triggers. Blood spurted out of the man's neck when I fired. I felt my face sprayed with it. I resisted the urge to puke.