Hustle Into Love - Chapter Fourteen, Part One

Hey all, 

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what happens next. This installment is a little longer than normal, so make sure you have a king size cuppa tea before you start!   Enjoy!!!

 

Hustle Into Love

~*~

Chapter Fourteen

Chantal couldn’t believe it.  Couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing.  Her stomach twisted, and she swallowed hard to keep the tears from escaping.  Never before in her life had she been so close to something so utterly depraved and horrifying. 

Human trafficking…white slavery…  Oh, she knew it existed, she’d read the literature, seen the warning commercials at the Macau immigration.  But to see it in person...  It made her want to scream.  It made her want to throw up.

There had to be at least a dozen silhouettes in the small room.  She couldn’t see much else—couldn’t distinguish ages or sexes, it was too dark.  But they’d been there a while.  That she could tell.  The pungent scent of urine and unwashed bodies wafted through the door.  And they were so still and lifeless.  As if all the hope had been drained out of them.  Chantal had never seen anything more wretched in her life.

There was another movement, and one of the figures moved forward, a small, dirty hand shading eyes from the glow of the dim bulb in the main room.  As it shuffled out of the gloom, the tears caught in Chantal’s throat broke free and slid down her pale cheeks.

It was a child.  A little boy no more than four or five.  Naked and half starved, he blinked like a tiny mole as he made his way out of his horrid cave and into the light.  He was Asian with the perfect doll-like features so sought after by the Chinese culture.  But unfortunately, little boys who looked like this one were also wanted by someone else.

Sexual deviants, pedophiles and child molesters.  

The child—he was no more than a baby really—reached out his hand to Chóngdé and begged in a lisping voice for something to eat.  Hearing the weak, tearful voice, Chantal moaned low in her throat.  She would have given everything she owned…every award, every jewel, every bloody cent for a single loaf of bread to give to the tiny tot.

But Chóngdé wasn’t so generous.  With a spate of angry words, she slapped the boy and pushed him back into the dank hole.  As she slammed the door shut, Chantal flinched at the child’s pained scream.

“How could you?” she whispered when the Asian woman had once more turned around.  “He’s just a baby.  He’s hungry.”

“Humph,” Chóngdé sniffed.  She picked up her glass of champagne and sipped it nonchalantly.  “I do not care.  He is only merchandise.  And he will bring me much money when he is sold.”

Sickness threatened at the knowledge of what that beautiful little boy’s future held for him.  “You bitch,” Chantal snarled, struggling to get her hands free and on Chóngdé.  Hatred for the woman welled up inside her.  She tossed out a few more insults in French.  “When I get loose I’m going to make you regret this.  I thought you were crazy, but I didn’t know you were depraved, too!  It’s wrong.  You know it is!  How can you do this?  They’re people, damn it.  Just like you and me.”

Chóngdé laughed.  “They are nothing like me.  People they may be, but poor and insignificant ones.  In fact, most will not even be missed.  Some were even sold by their families.  No one cares about them.”

Chantal stared at the battered door across from her.  Fury and sadness battled for dominance.  “I do.”

The other woman rolled her eyes.  “The great Chantal cares.  Boo Hoo.  Too bad no one will ever know.”

“This is nuts, Chóngdé,” insisted Chantal.  She worked at the ropes on her wrists.  Were they getting looser?  “You’ve got to let us go.  There’s no way this is going to work.  You’ll be caught and put in jail.  Your father will be horrified.”

“No way this will work?”  To Chantal’s surprise, Chóngdé burst into laughter.  “Do you really think this is the first time I have done this?”

Chantal went still.  “What are you talking about?”

“I thought you were intelligent,” Chóngdé gloated, “but obviously you are not.”  She walked closer.  “Did I not tell you I had built a business right under my father’s nose?  Did I not say I was in charge of everything?  Do you think it is a coincidence you are here with these people?”

Understanding swept through Chantal.  She’d been so horrified at what she’d seen, she’d forgotten completely why Chóngdé had shown it to her.  “This is the organization you were talking about?”  She stared at her enemy with wide, shocked eyes.  “The sexual exploitation of children? Prostitution?  Forced labor?  Human slavery?  This is what you’ve been doing?”

 “For three years I have bought and sold my cargo, shipping it out on my father’s own ships right under his nose.  He may think I am nothing but a weak, stupid female, but I am much more.  His men now answer to me.  I too know how to inspire loyalty.  I pay for it.”  Chóngdé smiled.  “Just like my father taught me to do.”

It was all too impossible to believe.  “You seriously think your father knows nothing about all this?”

“He is oblivious,” Chóngdé sneered.  “I have had many years of playing the innocent.  I am very good at it.  He knows only what I wish him to.”  She laughed again.  “All think my father is the most powerful man in Macau.  What would they say if they knew the truth?  That his own daughter has been playing him for a fool!”

Chantal had a difficult time believing Hui Sun knew nothing of his daughter’s actions, but even though he might play the heavy sometimes, surely a man with as much honor as he had would have put a stop to such a despicable trade? 

Could Chóngdé actually be telling the truth?

“Are you not curious?”

Chóngdé’s silky voice brought Chantal out of her thoughts.  She glared at the woman.  “Curious, no.  So disgusted and disturbed I want to knock you on your ass, oh yes!”

 The Asian woman’s eyes narrowed.  “Then I guess you do not want to know what fate awaits you.”

Fear made Chantal’s mouth dry.  She had to swallow twice before she could manage to speak nonchalantly. “I suppose you are going to sell me along with those other poor people?”

“No.”  Chóngdé’s reply was unexpected.  But before relief could push back the fear, the she went on.  “You won’t be sold with them.  You are in a different category completely.  You are the famous Chantal.  Remember?  I told you there are those foolish enough to pay great sums of money for you?”

“Yeah?”

“The merchandise you saw in the other room will be sold to several buyers overseas.  They are all destined for brothels in one of the cities.  But not you.”  Chóngdé smiled again, this time maliciously.  “I have something special…something even more degrading in mind for you.”

More degrading than a brothel?  Chantal wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she forced herself to ask.  “And just what might that be?”

There was a long pause.  One that made Chantal even more frightened.  When Chóngdé finally spoke, the triumphant look in her eyes made Chantal’s heart stutter to a stop. 

“Once the ship arrives at its final destination, you will be sold,” the other woman gloated. “You will be stripped naked and put on a block.  Your legs will be spread wide so all can see.  Your breasts will be squeezed and measured, and your hai will be examined inside and out.  And once all are satisfied, then men from all over the world will bid on your body.  You will be auctioned off like a piece of meat.  Because that is all you will be to the one who buys you.  A piece of flesh…a body to use as he sees fit.”

If she’d been afraid before, Chóngdé’s exultant recitation of what would happen kicked Chantal’s terror into overdrive.  This couldn’t be happening.  Any minute she would wake up and it would all be a horrible dream.

“And that,” Chóngdé finished, her ebony eyes sparkling with insane joy, “will be the end of the Amber Princess.  Of the great Chantal Montgomery.  No one will ever see you again.”

There were several long moments of silence.

“Mace will find me,” Chantal whispered.  It took her a while to find the ability to put words together.  But she refused to accept the future Chóngdé had planned for her.  It was the only way she’d survive whatever came next.  “He loves me.  He’ll never stop looking, note or no note.”

“And he will never find you.”  Chóngdé stepped closer and with her free hand, grabbed a chunk of Chantal’s long hair.  She twisted, hard, and tears came to Chantal’s eyes.  “I imagine you will be bought by some Arab sheik or rich playboy who’ll keep you all to himself.  You may dance again, but it will only be for him.  He will be the audience and you—” Chóngdé trilled out a maniacal laugh,” –you will be the captive.”

She pushed away, sending Chantal sprawling back to the floor.  But her new scrapes and bruises were trifles compared to the agony in her heart.  Yet she knew she had to keep fighting.  “It won’t work, Chóngdé.”  Chantal smoothed down Mace’s bathrobe back down her exposed legs with her bound hands and glared at her enemy.  “No matter what I have to do, I’ll come back, and I swear I’ll make you pay.  If I have to swim across the entire ocean, I promise, I’ll see you in Hell.  Not only for what you’ve done to me, but for what you’ve done to that little boy and all the other’s like him.”

Chóngdé snorted out a laugh then downed the last of her drink.  “So the great Chantal really does care.  Why, I wonder?  You do not know any of them.  Why are they important?  What makes them so special?”

Chantal could only stare at the Asian woman in bemusement.  “You really don’t get it, do you?  They’re living, breathing human beings.  They have value.  Not monetarily, you greedy bitch, but inside, where it matters.  They think, they dream, they love.  How can you not understand that?”

Chóngdé’s eyes narrowed.  “I do not need to understand.  I am so far above those creatures, I can barely see them.  But they do have a value, as you said.  They will be bought.  By those who can afford to pay for them.”

“You’re a contemptible fool, Chóngdé,” Chantal retorted, her temper rising.  “You may be rich, and someday someone might actually like your chicken dancing and make you famous, but you’ll never have what I have…what these people have.”

Chóngdé tossed her head angrily.  “And what is that?”

“Self respect,” Chantal answered simply.  “Something you can’t buy and you can’t steal.  Oh, you’ve tried to.  You tried to use your daddy to buy Mace’s affections so you’d feel better about yourself, and you’re trying to steal these peoples’ future, so you’ll feel like you’re better than they are.  But it won’t work.  Not really.  No matter what you do to any of us, we’ll always be better than you.  You’ll know it in your heart.  And you’ll know you are nothing but an ugly, pathetic loser.”

“Kai por!” snarled Chóngdé.  Furious, she threw the glass she’d been drinking from at Chantal.  Chantal ducked, and it crashed into the wall behind her, spraying her with broken pieces of glass.

“You think you know so much!” Chóngdé raged.  “I will laugh at your humiliation.  When I think of you standing before all those men, naked and weeping, I will laugh.”

Chantal shook her head.  She couldn’t help but fight back the only way she had left.  With words.  So she put on her famous diva attitude and looked down her nose at the smaller woman.  “You’re so ridiculously stupid, Chóngdé.  I am Chantal Montgomery.  I may have to stand naked while I’m auctioned off, but that’s nothing.  I may have to endure being…groped, but it’s not enough to truly humiliate me.  It’s only a single moment in time.  Then, like you said, I’ll be bought by a rich man.   One who knows who I am and appreciates me.  And—” she stabbed the knife in harder, all the time weeping inside for the loss of Mace and her dreams, “—I’ll live in the lap of luxury for the rest of my life.  And I’ll be laughing at you.”

She accepted Chóngdé’s slap with a shrug, keeping the snotty smile on her face.  Chantal tasted blood, but it was worth it.  She knew she’d drawn blood, too.

But the cost had been high.  Pretending to give up her life with Mace and accept her fate had almost broken her heart.  But she’d die before she showed the other woman how frightened she really was.

“You can go from one man to another so easily?” Chóngdé spit out, her eyes glistening with fury.  “Just as I thought.  You are the true whore in this room.”

Chantal only raised an eyebrow.  She had done what she set out to do.  Now all she wanted was Chóngdé to leave.  But the Asian had one last barb to throw Chantal’s way.

“You think you will have all the best,” the woman hissed.  “But you will pay for it, I promise you.  Even the other slaves will have it better than you.”

She didn’t like the new look in Chóngdé’s eyes.  “How so?” Chantal asked warily. 

“They have all been sold to brothels, but what I did not mention before is they are all very special merchandise.   Guaranteed to bring high prices.  Do you know why?”

Chantal shook her head.

“They are something you are not,” Chóngdé said, nastiness coating her voice.  “They are all virgins.”

Oh, God.  Just when she thought it couldn’t be any worse.  Those poor women.  The children.  What they would go through…  Chantal wanted to weep and scream out her rage.  She held her face impassive with a will.  “So?”

“Because they are untouched, they must stay that way.  Otherwise they are worthless, you understand.  So they are off limits.”

Chantal said nothing.  She was beginning to get a really bad feeling.

“But you,” Chóngdé went on, her tone again gloating, “you are no virgin.  You are not untouched.  And since the voyage will take several weeks, the men will get very lonely.  So I have arranged for you to help them with their loneliness.”

Bile rose in Chantal’s throat at the thought of being raped by Chóngdé’s sailors.  “You’re not serious.  You think I’m going to let that happen to me?  You really are nuts, Chóngdé.  I’ll fight them.  I won’t let them touch me.”

“You will have no choice.”  The other woman stepped back and tossed her head triumphantly.  “The men can do anything to you they want.  As many times as they want.  Over and over again, even as you plead with them to stop.  You will be nothing but a whore to the twenty-four crewmen who work this vessel.  And as long as you arrive at the auction unmarked and in one piece, I care not what might happen on the way.”

Chantal couldn’t say a word.  Her tongue was tangled in terror.

Chóngdé laughed and turning on her heel, walked to the door. “So much for the great Chantal Montgomery,” she said mockingly as she pushed the portal open. She met Chantal’s gaze, her own filled with malicious satisfaction. 

 “Well, Amber Princess?  Are you humiliated now?”

~*~

<shiver>  Chantal's predicament is even worse than I thought it would be.   How will she escape?  Or will Mace charge in on his white steed and play her knight in shining armor?  Stay tuned to find out!

Hugs,

CJ

Hustle Into Love - Chapter Thirteen, Part Two

Hey all,

Shall we see what Mace and Li have to say about the whole thing?  Will they force Hui Sun into revealing the whereabouts of his daughter?  It's time to sit and relax with a nice cuppa and find out!  Enjoy!!!

 

Hustle Into Love

~*~

* * * * *

“Talk to me, Sun.”  Mace had the older man by his lapels.  “What the hell has Chóngdé done?”

“Brother, please.”  Gently, Lì pulled Mace’s clenched hands away.  “He is just as horrified as we are.  Give him a chance to speak.”

“Bullshit.”  Pushing away from Hui Sun, Mace paced to the window.  “He may be shocked, but he had to know something like this could happen.  Hell, he warned me himself Chóngdé didn’t take losing gracefully.”

“It is so.”  Hui straightened his collar and sighed.  “This is in part my fault.  I have indulged her too much.  When she was dismissed from The Golden Tiger she was so distraught.”  He glanced Lì’s way.  “I struck out at you and your casino then threatened your brother.  When that did not work and I let the matter go, she flew into a tantrum.  To make peace I allowed her to take over the Lotus Palace’s entertainment. I thought that would keep her mind off Ms. Montgomery.”

“Obviously, it didn’t,” Mace grumbled.

“No.”  The older man shook his head.  “And now you tell me she hired this choreographer without telling me.  She has never kept things from me before.  But I am afraid something changed in my daughter once Chantal Montgomery arrived.  I have never seen her so—” he searched for the proper word, “—obsessed.  It was as if she had to prove to everyone she was better than your lady. Or at the very least, her equal.”

“That would not be possible.  Chantal is one of a kind,” Lì said simply.  He met Hui Sun’s gaze.  “Tell me the truth, my friend.  Do you think your daughter has done the unthinkable?  Do you believe she is responsible for the bombing?  For Chantal’s disappearance?”

Hui looked grim.  “I would never have imagined such a thing before, but now?”  He rubbed his eyes tiredly, an unconscious gesture that surprised Mace.  Most Asians of Sun’s generation rarely showed their emotions.  “She has been acting so secretively lately.  I allowed it, thinking whatever she was keeping to herself was harmless.  But if the man she hired kidnapped Ms. Montgomery, I have no choice but to consider she may be involved.”

“I want to talk to her.”  Mace glared at Hui.  “Where is she?”

“At this hour?  She is in her bedroom, of course.”  Sun went to his desk and pushed a button on the intercom.  “Chóngdé?  Daughter?  Wake up.  I know it is early, but I wish to speak to you in my office.”

There was no answer.

Frowning, Hui tried again.  “Daughter?  Answer me immediately.”

“She’s not there,” Mace growled in disgust.  “You don’t know where she is.”

The elder’s cheeks reddened.  “It is four o’clock in the morning.  She probably is sleep—”

“Have someone check.”  Mace interrupted him without remorse.  “Do it now, or I’ll do it for you.”

Having his daughter suspected of criminal activity seemed to be too much for the older man.  For the moment, he was completely cowed.  Sun’s lips tightened at Mace’s threat, but surprisingly, he said nothing. Only spoke briefly into the intercom ordering one of his men to check his daughter’s room.  They waited in silence, and no one was surprised when several minutes later it was reported that Chóngdé’s room was empty.

“Perhaps she is with Chantal now,” Lì suggested.  “Try contacting her.”

But Hui Sun’s phone call went unanswered.  Mace’s panic increased.  What was going on?  Where was Chóngdé and where the hell was Chantal?

“We may be going about this the wrong way.”

Mace blinked at his brother’s words.  “What do you mean?”

“We may not be able to find Chóngdé, but we are still not sure she’s involved.”

“I’m sure,” Mace snarled, “and if she’s hurt Chantal, she’ll be sorry she was ever born.”

“I will not allow you to hurt my daughter,” Hui Sun protested, his eyes glinting with anger, “no matter what she’s done.”

“Try and stop me.”

“Brother,” Lì remonstrated.  “Hui.  Let us focus on finding Chantal.  We can cast blame later when all the facts are in.”

Mace knew in his gut he had all the facts he needed.  Chóngdé was involved, right down to her tiny feet.  But he knew Lì was right.  As much as he hated the fact, Hui Sun was the only one who might be able to help them find both women.

“As I said before we may be missing the obvious.”

“What do you mean?” Sun asked.

“While we can only assume your daughter is involved, we do know who is.  Perhaps we should talk to him.”

“Christ.”  Mace wanted to kick his own ass.  He’d been so focused on Chóngdé he’d forgotten.  “Chin Zhao.”

“The choreographer.  Yes,” Hui mused.  “He may be the key.”

“But he’s a dead end.”  Mace gave up and began pacing again.  The hell with being inscrutable and saving face.  He was too damn worried.  “We tried to find him but couldn’t.  Sent men to his apartment and to your casino.  He’s nowhere to be found.”

Hui Sun smiled.  The worried father disappeared, and in his place was the hard, cold man Mace had met when he first arrived in Macau.  “No one is unfindable, Mr. D'Avranches.  Not for me.”

For the first time since he’d gotten involved with Hui Sun, Mace was glad the man’s reach was so long.  Within an hour, the Asian had men searching all of Macau for the missing choreographer.  Sun was confident they would have information on Chin Zhao’s whereabouts by morning.

But with every minute that passed, Mace’s fears grew stronger.  What was Chóngdé planning?  Why had she taken Chantal?  Had she hurt her?  Mace’s stomach turned.  Done worse to the woman he loved?  He couldn’t bear the thought.

He cringed each time he remembered the last argument he’d had with Chantal.  It had been so stupid, so unnecessary.  He swore to himself that when he got her back, he’d never argue with her again.

Then he laughed.  Not argue with Chantal?  That would be bloody impossible.  She was like a flame, licking at you when you least expected it.  You couldn’t help but react.  But right now any communication with her was welcome.  Be it an argument or whispered loving under the covers late at night.  He just wanted her back where she belonged.

In his arms.

And when he finally did, he knew he would never let her go again.  It was time for all those plans he’d been thinking about to come to fruition.  Absently, he reached into his pant’s pocket and pulled out the small black jeweler’s box he carried there.  Flipping it open he gazed at the engagement ring he’d designed for the woman he loved.

It was a yellow diamond.  A deeper shade than normal, it was almost golden in color, the same flashing hue as Chantal’s beautiful eyes.  It sat in a swirling circle of white gold and smaller diamonds, giving the impression of movement and fluidity, almost as if the amber-colored diamond was dancing amongst the other stones.  It was gorgeous, unique and one of a kind.

Just like his lady.

“So you are going to propose to Chantal?”  Lì’s voice brought him out of his reverie.  “It is about time.”

Mace smiled wryly.  “I’ve only known her a few months, brother.”

“Must I remind you of the ten years wasted?”

A pang shot through Mace.  “No, damn it.  And I promise you, once I get her back, the first thing I’m going to do is ask her to be my wife.”

“That is good.  All will be as it should be.”  Lì looked pleased.  “And I am glad of my small part in it.”

“Small?”  Mace stared at his brother.  “If it hadn’t been for you setting us up, who knows how much more time would have been wasted.”

“That is so.”  Lì nodded serenely in agreement.  “So my part was not so small.”

Mace snorted out a laugh, but then sobered.  “God, Lì.  Where is she?  I can’t help thinking the worst.  What if I never have a chance to give her this ring?  What if I never see her again?”

“Do not say such things,” Lì answered, his tone firm and unbending.  “We will find her.  We will get her back.  You will have the rest of your lives together.  I promise you.”

“I hope so.”  Mace rubbed the diamond ring once for luck then snapped the box closed and put it in his pocket.  “I’m about ready to go out and look for Chin myself.  Where the hell can a choreographer hide?”

As it turned out, he couldn’t hide at all.  Chin Zhao was picked up a few hours after sunrise hiding in one of the warehouses Hui Sun used.  Mace didn’t think it was a coincidence it was the same place where Sun Trust Manufacturing had stored the parts used in making the bomb.  Obviously, Zhao wasn’t the brightest bulb in the pack.

It took a while, but by mid-morning, the choreographer was exactly where Mace wanted him.  Sweating in a chair, surrounded by three men who wanted answers and wanted them now.

“I do not understand why I am here,” the small man whined.  “I have done nothing wrong.”

Mace longed to pick the man up and shake the truth out of him, but Chin was like a rat caught in a trap.  Violence would do no good.  Subtlety was needed.  For the moment, he left the interrogation to his brother and Sun.  There would be time later for his more “pro-active” questioning.

“I believe you were trespassing in my warehouse,” Hui Sun said mildly, skirting the real issue.  “I know I have not given you permission to be on the premises.”

“I had permission,” Chin Zhao blurted out, looking suddenly relieved.  “Yes.  Your daughter said I could stay there.”

Definitely not the brightest bulb.  Now they had proof Chóngdé and Chin were involved.

“My daughter?”

Chin nodded eagerly.  “Yes, sir.  She gave me permission.”

“So you and my daughter are…friends?”

The choreographer blushed.  “N-No, sir.  I work for her.  I mean, at the Lotus Palace.  I help with the entertainment.”

“And are part of your duties visiting other casinos after hours?”  Lì’s soft voice made Zhao flinch and his eyes rolled wildly.

“I-I do not know what you are talking about.”  He tried to stand.  “I must be going.  I have work to do.”

Mace’s strong hand pushed him back into his seat.  “You aren’t going anywhere.”

“I am talking about you being in The Golden Tiger last night,” Lì continued as if they hadn’t spoken.  “Do you deny it?”

“What?” Chin Zhao squawked.  “I have not been anywhere near your casino.  I swear it.  You cannot prove it.  Please, sir,” he pleaded with Hui Sun as his sweating grew worse.  “I am telling the truth.”

“Are you?”  Hui Sun cocked his head.  “So you know nothing about a break in last night.”

Chin shook his head so hard sweat droplets flew everywhere.  “No, sir.  I know nothing about that.  I wasn’t there.”

“Then why was your key card used?” Mace asked quickly.

The other man’s face went pale.  “K-Key card?”

“Chin, Chin,” Lì murmured.  “Surely you understand we keep records of such things.  We know you were there.  Tell us the truth.”

“I do not know anything!”  Zhao was shaking now.  “I didn’t see Ms. Montgomery.  I don’t know where she is.”

“Where she is?”  Hui Sun pounced on that statement.  “I do not recall anyone mentioning Chantal Montgomery disappearing.” His voice went ice cold, and there was something in it that made even Mace shiver.  Apparently the stories he’d heard about Sun were all true.  He was one scary man.

“I…I…”

Sun’s smile was shark-like.  “I think it is time for you to tell us all you know, or—” the older man bent closer, making the choreographer shrink away in terror, “—otherwise I will be very, very disappointed.”

Chin Zhao gazed at Mace’s furious face then at Lì’s intense one.  He looked back at the frightening visage of Hui Sun—a man who could literally make him disappear in seconds.

And Chin began to talk.

~*~

Whoo Whee!!!!  I'm glad I'm not in Chin Zhao's shoes!  I think we're about to get a taste of what makes Hui Sun the most powerful man in Macau.  I hope there's no blood.

Well...I wouldn't mind a little.  <grin>

Come on back on Tuesday to see what happens next!

Hugs,

CJ

 

Hustle Into Love - Chapter Thirteen, Part One

Hey all, 

Well?  Whatcha think?  If Hui Sun isn't involved, could it be his darling daughter?  What do you think is going to happen now.  Grab some Sangria and let's find out!  Enjoy!!!

 

Hustle Into Love

~*~

Chapter Thirteen

“Well.”  Chantal stared at the woman in front of her and wished with all that was in her, her instincts hadn’t been so keen.  Even though all the evidence had pointed to the father, she’d just known Chóngdé Sun had something to do with the whole mess. God, she hated it when she was right.  “It is you.  I can’t say I’m surprised, though I didn’t think even you had the guts to do something so stupid.” 

“Be silent!” Chóngdé’s dark eyes flashed with wrath.  “I am smarter, more beautiful and much more talented than you.  Once you are gone all will see that.  I will be the headliner at The Golden Tiger.  All will come to see me dance."  She toasted herself with the bubbling glass of champagne  she carried.    "I will be famous and all will bow at my feet.  I will travel the world and impress everyone.  No one will even miss you.”

Chantal blinked in surprise.  Wow.  It was worse than she’d thought.  Chóngdé had gone over the edge.  The Asian woman was truly living in a fantasy world if she believed all that.  Then her stomach flipped over.  Once you are gone…  Just what the hell did Chóngdé mean by that?

“You come here with your western ways,” raged Chóngdé, “wearing suggestive clothes and flirting with all the men.  They are all fools.  They cannot see past your seductive looks and half-spoken promises.  They do not see all you do is lie.  You have bewitched them.  It is the only explanation for Mace choosing you over someone like me.”

“Yeah.”  Chantal fought not to roll her eyes in disbelief.    She looked down at the sloppy bathrobe she’d grabbed from Mace’s room when she’d stomped out.  This was sexy?  “I’m a big charmer, I am.  I wow them all over the world.  Got hundreds…no thousands of men in my clutches.  You should see the list.”

“Do not mock me!” Chóngdé screamed.  “Mace loved me before you came.  He will love me again once I get rid of you.  I have it all planned.  My father will be proud of me for winning back such a man’s affection.”

The uneasy feeling grew stronger.  Too late Chantal realized baiting the other woman probably wasn’t the smartest idea.  The knowledge Chóngdé was planning to get rid of her was like a blow to the stomach.  She eased back a little and tried to speak soothingly.  “All right.  Let’s say you’re right.  So what’s your plan then?  I’m still too visible.  It would be in all the news.  You can’t get rid of me without the whole world clamoring to find out what happened.”

Chóngdé’s face turned crafty.  “Yes.  It is true many believe you are more important than you truly are.  I have taken this into account.  I could kill you where you stand,” she went on, making Chantal’s blood run cold, “but as much as I would love to do so, it would bring too much attention to myself and my father.  So I have arranged another way to deal with you.”

Chantal fought back more fear.  Chóngdé was a little too assured for her taste.  “And just how do you plan to do that?”

The Asian woman smiled, making Chantal think of an exotic Cheshire Cat.  “You, Chantal Montgomery, are simply going to disappear.”

“Disappear?”  Chantal shook her head, trying frantically to talk sense into Chóngdé.  “You aren’t thinking straight.  Remember who I am.  I can’t just up and disappear.  Everyone knows what I look like.  I’ll be recognized.  And Mace and Lì will never stop looking for me.  They’ll hunt down every sighting until they find me.  Give it up, Chóngdé.  It won’t work.”

Chóngdé laughed.  “You think so much of yourself.  But I know the truth.  How do you Westerner’s put it?  Out of the sight, out of the mind?  Mace will look for a while, but after all he is a man.  Once he has someone new in his bed—me—he will forget you quickly enough.”

The thought of Mace and Chóngdé made Chantal want to scratch the other woman’s eyes out.  She held herself back with an effort.  “You really are crazy.  He loves me, Chóngdé.  He won’t forget me.”

“I will make him forget you!” Chóngdé snarled, “and,” her pink lips turned up in a smug smile, “since you’ll be writing him a note telling him you are leaving forever, he will not even look for you.”

Chantal’s mouth dropped open.  “Excuse me, but I won’t be writing any note to anyone.”

“No—” Chóngdé shrugged, “—you will not, but I know someone who will.  Someone talented enough who will copy your handwriting perfectly.  They will write it for you.”

Suddenly the whole business took a more sinister turn.  Maybe Chóngdé wasn’t as stupid as Chantal thought.  It looked as if she really did have a plan.  She certainly had thought a lot of things through.  All except Mace forgetting his lover.  Chantal knew in her heart he would never stop looking, note or not.  And Lì…Lì would be right there beside him.

But Chóngdé would never believe that.  In her experience women had no value to men except for what they could do for them, whether it be warm their beds, give them a son or do their laundry.  Chóngdé didn’t understand about the connection a man and woman could make that went far beyond what could be seen.  Mace and Chantal had been destined for each other.  They were soulmates in every sense of the word.  But Chóngdé had never experienced that type of love.  And she probably never would.  It made Chantal almost feel sorry for her.

Until she felt the painful ropes around her wrists.  Then she didn’t feel a bit sorry anymore.

“And just how,” she said now, “will you accomplish getting rid of me with no one the wiser?”

Chóngdé looked briefly disconcerted as she struggled to comprehend the idiom.  But then her eyes narrowed.  “While I do not see your value, I know of many men who think the great Chantal is a treasure worth everything they own.  So I plan to capitalize on that stupidity.”

Chantal swallowed.  If she was scared before, there was something about the utter ruthlessness of Chóngdé’s voice that made her mouth go even drier.  “I don’t understand.”

“I have friends.”  Chóngdé’s smile turned sly.  “Useful friends who I have worked with in the past.  They will take care of you for me.  Soon you will be no more than a bad memory.”

She needed to learn more.  Chantal stared up at her captor and thought quickly.  The woman spoke rashly when she was angry.  Maybe if Chantal provoked her, Chóngdé would let something else slip.  “I don’t care how useful your friends are.  They can’t hide me forever.  I’m famous.  Note or no note, I’ll be missed.  You’re being ridiculous again, Chóngdé.  Give it up and let me go.”

“Kai por,” hissed the Asian woman.  “I am much smarter than you.  Than any man.  You do not know what I can do.  What I have done.”

“Right,” Chantal drawled.  A little more and she’d have her.  The woman really did have a hair-trigger temper.  “You’re so important you have to hide behind your daddy’s coattails to do anything.  Give me a break.  I bet you’ve never done a thing without his permission.”

“That is a lie!”  The shout rocked the small room as Chantal got her wish and Chóngdé’s uncertain temper gave way.  “My father,” the woman spat, “thinks I am a stupid female.  That I am helpless.  But I have built an entire organization right under his nose and he knows nothing.  My friends and I make thousands of American dollars and he doesn’t even see it.”

“Sure.”  Chantal fanned the fire a little more.  “What do you do?  Sell Girl Scout cookies?  Maybe Tupperware?”  She snorted.  “Yeah, a criminal enterprise like that would shock your poor daddy.”

The blow to the cheek took her by surprise, but she counted it as necessary when Chóngdé’s anger exploded and the truth came pouring out.

“You too underestimate me,” the woman screamed.  “I am not a silly female.  I am the boss.  Do you understand?  I am in charge of everything!”

“In charge of what?”  Chantal made her words sound disbelieving.  “I’m all a flutter, so impress me.”

In answer, Chóngdé growled out a furious word. Slamming the unfortunate champagne glass down on a nearby table, she strode over to a large door across the room.    The latch on the outside was three inches wide and over two feet long.  It was made of a heavy looking metal, and Chantal wondered briefly if the other woman was smuggling drugs or liquor or some such thing so valuable it needed to be locked away.  Her silent question was answered when, after unlocking the big padlock, with an ear-piercing squeak of the hinges, Chóngdé pulled open the big door.

In the gloom of the room, it was at first hard to make anything out.  All she could see were what looked like piles of clothing strewn around the small space. Slowly, her eyes became accustomed to the low light.  But her mind refused to believe what it was seeing.  Until one of the piles of clothing moved.

It was then the very marrow of Chantal’s bones froze in horror.  Chóngdé wasn’t smuggling drugs, liquor or even guns.  She wasn’t indulging in the contemptible act of selling endangered exotic animals.  The woman was doing something even more despicable.

Chóngdé was trafficking in human beings.

~*~

Oh wow.  That came out of the blue.  I expected something totally different.  I love it when my characters surprise me!  But since human slavery is one of the most unrecognized and horrible kind of smuggling, I think my characters decided to bring it to your attention.  

What will Chantal do to get herself out of this mess?  Will Mace be able to save her in time?  Find out by reading each week!

Hugs and see you on Thursday!

CJ

Hustle Into Love - Chapter Twelve, Part Two

Hey all,

See!  Two times in one week.  LOL  I told you I was back.  Shall we see what's happened to Chantal?  Has Mace found her yet?  Grab an  ensaimada (a spanish pastry), settle in and enjoy!!!

 

Hustle Into Love

~*~

* * * * *

“Where the hell is she?”  Mace stared out of Lì’s office window, worry etched into his face.  “It’s been over eight hours and we have nothing.  She didn’t go out to walk off her mad, but if someone has taken her, why haven’t they contacted us?”

His brother put a slim hand on his shoulder.  “I do not know.  Someone as visible as Chantal cannot be kept hidden forever.  They will call.”

“No.”  Mace shook his head.  “Something about this isn’t right.  The only threat we’ve had has been from Hui Sun, and God knows he doesn’t need to ransom Chantal.  Eric says he’s heard nothing from his contacts about any other party who might be targeting her.  And up to now, those contacts have been very reliable.”

Lì frowned.  “If we knew who broke through our security, we might discover who has her.”

Mace nodded. “I put Bruce on that first thing.  He didn’t find any point of a break in.  I’m waiting on a list of key card entries now.”

As if summoned, Bruce rapped on the open door.  He gave a short nod.  “I have that information you wanted, Mr. D'Avranches.”

“Come in.  Let’s see what you found.”  Mace held out his hand and took the single page from the security chief.

Lì crossed to stand next to him.  “Hmmm.  These are the employees who used their cards last evening?”

“Yes, sir.”

 “Then I think we have—what do you call it in the west?  A suspect?”

“Yes we do.”  Mace’s tone was grim as he gazed at a name that had no business being on the list.  “Son of a bitch.”

“I do not think calling his mother names is appropriate,” Lì murmured, “but I do understand the sentiment.”

“The choreographer, Chin Zhao,” growled Mace as he crumpled the report in his hand.  “Apparently Chantal never had his key card deactivated.  He has to be the ‘inside man’.”

“But what would he want with Ms. Chantal?” Bruce wondered.  “Will he ransom her?”

“I do not think Chin is working alone.”  Lì’s face was tight with anger.  “When he left The Golden Tiger he went to work for one of Hui Sun’s casinos.  He is choreographer for the Lotus Palace.”

“It keeps coming back to Sun, doesn’t it?”  Mace swore lightly.  “He was the one who issued the threats.  He owned the bomb materials.  And now, the one person who had access to Chantal yet shouldn’t have been on property, is on the man’s payroll.”

Bruce looked at his bosses.  “So what do we do?”

Mace met his brother’s gaze.  In it he saw the same anger he was feeling.  “I think it’s time we had a heart-to-heart with Hui Sun.”

* * * * *

Chantal went perfectly still.  The voice was familiar, yet she couldn’t place it.  But the smug, victorious tone in it scared her to death.  She knew she couldn’t show her fear, it would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull, but she was terrified.  Right down to her bones.

“Are you not curious as to who has taken you?”

Chantal didn’t answer.  If the kidnapper wanted to scare her by not showing themselves, she wasn’t going to play along.  Instead, she cleared her throat.  “What are you going to do with me?  Ransom?  Mace and Lì will pay anything to get me back.”

“You think you are loved so much!”  The voice was suddenly spitting mad, filled with hatred and envy.  “You are nothing special.  There are many dancers much better than you.”

A whisper of recognition swept through Chantal, but still she couldn’t quite place the speaker.  She couldn’t even tell if it was a man or a woman.  “My dancing doesn’t matter to them.  They care about me personally.  They love me.”

“Love.”  A snort was followed by a scornful laugh.  “What does love matter?  It is position and title that is important.  Money and security.  You are a fool to think otherwise.”

“Maybe,” Chantal allowed, not wanting to anger her captor too much, “but being loved is the most important thing to me, and I’m lucky enough to be loved by two wonderful men.  Men who’ll do anything to get me back.  If you call them—”

She was interrupted by another laugh.  “I will not be contacting either man.  I don’t want their money.”

Chantal frowned as she thought that through.  Not a ransom then.  “Is this a political statement?  Get the offensive foreign influence out of Macau?  Show everyone my type of dancing doesn’t belong here?”

Another snort of laughter.  “I care for none of that.”

Now Chantal was really confused.  “Then what do you want?”

There was a pause, then with a dramatic flourish, the speaker stepped into the light.  “I want your utter humiliation.”

* * * * *

“You think I have Ms. Montgomery?”  Hui Sun’s face was a study in astonishment.  He gazed first at Mace then at Lì.  “You believe I abducted her?”

“Good try, Sun,” Mace snarled, curling his hands into fists.  The servant had said the man was in bed, and they’d had to wait almost an hour to see him, but if he had to beat Chantal’s location out of the older man, he would.  His grandmother would probably be horrified, but it seemed loving Chantal brought out his baser instincts.  “We know about the threat and the bomb.  That was bad enough, but kidnapping a woman?  That’s low, even for you.”

Sun’s eyes flashed at the insult.  “I will overlook your rudeness since you are obviously overwrought.  I do understand how important family is, and it seems Chantal is part of your rather interesting family.”

“Hui.” 

Lì’s quiet voice prevented Mace from responding.  He throttled back his temper and let his brother take the lead.

“We have evidence the bomb came from your house.”  Lì shook his head.  “I did not want to believe it, but the proof is there.”

“And you think—” Sun’s jaw clenched, “—that since I did not shut you down with a bombing, I turned to kidnapping to force you into submission.”

“God damn it,” Mace exploded, losing his temper, “who else?  Who else has it in for Lì, Chantal and myself?  You hated the fact Chóngdé got fired.  And you were furious when I fell in love with Chantal and quit seeing your daughter.  You tried to ruin Lì and the casino.  Are you telling me Chantal going missing right after a bombing we can trace back to you is all a bloody coincidence?”

“Yes,” Hui Sun said simply.  “That is what I am saying.  I know nothing of any of this.”

The matter of fact way the man spoke stopped Mace in his tracks.  He stared at Sun.  If he didn’t know any better, the utter sincerity of the older Chinese’s words would have made him a believer.  “You’re trying to tell us you didn’t bomb the casino.”

Hui looked at Lì.  “Do you believe I would do such a thing?”

Lì sighed.  “I did not at first.  I considered us friends—even after you tried to shut me down.  But the report came back with evidence saying you were involved.  I could not believe it and had the investigators check again.  But the information is accurate.  The bomb materials were purchased through your company.  We have copies of the invoices.”  He lifted his hands in a helpless gesture.  “What else could I believe then?”

Sun’s face tightened.  “This does not make sense.”  He looked at Mace.  “I told you the truth when I said I respected you for standing up to me.  For making sure the casino stayed open even after I tried to sabotage it.  I swear to you I did not do anything else to harm my friend’s property.  I planted no bomb, and I did not abduct your lady.”

Mace stared at Hui Sun and was abruptly sure the man was telling the truth.  For a long moment he fought against the knowledge, because if what Sun was saying was true, it left them back at square one.  With nothing.  “Damn it to hell.  I’m beginning to believe you.  But this is crazy.  The evidence points to you.  The bomb materials can be traced back to your company, SunTrust Manufacturing, and we know that one of your employees was on the premises when Chantal went missing.”

Hui’s gaze sharpened.  “One of my employees?  Who?”

“Chin Zhao.”  Mace growled the name.  “His keycard was never disabled and he used it to gain access to the private area of the hotel.”

“The choreographer that first hired Chóngdé for The Golden Tiger?  That Chin Zhao?”

“Yes.”

Sun shook his head.  “You are misinformed.  He is not an employee.”

“Now just a fucking min—”

Mace’s heated words were cut off by Lì’s gentle cough.  Lì sent a reproving look his brother’s way before turning back to Hui.  “I was told he worked at the Lotus Palace.   He works with the dancers there, your own daughter included.”

“I did not hire—”  Hui Sun stopped in mid sentence and his face went white.

“What?”  Seeing the man’s countenance change, Mace took a step closer.  “What is it?”

“You say Chin Zhao may be involved?  The older Chinese’s gaze was filled with worry.  “That he might have taken your Chantal?”

“It’s looking that way.  He’s the only one who shouldn’t have been there.”

“What have I done?” Sun murmured, covering his face with his hands.  “What has she done?”

“She?”  Mace jumped on the single word. “Bloody Christ.”  He stared at the other men as the horrifying truth shot through him. 

“Chóngdé.”

~*~

Well, I'm not surprised SHE showed up in the mix again.  But is she the one who took Chantal?  Or was it someone else?  Enquiring minds want to know if Mace has figured it out.  Stay tuned for Tuesday to get your answer...

Hugs and see you then!

CJ