Red Light

Dawn

Nie Mingjue took a swallow of his coffee. Unlike his brother, he liked it black. It was so strong he was fairly sure it could be chewed. He sighed in contentment. It was perfect.

There were a few coffee trucks who had discovered if they got in good with the cops, they would call them if they were pulling a long night doing a search, providing security at an event, what ever it was.

Throw in sandwiches and other snacks to go with the coffee and you were going to make money.

Currently, the Inspector was standing next to the truck with a sandwich in one hand and his coffee in the other. He would never tell his men but he needed a break from the stench of Wen Chao's apartment.

He shuddered. Most wouldn't guess it, but the Inspector kept his home clean and tidy. He wasn't a neat freak but the idea of living in that filth just made his skin crawl.

As soon as the search warrant was completed, he was going home. He would strip, throw his clothes in the washer, saunter his naked ass to the shower and clean the scent of that cesspit off and then saunter his wet naked ass back to the washer and turn it on.

'It's good to have a plan.' he laughed to himself. When you've been up all night, it was ridiculous what was funny.

He looked around. Probably a third of his team were standing near the truck. Most were just outside, taking a breather.

A quick glance at his watch. Fifteen minutes more and he'd head back up.

'Probably should send Di-Di an update.' he thought. 'See how Yu Bin is doing.'

He knew about his brother and Yu Bin though he hadn't met him yet. Huaisang hadn't opened his heart since everything had happened. There were friends, dates that allowed him access to information but nothing else. Not until Yu Bin. If the boy hurt his brother, he had every intention of crushing him in every way possible. This was the first glimpse of what Huaisang had been like before he was shot and watched his partner's murder.

Nie Mingjue wouldn't allow that to be lost. Not again.

-----

Charlie scrubbed at her face and popped another chocolate. She was watching body bags being put into the coroner's van. Six bodies. One she knew was her responsibility. She felt no remorse. Those fuckers didn't deserve to die so easily. They should have suffered first. A lot.

It always took forever when there was a death much less six. Photographs should be reasonably fast so why it always took so long was beyond her.

She had finally yelled at the man. "You aren't taking wedding pictures, damn it! Get this shit done so I can evac those kids. I'm not dragging them over bodies to do it. Finish it up now!"

He had looked bored apparently used to being yelled at. The day before he'd been yelled at for taking butterfly pictures during a search warrant. It was a rare and protected Kaiser-i-Hind male totally out of his usual habitat in southeastern China**. Enchanted, he had managed take several pictures before a sergeant had startled it into flight. These heathens have no appreciation of - he glanced up at Charlie. Her glare ate a hole through him. He swallowed nervously and hurried up.

Xin Di had heard Charlie giving the photographer hell and smiled. She was holding one of the girls who couldn't stop crying. All of the kids were awake.

At first it had been a disaster. All of them had been sure Xin Di and Ouyang Zizhen were dangerous. The lone young man had gathered the others behind him in a corner. He was obviously still fighting the effects of the drugs but he had warned them to stay back. It was brave of him especially when he was swaying on his feet.