Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 33 - Xiangyang

One of their horses whinnied and, when our horse replied, the men rode over to our abandoned cart. Murga rummaged through the luggage until he discovered something that hadn't been invented yet, Dr Zhang's binoculars. He shouted an order and they began searching through the thick underbrush where we lay hidden.

Murga almost stepped on me. I jumped up, crashed into his legs so that he lost his balance and fell backward. I bounded away like a kangaroo on steroids and crawled under a thick bush while Murga, bellowing like a enraged bull, struggled to get up under the weight of his armour. 

 'Ziff. Vee haf to talk. Vee need each other to help.' 

 He poked about in the bushes until he stumbled over Licia. He grabbed her hair. 'Now, you vill talk to me,' he yelled. 'Ver ist Herr Doktor Zhang?'

He did not see me as I leapt onto his back and wrapped my arms around his massive neck. I tried to twist his head but he was too strong. So I stuffed my fingers into his nostrils. He threw Licia at his companions and gripped my arm painfully but he almost fell as Miguel crashed into him. 

 He batted Miguel against a tree, with his free hand, bellowing. 'Zdis time you vill not escape.' Licia was shrieking like a banshee as she fought back furiously. She floored one of Murga's minions but it was an unequal contest. They were heavier. Within seconds all of us were pinned face down on the trail. I couldn't breath with Murga's knee in the small of my back, while one of his minions tied my elbows together, but they finished just before I blacked-out from lack of oxygen. I rolled over and sat up gasping for air. Miguel and Dr Zhang were sitting on the ground next to me, with their arms tied behind them, while Murga touched the tip of the knife against Licia's nose. 'Now you vill tell me. Ver is Denny Vernier?'

'We don't know. We heard he was with the Jingzhou army,' I lied.   'Please don't hurt her.'

'Vhy I should believe dis?' 

 One of Murga's men spoke in Mandarin Chinese urgently as he pointed to an approaching group of horsemen. They were led by a fat man with a battered helmet riding a tiny horse. 

 Zhang Fei spotted us and urged his horse forward with a loud bellow of rage. Murga dropped Licia, threw Dr Zhang onto a spare horse and lashed his arms to the saddle all the while roaring orders to his minions who quickly remounted and rode off with Dr Zhang. Murga grabbed me, clambered awkwardly onto his horse and turned just in time to parry Zhang Fei's long doubled headed spear with the flat of his sword. Zhang Fei thundered past, swinging a sword in his left hand so Murga was forced to release me as he changed hands to deflect Zhang Fei's sword. I threw my feet in the air, tucked my chin against my chest and slid off the horse head first. Luckily, I managing to land on my shoulders and somehow the horses avoided stepping on me. Zhang Fei's horse pivoted like a ballet dancer as it sidestepped around Licia and Zhang Fei lunged again. Murga countered with virtuoso sword play but he was obviously trying to get away before Zhang Fei's men arrived. He tossed a silver golf ball into the air and it vanished in a blinding flash of light and a deafening bang. It was minutes before my sight returned by which time Murga and his companions had gone. 

 Zhang Fei took off in pursuit and someone cut the ropes binding Miguel and me. Licia was cursing in a very un-ladylike way but, except for a few bruises and scratches, none of us was harmed. 

 'I carefully carried the Mercaptan all this way,' Licia complained, 'and when I needed it, I had left it in the carriage.'

'Never mind that,' I snapped. 'Murga took off with Dr Zhang.'

'What are we going to do without him!' Licia exclaimed, her voice tinged with hysteria.

'Our homework?' Miguel joked. 

 Licia was about to slug him so I tried to reassured her. 'Don't worry. We'll think of something.'

 Zhang Fei return from his fruitless chase just as Lord Guan arrived with another group of horsemen and exchanged jocular insults with Zhang Fei. 

 'Lord Guan saw a new sun fall from heaven,' Licia reported. 'Zhang Fei wanted to know why he always late to a fight?' 

 Lord Guan sent a squad of his men chasing after Murga while a gang of soldiers lifted the carriage back onto the trail and re-harnessed our horse. 

 'What are we going to do without Dr Zhang?' Licia was almost in tears.

'Well, now we know Murga's not here by accident,' I pointed out. But why did he kidnap Dr Zhang?'

 'Maybe he needs him to get back,' Miguel suggested.

'But what are we going to do?' Licia asked.

'Did you really bring Anti's homework with you?' I asked Miguel.

Zhang Fei drove our carriage while bragging how he had defeated Cho Cho's shock troops with only a little help. Licia was getting used to translating the local dialect.

We met Xuande and Kongming at the Han river where Zhang Fei jubilantly reported his exploits. Xuande looked at him sadly. 'But it is not a victory, Yi-de. We are still retreating.'

Lord Guan returned. He had lost track of Murga so we all sat around glumly trying to decide what to do. Eventually, we agreed that if Dr Zhang managed to get away from Murga he would probably look for us at the Dragon Well monastery near Xiangyang. 

 Kongming offered to take us there which meant we had to say goodbye to Xuande, Zhang Fei and Lord Guan. They were heading for the city of Fan on the north shore of the Han river opposite Xiangyang. 

(Authors Note. The ancient cities of Fan and Xiangyang, on opposite banks of the Han river, were later renamed Xiangfan).

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