The Sidenstrasse Tapestry: An Indiana Jones Fan-Fiction

Chapter 17: Boarding House, Kashgar, Communist China, 1960

Marion knocked on the door of the boarding house. A tall blonde woman opened the door, her ice blue eyes staring hard at Marion and Indy.

"Mackenzie sent us," Marion declared.

"Come in."

She shut the door behind them. They stood in a large open foyer. A man sat in the corner at a table, a drink in his hand, brooding.

"What do you need?" their blonde hostess asked. "Please speak. We'll talk about price later."

"Was that really Em you saw shot?" Indy gulped.

"Em?" The woman echoed, doubt in her voice.

A man behind the woman looked up. Marion saw his cold, interested eyes as he studied her.

"My daughter... dark hair, dark, molten, chocolate eyes..." Indy was shaking.

"Yes. There was a dark haired woman at the execution. She hit the ground a bit before the other man. I thought it was strange. Come, you both look tired." The woman moved toward the stairs.

"Who was in charge?" Indy rasped. "...Of the exe.. Execution."

The man spoke from the side of the room. "A KBG agent named Vladimir Chang."

Marion was returning the man's gaze with a cold glare. "Who's he?"

"Don't worry about him."

"Who's he?" Marion repeated.

"Oh, fine!" She was disgusted. "He's an arms dealer, his name is Riley Dawson. Happy?" She led them upstairs.

"Your name?" Marion asked, as they were halfway up the steps.

"Shannon McGuire."

Marion attacked. "You're the one who sent my son-in-law's head spinning!" She threw a right hook into Shannon's jaw. "He left my daughter and their children – because of you!" Shannon stumbled down the stairs, Marion charged after her, landing on top.

"Marion?!" Indy cried. "What are you doing!?"

Shannon's hand clawed Marion's face. Marion struck it down, ramming the blonde's hand into the wooden floor. Shannon kicked and rolled, her nails ripping with a scream.

"You made me break a nail!"

"Shut up! You broke a family!" Marion decked her.

Shannon jumped to her feet.

"Break it up!" Dawson snapped. He grabbed Marion and whapped her across the face.

"How dare you hit a woman!" Indy growled. He spun and jumped, giving Dawson a kick in the chest. Shannon's fist hit him coming down. Marion jerked her by the shirt and threw an uppercut knocking Shannon's chin.

"That's my guy – I'll beat him up if I want to!" Marion's wiry muscles pounded Shannon. Shannon fought back, her legs snapping out. Marion ducked the spinning leg, hit the ground and kicked in the back of the knee.

Indy fell.

"Oops," Marion muttered. "Oh well, Jones, you shouldn't have had your feet there."

Dawson dragged Indy to his feet. "You abandoned your daughters – both of them. If you had been there -"

Marion slammed her foot down on Dawson's boot.

Dawson yelped, dropping Indy, his right hand coming out of his pocket.

"What happened to your hand?" Indy growled, jumping to his feet.

"I punched someone."

"It was Em – wasn't it?" Indy snarled, throwing Dawson against the back wall.

Shannon jumped between Indy and Riley.

Indy glared at the arms' dealer. Riley was grinning smugly. Shannon was between them.

Indy glanced at his wife. "Marion, I can't hit a woman."

WHAM! Marion's left hook knocked Shannon to the floor.

"Thank you, honey," Indy smiled at his wife.

Indy stepped over Shannon, and glared at Dawson. "How did you know I have two daughters?"

Dawson was speechless. "I uh..."

Indy grabbed Dawson's hand and battered it against the wall. "Talk!"

Silence.

WHAM! Indy leaned all his weight against Dawson's hand.

"I married Anna Marie Jones!" Dawson gasped.

Indy yanked the picture of his granddaughter from his pocket. "What happened to her eye?"

"She ran into something. Little kids do that!"

"How would you know!? You're never home!" Marion growled. "You're always out with that blonde!" She pointed to Shannon.

Indy rammed his fist at Dawson's eye. "Stay away from my daughter and my grandkids!"

"They're my kids too!"

"No. You abandoned them!" Indy let Dawson drop to the floor. Marion stomped on his knee cap. Dawson yelped in pain. "How's it feel?" she growled.

Indy wrapped his arm around Marion's shoulder. "C'mon, let's find Em." Indy glanced back at Dawson. "I don't wanna ever see or hear about you near my daughters again."