TO BE FOUND : Book One

TO BE DEAD {Revised}

Sherlock, Victoria, and John were all around a processing table that illuminated, but only Sherlock stood on the opposite side of Soo Lin who spoke up, her voice wavering, "You saw the cipher. You know he is coming for me." she said.

"Well you've been clever to avoid him so far." Victoria stated, smiling reassuringly. 

"I had to finish....to finish this work. It's only a matter of time. I know he will find me." She shook her head gently.

"Who is he? Have you met him before?" Sherlock asked.

She nodded, "When I was a girl, living back in China. I recognize his...signature.'"

"The cipher."

"Only he would do this. Zhi Zhu." she said.

"Zhi Zhu?" John asked.

"The Spider." Sherlock explained. Soo Lin propped her foot onto the opposite knee, then she tugged off her shoe, revealing a black lotus tattoo upon her heel.

"You know this mark?" she asked Sherlock.

"Yes. It's the mark of the Tong." Sherlock stated.

"Tong?" Victoria quirked her brows rather curiously, glancing over at the detective.

He nodded, meeting her gaze, "Ancient crime syndicate based in China."

She simply nodded, then peered at Soo Lin, and she continued to speak, "Every foot soldier bears the mark; everyone who hauls for them."

"Hauls?" John asked.

She looks up at him and then he realized, "Y-you were a smuggler?"

She lowers her gaze whilst putting her shoe back on. "I was fifteen. My parents were dead. I had no livelihood; no way of surviving day to day except to work for the bosses." Soo Lin explained.

"Who are they?" Sherlock asked.

"They are called the Black Lotus. By the time I was sixteen, I was taking thousands of pounds' worth of drugs across the border into Hong Kong. But I managed to leave that life behind me. I came to England." She paused, smiling, "They gave me a job here. Everything was good; a new life."

Victoria looked at the woman, seeing the raw emotion in her eyes and simply reached out to grasp the woman's hand. Soo Lin looked up with a smile, nodding gratefully. Victoria had her own hardships these past years, but she couldn't imagine how Soo Lin felt.

"Then he came looking for you." Sherlock said.

"Yes." she said with tearful eyes, tensing her hand that was in Victoria's grasp.

~

 Sherlock watched Victoria comforting Soo Lin. This is how she had always been, compassionate, careful, and kind. Sherlock had the great pleasure of having such a wonderful person as his friend. He smiled at her softly, then he shook his head regaining his thoughts. Thoughts that often weren't so derailed.

"He came to my flat. He asked me to help him track down something that was stolen." Soo Lin said, interrupting Sherlock's thoughts.

"And you've no idea of what it was?" John asked.

"I refused to help." She told him.

Victoria clears her throat, "So, um, you knew him? When you lived in China?"

She nodded, "Oh yes," she looked at Sherlock and then back to Victoria, "He's my brother. Two orphans. We had no choice. We could work for the Black Lotus, or starve on the street like beggars."