Chapter 38 Infiltration
“Relax, we’ve got this,” Sofia murmurs as I usher her through the exterior security gate of the Kong siheyuan.
“I am relaxed,” I grit through my teeth. “But you can move a little faster.”
“And ruin my makeup?” She scoffs. “No. Plus, when do you see nurses running down the halls unless there’s an emergency, and there isn’t one, right?”
I can hear the glee in her voice.
“You’re enjoying this too much.” I switch to signing.
“Aw, Ren baby, use that beautiful voice again.” She pushes the empty wheelchair slowly, like we aren’t about to do a prison break with Celia. “I like Aria’s influence on you. You’re…human.”
“And you’re a menace.”
Boots clomp down the hallway, and I straighten as two guards bow their heads and salute. “Si Shen.”
Sofia smiles at the younger one, who does a double take, mouth dropping open.
I can’t say I blame him. Sofia plays a very convincing nurse in a blonde wig, fitted purple scrubs, and a wide-eyed innocence that should be impossible on her.
After passing them, I open a hidden door beneath a Tang Dynasty painting.
It’s a backup emergency route Cornelius’s grandfather designed right around World War II, rarely used and barely maintained.
But it’s the quickest way to the Soul Court.
We slip into the dark tunnel, illuminated only by a penlight in my hand.
“Elias should be here in five,” Sofia says. “Everyone’s in place.”
I grunt, upset that I can’t hear the confirmation directly. But Si Shen can’t be seen wearing an earpiece in his residence. That’d be a red flag.
“What if they turn him away?” Pulling out the heat detector, I scan the darkness in front of me.
No signatures. We’re good.
Sofia chuckles. “Can you imagine anyone turning him away? That won’t happen. Cornelius Kong will be too curious to see what the dealer of secrets wants with him. The other families on The Council don’t like Elias favoring Gabriel Caruso.”
Because whoever has Elias’s ear may have access to his treasure chest of blackmail material.
“He’ll do his thing and buy you time. The house will be on alert, all eyes on him, not on us.
The fed,” she spits out the word in disgust, “is on standby with a warrant in case Elias’s distraction isn’t enough…
but it’s unnecessary. Don’t know why my brother insists on having Tristan join The Syndicate. ”
“Because he has sway inside the agency. It’s a smart move.”
She growls. “Rafe is in the getaway car, ready to take Celia to St. Augustine’s Hospital, where their cardiology team is on standby.”
It’s genius, really. Originally, Lana was going to call in a favor at one of her family’s hospital affiliations, but anything from the Anderson princess would draw unwanted attention.
Better it come from a priest—or a transitional deacon in Rafe’s case.
Catholic hospitals do not question requests from a man of the cloth.
“How’s Aria?” I ask.
If I had my way, I’d chain her inside a safe house while we executed this plan, but I promised her she’d get to choose.
And this morning, on The Syndicate conference call, she wanted to be part of our plan.
“You need a real nurse. What if Celia’s condition deteriorates? It’s a highly stressful situation we’re putting her in,” she says, her gaze darting to Sofia on the screen. “No offense.”
Sofia shrugs. “None taken. Aria’s got a point. I only know how to kill people, not save them.”
The word no perches at the tip of my tongue. The idea of Aria being ten feet from the siheyuan is unbearable. Our plan is madcap, insane, and likely to go sideways.
I take Aria’s hand. “It’s dangerous, you aren’t—”
She elbows me hard. “Remember what you promised.”
I won’t take away her choice again.
Fuck.
My jaw locks, and I nod.
Sebastian snorts. “Reason 101 why I’m glad I’m a psychopath. Whipped isn’t an adjective you’ll ever use to describe me. Unless I’m doing the whipping.”
“Which is a verb and a noun.” Elias rolls his eyes. “Everyone good to go? We’ve moved up our timing by two weeks. Less prep. Not ideal. But I don’t think we have a choice.”
“No. Cornelius has already sent a search team for Jasper,” I reply. Not that he’ll ever find him, since the asshole is now compost in the Cook County forest preserve.
“Boom time,” Aleksei hollers.
“Shut up. Still haven’t forgiven you,” Sebastian mutters.
“Forgiveness means you’re hurt,” Aleksei retorts, “but you have no feelings.”
The two bicker.
Now Aria’s stationed with Rafe outside the south gate, medical supplies in hand, close enough to reach Celia if she destabilizes, but not far enough for my peace of mind.
“Is the ridiculous duo ready?” A faint glow ahead beckons us. The exit. Two more turns, one passcode, and we’re there.
“Sebastian and Aleksei are outside the north-side entrance. Once Elias arrives, the commotion will drive everyone to him, and the duo will get in. Aleksei will loop the security feeds and hack into the servers. Sebastian will pore through the documents in Cornelius’s office.”
I can’t believe I have to rely on those two not to kill each other long enough to find Mom’s insurance policy, Blake’s kill order, and the organ trafficking ledgers that might save Celia.
I grunt and take a deep breath.
The heat signature detector beeps. Someone’s on the other side of the exit.
We freeze, our breaths held as we wait for the all clear. The signal comes a minute later. I open the door, which exits to the retaining wall closest to the Soul Court.
“Go,” I whisper.
Sofia waltzes into the moonlight with her head held high. We pause by the locked gate as I punch in the passcode.
“Remember, if anyone asks, tell them Dr. Price-Campbell moved up Celia’s checkup. You cleared it with me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” She gives me a saucy wink. “Easy peasy.”
Lead settles low inside me, but we follow the harp music to the orangery, where Celia is playing with her eyes closed.
Flames flutter in the candelabra on the table. A heavy moisture clings to the air.
Celia’s slender face is paler, her willowy frame even frailer than the last time I saw her. A faint blue tinge shadows her lips.
“Shit,” Sofia mutters, concern clear in her eyes.
My sister’s eyes flutter open, her mouth dropping when she spots Sofia next to me. She clearly doesn’t recognize her from the Benefaction.
“Hi, I’m Jacqueline, Dr. Price-Campbell’s new nurse,” Sofia says, adopting a French accent. She rushes toward Celia like she’s known her forever. “He had a last-minute schedule change and had to move your appointment up.”
“Really?” Celia looks at me, and I nod.
We kept her in the dark to avoid stressing her out. Plus, if she didn’t know about the breakout, she wouldn’t need to pretend everything was fine.
“Come on, dear.” Sliding an arm around my sister’s waist, Sofia helps Celia into the wheelchair and places a blanket on her lap. “It’s chilly outside. Don’t want you catching a cold.”
I strain a smile. It kills me to see Celia like this. Weak, half-alive.
She’s running out of time. I need to get the organ records. There has to be a serial killer or rapist out there with the right blood type for Celia.
I kiss Celia’s forehead. “Tell me how the appointment goes.”
“Ren.” She grabs my arm. “Is everything okay? You look…stressed.”
Adjusting my half-balaclava mask, I force myself to calm. “Of course. Just usual Triad shit.”
“Okay, off we go.” Sofia wheels Celia out of the orangery, but as she passes me, she signs with one hand on her back, “Elias is here. The pawn and bishop are in. Game’s on.”
Stiffening, I nod as the duo disappears.
Minutes later, steady footsteps reach my ears.
“Ren, Cornelius is asking for you.” Sir Tao stops at the doorway.
“Where is he?” Forcing myself to relax, I face my old mentor, careful not to ask more questions.
Because Si Shen never questions his orders.
Sir Tao cocks his head to the side. “He was right. You are speaking more nowadays.”
I flinch. Fuck, I forgot to sign.
“He’s in the Lotus Den. We have a special guest.” He motions me to follow him. “Elias Kent is here.”
I don’t react.
“Interestingly, he wants to buy you off Cornelius.” Sir Tao casts a glance over. “You must’ve done a great job for him last year protecting his wife.”
“I did my duty as instructed.”
“I taught you well,” Sir Tao murmurs, his gaze pinned on the well-fortified Lotus Den in the distance. “Perhaps too well.”
Ten guards patrol the perimeter, two stationed at the entrance. That’s five more than the usual security for the consolidation meeting.
Elias’s distraction plan is working.
Leaving Sir Tao behind, I head toward the security checkpoint.
“Qing chu yu lan,” Sir Tao says, and I stop mid-step.
It’s the first half of the Chinese idiom: green comes from indigo—the student surpasses the master.
The second half of the idiom sits unspoken between us.
“Personally, I’ve always liked indigo more,” the old man comments. “Green is derivative. Unoriginal. Don’t forget where you come from, Ren.”
His chuckles skate down my spine as I stride past the guards with their heads bowed and walk inside, where everyone—accountants, lawyers, and the rest of the organ pipeline—has gathered.
But this time, instead of the masses huddled inside the main conference room, they’re outside in the spacious lounge. Tension swells as the men stare at the cracked-open door of the conference room.
No doubt Elias is having a private audience with Cornelius.
Quietly, I stand by the doorway, which is what I usually do until Cornelius calls me in.
“Why Ren?” Cornelius asks. I hear liquid sloshing onto ceramic.
The bastard’s making tea.
“He’s quiet. Efficient. I need someone like him on my team,” Elias says, lighter clicks rippling through the air.
“Si Shen is irreplaceable. What will you offer me?”
A beat of silence follows.
“Nothing,” Elias replies.
Glass shatters in the room. The group outside murmurs.
My glare pins them in place.
I sign, “Leave. This is a private conversation.”
A bald man in a suit stands. “But the consolidation meeting—”