We walked out from City Hall and back along the waterfront.
‘Can we go to the shops in Central before we go home, Emma?’ Simone said.
‘Is that okay, Leo?’
‘Yeah, no problem.’
We walked towards the pedestrian underpass that would take us across the road to the shops. The concrete walls were black from car exhaust fumes. Advertising billboards blanketed the underpass, and a beggar crouched under one of the columns, displaying his withered limbs.
On the other side of the underpass we stopped at the kerb to cross Chater Road. The pedestrian light turned green, and I went to lead Simone across the road, but she wouldn’t move.
‘Leo!’ she called loudly.
Leo had taken a few steps to cross the road, but quickly returned to us. He bent to Simone. ‘What, sweetheart?’
Simone cast around, her eyes unseeing. ‘Take me home, Leo, now.’
Leo scooped her up and hurried back to the underpass. ‘Come on, Emma,’ he called.
‘Hurry, Leo,’ Simone said.
Leo strode down the underpass, pushing through the crowd. ‘How many, sweetheart?’
I struggled to keep up with him.
‘I don’t know, Leo. Hurry,’ she said, desperate. ‘It’s the same ones!’
‘Where? Where?’
‘I don’t know!’ she wailed.
We raced out of the underpass, into the Star Ferry car park, and stopped at the Shroff Office to pay the parking ticket. Leo gently lowered Simone and she clung to his massive leg.
‘You know how far away?’ he said as he pushed the ticket to the cashier.
Simone’s eyes were still unfocused. ‘Close, Leo, hurry.’
I looked around. Three teenagers were approaching us from the Star Ferry terminal.
‘If it’s the same guys as in the restaurant, they’re over there,’ I said, pointing.
‘For God’s sake don’t point at them!’ Leo hissed. He grabbed the parking ticket and the change, hoisted Simone into his arms, and took off towards the stairs. ‘Quick, Emma!’
He raced up the stairs to the car and I trailed behind him.
I looked back. The teenagers were running towards us. One of them held out his hand and a Chinese cooking chopper appeared in it. No, not possible. I turned and ran after Leo.
Simone squealed. Leo had reached the top of the stairs and pelted towards the car. I sprinted to keep up with him, my handbag flapping.
He unlocked the car with the remote and gently dropped Simone into the back seat. ‘Buckle her up, Emma. We need to get out of here.’ He pulled himself into the driver’s seat and started the engine before I had my door closed. I slammed it shut as he took off.
Leo drove out of the car park dangerously fast, the tyres of the Mercedes squealing as he took the corners. He had to slow to ease the car down the ramp, then put the paid ticket into the machine and charged straight out of the car park lane into the street, ignoring the other furious drivers who sounded their horns and yelled at him. He ran an amber light and turned into Connaught Road, five lanes wide with concrete dividers on both sides. The traffic flowed smoothly and he raced up the hill towards the Peak.
‘Okay, Leo, you can slow down now,’ Simone said.
Leo slowed the car and relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief.
‘What the hell was all that about?’ I demanded loudly.
‘Bad people,’ Simone said. ‘I need to go home and tell Daddy. He’ll be really sad.’
‘What’s going on, Leo?’
‘I recognised one of them. They’ve tried to kidnap her before. Good thing I saw them.’
‘I saw them, silly Leo,’ Simone said. ‘You can’t even tell the difference most of the time.’
‘What difference?’ I said.
‘Between normal people and bad people,’ Simone said patiently. ‘Only Daddy and me, and special people like Jade and Gold, can tell the difference.’
‘Who are Jade and Gold?’
‘We’ll be home soon, sweetheart, and then you can tell Daddy all about it,’ Leo said gently. ‘Until we get there it’s not a good idea to talk about it.’
‘You have to explain for Emma,’ Simone said.
‘Yeah, explain for me,’ I echoed.
‘Not right now. Maybe later.’
‘Tell me!’
‘No.’
I crossed my arms over my chest and glowered at him. I shouldn’t be kept in the dark like this. I could handle any spy business they threw at me.
Leo and Simone went into Mr Chen’s office and spoke to him for a long time. They all emerged grim-faced, even Simone. I waited for them in the hallway.
‘Are you people going to tell me what’s going on?’ I demanded.
‘Come into my office, Emma,’ Mr Chen said.
I sat down across from him. He pulled up his chair and leaned on the papers strewn all over his desk.
‘You know that Simone is a kidnapping target?’
‘I know,’ I said impatiently. ‘But what was all that about in Central?’
‘Leo spotted some criminals who would be interested in her–’
‘No, he didn’t,’ I said quickly. ‘Simone saw them. Leo didn’t see anything.’
He remained silent, carefully studying my face.
‘Tell me!’ I snapped.
He took a deep breath, still calm. ‘Simone had seen one of those people before. They have tried to take her in the past. She warned Leo.’
I waited for more, but it wasn’t forthcoming. He just sat watching me.
‘If you don’t tell me what is going on, I will resign.’
He studied me closely, then shook his head. ‘You’re really not frightened at all, are you?’
I glared defiantly at him. ‘Of course not. And I will find out what is going on here.’
He leaned back. ‘We’ll explain it all soon. But right now, Simone’s Chinese teacher is here. Go and let her in.’
The doorbell rang and I jumped. ‘How do you know it’s Simone’s Chinese teacher?’
He just watched me.
‘I’m not finished yet,’ I warned, and opened the door to go out.
‘I sincerely hope not,’ he said softly behind me.
Monica was ahead of me and had already let the Chinese teacher in. I sighed with exasperation and went into my room. I lay on the bed and opened one of the books on Chinese gods. I was certain now that they’d been left there for me.
That couple on the beach had disappeared completely. The kid today had made a chopper magically appear in his hand. Both Simone and Mr Chen could tell who was in the house without seeing them.
I did another internet search on Xuan Tian Shang Di and was referred to a page about Xuan Wu. I clicked the link and the screen filled with information about the Dark Lord of the North, Xuan Wu. Something to do with snakes and turtles – he either defeated