Lady Dragon

By James Gordon

The third book in the Kitty Wu Series.

What are you willing to sacrifice for freedom?

As Elka's diabolical plan begins to take shape, Kitty and her friends find that taking on the powerful Mayor of Portland may be more than they can handle. With her band of followers, Elka flexes her power and begins to make life very uncomfortable for the Gypsies.

However, the band of rebels refuse to surrender and discover that there are powerful people who are willing to fight beside them. But even with the support, will it be enough to stop Elka and her criminal consortium before she executes her nefarious and destructive plan?

With so many lives in dire peril, will Kitty be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice to save them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Gordon
• Release date: Dec 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466080829

James Gordon

About the author:James Gordon - author, producer, promoter, composer, artist and entrepreneur. In 2003, he published his groundbreaking fictional work entitled, The Unbegotten, the story of the begotten daughter of God and her trials in dealing with the fate she was destined to face. Since then, Gordon has released and revised four more books in the series entitled, Cataclysm, Sacrifices, Apocrypha and Yesterday's Kingdom. He has also created a literary soundtrack to the book.James Gordon has also released Mandarin Rose, Curse of the Black Lotus, Lady Dragon and Neon, which tell the story of a young prostitute named Kitty fighting to survive in a futuristic socialist America.Nationhood is the powerful novel about a spy named Mbaku Bolo fighting to save his country from a terrorist threat twenty-five years after the Affirmative Action Policy is ruled unconstitutional.Mocha Heat and Palmettos in Moonlight are thrilling suspense romances that deal with lust, love and terrorism. In Mocha Heat, Stacey and Donavan fight to maintain their love thought they are both in separate relationships. When one of them discovers they are involved with a terrorist, more than their relationship is jeopardized.In Palmettos in Moonlight, Francesca Del Clair tries to right the wrongs of her life as she attempts to rid her life of the very people who forced her into a life of terror. When a writer named Braden comes into her life, she finds that her toughest battle isn't against her enemies, but with her heart.Entice Me is a collection of eleven erotic short stories of people indulging in their most exotic fantasies. Filled with amazing sexual encounters, each story will explore a facets of sex and love with gritty, raw stories exclusively made for today's urban market.In 2012, James Gordon collaborated with his son, Kyle, and released their first graphic novel entitled Incursion. Its multicultural cast creates new and interesting heroes fighting to save the world from an extraterrestrial threat.You can learn more about these and other products by going to www.madsquareonlime.com.

Book preview

Prologue

After the hospitalization of her best friend, Brad Johansen, and the death of another friend, Bethany Davis, Kitty finds herself filled with grief. She agrees to meet with one of her customers, Jimmy Daniels, in order to take her mind off the troubles surrounding her. However, her agony begins to get the better of her and she kneels to the floor and confesses her miseries to Jimmy.

Hurt by seeing the pain she is experiencing, Jimmy begins to comfort her and makes an offer to take her away from the madness that surrounds her. Kitty decides to give it some consideration and makes arrangements to meet with Jimmy later that night to discuss the matter further.

Having been snubbed by Kitty, Elka instructs Lance to ensure Kitty understands she has nowhere to go. While Kitty and her friends deal with their issues, Officer Doug Sammartino, working undercover as a Portland police officer, is conducting an investigation. After finding out that Bethany Davis died due to a drug overdose after speaking with Doctor Stanley Kyle, he begins to suspect there are ties between members of the police force and a drug ring that is shipping their products into the city. He and Kyle meet to discuss what he knew and how the death of Bethany Davis connects to his investigation. He offers Kyle a position in his organization, but Kyle requests additional time to think it over.

Susan Monroe contacts Chili Maxwell and agrees to meet with him at his apartment later that evening. While there, the two of them discuss Susan’s insecurities as well as Chili’s desires to get out of the prostitution business. Agreeing to help each other in their struggles, Chili and Susan realize they have feelings toward each other. Chili proceeds to the house of his rival, Romeo, in order to tell him of his decision. However, Tonya, one of Romeo’s girls, manages to drug Romeo as well as Jackie, one of Chili’s girls, with Liquid Ice, a potent mind-controlling hallucinogen given to her by Lance after an earlier romp. Having been promised power and money if she simply killed Romeo, Tonya plants subliminal messages into the minds of Jackie and Romeo and leaves. As Chili arrives, Romeo carries out her orders, shooting both Jackie and himself in the head. After viewing the grizzly scene, Chili flees but is observed by one of the neighbors who immediately calls the police.

At the hospital, Bonnie Saunders, one of the nurses and part-time girlfriend of Commissioner Galen Thompson, is given instructions by the Commissioner to find out information about Bethany Davis. While Doctor Kyle meets with Sammartino, Bonnie sneaks into his office and looks through Bethany’s files. Finding nothing unusual, she discovers Officer Sammartino’s business. She also discovers that Kitty was one of Bethany’s friends and that she had also returned to visit Brad. She informs Thompson, who instructs Bonnie to find out what they were discussing.

Eavesdropping on their conversation, Bonnie discovers that Brad had intentions of suing Thompson for police brutality. She reports this to Thompson who then sends Jefferson to the hospital to silence Brad once and for all. Jefferson slips inside after visiting hours and injects a lethal dose of Liquid Ice into Brad’s IV. As he attempts to leave, Bonnie sees Jefferson, who lies about his identity and tells her that he is actually Sammartino. He leaves the hospital and within moments the effects of the Liquid Ice begin. Brad goes into a seizure and Bonnie calls for help.

Chili makes it back to his apartment and informs Susan of what happened at Romeo’s. Moments later, individuals posing as police officers show up at his door. Susan persuades Chili not to run, but that he should tell them what he saw. Chili reluctantly agrees and is taken into custody. However, he soon learns that the officers were really guards of trillionaire, Jonathan Lawrence. He makes Chili an offer to employ him in his efforts to stop the true terrorist cells that could potentially hold the republic ransom, the Dante Circle. Doing so means Chili has total immunity from the cops that were chasing him for the double murder he would certainly be accused of. However, it also means he had to give up all ties to his current life, including Susan.

Kitty arrives at Jimmy’s hotel room, unaware that Lance had followed her and was waiting outside. She and Jimmy toast to their new lives and after a brief misunderstanding was straightened out, the couple prepares to leave for their late night dinner. Meanwhile, Lance arranges to have Thompson send him an unmarked police car, which the Commissioner instructs Sammartino to take to Lance. Once the switch was made, Sammartino makes his way back to the station, unaware that his cover has been blown and he is being set up.

Kitty and Jimmy leave the hotel room and proceed to their destination in downtown Portland. Lance follows, bringing with him a high-powered nine-millimeter pistol. When Kitty and Jimmy arrive at the hotel, Jimmy is gunned down by Lance, who flees the scene in the unmarked police car. While en-route to the hospital, Jimmy dies, leaving a distraught Kitty vowing to kill the person she knew to be responsible, Elka Weinhauer.

Back at the station, Lance drops off the car and quickly makes his escape in his vehicle. Sammartino discovers that the car has been returned and checks it out to make sure everything is okay. To his surprise, he finds the gun that Lance used lying in a bag on the seat next to him. At that moment, Thompson shows up pointing his magnum at Sammartino and ordering him to get out of the car. Realizing that he’d been set up, Sammartino does what he is told while Thompson explains portions of his grand scheme. He then fires one shot into the chest of Sammartino, killing him instantly. The sound of the blast causes other officers to rush outside. Explaining that Sammartino had gone rogue and that he tried to kill him, Thompson goes inside to inform Elka of his success as the other officers tended to Sammartino’s remains.

Lance drives to the docks and boards Elka’s private yacht. Tonya is waiting for him and the two sip on glasses of champagne. Tonya attempts to seduce Lance, however, she quickly learns how expendable she is. Lance stabs her in the heart, then scoops her in his arms and dumps her overboard. He gathers her things and leaves the yacht, believing that all loose ends have been tied.

Upon finishing her meal, Elka proceeds to her home. Believing her plans have been executed flawlessly she revels in her success, that is until she receives a call from Kitty who vows to kill her for what she’s done. With the battle lines drawn, the Rose City is about to explode as the powerful mayor, Elka Weinhauer, prepares to face her most dangerous foe yet, a woman named Kitty Wu. And now…

Chapter One: Pieces of a Dream

My legs were moving as fast as they could. I was running through the woods, panting heavily and barely able to catch a full breath at times. The stitch in my side was intensifying by the moment, slowing me down slightly. Yet, I had to keep moving. They were right behind me, three men by my count.

I could hear the bullets whizzing through the air and hitting the trees as I ducked and dodged. Just ahead was the down slope of a steep hill. If I could just make it there I could save myself. Another bullet smacked into the branch just next to my head. They were beginning to zero in on me. If I didn’t do something fast their next shot could be the last. Just a few more feet and I’d be there.

I zigzagged, pushing off the trees to propel me in another direction. I looked like a human pinball bouncing off the bumpers. My sanctuary was close, just a few more steps and I was there. Once I got to the bottom of the hill they couldn’t touch me, for only I knew what lay there.

As I was about to make a leap down the hillside, I heard a pop and then felt a sharp stinging pain in my left shoulder. They got me. The force from the shot knocked me forward, causing me to fall to the ground and roll down the hillside. I tumbled through layers of fallen leaves and across partially exposed stones. My entire arm literally felt like it was on fire, but I kept rolling, silently wishing that I would quickly reach the bottom.

I came to a stop at the base of the hill, but I didn’t have time to regroup. They were coming. Holding my wounded arm I scampered to the spot I needed to get to, an old tree that was surrounded by other massive trees. At the base there was a hole that was caused by the tree being slightly uprooted many years ago. It was a perfect hiding place and if I could make it there I just might be able to survive this ordeal.

I could hear the men sliding down the hillside. I imagined them pointing their guns at me with ill-intent coating their expressions. I remembered their eyes and how glazed they were. They were like those of a rabid animal that had the taste of my blood in its mouths. Their bodies stunk, polluting the air with their vile mixture of body odor and cologne. It was obvious they hadn’t washed in days, which was about how long they’d been after me. Up until now I’d managed to elude them, but my luck had run out. They had me cornered and I was left with one grim choice. Either I killed them or they would kill me.

I slid into the crevice, pulling the leaves that accumulated in the sinkhole over me. The pain in my arm hurt like a mother and it was difficult to keep from whimpering as I camouflaged myself beneath a blanket of fallen leaves. I had to be strong. I had to hold out for just a little while longer.

It was strange how all of this turned out. This used to be my secret hiding spot when I played hide and seek as a child. Sometimes when I needed to be alone I’d come here. When I was here, no one ever found me. The leaves would always accumulate in this crevice during the fall, making it the perfect bunker. Unless you knew what you were looking for, you wouldn’t know someone was in here. Now it was serving a different purpose. It was where I was making my last stand and I prayed it would provide me with just as much cover as it did when I was a child.

Just before I slid in, I removed the gun that was tucked inside the waistband of my fatigues. I lay motionless, pointing my weapon at the men who finally descended the hill. As they drew closer, I eased my finger on the trigger and watched as they scanned the area with their semiautomatic weapons held tightly in their hands. I had them in my sights and when they came to within a few more feet I would pick them off, one by one.

The thrill of killing cruised through my veins like a toxin, but it made it difficult to breathe. I struggled to maintain control by taking deep and quiet breaths. Perspiration beaded down my face and I could feel the blood from my wound dripping to the ground. I was in tremendous pain, but the adrenaline from fear, or perhaps a potential kill, helped me block it out.

I concluded that I would only have one chance at this and unless I timed things just right I was not going to make it out of here alive. These men were professionals and they already got in one lucky shot. I couldn’t be careless and give them another chance at killing me. So I waited patiently, looking from beneath the piled leaves for the right moment to strike.

Where did she go? asked one of the men.

Fan out. She’s got to be around here some where, another one said.

They began walking away from each other, checking the treetops and around the other tree trunks. One of them began walking toward the hill while the other two were mere feet from me. I knew when I fired my gun I had to catch them both within two seconds. That’s all the time I had. The kills had to be quick and clean. A second longer would give them an opportunity to zero in on me and fire off a shot. I couldn’t risk that happening.

The two men closest to me would be the easy ones. It was the other one who had now distanced himself a little ways away that was the problem. Two more steps placed the two men so close that if the wind wasn’t blowing they would hear my breathing. I couldn’t wait any longer. If I didn’t shoot now they would find me. I lifted the gun slightly and squeezed off two rounds.

Two pops rang out in the woods and echoed off the trees. Head wounds were delivered to both men and they quickly dropped to the ground like sandbags. The other man turned and ran toward me. As he drew near, he looked around and saw his comrades lying on the ground. His eyes widened and the stump of a cigar he had been chewing fell from between his teeth. His eyes quickly located the swirling smoke coming from my gun barrel. He lifted his rifle and aimed it at me. A single pop resounded once more in the woods.

Moments passed. The man lowered his gun and stared at me. It was over. Blood spurted from the neck wound I delivered and poured down the right side of his body. He teetered from a moment, then fell to the ground in the same manner as his compatriots. I continued to lay there for a moment, waiting to see if anyone else was going to show up. I smelled the air in an attempt to catch a whiff of other scents but I detected nothing. I listened intently, trying to distinguish any other sounds from the breeze rustling the fallen leaves. Still nothing.

I slowly stood from beneath the pile of leaves, grasping my arm in the process. The leaves fell to the ground like golden water droplets, pooling in the crevice I was lying in. My eyes stared at the three bodies lying on the ground. I didn’t want this, I said in my head. I really didn’t want this.

It had been a long time since I knew peace and as long as they were chasing me I would never know any. I didn’t know who these people were, yet they felt compelled to kill me for reasons which I knew nothing about. I was determined to not let them get me and so far I managed to do just that. This time I killed three. Yesterday it was five. I could only imagine what tomorrow would bring, if there was a tomorrow.

I was about to turn and walk away when I heard the cocking of a gun hammer behind me. Instantly, a chill raced up my spine as the obvious dawned on me. Damn it, I got careless. I was so focused on killing the guys chasing me that I dropped my guard and allowed someone to get the drop on me. Just then, a loud explosion rang in my ears.

My eyes opened with a start, burning like I hadn’t been asleep in days. I looked around and found that I was no longer in the woods, but instead curled on the couch in the emergency room of O.H.S.U. I felt disoriented as I turned my body to sit normally. I batted my eyes and rustled my fingers through my hair trying to shake out the cobwebs.

It was a dream, I thought. A stupid, yet disturbing, dream.

Though that entire episode of being chased through the woods was nothing more than a nightmare, it felt so real, like I’d actually lived it. The events seemed so familiar, but now that I was awake I could not remember ever experiencing anything like that. I looked around trying to pull myself together. For a moment I’d forgotten why I was here or how I got here. I felt like Dorothy in the Land of Oz and my confusion was just as disturbing as the dream I just had.

Then I remembered.

I came here last night after Jimmy had been shot. Jimmy is dead. Like a rushing river, the heartache returned. I leaned forward and braced my head in my hands and let out a whimper. I still couldn’t believe it had happened, yet I could see it so vividly in my mind. There was nothing I could do to stop it. It happened so fast that I don’t think anyone could have done a thing.

I found my shoes, which were shoved under the couch along with my purse. I pulled them out and slid my feet back inside my sandals. I was still wearing the same outfit I had on last night. I stood and smoothed my dress out as best I could. Using my fingers, I brushed through my hair and pinched inside the corner of my eyes to make sure I didn’t have any sleep in them. I walked to the nurse’s station where I was met with a smiling face. The male nurse placed the folder he’d been looking in upon the desk.

Yes, ma’am, what can I do for you? he asked.

The gentleman that was brought in here last night…Jimmy Daniels. Can I see his body now? I asked.

His smiling face turned to an expression of compassion. Let me check. He propelled himself using the rollers on his chair to the temporary file cabinet that was against the other wall. He thumbed through the records and found Jimmy’s file. He examined it for a few moments and then looked at me.

Are you family? he asked.

I smirked at the question. Not really. I was…his girlfriend, sort of.

I see. Well, the doctor is still examining and cleaning the body. It might be a little while yet. Are there any family members we can notify?

Family members. The words stuck in my mind like a dagger. It never occurred to me until right then that I knew nothing of Jimmy’s family, or whether he had any for that matter. In fact, outside of his profession, I knew very little about him. My eyes flashed from left to right as I searched my brain to remember anything that he might have said that would help me give the nurse an answer. However, my brain was so scrambled that I could barely function. Slowly, I shook my head.

No. There’s no one I know of to contact, I replied.

The nurse nodded. I see. Well, I can call you and let you know when the doctor is finished with his exam. We can even help you with the final arrangements, if you like.

Yes. That would be fine.

I gave him my number and he gave me the extension to the morgue. I slid it into my purse and prepared to leave. Before departing, I wanted to freshen up a bit. I turned to the man behind the desk and asked, Is there a restroom around here?

Yes, down the hall and just to your left, he said.

I thanked him and walked into the restroom. It was then I realized that I didn’t have a way home. I left my car at Jimmy’s hotel room and I didn’t want to go back there right now. With a sigh of disgust, I walked to the sink and removed my cell phone. I scanned my contact list for someone I could call