DeeTech

Introduction

 Dee Tech is a private investigator who never leaves his office. Situated in down town LA above a video shop. Boris, a Russian émigré, runs the shop but owes Dee an undefined favour and is his unofficial watch dog.

 Dee’s unofficial runner is Lenny Two Shoes who does most of his work for him. He is a waster who lives off the streets, but he shares some secret with Dee which binds them together. This is referred to mysteriously as the Lock.

 Dee is also connected, through a past relationship, with a classy lady called Shanghai who has high level criminal connections, mainly in China and Hong Kong

Natasha

Dee Tech sequel 1                                  

Natasha

It was a sultry afternoon. Business was slack so I was whiling away the time by viewing a little porn on my computer when there was a knock on the door. Before I could compose myself a well built lady of about forty entered.

Without more ado she sat on the chair opposite my desk and, swinging one leg over the other revealed silk covered legs and creamy white thighs. Suspenders, a rare sight these days, always gets me. My interest perked up a bit. This was getting more interesting.

‘You a Dick,’ she proffered.

I looked down, jeeze, what could she see?

‘That’s what it says on the door,’ I offer in true Hollywood style.

She caught the mood. ’You don’t look much like one,’ she drawled.

I eased myself lower in the chair to take the pressure off. If I had had a Fedora I would have eased it back.
’Lady wadda  you want?’

She smiled in artful way,’ Lets see if you got wadda I want,’ leaning forward in the seat.

’Lady lets get down to business, I ain’t godda lodda time.’

’Ah,’ she sighed, and reaching down into the front of her dress, revealing a fully loaded bra,
’I want you to look at this.’

Christ this is better then Viagra.
She pulled out a photograph and laid it on my desk,’ I want you to find Natasha.’

I looked down at the photo  of a stunning girl, pouting lips, provocative pose. This only added stimulation to my elevation. I seemed to recognise her. I played for time.

’You tried missing persons?’
’No deal, this is a sensitive matter.’

You can say that again, I thought.
’I don’t like missing persons.’

She looked at me with raised eyebrows?

’They usually end up dead.’

She looked a bit crest fallen at that,
’OK, lets just say she’s lost, she was a dancer on a cruise ship.’

Ah, that could explain a lot
’ Where was she last?’ I ask.
’Thailand.’ 
’And?’ I nudge her along.
’At the Kitten Club.’

My God, that revealed it all, I’d just been looking at her on my computer.

 ’Well then, I know where she is.’

She looks at me in astonishment.

’She’s right here!’ I stand up to swing the computer round, and in doing so reveal all, as you might say.

She gasps at the sight, and croons,
‘You are a mighty Dick!’

And thanks to Natasha I went on to prove it!      

Dee Tech: sequel 2

Saturday Night Special

 It was a cloudless day, things were a bit slow so I entertained the thought of the beach, you know chicks and the like, when there was a knock on the door.
‘It’s open,’ I call.

And in she comes. I nearly fall off my seat. She’s come back. Maybe she has lost someone else I can help her with.

 She crosses one leg over the other. ‘I got a problem,’ she purrs.

I close my face down. Not from where I am sitting I think, I think to myself. ’Oh, yeah,’ I say, suspiciously.

‘I’m looking for a man.’

She looks me straight in the eye, as if she is challenging me.

I detect a trace of a smile. ’Well you have come to the right place,’ I offer in a level voice.

’May be your computer can help.’

I feel a stirring, this is where we came in before. ’I don’t look at men,’ I say with a rye smile. I begin to feel a little uncomfortable.

’Maybe we could look together?’

She moves in the seat and stretches both legs out in front of her. Has she got legs, I mean these are something else, was that a red suspender belt I glimpsed ? Sure why not I ask myself. Hold on, I’m the  dick round here. As soon as I thought it it came to me that that has more than one meaning! I stall.

’Maybe, watcha got in mind?’

She leans forward on the desk, hazel eyes hold me in a warm embrace, there is a scent of expensive perfume, red lips purse over perfectly formed white teeth, her jacket falls open to show sumptuous breasts, braless, under her white blouse. I am undone. Anything she wants is hers.

’Maybe if I come your side I can show you,’ 

‘Be my guest,’ I surrender.

Jesus, without more ado she swings over my desk, a graceful movement, designed to tease, a swish of nylon and a warm and enticing body is sitting on my lap! I gasp in surprise at the lightness of such a wholesome body. As if in one movement without movement her jacket is off, a white silk blouse rides up and underneath I feel the unmistakable shape of a heater.

I look down, a neat little holster clipped to her skirt.

I push her away with, ‘What’s the game?’

She slips down between my legs. She looks up at me and laughs, her chin on my crotch, ’I’ve been sent test you, we may need your services.’

Test, what sort of test?.

’We need a private dick who can work under cover, I think you’ll enjoy the work.’

Well there’s no time like the present, I hold her head close and perform some under cover work. She tests me to the up most. I believe I’ve passed with flying colours.

‘Nice little heater you got there?’ I observe.

’Oh, that’s my ‘Saturday night special’’ she says with a tinkling laugh.

This has me until I realise it was Saturday night! 

Dee Tech: sequel 3                                                                                                                     

Lenney gets the Treatment                                                                                                                                  

 She had burst in this time. Getting too familiar. I had been busy whiling away the afternoon considering the mysteries of life, like for instance why attempting to throw anything into a wastepaper bin it will always miss, especially when dropped from the top.

’O.K. what’s the griff Wanda?’ I had taken to calling her Wanda from an old Bogart film.

‘We’re in trouble,’ she answers.

A number of things flash through my mind, but I play it cool, ’What’s with the we?’

’I’m being followed, my cover may have been blown,’ she answers.

The only cover that has been blown is under my desk, I think to myself, but I thought I had better play the detective. I ease myself out of the seat and peer though blinds, exaggerating it as they do on the films. To my surprise I see Lenny Two Shoes lurking on the corner. I don’t mention this, and slide the blinds closed. I play the Humpty role, walking round the desk I rest on the edge and try and reassure her.

’Kid, I ain’t seen nothing, what’s all this about?’

Wanda looks up kinda tearful like. ‘I was just relaxing in this bar and a guy made a pass.’

Looking at her I’m not at all surprised.

’And?’ I gesture.

’I told him b.. off, but he continued…I just sort of mentioned your name.’

Ugh, ugh, this broad is going to be trouble, but then trouble is my middle name.

’Did you notice his shoes,’ I ask.

She looks at me surprised. ’Like he had golf shoes on.’ She ponders that, ’Why, I think so.’

I smile to myself, time for action. ’O.K. Wanda, the wrong man to cross, here’s what you do, have you got your heater?’ she nods.

’Ok I’m going to open the blinds, I want you to show yourself.’

I can see she is getting excited, she moves up against the wall in true movie fashion with her hand against her shooter. I open the blinds, and hell, she moves to the window and hitches up her skirt and puts one leg on the window sill. I can see down in the street that Lenny looks surprised, as she turns away I wave him up.

I snap the blinds too and motion her to stand behind the door. The door opens and in comes Lenny. Before he can open his mouth she has him in an arm lock with her shooter to his head.

’Don’t move punk!’

I lean back in my chair, ’O.K., you heard, what’s your game?’

He looks at me in in surprise, ’But I‘m Lenny,’ he says in a pained voice.

I stand up, ‘Right punk.’

Grabbing him by the collar, and throwing him out the door. ’Leave the lady alone or its concrete boots time.’

Outside I tip him a wink - poor Lenny he’s only my runner.

I hold a trembling Wanda in my arms. ’He won’t trouble you again.’

She smiles sweetly in my face, ’Oh, he wasn’t troubling me, you’ve just passed another test.’

I resign myself to some more under cover work. This was getting very stressful!   

Dee Tech: sequel 4

Lenny Two Shoes

 I was meditating on the way dust rises in the sunlight cast through the slats on my window when I heard a distinctive cough. I sighed at the sound, ‘Come in Lenny.’

 Lenny Two Shoes has a way of sliding into places, the door hardly seemed to open and there he was standing by my desk, a mournful look on his face. 

 He blurted out, ’I didn’t mean any ‘arm, I didn’t know she was your moll.’

Yes, that had puzzled me, Lenny looked as harmful as one of the shadows slanting across my room.
’For a start she’s not my moll, well leastwise not a moll!’

I counter, ’Why was you following her.’
 ’I wasn’t following her, it was an accident,’ he mournfully replied. ’Yeah, yeah, pull the other one.’
’Well I was just sitting there, resting, when she came up and asked me for a key.’

 I sat up at that, Lenny doesn’t have a key but he knows where the lock is. The hairs on the back of my neck bristled but I remained outwardly unruffled. ’And?’ I query.
’Well,’ he looked a bit sly, hard to do when it is your stock in trade, ’I just looked at her surprised and asked if she wanted the key to my heart?’
 Good answer, I thought, under the circumstances. Wait a minute, are we talking about the same women, I can’t see Wanda approaching Lenny for anything.

 ’Tell me, what did she look like?’ 

‘Ordinary, slimish. Blonde, on the game.’
 Lenny says this without any guile, an every day happening to our lothario, I don’t think! This gets more mysterious by the minute. I look up at the shadows cast even longer through the slats.  Different things from the same source, shadow and light! It looked like a simple case of mistaken identity, but wait. Wanda, a stranger in my office, Lenny the fall guy, a hooker asking for a key, a coincidence, a web. I would have to look into this!

 ’Where was you, you know the hooker?’
 ‘In the park.’ In the park!
 Lenny never went off the drag! Just a minute, why was Lenny coming here?

’I had a message from Dragon.’
 My heart stops at that.
 ’And?’ remaining outwardly calm.
 ’He said, beware of Wanda, she’s a Fed.’

I breath a sigh of relief, it could have been a lot, lot, worse, but none the less, a warning from Dragon is not to be taken lightly. A smoothly as possible I tell Lenny to return the complement, and that I am looking out for him as well. A bit cheeky that but he enjoys a joke, like ripping your balls off.

 Lenny slides out of my office. I return to studying the slat shadows, they look a lot more sinister this time. One source different things. I have a lot to think about, you must be totally confused now, no more than me. For the first time in a long time I slip old Jim Beam from its hiding place and relish its healing powers, I’m not sick but I soon may be. 

Dee Tech: sequel 5                                                                                    

Dragon
 
 I was leaning back in my old leather chair studying the cracks in the ceiling wondering how many more had to join up before it fell down when there was a gentle but insistent tap on my door. Very rare I thought, as I swung out of the chair and opened it.

  Before I knew it three very inscrutable Chinese were in my office checking it over, when satisfied they signalled from the window and in came the Dragon. Knocking me down with a feather does not fill the bill, this was more blow to the solar plexus! 

 As of royalty he waived me to my chair, and then sat himself down. I got a grip of myself and became inscrutable! When dealing with Chinese never say anything, the opening must be  a respectful silence as if sparing. Like many from the Asian world they work backwards to what they want.

  I start. ’You have honoured my humble abode with your presence, I trust all your family is well.’
 Is that a faint smile I see.

’They are well in this troubled world.’

  ’So it is with all,’

I continue. ‘And I trust the sun smiles on your business ventures.’
 He deliberately misunderstands me, I wonder why?

‘Ah,’  a long sibilant sigh, ’My sons disappoint me.’
 ‘So it is with all,’ I follow again.

I take a chance, ’And wives also.’

This is risk, but there is a good chance he has several, not a good recipe for contentment.

 He stares at me for a long time as if searching for a slight. The airs on the back of my head start to prickle.
 ’You have wives?’ he said as if searching for some agreement.
 ’I have not been blessed.’
 He looks astonished, he quickly recovers himself.
 ’Ah, so you know nothing of daughters?’

 I don’t like the sound of that, it sounded like a little pre-emptive strike. I sensed that trouble might follow. I quickly checked my memory for any Asian girls I might have been out with.
 ’No,’ I say, somewhat attentively, ‘But they can be a trial.’

From the stiffening of his back I sense that that was a mistake. ‘But a father’s love is bottomless.’ 

 That sounded like Chinese wisdom, but I knew plenty who would not agree. He frowns at my feeble attempt at sagacity. He brings his hands together in a wringing motion, and then motions to one of his aids, who steps forward with a photograph in his hand, the old man takes it and places it on my desk.

 ’You detective,  you flind please,’ he says, dropping into Hollywood Chinese.  

I have great difficulty in not laughing with relief, I am looking down at a face I thought I knew. Without giving anything away I ask with the right level of concern and respect, ’Who?’

 ’Daughter number three,’ he says without a trace of irony.

‘You find velly klickly.’ And then he was gone.

As the last of his henchmen left he turned and winked and then ran his hand across his throat.

 I watched the blacked out merc. through the slats, as it slid away. The sun caught the face of the Chinese girl and it was if she smiled. I was holding a hot potato that was for sure. Which ever way this went I was likely to end as sliced rice - she looked like a Natasha to me! But surely Dragon knew this, or at least he could find out for himself. And why come personally?

Since dealing with the Chinese is a box of mirrors Dragon was likely to be after something far more valuable than a daughter!

I smelt a rat, or more likely a dragon breathing down my neck. Time to call in Shanghai.         

Dee Tech: sequel 6

Shanghai

 The sun had slipped beyond the yardarm. I resisted John Beam’s temptations, although I was sorely tried. I had sent out messages. Lenny Two Shoes had been wearing out shoe leather and I had sent my phone bill rocketing. But still no Shanghai. I was what is known as being on tender hooks - I envisaged meat hooks!

 The events of the last few days was wearing me out. First  a strange but enticing visit from Wanda; my mind went off track at the thought!  Then Lenny gets asked for the Key. Then a personal visit from the Dragon looking for his daughter - a likely story! I’m being played for a sucker, somebody is drawing me into a web, but what? I lay back in my chair thinking deep thoughts, then she just walks in - Shanghai!

 ‘Hi ya Dee, looks like you’ve come up in the world.’

 She smiles, looking round my office. I sigh, sarcasm I don’t need. She certainly looks as if she is way up, silkily beautiful, half Chinese gives her high cheek bones and oval eyes and a rose button mouth. Body under a courtier suit undoubtedly as voluptuous as I remember it. I was once in love with her but she had ambition. I hoped she still had a soft spot.

 ’You in trouble.’

 More a statement then a question! I reach for the John Beam, I’m getting too old for this. She sits down, silk covered legs as divine as I remember. I have guilty twang at the memory of Wanda sitting there!
 We chat about old times, but she can see I am anxious to get to the point.

 ’O K ,’ she says resignedly, ’Shoot.’ 

 I fill her in with story so far, excluding the undercover work with Wanda. She considers this for a moment, then gets up, smoothing her suit down and wanders round the room looking at my dubious qualifications.

 ’You disappoint me Dee, what’s with all this dragon nonsense, Dragon’s a woman located in Hong Kong.’
 I am genuinely surprised, although somehow I doubt her, the Tong here is pretty ruthless.
 ’But I’m glad you called me in. Lotta smoke here abouts but we need that girl.’
 'What about Wanda?’ I ask.
 ’Oh Dee she’s just softening you up, no doubt you’ve seen her credentials?’
 I shrug, I’ve seen more, but the again that’s no proof of anything.
  ’Leave the girl to me, you just screw Wanda for all you can get.’

 She said the last bit without irony but there was the slight raising of an eyebrow! With that she leaned over and kissed me full on the lips, and turned to leave.

 At the door she hesitated. ’Oh, and look out for the dagger.’ And with that cryptic remark she left. The smell of her perfume lingered long after she left, and I thought of that kiss!  I nursed John Beam late into the night!  

Dee Tech: sequel 7                                                            

Cherry
 

I have a bad hangover. Coffee is the order of the day but my machine is broken so I send down for some. The Deli provides me most of the things I want. While I am waiting I suppress the pain around my eyes with a Seltzer. It makes me feel sick but I persevere with the treatment. I set to wondering about Wanda.

Carnal pleasures aside she is a mystery, turning up out of the blue like that, then involving Lenny in a fake entrapment up. Who’s she trying to impress?  Who’s side is she on? Is Shanghai right, she’s just so much smoke. I sincerely hope Shanghai  does the business, she’s the only one I trust.

Just a minute, I think to myself, trust, maybe that’s the trick, someone is trying to confuse me so that I trust the wrong person. A wild thought, maybe Shanghai is the Dragon, she made no pretence of coming to see me, in other words she wasn’t bothered who saw her! Hold on Dee, I say to myself, you’re just a two cent gumshoe, why involve me.

At these deep thoughts the pain behind my eyes increases, I close the slats against the sun, wrap a wet towel around my head and settle back to die. I am contemplating the best way to do this when there is a gentle tap on the door.

’Coffee, Mr. Teck?’

The unmistakable sing song of Chinese - a girls voice! Disregarding my sorry state I act the gent and open the door and there stands a demure Chinese girl with two steaming coffees on a paper plate. I waive her in and sink back into my chair.

She places the two cups on my desk and turns to go.

‘Hold on,’ I croak, ’Who are you?’ 

’ I’m Cherry from the Deli.’ I laugh out loud at this simulation.

The pain surges up behind my eyes and I lower my head onto the desk.

’You ill, Mr Teck?’ she asks, with concern in her voice.

’And then some,’ I croak.

’You drink coffee, you be better.’ Then as if an after thought, ’You want me help?’

She takes the towel, plunges it into the sink of water, wrings it out and wraps it round my head. She picks up the coffee and offers it to my lips. She has that moist smell of a young girl, I feel a gentle warmth, a petite breast brushes my arm and I gaze up into deep black oval eyes.

She breaths over me with a sweet mouth, ’You take more care.’ 

I try. I try, if only you knew, I think. The she says something that makes me choke and I spill the hot coffee over both of us.

’Take care, I see Dragon lady.’ Pain and puzzlement don’t go together, I am confused.

’My Uncle Deli say take care.’

She makes to go, but before she does, lifts the hem of her dress up to wring the coffee out and there on her flat childish stomach I see the outline of a dagger!  I sink back into my seat - the pain increase, I think I am going mad.   

You don't mess with Boris

Dee Tech: sequel 8

Boris

 I was having a long siesta to recover my physical and mental health when I was awoken by a coded knock on my door. I had been having a nightmare involving the use of a dagger to remould my private parts while Wanda and Shanghai watched with glee, and there seemed no escape until the knocking on the door distracted them. The knocking was repeated. I pressed the release button, a recent addition in view of all manner of people treating my office like train station, and in came Boris.

Boris ran the video shop downstairs and was my unofficial watch dog. I had done him a favour and he was duty bound to return one.

He was a heavily built man, suspected of being ex KGB, which gave him a menacing reputation. He waited for me to waive him to the seat, strangely he said nothing, As I opened my mouth to ask him what was what he signalled silence, and holding his fore and little finger up to his ear pointed to my phone with his other hand, and waived his finger in warning.

I was just coming to and was bemused by such antics, what was he on about, then he started to hum, had he gone berserk? I opened my mouth to speak again and he went through the same pantomime.

He spoke. ‘I have come to see you about…….’

At that moment the phone rang. I went to pick it up but his fat hand restrained me. He then imitated a gold fish with his mouth. This guy needs serious attention I thought. He then stood up and, swaying in front of me, hugged himself. I gave up and collapsed back into my chair, after the events of the last few days I was beginning to think I was in some Kafka film. I just waived him away.

He obviously misunderstood me and continued his mad dance. He looked at me despairingly, stopped and then made as if to run a film. God, he’s going to play charades! He did an unmistakable imitation of Bugs Bunny accompanied by the word shortening gestures! OK, OK, so we’ve got Bugs Bunny.

He tried again, this time using a chopping motion. Jesus, he’s regressed to his interrogation days. I looked toward the door, planning my escape, when the penny dropped……Bugs…..chop….Bug! I’d been bugged!

Now it was my turn. I motioned him to sit down, and to calm him passed old John Beam. He smiled his broad smile and walked over to the door holding the bottle up as if to take it with him ! I relieved him of the bottle and ushered him out.

 Hell, I’d been bugged.

An old army saying came to mind…the five Ws ..Why. What. When. Where and How. This gave me plenty of thought before going back to my interrupted siestre where I dreamt of Bugs Bunny, a mad man with a chopper in his hand, and grinning Chinese ladies riding a fire breathing dragon. What’s up Doc he kept repeating, what’s up doc …I wish I knew!

Dee Tech : sequel 9

Mop Head

 I was getting a serious headache. Did I ask for any of this I ask myself? Me and Lenny were doing fine. Checking out this and that for people who couldn’t do it for themselves. And also a little sideline doing things for the local police where they were too busy. Not many people knew that, and it might be my ace in the hole.

I’d had a busy morning. I have a signal system for Lenny borrowed from that Jack Lemon film. I put a little Stars and Stripes flag in my window when I want Lenny on the quiet. He thought I was losing it because I had written out what I wanted on cards. Good lad that he was he came back later with a couple of tape recorders/players and some ghastly rock tapes and some sundry techno bits to link it to my phone.

The idea was to blast who ever was listening with some brain rotting sound. I’m high tech alright! I’d had a visit from Boris again. He laughed at my feeble efforts and produced a scanner to check the room for bugs. He seemed to be pretty proficient at this - maybe he was ex KGB after all! He made a tunnel with his hands and made to spy out of the window and gave me his rotating camera routine again.

I was much quicker on the uptake this time. Then he really spooked me, he made out holding a rifle and went boom and drooped mock dead across my desk! He looked up with a sly look on his face and spoke for the first time.

’You must be very important man, you got good insurance?’ Then, with a certain menace, ‘I get you some.’ 

My headache was getting worse, was he a friend or enemy? I played for time, I certainly needed backup. I couldn’t see Lenny providing it, but dare I trust Boris? I indicated I would think on it, but asked him to get me a dummy.

 It was time for my siesta, well, they were siestas no longer. They were troubled dreams! I was no longer lounging in my favourite position in my chair with my back to the window. I was lying on an old couch placed along the wall parallel to the window. I’d propped an old mop in my chair with my jacket around it in the hope it would fool them, whoever them were.

I went to sleep with the deep suspicion that I was being played for a patsy. My dreams were a kaleidoscope of images, mainly to do with Harvey Oswald and the assassination of president Kennedy and Shanghai cradling me in her arms as the back of my head fell off. I looked up and there was Lenny standing dejectedly on that famous knoll, and then a doctor tending to me who turned out to be Boris. There was talk of administering an electric shock

 I shouted out at this, and, holding the back of my head on tried to get up.

There was an awful sound of rock music at full blast, I looked up in to the eyes of Wanda who was administering some resuscitation to my weary body!  
          

Dee Tech: sequel 10                                                  

Mannequin

Wanda had seen me right. I was feeling much recovered. No one had blown the top off my mop. Wanda had pointed out how ridiculous the idea was, but she would check it out. CIA or the Feds were not in the habit of blowing people away, she pointed out.

I was not entirely comforted by her assurances but I played along, maybe it was a way of getting her to show her hand? She had said she was testing me, well, tested I certainly was! She had questioned me about the Dragon’s visit and what he wanted, she seemed more interested then I thought it warranted!.

I did not mention Shanghai or the dagger girl from the Deli! Sleep was dragging at my eyes when Boris returned with the head of model. ’All I could find,’ he said. Hell, he brought a female one, Chinese at that, how was I to pass that off as me? What the hell was I supposed to do with her, then it came to me, maybe I could fool someone in to some overhasty action.

Well it was time for some action on my part. I closed the slats , moved the desk at an angle away from the window, with the chair opposite. I have my filing cabinets along the window wall, so I feel well protected. I have one of those full length dress mirrors, a left over from the former occupier, and I position that directly opposite the window at an angle so that I can see out. I sat the head on the broom handle with my old mack round her. She looked strangely human dead, a waxwork model!

The more I look at her I see a resemblance with the photo of Dragon’s daughter No3. I see that this could bring some unexpected results. I open the slats, slip out my trusty Colt 45, and lean back, ready for anything! It was not long in coming, but not from where I expected! Time when waiting always passes slowly, and expectation can engender nervousness.

This reminded of my Nam days, finger on the trigger can stick when action is required. I was familiar with this and knew that a detached frame of mind is necessary. I practised it. The way is watch the scene as in a film, you are not there, just looking in!

The sun was starting to slip away when it happened. A breeze moved the slats and China seemed move her head and her eyes glinted in the reflected sun. My office door slid open as on oiled hinges and Dragon’s ‘hand across the throat’ henchman was inside in second. In that second a steel blade skimmed through the suns rays and went deep into my old mack.

As in one motion a second blade rebounded off my image in the mirror. He squinted at that as the knife fell at his feet and turning saw me. My 45 leapt into my hand and the office exploded with sound and the smell of cordite . He fell forward over my desk with a clean shot to the head. I stared in surprise, I had aimed for his knees!

Dee Tech: sequel 11

Madam Chang

The Final Act 

I felt like death. I had been nearer than I cared for. I had been grilled by Detective Lutwychek for what seemed for ever. He was not convinced by my story. I was saved by Captain Rory Calhoun, and old Nam Vet, dropping by and prising a 45 slug out of the door frame!

The Chink had been cleanly taken out by a marksman, but they were clearly puzzled by my miss at such short range. I confess to the 45 shot, but I admit to being a poor shot. There were raised eyebrows from the Captain when he heard this, bearing in mind his Nam experience, but he let it go.

But matters were made worse by waxwork China, but there was no denying two killer knives, I claimed self defence but knife below the possible heart of China seemed odd - who would want to drive a knife into the heart of a dummy, nay, an old mack?

This was all made worse by the bullet through the brain of the Chink. It made little sense, it was not something that you do on an off chance, you know, just passing by with a high power rifle! It meant a set-up, a long time surveillance. A skilled team. The police appreciated that as well as I but they didn’t know what I knew!

I watched the dust mites drifting in the sunlight between the slats. You didn’t see them until they were illuminated, and that’s how I felt - in the dark. I was bereft of friends. Lennie had sensibly disappeared, Boris had seen the need to visit his mother in Russia, Wanda had gone like a puff of smoke, Shanghai was silent, and even Dragon had sudden business in Hong Kong. In the silence of my lonely room I searched for an answer.

Dragon looking for daughter number three - rubbish. Wanda on the scene was just to check me out for the CIA - I had them fitted up for rubbing out the Chink. They were there to guard the girl if she turned up. The Dragon wanted her on his own turf. Clearly the girl was the lever to put pressure on someone to act in their favour. I was the patsy, the fulcrum if you like to provide the leverage.

By luck Boris had turned up with the model that looked like the girl. I turned that over in my mind and concluded that it was not luck and that put Boris in the frame and that meant KGB. This was more than drugs, as I first thought, it sounded more like international arms trade!

I was roused from these ruminations by my computer pinging at me - ’You have a message’.

It was from Shanghai - ‘a mother thanks you’ was all it said, open the attachment, and there was the wife of Chairman Bank of China! We sure had been playing for big stakes, and me with a blind poker hand!

Dee Tech involvement with Chinese types and odd characters in down town L A continues - in the end it's a wipe out!

Dee Tech Series 2: Sequel 1

The Dagger Girl

An Offer I Can’t Refuse ?

Things had quietened down a lot recently, although my supposed fame was beginning to spread. There had been several enquiries over missing girls, and in one case a grandma, but, hell I was not the missing persons bureau. I was waiting for something juicy to happen, and then it did.

I had a visit from Cherry from the Delis elder sister. Now here was something. She said she was a high class stripper for a well known nature magazine. To prove the point she presented me with a photo of her in her working cloths, as you might say! I’d say her point was well proven. I leaned back in my chair to take her in more closely.

I hadn’t moved the furniture since the last action, I saw no point in taking unnecessary risks, let the client take that, and the sun streaming in through the slats illuminated her face and hair heightening her exotic features. She looked at me in that inscrutable way they have. I waited, I’ve learnt not rush in to things.

She surprised me, ’Cherry says you need care.’

I wait, this is something of a surprise.

’You in need of care.’ Question or statement, I was not sure.

I waited again.

’You been in trouble with Dragon lady.’

Now that did surprise me, not so much that she knew about past events, there had been plenty of publicity on that front, much to my regret, but that she had said Lady!

Now that was a little mystery that needed clearing up, it had bugged me.

’Uncle says you need help.’

Ye, maybe, but who is this uncle? 

'He send me to help.’

Um, what of sort help a could stripper give me, woh, hold on, I can think of some things, I had been missing, Wanda!

’He say you need assisting.’

I turn away, digesting this, it sounded like the beginning of a sting.

’You detlectic, I detletic!’

What’s all this with the Chinese sclipt, I’ll bet she was born here in LA.

I try a little distraction, ’Me velly busy, you vamoos.’

She laughs out loud at that, then surprises me with, ’Where Boris?’

Ah, where indeed, in the Kremlin clinksky probably. I had not heard from him, and there was some outstanding rent! ’He’s in a Gulag.’

She puzzles over that and then plays safe.

’Poor man I hop he not to ill.’

I’m getting fed up with verbal game.

’Look kid get to the point.’

She stood up, only five feet something tall but dynamite. In straight L A street talk she says, ’O K buddy, you got shop, my Uncle wants a shop, you give shop, he protect you.’

I hunker down, sure I need help and protection, but maybe not the sort he was offering, this sounded like a Mafia invitation.

I play it innocent,’ Sure thing, the shop needs an operator, tell your uncle 450 a week he handles all other expenses.’

She turns to the door, and smiling,

’I tell Uncle you don’t like his offer, I hope you got good insurance,’

And turning, ’Watch out for the dagger!’

She’s gone, high heels on the stairs. I got that advice from Boris and Shanghai, what could it mean. I look closely at the photo and there on her navel is a dagger. Hell, here we go again. I close the slats and go into deep thought.

Dee Tech Series 2 - Sequel 2

Lenny and Me

I’d been day dreaming of balmier days. Me, Lenny, and Shanghai. We were a weird threesome, me; tough guy, streetwise, sports fan and beach bum, Shanghai; street wise, party girl, surfer, but sharp with it, and Lenny, well Lenny was all fat and pimples, and not very sharp, he some how tagged along, we couldn’t shake him, and then got to like him! We just seemed to have one long summer, LA’s like that.

Down on Rondo beach lolling around watching Shanghai skim the waves, me with my chest out patrolling as if a life guard, but really on tit patrol; there was plenty of that. Lying in the dunes with Shanghai while Lenny bit his finger nails.

Falling in love, exploring our sex, tasting and drinking it in as sweet as wine where the bottle was never empty. If you can remember it takes over your body and soul. When its gone there’s always a hole, for ever!

Then me and Lenny were called up for Nam.

That changed everything! A couple of kids who knew nothing learnt so fast it seared into our souls. Me and Lenny were grunts, just infantrymen who did what they were told.

Me and Lenny stuck together, funny that, some kindly sergeant posted us to the same unit. Anyway he turned out to be a hot grunt, not too much imagination, so he was cool under fire. He saved my life in a fire fight - and so here we are still together but he drifted.

As that thought came to my mind I suddenly felt alone - where are you Lenny, I sure need you now! I came too at the sound of an AK 47 rattling off which turned out to be some swift knocking on my door. I felt the old tremor of combat and the 45 was in my hand before I knew it, and there he was, Lenny!

‘You expecting guests?’ laconic as ever.

He’d lost a lot of weight, skin and bone it seemed.

‘Uninvited’ I reply.

‘What’s with the 45, you cracking up?’ he asks.

I indicate the chair. To my surprise he moves it away from the window, out of the line of fire, you might say. Caution his second name.

‘Well,’ I begin, cautiously, ‘Funny you should say that, I’ve refused a rental offer.’

He looks puzzled.

‘On the shop below.’

‘So?’ he questions.

‘They’ll take in return for protection.’

‘Whose, yours or theirs?’

I spread open the palms of my hands as if what do you expect?

‘Chinks or Waps?’

I see the penny has dropped. ‘The Chink from the Deli.’

He smiles a smile I knew so well, kind of wolfish.

‘I heard he was trying to expand, do we know his strength?’

Jeeze, he sounds like a G3, there’s more. ’Hunker or insertion?’

He makes it sound like Nam. Is this the new Lenny?

‘Insertion,’ I offer, somewhat uncertainly.

‘Gungho,’ he says, and then he’s gone!

And ’Gungho it certainly was.

Dee tech Series 2 - Sequel 3

Shi mian mai fu Chang

Li’s puppet head stared at me across the room. She was still fixed on the old broom I never use, propped in the corner. She had a disturbing effect on me, her unblinking stare and blank face seemed to hold some secret that I was unaware of.

I had been in a contemplative mood most of the morning. It involved the world turning without trouble, a mighty majestic thing set in it’s ways and travelling on it’s course without a care, and here we were, more importantly me, full of cares and woes. It seemed after the visit of Dagger Girl No2, as I came to think of her, that some kind of woe was about to be visited on me.

I had turned the implied threat around in my head all morning and could not see an immediate solution, not withstanding Lenny’s ‘gung-ho’ attitude. I had suggested the action ‘insertion’ without really thinking about, but it did have an appeal; what I needed was a spy in their camp! Well, it came to me, why not try some gentle induction. I wondered if I could turn someone in Uncle Deli’s camp?

I rang down for a coffee and a pitza and waited! I feigned sleep.

‘You ok Mr. Teck?’

I restrained a smile and yawned, and said nothing.

’Uncle send pitza and coffee, you want?’

I held off.

’Uncle say you will need this, he send it free.’

I didn’t like the sound of that, it was not the way I wanted to play it, but I knew the game from an old Charlie Chan film.

‘Your Uncle very kind, compliment him on a beautiful daughter,’ I bate her.

She actually blushed!

Ah, I thought, now careful.

‘He lucky man. You look after him?’

‘Yes, he old man, he need dutiful daughter.’

The singularity of that made me sit up.

‘He lucky Chinaman to have such dutiful daughters.’

She looked at me oddly.

‘Me only one.’

I digest that slowly, the next step was tricky, I did not want to reveal my hand. ‘You are the only flower in his garden.’

God, even Charlie Chan’s script writer would have flinched at that corn.

She looked so demure at that. I was nearly seduced, but I remembered the dagger. I needed more time to think, I motioned her over to the desk to put the coffee and the pitza down and to sit down.

I was getting muddled here between Uncle and daughter, so I chance a direct question.

’Who is uncle?’

She looked surprised,

’Oh, that is name of Deli, my father only runs it.’

Ah, that explains it, then I thought no it doesn’t it makes it odder. OK, in for a penny in for a pound. I slide the photo across the desk. She looks surprised, like how did I come by this?

’That’s Chow Lung Mei!’

I chance it and strike. ’But what about the this?’ pointing to the dagger on her stomach.

She pulls a face. ’That’s California High Sorority badge.’

I’m not much clearer. I take the final chance.

’What about yours?’

She laughs, and with an impish look in her eyes lifts her dress!

I consider the possible child violations I might incur, but looking see only a soft Californian tan under downy hairs - but no Dagger!

‘It was a transfer,’ she smiles, holding up her dress a shade too long.

I fall back, hell, I’m being hustled by a women’s group, how dangerous could that be!

Dee Tech Series - Sequel 4

The Tin Pan Man

I watched the froth from my coffee slowly deflate. I felt a bit like that this morning A Sorority insignia! I ask you! My adrenalin levels had started to rise, Lenny had galvanised as never before, anticipating the fray, and now I was to tell him to call off the dogs. I stirred the coffee vigorously but could not bring back the froth

That sounded like my life at the moment. I should have paid more attention to the spiralling coffee and it’s miniature whirlpool I was about to drawn into. It started slowly enough as whirlpools do. Lenny knew better that I! He had returned in response to my little flag signal.

He sat on the chair some distance from the window: we were both uneasy about the shot through the window: you never know! He listened to my story of the Cherry from the Deli, her uncle/father and the implied threat from the dagger girl, now known as Chow Lung Mei, with his usual mournful face.

When I had finished he gave me a ghost of a smile and surprise me by saying , ’You ought to get out more.’

Lenny lived in down town apartment, was basically unemployed, some might say unemployable, but this left him free to contact with what is comically called the ‘underworld’. True he had contacts with certain low life but it’s doubtful if serious criminals would be seen dead with him, and believe me there are some serious guys out there. Lets say though that he knew his way around and this time he had come up trumps.

With the dragon on extended leave in China a vacuum had been left, and, as always, criminals hate to miss the chance to make some serious money, but this time it looked as if some educated amateurs were trying to muscle in and fill the vacuum.

Lenny had done some simple detective work, look for links and check them out. He started at Uncles Deli, who went there and who worked there, where did they live, and how well-off they were. No dice, But he then discovered a connection.

It is common for ethnic groups to finance one another and he discovered that uncle was being financed by Tee Wung san, an importer of fine china and works of art, and guess who his daughter was, you’ve guessed it: the Dagger Girl.

He traced her to a luxury yacht in Marin del Ray, owned by a grease ball, Tony Van Tin. Lenny could hardly suppress a smile of satisfaction, well more a grimace, as he laid out a photo of the yacht, and its occupants, on my desk.

He needn't have bothered, I knew the Tin Pan man well enough! A pimp on the make! I thanked Lenny for his input, truthfully he had exceeded all my expectations. Maybe I should put him on the payroll. He refused my offer of pizza and coffee but excepted the two Gee’s I slipped him. I told him to lay low for a while; I really thought he had been taking unnecessary risks and it was better to take a powder.

So now we knew where we were, on the face of it a case of simple extortion using the implied threat of the Tongs. I laid back contemplating my response to this small time crook when, after a frantic knocking on my door a small Chinaman came in. Wringing his hands, and, with uncharacteristic tears, blurted out

’ Cherry missing, you flind please!’

Dee Tech Series 2 - Sequel 5

Time for an Account

I had been trying to make sense of things for some time. I have completely lost the thread, but I had been put under a lot of strain; sexually assaulted by an FBI agent, keeping Lenny Two Shoes in line, somebody knows about the KEY , a visit from the Dragon looking for his daughter, Shanghai awakes an old love, and claims the real Dragon is a woman in Hong Cong, the Cherry from the Deli claims she has seen the Dragon Lady, a warning from Uncle Deli to take care, Boris, who maybe KGB, warns me my phone is bugged, he tells me someone has a bead on my window!

Hell, can I go on, my brain is beginning to spin, I feel as if have several brains all competing against each other? There is no connection.

Then the chink wanted to kill the girl and he is shot cleanly through the head, that has the smell of CIA!

Now I have a little Chinese man telling me Cherry is missing!

Somebody give me a cold towel, this is how it started! Are they pulling my plonker?

‘Now look ye here, this aint the missing persons bureau, try the cops, you know, on the corner of third and Main,’ I offer.

‘You big dude in Chinatown, you come expressly recommended,’ he says.

A recommendation I could well do without!

‘Cherry little girl, she very precious, I no like she long gone, she carry big price. Name your price.’

I didn’t like the more sinister tone.

I decided to play hard ball, lets see how you like this.

‘I hear she is a friend of the Dagger girl, maybe you should ask her.’

That touched a nerve.

He sucked in his cheeks, and from under his sleeve produced a small bell, even before it tinkled, three guys were in the room. This I did not like. I smelt Tongs. This was serious, they kidnap girls from China and smuggle them over the Pacific Ocean to work in brothels. They are not adverse to cutting a few throats over territory, profits, and women. I did not want their battle, no way!

I try a little surprise, and affect an indifference to his henchmen but I notice the slope of their eyes, these seem like Korean. Bad news, they roast your gonads before they eat them! This is serious! I press the panic button with my knee. Lets hope Boris or Lenny is about.

His inscrutable eyes bore in to me.

'You know Dagger girl?’

I rise up and nonchantly adjust the blinds to check if I am getting any backup. ‘I know of her, sure. She a problem?’

He turns into pure Hollywood.

‘Life is a probem, youee no likee my probem.’

No, you sure right there.

Then I saw a chance to shake this whole thing up.

‘You should go and see the Tin Man.’ And they were gone!

I watched the black Merc slide away. I lifted the phone to warn Tin Man, but remembered it was bugged, but is was already too late.

Dee tech Series 2 - Sequel 6

Mayhem

Things are running out of control. I tried to warn the Tin Man, not because I care for him, but in the hope of saving others. Lenny slides through door in his slippery way. There is a wry smile on his face.

He says straightaway, ’Tin Man has gone.’

I sit up.

’Gone,’ I say, thinking of slit throats and the like.

’With the dagger girl.’

’Gone, where?’ I ask, fearing the worst.

’The Lotus Flower has gone.’

I feel head-ache coming on. Lotus Flower. Not another Chinese chick?

‘Lotus Flower?’ I pose as a question.

’Yeah she slipped her moorings first thing.’

Thankfully I realise he means a boat.

A typical Tin Man name , for a boat, that is. So Tin Man has flown the coup. Wait, Lotus Flower rings a bell, where had I heard this name before?

Then the phone rings.

‘Long distance’ the operator says, will you accept the charges?'

I am slow to respond, I do not like the sound of it, ‘OK’ I say.

Its Shanghai. She starts straight in.

‘Where’s Cherry?.’

Where indeed? I play it careful.

‘Cherry,’ and then before I know it, ‘From the Deli?.

She did not laugh. ‘You looking for her.’

I play a low card.

‘Yeah, maybe she gone a cruise,’ thinking of the Lotus Flower.

‘Listen Dee, this is serious, I in trouble if Cherry on the long cruise.’

I get her double meaning. Just a minute, where she ringing from.

I play an indifferent card, ‘Sorry to hear that; where you now?’ I add.

I hear scramble at other end of phone. I hear a new voice, Chinese, sounds demanding, not come as polite request, and the phone goes dead. I hold in my hand as if a gravestone. Sounds as if Shanghai in clink!

I bang on the floor with broomstick. Boris appears as by magic.

‘How you trace this call?'

Boris is unruffled, picks up the phone rings a number and speaks in Russian. His face pales. ‘Shanghai in Alcatraz.’

Alcatraz! That closed years ago. I look at him, waiting.

‘Alcatraz in Shanghai,’ then he adds in alarming tones, ’ Shanghai Tilanqiao.’ I’d never heard of it.

’Worse than Lubyanka!’

That I had heard of.

He looks at me with KGB eyes,

‘We must get Shanghai out, no matter what the cost’

I see Lenny’s eyes pop, he, like me, does not like the sound of the ‘we‘. Since when was Boris calling the shots. It does sound bad, that I can see: Cherry missing, abducted, Chinese tong man want me to find her. Tin Man gone with Dagger girl, now Shanghai in goal. Things are indeed out of control. All I need is Wanda.

I think again, yes, Wanda I do need. I look for Lenny, he long gone! I sigh, just me and…..Boris? He gone.

I look at the dummy in the corner and long for old times. 

Dee Tech series 2 - Sequel 7

CONFUSION 

I am confused and totally at loss as what to do, this is out of my league. Up to now I have been reacting to what was thrown in my path, now I have to initiate action. Where is Wanda, she is someone who is used to action?

I wait by the phone and there is nothing. I’m going to be forced to enlist Boris’s aid, KGB or not. But there is a risk, CIA would react if they got know about Boris.

This calls for caution. I hold a cold towel to my head, I have to think of something. Maybe call on the Tong’s! I wonder, that may be the way out. Now what was that guy who was funding Uncles Deli. I put the flag in the window, I must get Lemmy to track him down, but what is the bate?

A hot connection in Shanghai, or maybe into top crowd in Hong Cong? I feel I am whistling in the wind. Clearly I must do something.

Lenny appears. ‘What’s the griff.’

The griff is there ain’t none. I am up against it old pal.’ 

He flinches at that.

‘I know I owe you a lot, but I am behind the eight ball on this.’

He stands there moving from one leg to another.

I felt sympathetic, he, like me is only small time.

‘Now this is what I want look up …………and drop a hint that we want to advise that FED’s are doing a bit of digging and his name come up. Just a friendly warning.’

He looks uncomfortable.

‘Just a friendly warning,’ he asks, down beat.

‘ OK, I take your point, friendly then.’

He leaves looking suitably downcast. I lay in somnolent mood when I hear the whisper of silk on silk. A perfume pervades the air, a sweet breath caresses my cheek, and there seems to be a familiar touch on my skin. A hand caresses my thigh, my pleasure is complete! It can only be Wanda. Then awake. it’s the Dagger girl!

My hand reaches out for the revolver, but its gone.

‘Now Mr Tech, there is no need for that, I come in peace’

I come fully awake. Jeeze she sounds like an Indian Chief.

’I just want to parley,’ she continues.

I was about to say ’me white man’, but thought better of it.

‘Why you not with Tin Pan Man?’, continuing the mood.

She laughs, ‘you take me for a conche’.

I leave that remark alone, and wait.

‘I want Cherry safe, you want Chinese lady safe. We work together.’

That sounds comforting, like with a Rattle Snake.

'Uncle Deli will free your lady if we find Cherry’.

The phone rings, its Lenny. ‘Contact demised.’

What is he on about? ‘………….dead, Police, want me down town.’

Then he’s gone. I look at the Dagger girl and feel the coils tightening.

Looks like I’ve no option but to get in bed with a snake! 

Dee Tech series 2 - Series 8

SNAKE OIL

‘You and me, together we solve your problem, yes?’

I move uneasily in my chair. Oh, so its my problem now, I think. Dagger girl reposes in the chair opposite my desk. She has, uninvited I might say, taken up residence.

Now she is nice piece of eye candy, that I have to admit, but homely and trustworthy she ain’t. But to my surprise she can speak good Chinese for someone supposedly born in LA. She on the phone, I listen. That ain’t Mandarin.

I look at her quizzically, she covers phone and mouths Hong Kong, she uncovers phone and goes on in a sing song voice. It sounds suspiciously like voices I hear in Nam, and that ain’t good news, Vets we do not want!

I look at her even more quizzically, a frown this time. She puts her hand over the phone, Cantonese she says, and then continues without drawing a breath. She finishes and looks at me with the smile of a snake about to strike.

‘I speak with Sun Li, he say Shanghai caught with knicker down. She in bed with wong man, he smuggle human traffic, she now sacrifice.’

Who had it in for Shanghai? I chew this over. I suspect she plays both sides. I smell a rat. Double cross. It sounds like a set up. Why me, who wants what. I think of Shanghai, is it true what I am hearing? This requires a straight bat, as the English say. It was time for trade.

‘Now Snake,’ I start, she looks at me oddly then shrugs her shoulders,

’Uncle want shop, he get me Shanghai, I find Cherry.’

Her snake smile widens, like she’s going to ear me for dinner.

‘You vely cever man, I like you.’

Her body uncoils and there is a flick in her tail.

‘You gotta deal.’ I try a shot in the dark.

‘You know where Cherry is, she with Tin Man on the Lotus Flower.’

That hit the spot. She coils ready to strike. ‘You think I take Cherry?’

I shrug noncommittally. Then I really strike.‘

‘You get revenge for your father.’

I nurse the revolver in my lap just in case. If they were round my neck the coils would have throttled me. And yet I saw something in her eye that gave the truth of the matter. Is this is just a case of family feud?

I stop, wait, there is more to this. I see a glimmer of light. It’s Cherry from the Deli, right, she more than shop girl, she has connections, more, she has something of value. Of course its her, she high born, she is the key to a fortune, and it so happens I know what it is. The scales fall from my eyes, I see it all as clear as day.

But I was not fast enough, the snake as a dagger at my throat. Her green eyes flash red, her breath is rancid, I pull the gun out of my lap and fire, the trigger falls on an empty chamber, but the snake falls back as if shot!

Wanda leans over the body. ‘You not so hot shot!’

No indeed. 

Dee tch series 2 - Sequel 9

Better or Worse

To say I was in a state of shock was putting it mildly, I’d be better off pig farming! The Snake lay on the floor, crocked. Wanda was leaning over the desk holding a damp flannel to my brow.

‘Looks like I got here just in time’ she says. Time enough I thought. Then, how am I going to deal with this? I got enough trouble without a stiff on my office floor. And a FED for a witness!

I looked at the gun still held in my trembling hand, there was no cordite smell! I had not heard a shot, so what the hell was going on? I felt something touch my face; it was an old fashioned Cosh hanging from Wanda’s wrist. She stepped back, swung it expertly in her hand, lifted her skirt and stuck it in her knickers.

She saw me staring, ’comes in handy from time to time.’

You can say that again, I thought.

She sat down her, feet straddling the Snake.

‘OK Dee, spill the beans.’

I cut to the chase.

‘We need to find Cherry, and get Shanghai out of clink.’

She thought for a moment.

‘What’s in it for me?’

Typical Wanda, I’ll have to think of something that will appeal to the FED’s ‘How about an attack on the administration?’

She smiled, ‘and that’s coming from you?!’

‘Well maybe not direct, but I have considerations.’

’Tell me about,’ she stopped, ’these considerations!’

Yer, what did I mean? I think fast.

‘Well,’ I begin, ‘You help me, I give you the low down on Chink plot to destabilise government.

She laughs. ‘Chink clink, what are you on about?’

I stir the pot, I have seen this on TV;

'We help Official Chinese Government, Ho Chi Min no likey.’

To my surprise this gets her attention.

She sits back, suddenly the old Wanda disappears and a FED agent comes on the alert. She picks up the phone and dials a number.

‘ Code red, West 232nd street. Pick up immediate.’

Jeese straight out of the Movies, what have I done! She places the phone down with that deliberation of someone who knows her business.

‘OK, the stiff will be evacuated immediate.’

Then. ’She of value to you?’

I feel my headache returning, I hope she is not a stiff otherwise I will taking a walk in the harbour with lead boots.

I play it cool. ’I’ve got all I wanted, so now its over to you.’

She gives me a FED smile.

’Cherry is helping us with our enquiries. She safe enough.’

That I do not like.

‘And Shanghai?’

‘Sometimes a pawn has to be sacrificed.’

I wondered who the pawn was?

‘Nice doing business,’ she said and was gone. 

Dee Tech Series 2 - Squel 10

The Screw Tightens

I felt the tension in my head increasing to almost explosion. If this carries on I will be the carried off by white coats. I consider the situation: I know where Cherry is but I’m wary of revealing this information, what with the FEDs and all.

It looks as if I croaked the Dagger, otherwise known as Chi Mi Lee. The FED’s will never admit to their part in this. It occurs to me that Chi Mi Lee’s father is dead, and Lenny is in the frame for that. Shanghai is just a pawn, and they are sacrificial. Cherry’s erstwhile uncle, a known Tong leader, wants my throat if I do not come up with the goods. Just for that he wants my shop, I know not why.

And Boris comes and goes; a suspect KGB agent. What am I to do! This is solved by an authoritive knock on the door. I press the button and scruffy looking man in a worn leather jacket steps in, cases the place and waves in a police officer armed with a Uzi machine pistol. I sit perfectly still, this is serious stuff.

The police officer stands back to door with Uzi cradled in his arms, a mistake I register, the detective lounges in the chair. I wonder for a moment if this is part of a film, I glimpse the automatic under the detectives leather jacket and prepare for the worse.

‘You Dee Tech.’ A command rather than a request.

I play it straight.

’Yes I am Dee Tech.’

He smiles as if he sees a joke.

‘What do you deal in?’

‘What a private Dick deals in. Routine stuff.’

e smiles again. ‘Bodies and the like - that routine!’

I let that go. He does not wait.

‘And Chinese Tongs, what about them?’

I remain silent.

He pulls out a document from an inside pocket.  I move uneasily in my chair

Then, with an odd look on his face he asks, ‘and Lenny Rodriguez?’

I feel a shadow of anxiety in my chest.

’You served in Vietnam with him, you were buddies?’

The shadow turned to a vice,

’Yes’ I say.

’Well I’m sorry to tell you we fished him out of the San Pedro canal this morning.’

My heart turns to ice.

There was a deadly silence in the room. The Police officer moves uneasily, one foot to the other. The detective looks at me with casual menace as if to say ‘ Gotcha’. Has he no soul? He piles on the agony.

’He was sliced from ear to ear.’

I am struck dumb; Lenny gone, my pal, a friendship forged in fire; he saved my life, and I could not save his!

The detective eases himself out of the chair and drives a dagger into my heart.

‘Well,’ he said, as if it disappointed him, ‘think on, dead men tell no tales.’

He left before I could kill him.’ The Policeman turned and gave me a military salute I knew so well and was gone. 

Dee Tech Series 2 - Sequel 11

Curtain Closed

I have a dreadful foreboding that the end is near. I am distraught at Lenny’s slaying; shit, we fought through the hell of Vietnam, we were more than buddies, we were combat vets, brothers in arms, and now to end like this, my blood boils. Worse, there’s nothing I can do to wreak revenge; someone has to pay, but I am neutered. I have no legs for this, they were lost in Vietnam. I slam my hand against my prosthetic substitutes and curse roundly.

I live that scene over and over again, a bloody mine! I come round in Battalion Aid station, I know nothing, odd that. A surgeon stands at the foot of the bed, and says, ’You’re lucky to be alive private, you have PFC Rodriguez to thank for that, he virtually carried you in, but I’m sorry to tell you you’ve lost your legs.’ That did not jell, lost my legs, where?

I’ve run that line through my head many times but I have yet to laugh. Shit, shit, shit. But hell I’m a vet. Vets rise to the situation and improvise! I thought about that, where could I get some ‘on the ground’ forces. Penetrate, demobilise, came to mind. I churned it over, gazed at my computer and improvised.

There was knock at the door and in walked a man with military bearing. I could not believe my eyes. Master sergeant Bull Hanson! ’Hero Hanson’ no less. That was quick I thought. He beat me to it.

‘I read Lenny had been brought down, I’ve come to retrieve his honour.’

Typical West Point attitude, I thought, but all the better for that. Without more ado I filled him on the situation. He bristled at Tongs,

‘Bloody Vietcong, I owe them, leave this to me.’

With, ‘You may need this,‘ he dropped a holdall on the floor, did an about turn, and left.

I opened the bag and it contained various military hardware, For my defence I thought - always defend your base. Clearly this was now a Military Op.

Things happened fast, Uncle Deli and his henchmen were eliminated. Chi Mi Li’s body was found on a waste dump! A certain dame named ‘Wanda’ was found drowned in her swimming pool. Collateral damage! A great loss, but I could bear it!

A young Chinese girl was found wandering on Rondo beach. She was taken under the strong wing of Boris, always a mystery man who it appeared had strong connections.

My computer pinged. ‘Thank you, you have done well. All is equalised. Shanghai.’

My head is in a daze.

A knock at the door, and its Cherry! ’You OK Mr Tech, you want coffee?’ Shanghai is right - we are equalised. 

Dee Tech Series 2 - Episode 12

Memoriam 

I am in a state of alarm and confusion. Everything is out of my hands I have no control - too much - to much killing! Hero Hanson certainly cleared the decks, but at least Cherry is safe.

I have been grilled mercilessly by Detective Lutwychek until I was just pulp, but they couldn’t pin anything on me. As I think of that my hand trembles, I reach for old Jim Beam and pour myself a generous measure spilling some on the table top.

‘You careful go with that.’

I look up and there stands Boris. He dressed top to toe in black. He looks at me quizzically.

‘You no go see dead off?’

‘Dead off’, what on earth does he mean, and then it comes to me, he means funeral, or even funerals? I feel the past bearing down on me; I am in the jungle pinned down, ARV has us, Custer’s last stand! Then out of no where comes the Andrew Peterson number ‘we will survive‘. Me and Lenny did, and I can’t mourn for him!

Boris sweeps me up in those strong arms of his and we attend not the funeral but the sad good bye in a musty hall, full of human debris. I cry uncontrollably. The sun suddenly streams through the skylight as if God knows and we are forgiven. I feel acid in my throat, where was God in those killing fields? Can I forgive God!

A cool hand is laid on my arm, I look up and it’s Cherry from the Deli; she was saved. Is that enough? They carry me out, and there on the street is a black limousine with a familiar face a the window. Could it be, I clutch at straws in my mind. The door opens and out steps Shanghai, as shimmering as ever. I notice a sadness around her eyes as if resigned to life’s improbabilities.

She lays a hand on my cheek and says,

‘Enough is enough Jim, lets go home.’

No ones called me Jim since our beach bum days; it opens a flood of emotion in my heart, ridiculous, but a man needs a woman; damn those stupid songs I think, but what more could I want? I have hidden too long, a war vet covering up misfortune with a need for action.

Later I lie on the soft mattress under the rolling covers with Shanghai by my side and just think on about nothing. I look across the room and there are my legs leaning against the dressing table.

Tell me the story I need to hear

Tell me we’re gonna make it out alive

I need to know there’s nothing left to fear

I know we will survive

And so we did

Author's note.

If you are as confused reading it as I was writing it I'm not surprised. It portrays  the confusion of dealing with the  Chinese mind and their strange family connections. Have pity on Dee Tech.