The Face: Tournament of Death, Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, the sun shown brightly through the hotel window amidst the second floor into where Sam Lee Kim had been deeply napping. He smiled in a daze, as he woke up and stretched his arms into the air, until he realized his head was thoroughly throbbing. Quickly he winced as the sharp agony pulsed against the walls of his skull, and he began to view his surroundings, realizing he was not at home.

He looked to the side of the bed and gasped at the sight he saw before his eyes, for beside him was the still, peaceful posture of Cho, the woman at dinner from the other night. "No...I couldn't have!" Sam cried for his heart had longed for another, startling the slumbering young lady.

"Sam, what is it?!" She quickly asked. Sam stood up from the bed and gathered his things. "What...what...have I done?"

"Did I...did we?" He wondered. Cho sat upward, and tried to calm him. "We...it was the only way, they had to get you drunk... but nothing happened." Sam sighed, and sat down in a chair stroking his hair backward. "But...why? Why would they want to defer me from my purpose?"

"Well...it's...it's that..." Cho stuttered. Sam's face became solemn and grave, and he leaned forward from his chair. "It's that what?" He almost demanded from her. Cho looked down into her lap, and began to explain. "I was hired to...to keep you from seeing the factory boss."

Sam stood up, discouraged, and began pacing around the room. "Why would they want to keep me away from the boss?" Cho briefly looked into Sam's face once again, then rapidly lowered her head. "Well..well, what do you think? They're covering up! How else did you think an icebox factory became so rich?!" Sam's brows crinkled in suspicion. "How did I not see this before...what's going on?" He wondered in perplexity.

Cho explained further. "The large ice cubes in the factory possess packages of dope in them. They are shipped and smuggled into China, and broken into after the reach the alleys of the local street markets," she confessed. "I didn't want to be part of this...but I feared I would be killed if I had told anyone...especially the police..."

"And killed you will be!" A voice suddenly spoke as the door flung open, revealing an asian man with sunglasses and throwing knife in hand. Cho shrieked in horror as the man began to propel the sharp object, but Sam Lee Kim, with his rapid reflexes, was able to successfully interrupt the assault, sending the man landing on his back by a powerful blow.

Sam quickly rushed the woman outside of the hotel and down the flight of stairs, where a number of female residents were startled by the oncoming rush. Outside the hotel, he stopped in front of her. "Find a safe place to stay, I have to find out what's going on..."

"Ah, yes," Shran said, in a suspicious tone. "As you know, Mr. Edom, there were a flurry of intrusions upon my property last night, unpermittingly wandering the temple grounds. Of course, two were subdued last night, and are now in protective custody..." Edom tapped his almost bare foot onto the ground. "Yes...and what does that have to do with me?"

Shran narrowed his eyes and stared sternly at the Muay Thai fighter. "It has been reported that you were outside your room after hours last night."

Edom was deeply offended. "Are you accusing me...?" he wondered. Shran tapped his metal hand upon his wooden desk. "Now, now, I'm not jumping to any conclusions, my friend. It's just that, our society is very protective of our...'sacred' grounds, if you will. We will not stand for any meddling whatsoever."

Edom turned his back. "I came here to fight...fight for honor, that is all. I must return with my reward to help my family, who is in dire need of money right now..."

"Unfortunately, because of these unexpected turn of events, the tournament will be further postponed from this date. You see, we must weed out any untrustworthy assailants," Shran explained.

Edom was not satisfied at what he was hearing. "Postponed?! Until when?" he asked. Shran stroked his chin in wonderment, and then replied. "We are not certain..."

"Then I should like to depart from the island and return when the tournament recommences. I have work to be done back at my village..." Edom demanded.

Shran paced forward to the resolved Edom. "I regret to inform you...that no one is able to leave the island, at least until the third intruder is caught."

Edom turned his head toward Shran once again and glared at his remark. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you, or any of your guards would be able to halt my exit."

Shran, stood silent, as Edom turned to walk out the door. He whispered very lightly, "I'm afraid, you are wrong," and rapidly thrust his metal hand forward to strike the young fighter in the back.

Parrying the blow with quick decisive motion, Edom leapt into the air, and landed with both feet sturdy upon the wooden desk of the rectangular office. But without hesitation he leapt again, as Shran swiped at his feet, and grasped the chandelier hanging from the ceiling with ease, with the skill of a trained orangutang.

He let fly his body, with foot poised outward to strike Shran, but was met with strengthened resistance in Shran's arms, as the foot struck against his limbs and he successfully thrust Edom backward with a forceful lunge of the hands.

As Edom crashed against the bookcase with great impact and momentum, Shran was then easily able to dispatch of the weakened fighter with minimal effort, as he reached into his drawer and fastened the stinging blade that he had used to slice through flesh many a time before...

In a last effort, Shran kicked the lifeless body aside and walked out the large doors to his office, and beckoned for his messenger. Scurrying like a ready mouse, the lowly servant answered the call. "Yes, yes, master! What is it!?"

Calmly, the devious mastermind rested his arms behind his back and replied. "Dispose of this mess, and then bring me the one called Devon Bowen."

Nodding his head, the messenger agreed and fled, with clunking wooden sandals tapping across the floor...