It was a few nights after Jia Li had given birth to her stillborn daughter and Jimmy and Sam’s patience was rewarded when they spotted Yung Huan sauntering along the road with his hands in his pockets, whistling merrily as if he didn’t have a care in the world. They had been devastated when they heard that the little Chinese girl had lost her baby and ever since they had been out for revenge and had kept watch outside the laundry every night after work hoping for sight of him.
‘That’s him!’ Jimmy said and Sam nodded.
‘It certainly is an’ I’m thinking it’s time we taught him a lesson he won’t forget in a hurry, what d’you say?’
Keeping close to the shadows they silently followed him, and soon he turned into a dark alleyway that led down to the docks.
‘I bet he’s headin’ for the opium den,’ Sam muttered.
‘Then it’s up to us to make sure the low-life bastard don’t get there,’ Jimmy muttered through gritted teeth.
They quickened their pace and when a heavy hand landed on Huan’s shoulder and spun him about he almost jumped out of his skin and began to babble in Chinese.
‘Not so brave when you’re up against someone your own size, are you?’ Sam growled as he landed the first punch. Huan fell heavily to the ground as they set about him, showing him no mercy. As far as they were concerned anyone who could harm a helpless woman deserved none. Huan cowered on the ground as kicks and punches rained down on him, and at one stage, he spat out a tooth. Suddenly, there was a sharp crack and Huan screamed in agony.
‘That’s enough,’ Sam said breathlessly. ‘We only want to teach him a lesson.’ He took Jimmy’s arm and both men faded into the shadows, leaving a whimpering Huan curled into a bloody ball on the cold ground.