“Okay, everybody, listen up,” Huang called after the traditional bow exchange in class. “Every other class is a practice session. So that means today we’re going to work with partners so you can perfect your technique. Those of you who have been here longer, you’ll spend time on all the moves you’ve learned. Those of you who are new, you’ll work on the shiko tsuki. So pair up with someone at your own level.”
I saw Liz’s face fall. She’d probably been hoping to work with Chet. “We have to be partners,” I told Joe. “We need to talk.”
He nodded.
“My student teacher, Marty, will be overseeing the room,” Huang went on. “And I’ll check in from time to time. Let’s get going!”
Marty came in and bowed. We all bowed back, and I took a good look at the guy. He was gigantic! I could hardly believe his arms even fit into his gi. But he didn’t appear to be much older than me. I wondered how he’d gotten to be the student teacher. Huang obviously trusted him—the sensei had already left the dojo.
“Pair off and start working,” Marty called. “I’ll be around to help individually. Call me if you have any questions.”
I turned to Joe and bowed. He bowed back. “I’ll go first,” he said. “You block.” He did the shiko tsuki—slowly, so he could focus on the technique.
“I saw Chet go into Huang’s office, but I couldn’t get a good look at what he did in there,” I said quietly.
“He handed off that package from the restaurant,” Joe told me. “He’s obviously working as a courier for Huang. This is the second time he’s done it.”
“Maybe that’s why Huang favors him,” I commented, blocking Joe’s third shiko tsuki move. “Because he does Huang’s dirty work.”
“Hang on,” Joe cried. “This is Chet we’re talking about. He doesn’t do anyone’s dirty work.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Marty turn toward us. I quickly did the shiko tsuki, accompanied by a “Hy-yah!”
Joe, surprised, blocked it. “What did you do that for?” he whispered. “I thought it was my turn.”
“Your voice was getting loud,” I said. “Marty noticed.”
Joe grimaced. “Sorry. I don’t want that guy on our case. Dude’s huge.” I did the punch again and Joe blocked it. “I’m just saying that I don’t think we should jump to conclusions. Chet would never get involved with a lowlife like Paul Huang,” he said.
“We don’t know for sure what Huang’s up to,” I pointed out. “And we have no idea what was in that package Chet brought him. For all we know, it was Huang’s dinner!”
“You two, separate,” Marty growled, coming up to us. “ You’re doing more talking than sparring.”
Uh-oh. “Sorry,” I told him, trying to sound meek.
He nodded, sizing me up. “You, work with me,” he said. “ You,” he nodded toward Joe, “go over and work with Liz.”
Joe didn’t even try to hide his grin. Sure, he gets to work with a girl from the beginners’ group while I get stuck with the Incredible Hulk. I sighed, bowed, and did the shiko tsuki. Marty blocked it the same way Joe had, but with Marty, it felt like my arm had hit a brick wall. He didn’t even bend a little bit.
Marty stood up, bowed, and then did the shiko tsuki himself. I shot my arm up to block him, but he plowed right through it, his fist coming within half an inch of my face. I gasped and wobbled backward.
“You have to keep your stance strong,” Marty coached me. “Feet planted solidly. Weight distributed evenly. Otherwise, my blow can knock you off balance.”
“Yeah, I got that,” I said wryly.
He cracked a smile. “Let’s try again.” He did the shiko tsuki, I focused on my balance and held my arm up to block. He hit me pretty hard, but my block held.
“Better,” Marty said.
“Thanks.” I rubbed my arm. It was unbelievable how strong this guy was. “You obviously know what you’re doing. How long have you been studying with Sensei Huang?” I asked.
“Ten months,” Marty said. “And when I started, I was as scrawny as Billy Lee over there. This place has completely changed my life.”
I glanced at Billy, who was working with Chet. Billy was a pretty small guy. How could someone like that turn into someone like Marty so quickly? “That’s quite a growth spurt,” I said.
Marty chuckled. “That’s what my mother says. But Sensei Huang got me on a strict workout regimen, and I take classes here every day.”
“Cool,” I said.
“You rested enough?” Marty asked. “Let’s try again.”
I bowed to him, resigned. I had a feeling this would be a long, hard class.
“One of us should ask Huang for help. You know, to distract him,” Joe suggested at the end of class. “And then the other one slips into his office to find out what’s in the package Chet brought.”
I stretched my arm across my chest and winced. Marty had totally beaten up on me—I could tell I’d be sore tomorrow. “I nominate you for the ‘asking Huang for help’ part,” I told Joe. “I don’t think I can take any more help on these karate moves.”
Joe nodded. “There’s Huang. Let’s do it now.” He moved over into the group of students surrounding the sensei. I waited until Joe had Huang involved in demonstrating the proper outside block move to counter the shiko tsuki punch, and then I ducked into the office.
The place was a mess—papers strewn all over the desk, drawers opened. I hesitated. Had somebody else been looking around in here? Or was this just Huang’s usual way of working? It didn’t look like the office of someone who was supposed to be as calm and controlled as Huang.
I glanced around, looking for the bulky package I’d seen Chet receive at the diner near the train station. There wasn’t much time.
No sign of it on Huang’s desk or on the chair. I pulled open a drawer and flipped through the office supplies inside. Nothing.
My foot hit something solid under the desk. I bent to look—pay dirt! There was the package, still taped shut.
Well, that’s a problem.
I used my fingernail to peel up one end of the tape. I gripped the end of it and pulled. Slowly. Slowly. I couldn’t risk ripping the tape. Finally I’d pulled it all the way to one side. The package gaped open. And it wasn’t full of Huang’s dinner. Inside were a bunch of brown envelopes—which looked a lot like the one Huang had given Billy Lee.
I pulled one out and opened it. A small, unmarked pill bottle lay inside. The pills were just small white tablets with no markings. I frowned. If this was medicine, why wasn’t it labeled? Where was the prescription information?
I grabbed another envelope. Maybe the pills in there would be labeled.
“Hang on for a minute,” Finn said. His voice sounded loud. I glanced up and saw him through the window into the hall. He stood right outside the door.
I ducked down, stuffed the envelopes back into the package, and pulled the tape back over the top, pressing down hard so it would stick.
Finn was probably just on his way to his own office, but it didn’t hurt to be safe. I put the package back under Huang’s desk.
“Let me just grab the class schedule,” Finn added. He was still right outside.
And the doorknob began to turn. . . .
I was trapped!
Hide under the desk? That wouldn’t work. What if Finn was really coming for the package? He’d know it was under the desk, and he’d see me.
I glanced around the office. There was nowhere else to hide. Finn’s body was in front of the door, so he couldn’t see me through the interior window.
I had no choice. I ran for the window. Quickly I yanked up the shades and pushed on the window-pane. It opened outward.
The door creaked open.
I didn’t look back. I leaped up onto the windowsill, swung my feet over the edge, and dropped through the open window. I had to duck so my head didn’t hit the glass.
As I fell, I heard Finn step into the office.
Did he see me?
I landed on my feet and took off, running along the side of the building until I reached a thick bush that grew about fifteen feet away. I dove under it.
Finn stuck his head out the window, looking around suspiciously. I held my breath. Finally he shrugged, shook his head, and pulled the window closed.
Made it!
I stood up and headed around the building toward the front door. But before I got to the end of the building, Liz Campbell stepped out in front of me.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
Busted!
“Uh . . . what?” I asked lamely.
“You just jumped out the window and hid in a bush,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “I saw you.”
“It’s stupid.” I shook my head, trying to look sheepish. “I was snooping around in the sensei’s office. You know, looking for lesson plans or something from the advanced class.”
“I just wanted to start working on more advanced moves. You know, so I could show off to Joe,” I told her. “We can get pretty competitive. He bet me that he’d make it out of the beginners’ class before I do.”
“Huh.” Liz thought about that for a moment. “So did you find anything?”
“No,” I said. “I guess Sensei Huang doesn’t like to write things down.”
“He prefers to wing it,” Liz said with a shrug. “See you later.” She wandered off.
But I was worried. What did she mean, that Huang liked to wing it?
And more importantly, was she going to tell her father that I’d been snooping around in the office?