The Shanghai streets were always busy, but after dark they became a hive of illicit activity. The appearance of an American like Morgan brandishing a gun did little to attract attention, particularly considering what else was going on.
To Morgan’s amazement, the scream had come from a young woman who was now laying her back, one arm outstretched in front of her as if to ward off the horror that stalked towards her. It was an Egyptian-style mummy, swathed in cloth bandages. The creature’s exposed flesh was the mottled gray of the grave and there was a horrible stench rising from him.
Morgan was immediately reminded of Assistance Unlimited’s clash with Princess Femi from several months prior. He knew he didn’t have time to concern himself with what a mummy was doing in the middle of Shanghai, however. He rushed forward, squeezing the trigger of his gun. The bullets struck the mummy in the shoulder and chest, rocking his body back and away from the girl. His intended victim scrambled to her feet and took off like a rocket, screaming the entire way.
The mummy turned its attention on Morgan and unleashed a long, slow moan as he lunged for him. Morgan allowed himself to be caught in the thing’s grip, intending to unload the rest of his bullets directly into the mummy’s face at point-blank range.
Just as he was about to put his plan into motion, he heard his name being frantically called. He spared a quick second to look over his shoulder, where he saw an unconscious Kelly being carried over the shoulder of another mummy — and Agnes, fighting and shouting, being dragged out of the hotel by Walther Lunt. The German clocked her on the side of the head with the butt of a pistol and flashed a quick grin at Morgan before he and his mummified companion dipped into the back seat of a waiting sedan.
Morgan cursed under his breath, realizing that he’d been set up. In fact, now that he thought about it, he was pretty positive that the lady in distress he’d ‘saved’ was actually Miya Shimada.
The mummy pulled harder on Morgan, yanking him so close that Morgan nearly retched from the smell. Morgan jammed the barrel of his pistol down the monster’s open mouth, emptying the rest of his bullets. They tore through the back of the mummy’s neck and the creature swayed uncertainly, loosening its grip on Morgan’s jacket. It crashed to the street, dissolving into a pile of gray-colored ash.
The local police were now descending upon the scene, letting Morgan know that they were just as efficient as their brethren in Sovereign: the moment they were no longer needed, they were crawling out of the woodwork.
Morgan stared in the direction where he’d last seen Lunt’s car. He silently swore that the scarred German would get what was coming to him the next time they met.
After picking up Miya, Lunt and company had rushed through the streets, finally drawing to a stop outside a large house they had rented on the outskirts of the city. Femi was waiting for them with her eyes alight with excitement. She had not tried to hide her pleasure that Lunt had decided to alter their plans a bit. Angered that Lazarus was apparently wasting time by interceding in a local feud between gangsters, Lunt had decided to step up his own activities. If Lazarus wouldn’t lead them to The Soul Stones and The Devil’s Circus, then they’d make his female companions reveal all that they knew.
The group entered their makeshift base of operations, the hulking mummy walking behind them. There were more of the horrible creatures secreted in various places around the building, an army of the undead that Lunt had provided for Femi. The Egyptian princess had even gone so far as to augment the ones that Lunt had found for her. She had taken the remains of the men she had feasted upon and used her ancient spells to resurrect them as mummies.
Miya supervised the tying of the two women, who were set upright in chairs side-by-side. When neither of them showed any signs of waking up on their own, the Japanese-American filled up a small bucket with water and splashed it into Kelly’s face first, then the remainder into her companion’s.
Kelly sputtered, shaking her head and quickly taking in her situation. She stared first at Miya and then at Femi, flanked by her mummies. When her gaze finally landed upon Lunt, she smiled in triumph.
“You seem very happy for someone in your situation, Fräulein,” Lunt said, moving towards her. He didn’t bother trying to hide his anger over her lack of fear.
Kelly glanced over at Agnes, who looked like she had enough terror for the both of them. “I’m just thinking about how much I’m going to enjoy watching you when Lazarus gets his hands on you.”
“I am not afraid of him,” Lunt said, with perhaps a little too much vehemence. “Now,” he added, trying to steer the conversation into a new direction. “Tell me what you’ve found about The Soul Stones. Does Lazarus know where they are? Has he heard anything new about Satan’s Circus?”
“Must be difficult for you,” Kelly prodded, “having to admit that you’re so lost for details that you have to start kidnapping women in hopes that they can tell you where to go next.”
Lunt backhanded Kelly, the blow striking with such force that Kelly’s chair nearly tipped over. Blood dripped from her bottom lip as she looked back at the German, hatred flaring in her eyes. “Go to Hell.”
Lunt stared at her and then laughed. “Good. You have fire. I like that. Truth be told, you would have disappointed me greatly if you had simply revealed everything to me. I like having to work for it. And when it comes to torture, I am so very skilled….”
“She has a point,” Miya pointed out. She had moved away, setting the now empty bucket on the floor. She was still dressed in her disguise as a streetwalker but no one seeing her now would have confused her for such. She was regal and proud, despite her garments. “I told you as much when you described your plan. We’re alerting Lazarus to our presence way too early and he’s not going to rest until we’re dead or in jail.”
“Thank you for your brilliant observations,” Lunt answered sarcastically. “Now if you and the Princess will leave us for a few moments, I would like to ask our guests a few questions.”
Kelly caught Miya’s eye. “I’m surprised a woman like you would take orders from an animal like him. You’re smarter than this — why do you do it? Just bump him off and run the show yourself. It’s 1935, women don’t have to just hang out in the kitchen anymore. Or dress like whores.”
The color rose to Miya’s cheeks. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed by her attire or the things that she often did. It was that she knew Kelly was telling the truth: she planned better than Lunt did and she was far more capable. But he had the contacts and by killing him, she’d be signing her own death warrant. That — and that alone — was what kept her from putting Lunt where he belonged.
If the German had any suspicion of the thoughts that raced through Miya’s brain, he didn’t seem to care. “Miya, get your pretty ass out of here. Don’t make me tell you again.”
Miya spun on her heels and exited the room, where she found Femi already waiting for her. To her surprise, the Egyptian seemed to be somewhat sympathetic.
“When the days of his usefulness are over, I will allow you to kill him in my name,” Femi said and Miya had to hide the smirk that threatened to touch her lips.
“Thanks,” she said honestly. “How about we just do it together?”
Femi nodded. “Agreed.”
Agnes tried to be brave but it simply wasn’t in her nature. Her sister had always been the bold one, while Agnes was more of the homebody type. When the two of them had visited a carnival last, Agnes had refused to even go near the Ferris wheel. She preferred simple, quiet living. She wanted to find a good man and bear him many children, while fretting over what to add to the shopping list.