Lucky patrolled the Chinatown streets, letting trouble look for her. When it didn't show up, she stopped in at a few of her old haunts, the places legbreakers and killers wait while at loose ends. She received more cold stares than she could count, but no one tried to touch her. She could feel that she was being watched, possibly even followed, but every time the sensation tried to become concrete it would vanish into nothing, leaving her uncertain of her own perceptions.
     She stopped by a weapon shop to pick up some throwing stars.
     "So, how are things around here lately?" she asked the elderly shopkeeper casually.
     "They are fine," was the smiling reply.
     "Anybody new in town? Anything interesting?" Nothing. She tried in Mandarin. Smiling head-nodding was the only reply, until the man's expression suddenly became one of utter fear. She spun around. For an instant she thought she saw—no one. "Who was standing behind me?"
     "There is no one else here."
     After a moment of deliberation she decided, "We need to have a little talk at the police station. Would you please come with me?"
     Smiling nervously, he obeyed her. "Everyone has to go now," he announced to the other customers. "Please go." He locked the place up; they were entirely alone in the store. Lucky, her hackles rising for no good reason, backed herself into a corner and brought the staff to life.
     "You can tell me who he or she is the easy way, or the hard way."
     "I don't—"
     "Who did you see behind me?"
     "There's nothing, I swear."
     The woman standing next to him thrust her sword through his chest.
     At least, Lucky thought it was a woman. Right size and build, and pretty much the right scent, but she was decked out in full Chinese opera regalia so it was a little hard to be sure—full-face makeup, huge sweeping gown. She pulled her sword free and the shopkeeper collapsed, mortally wounded.
     And then she left, fast as flowing quicksilver. The bell on the door tinkled brightly.
     She'd been set up. Lucky pulled out her phone and dialed the emergency code.
     "Yeah, this is Winters?"
     "This is Lucky, I've just been set up."
     "Where are you, what's going on?"
     "I'm in Chinatown, Huang Zho's Weapon Shop. I won't move from where I'm standing."
     "I'll get the team there as soon as possible."
     She stayed in the corner, the staff before her. Oh, fuck, she thought.
    

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