"Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it." — Dorothy Thomas.

  Anna strolls out of the busy market, proud of herself for completing her task. She finds a wonderful false sense of security being surrounded by people. She notices a few curious glances, but most people take a brief look and then return to their own business.

  She'll need to return with Hailee tomorrow—there’s so much more to explore, especially the white buns with fillings. Hailee will know which ones she’ll like.

  Anna is trying to get a closer look at the bun stall when a delivery bike zips by at a dangerous speed for such a crowded space. Everyone waiting in line is jostled and the man beside her, holding a bowl of soup, loses his footing and his lunch lands on her jeans.

  Anna takes it as a sign, it’s time to go back to the apartment. Despite the sun, there's a crispness to the October air that she can feel now that her pants are wet. Even if she can tolerate the chill, the pungent scent of spicy fish is too much to ignore.

  As she leaves the busy alley, she thinks she hears her name—but it must be the wind. Still, she picks up her pace.

  ***

  Pushing through the crowded street, Ryan spots a flash of red hair about thirty feet away. But before he can get any closer, he's blocked by a swarm of aunties, eagerly crowding around a vendor who just announced a flash bargain.

  "Anna!" He calls out, his voice cutting through the noise, but she doesn’t seem to hear him. The bright beacon of red hair vanishes as she turns the corner.

  Ryan quickly navigates through the alley and emerges on the other side, but Anna is nowhere to be seen. He scans the area, mentally noting the surroundings. She has to be staying nearby—it’s not like there are many red-haired Americans in the Gongshu district, a quiet residential area far removed from the usual tourist paths.

  ***

  Lunchtime is almost over, and Hailee is prepping for her next class when a commotion in the hall catches her attention. She peeks out and spots Lina, running in a panic, with Pengshi hot on her heels and Ju Zhong trailing behind.

  Lina skids to a stop in front of Hailee. Her eyes are swollen and red, her whole body trembling. Hailee immediately bends down to her level, concern flooding her face. Lina struggles to catch her breath, gasping between sobs, her face flushed from running and tears.

  “What’s going on?” Hailee demands, glaring at Pengshi as he catches up.

  “She stole my phone!” Pengshi growls, attempting to snatch the device from Lina’s hand.

  Hailee watches in disbelief as Lina kicks Pengshi in the ankle, fighting to keep hold of the phone. Pengshi yelps in surprise and lunges at Lina, but Ju Zhong is quick to step in, wrapping him up in a bear hug and pulling him back.

  “Stop it!” Hailee commands. Pengshi and Ju Zhong immediately stand at attention, hands at their sides. Lina holds the phone up, trembling.

  “M-My dad,” she manages to choke out.

  Hailee glances at the screen. It’s a video, obviously filmed by a bystander. Man Zhu Bai is seen diving on top of Kang, followed by the sound of a gunshot. The video distorts as the camera falls to the ground, but screams of terror still ring through.

  Hailee’s eyes snap back to Lina’s terrified face, silently begging her to make it go away.

  Hailee wraps Lina tightly in her arms, a sense of protectiveness washing over her. Looking over at Pengshi and Ju Zhong, she says firmly, “Go to class. Don’t say anything about this to the other students.”

  Ju Zhong quickly pulls Pengshi away, but the latter’s whining is audible. “I just got that phone yesterday.”

  Hailee rubs Lina’s back as she tries to suppress her own rising fear. She prays that what she’s seen in the video isn’t what she’s thinking. A few days ago, she would have dismissed it as a mistake, a fake—Hangzhou doesn’t see this kind of violence. But now...

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Hailee says, her voice softer but still determined. “We’ll go to the office and call him.” She can feel Lina’s head nodding into her shoulder in agreement, the only comfort in this moment of uncertainty.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  ***

  When Anna returns to the apartment, she succumbs to the urge to push the chair back in front of the door. It doesn't hurt to be extra careful, she tells herself. She removes her coat and tosses it on the overturned couch.

  She takes her prize—the package of toilet paper—into the bathroom, replaces the roll and stuffs the rest into the nearest cabinet. Mission accomplished.

  She strips off her wet, dirty clothes and steps into the steamy shower, letting the hot water ease the tension from the rough morning.

  Meanwhile, in the living room, Hailee’s cellphone rings from the pocket of Anna’s coat.

  ***

  The unknown number calling Man Zhu Bai’s cellphone is declined and sent to voicemail. He silences the phone as he exits the car, and he and Kang rush toward Hailee’s apartment building.

  The apartment is only on the third floor, so they take the stairs. When they reach the door, they knock and wait a moment, but there’s no sound of footsteps.

  Man Zhu Bai calls Hailee’s number again. They can hear the phone ringing, but no response. Man Zhu Bai listens carefully for any movement within. He tries the door. It’s locked.

  Kang moves in with a piece of metal, the shape and size of a credit card, and expertly works the lock. But the door is jammed—not good. He puts his shoulder into it, pushing harder.

  A chair skids across the ceramic tiles of the entryway, clattering to the floor, revealing their presence if the knock hadn’t already. Kang enters the apartment, gun drawn.

  The place has been ransacked. His stomach tightens with the realization—they’re too late. He moves quickly, his eyes scanning for any sign of life. It’s clear no one is in the main area. He signals to Man Zhu Bai to clear the bathroom while he keeps his weapon trained on the bedroom door.

  Every step he takes feels like a countdown, the dread mounting. He hopes the room is empty. If it is, there’s still a chance they could be alive.

  A scream rips through the apartment.

  Kang whips around to see Anna in a t-shirt and sweatpants, her hair wrapped in a towel, earbuds in her ears, attacking Man Zhu Bai.

  Man Zhu Bai drops his gun, covering his face as she claws and slaps him in blind panic. Kang holsters his gun and rushes forward, taking Anna by the shoulders and redirecting her attacks toward him.

  Man Zhu Bai steps back, retrieving his gun from the floor. He continues to clear the house while Kang allows Anna to vent her fear on him.

  Watching her raw fury and terror is like a gut punch—no woman should ever experience this level of fear. As her slaps and punches slow and her screams fade, the sobs take over. For Kang, it hurts more than any blow to his body.

  Her body collapses as if grief-stricken. In many ways, it’s as if she’s mourning a death—the loss of trust, of security. The part of her that believed everything would be okay is gone.

  Anna sinks to the floor, curled up. Kang sits beside her, offering no words, just his silent presence as she cries.

  ***

  A busy signal buzzes on the other end of the line. Hailee hangs up the school phone.

  “The station must be busy.” Principal Song chimes in optimistically, “Why don’t we call your grandmother?”

  The school line rings, and Hailee answers quickly. She releases the pent-up breath she has been holding when she hears Man Zhu Bai’s smooth voice.

  “Is Teacher Westcott there?”

  “Are you hurt?” Hailee asks with concern in her voice.

  “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Lina saw a video…” Hailee pulls Lina close to her side and hugs her, she can see the young girl's eagerness to hear her dad’s voice for herself.

  “Talk to her,” Hailee tells him as places the phone in Lina’s awaiting hands.

  “Daddy!” Lina’s eyes swell up again, this time in relief. “Daddy, are you ok?”

  Hailee watches as Lina’s body relaxes, a smile slowly spreading across her face as she listens to her father’s voice. The sparkle of innocence returns to her eyes.

  “I saw a video,” Lina says, now convinced her dad is invincible. “You looked just like a superhero,”

  “Teacher Westcott was very worried too,” Lina adds in an overly sweet tone.

  Hailee’s cheeks flush with embarrassment as she quickly glances at Principal Song. The principal maintains her composed exterior, but Hailee can’t miss the sideways glance she gives, her sharp eyes catching the red creeping up Hailee’s neck.

  Trying to smooth over the awkwardness, Hailee opens her mouth to speak, but she’s saved when Lina hands her the phone back.

  “Hello?” Hailee answers.

  “Go straight back to your apartment after school.” Man Zhu Bai orders.

  “Ok,” Hailee replies. She hangs up the phone, her curiosity left unsatisfied, but she can hear in his tone that he doesn’t have time for questions.

  ***

  The video of the police shooting cuts off abruptly on Ryan’s phone, replaced by a notice that the video has been removed.

  “Failures,” Ryan mutters in disgust, tossing the phone onto the study desk. He pulls out the envelope his grandfather gave him, carefully studying the details inside. Major Kang Jia Zan of the People’s Armed Police – Snow Leopard Commando Unit. Lines of black ink cover most of the information regarding his missions. The only thing Ryan can glean from the record is that Kang was honorably discharged and transferred to the Anti-Smuggling Bureau.

  He wonders if Li would be able to take him on one-on-one. It’d be an interesting match-up, but Ryan doesn’t have the time to entertain the thought for long. He makes the call.

  “Put a bounty of $50,000 USD on Agent Kang,” Ryan orders, his mood already lifting. “I’ll send you the details.”

  He hangs up the phone and heads upstairs to check on Li. He finds his friend’s room empty and makes his way to the gym, where Li is pushing himself hard on the treadmill.

  Ryan walks over and shuts the treadmill off.

  “You’re supposed to be resting,” he reminds him.

  Li shrugs, wiping down the machine with a towel.

  “Let me get your opinion on something?” Ryan says.

  Li sets the towel down and gives Ryan his full attention.

  “Do you think a girl would consider it a romantic twist of fate or think I’m just a creepy stalker if I happen to run into her while she’s on vacation?”

  “Stalker.”

  “Damn it,” Ryan grumbles.