"No hospital," Lin had managed to say as Grant helped her through the streets. "They are corrupted by the mob's influence. Don't know which ones to trust with an undercover cop. Nearest safe house is too far."

Grant had tied Lin's wound with a cheap shirt he bought from a street vendor. "Let's go to my hotel. It's not that far and I can carry you most of the way. I'll wash your wound with bottled water to not look suspicious."

"Thank you," said Lin. "I'll probably pass out by the time we get there but I'll use what strength I have for the journey."

After a long trek involving staying in the dimly lit sections of the sidewalk and avoiding public attention, they at last arrived at the hotel lobby. Grant quickly rushed Lin to the elevator before anyone noticed any blood on them.

Grant burst into Makenna's room and began shouting orders.

"Jesus Grant where the hell have you been?!" Makenna screamed.

Rourke, Monty, and Frankie rushed into Makenna's room. "Grant!" Monty exclaimed. "Uh, who's that?"

"Someone buy me first aid for gunshot wounds. Rourke you've fought on the streets for years. Help me!"

Rourke nodded and rush off without a word. Monty quickly went to fetch some hot water from the boys' hotel room while Frankie prepared towels.

"Ok that is a lot of blood," said Makenna us Grant put Lin on the spare bed and removed the crude dressing.

"Yeah she got fucking shot," said Grant impatiently. "Big surprise."

"I'll go get some gauze from my suitcase. I brought a first aid kit for this. It's got plastic clamps too. You can remove the bullet that way.

Thirty minutes after Grant has returned to the hotel, Rourke finished his shopping and had brought back scissors, loads of bandages, ointment quite simply an impressive assortment of medical items one would imagine practical in a situation like this.

"Ok ok I;m going to dig out the bullet," said Grant. "I'm not an expert which means this is going to hurt."

Lin nodded. Grant felt foolish having to comfort her. She was an experience policewoman, trained to take a lot more than Grant expected life to throw at him.

Rourke poured iodine over the wound and wiped away any messes. Frankie dapped at Lin's head with a cool towel while Monty prepared bandages for wrapping.

The whole operation took a whole forty minutes. Lin did not squirm or scream the whole time Grant clumsily removed the bullet and cleaned out the open wound with water and alcohol. Fortunately no bones had been broken. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the last of the dressings was applied.

"Ok everyone out," said Grant breathlessly, furiously scrubbing his arms, hands, and face with soap and water in the bathroom. "Give her some room to rest."

"Tell us if you need anything," said Makenna, giving him a worried look. "And don't forget you owe us an explanation for disappearing."

"In due time," said Grant, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Grant sat at Lin's bedside for a while, drifting in an out of sleep. He check her temperature when he remembered and checked to make sure she was still showing satisfactory signs of life. When he was at last content with her condition, he left the room and rejoined the others next door.

"We have run in some competition," said Grant, taking a seat on the edge of Monty's bed. "I was ambushed at the restroom when we visited the Ming Palace. Lin recued me from some Chinese thugs hired to extract information from me. I helped Lin out with an operation in return, went slightly sour towards the end and now I'm here."

"Well shit you're lucky to be alive!" said Frankie. "I'm glad your back Grant.

"We must be extra careful from now on," said Rourke. "These people sound dangerous even for me. No going off alone anymore. We move in groups of two or more at all times."

"Agreed," said Monty. "I gotta be honest, this scares me. This might ruin the whole thing for us."

"We won't let it," said Grant firmly. "Let them come. I got to pay them back for stripping me down like that and torturing me."

"Are you sure you're alright?" said Makenna, rubbing his arm. "Did they...torture you bad?"

Grant shook his head. "Lin got there before they could really do some damage. Trust me I'm fine. Now if you would excuse me I'm going back to check on her. We will talk later."

Once he was back in Makenna's room, Grant resume his post and began drifting in and out of sleep again.

During his deepest period of napping, Grant was suddenly awoken with a start by jab to his shoulder. Lin had woken up and was looking at him with a calm expression. Grant glanced at the alarm clock. It was four thirty in the morning.

"This trip really doesn't want me to sleep does it?" Grant mumbled. "You okay?"

"You saved my life," said Lin.

"Well you saved mine," said Grant, beaming. "Let's erm, call it even ok?"

Lin sat up in bed and Grant jump out of his seat. "Woah there. You just got shot and I don't think you should be moving like, at all."

"Mr. Foreman I've had a rough day though I managed to accomplish my mission. Right now I'm going to celebrate by cleaning my grimy body with a wet towel and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

Grant sighed. "Ok but don't get your dressings wet. We spent a lot of time on that."

Lin pulled away the bed sheets and inspected her dressings. "Not bad of a job. You packed it in neat and tight."

"My friend Rourke knows his stuff. He's a street fighter."

Lin smiled a little and with a painful sounding groan, pushed herself off the bed and limped over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Grant put on some television to take the edge off his mood. Even though he didn't understand a word they were saying, he still found the Chinese language beautiful and amusing. He flipped through some reality shows and cheesy family dramas. Only own channel was broadcasting Hollywood movies, but the film they were showing was some obscure western that Grant didn't recognize at all.

Grant heard the bathroom door unlock and he turned off the T.V. out of respect. Lin stood at the door wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her fit body. Her dressings were still in place and looking solid and not even a little bit of red had begun to show. Her legs were in full view. Something caught in Grant's chest when his imagination explored what the edge of the towel just barely cut from his gaze.

"You know they would have tortured me too if they caught me," said Lin. "But first they would have had their way. If you know what I mean."

Grant nodded grimly and sat forward in his seat. "Yes I know. That's a big part of the reason why I couldn't leave you. Not after you saved me."

"It would have been worse since I'm a young woman," said Lin, limping slightly over to him. "I was prepared to die or worse. I'll forever be grateful to you Grant."

"Hey don't sweat it," said Grant, smiling and standing up. "Look I'll leave let you get some sleep now. You should probably contact your people too. They might be worried."

"They would have raided the place by now," said Lin. "I contacted my people right before I killed Boss Wu and Gao. My boss would be worried that I didn't show up though. But I didn't want to rush off to him. Not when I've yet to return a favor."

"Favor?" Grant asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Lin let the towel fall and her hands dropped to her sides. Grant's eyes explored her fit body glistening from the slight moisture left from her washing. Her nipples where small and perky and her breasts did not slope too far down like some girls.

"It’s rude to stare," said Lin, flushing.

Grant walked up and hugged her close. She shuddered against his body. He felt her nipples press against chest. With her eyes on him, Ling went down on her knees slowly, planting herself between Grant's legs before pulling down his jeans. His stiff cock stood erect and Lin took one long longing look at it before glancing up at him with an asking look.

Grant nodded to her and turned short of breath as Ling took him into the warm depths of her mouth. He watched as she worked to pleasure him, her soft lips sliding over his manhood and coating it with her saliva. She paused for breath after half a minute.

"Am I doing it right?" Ling asked. The worry in her voice was sweet and genuine.

"Is this your first time?"

"Yes," she admitted, flushing with embarrassment.

"How do you like it?" he asked softly.

Lin beamed and strike his cock with the tip of her finger.

"Does it taste good?"

Lin nodded. "Can we go a little longer?"

"There are other places to put a cock."

Her laugh sounded out with such a sweetness Grant was sure only a woman from this side of the world could make.

"Do you want me to stop with my mouth?"

"No," said Grant, stroking her hair. "I like watching you work it with your mouth.

Lin continued to stimulate him with her mouth, kissing it and sucking it. Grant savored this moment where man and woman became one through the union of their bodies. Her sacred mouth meeting the appendage that identified him as a man. It was a pleasure beyond what I thought he deserved.

They moved towards the bed. Once Lin had climbed on, Grant knelt down beside the bed and looked into her eyes as she lay on her side. With his right hand he slowly reached between her thighs to touch the flesh there. Lin gasped as his fingers probed, weaving through the hairs and moving in and out of her.

"I want your cock in me," Lin whimpered.

"You could get pregnant," said Grant in a serious tone.

"I don't care," said Lin. "I don't care if you get me with child."

"It won't look good for a policewoman. I don't think we should risk it."

Lin sighed. "Alright then."

Once Grant was finished down between her thighs, Lin opened her eyes and gave him a loving look. "That was nice," she said. "Now lay back."

Grant relaxed, propping his back up against some pillows. He watched Ling take his cock into her mouth again. After he few minutes he felt a rush coming.

"Ling," Grant warned.

Ling continued as if she didn't hear. Soon after the warning came the ejaculation, filing Ling's mouth with warm fluid. Ling wiped her mouth and swallowed, her expression one of initial surprise but quick acceptance.

Grant pulled the sheets over their naked bodies. As they lay holding each other, Grant felt Lin toy with his cock beneath the sheets, gently stroking the pink tip and invoking more fluid to seep into her hands.

"I can't stay with you," said Grant. "I'm still racing the clock to find the treasure."

Lin pushed off Grant's body suddenly. "Is the treasure worth that much to you?”

Grant sighed. "I made a deal and I plan follow through. I wish I could stay here with you but this is something I have to do. We come from different worlds. It wouldn’t have worked out in the long run.”

Lin looked down and held herself in deep thought for a moment. "You’re right.”

"Without you I wouldn't have found the journal," said Grant. "Fate is on my side."

"You don't seem like the type to believe in that kind of thing."

"One things for sure what I do or don't believe is definitely going to go through some changes as I get older."

Lin leaned in and kissed Grant softly on the lips. "What about your feelings for me? Will that change?"

Grant smiled and ran his hand over her smooth belly and breasts. "Never."