The 22nd Secret by Randal Lanser Page B

i ngup to t heb a r. The r e stau ra nt w a s popul a r w i t h loc a ls a r ound S a n F ra n c isco ’ s C hin a town. I t w a so f ten us e d b ythe ma f ia a s ne u t r a l g roun d .Most c usto m e rs p a id l i t t l e a t t e nt i on to t hela r g e C hines e- Am e r i ca nman a s he sidled up to the b ar ,butfourmen a t onetab l e e y e d him c a ut i ous l y . T hetablew a sin t hef a r c o r n e r o f thedin i ng ro om . Th e re w e reth r e e e mp t yc h a irs with e mp t ydin n e r pl a tes, m e a ningt h a t Tino h a d two men w i t h hi m . Theold C hinesela d ythat tend e d the b a r no d d e d pol i te l yw h e n H e n r yspoketo h e r in Ch i n e s e . S he e s c o rt e d himdown ah a l l w a yto one o f thepriv a te dini n g rooms. S heop e n e d the d oor a nd H e n r ybow e d. H ew a lked in a nd s h e c los e d the doo r . I t w a sa small r oom j ust b i g e nou g h f o r atablet h a t sat fo u r a nd aside tab l e f ors e r v in g . Th e re w e reno windows. Twot i n y w a llsco nce so f f e r e d diml i g h t . Theshad o w y r oom h a dmahog a n y w a inscoting a nd bu r g un d y w a l l p a p e r, the s a me d é c orith a d forfi f t y y ea rs, m a y b elonge r .
    Tino sat f a c i n gthe doo r .A y ou n gman d r e ssed inabla c k suitstood b e hind h i m and sl i g ht l yto h i s r i g ht. Another y ou n gman a p p ea r e df r omb e hindthe doo r , vi s ib l eto H e n r yon l y a ft e r theold l a d y c losed i t.A f r i g h t e ningsi l e n c e f i l l e d the r oom. E ac h manw a s a rm e d . E ac h man wa s aki ller.
    “Mr. Cassiopp i ,”H e n r y s a id “ Itho u g ht we w e retoh a veapri v a te m ee t i n g ? ”Hew a lked to t hetable a nd stood a cr oss f r om wh e r eTino sat.Themanstandi n gb e hindthe door f ol l ow e d a nd stood fac i n g H e n r y .
    “ S o y ou ’ r e H e n r y L o ,” T ino said. “ W h a t’s in t hebri e fc a se?You ca r r y i n ga g un?Ch ec k himseeif heh a s an I D, F r a nkie.Iw a nt t o s e ea r e al C I A I D.”
    H e n r y w a tch e d the m a nn e x t t o himo u t of the c o r n e r ofhis e y e .He r ec o g n i z e d the a r r o g a nt s m i l eon the y o u ngman ’ sf a c e f orwh a t i t w a s . He w a s a c o c k yl i t t le pun k . S o w a s the oneb e hind Tino. H e n r y ’ s pe r iphe ra l v i sion, str e n g t h , a nd a ma z ingquick n e ssk e pt h i m alive duringhis y outh i n Ch i natown, his t h re est i nts with t he Ma r ines in Vi e tna m , a nd tw e n t y y e a rs with t he C I A. T h is wou l d beov e r befo r e a n yof t heotherthr e emen in theroomr e a l iz e d it sta r te d .
    H e n r yslow l y ra ised t h eb r ie f c a se a s if to s e t i t onthe t a ble. T heth r e eoth e r m e n in t he room r e la x e d, a ssu m inghewould turn to sub m it t o F r a nki e ’s sh a k e d o wn.H e n r y w a tch e d a s t h e e y e s of a llthr e emen fol l ow e dthe b r i e f c a s e . S udd e n l y , H e n r yth r e w it d i re c t l y a t t hef a c eof the man stan d ingb e hind Ti n o. W i t hthe s a me mov e ment, H e n r yfi r e d afo r e a r mshiverto t he noseof the g rinni n gman just tohis l e ft. B ythe ti m etheman b e hind Tino ca u g htthe b r ie f c a se ins t inctive l y ,H e n r y ’ s r i ght handsl i pp e d in t hele f t s i deof F r a nkie ’ s j a c k e t. B lood b e g a n topool a t t heb a seof F r a nkie ’ s n ostri l s.His kn ee s b e g a n t o bu c kle. He n r y ’s r i g ht h a ndg ra bb e d t h e h a ndle ofthe g un in F r a n kie ’ s ja c k e t. H epul l e d itout at the s a me inst a nt her a ised his l e ft h a nd to c a tch thewild r i g hth a nd F r a nk i e h ea v e d tow a r d hi m . Tinorose f rom his ch a ir a nd w e nt for his g un. The y ou n gmanb e hind Tinothr e w thebr i e f ca s e a c ross the r oo m , s lamm i ngit a g a inst the side t a bl e . Her e a c h e d b e hind h i s ba c kin t o his w a is t b a ndforhis g un.
    Th re es e c onds h a d e laps e d. S omebo d y ’s w o rld w a s ab