The Dragon Head of Hong Kong by Ian Hamilton Page A

to hail a cab. Then Ava saw Kung’s men walking towards him. “Andy, be careful,” she said.
    He didn’t have time to turn around before one of the men hit him from behind, driving his fist into the nape of his neck. Andy staggered forward, and the man kicked him in the back. Andy collapsed onto the street, directly in front of the oncoming traffic. The man reached down, grabbed him by the T-shirt, and dragged him onto the sidewalk. Then the man kicked him so hard in the ribs that his body seemed to jump in the air.
    “Stop that,” Ava yelled.
    Both men turned to look at her.
    “Now it’s your turn,” the man Ava knew as Li said.
    “You’re making a mistake,” Ava said.
    Li shook his head. “This time you won’t surprise me.”
    “No, I mean we’ve reached a deal with Johnny Kung. There’s no need for this.”
    “That’s him. I’m me.”
    “He’s not going to be happy.”
    “Who gives a fuck?”
    “He’s the one paying you.”
    “By the day. We’re freelancers. No Kung, no money.”
    “So why are you bothering with us?”
    “We changed the plan. We figure we’ll trade you and the little asshole for Kung.”
    The two men were directly in front of her, about ten metres away. Ava glanced quickly to her right and left. A group of pedestrians had stopped to take in the confrontation. They seemed more curious than concerned.
    “That won’t work,” she said.
    “Maybe not, but while we’re waiting for an answer, I’ll at least have the satisfaction of beating the shit out of him and you.”
    “I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said.
    “I don’t remember giving you a choice,” Li said, taking a step forward.
    She took a step back, studying the two men as she did. Li’s partner had slid to one side, and Ava figured they would come at her from two directions. In the light of day, they looked even larger than they had when she saw them in the hotel and Li in the restaurant. But they also seemed bulkier, less agile and quick.
    “Don’t try to run,” Li said.
    “I’m not going anywhere without my partner,” she said.
    “That’s true enough, so why don’t you make it easy on everyone and come along quietly,” Li said, and then waved his arm at the spectators. “We don’t want to scare all these people, do we?”
    “Fuck off,” Ava said, not sure how the words had found their way out of her mouth, and surprised by their intensity.
    Li’s face contorted and then he forced a smile. “Take the bitch from the left,” he said to his partner, as he took steps to the right.
    They were still anticipating that she would run and were cutting off her escape routes. Li’s partner, looking uninterested and bored, started towards her almost casually. When he was a couple of paces away, he reached out to grab her arm. Ava retreated until her back found a wall. He leaned forward, slightly off balance, and his right hand gripped her left arm. The instant she felt his touch, her right hand crossed her body and latched onto his elbow. She dug her thumb into the soft flesh on the underside of the elbow and found the nerve she was seeking. She pressed hard, and he screamed and pulled back, his arm dangling uselessly by his side. She thought about hitting him, but Li had already moved in. She swivelled to face him.
    He ran at her as he had in the restaurant, and she wondered why he thought that strategy would work this time. But as he drew near, he twisted to one side, and the phoenix-eye fist that Ava had aimed at his stomach hit him in the ribs. He groaned but didn’t stop. He threw a punch at her head. She ducked, only to have his fist smash into her shoulder and knock her against the wall. Li turned quickly to look at his partner. Beyond the two of them, Ava could see Andy trying to get to his feet and reaching into his pocket.
    “Don’t use your gun,” she shouted at him.
    Li flinched and took a quick look back at Andy. As he did, Ava drove her knuckle into his nose. She heard it pop, and