A Tangled Web Ch. 11

"What on earth are you doing?" Yin queried.

"Getting the uniform off this soldier."

"I can see that but why, what are you going to do with it?"

"Wear it."

"Wear it?" Yin could not have been more surprised. "And then...."

"And then, old chap, I'm going to jolly well march into the barracks and sort things out." Vera said using English for the first time in months. Around her the others gaped.

"What on earth...?" one gasped.

"Who are you?" Yin asked, suddenly suspicious.

"There's no time to explain but, yes, I'm British but that doesn't mean I'm on their side. If I just put on his uniform I can talk my way into the barracks and then... and then I'm not sure but it's got to be better than staying here, waiting to die."

Yin stared long and hard at Vera as she weighed up her options. If she hadn't personally seen this raw recruit disembowel a British soldier not five minutes ago then she would never have trusted him but their options were limited and right now, well, maybe it was time to take a gamble.

"You'd do better if you brought in a prisoner," Yin remarked thoughtfully. "Me for example."

"What about this lot?"

"You," Yin called out to the nearest soldier, "you're in charge. Stay here and if the British try anything shoot them."

"Me, Miss?"

"Yes, you. Your orders are to stay here and hold this position. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Miss."

Yin helped Vera to get changed and then they slipped off, moving from dip to dip and keeping out of site. They had got maybe fifty yards and were still under cover when Yin pulled Vera down into a convenient hollow. She took out her revolver and pointed it at Vera.

"Right then, who on earth are you? And don't try get round me off with that 'there's no time' stuff." she started. "There is no way I'm going to march into the barracks as the prisoner of a British girl unless I know a lot more than I do now."

"There really is no time," Vera responded. "And how did you spot that I'm a girl."

"When you were getting changed, there was no bulge in your underpants. Believe me, I was watching closely and, even before you're little surprise back there, I knew there was more to you than meets the eye. Now tell me why I should trust a British girl who masquerades as one of our troops. Either you tell me or this stops right here. Whose side are you on?"

"I'm... I am British and, I'll admit, I was recruited to infiltrate the rebel forces. That's how it started, that's how I got involved in all this," Vera started, realising that she would have to tell the truth, or something pretty close to it. "I was sent to spy on Madam Hong but... well... let's say I've seen some things which mean I'm not so sure which way my loyalties lie anymore."

"What things?"

"Xui-Li... err... Madam Hong took me to one of the refugee camps and well, I started to see things differently. Things weren't so black and white any more. When I saw what misery British troops had inflicted, well, I'm not so sure I'm on your side, but I'm definitely not on theirs."

"But that doesn't explain why you're fighting with the rebels."

"That's where it gets complicated," Vera paused, wondering how she could explain the next bit, "I know this bit will be hard to believe but General Chang and Mei-Xing used me in a plot to discredit Madam Hong. There was some sort of trial and we were both found guilty. We were both sentenced to be shot but Mei-Xing sold me to a brothel instead. I escaped a month or so back by pretending to be a recruit in the rebel army. I never thought I'd see any action, it was just somewhere to go but, well, then we got called out and here I am. Believe me, I know how crazy this all sounds but it's the truth, honest it is."

Yin just sat and stared at Vera. However, much as the story sounded beyond belief, she was beginning to sense that it might just be true.

"Everyone thought that the girl who was tried along with Madam Hong was released by the British."

"If only...," Vera said vehemently. "That bitch Mei-Xing had me out of there long before any raid. I only found out about it later. What happened to Mei-Xing, by the way?"

"She... she...," Yin started, "everyone thought she was killed in the raid."

"I can assure you she wasn't."

Yin thought things over for a moment or two longer. There was one way this strange British girl could confirm her story, one fact that wasn't widely known. "So you were tried along with Madam Hong, she didn't by any chance have some sort of pet name for you?" she asked slowly.

"She called me Jun-Nui," Vera replied.

"You're really her! You're Jun-Nui!" Yin was stunned. "I've heard quite a bit about you but I never thought I'd actually meet you." She put her revolver down.

"You've heard about me? Who from?"

"Madam Hong for a start." Yin wasn't going to elaborate that she had asked around as much as possible to find out about this mysterious women whose name Xui-Li called in her sleep.

"I thought she was dead, shot by Chang or hung by the Brits. Please, tell me that was her, up on the roof, I mean, tell me that she's still alive."

"Yes, she's alive. She's the one who set up this raid. She had some plan to sneak inside but it looks like it's gone wrong."

"Then we've got to rescue her, and right away. What are we waiting for?"

Yin gave Vera another long hard look. Whatever her political allegiance there was no denying her allegiances when it came to Xui-Li.

"And why exactly is it so important that we rescue her? I mean, I know why I want to but why you, why do you want to?"

"Because I need to know... I need to know.... Because I love her!" Vera's outburst hung in the air between them. She hadn't meant to be so open but confirmation that Xui-Li was alive, and, more than that, that she was just a hundred or so yards away, was almost more than Vera could take. She had so many questions. For months she had mulled this over; she could see from the trial why it must have been expedient for Xui-Li to disown her in public but what were her real feelings? The words 'it could have been any round eye' still burned, still hurt, still confused. She had to find out, for good or for ill, how Xui-Li really felt.

Ironically this was the one answer that would satisfy Yin. After Xui-Li's half confession Yin had made discrete enquiries and this all tied in with what she had heard. Had Vera protested some great change of heart over the rebellion then Yin would have been deeply suspicious but risking all in an earnest desire to find out whether Xui-Li loved her, that she could understand. Far harder for Yin to swallow was the bitter taste of jealousy. She had long understood that she lived in Jun-Nui's shadow but had never expected to actually meet her. Now that they had met she really ought to hate her, she really wanted to hate her, but this wasn't the evil British spy she had imagined, this was a young woman not unlike herself. As she heard the yearning in Vera's voice and her determination to see this through, her heart melted and she couldn't help but start to admire her. As for what would happen when this was all over, that was in the lap of the gods.

"OK, I'm going to trust you, for Xui-Li's sake," Yin said eventually. "My name is Yin, by the way. I'm Madam Hong's... assistant. Now, how exactly do you want to do this?"

"I need to tie you up, not much, something you can get out of." Vera looked about for something to use but came up short. Eventually she extemporise by using her neck-tie.

"If I tied your wrists behind your back like this," Vera demonstrated, " and you hold the end of the tie like this," Vera tucked the end of the tie into Yin's waiting hand, "and then it looks like you're secure but as soon as you let go... bingo!"

So it was that, ten minutes later, Vera, dressed in an ill fitting and bloodstained uniform presented herself at the front door of the barracks using the bayonet on the end of her rifle to drive before her Yin, her wrists "bound" behind her back. Ironically the bloodstained shirt and tunic helped to cover their bad fit. To the shocked guards it looked like this private had been right in the thick of things. No wonder his uniform was awry. It must have taken some pluck to take this chink prisoner, even if she was just a girl, and then to get back alive....

"Who are you and where on earth did you spring from?" the guard on the gate asked as he failed to recognise this British soldier.

"Private Hall, new posting. Got a bit lost down in the field and it took a while to work my way back again. Managed to pick this up though," Vera replied mimicking a London accent. The name 'Hall' had been on papers she'd found in the pockets of the uniform she was wearing.

"More than a bit lost," The guard laughed. "If that blood's yours then it's a wonder your still standing. You want to get yourself off to sick bay."

"Nah, I'm fine. The blood belongs to some chink bastard. Stuck him with my bayonet. Should have heard him squeal. Then I fell over this little darlin'. She struggled so I had to rough her up a bit and then I tied her up good and proper," Vera turned Yin around to show how she was apparently bound. "She's my prize, so to speak, so I'm going to take her up to the CO. That's got to be worth a medal."

"There's a new CO, a Major Strickland," the guard said. "He's taken over from Creighton. Turned up while you lot were out there. Smails, why don't you accompany Hall and his prisoner up to the CO's office?"

Private Smails led Vera and Yin into the barracks, up the stairs and over to the office. He knocked on the door and, when ordered, they all went inside. Major Creighton and Major Strickland were stood at the window and Xui-Li was sat, handcuffed to a chair. All three looked up.

"Private Hall with a captured chinkie, sir!" Private Smails announced.

"Send them in, send them in."

"Well, well, what have we here?" Major Strickland asked, coming away from the window and standing three or four feet in front of them. He gave them both a long hard look and, immediately, Vera was concerned that their subterfuge was about to fall apart. She and Yin hadn't planned this bit much beyond 'we'll get inside and then....'

"Private Hall, Sah!" Vera kept to her London accent. "Got separated from the platoon and had to fight my way back. Picked up this," Vera pushed Yin forward, "along the way."

"How very fortunate," Major Strickland said, his suspicion clear, "fortunate that you should be so lucky when most of the platoon weren't."

All the while he was reaching for his revolver, loosening his holster. Without any warning he pulled the gun free and shot Yin who collapsed to the floor.

"You shot her! You shot her in cold blood!" Vera gasped in horror. "Why did you have to shoot her?"

"Because that's what I do to rebel scum, I shoot them. What's more to the point is why you're so concerned about such scum, soldier." Still holding his revolver in his hand Major Strickland went up to Vera and stood in front of her examining her closely. He grasped her chin and turned her head to one side. "You're... you're... well, well, well, if it isn't Vera Talisker. The little girl who thinks she's a spy. Now here's a surprise. I wondered what had happened to you when you weren't found after the raid. Who'd have thought you would turn up here. Did you think you could just waltz in and rescue your lover, the precious Madam Hong? Oh, how priceless. Now be a good girl and put down that rifle. We both know you haven't got the guts to use it."

Vera glanced at Yin, still bleeding profusely, at Madam Hong, with her mouth open in surprise and, finally, at Major Strickland coming towards her in the arrogant belief that she wouldn't shoot.

"Come along, now, hand over the rifle," Major Strickland repeated. "You're in enough trouble as it is. Don't make it any worse."

The barrel of the rifle seemed to rise of its own accord and, shaking with emotion, Vera felt her finger pull the trigger. The room seemed to fill with the rifle's roar and Major Strickland screamed as he was thrown back, clutching his leg. His revolver clattered to the floor between them.

"Yes, I was Vera Talisker, but not any more. Nowadays I'm Jun-Nui, truth girl, and I don't take orders from you!"

Vera picked up Major Strickland's revolver and gave it to Yin although it was a moot point whether she would have the strength to use it. Shocked and angry she turned back to the room. Major Strickland was crawling towards the desk behind which Major Creighton was crouched.

"Move one more inch you're a eunuch!" she snarled, re-cocking the rifle and pointing it at his groin. Major Strickland stopped, not doubting her sincerity. "You, yes, you!" Vera shouted at Major Creighton, "get the keys and unlock Madam Hong, do it now!" She waved her rifle erratically between him and Major Strickland to emphasise that she meant business. "Do it now!" she yelled as Major Creighton failed to move.

Still keeping, as far as possible, below the desk, Major Creighton found the keys, reached for the handcuffs and freed Xui-Li who, in one smooth action, stood up, turned round and took Major Creighton's revolver from his holster. She came over and and crouched down so as to check on Yin while still keeping Major Strickland and Major Creighton in her field of vision.

"What did you plan to do now?" she asked calmly. She stared at Vera looking for confirmation. "It really is you, isn't it? I thought... How on earth..."

"This is not the time nor the place," Vera replied. "Yin, I gather, is your 'assistant'. Is she badly hurt?"

"Yin's my..." Xui-Li started as she tore back Yin's tunic to reveal the mess of blood and guts beneath. "Oh, Yin, my darling." Xui-Li gathered Yin in and held her tight but, even as Xui-Li held her the life drained from Yin's eyes and her head lolled over to one side. Xui-Li choked back a sob before turning back to the room. There was ice in her eyes and a grim determination on her face.

"If we're going to get out of here alive we're going to have to use these two the way they used me," Xui-Li said. "I would more than happily kill this one," she indicated Major Strickland with her revolver, "right here, right now but he's more use to us alive. Do you know if he speaks Chinese?"

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't. He needed me to interpret once." Vera replied.

"That's good. Now, let's get them tied up." She turned to Major Creighton and waved her revolver meaningfully. "You, come out from behind that desk, turn round and put your hands behind your back."

As he did so Vera was only partially surprised to see the large dam patch around his crotch. She took the handcuffs and fastened his wrists securely.

"That's him sorted, now, what about the other one?" Xui-Li went over to where Major Strickland lay on the floor. She kicked his hands away from his thigh to expose the damage.

"This is just a flesh wound, it's nothing, nothing at all. Now, you've been good so far. Are you going to continue to behave or do I have to hurt you? You're more use to me alive at the moment but that doesn't mean I can't..." She pointed her revolver meaningfully between his thighs. "And before you start doubting that I mean every word I say may I point out that I was rather fond of that young soldier you just murdered. It would give me so much pleasure to see you suffer, to see you really suffer. Shooting off your jiba would just be a start so, if you want to avoid any unpleasantness, I suggest you stay useful to me. Is that quite understood?"

"Yes, yes, I understand."

"I want you to stand up, nice and slowly, and then you and this other piece of excrement, are going to stand back to back. Jun-Nui here will fasten your wrists so that your arms are locked together. Do we all completely understand?"

Major Strickland, Major Creighton and Vera all nodded. Then, with Xui-Li watching closely and using a filing cabinet as a crutch, Major Strickland got to his feet. Vera could see that, although his thigh was bleeding profusely, it was nowhere near as bad as Yin's stomach had been and he was in no real danger. Still guided by Xui-Li he and Major Creighton manoeuvred until they were back to back and then Vera handcuffed Major Strickland's wrists so that their arms were intertwined.

"Right then, we're going out into the hallway. Bare in mind that, if either of you make any false moves, then I will have no compunction in shooting the both of you."

"One moment," Vera called out. "I know what this needs."

She went over to the two men and, quickly and expertly, undid their trousers and pulled them down, along with their underpants, to their ankles. As she stood up again in front of Major Strickland he looked her in the eye.

"Do you know what they do to traitors, those who betray their king and country? Once you join with this scum there's no going back."

"I'd be careful who you call 'scum', Major," Vera snarled back at him. She reached down, grabbed his genitals and gave them a twist. "Madam Hong isn't the only one upset about the way you shot Yin; I too would love to see you suffer. Maybe I'll rip these right off. I'm so angry I might just do it," she gave Major Strickland's genitals another twist until sweat appeared on his brow, "and, as for no going back, England holds nothing for me now, nothing at all." Once again she gave his genitals a little twist.

"Men are so much easier to control when you have them by the balls," Jun-Nui joked to Xui-Li in Chinese.

"So I see," Xui-Li replied, "although I'm somewhat surprised about how much you seem to know about it. You've come along way since we last met. Now, seeing as how you have his attention, can you find out how many troops we're up against?"

"What's the compliment here," Jun-Nui asked Major Strickland, once again emphasising her point.

"I don't know, I really don't know Arrgh! No, please, enough, I'm not in command here, Major Creighton is. For Pete's sake, Creighton, tell her."

Jun-Nui transferred her attentions to Major Creighton's genitals. It was no surprise that she didn't need to squeeze quite so hard to make him wince.

"One sergeant, three corporals and twenty infantry men." Major Creighton said between clenched teeth. "Well, that's before the little skirmish earlier. We did suffer a few casualties."

"How many? How many casualties?"

"Not sure, I'm afraid. I wasn't counting."

"Who would know?"

"The sergeant, he looks after that sort of thing."

"Well done," Jun-Nui said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do you see how easy it is when you behave? Now, seeing as how the sergeant is the only one in the know around here, why don't we call him in so we can ask him?"

She glanced across at Xui-Li who nodded.

"Madam Hong is going to open the door and then you'll call out for your sergeant." Again Jun-Nui glanced across at Xui-Li. "We'll get him up here and see what he knows. I hope I don't need to remind you not to play any silly tricks."

Madam Hong opened the door and, on a prompt from Jun-Nui, Major Creighton called out for the sergeant before Madam Hong closed it again. Moments later there was a knocking. Again with Vera's prompting Major Creighton called out 'enter' and, as soon as the sergeant marched in Xui-Li, who was waiting behind the door, hit him over the head with the butt of her rifle. As he lay dazed on the floor she quickly and smoothly removed his side arm and then stood over him pointing the rifle meaningfully.

"Ah, sergeant," Vera said calmly. "As you can see there's been a change in command around here. Please do not be under any illusions as to what we will or won't do to make sure it stays that way. as you can see from Major Strickland's leg we can be quite... persuasive. Do I make myself clear?"

The sergeant, somewhat concussed on the floor, looked about him. "Yes..." he said eventually as he struggled to make sense of the scene.