Rising Tiger by Trevor Scott Page A

flaw, it was her imperfect teeth. But now the braces made her look like she was still in high school. She had not aged a day.
    “It’s business,” Jake said. “I can’t say any more.”
    She shook her head. “I understand. How long will you be here?”
    “Just tonight,” he said. He wished he had more time after seeing her again.
    “We should go out tonight then.”
    “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
    “It’s slow today. I could say I’m sick.”
    He wasn’t sure, but he thought she might want to rekindle what they had in the past.
    “I’m sorry. I’m with someone.”
    She looked disappointed. “It’s Toni, right?”
    “No. Toni was murdered recently.”
    Shock crossed her face, and Jake realized he shouldn’t have been so blunt. He explained what had happened to Toni, and how the two of them had never gotten back together.
    “I’m so sorry, Jake. But you were still friends.”
    “Of course.” He didn’t want to mention the fact that Toni had given birth to Jake’s son years ago and failed to tell him. Jake was still trying to deal with that recent revelation.
    “Then who?” she asked.
    “You’ve met her in Austria. Alexandra.”
    “Oh, she is very beautiful. I hope you are finally happy.”
    “Well, we’re still trying to figure things out.” He explained what he could, that Alexandra was becoming his partner. Nothing else. “How are you doing?”
    She hesitated to consider the question. “I’m happy. I like my job here. Singapore is a beautiful city. Very warm.”
    “It is that. Too hot for me.” Jake had kept his eyes open for anything unusual and when he finally saw something out of place, he knew he had to move fast to keep Chang Su safe. “I have to go. Is your number the same?”
    “You just got here, Jake,” she pled, obviously disappointed.
    “I know. I’m sorry.” He got up and left her at the table, making sure the Asian woman coming his way didn’t see the two of them together. Lowering his hat over his eyes, he vectored behind a row of slot machines. What the hell was going on? Somehow the Asian woman had found him.
    The woman who had fought with Alexandra and tried to kill the both of them last night was now on him like a heat seeking missile. It must have been because the security scanned his passport at the door. Maybe Bill Remington knew about his Canadian passport. Now Jake would have to use one of his other passports going forward.
    Jake moved along the back wall. The casino was shaped in a circle, so if he kept going he would eventually get to one of the escalators. No, she might have posted a friend at each one of those. Instead, Jake hurried forward toward a handicap elevator. As he punched the button, he saw the Asian woman checking her phone out in the center of the room among the gaming tables.
    The elevator came and he got in. He reached for his gun, but it wasn’t there. He had been forced to leave it in his room.
    When he got up one flight to the entrance level, Jake walked quickly toward the security area. He showed his passport to leave the casino and then walked out toward the casino. A lone man was against one wall talking on his cell phone, just out of view of casino security.
    Suddenly the man seemed to recognize Jake. The Asian man reached into his jacket and Jake rushed the guy, hitting the man and knocking him against the wall, his gun bouncing to the carpet out of their reach.
    Jake shoved his knee into the man’s groin, taking his breath away with instant pain. Then Jake grasped the man behind the head and drove his face into Jake’s knee, knocking him out.
    The cough of a silenced gun made Jake instinctively turn. The bullet chipped the marble wall and Jake now saw the source. It was the Asian woman and another man, who probably held her gun as she went in to find Jake. The other guy was six feet away in the direction of the Asian woman.
    Without further hesitation, Jake ran as fast as he could, rounding a corner and racing out through a