[ProfGast]

Wednesday, 19 November, 2359; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

Sam nodded in greeting to the large man before taking a seat.

"Blue Ice or Blue Girl if you have, otherwise Tsingtao is fine."

He slowly glanced around the room, taking in everything from the food, to the man in front of him, to the evident guards outside.

"So how can I help you Mr. Kim?"

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0001; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

The man nodded at the drink order with an approving smile and tapped at the air a couple of times before loading a plate with a little of everything he had on the grill. He place it before Sam and proceeded to load his own plate. Still not answering, he grabbed a sizzling strip of beef off the plate and placed it on his tongue. Chewing, he proceeded to cover the grill with raw meats from a platter, along with a few hefty slices of onions and peppers, some carrots.

Then he squared his plate in front of himself, motioning urgently for Sam to eat, and started in. Between bites, he placed various colors of kim-chee on his plate from a line of ceramic pots that stood on one side of the grill between the two men.

Once he was satisfied that his guest was also eating with sufficient gusto, he relaxed a bit. Downed about half of his plate, took more time to turn the meat on the grill, then said around a mouthful of beef tongue and peppers, "I just need you to help protect someone. My nephew. He has his own little crew of promising young men, but one can't be too careful with one's own blood. That's all."

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0001; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

Sam helped himself to a couple of choice pieces, all the while deftly re-arranging the best looking slices to the best spots on the grill.  He let the sound of sizzling meat fill the air for a few moments before replying.

"Your nephew?  For how long?   Are you expecting some sort of trouble?"

The first round of questions asked, Sam pops a perfectly cooked cut of meat into his mouth and chews slowly while waiting for an answer.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0003; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

"Yes," the hefty man answered around a mouthful of grilled intestine, "my nephew. I'll admit I am given to using the word imprecisely with regard to a number of the men under my supervision. But Kwang-ho is indeed my sister's son, and as such I am not without a certain special affection for him and aspiration on his behalf. So the job would be...until I no longer deem it necessary. But I don't thing that will be inordinately long, and I'll pay you by the day in any case, so..." and he raised one hand in what should have been a two-handed 'what's the problem?' gesture, his other hand stuffing his mouth with beef.

"And again, yes. Without going into too much unnecessary detail, I think I'd look foolish to hire extra protection for a short time while denying there was a certain additional threat at the moment. Unfortunately, we have not yet ascertained the source. Suffice to say, there may be an arcane element. I hope that does not put you off. The money is indeed good for man that can look the part of a member of my organization, and prove competent enough to help me sleep better at night as I send my poor nephew about town on various essential errands."

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0004; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

"I see."

Sam's chopsticks flashed out snagging another bit of meat off the grill just as it reaches its best flavor and chews it thoughtfully.

"Only problem is... I have other responsibility at least three days of the week.  A poor bodyguard I would be if I am not there when he is threatened.  If you want to hire me, we will have to work out a schedule."

Sam spreads his hands outwards as he lists his shortcomings.

"If I can get a good idea of when I am needed, I can be available most days, but not for whole day."

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0005; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

The bloated Korean mobster pursed his lips - he even stopped chewing. He disliked being maneuvered into specificity. It narrowed his options.

"I need you at my nephew's doorstep tomorrow at dawn, and for the forty-eight hours after that. All the time. Assassins do not take breaks. You should be able to give me two days and still find three others for your...other responsibilities. I need to know your answer."

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0006; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

For a moment the only sound was the sizzling of the grill.  Then Sam nodded.

"I can give you that much of my time Mr. Kim.   You need not be afraid that someone will reach your nephew while I am there at least."

Sam holds his hands above the table and gives a salute: Right fist clasped in his left hand.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0007; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

The older man did not return the salute, though he did appear to appreciate the traditional gesture of martial respect.

"I am sure I will rest more easily tonight. Many are the strains of my position. Your position is one of specialist consultant and you'll be afforded every respect. However, you are not a member of our family, and will in fact be working as a supplement to the security provided by Kwang-ho's own crew. We are not a people that puts great stock in lone wolves, however long we have been in this land. My nephew enjoys the pleasures of Alki Beach and keeps his residence there, as do many of our associates. One of my attendants will give you the exact address there. Feel free to take your beer with you."

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0008; Korean BBQ House, Capitol Hill, Downtown Seattle

Sam rose as he was dismissed, finishing his beer in a gulp and bowed slightly to the man across from him. 

"You will not be disappointed in this, and I hope to see the situation resolved before my job is over."

Stepping out from the room, Sam pauses to receive the coordinates from the aforementioned attendant and then he exits the store. Before getting back on the road he stops to draft a quick message.

<<<@j.x.li35@uw.edu [LCho]: Jan, I'm going to be away from work for a couple days.  Need you to make sure the cookstaff prepares Menu C for the first day and Menu D for the next.  Supplies and basic prep should be done already.  Appreciate it. >>>

With the message composed and sent, it's back on the road again and ready for the job.

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0600; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Sunrise came a little later over the Sound, with the rays having to clear the lush green majesty of the Cascades. And the address proved easy enough to find, one of a long line of small but posh condos facing east over the water. Sam parked his Rapier at the bottom of the steps out front. The asphalt of the street had a thin dusting of sand on it from the beach just on the other side. At the front door were two men. Both were in their twenties and looked Korean. They wearing armor jackets with expensive cuts, imitating whatever was on the music feeds over the past few days.

One moved halfway down the front steps in greeting. "You're Sam." He smiled and guiltily flashed a holoprint of Sam's face on the palm of his hand. "Yeah, cheating. Uncle sent your picture over, and said to take good care of you. My name is Bumper, and that's Bengal up there." The young man smiled, but the respect didn't reach his eyes."So let's go meet Blue Dragon."

Leaving Bengal outside, he opened the door and led Sam into a foyer that shared a glass ceiling with the third floor. From just inside the door Sam could see a vertical Escheresque maze of stairways and irregularly shaped living spaces, all open to the foyer at whatever height. Here in the foyer itself were a collection a plants, a stream of water winding its way through the middle of the floor, and two teenage girls wearing bikini bottoms on plastic folding lawn furniture. Another young Korean man came into view from a room about two stories up. He wore black slacks and a navy blue silk shirt unbuttoned about halfway down, showing off a chiselled upper body. He stood looking down from the edge and said, "Welcome. My dear uncle likely referred to me as Kwang-ho. But you can call me Blue Dragon."

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0601; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Bumper, Bengal, Blue Dragon?  A lot of Bs.  Well whatever suits them I suppose...

Without letting his thoughts show on his face, Sam bows politely to the young man above him and introduces himself.

"I am Sam Chat, you may call me whatever you like, Blue Dragon, though most just use 'Sam'."

Sam gives his street name the proper Cantonese intonations, but without much hope that his current employer will necessarily use them.

"As I am sure you know, your uncle asked me to accompany you for a couple days.  I hope you do not mind."

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0603; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

"Mind? Fuck, man, happy to have you, chummer. We are in the shit right now, my Middle Kingdom friend." As he spoke, Blue Dragon worked his way down through the labyrinth of steps and ladders like a hamster in a habitrail, visible throughout his journey due to there being no wall on any of the spaces facing the high-ceilinged foyer.

"Skanks, drinks!" he snapped, and one of the two topless girls lazily got up and ambled over to a bar.

The Korean underboss came up to Sam and put his hand on his shoulders. His pupils were moderately dilated. "We...are...in...the...shit, man. Nothing we can't handle, of course. But we handle it by being smart, stacking the deck, am I right? Am I right?" He snatched two drinks from the girl and handed one to Sam. He raised the tumbler of liquor to his lips, but before drinking he spoke, holding Sam's eyes unsteadily, "My cousin got snatched right out of his house just three doors down from here night before last. We ain't heard from him. And yesterday, some scraggly old witch comes up to my second uncle out of nowhere at his cafe and fucking melted him. He was a pool of sludge on the pavement before his men blew the old crone's head off." Then he upended the three fingers of Scotch and gulped it down in one go, tossing the empty glass to Bumper without looking.

"So that's a good night to you...we're off to bed. Roll out on biz after dusk. Can't skip it, what would that say, right? Bengal's out front, Tension's on the roof, Minus at the back. You hang outside my room. Bitches!" He led the way back upstairs, followed by the girls, and assuming Sam would follow as well. As he climbed, he glanced back and asked, "You got any questions, my new friend?"

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0604; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

"So no clue who then?

Sam fell into step behind the Korean gangster and his little 'entourage.'  His eyes flicked left and right as he looked around for major entrances and exits to the area.

"Tough to keep an eye out for everyone and everything after all."

Sam glanced again looking at the two-girls-in-dishabille, as well as the rest of the bodyguards scattered around, seeing if any of them seemed particularly out of place.  He pitched his next words slightly lower.

"I assume everyone here is clean."

[adamu]

Thursday, 21 November, 0606; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

They had arrived at a small landing outside a bedroom. Like everywhere else they'd been, the landing had no wall facing the foyer, flagstone floor and running stream some five meters below. There were a couple of comfortable-looking armchairs here, the low soft kind you could really sink yourself into. The bedroom, however, was to the interior of the condo, not facing the foyer. It afforded some privacy, though the opposite wall was a floor-to-ceiling window looking inland and westward. Bumper had followed them up.

Blue Dragon looked at Bumper, as if his man mind have some sudden bit of wisdom. The underthug simply shrugged, and the boss-boy answered, "No man, not a fucking clue. I guess that's why we have you."

He shoved the two girls into the room.

"And yeah, these guys here, they're not only clean, they're fam..." and his eyes went wide looking over Sam's shoulder.

Sam wheeled to find Bumper rushing them with a huge knife in his hand.

[ProfGast]

Thursday, 21 November, 0606; Alki Beach, Downtown Seattle

Well, it's not like I didn't half expect something like this

Instinctively, Sam stepped between the charging man and Blue Dragon, settling into a comfortable fighting stance.  His eyes widened for a moment as he fully took in Bumper's appearance.

Bumper was not the man he had been a few moments ago: his eyes were wide and blood-shot, his mouth twisted into a rictus of a grin.  Veins stood out against his neck and forehead and he rushed in, practically ignoring Sam in favor of his principal target.

Bumper looked like a man possessed  -- and he may well have been given the unknown enemy's MO -- but Sam didn't hesitate as training took over.  When Bumper stepped forwards, Sam's right foot lashed across in a low kick that contacted the other man's shin.  The kick was hard, but not designed to hurt.  Rather it was aimed to unbalance the charging assailant and caused Bumper to stumble slightly.

The stumble brought Bumper in just close enough for Sam to finish his move: in the same motion as the kick, he  planted his right foot and when Bumper drew alongside, he turned and shifted his balance to drive his shoulder -- and entire body -- into the off-balance Bumper.  The textbook kao strike sent the already off-balance man tumbling into the safety rail of the landing they were on.

Or rather, where a normal person would have put a safety rail.  As the attacker tumbled off the landing Sam hid a wince.

What is he MADE of?  That felt like I shoulder-checked a wall.