It’s you, man. Your move.
You clear your throat, trying to sound like you know what you’re doing.
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Older Brother is missing.
Your voice cracks a little. Turner giggles.
MINI BOSS
I heard.
GREEN
We learned that he had a fight with his father. He’d recently come into some money. Sounds like he was looking for a safe place to park it.
MINI BOSS
And you think I had something to do with it?
TURNER
(nods toward the casino)
Seems like a pretty good option.
MINI BOSS
Yeah. You’re right. It does. Except if you knew anything about Older Brother, you’d know how stupid that is.
(looks at you)
Why didn’t you tell them how stupid that is?
You do your best poker face, but you are bad at poker. Green reads it on your face.
GREEN
What does he mean?
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Older Brother didn’t care about money. At all.
MINI BOSS
Anyone who knows him would understand that. He had a plan, but it had nothing to do with money.
Turner’s ears perk up.
TURNER
What kind of plan? You better talk or—
MINI BOSS
Or what? Why should I tell you anything?
GREEN
There are enough federal and state crimes being committed in this building to put you away for a very long time.
(then)
Unless, of course, you know something that could help us. Something that might make us inclined to go easy.
MINI BOSS
I want immunity.
TURNER
No can do. Not with what we have on you.
MINI BOSS
I’m not negotiating.
TURNER
Neither am I.
Turner clenches his jaw. You’re not sure if you want to punch his face or caress it.
GREEN
We’ll put in a good word with the DA’s office. Get you the best deal they can manage.
TURNER
You might be able to get out to see your children graduate from college.
MINI BOSS
Deal, huh? I’m a businessman, detectives, and I know about deals. That is a shit deal.
Fong gives a signal. From downstairs, the sound of a bottle breaking against the craps table. Someone lifts the roulette wheel off its base and flings it across the room like a solid oak Frisbee. It smashes into the bar, spilling tequila and Corona and red wine everywhere. Tables flipping, chips flying, kung fu breaking out all over the place. Shots fired, people diving for cover. Turner and Green draw their weapons and run low toward the window, trying to survey the situation. In the chaos, Fong ducks out a secret exit, leaving behind his mysterious beauty.
“Uh,” you say. Real smooth, dumbass. A natural action hero.
“Get low,” she says, but it’s not in the script and you just stand there, frozen, unsure of what you’re supposed to do. She dives, knocking you to the ground just as glass explodes behind you in a spray of bullets, the two of you tumbling to the ground, faces close. It takes you a second to register the fact that she saved your life.
“I’m Karen,” she says. Also not in the script.
“Will,” you say. “Willis Wu.”
“Nice to meet you, Willis Wu.”
A henchman appears in the doorway. It’s Fatty Choy. You notice him a beat before anyone else and, in one continuous motion, kick up to your feet, execute a front handspring covering three-quarters of the distance, coming in not straight-on but at a right angle from your opponent’s nondominant side, kick the gun out of his hand and watch it slide across the floor and stop right at Turner’s feet. He turns around, still processing what just happened. You catch your breath. Whoa. You moved fast—faster than anyone in the room. That was some Older Brother–caliber fighting right there. You didn’t even know you were capable. Even Sifu might have been impressed.
You pin Fatty to the ground, putting a knee in his back, iron grip on his wrists. Almost like you’re a real cop.
“Ow,” he groans, quietly. “Dude, give me a break.”
Sorry, you say, easing off a little.
“It’s cool, Willis. That was some hero shit right there. When did you get so good at kung fu?”
“I don’t know,” you say. “I guess I’ve been practicing.”
“No shit,” he says. “I can tell.”
SPECIAL GUEST STAR
Everyone okay?
Green picks herself up, brushes glass off.
GREEN
Nice work.
Turner holsters his weapon, looks rattled.
TURNER
(to you)
That wasn’t proper procedure.
GREEN
Well he saved your ass, Miles.
TURNER
Shit. Where’d Fong go?
Green finds the hidden door, slides it open and closed.
GREEN
Check it out. He got away.
Turner cuffs Fatty, roughs him up a bit, slamming him down into a chair.