Midnight Never Comes - PC 04 (v5) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Jack Higgins
would have seemed unbelievable if Chavasse hadn't seen it with his own eyes. The Irishman seemed to rebound backwards and amazingly, Yuan Tao moved in after him. As McGuire straightened, the little Chinaman hit him twice and the Irishman catapulted over the bonnet of the car and sprawled on his back moaning.
Yuan Tao moved round the car slowly, the same calm expression on his face, and the man who still held Chavasse gave a sudden cry of fear, released his grip and took to his heels.
The albino giggled horribly and held out the razor in front of him. 'Come on, fatty, let's be having you,' he said.
'What about me then, Terry?' Chavasse said and as the albino swung round, he put every last ounce of strength he had into one beautiful back-handed chop with the edge of his hand that caught him across the side of the neck.
The albino writhed in agony on the pavement and Chavasse hung on to the railings to stop himself falling down. Beyond the car, a shooting brake had turned the corner and the two waiters and the cook from the restaurant were already walking towards the dock gates, bringing the fourth man with them.
'I'd tell them to leave him in one piece if I were you,' Chavasse said to Yuan Tao. 'You'll need him to drive this little lot away.'
'A good point,' the fat man said. 'Are you all right?'
'Only just,' Chavasse grinned. 'I don't know what it was you used just now, but I'm beginning to understand why your niece was annoyed with me at the restaurant. Presumably you were just waiting for McGuire and his boys to show up.'
Yuan Tao smiled. 'I have flown in specially from Hong Kong just for that pleasure, my friend. Su-yin cabled for my help the moment these pigs first introduced themselves. I do not think they will bother us again although I intend to stay for a month or two to make sure.'
'I should imagine they'll take the point.'
By this time the three Chinese had arrived with the fourth man. Yuan Tao spoke to them rapidly in a low voice and then returned to Chavasse. 'And now we can leave. They will deal with things here. Su-yin is waiting in her car.'
Chavasse was aware of a strange feeling of elation. It was as if he had come alive again for the first time in months. As they approached the shooting brake, Su-yin got out and came to meet them.
She ignored her uncle and looked searchingly at Chavasse. 'You are all right?'
'Nothing that a drink and a hot bath won't cure.'
She put a hand on his arm. 'I am sorry for what I said earlier.'
'Nothing to be sorry about.'
At that moment a scream echoed through the rain. She turned to Yuan Tao, a frown on her face. 'What was that?'
'The little worm, the one with white hair. I was not pleased with the way he insulted you. I told them to cut off his right ear.'
Su-yin's face didn't alter. 'I see.' She smiled at Chavasse. 'We will go now. Conversation can come later.'
'If you have studied judo or karate at all, you will have heard of kiai, the power that makes a man perform apparent miracles of strength and force. Only the greatest of masters may acquire this and only after many years of discipline, both mental and physical.'
Yuan Tao squatted against the wall of the tiled bathroom dressed in an old terry towelling robe and peered through the steam at Chavasse who half-floated, submerged to his neck in water so hot that sweat broke from his face in great drops.
He nodded. 'Once in Japan I was taken to meet a master of ninjutsu, an old man of eighty, a Zen priest as a matter of fact. He had arms like sticks and weighed perhaps eight stone. The man who took me was a judo black belt and in a demonstration, he repeatedly attacked the old man who remained seated.'
'What happened?'
'Incredible as it may seem, the old man threw him effortlessly. He told me later that the power sprang from the seat of reflex control, what they called the tanden or second brain. Apparently the development of this faculty had nothing to do with physical exercising, but had been the result
Yuan Tao moved round the car slowly, the same calm expression on his face, and the man who still held Chavasse gave a sudden cry of fear, released his grip and took to his heels.
The albino giggled horribly and held out the razor in front of him. 'Come on, fatty, let's be having you,' he said.
'What about me then, Terry?' Chavasse said and as the albino swung round, he put every last ounce of strength he had into one beautiful back-handed chop with the edge of his hand that caught him across the side of the neck.
The albino writhed in agony on the pavement and Chavasse hung on to the railings to stop himself falling down. Beyond the car, a shooting brake had turned the corner and the two waiters and the cook from the restaurant were already walking towards the dock gates, bringing the fourth man with them.
'I'd tell them to leave him in one piece if I were you,' Chavasse said to Yuan Tao. 'You'll need him to drive this little lot away.'
'A good point,' the fat man said. 'Are you all right?'
'Only just,' Chavasse grinned. 'I don't know what it was you used just now, but I'm beginning to understand why your niece was annoyed with me at the restaurant. Presumably you were just waiting for McGuire and his boys to show up.'
Yuan Tao smiled. 'I have flown in specially from Hong Kong just for that pleasure, my friend. Su-yin cabled for my help the moment these pigs first introduced themselves. I do not think they will bother us again although I intend to stay for a month or two to make sure.'
'I should imagine they'll take the point.'
By this time the three Chinese had arrived with the fourth man. Yuan Tao spoke to them rapidly in a low voice and then returned to Chavasse. 'And now we can leave. They will deal with things here. Su-yin is waiting in her car.'
Chavasse was aware of a strange feeling of elation. It was as if he had come alive again for the first time in months. As they approached the shooting brake, Su-yin got out and came to meet them.
She ignored her uncle and looked searchingly at Chavasse. 'You are all right?'
'Nothing that a drink and a hot bath won't cure.'
She put a hand on his arm. 'I am sorry for what I said earlier.'
'Nothing to be sorry about.'
At that moment a scream echoed through the rain. She turned to Yuan Tao, a frown on her face. 'What was that?'
'The little worm, the one with white hair. I was not pleased with the way he insulted you. I told them to cut off his right ear.'
Su-yin's face didn't alter. 'I see.' She smiled at Chavasse. 'We will go now. Conversation can come later.'
'If you have studied judo or karate at all, you will have heard of kiai, the power that makes a man perform apparent miracles of strength and force. Only the greatest of masters may acquire this and only after many years of discipline, both mental and physical.'
Yuan Tao squatted against the wall of the tiled bathroom dressed in an old terry towelling robe and peered through the steam at Chavasse who half-floated, submerged to his neck in water so hot that sweat broke from his face in great drops.
He nodded. 'Once in Japan I was taken to meet a master of ninjutsu, an old man of eighty, a Zen priest as a matter of fact. He had arms like sticks and weighed perhaps eight stone. The man who took me was a judo black belt and in a demonstration, he repeatedly attacked the old man who remained seated.'
'What happened?'
'Incredible as it may seem, the old man threw him effortlessly. He told me later that the power sprang from the seat of reflex control, what they called the tanden or second brain. Apparently the development of this faculty had nothing to do with physical exercising, but had been the result
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