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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 3025927" data-attributes="member: 20323">__________________________________________________ They called it &quot;ironwood&quot;. It came from the Mabolo fruit tree in the Philippines. Illegal over there, and hard to find anywhere else. Except for Shanghai. They say that the dock markets you find more than fish, and what was stolen from you yesterday you can buy back tomorrow. The lights were dim, casting the fake displays of fish in a grey light. Mac chatted with cigarette-smoking Malays, his eyes flitting about the warehouse for signs of smugglers he recognized. Tentatively, Mac came to an agreement. It was more than he was willing to pay, but his escrima sticks had been broken protecting his fiance from thugs, and now that he was in the most dangerous city in Asia, he decided it was time to find a new pair. They're just not the same. Not like my old girls.A shout, and the window behind Mac shatters as a man is propelled through. Tumbling to his feet, the handsome Englishman adjusts his cuff links, untangling a pair of nunchakus from his neck. &quot;I believe these nunchakus belong to you, my good fellow,&quot; he says neatly handing them back to the stunned dealer, whose face rapidly turns an impossible shade of red after having his stall smashed.The man smiles at Mac just as a thug wielding a knife dives through the window. Reflexively, Mac hits the thug in the gut with his escrima stick, flipping him onto the cement floor. &quot;That's the way to do it! Nice batting arm, chap! The name's Colin.&quot; The Englishman offers his hand.&quot;Call me Mac. You're in big trouble, huh fella?&quot; Mac is impressed at Colin's coherence despite obviously having just been beaten up.&quot;Oh, nothing t'all. An old friend decided to pay me a visit.&quot; Shouts are heard outside. &quot;All, the same, what's the fastest way out of this dive?&quot;McPherson storms into the warehouse from the back door, with a thug at either side. He shouts in clear Mandarin, &quot;50 pounds to whoever catches the Englishman!&quot; The thug on the floor gaspingly points at Mac. McPherson adds &quot;...and his Filipino associate.&quot;There are Triad arms smugglers, fixers dealing in hot engines, crooked Shanghai cops, diverse murderers and thieves. Mac whispers to Colin, &quot;I'm parked around back, but we've got to make it to the back door.&quot;Colin's eyes sparkle. &quot;Why, I was the head of my college's track and field...&quot;__________________________________________________</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 3025927, member: 20323"] __________________________________________________ They called it "ironwood". It came from the Mabolo fruit tree in the Philippines. Illegal over there, and hard to find anywhere else. Except for Shanghai. They say that the dock markets you find more than fish, and what was stolen from you yesterday you can buy back tomorrow. The lights were dim, casting the fake displays of fish in a grey light. Mac chatted with cigarette-smoking Malays, his eyes flitting about the warehouse for signs of smugglers he recognized. Tentatively, Mac came to an agreement. It was more than he was willing to pay, but his escrima sticks had been broken protecting his fiance from thugs, and now that he was in the most dangerous city in Asia, he decided it was time to find a new pair. [i]They're just not the same. Not like my old girls.[/i] A shout, and the window behind Mac shatters as a man is propelled through. Tumbling to his feet, the handsome Englishman adjusts his cuff links, untangling a pair of nunchakus from his neck. "I believe these nunchakus belong to you, my good fellow," he says neatly handing them back to the stunned dealer, whose face rapidly turns an impossible shade of red after having his stall smashed. The man smiles at Mac just as a thug wielding a knife dives through the window. Reflexively, Mac hits the thug in the gut with his escrima stick, flipping him onto the cement floor. "That's the way to do it! Nice batting arm, chap! The name's Colin." The Englishman offers his hand. "Call me Mac. You're in big trouble, huh fella?" Mac is impressed at Colin's coherence despite obviously having just been beaten up. "Oh, nothing t'all. An old friend decided to pay me a visit." Shouts are heard outside. "All, the same, what's the fastest way out of this dive?" McPherson storms into the warehouse from the back door, with a thug at either side. He shouts in clear Mandarin, "50 pounds to whoever catches the Englishman!" The thug on the floor gaspingly points at Mac. McPherson adds "...and his Filipino associate." There are Triad arms smugglers, fixers dealing in hot engines, crooked Shanghai cops, diverse murderers and thieves. Mac whispers to Colin, "I'm parked around back, but we've got to make it to the back door." Colin's eyes sparkle. "Why, I was the head of my college's track and field..." __________________________________________________ [/QUOTE]

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