treasure || bang chan

part 12

I was still hunkered down on my knees, arms around Haseong's shaking frame, as I stared up at Fei. Just earlier today I had spoken to her as an ally, a friend — we spoke about trust. Now she was standing before me, arm in arm with the enemy, handing over Pi's copper keys — the keys we had claimed together.

"You're dead," Iseul said from behind us. "I watched you drown."

Fei didn't bother to look up. She was loading bullets into a pistol. "Spare me your idiotic mumblings, Captain So. It isn't my fault your cunning only reaches to the end of your sword."

"Miss Ngai was to act as a double agent," Kwangsun said. "Pretend to drown, infiltrate Captain Bak's company and steal his keys. It was all my plan, if anyone is curious."

Fei rolled her eyes minutely.

I couldn't raise my voice above a murmur. "You lied to us."

Her veil showed nothing but a satirical smile. "Oh dear Mr. Bang, I thought you would understand by now. Wherever you think I am, I'm always two steps ahead. Besides, you always have been too quick to trust, haven't you?"

A snarl hissed past Haseong's lips. "I told you what would happen if you betrayed us."

"Is that supposed to intimidate me? A nebulous threat from a man huddled on the ground like a beetle?"

Haseong was about to get to his feet, but Fei raised her gun to the ceiling and fired. He threw his hands over his ears, dropped back to his knees.

"Fei, stop!" I growled.

She just smiled, walked forward and plucked the woven hat off Haseong's head. "This is farewell. I expect to see you both soon." She winked at me.

"Tars, restrain them," Kwangsun called to his crew. Two men came over and held us down, next to Iseul and Shao. Haseong hung his head, whispering under his breath. It's all my fault.

"It's time, my dear," Kwangsun said to Fei. The two turned and brushed their hands over the back wall. The layer of dirt, cobweb and specks of diamond fell away, a wall of begrimed metal appeared underneath. A panel was embedded at eye-level, notched with patterns in the shape of a six-pointed sun.

Fei and Kwangsun pressed each of the keys into the corresponding slots. Something in the wall clicked, clanked and thrummed, the sound of locks aligning. Kwangsun gave the wall a rough shove — spiders skittered, the remaining dirt fell away as a door cracked open before them.

Kwangsun was pumping his fist, nearly barking in triumph. Fei pushed past him, through the door. Some crewmen left their watch and followed into the hidden room.

Immediately Iseul started bucking and thrashing. Her guard just laughed.

"Keep struggling, wench. It's quite funny."

"Unhand me right now or I will wrest your head from your neck!"

"What she means to say is," Shao said quickly, "we'll pay you gentlemen handsomely if you let us go."

"Save it," the man holding me down said. "We've no use for your meagre bribes now that Captain Ahn has discovered the treasure."

"You're both simpletons if you expect a damned cent in addition to your fixed stipend," Iseul said. "With Pi's fortune, what need does Ahn even have for a pirate crew anymore?"

They continued arguing and negotiating with little success. I'd never wanted to resort to violence more in my life; a kick to the ankle, an elbow to the forehead, would free me. I could hear Fei and Kwangsun in the hidden room, chests opening, gold coins pinging, paper money scuffing against the pad of a thumb. Those were our winnings.