<P>She had never previously looked so beautiful to him than she did at that moment, and he abruptly realized that he was infinitely attracted to her, and could no longer deny himself of that fact.
<P>
<P>Yet there he stood, shaken, manifesting no motion, feeling completely naked to the fact that he had just shot himself in the head and was still breathing.
<P>
<P><JC>--- --- --- ---
<P>
<P>The Wan Chai market breathed around them, masses of people netting together and slithering through each others' paths in the pockets of street created by the surrounding illuminated towers. Quaint little pottery shops and humble restaurants held their ground, opening each day to the wafting smell of flesh (mixed with the usual city scents) emanating from the nearby meat shop. There was a newspaper stand, a police station (which was dug into a small, protruding, thick-walled compound), and nearby could be found the intricately crafted temple, the Lucky Money, VersaLife, and the destination Jock sought: The secured, barricaded compound home to the Luminous Path.
<P>
<P>Dominic stood shaded against a concrete pillar. There was a pet shop before him, and through the glass he viewed a small, short-haired puppy curl up and fall asleep in the midst of its own warmth. Dom couldn't help but smile. He tried to remember the last time he'd smiled.
<P>
<P>Jess put her hand on Dom's shoulder. He hadn't noticed her approach. She turned and pointed towards the approaching Jock, who they had been waiting for as he spoke to several police officers about an undisclosed subject. Dominic briefly wondered whether most, if not all, of the Wan Chai patrols were capable of speaking English. Probably. Wan Chai had been a bit of a haven for tourists, before the Triads started ripping at each other's throats.
<P>
<P>"Things have only gotten worse since the Dentons were killed," Jock said as he grew closer. When he was a few feet away he stopped and looked around the market as though he was searching for a specific person. "The Triads aren't being patient with each other. There's been a lot of arguing and violence recently. It's a very touchy subject." He looked at Jess, then at Dom. "That's all I could get out of the police. They told me to read the papers if I wanted news. Too bad I can't read Chinese very well."