Free Broken Ferns (Lei Crime ) by Toby Neal

away.
    “Stop her, goddamn it!” the landlord yelled, face reddening, as Ken returned, smoothing his immaculate jacket.
    “Not our problem.” He cocked his head at Lei. The two agents got into the Acura.
    “What kind of cops are you?” the landlord yelled after them as they pulled out. “I’m filing a complaint!”
    “That’s what I don’t miss about local law enforcement.” Lei rolled up her tinted, bulletproof window so she didn’t hear the invectives spewing after them as they drove away. “Does she know anything about Tyson?”
    “She says she hasn’t seen him in months. She was pretty eager to get away; I think she was telling the truth.”
    “So he’s in the wind,” Lei said. “Interesting. They all are.”

Chapter 9
    Lei had a simple system for her clothes: dirty clothes all in one plastic hamper. Take to basement. Separate by colors. Work clothes came out of the dryer and went straight onto hangers she took down for that purpose, and everything else went into three additional hampers. They stood in a row against her wall, an accusing reminder that she hadn’t even committed to this apartment enough to buy a dresser.
    She rustled through one of the clean-clothes hampers and dug out a pair of nylon gym shorts, a sports bra, and a mesh running shirt. She had something social to do, for once.
    Back at the office, Marcella had interrupted her perusal of the young men’s phone records to invite her to Women’s Fight Club.
    “Fight Club?” Lei frowned as her friend, already changed out of her FBI outfit into athletic clothes, laced up her shoes. “What’s that?”
    Sophie Ang, hanging in the doorway, broke into a three-cornered grin. “Excellent idea, Marcella! We need some fresh meat down at the gym.”
    “Heard of mixed martial arts?” Marcella straightened up and picked up her gym bag. “It’s kind of a hybrid of Muay Thai, Brazilian jujitsu, and boxing.”
    “I’ve heard of it, just not of chicks doing it,” Lei said. “You’re into this?”
    “Hell yes,” Marcella said. “It’s awesome. Gets rid of work stress. Great workout, and it keeps your aggression-management skills up.”
    “I’m in.” Lei suppressed a shiver of intimidation. She was smaller and leaner than either of the other women. One good punch would probably blow her away—but Tae Kwon Do and running kept her wiry and agile. She’d make them work for that punch.
    “Good. Because there’s a surprise for you there.” Marcella’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
    “What kind of surprise?”
    “Come, and you’ll see.” On that enigmatic note, her friend bounced out, Ang right behind her.
    Ken waved Lei toward the door. “I’ll close down here. Go. You need a workout.”
    Now, dressed for action, she looked in the fridge. Still nothing, dammit, and eating a burger on the way seemed like a good way to make herself sick. Food would have to wait.
    It wasn’t long before she was entering the huge aluminum warehouse that housed the gym. Large and dim, the interior was lit by skylights and spotlights on long cords dangling from a high ceiling. The air smelled slightly musky with a tang of something that started adrenaline humming through her veins. Two women sparring in the central ring caught her eye, but they weren’t familiar.
    A weight area dominated one wall, and the other was marked by square workout pads on the floor. Marcella and Ang, padded gloves on, were already warming up.
    Lei understood the appreciation on the faces of those watching them. Marcella was magnificent, even in a pair of long, baggy nylon basketball shorts and a sports bra. Ang was the surprise. The tall computer tech was surprisingly muscled, golden-brown skin braised with kanji tattoos that encircled her upper arms and ran down the exterior of her sleek thighs. The pixie haircut that looked professional in the office enhanced an aura of streamlined power.
    Lei moved in between a couple of other onlookers to watch.
    The women circled each