Free Peking & The Tulip Affair by Nick Carter

have some of those peasants bury him for us. It isn't right for a soldier to do manual labor."
    Lotus agreed with him, and they carried Nick's body into the mess hall, where they parked him on a bench. "You sit down here and I'll get the tea and cakes," Lotus told her companion.
    She went off, filled two mugs with tea, but didn't find any rice cakes. She did find a sharp knife, which she hid in her uniform. She wasn't going to risk a rifle shot and it would be just as great a risk to try to kill him with her rifle butt.
    The first man she had killed had thought he was alone. She had been able to catch him off guard. It would be more difficult with this man, who knew he wasn't alone. It took precious seconds to raise a rifle and bring the butt forward. But a short jab with the knife was quick and took half the time. That was the way she had thought it out.
    She brought the cups of tea to the long wooden table and put them down. Her companion grumbled and asked for the rice cakes.
    "I forgot," she said. "Have your tea. I'll get the cakes."
    He lifted the cup of tea and sipped.
    She was behind him now. Out came the knife. She didn't bother raising it She shoved it forward, the blade entering the middle of his back.
    The cup fell from his hand. Tea ran down the table, soaking into the wood. Savage sounds came from his twisted mouth. He fell forward, the knife still in him. Blood poured from his mouth and mixed with the tea.
    She put her arms under his armpits and dragged him to the closet, where he joined his dead comrade.
    Lotus went to where Nick was stretched out, took out the pen, and used the antidote.
    Nick opened his eyes and Lotus helped him sit up. She gave him her cup of tea and he drank it down gratefully.
    "We can't stay here," she said urgently. "Someone may come in."
    Nick looked about. "How did I get here?"
    "Let us go to the back, where we can talk."
    They went to the kitchen, and amid huge pans and pots and cold stoves she told him what had happened.
    "So you substituted Store for Agent Z," Nick said admiringly. "Good thinking." Nick looked down at himself. "I need some clothes." He was still in his shorts.
    "I have two dead soldiers hidden away. But their uniforms are too small for you."
    "Wait a minute." Nick examined some closets and found what was the equivalent of GI fatigues. He put them on, and though they were tight he could move about freely without ripping the seams. Lotus showed him the closet where she had stored the two dead guards. He took their rifles and sidearms.
    "We don't have much time," he told Lotus. "It'll be dawn soon. We have to act now."
    "What are you going to do?" she asked breathlessly. Hadn't they been through enough? Wasn't it time for some rest? She would think so. And yet this man was arming himself as if he were going to attack a fort or castle. Where did he get his energy? She had never seen anything like it before.
    "I'm going to level that laboratory " Nick said. "If I can't blow it up I'll burn it to the ground."
    "But how?"
    "There's enough inflammable material in that lab to start a holocaust"
    "You may be able to do it," she reasoned. "We were supposed to guard the building after we buried you. It was the girl's orders." Her eyes widened. "But they'll be there. Sim Chan and the German. What if you run into them?"
    "That's why I'm taking all the hardware. But first I have to knock out the electric-beam system. It's probably centered in the building with the searchlights on its roof."
    Lotus shook her head. He was taking too many chances.
    They walked to the front door and peered out. Most of the soldiers had gone to their barracks to catch up on their interrupted sleep. A few were milling about, exchanging gossip.
    "Wait here till I come for you," Nick whispered to Lotus. He gave her one of the pistols. "If you see anyone coming, just duck. Stay in the back somewhere. Plenty of dark corners back there."
    "Don't worry about me."
    He walked out, keeping his head down, trying