The Journey of Mary / Ma Li

From early childhood Mary Petrovich has had visions of a girl named Ma Li Chin living in ancient China. As time passes, the images became clearer until it seemed that Ma Li was physically present, and as Mary grew, their bond became stronger. Mary's parents, a Sioux cryptologist working for the U.S. government in Moscow, and her Russian Secret Police bodyguard father, were forced to flee to Chicago to escape Soviet government agents in the 1980's and take refuge with his brother, a psychopathic, perverted gangster. Her uncle murders her parents and repeatedly beat and rapes her before she escapes at the age of twelve. Ma Li was a 15th century warrior priestess whose family was murdered by a spiteful samurai leader over a family heirloom that Ma Li won in a tournament. Ma Li is impulsive, demanding, and aggressive while Mary is courageous, righteous, and cunning. The driving forces for them are revenge and loyalty to each other. Charlotte persuades Mary to accept a top secret undercover job from Interpol. Her task is to stop a powerful Mexican drug lord from dispensing an elixir created by his crazed Russian scientist girlfriend that would enslave all who take it. If successful it will unite all of the drug cartels under his leadership. While in Mexico Mary meets Jack and their romance begins. Mary is coerced to fight a duel as entertainment for the drug lords. It becomes a duel to the death and unknown to Mary and Ma Li, Asegi, a samurai sword expert, has her own spirit help in the form of samurai warriors. When Mexican and Interpol agents storm the hacienda the cartel leaders take Mary prisoner and try to flee through the town. Their jeep overturns in a demon created fog. Demons attack the group and only Mary and Jack, along with the mysterious old man, are left to fight the evil spirits. The demons want their souls and Mary's special weapons. The battle is almost lost, in desperation Mary throws her tomahawk into a wedge between realms created by the special swords. The explosion that follows sends the demons back to hell, saves Jack and her and also frees Ma Li to enter the physical world temporarily. Mary, by joining with Ma Li's spirit body, can see into the past and the spirit world. Mary and Ma Li become true sisters and allies as they realize they must continue to fight enemies in both the physical and the spirit realms.