by Brian N. Cox
Dowey looked down the highway to see there were no cars coming up the highway and drove a hard punch into Chan’s solar plexus knocking him to the ground gasping for breath.
“Turn off your roof lights Corporal,” said Dowey to Cyr. “We don’t want to attract attention.
He then turned to Hudson. “Get some duct tape out of my investigation bag. It’s in the trunk.”
Dowey and Hudson each donned a pair of latex gloves, knowing duct tape holds fingerprints, and quickly tied Chan’s hands behind his back with the tape and also bound his ankles together. They then put a piece of tape over Chan’s mouth and put him in the trunk of the unmarked police car.
“Thanks for your help Corporal Cyr,” said Inspector Dowey, shaking Cyr’s hand. One more thing: Do you have any close friends amongst the American Immigration officers at the border?”
“I know all of them. Good bunch of guys. We socialize with them quite a bit off duty.”
“OK. The asshole in the trunk is a pedophile. A child rapist and a gangster. He kidnapped this little girl after raping her this morning. He was taking her with him to be his personal sex slave. We don’t want him caught up in the wishy-washy Canadian system so we want to take him back to the FBI and return the girl to her family. Do you think we could cross the border without having our trunk inspected?”
“Follow me,” said Cyr. “Let’s see who is on duty at the border. Just to be on the safe side, I will talk to the Immigration Officer before your turn for inspection comes up.”
“That’s great Louis; much appreciated.”
“Ninety percent of law enforcement officers on either side of the border would do the same thing you are doing,” said Cyr. “This pervert could probably do with some street justice also. Let’s get going.”
When they reached the border, Hudson pulled the unmarked car into the line of cars waiting to cross the border while Cyr drove his patrol car right up to the front of the line.
“Hey, Louis, what’s up,” said Paul Rogers, the US Immigration Officer inspecting the vehicles.
“This is off the record, Paul. That dark green car about five back is a RCMP car. They want to unofficially take a pedophile child rapist back to Seattle and hand him over to the FBI. The child he raped and kidnapped is in the car also. Just so you won’t have to lie or cover your ass, don’t open the trunk, OK?”
“They look like honest guys to me,” said Rogers. “No need to inspect the trunk,” he added with a wink. “I hope they’ll stop on the highway down there and kick the shit out of the bastard.”
“I am sure he’ll get his just rewards somehow,” said Cyr with a smile, and then both officers laughed.
Within five minutes, Hudson and Dowey were waived through the border and heading south on I-5.
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Li Mei answered her cellphone and saw that Bill Dowey was calling her.
“Hi Bill. I’m about three miles south of the border; where are you?”
“We just crossed the border a few minutes ago. We have a package for you. Where can we meet?”
“I saw a rest area about fifteen miles south of the border. It’s well marked with signs. It’s starting to rain now so I doubt people will be stopping to picnic. I’ll meet you there. I’m in a gold Hyundai.”
Approximately a half hour later, the RCMP car pulled into the rest stop. Bill Dowey saw Li Mei’s gold Hyundai and told Hudson to pull up behind the gold car. The rain was quite light, just a drizzle, so Li Mei donned a black ball cap and stepped out of the car to meet the two RCMP officers who were walking towards her car.
Li Mei and Dowey hugged briefly and then Dowey introduced her to Hudson.
“Don, this is Li Mei of the Beijing Police. She is here to assist the FBI in their investigation of the pedophile ring. Li Mei, this is my partner, Don Hudson.”
“Wow,” thought Hudson. “What a looker,” as he shook Li Mei’s hand. “I couldn’t concentrate on my job with a partner like her.”
Li Mei walked back to the RCMP car when Xiaowei, the child known as number seven at the brothel, saw Li Mei approach and started screaming in English.
“No, no, help me! She is Red Dragon!” Poor Xiaowei was crying uncontrollably.
Li Mei opened the back door of the police car and said in Mandarin, “Xiaowei, I am not a Red Dragon. I am Beijing Police. Your grandfather, Duan Shumin, sent me to bring you back to him in Beijing.”
Xiaowei calmed down but still sobbed but looking less terrified. She was still apprehensive and said nothing.
“Xiaowei, “ Li Mei continued. “You are safe now. All the girls at the brothel are safe now also. The Red Dragons are dead or in jail. They cannot hurt you ever again.”
Hearing this, Xiaowei hesitated and then leapt into Li Mei’s arms and started to cry again. Tears also rolled down Li Mei’s cheeks and she held Xiaowei for a long time.
“Come Xiaowei, sit in the front seat of my car. Soon you will see your parents and grandparents.”
Without a word, the young girl followed Li Mei to the gold Hyundai and got in the passenger seat.
There is no one here at the rest stop,” said Li Mei. “Let’s transfer the package before someone drives in now that the rain is stopping.”
Dowey and Hudson opened the trunk of the police car and carried Chan Meng to Li Mei’s car literally throwing him into the trunk. They both saw Chan’s eyes, filled with terror and as large as saucers, before slamming the trunk closed.
“Now that this case is wrapping up,” said Li Mei to Dowey, “I will be in touch with you about that other thing. I will call you in a couple of days.”
“Good. I look forward to it, and take good care of your package,” replied Bill Dowey with a laugh.
As the RCMP car headed back north to the border, and Li Mei drove south towards Seattle, Li Mei called a number on her cellphone.
“There is an old abandoned Texaco station on the west side of I-5 about sixty miles south of the border. I will meet you behind it in less than an hour.”
“Just one stop to make before we go back to Seattle,” she said to Xiaowei.
Li Mei was careful to not drive over the speed limit. Getting stopped by the state police, the Washington Patrol, could upset her plans and land her in serious trouble considering the contents of her car’s trunk.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
As Li Mei approached the abandoned Texaco station, she slowed down and pulled over on to the side of the road to let three following vehicles pass. As soon as they were out of sight, and no other vehicles in sight approaching from either direction, she pulled into the Texaco station lot and drove around behind the old building while instructing Xiaowei to get down on the floor out of sight.
There she saw a late model black Cadillac with three Chinese men standing beside the car. She realized she was making herself vulnerable being outnumbered by the Mei Hua Triad members watching her approach. She slipped the small Sig Sauer P232 from her undercover holster in the small of her back and kept the gun hidden in the palm of her right hand behind her right thigh.
“Hello again, Lao Wu,” she said. “The piece of shit is in the trunk. He is all yours now.”
She noticed the man standing beside Lao Wu was glaring at her with obvious hatred. He looked to be mid-thirties, muscular build, over six foot in height, with slicked back hair and a thick neck.
“This in an excellent chance to revenge Wu Xing,” said the man pointing at Li Mei.
“We have orders to leave her alone,” said Lao Wu. “Are you the new Dragonhead? Are you making the decisions for our Society now?”
“Maybe is it should be me,” said the man. “Is the Mei Hua Triad a society that cowers and runs when their leader is executed?”
At this, the man drew a gun which he had been holding behind his thigh, not unnoticed by Li Mei. As he raised his gun towards Li Mei, he was hit almost simultaneously by two bullets. Li Mei shot him in the chest while La
o Wu shot him in the temple.
Lao Wu turned to the remaining man, a short but husky young man who appeared to be still in his twenties.
“And what is your opinion about this?” said Lao Wu, still holding his gun but not pointing it at the young man.
“Ma Shan is my Dragonhead and you are my boss,” said the young man. “I understand perfectly that it is not in the best interests of the Mei Hua to have State Security agents come here and avenge the death of Li Mei. That means it would not be in my best interest either.”
With that, Lao Wu nodded and put his gun in his jacket pocket.
“Li Mei, help us carry this body to the fence and throw him over into the wheat field,” said Lao Wu. Li Mei did as requested realizing that she would have to dispose of her undercover firearm as her bullet could eventually be found in the victim’s body. The Sig Sauer P232 was a small undercover gun and was not the gun she had used to shoot the Red Dragons prior to the FBI raid at the brothel.
“Now let’s get Chan into our trunk,” said Lao Wu. Lao Wu and the younger man had no trouble carrying Chan from Li Mei’s trunk to the Cadillac.
“I will return your car to you in a couple of days,” said Li Mei.
“No hurry. We will be in touch with you about Fong and the others,” replied Lao Wu.
Having concluded their business, the Cadillac left the lot and proceeded south. Li Mei told Xiaowei to sit in the seat and put on her seat belt which she did without comment.
“Chan Meng will never touch you again, Little Sister,” said Li Mei, and they proceeded to leave the lot after waiting about ten minutes.
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Li Mei drove south towards Seattle never exceeding the speed limit as she still possessed a gun that had just been used in a killing, even though it was self-defense, something she could never prove.
About fifty miles south of the Texaco station, she noticed a dark car approaching at high speed and then slowing down behind her car not making any attempt to pass. The dark car remained behind Li Mei for about five miles making Li Mei apprehensive.
“Get down on the floor again XiaoWei.” The child complied immediately without question or comment.
Eventually the dark car pulled out to pass but slowed down beside Li Mei’s car. She glanced over to the dark car in time to see the driver, a white male, pointing a gun at her. She immediately slammed on the brakes and ducked as he shot. She felt a sting on her forehead near the hairline and felt blood dripping down her face. Her car went off the road and into a shallow ditch where she brought it to a stop.
Li Mei slumped down but kept upright enough to watch the dark car pull off the highway about twenty-five yards ahead of her. At the same time, she lowered the driver side window which had two bullet holes in it even though she was only aware of one shot. A large white male wearing a dark suit with his tie loosened got out of the car and walked cautiously back holding a handgun in his right hand.
As he approached, Li Mei slumped down out of sight holding her undercover gun pointed at the open window. The man looked into the car where it appeared that Li Mei was either dead or unconscious with blood on her face. As he was in the process of putting his gun through the window for a finalizing shot, Li Mei shot him twice in the face. His gun dropped into the car and he fell dead to the ground outside the driver’s door.
Li Mei opened the driver’s side door without trouble as the door cleared the large man’s body by about five inches. She quickly searched his pockets and found a wallet in his back pants pocket and a Seattle Police badge in his left inside breast pocket. The gun he pointed at Li Mei, and presumably used to shoot her, was a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, however, he also had a Glock 22 in a shoulder holster.
She checked the highway for passing cars but there were none in sight. She put the man’s guns, wallet and police badge in the trunk of her car, told Xiaowei to put on her seat belt, and sped away slowing the car as soon as it reached the posted speed limit.
Li Mei had no idea who this man was, or more importantly, who he represented. Was he on the payroll of the Red Dragons? Was he hired by some element of the Mei Hua Triad? Was it a case of mistaken identity? Was it something else? Was little Xiaowei the target? Li Mei had generated a long list of enemies over the years working as an officer of the State Security, Second Bureau, and there were many people who would be pleased to see her dead.
She was tempted to call Sean and tell him of this event but decided against it. Cellphone communications are not secure and she certainly didn’t want her phone conversation monitored.
“Don’t worry Xiaowei, I will keep you safe. I think our excitement is over for today. You will be with your friends soon.” Considering all the excitement and gunfire she had heard, the young girl seemed remarkably calm, but said nothing.
Although she did not rule the Red Dragons out, she didn’t think they were responsible for this attack upon her. The only Red Dragons that had seen her or known of her existence were either dead or in the custody of the FBI, or of the Mei Hua Black Society. She wondered briefly if Xiaowei had been the target and not her, but dismissed this as unlikely.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
All the girls were in a special secure location under the care of the Seattle Human Services Department about thirty minutes’ drive from the FBI Field Office. A Department psychologist, Shirley Gong, who spoke Mandarin, was brought in to oversee their treatment and try and bring them back to normalcy. The two Mandarin speaking FBI agents, Lisa Zhang and June Wong, remained to assist her. Gong, a slightly overweight and pleasant looking woman, fifty-two years of age with short grey hair, was well respected in her field and the only fluent Mandarin speaker in the Department. Although born in the US, she had obtained one of her two university degrees in Beijing.
“I think it is too early to question the girls,” said Shirley Gong. “They are extremely traumatized and none of them has made a statement or even answered the most innocent questions.”
“I understand,” said Special Agent Zhang, “but eventually we must try and get some information from them. Even if we can get one or two to open up it will be very helpful. Without their testimony, I doubt we can convict the men who did this to them.”
“I will do my best to help you, Lisa. I too would hate to see these animals get away with what they have done to the children. I am also worried that they will resist returning to their families. I think some of them, maybe all of them, will believe they have disgraced their families and will be too ashamed to see them.”
“I can understand that,” said June Wong. “We have three female Beijing police officers flying in tomorrow to help us. They are from the Child Exploitation Bureau of the Beijing Police and have a great deal of experience with traumatized children. Today they are contacting the parents to learn of their feelings and wishes in this matter.”
“Good, that will be a big help,” replied Gong. “This is not going to be a fast or an easy process.”
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Li Mei had stopped at a rest stop on the highway and washed the blood off her face. Fortunately, the bullet just grazed her skin and caused no serious damage of any note. She put a white square band-aid, which she had kept in her purse, over the injury and proceeded to drive to Seattle stopping only briefly to dispose of her gun. She arrived at the FBI Field Office just after dinner hour and was met by Sean at the front door.
“What happened to your head, Lei Mei?” said Sean, looking concerned, as Li Mei walked into the lobby holding Xiaowei by the hand. Special Agent Zhang was there to take Xiaowei to the holding area with the other girls. Xiaowei looked terrified and on the verge of tears when she cried to Li Mei, “Please, Older Sister, don’t leave me.”
“I promise I will come and see you soon. Agent Zhang is a police officer and will take good care of you and keep you safe. She is going to take you to your friend, Tang Tang. She is
waiting for you.” This caused Xiaowei to calm down and reluctantly go with Zhang. She didn’t want to leave Li Mei, but did want to see her friend Tang Tang who she was allowed no contact with since they were abducted together in Beijing over a month ago.
“The girls were kept isolated and not allowed to talk to one another. Subsequently, they really are not a group of friends. Very few of them know any of the other girls,” said Sean to Li Mei.
“I don’t know what happened,” said Shirley Gong, who had returned to the Field Office to meet Xiaowei, “but this young girl you brought back is the only one who has said one word. You have somehow established a bond with her. This is an encouraging sign.”
