Desert Jade

by CJ Shane

  “Okay, Millie. You can let go now.” Letty said in the calmest voice she could muster. Millie let go of the man’s wrist, dropped down to the floor, and came to stand politely at Letty’s side. Her tail was wagging.

  Chong Ma yelled at all the 49ers. The two that Zhou had attacked pulled the third still-unconscious man toward the limousine. They all got in, as did the driver who was crying and nursing his bleeding and fang-punctured wrist.

  Another frozen moment followed. Letty became aware that Clarice was behind her now. Will stood still, not sure what to do.

  Chong Ma pulled a gun from a pocket in his suit jacket. He never took his eyes off Zhou. He pointed the gun at Jade’s head.

  Letty reached behind her and pulled her gun from its holster. She stepped forward to stand beside Zhou. Her gun was pointed at Chong Ma’s head. “Tell him to put the gun down. Tell him he better not hurt her. Tell him I’m a very good shot.”

  Chong Ma looked at her, and smiled.

  “I speak English, Miss Valdez,” Chong said quietly.

  He called to one of his 49ers. The least injured man reappeared limping and stood next to him. Chong Ma issued a brief command and the 49er began untying Jade. All the while, Chong Ma held the gun to her head.

  The 49er pulled Jade up and shoved her into the limousine.

  “Until we meet again,” Chong Ma said.

  He moved around to the other side of the limo, got into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. Zhou ran toward the limo, but it was too late. The limousine, tires squealing, exited the open warehouse door and drove rapidly down Marigold Street toward the interstate highway.

  Letty could hear police sirens approaching, but she could tell from the volume that they were at least two, maybe three blocks away. Too far away to catch the limo. Letty had no license plate number to help track the limo down. She knew that as soon as Chong Ma got on the interstate, he would drive fast, find a safe place to exit, and hide out for a while. She didn’t know if he cared enough about his 49ers to get medical treatment for them. They definitely needed medical treatment.

  ***

  For what seemed like an eternity, Letty, Zhou, Will and even Clarice had to give statements to the police, who had arrived too late to stop the black limousine. An ambulance came, but no one needed medical help.

  Letty gave a good description of the limousine although she did not have its license plate number. She was glad to learn the cops had already issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) alert. Law enforcement at every level was watching for the limo.

  While the police were getting statements from Will and Clarice, Letty and Zhou stood close together. To say that Zhou looked distressed was a great understatement.

  “Letty, I cannot allow them to hurt Jade even more. Please help me find her.”

  “Zhou, I think it’s possible that they will go to the hideout in the back country on the reservation. It will cause way too much attention to go through the international border crossing at Nogales to enter Mexico. Even the slightest glance into that limo is going to reveal to the agents that something has happened. A limo full of injured Chinese men, and one obviously-hurt white woman is going to attract a lot of attention. They need to become invisible now. Law enforcement has been notified. That includes tribal police and the Sheriff’s Department. If they make it to the desert hideout, they may think that they can go across the border with their contraband. They don’t know that the Border Patrol is waiting for them.”

  Letty paused. “But I can’t be sure. We don’t really know what they will do.”

  Will and Clarice approached. They both had very sheepish looks on their young faces.

  “You two get in the car and put Millie in there with you,” Letty spoke to them roughly. “We’re going to my house now.”

  Zhou nodded his agreement. He felt like he might fly apart from his concern for Jade, but that wasn’t going to help find her. He knew that he was in very foreign territory and needed all the help he could get. Letty had proved herself to be a warrior. He would follow her lead.

  ***

  No one said anything on the drive back to Letty’s house. When they arrived, they all went into the living room. Letty confronted Will and Clarice.

  “Will, what the hell were you thinking? I told you to stay put. How old are you?”

  “Almost eighteen,” Will looked really ashamed of himself. “Letty, I’m sorry…”

  “Shut up! Almost eighteen and you act like an eight-year-old. You know those guys are dangerous. What the hell were you thinking? Never mind, I can answer that. You were not thinking!”

  She turned her ire on Clarice.

  “And you. Didn’t I tell you to stop him from doing something stupid and dangerous?”

  Clarice nodded yes. “He said the police wanted to talk to you on the phone. I should have stopped him. I’m so sorry, Letty. I let you down.” Clarice’s eyes filled with tears.

  Letty turned back to Will. “You need to grow up, Little Brother. There’s more going on here than you know. Lives are at stake. After all the blood and death I saw in Iraq, what do you think it’s going to do to me to see you shot in the head in front of me?” Her voice cracked.

  Zhou stepped forward and stood beside Letty.

  Will shook his head in dismay. “Oh, Big Sister. I am so sorry. I’ve been a total idiot.”

  “Okay, you two morons go find us something to eat in the kitchen. And you damn sure better do what I say from here on out or there will be hell to pay.”

  Will and Clarice quickly nodded their heads in agreement.

  “Don’t just stand there. Go get us something to eat to take with us.”

  Will and Clarice went directly into the kitchen.

  Letty sank down onto the couch. She felt old. She felt tired. She felt like she had to take care of everyone, and no one took care of her. She felt really alone.

  Millie came to stand in front of Letty. Millie looked at Letty’s eyes. Then Millie looked at the couch. Then Millie looked at Letty. Then at the couch. Then at Letty again.

  “Okay,” Letty sighed. “Any dog that saves my brother’s life gets to sit on the couch.” She patted the couch, and Millie jumped up to sit beside her. The dog settled down and put her head on Letty’s thigh.

  Zhou sat down next to Letty and Millie.

  “What is your plan?

  Letty’s phone rang. It was Adelita.

  “Hear you all are having some excitement.”

  “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “I’m still working this home invasion and murder case. I just want you to know that my colleagues tell me that they found a black limo at the Tucson International Airport with five injured Chinese dudes in it. They’ve all been taken to the hospital. After they are treated, they’ll be taken directly to the Pima County Detention Center.”

  “What about Jade?”

  “A witness in the airport parking lot saw another vehicle, a white van. It was driven by a Chinese man, young and in a white suit. The witness said he picked up a red-headed woman and a middle-aged Chinese man from very near a black limo that was parked in the parking lot. Law enforcement put out a BOLO on the van. The next report we got was that the van was spotted going south on I-19. That’s all we have right now.”

  “Nogales! They’re going to Nogales.”

  Letty relayed this info to Zhou after she said goodbye to Adelita.

  “That is Bao and Chong Ma and Jade,” he said. “Why they go to Nogales?”

  “Chong Ma probably figures everything has gone to shit, and he needs to get across the border as soon as possible. He’s making a run for it. He certainly is showing no loyalty to his 49ers. He’s just abandoned them. My uncle told me about a house the gang has in Nogales on the American side. I’m almost certain that’s where they are headed. We’ll go there now.”

  Letty clasped her hands in front of her. “Zhou, I’m making a choice here. I don’t know where the Hong Kong girl, Victoria, is. And I don’t know where the Mexic
an girl is. I thought they were at the-drop-off house, but Marv says my uncle and the Shadow Wolf Chiago checked it out. There’s no one there. There’s no way to know where those two girls are for sure. But it’s looking very likely that Chong Ma and Bao are taking Jade to Nogales. So I choose to go to Nogales and try to rescue Jade first. Then we’ll look for the other two girls. Do you agree?”

  Zhou nodded his heartfelt agreement.

  Letty called to Will. “Zhou and I are going to Nogales and look for Jade.”

  “Take my car, Letty,” Clarice said.

  “That would be a great help, Clarice. I’ll pay you for using it.”

  “No way, Letty. I want to help you find Jade and bring down those scumbags, too. I don’t need the money anyway.” She grinned and handed Letty the key to the Volkswagen.

  “Will, you feed Millie. Give her some cooked chicken breast with the skin on it but no bone. She deserves a major treat after what she did. Clarice, see if you can get an appointment with our doctor and have Will’s shoulder checked out, if not today, then tomorrow. They may want to X-ray him.”

  “Will, this means you have to do exactly what I say because Letty put me charge,” Clarice said with a naughty smile. Her eyebrows jiggled up and down.

  Will laughed.

  Letty sighed. “And will you two please try to stay out of trouble!”

  They both nodded seriously, then turned toward each other.

  Letty said to Zhou. “Let’s go find Jade.”

  Chapter 18

  Letty zipped through the late afternoon traffic on Valencia heading west. By the time she reached Interstate 19 and turned south, the sun was low in the sky. Zhou sat quietly in the passenger seat. He was frowning, and the muscle in his jaw was twitching.

  “Zhou, we don’t know how this will turn out.”

  “I understand this.”

  “What’s the best thing that can happen?”

  “I find Jade safe and the other two safe also. I want to stop Chong Ma and Bao. For this, I must see Ting.”

  “Who is Ting?”

  “She is the triad boss. They will do what she tells them to do. I must convince her to leave us alone. I do not want Chong Ma and Bao to see Jade again, to touch her again, to hurt her again.”

  “Then what will you do? Do you have a plan?” Letty had been wondering what the plan was for Zhou when he came to the end of this assignment.

  “I will go to Hong Kong and try to meet with Ting. Next I go to Nanjing, visit my mother and aunties and uncles. Then I go to Beijing to report to my boss. There is a problem at the Ministry I must solve. Then I will resign my job. Then I return to Tucson.”

  “Return to Tucson? Really?”

  “I hope to marry Jade. We will create a new life together. I will become a gong fu teacher in Tucson.” He paused. “Do you think Jade will want me?”

  Letty laughed. “Yes, indeed. She wants your ice cream.”

  For the first time in a couple of days, Zhou smiled, but only slightly.

  “I will be your first gong fu student,” Letty added. “I can take out only one at a time. You can take out three.”

  “More than three,” Zhou said seriously.

  Letty believed him.

  They fell silent for a while.

  “Zhou, what did Chong Ma say to you back in the warehouse? He spoke Chinese.”

  “Cantonese. Chong Ma spoke Cantonese, not Mandarin. He touched Jade’s hair. He said she was beautiful, and her red hair would make it easy to sell her. She would service twelve to fifteen men each day. Chong Ma said he would be the first to enjoy her.”

  Letty groaned. “We’ll find her. We have to find her.”

  Letty’s phone rang. She handed it to Zhou.

  “Hello, Miss García. I am Zhou. I answer this phone for Miss Letty. She is driving.”

  He listened quietly, said, “Okay. I will tell her.”

  “Your friend the police detective says to tell you this. The white van was seen by a deputy of Pima County Sheriff Department. The deputy followed the van, siren on, and tried to stop the van. Next, shots were fired from the van into the sheriff’s deputy car tire. The deputy’s car lost control and wrecked. The deputy is not badly hurt. The van and occupants escaped. They are driving fast, and they will arrive in Nogales very soon.”

  “We also will arrive soon, Zhou. We have an advantage. It’s dark now.”

  Not long after, Letty entered the city limits of Nogales. She knew exactly where she was going because she had visited her Tío Miguel’s house several times when he lived on the north side of the border. She turned off the main highway, took a couple of turns on side streets and soon they were in the familiar neighborhood. She drove past Tío Miguel’s old house, and quickly identified the triad gang’s house. It was the only white house on the block. All the others were painted Mexican-style in colors of blue, sage green, ochre yellow or the soft tan of adobe. Even in the dark, the houses glowed. She parked a block away, next to an empty lot in the dark shadows of a big mesquite tree.

  “You can’t carry a gun here in the U.S., correct?” Letty asked Zhou.

  “True. No permit. But I have this.” Zhou lifted a pant leg and Letty could see a very lethal-looking knife strapped to his calf.

  “How long has that been there?”

  “Since I arrive in Tucson.”

  Letty attached her holstered gun to her back waist again.

  They quickly walked to the end of the block and turned onto Ironwood Street. The white house was only a couple of doors down. Letty and Zhou faded into the shadow of an adobe wall next to the house. Curtains were closed, but it was clear that lights were on in the house and there was activity inside. They could see shadows moving against the curtains.

  “How many do you think there are?” Letty asked.

  “Only Chong Ma and Bao. If there were others, we would see a guard here and more movement. Most of them are either in the desert at the drop-off house or they are in the Tucson hospital.”

  “I’m going around back just to make sure no one else is there.” Letty disappeared for a few minutes. “Nothing. It’s very dark back there. The van is parked in the back yard. It’s empty.”

  “Nothing more here. I think only Chong Ma and Bao. I hope Jade is inside.”

  “Okay, shall we go in together?”

  “Yes, together.”

  Letty suddenly felt that terror that she felt the first time she went out on a convoy with her unit. She was there to provide emergency medical aid if anything went wrong. For months, nothing serious happened. Her ministrations mostly had involved helping soldiers deal with sprains, pulled muscles, cuts and bruises, headaches, indigestion, constipation and diarrhea. Unofficially she offered a listening ear. They were lonely, missed home and family, and they couldn’t talk about that in front of their male counterparts. But Letty was a woman and a healer. Her listening was part of her healing. After a while, Letty’s initial terror subsided. Then, one sunny day on a dusty desert road, an IED explosion brought the terror back forever. After that, it remained just under the surface, waiting for the next IED explosion or sniper fire or rocket screaming overhead or the sound of a bomb making contact with the earth and houses and human flesh.

  In this moment on the front porch of a house in Nogales, Arizona, the terror was out in full force.

  “I’m scared,” Letty whispered.

  “I also am scared.”

  “You get scared?” Letty was genuinely surprised.

  “Always,” was Zhou’s quiet answer.

  Letty and Zhou went up onto the porch very quietly.

  They looked at each other. Letty pulled out her gun. She nodded to Zhou.

  Zhou kicked in the door.

  Chong Ma and Bao were busy stuffing U.S. currency into two duffle bags. Letty could see stacks of one-hundred-dollar bills wrapped neatly with currency straps. Both bags were nearly full. Letty wouldn’t even try to guess the worth of those duffle bag contents.

  Jade was tied to a
chair against the wall. Next to her were two young women: Victoria, the Hong Kong official’s daughter, and the Mexican teenage girl, Esperanza. All three were bound at hands and feet, mouths taped shut. All three began to squirm and whimper.

  Letty pointed her gun at the two men and yelled, “On the floor!” Instead of resisting or following her directions, both men ignored her. They grabbed their duffle bags and ran down the hallway and into a bedroom. Zhou and Letty followed.

  There wasn’t much light in the bedroom, only a single bare bulb hanging from a socket in the middle of the ceiling. Chong Ma was in a closet pulling up a trap door in the floor. As soon as he managed to open it, he swung onto a ladder and disappeared into the tunnel below. Bao was right behind him. Bao pulled a gun from his front jacket pocket and shot randomly behind him. The shot missed both Letty and Zhou and went into the ceiling. Bao went down the tunnel ladder right behind Chong Ma. He pulled the tunnel door behind him.

  Zhou attempted to pull the trap door open again.

  “What is this?” Zhou demanded.

  “No!” Letty yelled. “Don’t go there. It’s a tunnel, and it leads straight into Mexico. It’s too dangerous for you to follow them. They’ll shoot you.” Then Letty couldn’t help herself. She started laughing, and she couldn’t stop. “They are running as fast as their little gangster feet can take them through the tunnel across the border into Mexico. It won’t be very far either. We’re really close to the border. We won’t be seeing them again.”

  Zhou’s eyes were wide. “You are saying that there are tunnels under the border?”

  Letty giggled again. Maybe the release of tension made everything seem so funny.

  “Oh, yeah. Smugglers buy these old houses and build a tunnel. They bring drugs into the U.S. this way. The Border Patrol finds the tunnels and closes them. The smugglers move to another house and build another tunnel. Then the Border Patrol finds it and closes it. It’s common knowledge. Somehow the triad found a house with a functioning tunnel that had not yet been discovered.”