by Mi Lei
Fang Mu took it gratefully. With one more long look, he turned and hurried back to the girls.
The first lock snapped open with a soft click; then one by one, Fang Mu freed the girls from their shackles. With each lock came a rush of ecstasy. Finally, the last lock opened. All four were free. They shivered and trembled, yet their eyes shone with the strength of survivors.
But they were far from safe. Now, how to get them out of here?
Fang Mu let his eyes wander back up the slope to the top of the boulder from where he had come. It would be easy enough for the girls to climb up there, but how would he get them back down? And even if he managed that, there would be the problem of getting them up that steep hole and into the cave tunnel. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to make that climb alone. How ever would he get these four little girls up there with him? Dawn was fast approaching. Would they even reach the hole before the villagers caught up with them? And what if they didn't make it up, how far downriver would they be able to make it? One thing was certain; there simply was no way they could reach the boat dock in time.
Cold sweat dripped from Fang Mu's forehead. Now was not the time to lament his lack of planning. Now was the time to be cool, calm, and collected.
Judging by the markings on the moss that covered the walls of the hole, the traffickers didn't use the cave tunnel. In fact, chances were that only he and Lu Haiyan now knew about it. So how did the villagers get there?
There had to be another entrance.
Fang Mu shot Lu Haiyan a searching look. She had silently watched him free the girls and instantly understood what he was asking of her.
She lifted her hand and pointed to the rock face behind her back. Fang Mu followed her finger.
And there it was: A small crack, the second entrance. A surge of raw energy shot through Fang Mu's body. He quickly looked over to the girls and beckoned them to follow him.
He looked back to Lu Haiyan. He stopped and reached out to her, knowing she could read his intentions in his eyes.
I told her I would be back. Now, I will take her away from here.
Then and there, he didn't care about what had happened before or what would be. He just had to take her. There was nothing romantic or heroic about his decision; it wasn't even pity. He would take her for one reason and one reason alone.
Because it was his duty.
Frozen, Lu Haiyan stared listlessly at his hand. One second passed and then another. Suddenly the dull fog that had been covering her eyes disappeared. Light returned to her gaze.
And in that light he saw what she wasn't saying aloud.
'I'm already dead. I died the moment I brought the hatchet down on my brother's head.
But you came for me.
Can I really live again?'
She slowly sat up, her now shining eyes fixed on his hand. Could he really take her away? Away from this terrible place?
'Take me anywhere; just as long as I can forget all this. No more pain, no more humiliation, no more daily death. Anywhere. Take me anywhere.'
Lu Haiyan was in hell, but heaven was right in front of her.
She stood up and reached out for his hand.
From below, a different hand grasped her ankle, trapping her.
With a yawn, Lu Dachun sat up and irritably demanded, "Where are you going?"
Then he saw Fang Mu and the four girls.
His eyes bulged as he stared right at Fang Mu. "You…" There was neither shock nor malice in his voice; only confusion.
Fang Mu felt his blood freeze, but he had to act. "Police! Drop your weapon!"
It was correct police procedure, but all Fang Mu really cared about was using the power of those words to stun Lu Dachun long enough to take him out. Before Lu Dachun could react, Fang Mu stepped forward and attacked him with the collapsible walking-stick.
Lu Dachun instinctively raised his left arm to block the blow. The walking-stick struck his arm with a thud. Lu Dachun screamed as the aluminum shaft bent by 90 degrees, almost wrapping itself around his wrist. Before Fang Mu could attack again, Lu Dachun scrambled out of reach.
Fang Mu tossed his bent and useless stick aside. He knew that behind him, the other two villagers would be waking up this very moment. He looked to the girls. They all stared at him blankly, paralyzed by fear. "Run!"
He turned to the pile of chains. Lu Dajiang was in his way, but he just sat there, staring at him. The young villager seemed completely overwhelmed by the situation. Fang Mu decided to make the best of it and delivered a swift kick to his chest. Lu Dajiang yelled in pain and Fang Mu ran past him.
With a quick sprint, he was at the chains. He quickly scooped up one of the curved iron bars that had held the girls' shackles in place. As he bent down, the loud crack of gunfire rang out behind him. There was a bright flash and the bullet struck a rock not far from his head.
Fang Mu spun around.
The black hole of the pistol's barrel was aimed straight at him.
"I told you; if you come back I'll kill you!" Rage burned in Lu Dachun's eyes. He squeezed the trigger as hard as he could. "Now die..."
Before the bullet could leave the barrel, Lu Dachun felt himself pulled to the ground. As he stumbled and fell, the gun flashed and the bullet shot up, toward the cave's ceiling. Then, he felt a sharp pain radiating from his neck and face.
It was Lu Haiyan. She had pounced on him like some crazed tigeress. Her fingers dug into his cheeks and she bit down on his neck.
Fang Mu was about to go for the gun when he saw Lu Dajiang hurl a rock at his head. He dodged to the side and it missed him by inches, but it gave Lu Dajiang the opening to grab a metal bar of his own. Makeshift weapon in hand, he started shuffling back and forth. Fang Mu could see that he was on the verge of panic.
He had no time for this. Swinging his iron bar, Fang Mu charged. It was enough to push Lu Dajiang over the edge. He tried to retreat, but Fang Mu disarmed him with a quick strike. His next blow went straight for the head. It connected with a sickening crunch as blood spurted from Lu Dajiang's temple.
"And stay down!" Fang Mu raised his iron bar for a final blow. But before he could strike, the other villager tackled him from behind. Fang Mu struggled with all his strength, but couldn't shake him off. As he twisted and turned, he caught sight of Lu Dachun and Lu Haiyan. Lu Dachun had grabbed her. With horror, Fang Mu watched as he slammed her onto the hard cave floor.
Fang Mu gritted his teeth and bolted backward. It caught the villager completely off-guard and he did nothing to stop Fang Mu's relentless drive back.
Suddenly, he heard the villager scream. Instantly he felt the grip around his waist loosen and then he, too, lost his footing.
Together they fell into the river.
Fang Mu took one deep breath before he was swallowed by the silent water. He was engulfed in darkness. Holding his breath, he swam forward while trying to find the riverbed with his toes. Within seconds he felt solid rock under his feet. He pushed off the bottom.
His head broke the surface and he could breathe again. He had just started to swim back to shore when he felt the villager grab hold of his backpack. Again Fang Mu was pulled under. Without a second thought, he undid the straps of his backpack, but only to realize that the villager had now seized his collar.
Together they went back under. Below the surface, Fang Mu fought with the villager, but it was a hopeless battle. His enemy was by far the better swimmer. If he didn't do something fast, he'd drown. A push, a twist, a weak punch, but he couldn't break free, and the last air was leaving his lungs. Desperate, Fang Mu went for the kill.
He grabbed the villager's hair and yanked it back, then drove the fingers of his other hand deep into his attacker's exposed trachea. With a pained twitch, air bubbles escaped his enemy's lips. The water of the river instantly took their place, rushing into his throat. In a mere blink, his entire body went limp.
Fang Mu released his grip. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer. With his last ounce of strength, h
e pushed himself to the surface and gasped for air. Someone was moving just a few feet away from him. He wiped the water from his face and stared into the shadows. His pounding heart stopped dead in its tracks.
Lu Dachun was standing on the riverbank and he was pointing the gun straight at his head. Behind him, Lu Dajiang was cursing loudly as he clutched his bleeding head. Lu Haiyan, too, was close by. Her face covered in blood, she lay sprawled out on the cave floor, motionless.
Lu Dachun's contorted face was covered in deep wounds. One of his eyes was caked in blood, the other burning with murderous intent.
"Not bad. You even got my girl to help you," Lu Dachun's mouth spat with a spasm. "Now, fucking die!"
This was it. He was going to die.
No. I will not close my eyes. I will show them no weakness. They cowed me once; never again. I will die like Ding Shucheng; die like Lu Haitao.
Fang Mu stared down the barrel of the gun, waiting for its flame. Waiting for the bullet to penetrate his brain.
Bang!
Fire erupted in front of his eyes.
He felt only calm.
In a flash he saw it all: The bullet spinning through the barrel, cutting through the air, burrowing into his head, breaking the bone, sliding along his skull, ripping apart his brain, breaking the back of his head wide open, tumbling onward, into the silent waters. Nothing was left in his head. Nothing but bloody smears of gooey brain pulp.
It never happened.
Reality shattered his dark fantasy. As his eyes and mind recovered from the flash, Fang Mu found himself still floating in the river, his brain surprisingly intact. Above him, Lu Dachun was staring down in speechless shock.
Lu Dachun's senses slowly returned. He looked almost calm as he inspected the mangled remains of his hand. The gun was lying by his feet. It was also broken beyond recognition. Wisps of acrid smoke still rose from its wreckage.
Fang Mu understood. The gun had been a black-market knockoff, cobbled together in some back alley factory. Its shoddy barrel, still hot from the last shot, had exploded the moment Lu Dachun had pulled the trigger.
Had some god, somewhere, for some ineffable reason, taken a liking to him?
Fang Mu grabbed onto a rock and pulled himself ashore.
Lu Dachun did nothing to stop him. In fact, he didn't seem to notice Fang Mu at all. He only had eyes for the bloody mess that should have been his hand. All that was left of it were flopping, ragged pieces of flesh and bone loosely hanging from his bleeding wrist. Fang Mu walked right past him.
On the way, he shot Lu Dajiang a threatening look. There was little need; the man was already scared stiff. Sure that it was safe, Fang Mu rushed to Lu Haiyan's side. Grabbing her shoulders, he tried to rouse her. "Lu Haiyan, Lu Haiyan! Wake up!"
Her head bobbed back and forth, but her eyes remained firmly shut.
"Ah …ah..."
It was coming from behind him.
Fang Mu looked over his shoulder. It was Lu Dachun. From the looks of it, he was finally beginning to understand that he had just lost his hand. It was too much. With his second moan, Lu Dachun collapsed on the cave floor.
Fang Mu looked over at the shaking Lu Dajiang.
"Go try to fish your friend out of the water," he said pointing at the river. "Maybe you can still save him."
Blubbering pathetically, Lu Dajiang scrambled to his feet and jumped into the river.
As he disappeared below the water, Fang Mu felt Lu Haiyan stir in his arms.
She was slowly returning to consciousness. At first, her eyes dully rolled back and forth, and then they righted and found his face.
"You…you really came back," she said through a broken and bruised smile. She looked so happy.
"Can you walk? I'm taking you out of here." Fang Mu pulled her to her feet and tried to hold her upright.
"No. I can barely feel my legs." She shook her head. "You go… Run… Find the girls… The others will soon come..."
"No way." Fang Mu strained to lift her body. "I won't leave you behind."
"Go!" Lu Haiyan stubbornly pushed him away. "Lu Dachun won't hurt me… I am his…"
Fang Mu was at a loss. With a heavy heart, he squatted down next to her.
Lu Haiyan closed her eyes again. Feebly, she raised her arm and motioned him to go.
Fang Mu clamped his teeth and whispered, "You take care of yourself."
Saying those words felt like a blade to the heart. But he had to save the girls. He got up and ran toward the crack in the wall.
"Fang Mu..." It was Lu Haiyan calling out to him.
He stopped and hurried back to her.
Her eyes were wide open and shining with an inner light.
"This time, I did the right thing…" she quietly asked, "yes?"
Fang Mu saw that her consciousness was fading. He nodded forcefully.
Lu Haiyan smiled and closed her eyes. A single tear gently rolled down her cheek.
One last look.
Then Fang Mu turned away.
CHAPTER
20
Blood and Steel
Outside, snowflakes danced on the night wind. It would be dawn soon. As Sister Zhao pulled the curtains aside, she remembered that she had not yet covered the cabbages in the yard. She threw her clothes on and hurried outside.
As she opened the door, she noticed a dark blue Santana standing outside the yard. The car's engine was running and she could see several people sitting inside.
Sister Zhao shrugged and got on with taking care of the cabbages. After she had pulled the plastic sheet over them, she weighed it down with a few bricks.
She didn't realize the people in the vehicle were watching her.
"Is that her?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"Good. You two—"
"Wait, wait. Someone's calling… Hello, Elder Brother Nan …Mmh …Still on the move? …I know… Keep in touch… Thanks. When I get back, I owe you dinner."
"So, what's up?"
"He's found him."
"Good. Let's go."
When the garden chore was all done, Sister Zhao's back ached. With a groan, she straightened herself. That was when she noticed the sound of footsteps. She turned to see three men coming toward her.
"And who are you?" Sister Zhao asked, now realizing something was wrong: How had they come through the locked gate?
One of the men stepped forward, but he didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked, "Your name is Zhao, right?"
"Why?" Sister Zhao didn't like where this was going. "You—"
The man leaned forward and fixed her with a stare. "Do you know Fang Mu?"
The crack in the rock face in front of him was barely large enough to allow a single person to slip through. Inside, everything was pitch-black. Fang Mu was about to reach for his flashlight when he discovered that he had lost his backpack in the river. Luckily, he still had his matches. He took them out and shook them dry as best he could. Now he just had to pray that they would work. After a few strikes, a small flame leapt to life.
In front of him, a crevice stretched into the darkness. Fang Mu looked down at his watch. It was already 5:40. He had no idea how far those girls had made it and even less inkling whether the end of the tunnel would be guarded or not. All he could do was press on and hope for the best.
All too soon, he felt the flame of his first match start to burn his fingertips. He quickly dropped it and lit the next one. This procedure was repeated over and over again, but he still found no sign of the girls. He decided to throw caution to the wind and called out for them.
He continued on, calling out every few steps. After a while, he arrived at a fork. Cursing, he quickly decided to take the right path. He had just turned the corner, when he heard a small voice.
"Uncle Policeman."
Fang Mu's heart leapt for joy. Holding his match high, he did his best to illuminate the area.
"Where are you?" he called out into the darkness.
"Here." The voice seemed
to be coming from the other path.
Fang Mu hurried back and down the left crevice. After about 20 feet he came upon a small hole; all four girls had squeezed inside. One of the girls began to cry the moment she saw him.
With a deep sigh of relief, Fang Mu signaled them to come out. "Why are you hiding in there?"
"We ran here, but it doesn't go on," one of the older girls told him. "We didn't dare go back, so we hid here."
He nodded. Their decision had turned out for the best. "What's your name?" he asked.
"I'm Tian Xiao," the girl answered.
"Good. Tian Xiao, you lead the other girls, and be sure to stick close to me," Fang Mu instructed. "All right?"
"Okay." She nodded fiercely as she grabbed hold of Fang Mu's shirt.
He led the four little girls back down the crevice. For a morbid moment, he couldn't help but imagine himself as a mother hen, trying to save her chicks from a hawk. Even so, a sense of calm confidence settled on him. But that only lasted a moment.
After countless twists and turns they reached another fork. Staring down the two paths, Fang Mu asked, "Do you remember which way you came?"
"No." Tian Xiao shook her head. "We were blindfolded."
"Hmm." His jaw set, unsure which way to try.
"Uncle, look!" the girl who had cried before shouted. "Look over there!"
She was pointing down the left crevice. There, in the distance, Fang Mu could see light shimmer and sparkle.
He quickly led the girls toward it. The closer they came, the more certain he was:
Sunlight. The world above.
The cave entrance was two feet up and covered in dead grass and twigs. Fang Mu impatiently pushed it all aside. Instantly, the tunnel was flooded with warm sunlight.
One, by one, he gave the girls a boost up. As they climbed out, each girl gave a little cheer. To Fang Mu, it was the most wonderful sound imaginable. He could barely wait to climb out himself; it felt as if he hadn't stood under the open sky in ages. Finally, it was his turn to push himself out of the hole. He welcomed the dizzying glare of the sun with open arms.