The Curator: SG Trilogy Book 2 (Abby Kane FBI Thriller 8)

by Ty Hutchinson

  He pressed the headset harder against his ear, not wanting to miss a single word. A car with a loud muffler drove by just as the other voice, the one that wasn’t Lucy’s, spoke. He cursed the vehicle.

  He leaned over to the right, lowering his head toward the passenger seat, and listened intently. The other voice spoke again, this time longer. Albert was absolutely sure it wasn’t Lucy. It had to be Xiaolian. But how? No one had notified him. Had she been snuck out somehow?

  Albert needed confirmation. If that other voice he’d heard was indeed the girl, then someone wasn’t doing his job very well. According to his contact, they had a person watching the place twenty-four/seven. Say a name, dammit. Help me out here.

  “What do you think, Xiaolian?” Lucy asked. “I can’t believe they don’t have this show where you’re from.”

  “I didn’t have a TV.”

  “What? No TV?” Lucy slapped her forehead. “My gosh, how did you live?”

  Xiaolian simply shrugged.

  “Well, that’s okay. You can watch as much TV here as you want. We love TV.” Lucy gleamed with delight.

  “Good. I love TV too,” Xiaolian said joyfully.

  “I wish you were staying longer.”

  Xiaolian’s shoulders drooped, along with her smile. “Me too.” She turned to me. “What’s the reason I can’t stay longer?”

  I’d told Xiaolian about her short stay. I thought it was best to be straight with her, even if the truth wasn’t something she wanted to hear or I wanted to say. I still had an objective to complete. And as it stood, I still felt like I had more trust to earn.

  “I don’t have a good answer for you, but staying here for four days is a start. Perhaps the next time, we can lengthen your stay.”

  “Or maybe you should tell those mean people that she will live with us,” Lucy said, her voice stern with conviction. “We have the room and enough food.”

  “So I really have to leave after four days?” Xiaolian asked.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  Lucy placed her arm around Xiaolian’s shoulders. “That’s okay. We’ll be thinking of you.”

  A smile formed on Albert’s face as he used the other cell phone to send a text message. A few minutes later, he received a reply, giving him a time and location for a meeting. Albert continued listening until the television show ended and they left the entertainment room. Then he dialed the listening device in Abby’s home office, but it was quiet. He dialed the bug in her bedroom and the one in the light fixture above the dining room, but both devices delivered nothing but silence. Where else does Agent Kane spend her time?

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  That same night, at the School of Creative Arts, guest speaker Johnny Ellis stood in a packed room, addressing a crowd that clung to every word he said. He was the chief creative officer for Industrial Light and Magic, the visual-effects company created by George Lucas.

  Plastic chairs were lined up ten across and seven rows deep, each one filled with an art student listening intently. More students stood huddled together, eliminating any personal space, along the walls and toward the rear of the room. A few were using the flyer for the event to keep cool.

  Ellis began his talk that night by playing a show reel of ILM’s recent work, which also included a few sneak peeks at what they were currently working on. He went on to discuss the future of VFX—he firmly believed it would play a much larger role, not just in the entertainment industry, but also in all content that was generated. Finally, he talked about what it was like working at ILM, and how they went about hiring talent. Not wanting to miss anything being said, no one dared make a sound, especially those students about to graduate.

  After wrapping up his presentation, Ellis hung around to answer questions from a small group of students. The heat in the room was unforgiving, though. He suggested they take their discussion to a nearby bar, where he proceeded to toss back scotch while pontificating to the eager wannabes. The way they all looked at him, as if he were immortal, a god amongst gods—it was a jolt to his ego that never got old.

  One drink quickly turned into five. By the time Ellis noticed the time, it was well past midnight. He had an early morning meeting the next day, and bid good-bye to the students by picking up the tab and ordering one more round for the group.

  Ellis emerged from the bar and ambled along the sidewalk. He had parked his vehicle at the school, a few blocks away. The night air felt cool and refreshing against his face. He took his time walking. When he reached the end of the block, he waited patiently at the curb, enjoying the quiet.

  He buried his hands in the front pockets of his pants. He shut his eyes and inhaled slowly and deeply through his nostrils. His chest expanded, and the air tingled as it entered his lungs. He exhaled in one long breath. Just as he was about to repeat the breathing exercise, a hand clamped down around his mouth and nose. Before Ellis could comprehend what was happening, someone jerked him backward into a waiting car and whisked him away from his spot on the curb.

  The four men each had a hand on the gurney as they rolled it quickly through the corridor, and into a room equipped with medical monitoring devices, and surgical lighting on the ceiling. They positioned the gurney directly under the bright lights.

  One of them applied the brakes on the wheels and started to strip Ellis’s clothes off. Another man attached an oxygen mask to Ellis’s face and began monitoring his vitals. A third man snapped on a pair of gloves and prepared an injection. Once Ellis’s shoes and socks were removed, the gloved man found a suitable vein on Ellis’s foot and stuck him with the needle.

  The fourth one headed back to the door. “When I return, I expect everything to be finished.” He then walked through the doorway and shut the door behind him.

  “This was the riskiest grab yet,” said the man monitoring vitals. “If we keep at it this way, we’re going to get popped. I just know it.”

  The man giving the injection slowly removed the needle. “Keep quiet and do your job.” Then he taped a small piece of gauze over the injection site.

  “He’s right,” said the man who had removed the clothing. “It’s insane. It’s only a matter of time before someone sees us.”

  Injection Man cleaned another area on Ellis’s leg and then readied another syringe. “Feel free to share your thoughts with the big man. See how far that gets you.”

  The two complaining men remained quiet. The one who had removed the clothing walked over to a counter along a wall and grabbed an SLS camera that was next to a laptop. He proceeded to photograph every part of Ellis’s body.

  Injection Man used his needle to draw a full vial of blood, twice. Both samples were then noted in the laptop and put into refrigeration.

  “What does this guy do anyway?” asked Vitals Man.

  “Didn’t you look at the dossier?” Clothing Man asked as he snapped another picture.

  “Sort of. I was running late, so I just focused on his physical aspect.”

  Clothing Man lowered the camera from his face. “He’s some bigwig at that company that makes the Star Wars movies.”

  “It’s called ILM… Industrial Light and Magic,” said Injection Man. “They’re the best in the visual-effects field. They do all the awesome movies.” He used a pair of tweezers to pluck individual hairs, with their follicles attached, from Ellis’s scalp. He dropped each one into its own container.

  “That’s pretty cool.” Vitals Man turned his head so he could look at Ellis’s face straight on. “I bet he’s super talented.”

  “Are you falling in love?” joked Clothing Man.

  “Screw you.”

  “How’s the patient?” Injection Man asked.

  “He’s sleeping like a baby,” Vitals Man said. He glanced at a clock on the wall. “We’re good on timing too.”

  “Good. After that mess-up with the tech guy, we can’t afford another mishap.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Later that night, after the kids and Po Po had retired t
o their bedrooms, I sat with Xiaolian in her room. She was tucked under the covers with Dim Sum. Again Lucy had lent her the stuffed panda. I sat near her, on the edge of the bed.

  “Comfy?” I asked.

  She nodded happily at first, but her smiled disappeared quickly. “Do I really have to go back to that place after four days?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “I don’t understand why I can’t just stay here with you. What’s wrong with me?”

  “The government is trying to understand where you came from. Right now, you’re a mystery.”

  “Do they do this with everyone who isn’t from here?”

  “Most people who visit the United States don’t come here hidden inside a cargo container. You were part of a group of girls who were trafficked to the States.”

  “Trafficked?”

  “That’s what we call it when someone deals or trades in something that is illegal. And because you haven’t been able to tell us much about where you came from or who your parents are… well, there are questions. Do you understand?”

  “I guess. What will happen when they get their answers? Will they let me come to you then?”

  I reached up and brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes. “Oh, sweetie, I don’t know how else to say this, but I believe once they receive their answers, they will most likely send you back to China.”

  Her eyes locked onto mine as she drew a sharp breath. “Why? Why would they send me there?”

  “Right now, the belief is that you’re from China or possibly Taiwan… it’s one of those two places, but the thinking is China.”

  “I knew it. You’re only being nice to me so you can get your answers, and then after that, you’ll throw me out. I thought you liked me.” She looked away from me.

  “That’s not true. I care a lot about you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have invited you into my home. Believe me when I say that. You are part of this family. Ryan, Lucy, and Po Po all think of you as one of us. So I don’t want to hear any more talk like that. Understand?”

  She nodded but still kept her gaze away from mine.

  “The reality is you entered the country illegally, and because you have no blood relatives here, there is no one who can legally take custody of you. That’s something I’m unable to do. That’s why it’s so important to figure out where you are from and how we can contact your family, your real family. I’m sure they miss you.”

  “I told you before I don’t have one.”

  I placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Do you have any family that you know of? A brother? A sister? Or even grandparents or aunts and uncles?”

  Xiaolian’s gaze fell to the side as she chewed on her bottom lip.

  “So all you know are the teachers who raised you?”

  She nodded. I lowered my head as I tried to catch her eye. I poked her belly playfully, prompting her to laugh and look at me.

  “You know what I think? I think you were at an orphanage. It’s a place where children stay when they lose their parents and—”

  “I know what that word means. I don’t know if it was an orphanage. It’s the only place I’ve ever known. So maybe it was.”

  “Okay, let’s assume it is. Surely they must have rules about leaving the premises?”

  “You get punished if you go past the boundary.”

  “You mean like a gate?”

  “There’s a gate, but the boundary is really a bunch of bushes and trees.”

  “I see.”

  I noodled my inner cheek with my tongue while I watched Xiaolian absentmindedly tug on Dim Sum’s ear. She looked so innocent, so child-like, which was a bit insane considering she was twelve, nearly a teenager. But at times, a purity about her came through, something I couldn’t quite put into words.

  Xiaolian had already revealed a side of herself that contradicted everything I had come to know about her. It was that day she had coldly questioned me in the recreation room. A different person had been sitting in front of me then. I wondered if that person would appear again.

  “What else can you tell me about the staff… the people who looked after you at this place?”

  She shrugged.

  “What do you mean you don’t know? You were there, were you not?” My voice grew louder.

  “What do you want to know?” She suddenly sounded frustrated.

  “We’re talking in circles, Xiaolian. I’m asking questions, and you’re… well, pretending you don’t know the answers, when in fact you do.”

  “I’m not lying to you.” She turned away again and stared at the wall.

  “I didn’t say you were lying. I just think you’re not telling me everything you know. The more you help me to understand, the more I can help you. Your fate is in your hands, so don’t complain when you find yourself back in China.”

  She remained silent.

  “You know I’m right. I’m done playing games. Are you?”

  “They were normal people,” she said. “I don’t know what else to tell you. I didn’t talk with them. We only listened.”

  “Okay, what about the other children? Were you all the same age? Was there a mix of boys and girls?”

  “Some were older, some were younger. And there were boys and girls.”

  “So it was definitely an institution of some sort.”

  Xiaolian looked at me with a frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. The adults who looked after you, were they Chinese?”

  “Yes.”

  “And they were the ones who educated you and trained you?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you weren’t the only one learning, right?”

  “Everyone had classes, but we weren’t all taught the same things.”

  “Let’s talk more about the physical training you received. Do you know why you were taught to fight?”

  “No.”

  How does someone learn that much and not have a clue as to why she’s learning it? I watched her chew her bottom lip as she stared into her lap. Was lying something you were also taught to do?

  “Do you mean to tell me you can’t think of a single reason why? No? Any and all reasoning escapes you at the moment?”

  She gripped Dim Sum’s ear and balled her fist around it. My words seem to be getting through to her. So I pushed.

  “I find this laughable that you can’t provide an answer. I’ve seen the reports on the testing Dr. Yates has done. You excel in critical thinking, your ability to problem-solve is exceptional, and yet for some reason, you can’t arrive at any sort of logical explanation for why you are here, why you know what you know. Surely you must have an opinion. And don’t bother shrugging. That’s an answer I’ve grown tired of. So let’s cut the act, okay? Tell me what you really know.”

  “I am,” she said, raising her voice.

  “No, you’re not.”

  “Why are you being mean?”

  “Why are you playing dumb?”

  Xiaolian lifted her head and pursed her lips as her stare drilled into me. Had the cold, calculating side of Xiaolian returned?

  A coy smile slowly formed on her face. “It seems I can no longer play this game with you.”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “I know you don’t believe me, but I don’t have the answers you want. I’m like you; I only have half of the puzzle. This is the way they operate.”

  “When you say ‘they,’ you mean the people who watched over you?”

  She nodded. “Keeping me and the others in the dark is how they controlled us. They wanted us to fear the unknown.”

  “But why do this? You’re children.”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t even think to ask that question back then. It wasn’t until I arrived in America that I saw how different the world was from the one I was raised in. Do you believe me when I say I don’t have the answers?”

  I scratched my forehead. “So you thought your education,
your training, your way of living was completely normal?”

  “I know now that it’s not.” She scooted back, so that she sat up straight against the headboard. “I started thinking this after meeting Ryan for the first time. At his age, I was much more advanced.”

  “You mean in the physical sense? Because I saw the testing. I already know your education is above average.”

  “Yes, in the physical sense. I peeked inside Ryan’s room and saw his training notes. He’s good, though. Has real potential.”

  “How can you be sure of that? You’ve never sparred with him.”

  “I’ve sparred with you. Is he better than you?”

  “If I recall, I won.”

  “Did you really?” Her grin returned.

  “You’re saying you let me win?”

  She said nothing.

  I took that as an opportunity to mentally replay everything she had revealed. One thing was clear; she had been playing me, everyone, from the very beginning. Was counter-interrogation also part of her training? As I thought back over our talks, it became ever so apparent. She had exhibited the basics, and I never saw it.

  Xiaolian had controlled the conversation from the very start by remaining silent unless prompted, and even then, she related only the bare bones to me. However, when it came to our human-trafficking investigation, she was full of information. She talked a lot. She had deflected. I remembered Agent House mentioning to me that she thought it was odd that Xiaolian could recall information relating only to the investigation but could not remember anything about her personal life. Dammit, we handed her a neatly wrapped cover story.

  I had provided a way for her to engage and turn over valuable information without so much as revealing a single thing about who she was or where she came from.

  At that moment, the question that pressed upon me the most was whether her actions had been a calculated attempt to mask her real identity or, as she'd said, a cautious approach after finding herself thrust into a new world. If it were the latter, it was important that we find out more about this mysterious home of hers.