“There may be other crimes and crime victims. Over the next days we will be interrogating the two prisoners to find out as much as we can about their sordid operation. We would also ask that you respect young Brandon’s privacy so that he can recover from his ordeal. Brandon’s father, Mr. Gordon Jacobs, is here and has agreed to give a statement to you about the resolution of the case.” Agent Hall finished his statement by giving out a few more details of the case and thanking the members of his team for their work in apprehending the two suspects.
Gordon Jacobs gave a statement saying how happy his family was to be reunited, and thanking the FBI unit and everyone who helped in the rescue of his son. “Brandon is doing fine now, but was treated very cruelly by his captors. They took advantage of his desire to help people and earn a little pocket money doing yard work. Now I hope that you will respect his privacy and that of our family as we assist Brandon on his long road to recovery.”
The press conference continued for nearly an hour longer as the media pumped Agent Hall for more details about what happened to Brandon during his captivity and what kind of human trafficking operation that the two suspects were running.
Meanwhile, Mary Jacobs had brought Brandon to their doctor’s office for a thorough examination and treatment of his bruises. He took a blood sample, treated Brandon’s bruises and rope burns, and counseled Brandon on what to expect over the next few days and weeks. Mrs. Jacobs later told the doctor that counseling for Brandon was already being arranged, and that he would be kept out of school for a while to recover.
After the doctor finished his examination, he reported, “I don’t believe that Brandon is in any danger of infection at this time, but I will await the results of the blood tests to make a final decision on any additional treatment. Although I am sure they were hurtful when inflicted, none of his bruises are serious, and should quickly heal. As a result, I don’t think that Brandon needs to be hospitalized so you are free to go home.”
“Is it okay for him to have visitors?” Mary Jacobs asked.
“Yes, being with his friends should help cheer him up,” the doctor replied. “But I would suggest you limit their visits for the time being, and ask his friends not to press him for details about what happened to him.” Addressing Brandon, the doctor continued, “Brandon, only discuss what you are comfortable talking about at this time. After you have counseling, you can decide more about what you would like to reveal to others. I am very sorry about the disgusting and cruel things those men did to you. They clearly were predators but luckily you only had to endure their abuse for one night. Other than the bruises you suffered, you are in good health and will soon recover from your wounds. Get plenty of rest and keep yourself clean. Continue to apply antiseptic to your bruises once a day until they completely heal. Don’t hesitate to call me if anything changes in your condition.”
That evening, Mary Jacobs prepared a dinner of many of Brandon’s favorite foods. Then she called the homes of several of Brandon’s best friends and invited them over to see him. She told them what the doctor had said about keeping things light, and not questioning Brandon too much about what had happened to him. Their visit was very therapeutic for Brandon. Having his friends around in a supportive role really lifted his spirits, and for the first time in a while Brandon was laughing and smiling again.
Brandon did tell his friends a lot of what had happened to him, although he completely avoided details about the abuse he received. His friends could sense that anyway as soon as they saw the bruises on his face and arms. They were very cool about not pressing him about what had happened to him, letting Brandon volunteer the details that he wanted them to hear. They were very impressed when Brandon told them about Jason and Daniel. “These two teenagers I had never met before somehow figured out where I had been taken, and came to rescue me!” he told his friends. “It was just like an action movie the way we ran out of there and drove away in Jason’s SUV while one of my kidnappers fired gunshots at us!”
Brandon was also quite touched when his friends told them how upset they were when word that he was missing got out. Rick, the natural leader of the group, even admitted that he cried a little when he heard the news. “I felt so bad that someone would want to harm you!”
After ninety minutes, it was time for their visit to end. “Take it easy, Brandon, and get better. Then we will go out on our boards together. No more solo flights for the time being!” Rick told him.
Brandon told his friends that he would be going out of town for a week to heal and get his head together again. “When I get back I will call you guys to do some skating around with me. Going out in a group sounds really good right now!”
* * *
The next day the Liu family drove Jian-heng up to the Oakland FBI headquarters. Jian-heng was so excited about being reunited with his sisters, that he could hardly sleep the night before. During the long ride on the freeway, the exhausted boy ended up dozing off in the back seat of the Liu’s car. After an hour’s drive, the Liu’s arrived at the FBI headquarters in Oakland. They went inside and Mr. Liu inquired about where Eunice and Elaine Chen were staying.
“The dozen women were brought here and housed in a local motel last night,” the desk agent told them. “Today they will be questioned with the aid of an interpreter, and asked to make statements about their captivity and how they were brought into the United States. Are you related to any of these women?”
“Young Jian-heng Chen is the brother of Eunice and Elaine. He was also a victim of those two human traffickers. We have driven here from the Silicon Valley area so that they can at last be reunited.”
“Please have a seat,” the agent said, indicating some chairs against the back wall. I will go find out where they are right now and see what they are doing.”
About fifteen minutes later, the agent returned and said, “Please come this way. We have set up a room where Jian-heng and you can meet with Eunice and Elaine.” The agent then directed the Liu family to a conference room down the hall.
Soon after they were seated in the room, the door opened and in came Eunice and Elaine Chen. When Jian-heng saw his sisters, he ran over to them and literally jumped into their arms. There were hugs and tears all around as Jian-heng was finally reunited with his sisters. The three happily chatted in their Chinese dialect and then Jian-heng introduced the Liu family to his sisters. They then sat down at the table and began to exchange their stories about their ordeal since they were separated from each other at the docked container ship.
“When you were grabbed by Jimmy Rae and Chuluun we thought we would never see you again,” Eunice said. “We are very happy to see that you were able to escape from those men.”
“That is because of my American heroes who rescued me. Richard Liu is one of them!” Jian-heng said pointing out Richard, who blushed a little at the attention. “Now the Liu family has taken me in, and want to adopt me! I am so happy!”
“It seems that you were the one in our family who actually has acquired the American dream,” Elaine replied. “Tell us about those other two teenagers, Jason and Daniel, who actually tracked down those men and found us.”
Jian-heng proceeded to tell his sisters all about that day when they had arrived in America, how he was kidnapped and left in that San Francisco closet by Jimmy Rae and Chuluun, and then discovered by Jason, Daniel and Richard when they heard him thumping against that utility closet door. Then he explained how he was rescued, given food and clothing, brought out of Chinatown, got to see the New Year’s parade on the way to the Silicon Valley, and was given a place to stay at the Liu home. He told them how generous everyone was to him, buying him clothing, helping him learn English, and making him feel welcome in America. “Most importantly, Jason and Daniel promised me that they would look for the human traffickers who had kidnapped me and had made you into slaves!”
Elaine and Eunice then described their ordeal as domestic slaves. “We were chained together and put in the back of Jimmy’s van. We
were very scared and had no idea where we were being taken. When we arrived at a large house after a drive of about an hour, we were brought inside and told that we each owed $40,000 for our trip to America. To pay the money we owed, we would have to work it off as domestic or factory workers. All of our few meager possessions were taken away from us. We had to agree that we owed the money and sign a paper before they would release us from the chains attached to our ankles.
“We were placed under the strictest possible discipline. Anyone who violated their rules was severely beaten. One of the girls who dared to protest her treatment was not only beaten but kept bound and gagged in a closet for an entire day until she begged them for forgiveness. Another girl who tried to escape was beaten, sexually assaulted by the men, and the soles of her feet were cut with a knife, so it was incredibly painful for her to walk. We were all very scared of those men and afraid to protest after we saw what the men would do to us if we disobeyed them.
“Most of the time we were kept barefoot and had only these meager simple outfits to wear. We were crammed into three bedrooms, four to a room, and forced to work twelve or more hours a day. We had to keep the house spotless, do laundry, cook the meals, and the rest of the time we processed food for their farming business. If this was to be our life in America, it wasn’t a dream but a nightmare!”
“I am very sorry that you were treated so poorly,” Junjie Liu said after hearing their story. “This is not the way people are normally treated in America. Human traffickers are a blight on our society!”
While Eunice and Elaine were telling their story, Jian-heng sat with them holding their hands. He was very upset by what he was hearing. Eunice tried to comfort him. “I am sorry you have to hear these horrible things, little brother. Now luck is with us again and we are free, thanks to you and the efforts of your friends!”
A half hour after the Chen’s were reunited, Agent Evan Moore, head of the Child Abduction Recovery Team that raided the Schulte Farm property came into the room and introduced himself. When Jian-heng was introduced to Agent Moore, he said in perfect English, “Thank you for rescuing my sisters from those bad men! I have been so worried about them ever since we were separated from each other!”
Eunice and Elaine were quite surprised that their little brother was already becoming fluent in English after living in America for only two months. “How did you learn to speak English so well?” they asked in their dialect.
Mrs. Liu replied that “Jian-heng seems to have a natural gift for learning languages. He not only has learned a lot of English, but has also learned our Taiwanese dialect.”
“Are you a G-man?” Jian-heng asked Agent Moore. “Do you look for un-subs?”
Agent Moore laughed heartily at the boy’s questions.
“He has learned a lot of English from watching American television,” Richard Liu explained.
“I can see that,” Agent Moore said with a smile on his face. “Jian-heng, you are a very charming young man, and I can see how you could easily persuade someone to help you out! Due to the efforts of your friends Jason Hunter and Daniel Holmes and our FBI team, a major ring of human traffickers are now in custody and their cruel reign of terror is over!”
Junjie Liu then asked about the status of Jason’s sisters.
“Right now, we are taking statements from all of the young women they held as domestic slaves. With the human traffickers responsible for their captivity and a number of other predatory crimes in jail, the young women will soon be released from our custody and turned over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Because they were brought into our country illegally, there will eventually be a hearing to determine their future. I would imagine that at least several of them will be asked to testify at the trial of Jimmie Rae Chu and Chuluun Chau. I am not sure what will happen with Jian-heng. His kidnapping and subsequent rescue was the sparkplug that set the resolution of this case in motion. Yet at the same time, I would imagine that his status here is also up in the air.”
Junjie Liu then told the agent, “As the expression goes in this country, we have been doing our homework in regards to Jian-heng. It is our intention to adopt him and support his desire to become an American citizen. Last week I was in Hong Kong where I retained an attorney and investigator to acquire the necessary legal documents we will need to proceed. They were quickly in contact with Jian-heng’s aunt and uncle, and got copies of his birth certificate, those of Elaine and Eunice, and the death certificates of their parents, who were killed in a tragic factory accident nearly two years ago.” Mr. Liu then pulled out a file of documents from a small attaché case he had brought along.
“So you have proof that Jian-heng and his sisters are orphans?” Agent Moore responded.
“Yes, we do, and we intend to go forward with the adoption process starting next week. That is our first step. We will then begin taking the steps necessary for Jian-heng to become a US citizen.”
“Given the fact that Jian-heng is an orphan, you are a well-established family, and clearly the boy has been thriving in your custody, I can’t imagine that there will be any opposition to your plans for the boy.” Agent Moore then addressed Jian-heng. “Is this what you want to do, live here in American with the Lius and eventually become a US citizen?” he asked.
“Oh yes!” Jian-heng replied with his big winning smile. “I want to become a Silicon Valley homeboy!”
Again everyone laughed at Jian-heng’s comment.
“I can see that you will fit in here very well!” Agent Moore said smiling at the boy. “You already know American slang.”
Addressing Mr. Liu, the agent went on, “As to his older sisters, the fact that they are orphans too most likely gives them more options than if they had immediate family back in China. There are a number of possible scenarios for them. If they want to stay here they will need sponsors and a place to stay. I know there are a number of public service organizations devoted to helping young women who have been brought into this country as domestic slaves.
“You should also be aware that the Chinese government plans to become involved in their case. They have already contacted the head of this office and the head of the INS. My supervisor tells me that the Chinese government feels somewhat embarrassed by what has happened, especially because their own citizens were so desperate to leave that they became involved with human traffickers. He tells me that they plan to offer a special deal for the young women: return to China and the government will pay for their education and housing for four years while they are trained for high tech jobs.”
After what the agent said was translated to Elaine and Eunice, they both looked at each other somewhat surprised by what they were hearing.
“There is no need to worry about what to do just yet,” Agent Moore said finishing his conversation. “You will have plenty of time to decide what is best for you when all of the options available to you are presented.” He got up to leave while his final statement was translated. Agent Moore then shook hands with the Lius. When he got to Jian-heng, he said, “Thanks for your help in solving this case. It is my understanding that Jason and Daniel were able to decipher the final clues that led them to the farmhouse in Tracy where your sisters and Brandon Jacobs were found from that paper where you wrote down English letters you saw during your trip to America in the cargo container.”
“When I decided to come to America, I wanted to learn how to read and write English very fast. No one is happier than me that my scribbling on that piece of paper would help capture those bad guys!”
A few minutes after Agent Moore left, the other agent came back and told the Lius that it was time for Eunice and Elaine to give their statements. The agent gave Junjie Liu a piece of paper with a telephone number on it. “This is the number of the INS investigative division. They will tell you where the young women will be staying, how to contact them, and where and when you can visit again.”
As Elaine and Eunice got up to leave, Jian-heng clung to them, not wanting to let
them go. “Don’t worry, little brother. We won’t forget about you! As soon as we know where we will be staying next, we will contact you.”
* * *
Sunday afternoon Jason drove over to the house where Brandon Jacobs was staying with his aunt and uncle. The first order of business was a shopping spree for Brandon. Laura was unable to come along due to a family obligation, but Brandon’s Aunt Melba said that she would love to go along and help with the shopping.
Soon Brandon was outfitted with an entire new wardrobe of Tony Hawk and other skater endorsed clothing, including tee shirts, shorts, jeans, sweatshirts, plus new underwear, socks, and pajamas, new Van’s sneakers, and a duffle bag and backpack. Since skateboarding put a lot of wear on tear on his sneakers, Jason gave Brandon a second pair, a new pair of Converse low cut blue chucks, which Brandon picked out from some boxes of shoes Jason had in the back of his Explorer. Best of all, Brandon was able to pick out a brand new skateboard since the one he was riding on Friday was lost at the Schulte farm house.
Jason and his Aunt Melba helped him to pick out a prepaid cell phone, so he had a way to communicate with his family and friends if he ever got into some sort of danger again.
“I can’t believe this!” Brandon exclaimed. “This is like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one.”
“You need some good times and fun things after what was done to you, Brandon,” Jason replied. “You need to be active and get regular exercise again. In the next few days and weeks you will have a lot to work out in your head. Right now I want you to feel like a brand new person!”
Days of Destiny Page 26