Four - Windy

Bolin was in a small heated galley kitchen area section of the cargo plane. There was an emergency seat in case of turbulence while the crew was out of the cockpit. With the flight just over four hours he knew the crew will definitely see him.

At the top of the second hour the navigator used the washroom and then the galley. Bolin was asleep and the man laughed at him. He boiled water in the microwave poured it into a thermos and waited before adding instant coffee and dehydrated creamer to the water.

The navigator returned. "Looks like Wai-lung left us a passenger. A suit."

The pilot was not as amused as the navigator and handed off his duty to the co-pilot. "I wonder how much he paid to get on? I hate when Wai-lung does this shit. I am checking him out!"

The pilot sized Bolin up. His face was dotted with facial hair just beginning to show. The pilot kicked the calf of the stowaway, waking him. "Politician or gangster? Hmmm? Maybe both?"

Bolin unfastened the seatbelt and straightened himself up. "Tonight I am nobody in search of my wife and daughter." He looked at the man's wings on his lapel then his name badge. "Captain Zhao."

"So a gangster." Captain Zhao raised his nose at his stowaway. "What is your name? Why are you on my plane?"

He spoke with a clarity that told the captain he was an upper class citizen, of which he hated. "Bolin Tsui, junior Interior Minister. And I already told you why."

"How much?" Zhao looked at Bolin who frowned then asked in a slightly different manner. "Wai-lung usually charges a lot of money to break the rules. I want the same."

"Done!" Bolin raised an eyebrow.

"You must be a low down, crooked, hands in my pocket politician. I hate those more than gangsters!" The Captain rolled his eyes. "So how much did you give Wai-lung?" Zhao thought his payday came in.

Bolin took a deep breath before delivering the bad news. "Nothing. He never asked for payment."

"I don't believe you!" Zhao looked furious.

"Does it look like I have any money on me?" Bolin opened his jacket to reveal black scuff marks from his shoes on his white shirt. "And I was officially out of a job three hours ago. This ID card means nothing now until I get help from Congress."

Captain Zhao was not impressed. "And how the hell do you get support from congress from up here in my plane?"

"Our plane! It belongs to the people of China. You are but a caretaker. You know it and I know it!" Bolin was edgy and now he was pissed at this guy. "If you want money, I will transfer you money right now!" He pulled his cellphone from his jacket.

"We are not equipped with wifi on this luxurious airliner." Zhao spoke in a condescending tone. "Save it, I am placing you under arrest."

"Because I can not pay you?" Bolin was now defiant. "Fuck! You are just as bad as the fucking human traffickers! Blood money! You can do one of two things. Tie me up or help me find my wife and daughter! You want money, okay! How much money do you want? You've got it! Just help me." Bolin sank back onto the seat dejected knowing the odds were low this guy would help him.

"$10,000 yuan. No less. Come with me." Zhao turned and muttered. "I don't fucking believe I am doing this."

BEIJING

Chee Yong worked systematically throughout night rallying supporters in Congress for Bolin. He would not say it was going smoothly. Minister Chen had many old supporters and it looked like would crush the support for Bolin easily.

At one in the morning he stopped waking up people and searched for indisputable evidence that could shed the light on minister. Chee was meticulous. As a personal assistant to a junior minister he had to make sure i's were dotted and t's were crossed.

There is was, a lonely cache that was scheduled to be deleted but was not yet cleared. Opening this was a jackpot lottery win as Chee methodically went through page by page of the criminal record. The MBA (Masters of Business Administration) graduate of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University scored highest in China in forensic auditing and this was a crowning moment for the young man in his mid-twenties.

There was no way Chee was simply about to hand over the coveted file. He sent the file clicking, email all prior to sending. When Congress woke up, there would be a little present for them in the inbox. "Happy New Year Uncle Chen, year of the Slime has ended!"

Just then the office phone rang. Chee froze believing time was up and uncle Chen was giving him a good bye call. He picked up. "Yes?"

Windy was taken aback. For an Office of the Interior it was very lax, then again no one is usually there at that time of night. "Okay, I can play this cool too. I have a message for a Bollin Tuussiii. I tried."

"Bolin Tsui, the junior Interior Minister?" Chee was expecting this to be the call of death. "Who is this?"

"How the hell would I know who you are? Seriously?" Windy obviously misunderstood Chee. "Who are you?"

"My name is Chee Yong. Who the hell are you?" Chee was snippy, tired and running on empty.

"Don't you speak to me like that. I will reach through the phone and smack you, Mr. Yong!" Windy bit back at the young Chinese man.

Chee looked at the phone wondering who this person was. He was stunned and in a much different tone he asked the woman. "Why are you calling me, Ma'am?"

Windy was full blown coo-coo now! She hated being called ma'am. "Huh! Well, if Mr. Tuusuiii wants to know where his wife and child are then the person speaking to me will never call me ma'am ever again. Got that?"

Chee was not about to correct the woman on the pronounciation of his boss's name. "Got it, M...what is your name?" That was close.

"It's Windy. Ready to talk turkey?" Windy was using slang that Chee just did not understand.

"Are you calling me a turkey?" Chee was tired and this conversation was going nowhere for either of them.

"Hold it right there! I will speak, you try to listen. I will go slow and maybe I can microwave some popcorn and watch a rerun of NCIS with my cat Gib. Okay?" Windy waited.

"Okay. Tell.....ME!" Chee was frustrated.

"Are we really doing this with lives on the line? Cause if my friend dies in Fujian Province, China I am coming to see you Chee Yong!" Windy was being overly difficult and dramatic but Chee was keeping her from her TV show.

In a very very reserved voice Chee spoke once again. "I would be very happy to hear what you have to say. Please enlighten me, miss Windy."

"Better, much better. Just for that, I will give you my extra special telephone voice." Chee just rolled his eyes but painfully listened. Windy continued. "My guy, Jimmy has a LiLi, a Fan Bo and a child named Gembira."

Chee was quick to ask. "How much does this Jimmy guy want?"

"Ah, he'd be happy with dim sum and a flight to LAX. What do you mean, how much does he want? He took them from the Trader and is helping them down the friggin mountain!" Windy took a breath then covered the receiver as she spoke "please God don't let this be the night janitor!"

"Hello? Hello?!" Chee did not believe Windy. "You are not calling for a ransom or to pressure me in any way?" Why would a foreigner help?

"Listen, Cheetah, they were in the village Sanhei and they are headed for Sanji. He will get them down but you know there will be trouble if they are spotted."

"How? Why is this Jimmy guy helping the minister, my boss?" Chee was trying to wrap his mind around his involvement.

"I guess the human trafficker Jimmy was tailing kidnapped the mother and daughter. We'll figure the rest out later. So, are you going to help?" Windy told Chee all she knew.

"I am heading to Sanji now! Thanks miss Windy! I gave to go now!" Chee hung up the phone.

"I don't think you're going anywhere, Chee." William Chow pointed his gun at the personal assistant then shot him in the stomach. "That's from uncle Chen!" He left the office confident the job was done.

But the wily young personal assistant was far more intelligent than William Chow gave him credit. A few minutes later the Chee reached up, grabbed the top of the desk and pulled himself to Bolin's chair. Reeling in pain but not seriously injured, his bullet proof under armor saved his life. He knew Chinese politics has a dangerous landscape.

He texted Bolin hoping he was still alive letting him know what was going down. Chee was sending as many people as he could scrape up to look for Bolin, Fan, Gembira, LiLi and the mystery man, Jimmy. It was time for him to get to the old airport so he could get to Xiamen before daybreak.