Three - Xiamen

The driver stopped outside the departure entrance then immediately pulled Bolin's personalized suitcase from the trunk of the late model Passat. He knew it was his, his wife and daughter had matching luggage.

Bolin frowned and asked the driver, "how did you get into my apartment, Meng?"

"LiLi was there, sir. Uncle said this could not want to wait, so LiLi packed your clothes." Meng thought he was convincing but not with Bolin.

Bolin knew very well there was no one on this earth that could get LiLi to do anything remotely domestic in nature. She never once picked up after him and sure as hell would never pack a toothbrush for him let alone clothes. He had maid service seven days a week to clean up every morning so she would not have to.

"Hainan Airlines, Sir. Business class." Meng spoke quickly adding, "the flight leaves in thirty minutes." As quickly as he spoke he was even faster leaving.

Two red flags popped up for Bolin. First the luggage being packed by LiLi and second Hainan Air having a business class. "Why not send me to Hainan?" He quipped to no one in particular.

His cellphone vibrated. "Chee, tell me you are here!"

"I am, Sir." Chee sounded as if he were running. "Do not board the Chengdu flight. You do and you are dead!"

"Got it! Fan and Gembira?" Bolin stopped in the middle of airport and repeated the question he already knew the answer to. "Chee? Fan and Gembira?"

Chee stopped running. Lowered his phone. "Sir!" Bolin lowered his phone. "Xiamen, Fan, Gembira and LiLi are already headed to Xiamen!"

"Fuck me!" Bolin grabbed his hair, pulling at it as if it would tear away from his scalp. "SHIIIIIIT!" Something just popped into his head. "Chee, get a hold of every minister you think will support me. Now!"

"It's..." Chee was checking his watch.

"Chee, do it now, there maybe no tomorrow my friend." Then his shoulders sank. "I can not...they better be..." Bolin looked a mess, his life was disintegrating right before his eyes. He feared for his family and for LiLi.

"Sir, get a flight south, anywhere but Chengdu. Don't even tell me. We will meet in Xiamen tomorrow night." Chee then took Bolin's suitcase. "I wouldn't trust these men, sir. Here's your passport. Good luck, sir!"

Chee quickly headed to the washroom with Bolin's suitcase. He yelled to see if anyone was inside. There was no answer he tossed the luggage as far s he could and ran. When it hit the concrete wall the bomb went off. Not a huge explosion, but it would have been enough to take down a jet.

Chee checked the damage in the washroom. All the stalls were blown to the entrance and water was spewing from the place where the sinks once were. The airport security forces were there quickly and Chee flashed his Interior credentials then looked to Bolin and waved him away.

Something went off inside Bolin. His face reddened, his blood pressure shot through the roof and his hands became fists. To him, this was the beginning of a war with Uncle Chen and anyone standing between his wife, daughter and mistress.

There was no more Mr. Nice Guy for Bolin. He had to fly south before they closed the airport if he had any chance to save the ones he cared for. He stepped up to Air China United and presented his Junior Interior Minister identification. "Sanya for one. And just to let you know, this flight is leaving early."

"Yes, sir. How early?" The flight attendant manning the desk asked.

"As soon as I step on the plane. Get airport security and the tower." Bolin's plan could only work if he was not in Beijing.

"Airport security, sir!" The attendant handed the corded phone to Bolin.

"This is Bolin Tsui, junior Interior Minister, the bomb that went off was meant for me. My security clearance is L4-1744 beta. I expect to leave in three minutes."

The security operator checked Bolin's security but it had already been cancelled. "Sir, your clearance was cancelled by..."

"Let me guess, Interior Minister Chen?" Bolin spat his name out like it was a disease.

"Yes, Minister Chen. I am sorry sir there is a warrant for your arrest, please remain at the desk." The operator asked Bolin like he had won a prize.

"Yeah right! The fucker tried to kill me and you want to take me in. By the morning you may not have that fucking job you idiot." Bolin had mere seconds to decide his course of action. Renegade Minister or captured fall guy for uncle Chen.

Looking up at the departure board the status to all outgoing flights were CANCELED. "Shiiiiiiit!" Right beside the board were HD cameras that looked as though they were directed at him.

Bolin brashly pointed to the camera and the security person operating the cameras zoomed in. "Senior Interior Minister Chen? Rot in hell. If I were you, I wouldn't sleep tonight!" The well dressed politician then ran!

Airport security was closing in on Bolin with eyes on him at every turn. Every time he looked back he saw more and more security giving chase. He was running out of options, but just then he looked past his reflection in the windows to cargo jet being loaded with mail and packages.

It was possible to get aboard, but to do it undetected would be an act Houdini himself would applaud. It seemed that security cameras were everywhere. But how? Not dressed like this! Dressed like an airport worker pushing bins to the jet.

He needed to think logically, it was his job as junior Interior Minister to make sure all security protocols were in place at all airports. Bolin spoke to himself. "Where am I?" Looking up as he ran he read, 'Terminal 3 section D with arrows suggesting C, B and A ahead.

Section B, lower level for employee locker rooms and assignment areas. But which door? He ran the washrooms and noticed a door closing slowly with a pin pad and a swipe bar. Cameras or no cameras he had to chance it.

Once through the door he looked at a power box next to the frame. There was a solid red light signaling the door was locked. Bolin knew if he knocked the power out to the relay signal that having a card and pass code were useless. The magnetic power lock would allow him a few more minutes.

He jammed a broom left on the landing into the signal relay box popping the facing off. Grabbed the black wires that were maretted together and ripped it apart. The red light disappeared and he pushed the handle. Nothing, it was still magnetically sealed.

Bolin ran down the concrete stairs knowing time was still not his friend. The clean airport workers jumpsuits were hanging but he went for the dirty bin jumpsuits. Found a medium sized soiled one, kicked his patented leather shoes off, zipped it up, fully covering his suit. He stuffed his shoes into his jumpsuit and chose a pair of boots from the mass of boots left by other workers.

He looked up to the door. Someone wanted in. On his way to the loading area he grabbed a red Inspectors hard hat. He could fake his way through this with his credentials, these guys would not know what was going on up above. He snatched a clipboard and pushed through the swinging doors.

Bolin yelled while walking to the man with the green hard hat. "Shift manager!" If he knew anything it was these guys hated 'red hats' and he would need to be as tough as nails to convince the rough necks.

"What the fuck?" The shift manager was pissed. "There is no way in hell you are slowing my crew down tonight. My wife wants a divorce and my girlfriend wants the rest! So tell me something I want to fucking hear, you dipshit!"

"I am here for Wai!" Bolin yelled over the sounds the four idling engines.

"Wai-lai, Wai-lee or me Wai-lung?" The green hat folded his arms and wait for the red hat to respond.

"Wai-lung you motherfucker! You are served! Pack your locker and get the fuck out of my airport. Bolin flashed his junior Interior Minister badge.

"That means shit to me, Mr. Tsui. No one can even be outside, on the fucking tarmac without me here. So blow it out your ass!" Wai-lung knew his importance to this part of the airport. "I have 173 workers tonight on Terminal three. So cut the bullshit and tell me why you are really standing on my fucking TARMAC!" The man's voice got progressively louder until he was at full volume when he finished.

Bolin was out-manouvered by the green hat but needed his help to get out of Beijing that night. "Okay, okay!" He raised both hands. "I really am Bolin Tsui, junior Interior Minister. But I am on your tarmac, Sir...to get out of here undetected."

Wai-lung folded his arms again wondering what the hell a minister needed his help. "Go on."

"You can either believe me or not, but here it is...the senior Interior Minister is involved in human trafficking and to shut me up he kidnapped my wife, daughter and..." Bolin did not want to admit the last part.

"And?" Wai-lung was enjoying every second of this.

Bolin continued, "and my mistress."

It was in that humility that Wai-lung believed the man in front of him. "Where do you need to go?"

Bolin knew he was not bullshitting him and confided in Wai-lung. "Xiamen. But anywhere south out of Beijing will work."

"The only thing close tonight is Hong Kong. I could get you on a direct cargo flight at six in the morning." Wai-lung knew the flights like he knew his own reflection.

"I have to go now Wai-lung. It will have to do, I am dead by six if I stay." Bolin then asked, "which one?"

Wai-lung grabbed a portable bin used to load cargo. "Jump in. Wait until I give you the okay when I do the final inspection. Got it?" Bolin nodded. "Get the fuck in before I change my mind! You better not be fucking with me!" He made a fist and Bolin gave a sad smile.

"If this works, I won't forget your help." Bolin ducked under a tarp.

"Yeah right! But what the fuck, I have done crazier things than this!" Wai-lung got a worker to push the bin onto the loading ramp and onto the cargo plane.