Annie popped the crystal on her watch and felt of the time. They had driven for nearly an hour by her figures. Her captor had not spoken to her since his revelation of the original plan and only spoke to the driver in Chinese. The sunlight that had warmed her face through the glass had been gone for several minutes, leading her to believe that nightfall was only minutes away. Not having heard the news that morning, she didn't know what time sunset would be.
Turning onto a bumpy road, Annie gasped and was slung over, her body landing into her captor's lap. He gently pushed her upright as she reached for the door handle to help pull herself up. Loud angry words and the sound of flesh striking flesh had her cringe and pray for rescue soon.
Minutes later, the car came to a stop and was turned off.
"I'm not getting out," she stated coolly.
"I did not ask you to, Mrs. Blaisdell. Instead, I want you to stay in the car with my driver and do as you are told so that we may all get out of this alive," Lo Fong answered, then closed the door as he exited, ending either further remarks from her.
Paul raced through Chinatown as quickly as he could, cursing pedestrians and the slow traffic ahead of him.
Kaylia sat calmly in the seat next to him, praying they'd get to her husband before he did anything foolish.
Neither was aware of the occupant in the taxi that had sped past them, turning onto a back street to avoid the slow heavy traffic that held them captive.
Working Chinatown and having explored it as a teenager, Peter had learned the back ways to certain areas. He fought to keep his eyes open, pushing himself to stay awake. He had to save his mother.
It had been years since Paul had roamed the streets. He thought he recognized buildings, but businesses had changed. Some were missing, others added, painted. His passenger was unable to help; stating she only knew the area between their shop and the grocer.
A block away, they watched a yellow taxi pull up outside the Golden Dragon. A lone dark haired passenger exiting into the building.
"Oh, no. Peter!" Paul exclaimed as anger and fear both fought to control him. "What the hell is he doing here?"
Peter held onto the wall as he stumbled into the restaurant. Lo Ma watched him along with the other patrons near the door. Some women gave gasps of surprise as the young man walked in, stumbling as weak legs began to give under their burden.
Lo Ma rushed to his side, urging him to sit down on the bench provided for waiting patrons.
He brushed her mothering comfort away, "No, I-I want my-my mom," Peter breathed out. The trip had cost him a lot, he knew.
Screeching tires caused both to turn their heads toward the door. Seconds later, Lo Ma's mother and a gray haired man came in just as a customer came to stand behind her.
"Please, I will be right with you," she started to point the customer back to his table, getting him out of the way of any future trouble.
Peter caught sight of Paul's angry glare. There was no doubt in Peter's mind that after everything was done to find Annie that Paul would give a lecture on how to be a patient.
"Lo Ma, where is your father?" Kaylia ignored the customer; her only thoughts were on saving her husband.
Looking from her mother to the stranger, then Peter, Lo Ma bit her lip and shook her head.
"Lo Ma, tell me where is your father?"
"He left," she answered meekly.
Stepping forward, his body language threatening, Paul demanded answers. "Where to and where is my wife?"
Blake moved to be between his friend and the young woman, recognizing the darkening blue eyes as a sign of growing rage.
The girl shied, backing into a table, rattling the candle that sat in the center. The customers who had been sitting there fled to the back of the large room, hoping someone had called the police.
Kaylia felt her daughter's fear as well as increasing pressure on her wrist. Looking down to see what was causing the pain, she saw Peter had grabbed her, his cheeks flush.
"Tell her to talk," he demanded, his strength to the one hand increasing.
"Tell them, Daughter."
Lo Ma tried to think of ways to escape, hoped someone in the room full of strangers, would come to her rescue. She had already decided the dark haired man who had been so humble earlier, was not going to save her. Looking into Peter's eyes and his knuckles turning white as he squeezed Kaylia's wrist, frightened her.
Giving into her fear, Lo Ma crumbled to the floor, her face in her hands as she explained where her father had gone with Mrs. Blaisdell. "He said he was to meet a man and hoped to remove dishonor from your eyes," Lo Ma looked up at her mother who was released from her captor.
Rushing to her daughter's side, the two held each other, forgetting the world around them.
Paul turned to Peter, glancing only briefly at Blake. "I don't suppose there is any way I'll be able to make you go back to the hospital."
Exhaustion continued to battle with Peter's will. A faint grin curved his lips as he shook his head.
Sighing heavily, Paul stooped down and draped over his shoulder, Peter's left arm as Blake mirrored the action with Peter's right. The threesome left the restaurant and the staring eyes, putting Peter into the front seat of Paul's car. Blake moved in next to the passenger door while Paul made his way to the driver's side, stopping briefly to pay the taxi driver, then got into his car, sandwiching Peter between them.
Matt Hannah stood at his car, watching Lo Fong make the long walk between cars. Utility lights, high above the ground shining on the water's edge, and giving Hannah a view into the back seat of Lo Fong's car. A single person sat in the backseat and a driver in the front. "So, he follows directions well."
He stood at the car, watching the slow steps of the Asian man. Humiliation was in the footsteps and hunched over shoulders of Lo Fong.
"I have delivered her to you. You may tell your boss," Lo Fong said, never meeting Hannah's eyes.
"Have your driver bring her over here," Hannah ordered, a knot in his stomach becoming larger as his mind suspected a double cross. He turned to his own driver, signaling to watch closely for any deception.
Lo Fong turned in the direction of his car and watched his friend and chauffeur open the car door to exit the vehicle, but was stopped when car lights hit the small group of men.
Henry Perlman exited his car when it came to a stop, followed closely by two men who stood guard for their boss. Their hulking bodies a deterrent against any harm to Perlman.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Perlman?" Hannah asked, never taking his eyes off Lo Fong.
Perlman came toward his contract help. "Did you think I wouldn't find out about the double cross, Hannah?"
"Double cross? What double cross? Me and Jake here were fixing to get the woman. She's over there in Lo Fong's car." Hannah pointed toward the other black sedan then looked over at his driver.
Jake closed the door, aiming his gun from Lo Fong's driver to Hannah. "No need in trying to keep it a secret. He knows about you getting the woman and holding her for ransom."
"Why you…" Hannah muttered, anger building quickly, taking over control of his body. He lunged toward Jake, not feeling the bullet from Jake's gun tear into his fleshy shoulder.
Lo Fong raced for cover as another shot from his driver rang out, hitting the closest of Perlman's goons. Reaching into his pocket, the restaurant owner pulled out his own gun and began shooting at anyone who had not taken cover when the metal started to fly.
Annie, hearing the shots, sat still, fear paralyzing her. She screamed for help when the sound of shattering glass rang out and pain dulled her other senses before darkness took over.
Paul cut the lights before entering the park. His many visits to the place had left the winding pavement's imprint on his brain. So many times he had brought his family here to play, have picnics and so many times he had come here when Peter was thought to be lost. He knew of his son's need to be near water when troubles were surrounding him.
Parking the car near the entrance of the park, Paul reached into the glove compartment and pulled out Peter's Baretta. The three men quietly exited the car, the two older ones keeping Peter between them. Leaving him in the car would only invite Peter to get into the middle of a fight and the weakened condition he was in would leave him at a disadvantage.
The first shot rang out, causing the threesome to move quickly toward the sound as more shots were fired. Peering over the small knoll that separated them from the bad guys, Paul made out where everyone was and signaled Blake to circle around toward the area where the two cars were, while Paul and Peter went to the lone car a little further off.
Circling around, Paul heard a bullet break glass and the silhouette in the back seat slump over. His heart beat loudly in his ears as he imagined his wife being shot.
"Come on, Peter. Just a little further."
Peter closed his eyes slowly, willing more strength into his limbs, then nodded. As he looked over to where Paul had been, his father pointed to the lone black sedan.
"I think Annie's in there. There's only one gunman, at the hood of the car. Do you think you can take him out and I'll work over to the back seat?"
"Yeah, just point me in the right direction," Peter smiled, though it was weak, it held the confidence that was typical of his nature.
Peter crawled slowly toward the gunman, as he stood hidden from view by the hood and front fender of his car. Occasionally, Peter would see the man rise and fire his gun and glance at the backseat of his car.
Behind him, Paul held his gun ready to protect both wife and son as he maneuvered toward the back door of the car. He watched as Peter snuck up behind the lone gunman and buried the silver Barretta into the opponent's back.
"Don't move or I'll blow a whole in your back," Peter threatened, pushing the barrel of his gun deeper into the man's spine.
Gunfire continued, though a new sound came from the other side of the other two cars. Blake's gun sounded louder, cutting through the air, getting everyone's attention.
"This is the police. We have you surrounded, put down your weapons and no one will get hurt," a bull horn voice stated as the sky lit up with flashing red and blue lights. Officers, their badges shining in the night-light, held guns out to reinforce the statement.
Not wasting time, Paul opened the back door of the sedan and caught Annie as she fell out of the car, into his arms.
Ending
Paul quietly opened the door, looking in on the occupants of the room. Walking over, he slowly sat down in the recliner situated between the two beds, glancing to his right to see Peter sleeping, his arms and legs moving slowly in a dance only Peter heard the music to.
Over on Paul's left, Annie rested, her eyes closed, her chest slowly rising and falling with her every breath. Paul reached out and caressed her cheek, then slid his hand down to touch the sling she now wore on her left arm.
Surgery had gone well to remove the bullet form her shoulder, but the blood loss had left her weak and unable to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.
Peter had refused to be readmitted, knowing he'd be separated from his mother. Instead, knowing Peter felt guilty over Annie being abducted and shot, Paul asked for a semi-private room, letting Peter sleep in one bed and Annie the other.
Pulling out the book he'd tucked into the pocket of the chair, Paul began flipping through the pages, glancing at the entry of Kelly's birth and the still birth of their son a year later. Seeing a familiar date, Paul stopped and began to read, assured that both his patients were sleeping.
**
April 18, 1980
My family is complete now. Peter came to live with us as our foster son. Paul has been getting the room ready trying to make sure everything Peter will need is here. We've kept him for the weekend before, going to the park and sailing on the lake, but this time, we don't have to return him by six on Sunday night.
The girls think it's wonderful that they'll have a brother. Carolyn still remembers Brian, but she understands that Peter is not a replacement for the brother she never got to know. Kelly is somewhat hesitant getting to know Peter, but he treats her like a princess.
**
Peter stirred, slowly opening his eyes then looking around. Paul watched as a slow smile grew on his son's face, weary eyes tried to close again as slumber called out loudly.
"How do you feel?" Paul asked, never releasing the hold he had on Annie's hand.
A moan, soft and low, was his answer as Peter continued to fight with his leadened eyes.
"It's all right. Go back to sleep. Mom's fine," Paul whispered, watching the battle and seeing Peter's eyes go shut, staying that way as sleep took over once again.