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“If someone was there, they went out this window,” he said as he climbed out of it. “Come on,” he said when she didn’t follow.
She climbed out, her eyes scanning the area. No movement. They circled around the outer perimeter of the grounds, up against the full foliage that provided privacy on the sides and along the back of the property. Nothing. Of course, a perp could be several feet within the dense bushes and trees and not be seen. Garcia was sure whoever it had been was long gone. Laura Lee knew it was Jin Ma.
Garcia called Fletcher and gave him a recap of the events. He also gave him directions in the house to both the bedroom and the office where Laura had found the desk with the Forbidden City picture. “We’ll meet you in that office. Bring Zhou. He has some explaining to do.”
They entered the way they had exited through the window. Laura Lee showed him back through the bathroom, into the closet, and finally into the office. Garcia took a look at the computer and the phones. Everything was password protected, as expected. He went to the picture and pulled the frame. It swung open, revealing the face of a safe behind it.
From behind them, they heard a low whistle. “Now this is an office,” Agent Fletcher said.
Laura Lee and Garcia turned to view him. He and another agent stood just within the doorway with Zhou. He wasn’t looking so smug now that they’d found his real office, his computer, phones, and his safe. And once he’d opened the safe and ten passports belonging to Chinese students, including the seven in custody, were discovered, he demanded to be allowed to call his attorney into the room. He indeed was one of the employees they’d left in the other room that Zhou had falsely identified as his office.
Yankee
“Thank you for your assistance,” Agent Fletcher said, first offering his hand to Garcia and then Saxton. They stood inside the large FBI garage, just outside of the doors the seven students were being led through, a small van the intended destination for their ride to the airport to catch their flight back to China. “They will be accompanied by agents until they board their flight at JFK to Incheon. There, the South Korean authorities will be waiting to escort them to their flight to Beijing.”
“Very good. At least we’ll know they were on those flights,” Laura Lee said.
“Beijing?” Xi Laing exclaimed, hearing them. “We are being returned to Beijing?”
“Yes, your student visas have been cancelled. We’re shipping your belongings separately,” Agent Fletcher said.
“My phone and computer?” Jaing asked.
“They will be shipped with the other items found at the house you rented. Your government will receive the items within a week,” Fletcher said.
“No!” Xi Laing exclaimed.
He lunged for the FBI Agent nearest to him and grabbed his gun from its holster.
“Gun!” Garcia, Saxton, Fletcher, and the two other agents overseeing the transfer of the students yelled as they also unholstered their weapons.
Laing swung it in their direction. Garcia, Laura Lee, and Fletcher all fired. The squibs exploded at the right moment, saturating the front of Xi Laing’s shirt with three large expanding blood stains as he collapsed to the ground. The other students wore shocked expressions, and they jumped back. Several raised their hands into the air in surrender, fearing they’d be shot as well.
Laura Lee was the closest person to his body. She crept forward, gun still pointed at him, and she kicked his weapon away. Then she bent down and pressed her fingers to his neck. She stood, shaking her head. She took off her black fleece jacket and covered his face and torso with it.
“Get these guys into the van,” Fletcher said. “They still have a plane to catch.”
After the van pulled out of the garage and was out of sight, Fletcher reached a hand to Xi Laing. “It’s safe,” he said. He pulled the jacket from Laing’s face.
Laing opened his eyes and took Fletcher’s hand to be helped to his feet. He glanced down at his chest. “I’m so happy those were not real.”
Laura Lee and Garcia chuckled. Laura Lee presented her hand. “Alex, thank you for trusting me.”
“Thank you for being trustworthy and understanding,” he bowed his head after he released her hand as a black For Explorer rolled froward from a parking spot nearby.
“Your ride,” Fletcher said, reaching his right hand towards Laing as well.
“Thank you, Agent Fletcher. Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Yes, I will be one of the people coming to take your full statement. And we’ll bring Mister Lawrence with us as well.”
Xi Laing’s face lit up. Thaddeus Lawrence was his boyfriend.
“Take care of yourself and follow their rules,” Garcia said, shaking his hand next. “The Marshals can only keep you protected if you do what they tell you to.”
“I will. I am most grateful for this opportunity to stay.”
They watched Laing get into the back seat of the SUV. It drove out of the garage too.