Page 96 of The Team

Tears spilled down her cheeks and she scrubbed them away, then her fingers went to her hair, clearly remembered it had been cut, and she began to cry again.

Yin took her face and thumbed away her tears. “It’s okay, wo de húdié, my butterfly. You’re still beautiful to me.”

Jay could have damn near cried with her. As it was, he had to blink back tears. But then he noticed Rhett going back to his seat, so he tapped Yin’s knee. “Can you go sit with Rhett? Keep my guy company and give us a few minutes? Just a few minutes, I promise.”

He hesitated for a moment, blinked, and swallowed hard before nodding. He gave her hand a squeeze andstood up, and Jay slid into his now empty seat beside Jun-mei.

He pointed to Rhett. “See that tall sexy man up there?” he asked her, and she nodded. “That’s my man.”

She stared at Rhett, then at Jay. “Your... man.”

He nodded and smiled at her. “Liànrén. Boyfriend,” he said. “We’ve been together since we were eighteen.”

She was stunned and clearly not entirely believing. “You . . . You’re . . . ?”

Jay nodded. “I am. Very much so.”

She got teary again, though she smiled this time.

Jay had to get the hard part out of the way. “I need to ask you some questions. Is that okay? I just want to make sure you’re okay. If you need any medications, that’s all.”

She straightened up and nodded, but Jay didn’t miss the way she held the blanket tighter.

He held the thermometer gun to her forehead. “You were held captive for almost five days?”

She nodded. “I lost track of time. The room had no windows. I didn’t sleep. They gave me food and water and a toilet, but no shower. No mirror. They would turn the light on and off.” She shrugged. “I went to work on Sunday...”

Jay nodded. “Five days.” Given it was now after midnight. Her temperature was fine.

She frowned at that. “It felt so much longer.”

Jay didn’t doubt that one bit.

“The man who took you,” Jay said. “We saw a CCTV feed. That man, did he... did he hurt you in any way?”

Her chin wobbled again. “He hit me,” she said, but showed her closed fist. Then her hand went to her hairagain. “And he cut my hair. He said men don’t have long hair.”

“He didn’t . . . force himself on you . . . ?”

She shook her head and scrubbed at another tear. “No. No. He was rough and he pushed me and hit me. But not that.”

Thank god, Jay thought.

He reached over and held her hand. “Lemme tell you something. That awful man is very dead. He can’t hurt you or Yin. He’s gone.”

She nodded, still crying. “They wanted him. Tao. They needed him. That’s what they said. He had golden blood. They took me so he would come.”

Jay nodded. “Of course he would come to get you. He loves you very much.”

Her smile was teary again, then she looked around the plane. “Tao said we are going to London?”

Jay nodded. “That’s right.”

“I don’t have . . . they took my passport, my papers, because I was wrong gender. How can I . . . ?”

“We know someone,” Jay said. “He’ll get you everything you need. With your real name, Yin Jun-mei. Whatever you want, we can get it.”

She sobbed and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes asking if that was true.