Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Candlelight, music, wine.  But this is only a false picture of harmony and calmness.

Jian Yao sits on the sofa.  She is holding a wine glass, quiet as a mouse.  Xie Han is sitting next to her.  They are watching TV together.

The same news presenter that they’ve seen many times for the past few days speaks: “This is a touching letter.  We have invited the famous criminal psychologist Professor Makie to share with us his thoughts on the letter.  He believes the letter is written by Miss Jian Yao under duress.  She is most likely threatened by the Flower Cannibal no.1. The thoughts within the letter is coherent, and fully conveys her sincere and heartfelt love for Professor Bo Jinyan.  Through a number of logical and grammatical analyse, he believes the contents of this letter is credible.  However, he also thinks that Miss Jian Yao may have been killed shortly after the letter is written, which we are very sorry to hear about…

However, Professor Makie believes that Miss Jian Yao has accepted the existence of Professor Bo Jinyan’s split personality.  We believe her views on the issue will influence and persuade those who are still in doubt.”  

Xie Han smiles and looks at her: “Well done.”

Jian Yao holds the glass tightly with her hand.  

She thought she would die.  The letter is what Xie Han’s been waiting for.  Her suicide note.  

She refrained from writing the note earlier because she doesn’t want to die.  But that night, she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.  She knew that another injection would turn her mad.  

When she saw the FBI took Bo Jinyan away, she’s made up her mind.  

She is willing to die, but it must be a worthy death - as long as Xie Han can be brought to justice. 

Jinyan, can you find the clues I hide in the letter?  

I still believe you are my Jinyan.  You are Simon.  You will see them.  Then you will find Xie Han, and find me…

———————

For the next few days, he did not give her any more drugs, nor did her torture her.  In fact, he even treated her wounds.  She was treated like a guest.  They had exquisite meals together.  

But Jian Yao knows in her heart.  The reason she is still alive, is because he wants to find another ‘perfect’ way to kill her. 

———————

Xie Han stands up.  He smiles to her: “Guess where I am going today?”  He straightens his shirt and makes sure his tie is in the right place.  

Jian Yao does not answer.  Xie Han doesn’t seem to mind.  He leisurely says: “Today, our little Simon… Oh.. and little Allen will have his psychiatric evaluation.  Once they confirms he has  split personality, as the news presenter says, his reputation will be completely ruined.  He will be spending the rest of his life in a mental institution, or the Pelican Bay Prison.  Life Imprisonment.”   

 

Jian Yao’s heart tightens.  Xie Han disappears into the darkness.  She hears his voice saying as he walks away: “He’s at the cliff’s edge.  How can I not be there to see him with my own eyes?”

——————

Outside the  J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, US.

The winter sun.  Bright, calm. and cool.

Bo Jinyan is wearing a thick black coat.  He is surrounded by a group of FBI agents.  He is handcuffed.  A cap on sits low his head, covering his eyes and brows.  

When the reporters spot Bo Jinyan and the FBI agents, they flooded to them with their cameras and questions.

“Professor Bo Jinyan, do you have split personality?”

“Are you Simon or Allen at the moment?”

“As a criminal psychologist, do you think you ought to be take responsibility of Allen’s crimes?”

“Did Miss Jian Yao’s letter leave you heart-broken?”

Bo Jinyan walks quickly and ignores the questions until he hears the last one. He pauses for a few seconds.  But he doesn’t turn his head towards the reports.  With the help of the FBI agents, he boards a bullet proof van.

The reporters take as many photos as they can before the van disappears. 

——————

In the car.

Bo Jinyan leans on the side of the wall.  He is quiet.  Two young FBI agents sit opposite him.  They are not speaking either.   

The van has been on the motorway for a while. There are two police cars accompanying the van.  One travels in front of the van, leading the way.  The second car is follows closely behind. 

After being on the motorway for about half an hour, the driver in the police car in front of the van reports to the other drivers: “There is an accident ahead. A lane has been closed and it is causing a traffic jam.  If we want to make it to the hospital by the scheduled time, we should take a different route.”

The two young FBI agents look at one another.  Then one of them says: “We are not suppose to detour.  Contact headquarters to arrange for help to direct traffic.” The other officer takes a glance at Bo Jinyan. He holds on to his gun in the pouch. 

Soon, there’s respond from the headquarters.    There has been a traffic light malfunction, which caused a serious accident. The whole area is congested.  There is nothing much they can do.

“Detour.” That’s their only option.

Bo Jinyan closes his eyes, as if he is taking a nap.

Red lights.  Red lights. Red lights.  Green lights… the van travels on a secondary road, which is a lot more quiet than the main road.  There's university dormitories and residential buildings alongside both sides of the roads.  It’s a workday, so there’s hardly any pedestrians on the road.  

“Shit!” says the driver. He’s hit another set of red lights. The police car passed it before it turned red, but the van didn’t make it in time.  It is stuck behind the traffic lights together with the police car behind it.

“Tat.. tat… tat….”  Inside the van, the driver taps his fingers on the steering wheel. Nobody speaks.  

Suddenly Bo Jinyan asks: “What time is it?”

One of the officers looks at his wrist watch: “3:12 pm.”

Bo Jinyan then smiles.  Then he lowers his head and covers it with his hand, in a brace position.  He leans his body towards the wall.  He did it in front of the two officers.  

As the two officers are a little puzzled by his actions, they hear a sound that is getting louder and louder above their heads.

“Oh! Damn it!” They shout, and lower their heads and cover their heads with their hands too.

“Gong!” Suddenly the van is being hit by something.  The whole van shakes.  And those who are outside the van - pedestrians, people looking through the windows from the dormitories and apartments - are horrified with what they saw.  

A military helicopter hovers above the van.  The violent shake was caused by a mini rocket hitting the van.  Then machine guns on the helicopter starts to shoot at the two police cars that are accompanying the van.

 The police officers takes out their guns.  One of them calls the headquarters: “We are ambushed!  But… why are they from the military?!”

All the pedestrians are petrified.  They scream and run for for shelter.  

From one of the nearby buildings, a sniper aims at the officers that are inside the police car.  One down, two down… soon all of them fall with a bullet going through their hearts. 

 

As this is happening, a pair of eyes in an inconspicuous corner watches with great interest.  The bullet proof van has rolled over to its side.  It has hit the safety railings on the side of the road.  There’s smoke coming from the van.  

“Eaaa…” the door is opened from the inside.

Bo Jinyan’s black coat is covered with dust.  His face has blood on it.  He is holding a gun.  He didn’t fully close the door as he walks out of the van.  The two officers that were sitting opposite him lie motionless on the floor.  They have a red patch on their chest. Obviously, they’ve been shot.

He adjusts his cap, then quickly walks towards a side street. Soon, he disappears from the scene. 

And the helicopter makes a turn, lifts its altitude and flies off into the clear blue sky.

—————

The same day.  Later in the afternoon.

Jian Yao is sitting in darkness.   Her heart is unsettled.

Jinyan.  What are his plans?  What is he trying to do?

“Dong..”  Jian Yao is familiar with this sound.  It’s the door opening.  Then the footsteps that are like an evil curse sounds closer and closer to her.  

Jian Yao sits on the sofa.  Her hands are tightly clenched together.  She waits for him to speak. 

“Oh!  Waiting for some news?”  Xie Han takes off his leather jacket and throws it onto the sofa.  He speaks with smile: “Are you still hopeful that you will live to see him again?”  

Jian Yao’s heart feels like it’s been pricked by a needle.  But she makes sure she looks calm and quiet.  

“But…” He pours himself a glass of water: “It’s good news.” 

Jian Yao picks up the remote and turns on the TV.

It’s a chaotic scene.  There are many bodies covered in white clothes, and lots of people injured.  The angry condemnation of the news reporters, and the embarrassed spokes person from the Military….

Jian Yao’s heart is pounding.  Xie Han starts to speak, with joy and admiration in his voice: “What a perfect and intricate plan.  No doubt, he used mind control techniques on that hacker kid.  He managed to hack into the military control system and the traffic control unit.  Every route, every point of attack, even the train he took to escape… It’s perfect.  And the hacker kid ends up being  in the hospital, poisoned.  I heard he is in a critical condition…”

Jian Yao is in shock.  Xie Han ignores her and continues: “Clean.  Ruthless.  It’s Allen’s style.”

Her palms are wet with cold sweat.  

She made herself believe there is only one Jinyan.  Everything is just a plan of his, to catch Xie Han.  But the images on the casualties and the damage are right before her eyes.

Jinyan, Jinyan… is this true? 

Should I still believe you, even when it’s against all odds?

Once again, her thoughts cannot escape Xie Han.  

He smiles: “Soon, he will come to find us.”

Two days later.  

A short advertisement appears on the classified section of the Washington Economic Times. 

“Hi. J.  I am back.”