Skinner's Box (Fang Mu (Eastern Crimes)) (12 page)

"So that means the kid's been cleared?" Bian Ping blew the floating tea leaves away from the edge of his cup and took a frugal sip.

"Not necessarily, in my opinion." Fang Mu shook his head. "He was definitely lying to me about something." Tan Ji's multiple trips into the labyrinth could not have been done to beat his record; otherwise he would certainly have kept a record of his times. What sort of need could a person satisfy, alone in a dusky and oppressive underground maze?

"Consider for a moment the possibility that he wasn't working alone." Bian Ping lit a cigarette. "This kid's purpose in going down into that labyrinth over and over could have been to draw a map."

Fang Mu stretched out on the sofa and yawned. "I've already given the Municipal Bureau the heads up to check out anyone with whom Tan Ji has come in contact recently."

"You look exhausted. Why don't you head home early and get some sleep?"

Fang Mu laughed, forced himself to his feet, and reached out to pilfer a cigarette from Bian Ping's pack of Chunghua. "Okay, I'm out of here then."

"Hey, off you go." Just then the phone rang. Bian Ping waved at Fang Mu as he picked up the receiver.

Fang Mu nodded and turned to leave, but no sooner had he walked out the door than he heard Bian Ping shouting his name from the office. He quickly turned around and opened the door.

"What's happened?"

The expression on Bian Ping's face startled Fang Mu. Whereas just a moment ago it had been relaxed and amiable, now the brows were knitted together in a look of grave solemnity.

He hung up the phone and appeared to be mulling something over. After a while, he looked up at Fang Mu and spoke in monotone.

"Luo Jiahai has escaped from prison."

CHAPTER
9
Prison Break

C
hanghong City Intermediate People's Court, second floor landing.

Jiang Dexian leaned against the railing in the stairwell, a stern expression on his face as he listened to something a judge was saying to him. The judge remained cool and professional, even as so many sobering phrases seemed to slide effortlessly from his tongue; phrases such as "death penalty."

It was a brief conversation, and soon the judge left. Jiang Dexian remained standing there like a statue, staring blankly at the wall in front of him. After a long time the statue finally came to life, turned, and hurried back down the steps.

Half an hour later, Jiang Dexian's black Audi could be seen speeding into the Changhong City No. 1 Detention Center parking lot.

The detention center employees seemed quite familiar with the lawyer; after filling out a few simple forms, they led him straight to a visitors' room. Jiang Dexian placed his briefcase on the table and stared into the corner of the room, lost in thought. A few minutes later, a guard brought in Luo Jiahai.

He looked haggard. A shadow of bristly new hair had grown through the skin of his shaved head, giving him a dispirited look resembling a limp cactus.

After making Luo Jiahai sit in a chair across from Jiang Dexian, the guard then stood with an exaggeratedly stout posture behind the prisoner with his legs wide, feet firmly planted, and his arms akimbo. Jiang Dexian took one look at the guard's needlessly taut features, as well as the corporal's chevrons on his shoulders, and smiled to himself.

He turned to face Luo Jiahai. The latter returned his gaze and made an attempt to squeeze his lips into a grin.

"Any news?" Luo Jiahai wore a mask of indifference, but his voice trembled slightly and he stared hard into Jiang Dexian's eyes.

"They still haven't announced the verdict yet. However..." Jiang Dexian took a deep breath. "Some of the information I've gleaned from my inside sources are...less than ideal."

"What do you mean by 'less than ideal'?" Luo Jiahai promptly asked.

Jiang Dexian lowered his eyes and did not answer.

Luo Jiahai looked away and stared with hollow eyes at the blank white wall. After a while, he asked, "Am I getting a deferred death sentence or an immediate execution?"

"An immediate execution."

Luo Jiahai erupted laughter and shook his head. "No surprise there. No surprise there..."

"We can still appeal."

Luo Jiahai stopped laughing and focused on his metal handcuffs. "Forget it. It's no use. I'd rather just get it over with. Waiting to die like this…I can't take it anymore. I only have one request." He lifted his head and glared at Jiang Dexian. "Can you make it so that my ashes are placed together with Shen Xiang's?"

Jiang Dexian did not answer at first. He simply fixed his gaze on Luo Jiahai's face, knitting his brows tighter and tighter, his eyes set in determination. "Okay, well, it looks like we have no other choice."

Jiang Dexian retrieved a pack of cigarettes from his briefcase while fumbling through his pockets with the other hand. A few seconds later he turned to absent-mindedly look at the guard. "Hey buddy, do me a favor and go get me a lighter, okay? Captain Tian's here, isn't he? Baldy Tian, I mean. Tell him it's for Attorney Jiang."

The young corporal seemed reluctant, but Jiang Dexian's having mentioned his direct superior and even called him by his nickname made it hard for him to refuse. After hesitating a moment longer, he turned and left the visitors' room, his legs stiff from having maintained the forked posture for so long.

As soon as the guard walked out the door, Jiang Dexian jumped up to pull an envelope out of his briefcase. He whipped out two stamped photographs and tossed them on the table in front of Luo Jiahai.

Looking puzzled, Luo Jiahai subconsciously lowered his head as he glanced at the photographs. As soon as he saw what they were, his face went white. "You... How did you...?"

"Don't say a word," Jiang Dexian interrupted Luo Jiahai, his bloodshot eyes suddenly menacing behind the delicate gold rims of his glasses. "From now on, you do as I say!"

As the young guard walked along the corridor, rubbing the lighter between his fingers, he thought again of the captain's bald head and could not help but chuckle out loud. But no sooner had he rounded the corner than the smile froze on his face.

In front of the door to the visitors' room, Luo Jiahai was holding his left arm and the chain of the cuffs around Jiang Dexian's throat. With his right hand he was digging the sharp end of a metal fountain pen into the skin of Jiang Dexian's neck, right against the jugular.

"Get back!" Luo Jiahai shouted between gritted teeth.

"Don't... Please don't do anything rash." Jiang Dexian's glasses were about to slide off his nose and his legs dangled limply with his upper body locked in Luo Jiahai's tight grip.

The young guard drew a baton from his belt, as well as a whistle which he began to blow in desperation.

A moment later a dozen or so policemen rushed into the corridor. When they saw what was happening, they all panicked and began shouting at once.

Luo Jiahai's shrill voice pierced through the clamorous echoes in the hallway. "Everyone get back or he's dead!"

"No one... Please, no one do anything rash." Jiang Dexian waved his arms feebly. "Do your jobs. Take it easy." Upon hearing this, a few young cops who had been about to charge in, hesitated. Luo Jiahai dragged Jiang Dexian along, and the two of them staggered past the ranks of tense policemen itching to act, yet unable to do so. Soon they were outside.

As they entered the courtyard, Luo Jiahai swung around so that Jiang Dexian's body was shielding his and began to walk backwards in the direction of the parking lot. Helpless, an armed policeman on a nearby watchtower lowered the muzzle of his gun and spoke into a walkie-talkie. "No good, no good. He's got himself completely blocked by the hostage; I can't get a clear shot."

Luo Jiahai dragged Jiang Dexian closer and closer to the black Audi, but the parking lot exit was blocked by several tightly packed police cars.

"Move those cars out of the way!" Luo Jiahai demanded.

"Luo Jiahai, immediate surrender is your only—"

"Move them!" Luo Jiahai exerted pressure with his wrist, causing the sharp tip of the fountain pen to dig even deeper into Jiang Dexian's skin. He blurted out a muffled cry and blood trickled down his neck.

Captain Tian gritted his teeth. "Get those cars out of here!"

Luo Jiahai and Jiang Dexian finally made it to the car. Luo Jiahai bellowed, "Open the door!"

Hands trembling, Jiang Dexian pulled out his electronic key and opened the car door. Luo Jiahai pushed Jiang Dexian's head down and shoved him into the driver's seat.

A few seconds later the black Audi was flying out of the front gate of the detention center, trailed closely by several squad cars with sirens blaring.

Jiang Dexian gripped the steering wheel with both hands, suddenly appearing very alert and very capable; his helpless and battered demeanor from moments ago had completely vanished. The automobile darted in and out of traffic like a shark. Behind it, the police cars followed closely, but were unable to close the distance between themselves and the Audi.

Now and then Jiang Dexian glanced at the rearview mirror. When he turned his head, he flinched at a sharp twinge in the side of his neck. Sweating profusely and staring straight ahead, Luo Jiahai was still holding the pen against his neck, his countenance every bit as rigid as before.

Jiang Dexian glanced to him. "Hey, you can relax now."

"Oh, sorry...." As if waking from a dream, Luo Jiahai shook his head and quickly withdrew the pen from Jiang Dexian's throat. Jiang Dexian gasped in pain as a rivulet of blood ran down his neck. Seeing this, Luo Jiahai went into a panic and began searching around for something to give him to stop the bleeding.

Eyes forward, Jiang Dexian waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Open that compartment there."

The little compartment contained a cell phone and a small key. Jiang Dexian grabbed the phone, turned it on, and jutted his chin in the direction of the key. "Use that to take your cuffs off," he said, and punched a string of numbers into the phone.

The phone was answered almost immediately; someone had apparently been waiting for Jiang Dexian's call. Skipping the usual pleasantries, he got straight to the point. "I'm on Vanguard Boulevard, two minutes from Changqing Road."

The person on the other end grunted and hung up.

By now Luo Jiahai had his handcuffs off and was staring at Jiang Dexian, waiting for his next instructions. His mind was in such a chaotic state that he was unable to think for himself; all he could do was to place all his hopes on this unpredictable and inscrutable lawyer.

When Jiang Dexian noticed him staring out of the corner of his eye, he turned and laughed suddenly. "
Relax
. Soon we'll be safe."

Fifty meters behind the Audi, the squad cars sped along in pursuit with sirens blazing. Sitting in the car in front with his face drenched in sweat, Captain Tian focused intently on the back of the Audi and barked order after order into the walkie-talkie he was holding. "Faster… Notify me right away… Block the west turning lane off Vanguard Boulevard…."

A few police motorcycles whizzed past, deftly traversing the traffic by zooming in and out between cars. Captain Tian watched them as they gradually caught up with the Audi as it lightened up a bit in speed. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he sank back heavily against his seat. Suddenly he seemed to think of something, and he turned to the elderly colleague sitting next to him. "This is the first time in Changhong City's history that a convict has escaped from prison, right?"

The older policeman stroked his chin for a while before answering in a soft voice. "I think so."

The little bit of color that had returned to Captain Tian's face drained back out. He clapped his hand on the driver's shoulder and shouted.
"Faster!"

More than half of the Changhong City police force had been mobilized. Fire Control, Transportation, the Reserves, and the Special Squadrons were all in position, and the giant perimeter they had formed was slowly closing around them. In less than five minutes Luo Jiahai would be trapped.

By now the police motorcycles were within ten meters of the Audi. Jiang Dexian could even see the insignia on the riders' helmets clearly in the rearview mirror.

"Damn!" Jiang Dexian cursed. "Luo, press the fountain pen back against my neck, quick!"

"Huh?" Luo Jiahai fumbled for the pen.

"Hurry!" Jiang Dexian's tone left no room for argument. "We need to play this out to the end."

Just ahead was the intersection where Vanguard Boulevard crossed Changqing Road. Jiang Dexian squinted and counted to three under his breath, and before he could blink the car had sped straight through the intersection.

Right at the same time, a big cargo truck suddenly move into view, heading south. Honking as it went, its driver ran the red light and charged straight into the middle of the intersection.

One of the motorcycle officers was not able to brake in time. He cranked his handlebars over in a hurry, thinking he could miss the truck by swerving around the backside; however, he did not see the jeep that was passing from behind. It collided with him, sending the motorcycle flying through the air in a lateral roll. The motorcycle cop was tossed more than 20 meters and landed on the sidewalk, where his body rolled a few more meters until it crashed against the base of a utility pole. He did not move after that.