Chapter 5
THE CHILDREN ABOARD THE BUS descended into chaos. “Han-laoshi, hurry up and drive!” some screamed, while others cried, “Hu-laoshi!”
Eyes bloodshot, the hijacker stabbed the machete into Hu Lingling’s stomach. Teaching was a steady job, and up until now, Hu Lingling had led a stable life and suffered no misfortunes or illnesses. She’d never known that pain like this could exist. Feeling her strength leave her limbs, she instinctively tried to curl up. Yet she also continued to stare at the bus, hoping that the door would close in time for the driver to safely escape with the children.
The keys dangled from the ignition, swaying slightly despite the still air. The hijacker had seemingly forgotten to take them. The driver, Han Jiang, had his hand on the gearshift. All he had to do was press a single button, and the door would close. Han Jiang had years of driving experience, and he was very skilled. He could hit the road instantly, escaping these empty mountains…
But none of that happened.
Han Jiang sat unmoving in the driver’s seat with a terrified expression on his face. “Stop!” he yelled at the hijacker.
Hu Lingling was in too much pain to speak, her eyes red with desperation. She shook her head at Han Jiang, trying to tell him to leave her. Then she heard the simple, honest bus driver continue, “Didn’t we agree we only wanted money? What are we going to do if there’s fucking blood on our hands?”
Finally, Hu Lingling realized what had happened. A piercing chill crawled up her spine.
In the same moment, without anyone noticing, the curtain in the corner of the bus moved slightly. During all the chaos, the little girl in the floral dress had ducked behind the curtain, climbed up to the window, and now—resembling a tiny, thin-limbed kitten—crawled out the window and jumped to the ground.
Now that Han Jiang had thwarted the hijacker’s murder attempt, the hijacker threw the machete to the driver, livid. Then he bent over and, pulling Hu Lingling up by her hair, began venting his frustrations by kicking and punching her. No one could look away from the brutality.
Meanwhile, the sound of the girl’s footsteps was swallowed up by the howling wind and rain and the screams of the girl’s teacher. The starless, moonless sky became the girl’s friend as she skirted the bus’s headlights and fled the scene.
The rough mountain roads lacked road signs, lights, and other living beings. Every towering rock and crooked tree looked like a hidden monster. The girl couldn’t tell what direction she was running in, and she was too scared to look back. Even the sound of her own footsteps made her jumpy; it felt like that knife-wielding demon was right behind her.
No one had ever taught the girl what to do if a situation like this occurred out in the wilderness; she could only continue to run.
Suddenly, car headlights flashed in front of her. The girl couldn’t have been more petrified; at this moment, humans were as scary as ghosts. Panicked, she couldn’t decide where to go, and she accidentally tripped over a rock. She landed on her face and let out an alarmed noise.
Brakes squealed. The little girl’s ears rang, and her muscles seized up completely. She heard a very crisp, very young voice ask, “Is it a little animal, Daddy? Is it a lamb?”
That voice reawakened the girl’s worst fears. Her panicked heart slammed against her chest. When she heard footsteps, her eyes widened. A man approached her holding an umbrella. He looked elegant and refined, not like a bad guy at all.
“Uncle,” she cried, “please save me!”
Mud stained her floral-print dress, and she had scraped one knee. She’d also torn her little toenail when she stubbed her toe, and it was bleeding. The man studied her and then, very gently, picked her up. The girl’s former cautiousness had shattered in the presence of another child, and her terror was so extreme that she irrationally placed her complete trust in this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere.
“A bad man hijacked our bus,” she told him. “He had a knife, and he stabbed our teacher. Just back there, Uncle…”
The man’s footsteps were as light as a feather, as though he was afraid of startling someone. He raised one finger of the hand holding the umbrella to his lips. “Shh…” he responded. “Don’t be afraid. Be good. Let my daughter keep you company.”
The girl from the bus followed his gaze and spotted the face of another girl behind the half-rolled-down car window. This other girl was about twelve or thirteen and had her hair in pigtails. Her cheeks were full, and she had sly yet beautiful eyes. Her lips were cherry red and shiny, as though she’d stolen lip gloss from an adult.
Her smile was as radiant as a flower.
✦ ✦ ✦
NOT FAR AWAY, in the brightly lit off-roading club, a bunch of wealthy young hedonists were staring at their phones, looking for updates. Hands behind his back, Fei Du raked his gaze over the wall displaying a map of Xiling. The wall also showed live racing updates and displayed celebrities’ autographs and photos.
He turned back to the owner of the daredevils’ club. “I’m not familiar with this area. Are there any other villages or attractions nearby?” he asked.
“Xiling was designed as a recreation area for Yancheng. It specializes in high-end experiences,” the boss replied. “Besides us, there’s a winery with a golf course and an equestrian club. There used to be a few historical villages, but their residents were all moved to the city. With this weather, I doubt anyone’s at the winery or equestrian club today.”
“Oh.” Fei Du nodded, and his gaze landed on a group photo of the club’s employees. “I notice that a lot of people didn’t come to work today,” he said suddenly. “Even the band was hired. Where’s the house musician?”
The owner offered a vague response about there not being many customers. I wouldn’t have come in this weather either, except that I had to babysit you careless rich boys, he thought.
“If the police call, let me talk to them,” Fei Du said.
That baffled the owner. “If the police call? Why would the police—”
He was interrupted by the phone ringing over at the reception desk. The pianist happened to be standing there, so she reached out a hand and put the phone to her ear lazily. “Hello? Xiling Off-Road Club… Huh? What? Oh, hold on—Boss, it’s the police!”