Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Trouble
Only after the fierce battle did his two wounds begin to ache. One was a deep stab wound under his armpit; the other was on his chest, where the blade had struck a rib. He was lucky the rib had stopped it, or it would have certainly pierced his heart.
He tore his clothes into strips and bandaged himself up. Limping over to the tricycle, he opened the large box attached to it. A young girl, about fourteen or fifteen, was curled up inside. A ragged cloth was stuffed in her mouth, her hands and feet were bound with rope, and her wide eyes stared at him in terror.
Luo Kai untied her ropes and pulled the gag from her mouth. "What’s your name? Where are you from?" he asked. "Were those men human traffickers?"
The girl’s eyes welled with tears, but she remained silent.
Luo Kai tried again, patiently. "Don’t be afraid. I’m not a bad guy. Just tell me where you live, and I’ll take you home."
The girl still didn’t say a word.
Luo Kai scratched his head in frustration. He decided to fix his tricycle first; the chain had come off during the fight.
Just then, the distinctive roar of a steam engine echoed from the distance. A steam truck, its way lit by a mounted torch, sped closer.
Luo Kai’s heart clenched. ’I killed three men. Even if they deserved it, this won’t end well for me.’ He quickly swept the girl up and dove into the tall weeds by the side of the road.
The steam truck was fast, arriving at the scene in no time. A line of armed soldiers spilled out of the back, swarming to secure the area. A middle-aged man with a long scar on his forehead swept his cold gaze over the scene before carefully examining the three bodies. "There are signs of a struggle," he said in a low, heavy voice. "It looks like there was only one assailant. Judging from the bullet wounds, they were killed with some kind of pocket pistol."
A young man in his twenties standing beside him snapped, "What kind of shoddy work is this? If that girl gets away, I’m in deep trouble!"
"Don’t worry, Young Master. The bodies are still warm; they died just moments ago. He can’t have gotten far. Men, search the surrounding area!"
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers immediately fanned out, searching in all directions.
Hidden in the weeds, Luo Kai grew annoyed. ’These guys must be backup for the men I killed. They’re all in uniform and look as fierce as wolves. This is clearly more than just a simple kidnapping.’
He hated trouble more than anything. ’How did I get dragged into this mess?’ He glanced down at the girl. Her large, long-lashed eyes were looking right back at him, pleading. He sighed inwardly, then whispered, "I’m going to carry you on my back. Hold on tight!"
"There’s a trail of blood over here!" a voice shouted.
Luo Kai hurriedly hoisted the girl onto his back. He cast one last, reluctant look at his beat-up tricycle, then bolted.
The Darkness was his best cover. His pursuers lacked the ability to see in it, and before long, Luo Kai had left them far behind, disappearing into the wilderness with the girl on his back.
The girl was light, only about ninety pounds, so she wasn’t much of a burden. The real problem was Luo Kai’s own body, which was starting to give out. Between the untreated wounds, the blood loss, and his exhaustion and hunger, he had to grit his teeth to keep going. About two hours later, Longyang County finally appeared in the distance.
He stopped at the foot of a small hill, finding a spot sheltered from the wind to tend to his wounds. The girl watched him timidly from the side, saying nothing.
After tightening the cloth strips on his wounds, he turned to the girl. "Young lady, you need to tell me where you live. I’ll take you home as soon as the sun comes up."
The girl bit her lip and pointed toward the distant Longyang County. "There," she said, her voice soft.
Luo Kai sighed. "I know that. I mean, where’s the specific address?"
At that, the girl went silent again, her lips pressed into a tight line as tears welled in her eyes.
’This is maddening,’ Luo Kai thought, frustrated. He couldn’t afford to take care of another person.
"All right, how about this: we’ll go to the authorities. Your family must be worried sick about you. They’ve probably already filed a report."
After a long moment of hesitation, the girl finally nodded.
The sky was beginning to lighten. Seeing the girl’s slender frame shivering in the cold wind, Luo Kai tossed his overcoat to her. "Get some rest. We’ll go to the authorities at dawn. But listen, don’t tell them I killed anyone. Just say I found you on the side of the road."
Cases like this fell under the jurisdiction of the Security Department. After dawn, Luo Kai led the girl into the city, taking a long, roundabout route. The men from last night likely had powerful connections, so he wanted to go to a major government agency to be safe. He finally settled on the Security Department’s East City Brigade.
The Security Department’s East City Brigade was a sprawling compound containing two two-story buildings and a large training ground.
After they registered their names and addresses, a guard let them inside. As they entered the main hall, a young man in his twenties saw the girl and his expression changed abruptly. He walked up to them and asked, "What can I do for you?"
Luo Kai explained their situation. The young man nodded, led them to a small room, and told them someone would be with them shortly before leaving.
Ten minutes or so passed before the roar of an engine sounded from the courtyard. A steam truck pulled in. Luo Kai went to the window and glanced out. A middle-aged man got out of the truck—the scar on his forehead was unmistakable. Luo Kai’s face fell. "Damn it," he hissed. "We’ve walked right into a trap!"
The girl panicked too, pointing at the window and motioning for them to jump.
They were on the second floor, and the window was barred with steel. Luo Kai took a few steps back, drew a deep breath, and charged forward, slamming his fist into the barred window. With a loud BANG, the entire window frame was blown outward.
It was a drop of about twenty feet. Luo Kai clutched the girl to his side and jumped. He bent his knees as he landed, absorbing the impact and ignoring the searing pain in his feet as he sprinted for the main gate.
The gate guard saw them rushing out in a panic and looked confused. "Done already?"
Hearing a cacophony of shouts behind them, Luo Kai had no time to answer. He simply barreled straight through the gate.
"Stop them!"
When the guard saw the Brigade Captain, who rarely made an appearance, shouting furiously, he finally realized what was happening. But by the time he looked out the gate, the pair was long gone.
...
The girl’s small, grimy hands clutched the corner of Luo Kai’s shirt. They wandered the streets aimlessly, both exhausted and hungry, desperate to find a place to rest.
Luo Kai’s mind was in turmoil. ’Looks like I’m in some serious trouble. This girl can’t be an ordinary person.’ But no matter what he asked her, she remained silent.
’There’s nowhere to go now. I can’t go back to my rented room; I just gave them the address. It wouldn’t matter if I were alone, but I have nowhere to take the girl.’
As they walked, an idea suddenly struck Luo Kai. When he first arrived in the city, he’d had nowhere to stay and had lived for a while in a culvert under an overpass. It seemed that was their only option now.
He felt around in his pocket and found he still had over a hundred Star Dollars. He bought some steamed buns and drinking water, then led the little girl out of the city.
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