No Longer Trapped

Long Xia washed the blood from her hands.

It was not the first time she did it, nor would it be the last.

After she finished scrubbing her skin, she went to check on Long Yat-sen. He was seated on an armchair outside the balcony. He stared at nothing, lost in thought; his expression was deep and sombre, letting the frigid wind hit and caresses his face.

Long Xia recalled that Shao Lin was sleeping in a room on the upper level of her apartment. It had been only an hour since they went to get her and settle some things with someone who worked in the police force to cover their tracks.

She remembered how afraid he looked when he went to find her and how peaceful he looked when he had her.

After that, Long Yat-sen did not want to leave Shao Lin's side but judging from his internal conflict. He knew he had to give her space. The girl was found locked inside a room with nothing but a flimsy nightgown and a wool cardigan. She was trapped by a man that kept her there and ended up faint and unconscious in Long Yat-sen's arms.

When Long Xia heard of Long Yat-sen's observation of the room he found her in, she learned Shao Lin had tried to escape on her own. There was a packed carry-on, left abandoned, and there were signs of struggle. She had wanted to leave, and the damn bastard Zhong Bai didn't let her.

Long Yat-sen turned to face her, his expression neutral when she approached him. Long Yat-sen glanced at her silver hair. "I want to feel like I'm talking to my sister."

Long Xia rolled her eyes. She then brushed the silver-blonde wig off her head, allowing her natural black hair to tumble over her shoulders. She looked at her brother, who was older than her by four years but her twin in every other way. "I'm still very much the same with and without it."

"Sure," he replied distantly.

A moment of silence fell between them until he spoke again. "How'd you hurt him?"

Long Xia smiled. She knew Long Yat-sen would have done far worse to Zhong Bai, but he didn't have the time, not when he solely focused on Shao Lin. That was all he cared about—getting her to safety. She knew.

"I immobilized his arms. A bullet to each crook of the elbow. I pulled his hair, pushed him and let him bleed. I would have done more, but time was short, as you know."

She watched as her brother fought a smile. She took that as approval from him.

"Is he dead?" he questioned.

She shrugged. "Maybe," she replied. "Did you suspect Zhong Bai was plotting something against Shao Lin?"

He shook his head. "No," he began. "Never had I imagined she'd be in danger with him. I only knew he was trying to take me on—all of us on. And as a detective, I believed that it was his job. If I had suspected that he would put Shao Lin in any immediate danger, I would have never let him see her again."

Long Xia nodded. "Do you believe that he knows something?"

She watched as Long Yat-sen stilled. His expression crossed between something like confusion and realization. "You don't think…?" he questioned.

"I believe so," she responded. "It's probably the only reason Zhong Bai would have locked her up. He most likely was waiting for some backup. Luckily, we got there just in time."

Long Xia watched her brother go deathly still at what she just said. After a moment, he stood up, grabbing his jacket. "I have to go," he said. "I need you to watch over Shao Lin. You're the one I trust the most to do the job."

She nodded. "Will do."

"I will be back soon," he said as he headed out. "I need to take care of a few things."

When Long Yat-sen left, Long Xia had rechecked the security system before she checked on Shao Lin. She was still sleeping when Long Xia took some time to wash her with a bowl of water and some washcloths around her arms, legs, and face. She then dressed Shao Lin from her flimsy nightgown into something new, lush, and warm.

When Long Xia finished, she showered and dressed before slipping back into the spare room Shao Lin slept in.

…

Shao Lin woke up in an unfamiliar room, direct sunlight hitting her face.

Panicked, she slipped out of the soft wide lush bed she slept in. She checked her body to make sure she was physically okay. She was sore in some areas, but she felt clean and refreshed for the most.

She glanced at the door that was left open, and she exhaled a breath. She was no longer trapped, she said to herself. But she didn't think she was in the clear either.

Shao Lin stepped out into the hall, carefully stalking down a short corridor, descending a staircase, glancing down at the lower level.

By the looks of it, she was in a wide apartment unit.

Shao Lin saw a woman in the kitchen. Her back turned to her. She had long black hair that ended at her hips, and she wore a white dress with a blue apron over her chest. She was humming a tune while cooking, and the smell of eggs and bacon had wafted to her nose. Shao Lin felt like she might go and beg the stranger for some food. But now was the time to escape wherever she was. It hadn't been safe for her.

While the woman was distracted, Shao Lin finished her way down the staircase. She ducked behind a small couch and crawled behind it on all fours. She'd occasionally glance up, and the mysterious woman would not turn. She kept crawling until she found a wall covering part of the kitchen by the front door. She then stood and slipped behind it, making her way to the door when she crashed against someone.