9 Dragons

dashboard, looking for a button that would open the trunk.
    Finding none, he turned the car off and grabbed the keys. – Moving to the back of the car, he pushed the trunk button on the ignition key.
    The trunk lid lifted automatically. Bosch moved in, and there lying on a blanket inside the compartment was his daughter. She was blindfolded and gagged. Her arms were pinned to her body with several wrappings of duct tape. Her ankles were taped together as well. Bosch cried out at the sight of her.
    “Maddie?”
    He almost jumped into the trunk with her as he quickly pulled the blindfold up and went to work on the gag.
    “It’s me, baby! It’s Dad!”
    She opened her eyes and started blinking.
    “You’re safe now, Maddie. You’re safe!”
    As the gag came loose, the girl let out a shriek that pierced her father’s heart and would stay with him always. It was at once an exorcism of fear, a cry for help and the sound of relief and even joy.
    “Daddy!”
    She started to cry as Bosch reached in and lifted her out of the trunk. Sun was suddenly there and helping.
    “It’s going to be okay now,” Bosch said. “It will all be okay.”
    They stood the young girl up and then Bosch used the teeth of one of the keys to start cutting through the tape. He noticed that Madeline was still wearing her school uniform. The moment her arms and hands were free, she grabbed Bosch around the neck and squeezed with all her life.
    “I knew you would come,” she said between gasping sobs.
    Bosch didn’t know if he had ever heard words that meant more to him. He held her just as tightly in his own arms. He turned his face down to whisper in her ear.
    “Maddie?”
    “What, Dad?”
    “Are you hurt, Maddie? I mean, physically hurt. If they hurt you we need to get you to-”
    “No, I’m not hurt.”
    He pushed back from her and put his hands on her shoulders as he studied her eyes.
    “You sure? You can tell me.”
    “I’m sure, Dad. I’m fine.”
    “Okay. Then, we need to go.”
    He turned to Sun.
    “Can you get us to the airport?”
    “No problem.”
    “Then, let’s go.”
    Bosch put his arm around his daughter and they started to follow Sun off the pier. She held on to him the whole way and it wasn’t until they got to the car that she seemed to acknowledge the meaning of Sun’s presence and asked the question Harry had been dreading.
    “Dad?”
    “What, Maddie?”
    “Where’s Mom?”

38
    B osch didn’t answer her question directly. He simply told his daughter that her mother could not be with them at the moment but had packed a bag for her and that they needed to get to the airport to leave Hong Kong. Sun said nothing and picked up his pace, moving in front of them and removing himself from the discussion.
    The explanation seemingly bought Harry some time to consider how and when he would give the answer that would alter the rest of his daughter’s life. When they got to the black Mercedes, he put her in the backseat before going to the trunk to grab the backpack. He didn’t want her to see the bag Eleanor had packed for herself. He checked the compartments of Eleanor’s bag and found his daughter’s passport. He put it in his pocket.
    He got in the front passenger seat and handed the backpack to her. He told her to change out of her school uniform. He then checked his watch and gave Sun a nod.
    “Let’s go. We’ve got a plane to catch.”
    Sun started driving, proceeding out of the waterfront area at a brisk but not attention-getting pace.
    “Is there a ferry or train you can drop us at that will get us there direct?” Bosch asked.
    “No, they closed the ferry route and you would have to switch trains. It would be better if I take you. I wish to.”
    “Okay, Sun Yee.”
    They drove for a few minutes of silence. Bosch wanted to turn and talk to his daughter, putting his eyes on her to make sure she was okay.
    “Maddie, are you changed?”
    She didn’t answer.
    “Maddie?”
    Bosch turned and glanced back at her. She had changed clothes. She was leaning against the door behind Sun, staring out through the window while hugging her pillow to her chest. There were tears on her cheeks. It did not appear that she had noticed the bullet hole through the pillow.
    “Maddie, you all right”
    Without answering or looking away from the window, she said, “She’s dead, isn’t she”
    “What?”
    Bosch knew exactly who and what she was talking about but was trying to stretch time, put off as long as