Kylie Chan - Red Phoenix

A table cleared and we sat, Simone still chatting about the decorations. I was roused out of my reverie by my mobile phone ringing. I managed to find it in my bag before it stopped, and flipped it open.

‘Emma.’

‘Hello, darling, it’s me.’

‘Mum?’

‘Yes. Why aren’t you at the airport? Are you running late? We’re waiting for you.’

I hesitated, bewildered. ‘Airport?’

‘Yes, the plane arrived a good half an hour ago, dear. There’s a nice young man here. He said that you’d sent him to drive us to our hotel, but I said I’d wait for you. He’s right here with us, talking to your dad. Should we go with him?’

My blood ran cold. ‘Mum, are you at Hong Kong airport?’

‘Yes, dear, of course we are. Why?’ She laughed gently. ‘It sounds like you forgot we were coming. Come on, Emma, enough joking.’

‘Mum, stay right where you are,’ I said. ‘Don’t go anywhere. Don’t go with anyone. Move away from that young man right now!’

‘What?’

‘Mum, I didn’t know you were coming. For God’s sake, move to where people can see you—’ She started to protest but I cut her off. ‘And don’t do anything until I get there!’ My father knew more about the situation than she did, but not much. ‘Let me talk to Dad.’

There was silence then I heard my father. ‘What’s the problem, Emma?’

‘Dad, don’t hang up. Get away from that young man. Just walk away and go out into the middle, into one of the waiting areas where there are a lot of people around. Don’t go with anybody! Do you understand?’

‘I’m walking,’ he said. ‘Come on, Barbie.’

‘Is he following you?’

‘Yes. No. He stopped. He’s gone in a different direction.’

I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Listen, Dad, I didn’t know you were coming. Somebody brought you here to kidnap you.’

‘ What? You said you weren’t involved in anything!’

‘Thank God you didn’t go with him,’ I said. ‘Stay on the phone and wait for a second. I’ll arrange something.’

‘Okay,’ he said weakly. ‘We’re with a lot of people now.’

‘Stay. Wait.’ I lowered my voice. ‘Simone, can you talk to Jade or Gold?’

Simone’s eyes turned inwards as she concentrated. ‘I can talk to both of them.’

‘Simone, listen to me, get them here right now. Tell them it’s really urgent.’

Both Jade and Gold rushed out of the rest room passage and charged over to me. I rose to speak softly to them.

‘My mother and father are at the airport. They seemed to think I’d be waiting for them. Get over there right now. I’ll tell them to look for you and wave when they see you. Stay with them until I can get there.’

They both nodded and raced back down the passageway.

I returned to the phone. ‘Are you there, Dad?’

‘What the hell’s going on, Emma?’

I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank God. Listen, Dad, I have a couple of staff out there. You’ll probably see them in a minute. Two Chinese people. A girl in green, a young man in a tan suit. Tell me if you see them.’

There was silence.

No.

‘Can you hear me, Dad?’

‘I see them,’ he said. I sighed with relief.

‘Wave to them,’ I said. ‘Simone, ask Jade if she can see my dad waving.’

‘She says she can see him,’ Simone said.

‘Dad,’ I said, ‘when they’re close to you, give the phone to the girl.’

Silence. Then Jade. ‘We have them,’ she said.

‘Simone,’ I said. ‘Listen carefully. Ask Jade if she is talking to me on the phone. I want to be sure that it’s really her.’

Simone concentrated. ‘It’s her, Emma, she’s on the phone to you.’

I sagged with relief. ‘Oh, thank God.’ I returned to the phone. ‘Give the phone back to my father, Jade. I’ll tell him to stay with you until I can pick them up.’

‘We can take them directly to the Peak,’ Jade said.

‘ No !’ I shouted, and a few heads snapped around to me. I dropped my voice. ‘They don’t know about us! I’ll come and pick them up in the car. For God’s sake, Jade, listen. This was a setup. I didn’t know they were coming. I don’t know why they’re here. A young man offered to give them a lift to their hotel. Check it out for me. See if he’s still there, and if he is what I think he is .’ I took a deep breath to pull myself together. ‘I’ll be there as soon as I can, in about an hour. I’ll drop Simone back home first, to make sure that she’s one hundred per cent safe. Stay with my parents. Understood?’

‘My Lady,’ Jade said.

‘Damn, Jade, I said they don’t know !’ I said. ‘I’m just Emma, okay?’

‘Sorry,’ she whispered. ‘Force of habit.’

‘Wait for me,’ I said, and hung up. ‘I have to take you home right now, Simone. Something’s up.’

‘Why are your mum and dad at the airport, Emma?’ Simone said innocently. ‘Didn’t you know they were coming?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘But I’d better go and find out.’

My mobile phone rang as I was close to the airport and I answered it on the hands-free.

‘It’s me, Emma,’ Jade said. ‘We’re waiting for you at the cafeteria next to departures. The Western one. You were right.’

‘I’m on my way.’

Jade and Gold were sharing a pot of tea with my parents in the cafeteria. Jade and Gold looked grim; my parents were bewildered. I sat down with them.

‘Mr Chen didn’t come?’ Gold said.

‘Stayed with Simone,’ I said. ‘Leo’s having the day off.’

Jade and Gold both nodded their understanding.

My father was furious. ‘You said you weren’t involved in anything!’

‘We don’t have time to discuss this right now,’ I said. ‘We have to move you back to the Peak where you’ll be safe. We can talk in the car.’ I turned to Jade and Gold. ‘Which of you is better to come with us, just in case?’

‘Me,’ Gold said. Jade nodded agreement.

‘Come on then. Jade, meet us back at the Peak.’ I stopped as I remembered. ‘In about an hour.’

Jade nodded. ‘My…’ She stopped and smiled. ‘Sure, Emma.’

‘I am going to dock your pay, Jade,’ I growled.

My mother and father both glanced sharply at me and I banged my forehead with my palm. ‘I’m going to dock my own pay as well.’

‘Come on, Emma,’ Gold said, ‘let’s get your parents safe.’

Gold sat next to me in the front of the car. My parents were in the back.

‘They’re not impostors?’ I whispered to Gold.

‘Ordinary humans,’ Gold said under his breath.

‘Why are you guys here?’ I said more loudly. ‘I honestly didn’t know you were coming.’

‘You sent us a letter,’ my mother said. ‘You invited us to your graduation. You sent us the tickets. What’s going on, Emma? How could you not know?’

My father exploded. ‘Damn it, Emma! You said you weren’t involved in anything! And here you are, not knowing we were coming and saying that we were brought here to be kidnapped. What the hell is going on?’

‘This is very bad,’ Gold said softly.

‘I just thank the heavens that I made it to them first,’ I said. ‘If my mother hadn’t called me, I hate to think what would have happened. If they had gone with that guy, it could have been the end of it.’

My mother moaned. ‘Oh God, Emma.’

‘You stupid bitch !’ my father roared. ‘What the hell have you gotten yourself into?’

I wished I could run my hands through my hair, but I was busy driving. ‘Let’s move you up to the Peak where you’re safe first,’ I said. ‘Then…’ I stopped. I decided. ‘Then I’ll tell you everything.’