Chapter 5

 It was late in the night when the train pulled into the Poughkeepsie station. The train would go no further. This was the end of the line. I admired how the old and well used building managed to retain its turn of the century ambience.

Shen and I had spent the past one and one-half hours huddled in thought amongst the mass of commuters who were now getting off the train and heading toward their cars with brief cases in hand.

The multicolored leaves fell gently in the cool evening breeze as we stepped off the train. I pulled the hood of my jacket up while Shen adjusted the wool cap on his head as we scurried to a row of cabs. We were anxious to secure one before they were all scooped up by passengers who were eager to reach their destination. It was early evening and we didn’t know the city well. Walking to our destination wasn’t something either of us wanted to do.

The cab driver looked hungry and haggard as he asked us where we wanted to go. Shen was unsure of the exact destination but certain of the area we needed to look. He asked him to take us to Vassar College.

Although I still questioned the legitimacy of my friend’s claim that vampires existed, I was completely convinced of the need to rescue his fiancé from her kidnappers. If these creeps really were in Poughkeepsie grabbing unsuspecting young girls, what better place than a college? It was the logical place to start.

“Just out of curiosity,” I said as I sunk back into the seat next to him. “I get why we’re going to a college, but why Vassar? Why not Marist?”

“One of my uncle’s friends is familiar with this city,” he explained. “He said the architecture near Vassar fits the descriptions we were given of the hiding place. You won’t find Marist in that type of surroundings. One of those houses near Vassar is the house we seek. Not only did my uncle’s friend determine it, but I can feel it deep inside me.”

It was a quick ride to the neighborhood of Vassar College. The cab stopped just outside of the Jillion’s café and we hopped out.

“You know I’m with you,” I said in earnest, “but I have to say this and I won’t mention it again.” I searched his expression and took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s really too bad what’s happened to Dao-Ming and I know you love her, but I don’t understand why you don’t just let the police handle it.”

“The capturing of men and women immigrants for forced slavery and prostitution has been going on for centuries and the police have not been able to stop it,” he replied. “A few of those men at the meeting yesterday lost someone months ago and we already asked the police for help. We gave them all the information we had and still nothing. In truth, we are unsure if they even did an investigation. This may be because they were illegal immigrants or it may be because the police do not believe our story. I do not know which. I must help Dao-Ming. I cannot just sit back and do nothing and we have already experienced what happens when we seek help from the police.”

I heaved a sigh and said, “Okay, buddy, lead the way.”

We walked past Jillion’s café toward Vassar College. I stopped in front of the café long enough to peer in the window at the crowd of jovial college students drinking beer and playing pool. When we crossed to the far side of the street where the college was opposite them, Shen carefully stopped in front of each house and surveyed it closely. I hoped we found the house soon as I hunched my body against the increasing intensity of the breeze that was slowly transforming into a steady wind.

Dawn broke with still no luck in locating the house we sought. I spotted a neon ‘Open’ sign come alive in a small diner down the block and pointed it out to Shen. We urged our cold and weary bodies toward its cozy comfort and a cup of steaming hot coffee.

The smell of fresh coffee permeated the diner as I sank into the booth closest to the door. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt that tired.

“What now?” I asked.

Shen turned over the coffee cups that were set upside down on their saucers before closing the night before as a signal for the waitress to fill them. She finished securing her apron around her waist, nodded, and walked toward us with coffee pot in hand.

“We sleep. Then look some more,” he said as he held his hand up for the waitress to stop pouring the rich aromatic liquid into his cup when it reached the half-way mark.

I allowed her to fill my cup to the brim and immediately put it to my lips.

“Ah, yes, heat and caffeine,” I said with a smile. Within a few gulps, my cup was empty and I was stretching my long, lean frame as best I could within the confines of the booth. “I could use a hot shower and clean sheets.”

****

It seemed to me as if I’d only been sleeping a few minutes when Shen shook me awake. I hopped into the shower and reveled in the steady flow of water that helped bring me back to life. Feeling human again, I joined my buddy in the cab he’d ordered and we headed it back to the neighborhood of Vassar College to continue our search. We needed to find Dao-Ming quickly. Time was against us and we both knew it.

The brilliant sun defied the crisp fall air as we walked down back Raymond Avenue near Jillion’s café. Our search the night before was disappointing. We hoped for better luck in the light of day.

We turned into a bookstore and Shen showed Dao-Ming’s picture to the clerk behind the counter. The clerk shook his head, indicating he’d never seen her before, but he wished us luck in our search. Our next stop was the vitamin shop next door.

When we reach a metaphysical store across from Vassar College, I smirked at the students hiding in the alcoves of the building while smoking pot. I followed Shen inside where a middle aged hippie with wild graying hair and tattoos covering her body was hanging small animal skins on a metal rack. She strung them on a rod through their eyeholes while she warily watched Shen approached her with the photo of Dao-Ming in his hand.

“Excuse me, ma’am, I am hoping that you have seen this young woman around,” Shen said as he extended the photo to her. His voice sounded tense and tired.

The woman moved to a stool behind the counter without looking at the photo. She picked up a basket of beads and began stringing them.

Shen looked at me impatiently before shoving the photo in front of her.

“Could you please take a look?” he asked with barely concealed frustration.

You could hear a pin drop while the woman looked at Dao-Ming’s photo. Shen thought he noticed a spark of recognition in her beady eyes. I don’t think he realized he was holding his breath until it came gushing out as disappointment set in when her attention was drawn away from the photo by the ringing of the telephone. She turned her back to us as she answered.

“Goddess of the Universe,” she said in a deep, raspy voice that hinted of smoker’s cough. “No, this is Rowena. Can I help you?” The woman listened intently. “No... no... nope.”

She ignored the photo as she abruptly hung up the phone and went back to her beading.

Shen picked up the photo and held it within inches of her eyes. Her annoyance was obvious as she snatched it from his hand and briefly studied it before aggressively tossing it back at him.

“She’s a pretty girl with striking eyes,” she purred while focusing on her beads. “She speaks good English, too. I was surprised.”

“Do you know where I can find her?” Shen asked. The blood rising up his neck was the only sign of the frustration he felt at her silence. “We know about the house.”

She cocked her head in casual amusement.

“Oh yeah? Do tell... do tell... and?” she practically cackled.

“They took her, correct? That is correct, is it not?” he said. His voice rose with frustrated emotion. “I know they took her.”

I placed my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

“It’s okay, man,” I said softly, but firmly. “Come on, let’s go. She’s not going to help us. Forget it.”

Rowena looked defiantly at Shen as she spat, “If you know so much, then you know she’s not here anymore. You know so much, right?”

I moved between my emotionally overheated friend and the overly tattooed hippie and placed my face barely an inch away from hers. Her foul breath and body odor assaulted every sense I had.

“Don’t push your luck, freak,” I snapped.

“Leave, you sons-of-bitches, before I call the cops. Get out!” she shouted.

The woman’s bold and steady voice made her seem fearless. Only her eyes showed her vulnerability.

Shen held the door opened while looking back at Rowena and me. He was anxious to get away from her before he totally lost control. It took a lot to unleash his fury, but once it was unleashed there was no telling what he’ d do or how long it would take to collect his wits again.

“Come on,” he said in a voice that sounded far calmer than I knew he felt.

Rowena stood firmly in place as I backed slowly out the door. My eyes locked with hers until I reached the sidewalk and turned away.

Her cackling laugh pierced the air as she called out, “Good-bye boys!”

We walked determinedly down the sidewalk and into a coffee house while we both focused on calming down. Shen sat heavily onto the seat of one of the booths while I continued to the counter to put in an order.

I was still annoyed with our recent encounter, so my question about what he wanted me to order for him sounded rougher than I intended as I tossed it over my shoulder.

“It does not matter,” he said with his head hung low in tired disappointment.

I ordered us each a coffee with blueberry muffin and paid the cashier. I looked around for a tray but found nothing so I gathered the order with my hands. I was thankful that the paper coffee cups had lids that allowed me to balance the paper plates that were precariously holding the muffins on top of them.

I stopped briefly on my way back to the table to observe a small group of men outside the coffee house before continuing to the booth.

“I wanted to hit that drugged up freak,” I said as I carefully set the cups on the table and slid Shen’s coffee and muffin to him.

“Ha, more than that,” he said. “I know she knows where Dao-Ming is. Damn, this is... how do you say, ku nao.”

“Ku nao,” I repeated and I tried to remember its meaning. Then my puzzled look turned to proud delight and my eyes lit up with recognition. “You mean annoying!”

“Yes, this annoys me,” he said. “I know she can help us more.”

I slid into the booth opposite him and dove into my muffin. “I didn’t believe you about the human trafficking, but now it’s like some crazy movie,” I said between bites of muffin and sips of coffee. “This shit happens in the movies, man. Hell!”

“You better hope it is not like a movie. Because if it is, the next thing to happen would be for us to be mugged by those guys,” he said as he nodded his head toward the group outside.

“You noticed them too,” I mused. “Okay, I’m done being a movie star. Let’s grab a cab and get out of here.”

Shen got up and tossed his coffee cup in the trash. His voice hinted amusement as he turned to me and said, “So, you are a movie star now?”

“Was there ever any doubt?” I chuckled.

Things had become miserably gloomy so it pleased us both to have even this small amount of levity. Shen patted my back as we both enjoyed a small moment of light humor and walked outside. I hailed a cab and we got in it and drove away.

Neither of us noticed one of the men from the group hurry into a car and followed us.