In a warehouse on the Hong Kong waterfront Charlottes team worked with the CIA to have Wang wear a bulletproof vest and the back of the vest would be fitted with a harness that was attached to a thin, almost invisible cable that would be able to pull him and hopefully his mother back to the Hong Kong side as quickly as possible should anything go wrong. The Hong Kong police had the area cleared of civilians for their safety. The snipers, David and Bob, took up positions on the roof of the Hong Kong Customs House and the Civilian Holding area respectively. Both locations had clear views of the bridge and surrounding area in mainland China. The bridge was a ‘no man's land’ between the two areas. It was open and visible with no structures on either side.
At two minutes to Noon Mary and Roxie stood on either side of Wang Fu. Both women had small pistols hidden in the small of their backs attached to their belts. They slowly started to walk onto the pedestrian walkway. At the far end of the 350-foot walkway, they watched as Li Jiang, a female officer in the Chinese army and Mrs. Fu step out from behind glass doors. They started to walk out onto the bridged walkway with Mrs. Fu in the lead, the officer on her left and Li Jiang behind them.
Mary noticed that Mrs. Fu had a belt of some type around her waist. Probably a metal belt like the one Wang wore to pull her back fast. Mary watched Li as she walked. Her right hand was hidden behind Mrs. Fu, but it seemed, by the manner of her walking, that she was carrying something. A third of the way across they stopped.
Li smiled at Mrs. Fu as she said, “I told you I would have your son meet you and here he is. Call to him, Helena. Call your sonny boy to come to his mama.”
Mrs. Fu looked nervously at Li as she started nodding her head. “Yes, you did say that he would come back for me. You did promise that and you were right. Thank you, Ms. Jiang.” She started to walk but was held back by Li.
“He must come to you, dear. That is the only way it will work. Besides, it is a beautiful day, isn’t it? You’ll be reunited with your son and all will be well again.”
Mrs. Fu said, “I heard rumors that my son was a traitor. That’s not true is it, Ms. Jiang?”
“Personally, I think it was just a big misunderstanding. This is why we need to speak with Wang so he can explain and set things right again.”
Mary realized that Li wanted to force them to cross onto the Chinese side. Mrs. Fu was not being allowed to move to the middle of the bridge where the exchange was to be made. Mary activated her hidden walky-talky and asked Louie Ti, in charge of the operation, what she should do. She was told to move forward since Li Jiang controlled the situation.
Mary, Roxie, and Wang continued to walk across the bridge. They passed the boundary marker and crossed onto the Communist side. Li and her group just waited, not moving. Wang started to get nervous. His mother continued to call to him, pleading for him to hold her. Mary and Roxie had to restrain him from running to his mother. They stopped within 50 feet of Li’s trio.
Mary said to Li, “Release Mrs. Fu so they can be reunited and then we can discuss options that would appease the Chinese government and I am sure that we can come to an agreement to settle any remaining issues you may have.”
Mary said, “What are you hiding behind your back and why is the army officer here?”
Li again produced her dazzling smile as she said, “Come closer and I will show you, Mary. Please excuse my manners. Mary Petrovich, allow me to introduce Major Zhang Chan. Major Chan is second in command of China’s Alpha Squad and is a martial arts expert in several disciplines. After all, you may get rowdy so…”
“I am not here to fight you or anyone else. I want to discuss this swap and what we have to offer in the way of compensation to you and to China.”
Li took the can she was holding behind her back, opened it and poured its contents over the head of Helena Fu.
Mrs. Fu said, “That smells like gasoline.”
Li answered, “No dear, that’s diesel fuel. It burns much hotter than gasoline.”
Wang broke away from Mary and Roxie and ran to his mother. He screamed in anguish, “No, no, do not hurt her. I surrender to you. Please leave my mother alone, she did nothing wrong.”
As he embraced his mother and she held him tight, Li swung the other end of the metal rope from his mother’s waist around Wang’s waist and snapped a lock to hold them together. Mary and Roxie jumped in to help Wang, but Major Chan barred their way.
Mary told Roxie, “I’ll stop her. Free Wang and knock Li on her ass.”
Roxie ran towards Li and the Fu’s as Mary went to confront Major Zhang. When Roxie got to within five feet of Li she saw a tiny microphone wire that Li raised from under her chin to her mouth and said, “Now.” Immediately soldiers started to emerge from under the pedestrian walkway.
Mary saw it was a trap and yelled to Roxie, “Stop. Get back here.”
Roxie hesitated, turned and saw black uniformed soldiers appear from under the bridge. Mary backed away from the Major and held her left-hand above her head and brought it down again. Instantly the harness on Wang started to pull him back towards Hong Kong. Roxie grabbed hold of the cable and was pulled back with the Fu’s. Two soldiers tried to intercept her, but she lashed out with her feet and was able to knock the soldiers away.
Mary tried to back up, but Zhang Chan was on her fast. Mary saw she had no choice, but to retreat because at least a dozen soldiers came from under the bridge. Zhang tried to block her escape until she had reinforcements.
Li screamed, “Fire Arrow.” From a second story window, in the same building, an archer appeared judged the distance the Fu’s had traveled down the bridge, as another soldier lit the cloth wrapped around the arrow. The flaming arrow soared and caught Mrs. Fu in the small of her back. The diesel fuel instantly ignited and engulfed her entire body along with her son’s. Roxie, unable to handle the heat, released her grip on the cable and had to roll under the cable to escape the human torches headed her way.