CHAPTER 23 (PART - B) end of chapter 23


The plane ride was long and monotonous as he drifted to sleep for a short nap. Chang leaned against the window watching as the cloudy skies were a little dark as it must have been storming below. How long must he have been asleep he thought, and where were they now? Chang could hear thunder outside as he finally got a glance of the top of the Alps. It was majestic, but the thunder made him feel uneasy as it was somewhat dark outside. Agent Renaud turned a light on and suddenly Chang saw a reflection in the glass of the window. It looked like some undead zombie with rotten skin and putrid boils all over its face with exposed facial bones. The hair on the back of Chang’s neck stood up as he shuddered and gasped turning around.

“What’s wrong Chang?” Agent Renaud looked suspiciously.
Chang was still gasping for air for the split second fright he just had as he looked at Agent Renaud. Chang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“I’m fine Agent Renaud… I think the lack of sleep seems to be bringing my nightmares to the waking world” Chang tried to joke.
“What kind of nightmares?” Agent Renaud asked.
“Oh it’s silly… nothing of importance really” Chang played it off.
“Well here,” Agent Renaud said handing Chang a blanket and a pillow.
“Thank you Mr. Renaud” Chang smiled.
“Yes get some rest. We have much to discuss when we arrive in Switzerland. I will wake you when lunch or dinner is being served” he said politely.

Chang nodded back and looked out the window once more as now they had climbed in altitude. Chang didn’t like planes for obvious reasons remembering that fated day flying over the Himalayas. Chang closed the window lid and leaned back and slowly was able to find his way back to sleep.

The arrival into Switzerland was really nice as everything seemed to be provided for him and Agent Renaud. Chang began to wonder if that vision on the plane was a bad omen of some type. How he wished he could speak to the Grand Abbott for more wisdom or Blessed Lightning for his personal insight. Chang was wondering how the yeti fared against that bull that just disappeared. Since it wasn’t the yeti that fell, Chang felt confident he was ok. Disappearing animals in the waking world really didn’t sit well with Chang’s logic, but he believed in demons.

Why would a demon come after him? Chang was trying to make sense in his head whereas Didi said that maybe it was a rival demon of the Migou since many thought Migou was a demon too. Dark forces seemed to be gathering and Chang could feel it, but why? What did all of this mean? So many thoughts were giving him a headache.

“We have a limo waiting for us Chang” Agent Renaud said as they were entering the airport terminal. It was late in the afternoon.

Agent Renaud stood just over six feet tall and was an average build he had a curved nose which reminded Chang of someone familiar but he could not recall. He wore a long army green trench coat. Chang stood barely five feet and seven inches and wore his green kimono and black trousers and shoes. A man with a scruffy looking face wearing a red coat and hat stood waiting for them with a sign that had 'Renaud' on it. He had a smug look on his face and hawk like nose. Chang didn’t like his unfriendly stare.

“This way gentlemen,” he said leading them outside the airport as security watched everyone closely here.
“What’s wrong Chang?” Agent Renaud asked quietly.
“I don’t trust this man” Chang whispered.
“It’s our escort back to headquarters, although I must admit, I don’t remember him…” Agent Renaud nodded.
The limo waited outside, “This way please” the man in the read sweater motioned into the limo as he opened the door.

Agent Renaud got in and took a seat. Chang stood outside the door first looking at the man who was purposely avoiding his gaze. Another man sat inside with a black vest across from Renaud. Chang glanced in further and could see a crate inside that seemed to be rattling.

“What’s inside that—“ Chang started to say but was shoved into the limo and the door slammed shut behind. Chang knew his senses were right as he tried to open the door but there were no door handles.
“It’s a trap!” Agent Renaud shouted.
“Glad you figured it out!” the man said pulling out a gun and pointed it at them.
“Who are you?!” Agent Renaud demanded.
“I don’t think you are in any position to be asking questions Agent Renaud, we must thank you for bringing us one of the Sons of the Dragon” he smirked. Chang looked at the man’s face, and it didn’t appear to be his real one. Something was really odd about this man as the limo started.
The crate began to growl, “What do you mean us?! What’s in the crate?!” Chang asked a bit worried.

“Oh that, let me introduce you do Barnabus!” he said opening the crate as a huge Doberman Pincer with glossy eyes jumped out of the crate.
“Now Chang!” Agent Renaud yelled diving at the strange man and a gunshot was fired and one of the windows was shattered.

The dog dived at Chang grazing his leg pouncing on him trying to bite him. Chang quickly punched the Doberman Pincer in the face as it turned to bite him again grazing his fist slightly. Quickly Chang punched again and was able to kick the dog off of him with such a force the dog shattered the window separating the front from the back.

Agent Renaud had the man pinned down but Chang saw he was shot in the shoulder and was bleeding. Chang quickly assisted the agent and jabbed the man in the face knocking him unconscious as Agent Renaud opened the door. The limo driver slammed on the breaks grinding to a halt.

“Hurry Chang!” he said leading Chang out of the limo as it started back up with a few gunshots being fired at them. Agent Renaud took out his gun and returned the fire shattering the back window as they ran for cover until finally the limo sped away.

“Agent Renaud! We got to get you to a hospital!” Chang gasped taking a scarf he had tying it around Renaud’s shoulder. Luckily at that moment police were rushing to the scene.
“Help! Over here!” Chang waved the police’s attention.
“Get an ambulance over here!” an officer shouted.
“What happened?” an officer asked while trying to help Agent Renaud up.
“We got attacked by fake escorts” Renaud managed to mumble as his shoulder was searing with cold pain.
“Which way did they go?” the officer asked hurriedly.
“That way, black limo” Chang pointed.
“We got the ambulance coming just stay with us!” the officer said as he ran to the car to radio reinforcements.

The ambulance finally arrived as they were both spirited away to the hospital.
Chang was treated for minor bites the dog left on him and minor cuts from the glass. Agent Renaud was in surgery having a bullet removed from his shoulder. After two hours Chang was released and he sat in the waiting room for hours pacing back and forth without any word on Agent Renaud’s condition. Chang did his best to remain calm. It was now almost ten O’clock at night when finally a nurse came into the waiting room.

“Mr. Chang, Mr. Renaud is in recovery now, and you can go see him if you like” she said leading him down a long corridor. Hospitals always seemed like such a sad place for Chang. When they finally arrived he found Agent Renaud in bed in a hospital gown with his shoulder bandaged. The Agent opened his eyes as they entered the room which had two beds in it, the other being empty.
The nurse walked out of the room and Chang walked to his bedside.
“Are you ok Mr. Renaud?” he asked with concern.
“I’ll be fine, it may be a short while before I’m back in action” he said glancing at his shoulder.
“That was a brave act you did Mr. Renaud” Chang complemented.
“It was either now or never, who knows who else would have been waiting for us at the end of the line” Agent Renaud rationalized.
“I’m so sorry for so much trouble” Chang apologized.
“Why are you apologizing? It wasn’t you who shot me” he nodded.
“Listen Chang, you can sleep in this bed tonight, tomorrow a REAL agent will pick you up tomorrow for debriefing at our headquarters here. The police found the limo but found no one…but they did recover our luggage. We’ll have it tomorrow” he half smiled.

“Thank you Agent Renaud, I will never forget your bravery” Chang smiled.
“Get you some rest young man, you’ve had a rough day too” he suggested.
This time Chang was more mentally exhausted than anything. There were too many thoughts swimming in his head and too much going on unlike at the monastery in Tibet. It was a bit overwhelming for Chang. He did as Agent Renaud suggested and lied down and soon was asleep.

The next day was a long one. A man by the name of Wolfgang picked him up. He looked a bit older than Agent Renaud, and Agent Renaud gave Chang an approving nod when he entered the room.

"Thank you for your bravery again Mr. Renaud" Chang said shaking his hand.
"Don't worry young man, Agent Wolfgang here is a great man" Renaud smiled shaking Chang's hand.

Agent Wolfgang as about the same size as Renaud. Chang was escorted through the city in a small car with Agent Wolfgang who sported a short grey beard. They spoke very little other than the introductions and small talk about weather since his first language was German and his English was not the best. When they arrived at the headquarters he led him into a larger building as they rode an elevator to the seventh floor and met with several other agents in a conference room. Each agent seemed a bit different from the others. Some were different in speech, others in looks, and others in affiliation.

The meeting was long and exhausting, but Chang listened to them all. First they spoke about a mysterious man everyone called the Octopus, referring back to the All-Seeing-Eye Cult. They spoke about a robbery in Cairo Egypt of the Book of the Dead. Chang was trying to make the connections as they also discussed how a lot of kingpins were dealing with this cult for profit. It seemed they were growing in members fast as there were chapters in several different countries all around the world. Chang had so little to contribute and what he did have to say he didn’t think needed to be repeated due to its spiritual nature since the occupation of law enforcement dealt in facts and logic. Chang did mention how he was on a search for a teenage Chinese girl that was taken almost a few weeks ago. They listened to all of the facts that Chang presented even looked at the red sash that had her initials on it.

“I made a promise to a mother that I would find her daughter, and I will honor it. I must find if she still lives” Chang announced.
“Don’t worry young man, we will try to help you with that personal goal yet align it with ours” Agent Wolfgang assured.

INTERPOL was conducting all kinds of investigations and Chang did find it interesting at how well organized these people were. This was all new to Chang. He was in Zurich for a few more days until they decided where to assign him. Chang was to be sent to London to meet up with two of their prized agents. Chang’s interest began to peak a little when he heard their names as his heart almost skipped a beat. Thompson and Thomson were in London investigating four murders. He knew Tintin had planned on working with them last time they spoke. The next day Chang was shipped out again on yet another plane which Chang was getting tired of, but the chance to see Tintin made it much more bearable. Chang gladly got on the plane. Shortly after noon, the plane left Switzerland on its way to England as Chang looked over his new documentation as an assistant to INTERPOL with papers and a badge to get him through customs much quicker. He smiled in satisfaction thinking that he was on his way to getting to the bottom of all of this.

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