Unexpected 9: Crime Set

Chapter 4: Where are thou?

"LAPD SWAT!" Luca yelled, as the three officers approached the sight.

The grass was chest high, but they did spot an old rusty door at the very end of the exterior wall, where the back patio stood looking like a jungle itself. Several big bushes lined up the side of the building, making it very easy for anyone to hide.

"Hands on your head. Come out slowly!" Tan called

"NOW" yelled Street angrily

A small hand appeared raised up from between the bushes. The hand held something shinny, slim. Street immediately went forward, recognizing the cellphone.

"Rubio!" he called as he grabbed the hand and the cellphone

To his disappointment, the hand didn't belong to Rubio, but to a small Asian girl. Her dress was dirty and torn. She looked petrified, her face showed signed of having cried for hours.

"What are you doing with this?" He asked desperately, as he took the phone from the girl's hand slowly. 

He noticed the girl was scared, as a lonely tear fell from her left eye.  He bent over towards her and tried to relax. The girl was petrified.

"What is your name?" he asked slowly, as Tan and Luca stared

Five more children came from between the tall grass, all dirty and some crying silently. All in all, Luca counted four girls and a little boy, none older than 9 or 10 years old.

"Tan, try Chinese!" Luca whispered as both officers lowered their weapons

Tan shot a look at him, then nodded.

"Nǐ hǎo!" (Hi) he said to the children

GASP

All the kids immediately gasped and turned their attention to Tan. The little boy went running towards him and began talking. The girl in the damp jeans did the same. Soon all five were surrounding him, talking at the same time!

Luca looked at Street, who took several steps back. Tan put his hand up to gesture stop, then turned to the guys.

"They just said the blond kid gave them the phone because he knew we would rescue him. The girl you talked to Street is Chen's sister. She said he's looking for me. The ABs are out to get their other sister, who's hiding with Rubio and Chen!"

He turned to the kids, who by now surrounded him. Tan tried to calmed them down, by asking them another question. All kids answered, so there was a loud gable! Street was baffled at how Tan could make up anything with all of them talking at the same time.

After some seconds and turning his neck side to side like a pedestal fan, he put his hand up again. He said,  "Hǎo de. Nǐ shāo děng yīhuǐ'er"  (Ok, give me a second!) he said to them

The kids made silence as he turned to the guys. "Call Hondo and Deacon. The kids say Rubio and Chen went to get the sister. The gang wants to sell her to someone because their mom couldn't pay a debt. They said they got picked up in a black car, a guy that said he was SWAT."

"The guys in the video must've been from JR Swat!" Street said turning to Luca

"Who's old enough to drive?" Street asked

"Wait, guys!" Tan said interrupting them. Both guys turned to him, as the kids had come down some. "The car had a sticker, some type of gang affiliation. Didn't Hondo say he busted one of the kids the other week for hanging out with the 99s?"

"Yeah, Marv!" Street answered

"That must've been him in the video." Tan added

"Aw, man! Hondo must be steaming." Luca said