Two men took him to the entrance of the airlock, close to where the access to the hold was located. The diving equipment for the crew and carrier box, made of fiberglass plastic, were stored there. 

Another man brought a small oxygen cylinder with a mask from another room. Probably the laboratory, as it was a research submarine. He also had shackles and a blanket with him.  

An unpleasant feeling of pressure spread through Wenjie's stomach. Especially, when he saw the carrier box, they had provided for transportation. He discovered thin cracks in some places. Although these would not affect the integrity of the container, they would cause it to fill with water. 

He watched the men suspiciously as they prepared the container. “Wouldn't it be easier if we all took the diving equipment?”, he suggested. 

The men ignored his question. Instead, they tied him up and wrapped him in the blanket. Afterwards, they put him in the narrow box. Wenjie didn't resist, since this would certainly influence the men's decision to speak up for his friends' freemdon. 

Once he was safely in the carrier box, the oxygen bottle followed. It pressed lightly against the ceiling between him and the wall of the crate. One of the men bent over him and put the oxygen mask on him. He activated the oxygen supply before closing the lid of the box. 

A sweet smell penetrated Wenjie's nose through the oxygen mask. He held his breath, instinctively, as he tried to move. He failed. The restraints were tight and the blanket, that enveloped his body, limited the available space to a few millimetres. 

He heard a creaking sound from the side walls. The carrier box was set in motion. He heard a hissing sound. Shortly afterwards, water entered the box. In the long run, he had no choice but to breathe through the mask and accept his situation. Something clouded his senses. 

He was not allowed to fall asleep. But the gas was stronger than him. He could feel the blanket soaking up water. Shortly afterwards, he fell asleep. 

When he woke up, his clothes were literally sticking to his body. But he managed to open his eyes without any problems. Light was shining through the cracks of the box. The carrier box was obviously above the surface of the water.

The blanket lay heavily on his body, wet and cold. Moisture penetrated his limbs, giving him goose bumps. Wenjie breathed deeply. Then he realized that the oxygen mask was gone. The oxygen bottle was also no longer pressing against his waist. Someone had taken both off him. 

He concentrated on looking through the cracks. But the light blinded him too much for the moment. He listened to the sounds around him. It was quiet, like the calm before a storm. Too quiet. From this he concluded, that the box was in a room, probably somewhere on the ship. 

His legs and arms felt numb. He carefully moved his toes, then his fingers. That worked. He could also turn his head. There was a gaping hole about ten centimeters wide in one side wall. On the other side, he saw the bottom edge of a metal door. 

His heart was beating fast. Wenjie closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Panic didn't help him. Somewhere outside, the hands of a wall clock ticked. The steady sound helped him to relax at first. 

However, the longer he lay in the box, the more uncomfortable it became. Tick. Tack. Tick. Tack. On and on like that. And no one came to check on him. Wenjie counted the ticks. One, two, three and so on. 

At some point, the light went out. He couldn't estimate how long. Then, what felt like an eternity later, he heard footsteps. They were approaching the door. A key turned in the lock. 

A faint beam of light fell in from the hallway. Only two legs obscured the view out. Then the person handled the box. The lid flew open. 

Xu Zhengqing looked down at him. 

Wenjie swallowed. It had been one thing to hear his voice when Ding Wei had spoken to him on the phone. It was quite another to see him. Despite the cold caused by the humidity, he was sweating. 

“Did you miss me?”

He was reluctant to answer. But he knew what Xu Zhengqing was expecting. “Yes, Uncle Xu.”

 Xu Zhengqing smiled. “I'm sorry it took so long.”

As if. Monsieur was certainly enjoying the sight before him. At least he had him where he wanted him, in his power.

“Don't you believe me?” There was a lurking undertone in his voice. 

 Wenjie didn't make a sound. 

“I've prepared a room for you.” Without warning, he reached into the box and lifted him out along with the blanket. 

Wenjie caught a glimpse of the room. It must have been a storage room. Behind the crate were shelves lined with boxes. 

Xu Zhengqing carried him out into the hallway. There he laid him on the hard floor, where he freed him from the blanket and the shackles. “Can you still feel your limbs?” That sounded almost worried. 

Wenjie nodded. But he still needed help to stand up. 

Monsieur readily supported him. He pushed the blanket back into the chamber with his foot. “I have a little surprise for you.”

The words alone sent an icy shiver down Wenjie's spine. He stopped abruptly. 

Xu Zhengqing urged him on down the corridor until they reached a door with a barred window. He pulled a bunch of keys out of his pocket and opened it. The cabin was slightly larger than the storeroom. There was a bed in the center. Connected to medical equipment, a person he knew well lay there. 

“Captain Luo...” Wenjie's hands shook uncontrollably. His knees gave way. Mr. Xu stopped the fall. 

“His life is hanging by a thread.”

He didn't have to tell him that. Wenjie saw it that way too. “You had him kidnapped.” From a hospital that had certainly been full of police. How had he managed that? What resources did he have?

“Aren't you happy? If you're good, you can visit him regularly. We'll keep him in an induced coma if he wakes up.”

The world spun before Wenjie's eyes. He breathed hastily. He clung to Xu Zhengqing to keep from falling over. He even brought him to the bed so that he could temporarily sit on the edge. 

to be continued ...