Jules and Jason followed Bau down the stairwell, down three flights to an area that opened up into three corridors. The kids were walking down the corridor directly in front of them, quietly and in an orderly fashion. At the end of the corridor was a door, and the kids went inside the room.
Jules and Jason were last into the room, which ended up being a huge assembly hall. They stood in the back of the room, not sure where to sit, as Bau went to the front of the room.
Jason listened to him speak in Chinese. The kids were quiet, listening to him. He left the front of the room and another kid took his place. He was about his own age, Jason noticed, and he started shouting. The kids responded. Jules jumped at the shouts, as the kid led them in a chant and Bau stepped out a side door.
Jules and Jason looked at each other. “Any idea what’s going on?” asked Jules during a pause in the chant.
“Probably trying to get them distracted,” said Jason. “They’re keeping them in here while the heroes go searching for the bad guys.”
“Where did Bau go?”
Jason shrugged. He went to the back door and tried it. It opened. He looked back at Jules, who nodded and followed him out into the corridor.
No one was out in the corridor, so they followed it along where the assembly hall seemed to go, looking for the side door that Bau came out of. Jason heard someone shout, and then a shot. He threw Jules against the wall, and summoned his pistols. Jules had his boomerang in his hand.
Three men came around the corner, all of them with guns, not bothering to sweep the area before them. Jason let loose with some shots, and the men ducked back around the corner. Jules threw one of the boomerangs and it hit a man in the shoulder, making his shot go wide.
Jason and Jules had no cover, so had to backtrack to the beginning of the corridor and move around a corner. “Bau’s over there,” said Jules.
Jason assumed that, and fired again. He reloaded. Jules peered around the corner and almost got clipped by an errant rifle shot.
“I wish I could throw fire,” said Jason.
Jules took out another item, and flicked its cover off. He rolled it down the corridor. Soon, the corridor was full of smoke. Jason ran into it, holding his breath, and took two low shots, hitting two men in the knees. The third man, though coughing, held up his gun and Jason slammed into him, knocking his gun free by hitting his wrist. He held the gun to the man’s forehead, and the man froze.
Jules dashed into the fray, grabbing the gun that had been knocked away, and trained them on the two men who were holding their legs and howling in pain. Jules grabbed the rifle from one man and the handgun from the third man, while he stepped out of the cloud of smoke and took a gasping breath of fresh air. He took out his bolas and tied up the three men.
Jason turned to see Bau, lying in a heap near a door.
