Slaves, Spooks & The Praying Mantis:
A Synopsis:
"After the drudgery of law school, RON BELLO, a rich man's kid, has landed a special agent's job with the National Bureau of Investigation, something he has dreamed of since childhood.
Meanwhile, a young Filipino nurse, JULIE BUENAVIDES, a poor man's daughter, Ron's sweetheart and neighbor, frustrated of not getting local work in the Philippines was forced to take a slave job in Hong Kong as a nanny/caregiver.
Ron's new position has one main goal: flush out the leaks prevailing inside the NBI and the Philippine government. The corruption within law enforcement and among Philippine politicians make it necessary for Ron to be a part of a trusted masonic group of worldwide covert operatives known as the Red Folder. Before long, under Ron's leadership, the Interpol-authorized spooks stumble into a massive organized drug cartel headed by The Praying Mantis of the HK-based Pu Tang clan. The syndicate produces and smuggles dope from China via HK and is not only mired in illegal human trafficking, but also stinks to high heaven with corrupt cops and officials using foreign workers and slaves as drug mules and prostitutes.
Julie didn't know Ron is sent by Interpol to HK and Ron is forbidden to see Julie during investigation to protect her from reprisals from any criminal element. To complicate matters neither Ron nor Julie knew that Julie's employer, BRENDA, is an associate of The Praying Mantis. The identity of the Mantis remains a secret even among his or her underlings. The Pu Tang clan also has no clue that Julie is an Interpol agent's longtime girlfriend.
Ron's orders are to terminate the horrific drug and human trafficking operation. To ensnare the criminals, Ron, using 'AARON' as an alias and his team of crack agents poses as a major drug buyer from the Philippines. He contacts Filipino prostitutes in HK with ties to the Pu Tang clan.
Things take a drastic turn when Ron learns that Julie has become unwittingly entangled in the cartel.
With danger dogging his every move, Ron fights the tangle of the clan's deadly web of deception and crime knowing that one false move could endanger not only Julie's life, but also his own.
Can Ron save Julie on time?
It's a poignant and compelling story of love, hope and survival, hate and betrayal, human suffering and the atrocities committed by those in power and the manipulation of unsuspecting people into a web of deception and crime.
"
An Excerpt from Chapter Thirty Two:
" As the night wore on in Kowloon, which the locals might likely call Gau Lung - whose name meant literally nine dragons, the group, depleted of energy and full-bellied, decided to part ways for the night and promised to meet for breakfast in the morning.
Ron was still a bit wound up and stayed up to catch the Symphony of Light; the world's largest permanent light show projected from atop the buildings of Hong Kong Island, across the harbor.
Looking down the opposite way at Salisbury Road, his eyes followed the ferryboats loading and unloading at the pier then followed his gaze toward the curved roof of the contentious and windowless design of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre along the raised promenade and the Space Museum.
He sighed very deeply. Sonny Boy knew Ron was thinking about Julie - perhaps dreaming about strolling; holding hands near the well manicured landscaping of the palm-treed promenade.
Even with all the recent successes they have had, at the end of the day, Ron was pensive knowing his loved one was just a few minutes away yet he couldn't see her.
Sonny Boy stayed with him for a while to talk about mundane things like the day's flight to the Mainland, but it seemed that although he was physically talking to him, Ron was mentally absent. He couldn't help him with that one problem."
