May Ying

May Ying (born 1961) was a Thai woman who met and later married Martin Castillo while he was working for the DEA in Southeast Asia. After Castillo's DEA team was betrayed by Dale Menton, May Ying was caught up in a grenade attack intended to kill her husband; she was presumed killed, but actually survived and later remarried, to Ma Sek.

Several years later, May Ying moved to Miami when her husband received a lucrative job offer, unaware she was in fact a pawn being used by Castillo's old nemesis from the Golden Triangle, General Lao Li, to try and ensure Castillo would not pursue an investigation into Li, who had also moved to Miami, for fear of her safety.

Biography

Marriage to Castillo

May Ying met Martin Castillo while he was working for the DEA in Southeast Asia, pursuing opium producers in the Golden Triangle. The two quickly fell in love and married. However, Castillo was later sold out to one of the dealers he was pursuing, General Lao Li, by CIA agent -- and Li ally -- Dale Menton; most of Castillo's team was wiped out in a deadly ambush, although Castillo escaped. Realizing he had survived, Li's people then launched a grenade attack on his home, seeking to finish him; Castillo was not present, having been wounded in the ambush, but May Ying was home and presumed killed in the explosion. Castillo left Southeast Asia, while May Ying later remarried, to local businessman Ma Sek, with whom she had a son.

Move to Miami

Five years after her separation from Castillo, Ma Sek received a lucrative job offer in Miami, and he and May Ying moved to America, not realizing it was a ploy by Lao Li to get her to the city; Li himself was planning to retire to Miami, and wanted May Ying there to act as a virtual hostage to deter Castillo -- now a Lieutenant in the Metro-Dade Organized Crime Bureau -- from launching an investigation into him. When Castillo learned of this, he located May Ying and went to reconcile with her. Despite his heartbreak at learning she now had a new husband and family, he pledged not to interfere and to protect her from Li's influence. Lao Li was ultimately brought down as part of an OCB operation, after which May Ying said an emotional farewell to Castillo and returned to Thailand with her family.

Return to Miami

In 1988, May Ying's car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her son. She blamed herself for the accident, as did Ma Sek, who was by now involved with the Rivas cartel in Ecuador (unknown to his wife). Trouble with Rivas forced May Ying and Ma Sek to flee the country, and they returned to Miami, May Ying having remembered Castillo's promise to help her should she ever need it. Castillo agreed to lend his assistance, but soon afterwards May Ying was kidnapped by Rivas' men. She managed to pass a message to Castillo in Thai, and the Lieutenant was able to rescue her.

During her captivity, May Ying learned of her husband's dealings, and that he had stolen drugs from Rivas, planning to sell them himself with his accomplice Dimitri. Wearing a wire given to her by OCB, she confronted her husband about his dealings, obtaining evidence of his illegal activities. Before the Vice squad could move in, Ma Sek discovered the wire and attempted to strangle his wife to death in a rage, but was interrupted by Castillo, who subdued Ma Sek in a martial arts battle and arrested him for murder and conspiracy. Afterwards, May Ying shared one last embrace with her former husband (and one true love) before returning to her homeland once more.