A New Beginning

by Mark David Abbott

  “Well, how about we try another form of excitement for now?”

  45

  John sat on the balcony, gazing out across the city skyline. Lights from the buildings still twinkled as the darkness gave way to light, the early morning horizon painted in shades of orange and red as the sun announced its arrival. He had awoken early, his mind filled with ideas. Unable to sleep longer, he left Adriana in bed and got up to make coffee.

  Sipping his coffee, he mulled over the situation. Based on his calls yesterday, there didn’t seem to be any official channels for returning Amira to her family. The police were an unknown as he didn’t know how far Hassan’s tentacles reached, and the refugee agencies couldn’t do much as she wasn’t technically a refugee. Her family was still holed up in a hotel in Dhaka, waiting for news, and Amira couldn’t stay cooped up in his apartment forever. One thing was for sure, she wasn’t safe in Bangkok. If Adriana was being followed, it wouldn’t be long before they found out where she was and took Amira back. A germ of an idea had been forming in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like the only possibility available to him. It would be risky, but he knew a man who might help. He looked at his watch; still too early to call, it would have to wait for later.

  His mind drifted to more pleasant thoughts—making a new life with Adriana. Could it be possible? Things were going well so far, but was it only because events regarding Amira had thrown them together? Would their relationship endure a more peaceful time, a more mundane pace without the excitement of rescuing a girl from her brutal captor? He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the chair.

  The picture before his eyes was that of Adriana, tucking a lock of her raven black hair behind her ear, turning toward him, those hazel eyes flecked with gold sparkling with amusement. His heart rate increased, and he smiled. Only time would tell how things would work out, but he was prepared to give it a try. Opening his eyes, he drained the rest of his coffee. The thoughts made him happy, and despite the concern over what to do with Amira, he felt deep down that things would work out. Standing, he reached over his head with both arms and stretched. Time for a run.

  John changed into his running clothes, careful not to wake Adriana and had just picked up his running shoes when the doorbell rang. Adriana stirred in bed and raised her head.

  “What time is it?”

  John frowned and glanced at the clock beside the bed. “Six-thirty.”

  “Are you expecting someone?”

  “No.” John set his shoes back on the floor. “Stay here, let me check.”

  He walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Amira’s door opened, and she stood there rubbing her eyes. John raised his finger to his lips, warning her to be quiet and waved her back inside, closing the door behind her. He walked over to the peephole in the front door and looked out.

  Shit!

  46

  John bit his lip, looked behind him to check the bedroom doors were closed, then opened the door.

  “Sawasdee kup.”

  “Sawasdee kup,” John replied.

  The policeman standing outside peered over his shoulder into the apartment. A man stood next to him, a brass badge on his belt, the words, ‘Immigration Police’ written in white on the right side of a blue vest he wore over his shirt.

  “Can I help you?”

  The policeman on the left looked back at John. “Sir, we are conducting checks on all the residents of the building. Do you live here alone?”

  “Yes.” John’s eyes flicked across to the immigration officer who looked a little uncomfortable.

  “Can we see your passport, please?” asked the policeman.

  “What is this about? And why have you come so early?” John kept his voice low and calm, keen not to escalate matters. Thai people preferred to avoid confrontation whenever possible.

  “Kathorn krup, I am sorry to disturb you,” the immigration officer spoke up. “But we are checking for people who overstay their visa. The government is very strict now. I am sure everything will be okay, but we just need to see your passport and visa.”

  John forced a smile. He had never been checked before, but he would run with the situation and see what happened.

  “Okay, kup. Just one moment.” He turned and walked over to the cabinet in the living room, opened the drawer containing his travel documents, removed his passport, and turned back toward the front door. The policeman had stepped forward into the doorway and was looking around. John walked over and stepped right in front of the policeman, forcing him to take a step back. He smiled at him, then reached past him and handed his passport to the immigration officer still standing in the corridor.

  The policeman glared at him as the officer leafed through the passport.

  “Khun John Hayes.”

  “Yes,” replied John, his smile still fixed on the policeman.

  “You came here when?”

  “About seven months ago. I can’t remember the exact date.”

  “Ah, yes, here it is. You arrived on a sixty-day tourist visa.” The officer leafed through some more pages. He frowned and looked up. “Now you have a student visa?”

  “Yes, that’s right. I am learning Thai.”

  The policeman spoke up in Thai. “Rongreiyin yu thini? Where is the school?”

  John stared back at the policeman, a smile fixed on his face, and replied in Thai, “Thi ni ni Phrom Pong. Here in Phrom Pong. The Siam School of Language.”

  “Di mak!” the immigration officer looked up from the passport. “Very good, Khun Hayes.” He held the passport out for John, but before John could take it, the policeman snatched it and looked through it. He found the visa page and narrowed his eyes. “You have extended once for ninety days. You have to leave in twenty days.”

  “That’s technically correct,” John nodded, his face still fixed in a false smile. “But I can keep extending until I complete my course.” He glanced at the immigration officer. “Up to twelve months?”

  “Yes, yes,” nodded the officer nervously, his eyes flicking back and forth from John to the policeman.

  The policeman scowled at John. “Extension is at the discretion of the immigration department and depends on your behavior.”

  John reached out and took the passport out of the policeman’s hand. “Then I will be sure to be on my best behavior.” He nodded at the immigration officer. “Will there be anything else?”

  “No Khun Hayes. Kop khun kup. Thank you,” the immigration officer replied with a quick smile and a nervous glance at the policeman.

  John nodded, stepped back into his apartment, and pushed the door almost closed. He looked through the peephole and watched as the two men turned and walked away. He waited for a moment, then slowly eased the door open and peered around the door frame. The two men entered the lift, and the doors closed behind them.

  John sighed and closed the door. So much for checking the building. There were four more apartments on his floor, and the two men didn’t seem interested in checking them. He glanced at the passport in his hand and noticed his hand trembling. His heart was beating fast. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils, then slowly exhaled the tension. Turning away from the door, he saw Adriana and Amira standing outside their bedrooms, a worried expression on each of their faces.

  “What was that all about?” asked Adriana.

  “Oh, nothing,” John smiled as he returned the passport to the drawer. “Just a routine immigration check on people in the building.”

  “Really? Routine?”

  “Yes, nothing to worry about. Now, what would you two like for breakfast?”

  47

  John stepped out onto the balcony and pulled the sliding doors closed behind him. He glanced back inside at Adriana and Amira eating breakfast at the dining table, then scrolled through the numbers on his phone. Checking his watch and making a mental calculation of the time difference, he selected the number he wanted and dialed. The phone only rang twice before
someone answered.

  “John. A pleasant surprise. How are you?”

  “I am well, Mr. Yu, and yourself?”

  “I can’t complain, John. I see you are still in Thailand.”

  John smiled. Nothing escaped the razor-sharp mind of Ronald Yu, one of Hong Kong’s richest businessmen.

  “Yes, I’ve been taking time out to work on my tan.”

  Ronald Yu chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t believe John Hayes can spend much time sun-tanning without craving a little more excitement in his life.”

  “Hmmm, funny you should say that, but before I get down to details, I never thanked you for your generous gift.” John referred to the shares gifted to him by Ronald after he rescued his son1.

  “I’ll always be in your debt, John.” Ronald paused, and John heard him taking a sip of what must have been tea, Ronald’s drink of preference.

  “I think that whole situation has done Vincent a world of good. He seems to have… how do you say… turned over a new leaf.”

  “That’s good to hear. Please tell him I said hello.” John leaned on the balcony handrail with both elbows and looked out over the city.

  “I will, John. Now, I’m sure you haven’t called just to exchange pleasantries. Are you taking me up on my job offer?”

  “Thank you, Mr. Yu, but no. It’s a little more serious than that.” John paused, thinking of what to say next. Ronald Yu was well known as an extremely successful businessman in Hong Kong with holdings worth billions. John, however, had long suspected Ronald had his fingers in many pies, not all of them legal.

  “Mr. Yu, I need your help.”

  Ten minutes later, John slid open the sliding doors from the balcony and stepped back inside. Amira and Adriana looked up from where they were washing and drying the breakfast dishes.

  “All okay?”

  “I think so.” John smiled at Adriana, then looked at Amira. “Amira, I think we are going to be able to send you back to your parents. Is that okay?”

  Amira grinned, then her eyes teared up. She started crying softly, her hands still in the sink. Adriana put down the dishcloth and put her arm around her.

  “Hey, what’s the matter?”

  Amira sniffed and shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. You have been so kind. I can never repay you.”

  John leaned both hands on the kitchen counter and winked at Adriana before addressing Amira.

  “We’ve said this before. There is no need to repay us, Amira. We want to help you. We could never have left you to be beaten by Hassan. What he was doing was wrong.”

  Amira sniffed again and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her right hand. She looked at John and Adriana and smiled.

  “Thank you, Sir, thank you, Ma’am.”

  Adriana gave her a hug, then picked up the dishcloth again. “No more Ma’am, it’s Adriana.”

  Amira grinned. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Both of them burst out laughing.

  John watched with amusement, but his mind was whirling away. Ronald Yu had offered help, but it would not be as easy as John wanted Adriana and Amira to think. It would be dangerous for all of them, but he would worry about that when the time came. In the meantime, there was another matter he wanted to address. He waited until the laughter had died down, then spoke up.

  “Amira, one thing we haven’t discussed. The whole reason you left home was to make a better life for your family. If you go back, nothing will have changed. In fact, it may be worse because you can’t go back to your home in Korail.”

  “It’s okay, Sir… I mean John.” Amira dried her hands on a towel. “I just want to go home.”

  “Well, I…..” John nodded thoughtfully, then glanced over at Adriana. “And I’m sure Adriana will feel the same. We want you and your family to have a better life.” He looked over at Adriana again. She was leaning back against the kitchen counter, her head cocked to one side, watching him closely. God, she was beautiful. He cleared his throat.

  “I will help you. I’ll pay for you and your sister to go back to school, and I’ll send you enough money, so your parents don’t have to work.” He grinned at her, “You can pay me back by graduating, is that okay?”

  Amira ran around the counter and threw her arms around him and started crying.

  “Thank you, thank you.”

  John looked over her shoulder at Adriana who grinned back at him with misty eyes.

  1 See “A Million Reasons” - John Hayes #2

  48

  John stepped out of the lift into the lobby and smiled at the security guard. “Sawasdee kup.”

  The guard smiled and returned the greeting.

  John had left Adriana and Amira in the apartment. They were getting along well, and where he was going, he preferred to be alone. He also didn’t want to risk either of them being spotted.

  He stepped out onto the street and looked both ways as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunshine. The thick humid air, in complete contrast to the chilled environment of the entrance lobby, hit his body like a wall, and sweat immediately formed on his forehead. A tuk-tuk driver called out, but John ignored him and scanned the street. He felt an eerie tingling on the back of his neck, something he’d felt before. He looked carefully at his surroundings.

  An elderly lady swept the street with a long-handled broom, her large brimmed straw hat protecting her from the sun. An overweight tourist, his face red and his shirt discolored with damp patches under the arms, walked past, fanning himself with a leaflet he had just been handed by a tout outside one of the spas. Everything looked normal, but John still felt uneasy. The tingling in his neck had served him well in the past, and he had learned never to ignore it. Across the road, a young Thai man sat sidesaddle on a parked motorcycle, staring at his phone screen. Again, a scene he had seen many times before… perfectly normal. John frowned. Perhaps he was being paranoid.

  He thought about the best way to get to his destination. He was heading to Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown, and the quickest way would be by taxi, but he wanted to make sure he wasn’t being followed, so he turned left toward the Sky Train station. Pausing outside a Real Estate Agent’s shop, he gazed at the property listings in the window. Changing his focus, he examined the reflection of the street in the glass. Nothing out of the ordinary. He took a step sideways and looked in the window that angled forty-five degrees from the street toward the front door. It gave him a better view of the street in the direction he had just come from. Ha! Got you! About two hundred meters back, the young man now sat astride the motorcycle, watching him, waiting for him to move on. Despite the gravity of the situation, John grinned. He could deal with this, he’d been in this situation before.

  A movement inside the shop caught his eye, and he noticed one of the real estate agents moving toward the door, convinced they had a new customer to pounce on. John moved away from the door before they could open it and thought fast. His senses now in heightened awareness, he heard the motorcycle engine startup over the sound of the traffic. He made a decision and continued toward the Sky Train.

  Reaching Sukhumvit Road, he stepped onto the escalator that led up from the street level toward the ticketing platform. He pretended to look around at the street as the escalator ascended, and in his peripheral vision caught sight of the biker parking his motorcycle on the footpath next to a lamp post and dismounting. John removed his Rabbit Card from his pocket and held it on the turnstile sensor and walked through. Walking toward the left side, he took the escalator up one more level to the platform for trains headed south toward Bearing, the opposite direction of where he wanted to go. He walked toward the front of the platform where it was less crowded and waited. The railway line was poker straight, and in the distance, he could see the train, stopped at Asok Station. He had a couple of minutes before it reached him. Pulling out his phone, he pretended to study it while he waited.

  The platform guard blew his whistle to warn the commuters of the approaching train, and John looked up, slipping his
phone into his back pocket. He looked down the platform at the approaching train, scanning the platform as he did so. The biker was there on the platform. Judging by where he was standing, he would get in the next carriage.

  The train pulled up, and John waited as people disembarked, then stepped inside. He angled himself as if he was looking out the window but still had a view down the carriage into the next one. The biker was holding on to the overhead handrail with his left hand and looking at his phone in his right. John sensed rather than saw his eyes flicking up now and then in John’s direction. John waited, then just as the alarm beeped, announcing the closing of the doors, he pushed past the other passengers and slipped out the door, back onto the platform. The doors closed behind him, and the train pulled out. John turned and grinned at an unhappy-looking biker, staring at him from the departing train. Amateur.

  John left the station and descended to Sukhumvit Road, raising his hand to flag down a taxi. A bright pink taxi pulled up, and John gave him an address in Yaowarat. The taxi driver nodded and turned on the meter before pulling out into the traffic. John settled back into his seat for the thirty-minute journey. He felt good. Things were working out well.

  49

  John passed over a handful of baht to the taxi driver and got out. He had given him an address a block away from his actual destination and waited until the taxi driver pulled away before removing his phone and opening the mapping app. Entering the address, he waited until the directions loaded. Checking the screen, he looked right, waited for a gap in the traffic, and jogged across the road.

  Five minutes later, he pulled open the door to a shop, the tinkling of a bell above the door announcing his arrival. He looked around at the leather bags displayed on the shelves lining three sides of the shop, and the smell of new leather and incense filled the air. At the rear of the shop, a pretty young lady dressed in emerald green silk smiled at him and raised her hands in a wai.