by Peter Ralph
Fiona Jeczik, arch Aspine enemy, and channel 16’s head of news and current affairs silently cursed. The bastard was out. She compiled a short email and sent it to friends and associates who knew him, or may be impacted by his escape, saying among other things; At least we don’t have to worry about him returning to Australia as he will know about the Singapore-Australia Extradition Treaty.
Aspine slept for nearly ten hours and was still lazing in a king sized bed, enjoying the swell of the ocean, when he flicked the television on and caught the eight o’clock news. According to the newsreader, hundreds of plainclothes policemen had staked out Changi Airport after it was found that two passports in false names of the wanted men had been forged, and one-way bookings had been made on a 7.40 A.M. flight to Phnom Penh. It was speculated that Cambodia had been the fugitives’ destination of choice because it did not have an extradition treaty with Singapore. When Silkair 602 departed for Phnom Penh with no sign of the men it became clear that the police had been duped. The newsreader crossed to a furious Police Commissioner.
“Make no mistake,” he ranted. “We will catch these criminals and return them to jail. Prison officials were deceived by a traitor within their ranks, and when we capture Lee Kim Wee, which we most certainly will, he will rue the day he was born. We believe he was the mastermind behind the escape after being bribed by notorious Australian drug dealer, Douglas Aspine. To be wronged or robbed is nothing unless you continue to remember it. Lee Kim Wee will find that we have long memories. Aspine only escaped the death penalty on a technicality, and perhaps our legislators need to close this loophole, so cockroaches like him, get to pay the proper price for their crimes rather than enjoy the relative comfort of our prisons. Chin Kheng Hua is a known gangster and killer. Citizens are warned not to approach these dangerous men but to phone 999 if they see them or suspect any abnormal activity. We are certain that they are still hiding in Singapore waiting for the heat to die down before they make another attempt to get out. I want to congratulate my men on thwarting the fugitives’ plan to escape to Phnom Penh. I say to the escapees, ‘Surrender, give yourselves up and we will go a lot easier on you.’ I repeat if you see these men phone 999.” Photos of Aspine, Chin and Lee slowly slid across the screen. Fuck! I never realized Chin was that clever or perhaps it was his gangster mates. So the police are laying most of the blame on Lee, and they would like to have hanged me. And what was that dopey prick talking about when he said ‘relative comfort of our prisons?’ I’d like to see him spend a month in Changi.
The latest Sports Illustrated was sitting on a set of drawers next to Aspine’s bed. The girl on the front page was lithe, very attractive, tanned and nearly naked. It was the first picture of a woman that he’d seen since before he was incarcerated. He knew there’d be more pictures inside the magazine, but he didn’t immediately open it. Instead he just stared at the cover− she was young, blonde and her red string bikini was tiny. He was pleased when he felt a stirring. The bromide that I’m certain the prison authorities mixed with inmates’ food, must be wearing off. I’m sure my libido will be still be strong and fully functional, but climbing back in the saddle will be the only true test. Could there be a better place in all of Asia to test it than Pattaya? There were more than a dozen pictures of the cover girl inside the magazine and Aspine slowly savoured each one.
The following day a small article appeared in The Australian headed ‘Jail Break’ and reported on the escape of convicted Australian drug dealer, Douglas Aspine.
Chapter 7
ASPINE SAT ON THE bow of the Oriental Princess admiring the beauty of the Gulf of Thailand. The water wasn’t blue but a blend of shades that produced a colour similar to, but deeper than aquamarine. It was day four and he knew that before the dusk he would set foot on land as a free but wanted man. He had spent a lot of time on deck breathing in the pristine air, the swelling in his face had subsided to a light bruising and he had a healthy tan. However, his once Grecian nose was twisted, broken in more than one place and still seeping blood. Chin and Lee had hardly spoken to him, but had had many conversations between themselves that they abruptly terminated whenever he appeared. He had not met the captain, any of the crew or Chin’s gangster friends. Not that he could complain, the food was ample, fresh and superbly prepared and it was only a severely shrunken stomach and a few broken teeth that stopped him from making a complete glutton of himself.
Chin sauntered across the deck, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. “We are rendezvousing with a Thai fishing schooner in about three hours. It is inconspicuous and we will make land around 9 P.M. We’ll be safe in Pattaya, but we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, and it would be silly to dock on a boat this grand.”
Aspine had had doubts about the planning back in Singapore but it had proved flawless and he wasn’t about to disagree. “That was a nice little touch with the false passports and bookings to Phnom Penh. Was it your idea or did your bosses come up with it?”
“You saw it on the news? As it turned out we didn’t need the extra hours it bought. Nor did we need the van, but it never hurts to have insurance. The Thai fishing boat is also insurance. Whose idea it was, is unimportant, and I thought you knew, I don’t have bosses just colleagues.” Chin smirked.
“Was it your idea?”
“Why is it so important? It’s the result that counts. Your problem, old man, is that you talk far too much. We shared a cell for eight years and I know everything there is to know about you, and here you are, as we are about to part, trying to find out about me. You told me far too much and what you kept private, you told me at night when you were sleeping. You kept me awake many times in the first two years when you ranted and raved about those who crossed you.”
“Is that why you haven’t introduced me to the captain and crew?”
“No. There is no point. The more you know about them, the less secure they are if you’re recaptured. Likewise, if they get into trouble, the less they know about us the better.”
“You’re a very careful man.”
“Yes.”
“Then how come the police caught you?”
“I told one of my men to take out insurance by changing cars, but he chose to take the risk and not follow my instructions. The vehicle was tracked down, caught on CCTV, and my DNA and that of the deceased were detected.”
“Does he still work for you?”
“He was killed in an accident while I was in prison.”
“How?”
“He drove into a speeding bullet,” Chin said through tightly sealed lips. “I have some organising to do. There’s a small leather bag under your bed if you want to take anything. You should grab a few bottles of water; you won’t want to drink the water the schooner’s crew drinks.”
Was the speeding bullet comment a warning? Perhaps I better pay Chin. It will be my insurance, besides I’ll still save a mil by not paying Lee, and what can he do? Nothing!
Aspine and Lee stood on the schooner’s deck watching Chin shaking hands with the Oriental Princess’ captain before boarding the fishing vessel with two of his men. It stunk and Aspine went below deck only to be overpowered by the heat. It was nudging 40 degrees and there was no air conditioning or luxuries on this boat. It chugged along barely making a ripple. “How long, Chin?” Aspine asked, sweat dripping off his face.
“About four hours. There’s some shade in front of the wheelhouse. Why don’t you sit there?”
“The deck’s slimy and stinks.”
“So you’d rather be back in Changi?” Chin sneered.
“I’ll be okay.”
“Make sure you drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated.”
“I can’t believe you’re concerned about me.”
“I’m not. I just don’t want you dropping dead before you’ve paid me.”
Aspine found a small section in the front of the boat where he could get on the deck behind the bow. It wasn’t dry, but the stench was bearable, and he stretched out
. He wasn’t able to snooze but could close his eyes, relax and make time evaporate as he had in Changi. It brought back memories of the floor in his cell, and he silently resolved to die, rather than ever go back to prison.
The full moon shone a golden pathway across the water and when Aspine finally stirred he looked over the bow rail and the bright lights of Pattaya stared back, welcoming him. Four days ago at this time, Chin had been belting the living daylights out of him but it had been worth it. He found it hard to conceal his excitement, but when he looked at Chin and Lee they were both poker faced. What was wrong with them? Chin had been jubilant when they’d first boarded the Oriental Princess, but now looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
As the schooner pulled into the jetty, Aspine could no longer contain himself and shouted, “Yes. Yes.” They had little in the way of baggage and when they opened the jetty’s self-locking cyclone wire gate there were three golf buggies and drivers waiting for them. Aspine was no longer surprised by anything that Chin had organized, and a few minutes later the buggies pulled up next to a kombi van. The Thai driver helped them with their limited baggage before doing a U-turn and heading toward the bright lights. “Where are we going?” Aspine asked.
“My colleague, Chatri,” Chin said, patting the driver on the shoulder, “has organized rooms for us at the Hilton.”
Five minutes later they parked and caught the lift to the eighth floor. “Let me have the key to my room,” Aspine said.
“First we have some business to attend to,” Chin said, inserting a plastic key into the door slot of room 812. The six men filed into the room. Chin headed straight to the laptop sitting on the bench next to a television. It was already connected to the internet and the Google page was blinking. One of Chin’s thugs took a chair and shoved Aspine into it.
“What is this?” Aspine asked, as if he didn’t know.
“You’re going to pay five-hundred and seventy-five thousand into this account,” Chin said, thrusting a piece of paper in front of Aspine with the account details on it.
“I never agreed to pay you that,” Aspine responded angrily. “That wasn’t our deal.”
“Mr Lee, please explain how the amount was calculated. The old man doesn’t seem to understand.”
Chapter 8
“MR DOUGLAS, I OWE MR CHIN seventy-five thousand and you owe me a million. Mr Chin said you wouldn’t object to adding it to the amount you owe him and deducting it from the amount you owe me.”
“Okay, okay, but I don’t want anyone staring over my shoulder while I make the transfer.” Fuck, I had no intention of paying you one cent more, Lee. I’ve already paid you far too much. Jesus, I can’t think of a reason not to pay the seventy-five thousand to Chin though.
“That’s fine, but understand this, you’re not leaving this hotel until my bank’s confirmed receipt. My men will prop themselves in front of your room, and no, they won’t be as silly as the police were at Changi General. You know why? Because I’ll kill them if you get out without paying. And remember this, you have no passport, no documents and even if you do have contacts, they won’t be able to help you. Without documents you’ll soon find yourself in a Thai jail.”
One of the thugs stood guard at the door while the others went out on the balcony which overlooked the beach.
“It done,” Aspine shouted. “Give me the key to my room.”
“Don’t you want to know what the seventy-five thousand was for?”
“I don’t really care. Give me my key.”
“Tell him anyhow, Mr Lee.” Chin laughed.
“Mr Chin charged me twenty-five-thousand for a passport, documents, a return economy booking to Rio de Janeiro and the promise that I would have no problem with Thai authorities at the airport.”
“I did it for exactly what is cost me,” Chin said, rubbing the thumb and fingers of his right hand together. “There were many palms to grease.”
“He’s not coming back, Chin. Why the return ticket?” Aspine asked.
“One way flights by infrequent flyers are always suspicious and the return booking is in−”
“Insurance,” Aspine cut in. “Yeah, I know. What was the other fifty thousand for?”
“Do you remember getting annoyed when Lee and I were talking Mandarin in front of you?”
“Of course.”
“Well, he asked me how much I would charge to collect the million that you owe him, and I said five percent. He asked me what guarantee I could give him. I told him that I would either get his money or I would kill you, and he accepted my proposition.” Chin smirked. “So why don’t you sit down and make the transfer?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck! These pricks are stitching me up. Worse, I actually paid Chin the fifty-thousand that is the price on my life.
“You didn’t have to do that, Lee. I would’ve paid you.” Aspine lied, staring at him accusingly. “I don’t have that much in the account. I’ll need to make some transfers from other accounts. It’ll take time. I’m sorry.”
Chin looked at Lee and burst out laughing. “Lee, didn’t I tell you that is what he would say? You’re a good liar, old man, but I know you better than you know yourself. Listen to me. It is Sunday night. You will make the transfer and unless Mr Lee’s account is credited by Wednesday morning, I promise, I will kill you. It’s nothing personal, just business.”
“All right, I’ll have to make a number of transfers. I just hope the banks respond quickly enough,” Aspine said. “Go out on the balcony while I do them.” There was only one transfer to do. After all there was only one account.
“Don’t hope, pray.” Chin smirked.
Aspine felt ill as he watched the funds disappear from his account. The balance was down to a little over twelve million. “They’re done,” he shouted. “I’m going to my room.”
“Not so fast,” Chin said. “You might want to make one more transfer.”
“Fuck that. I’ve paid everything I’m going to pay.”
“Lee will be gone by Thursday and me and my men will be gone by next Sunday. If you’re still here, you’ll be by yourself without a passport or documents. You might get lucky and find someone who can produce passable forgeries but if you can’t, I won’t be around to protect or help you. For twenty-five thousand I can provide you with flawless documents and a passport. I will also let you have the contact details of one of Bangkok’s most eminent plastic surgeons. He won’t ask any questions and will put you in contact with those who can provide you with documentation after your appearance has been changed. You would be a fool not to accept my offer.”
“You charged Lee twenty-five thousand and that included bribes and air fares. Why do I have to pay the same?”
“Because you can afford it.” Lee smirked, “I could’ve asked a hundred thousand and it still would’ve been a bargain. Without documents you’ll never get out of Thailand.”
“Fuck you,” Aspine said, turning around to face the laptop. “What choice do I have?”
Chapter 9
CHIN’S TWO THUGS EACH took a chair and followed Aspine to his room, where they sat themselves in the corridor at the front of his door. He wasn’t worried. He had made the transfers. Chin and Lee would have their confirmations tomorrow, or at the latest, the following day. There were no computers in the room and Chin had said, “I don’t want you to be tempted to try and cancel the transfers. As soon as the funds are received, you’ll have a laptop.”
What a way to spend my first night of freedom on land for eight years. If it wasn’t for those two thugs, I’d be checking out Pattaya’s bars and girlie clubs.
Aspine felt grimy from being on the schooner’s deck, and the stink of fish was still in his nostrils. He flicked the shower on, closed his eyes and revelled in the hot water pounding on his head and body. Opening his eyes he looked down at his body and was repulsed by what he saw. His ribs were visible, his hips poked out and his skin was loose and saggy. He cupped his penis in his hand and visualised t
he girl on the front cover of Sports Illustrated but there was nothing, no movement, no response. What have they done to me? Is it the bromide? Am I too old? He got out of the shower, wrapped himself in a huge fluffy white towel, lathered his face and carefully shaved the stubble from his chin. His reflection in the mirror mocked and ridiculed him. He let the towel drop to the floor and stared – he was fifty-six but looked seventy, his face was heavily wrinkled, the volume in his lips had shrunken to two thin lines, his teeth were chipped and yellow, his once Grecian nose, now broken, was bony and far too large for his face, his hair was white, body emaciated, his skin sallow and his arms and legs were like shrunken sticks without any definition. His manhood was lifeless and he wondered if it would ever rise again, and his scrotum, which was the only body part that had grown, was revoltingly oversized and saggy. He closed his eyes again letting his mind drift back to how he had looked before he’d been framed at Changi Airport. Jet black hair, perfectly capped teeth, a glowing complexion, full lips and a strapping muscular 100 kilograms. They did this to me and they will pay. I will make them wish that they had never been born.
Aspine picked up a sheet of the hotel’s stationery and a pen, and seated himself at the table in his room.
The first name he wrote down was Harry Denton, a director of Mercury Properties Ltd and its CEO before Aspine was appointed. Denton, as a non-executive director had undermined and ridiculed him from the day he was appointed CEO.
