“Yeah,” said Spock, “you also told us you couldn’t find the Septic Sanctuary on Google Earth.”
Pon nodded and said. “I know, and most are. I couldn’t find the Warlords of Peace’s Monastery in the rocky mountains of Montana, but perhaps I looked in the wrong place. The Puravuttanta gave me little to go on and I don’t know how or why he contacted me.”
Stu frowned. “So, Chuck drove down from the mountains on his Harley and called you from a town nearby with a phone signal after learning about these attacks on his flat screen cable TV,” said Stu and smirked, “or do they have a satellite dish in the monks heated fitness centre and he called you from the Jacuzzi.”
Pon, looking puzzled, shrugged and said. “I don’t know Stu, but I didn’t hear a motorcycle or water bubbling, and the attacks weren’t broadca… Oh, you are being facetious again.”
Stu smirked and nodded.
Something about the Puravuttanta and the Sanctuaries story still puzzled Spock, so he asked. “So how do you lot keep that book of yours up to date? And how do you know about each other?”
Pon explained. “After the Amanussas were wiped out; the descendants and Gopetu’s built a Monastery in Tibet, high in the Himalayan Mountains. Over the years as their numbers grew, several descendants and Gopetu’s branched out to other countries. They either built Buddhists temples in that country or approached temples already there to be Sanctuaries.” Pon looked at the three. “This was when there were very few descendants and they didn’t travel far.”
“Get on with it.” said Spock feigning a yawn.
Pon smiled and said. “The Puravuttanta contained the names and counties of all the Sanctuaries. When a new Sanctuary was appointed, the Prime Master from that order went to the Tibetan Monastery with several of his monks. They spent time there learning about the Puravuttanta and new fighting skills. Once considered ready, their order was then included in the Puravuttanta.”
Stu furrowed his brow and looking puzzled asked. “So how did they let everyone know when a new Sanctuary joined up? Did the old mystical ones have mobile phones or use telepathy?” he tittered.
Pon looked at the sniggering Meggies and said. “No, in the beginning, a monk from the Tibetan temple travelled between the Sanctuaries and… ”
“He would be a busy little monk; he must have had a sturdy pair of flip-flops,” chortled Stu interrupting.
“There was more than one monk, Stu,” said Pon furrowing his brow and knowing his dopey English friends had lost interest. “A different monk was assigned to each Sanctuary and I imagine as the Sanctuaries spread, the journeys could have taken years.”
“So a Guppy could have started the Tinju?”
Pon nodded. “Yes Stu, perhaps, along with a descendant,” he said and shrugged. “It doesn’t say in our Puravuttanta, only the date and the name of our first Prime Master.”
Stu smirked and pointed at Dave. “So you could be related to a Yorkie.”
Pon smiled and said. “We are all brothers and sisters in the eyes of Buddha.”
Stu chuckled. “You better see if your brother has a spare flat cap and wellies then, it sounded like you will need them.”
Dave tutted and then he and Pon smiled.
Wishing he hadn’t asked about the monks, Spock interrupted. “That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t explain how Chucky boy found out about this. All the deaths were made to look like accidents and as you said, it hasn’t been broadcasted anywhere.”
Pon looked pensive and said. “I don’t know Spock, but the Pakistani said that they left a Gopetu and a descendant alive to lead them to the Sanctuaries,” Pon shrugged, “and Chuck said a Gopetu and descendant came to the Warlords of Peace Monastery.”
“It all sounded suspicious,” said Spock furrowing his brow. “You gave him a lot of details over the phone considering you’ve never met him.”
“Yeah,” said Stu rubbing his face, “loose lips sink ships, and it still doesn’t explain how or why he contacted you.” he smirked, “unless he read about you while surfing the web from his secluded temple’s whirlpool.”
Pon sighed, and realising that Stu was being facetious again, whatever that meant, said. “I don’t know... But we can ask him when he gets here,” Pon smiled and looked at the three puzzled looking Brits. “We have more help on the way.”
— Chapter Eleven —
Mid-morning, the small Imperial Palace gymnasium buzzed with the sounds of combat. Pon, along with the Tinju Warriors that arrived from Salaburi had been training since 4am.
The sound of men roaring, metal against metal, wood against wood and flesh against bone, echoed around the gym.
Although the selected Tinju Warriors were as competent as their Prime Master with swords and Juglaves, with them no longer trained in assassination techniques, Pon and Vitchae gave them a crash course using the lethal Pitou.
The previous evening, Pon had asked Brigadier Lee in Cambodia to arrange transport for Samouern’s Chokdet Warriors to the Thai Imperial Palace and expected them to arrive sometime the next day.
He wasn’t sure how long it would take Prime Master Chuck Johnson and the Warlords of Peace Warriors to arrive, but knew they were en route.
Pon took a drink of water, wiped the sweat from his brow, and watched his Warriors training.
Pon saw a pair fighting with kendo sticks and he looked angry. He frowned, ran over, and struck a Tinju Warrior across his face.
The Warrior, too slow to respond, dropped his kendo stick and Pon struck the monk again. The Warrior blocked some of Pon’s ferocious punches and elbows, but unable to avoid his legs being swept out from under him. Pon stood over the fallen monk, who tried to roll away as Pon stomped on his face. The Warrior looked at Pon’s feet and although they moved with lightning speed, he predicted where they would land. After avoiding more stomping, he rolled away and sprung to his feet.
The pair fought for several minutes, and although the Tinju Warrior put up a defence against the beating, it wasn’t until Pon thought the monk mounted an offence that he stopped and stood back.
The bruised Warrior feeling relieved faced Pon, bowed, wai-ed, and looking ashamed, said, “I am sorry for my lapse in concentration Prime Master, it won’t happen again.”
Dave and Manhut came to the gym several hours later and walked over and wai-ed Pon.
Pon returned the wai and asked. “How are the children?”
“They’re fine, Prime Master,” said Manhut and smiled, “Sid and Lek are getting on well.”
Dave chuckled. “Yeah,” he said, “Spock’s entertaining them.”
Pon smirked and handed them both a kendo stick and they trained together. Although Dave and Manhut were Muay Thai fighters and versed in swordsmanship, they were no match against Tinju Warriors.
Taksin sat in his office waiting for information and results. With his desk cluttered with maps and printed satellite images, he planned the easiest route to Abdullah’s hide out.
****
Spock looked consumed as his battle raged. With beads of sweat trickling down his brow, he sat on the sofa in the lounge growling and shouting while he concentrated.
A buzzer then sounded, and he raised his eyebrows looking shocked. “Bloody things not working,” he said sounding angry, “how come my mother ship blew up? None of your space ships where near it.”
“My turn,” said Sid trying to wrestle the Gameboy from Spock.
Lek said something, chuckled, and whispered in Sid’s ear.
Spock frowned when he heard the two little terrors speaking Thai and asked. “What are you two little buggers planning?”
Sid smirked and said. “Lek said she could beat your score… and I know I can.”
“It’s broken,” said Spock furrowing his brow and hiding the Gameboy behind his back.
Sid winked at Lek, who looked sad as her bottom lip quivered and she cried.
Sid smirked and hollered. “Moo! Spock made Lek cry.”
Panicking and looking
at the door, Spock handed Lek the Gameboy.
Lek stopped crying, took the Gameboy, and she and Sid ran out of the lounge chuckling.
“What are you doing stupid, making that poor little girl cry?” asked a furious looking Moo coming into the lounge.
“I’ve been hustled,” said Spock, and grumbled as he went to the kitchen where the bard of Cleethorpes was tapping away on his keypad.
Spock looked at Stu who had his tongue out the side of his mouth as his inspiration flowed.
Bored, Spock picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and sat down.
He watched CNN, which again showed footage of Fahed, dressed in a scruffy camouflage garb, with a red and white checked turban on his head. He was reading from a sheet of paper and waving around his finger while he yelled in Arabic.
“Look matey, they are on about Fahed,” said Spock turning up the volume.
“Fahed Del Alaz’s whereabouts was unknown…” said the broadcaster, “… in other news.”
Spock furrowed his brow. “Bollox, we missed it. We will have to watch it when it repeats later.”
Stu looked up from his laptop. “Yeah, but it sounded like they now know his name. He is a busy little Ab-dab with his terrorist army attaching the Septic’s and his Pakhi army murdering Buddhists.”
Spock sighed. “Yeah, but they don’t know where the bugger is either.”
Mid-day, Pon, Dave, and Manhut took a break from training and ate Thai food in the lounge with Lek, Samnan, and the women, while Stu, Spock, Dave, and Sid tucked into several KFC buckets in the kitchen.
Sid looked upset and stared at a chicken drumstick.
Dave seeing Sid looking gloomy, asked, “Are you okay pal?”
Spock, seeing the young lad upset, smirked. “He’s probably thinking about how to drop me in the shit again.”
Tears welled up in Sid’s eyes and he looked at Dave. “I’m missing Mam and Dad.” He furrowed his brow and sounding anxious said. “I never saw Whippet before we come away and I know he’ll be fretting if I’m not there.”
Spock and Stu looked at Dave, who smiled, leant over, and put his arm around Sid’s shoulder.
Sid put his drumstick on a paper plate, got off his chair, hugged his protector, and asked, “When are we going horm Dave?”
Dave wiped tears from the little boy’s eyes. “We can’t go home yet pal. We have to find the people who hurt your Mam and Dad.”
“Why can’t we go horm and then find them?” asked Sid with snot running from his nose.
Spock and Stu saw remorse in Dave’s eyes and sadness and confusion on the heartbroken little face of Sid.
Dave swallowed hard and searched for the right words. His throat felt dry, and as tears welled up in his eyes, he tried to hide his anger as he said. “Sid, yer Mam and Dad are in heaven with your Gran and Whippet. They’re with my Mam and Dad.” Taking a deep breath, he looked at his distraught descendant. “The ghosts killed them.”
Sid looked into the face of the man who would give his life to protect him.
Sid frowned, glared at Dave, and screamed. “No… You’re lying; we saw them before we come ‘ere. Me faver looked poorly, but he weint dead.”
Dave looked at Sid trembling and with a quake in his voice said. “I’m sorry pal, but they are dead. We can’t go home until I find the ghosts who killed them.” He pulled the lad closer, and with tears streaming down his cheeks, said. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry pal, but they’re gone.”
Sid scowled at Dave and punched his chest while yelling “No, you’re lying, you’re lying... call me Dad… now!”
Sid looked at Dave and pleaded.
“Please Dave, call me Dad.” Then bursting into tears, Sid clung onto his protector.
Spock and Stu felt helpless and looked at Dave sobbing and comforting the distraught Sid.
Stu went to the hot water jug to make Dave a cup of coffee and Spock left the kitchen.
Dave rocked the inconsolable Sid back and forth.
“Here, drink this Dave,” said Stu and putting a mug of hot coffee on the table, whispered. “It’s coffee with a drop of Spock’s stash in it,” he then put a glass of coke on the table for Sid.
“Thanks Stu,” said Dave and continued to hug Sid and rock back and forth.
Stu, at a loss for words of comfort, sat back down. He couldn’t imagine what Sid and Dave must be going through.
Spock returned to the kitchen and sat next to Stu.
He smiled. “We are all here for you, you little hustler,” he said holding out his hand. ”Here.”
Sid moved his tear stained face away from Dave’s now sodden chest and looked at what Spock held. He saw Stu with his hand on his forehead, shaking his head, and looking in despair.
Sid sniffed and Dave wiped the snot running from his nose.
Sid furrowed his brow, “what is it?”
Spock smiled. “It’s my magic Adventure hat, which will protect you from anything.”
Dave smiled as Spock shook the dust off his hat while Sid looked confused at the dopey Meggie.
“Look,” said Spock leaning over and placing the hat over Sid’s head, which covered his face. He looked like a body with a daft hat from his shoulders up.
“See,” said Spock chuckling. “It already made your head disappear... magic.”
A muffled sound came from under the hat and Spock lifted up the front. Sid looked like an unimpressed, tearful little boy, wearing a grimy khaki cloth Darth Vader helmet.
“That’s not magic, it’s just too big, and it stinks. I bet that I look a reet twonk,” said Sid scrunching up his face and looking unimpressed.
Pon, Lek, and Manhut walked into the kitchen and Lek, seeing Sid’s tears, rushed over to him.
“See, your girlfriend likes it,” said Spock, but the children ignored him as they held hands and spoke to one another in Thai.
“Thanks Spock,” said Dave forcing a smile, before speaking with Manhut and Pon.
“Well done mate,” said Stu, patting his old friend on the shoulder and sniggering. “Wait until I tell Moo what a great Dad you’ll make.”
Spock furrowed his brow and glared at Stu. “You bloody won’t; she’s broody enough.”
“Awh, look, isn’t that sweet,” said Stu looking over at Lek and Sid embracing.
Spock sighed and looking morose, said. “Yeah, poor kids. It’s hard to imagine how they felt after going through what they have.”
“At least they have each other,” said Stu, “and everyone’s here to protect and comfort them.”
Feeling anger welling up inside, Spock whispered to Stu. “I hope they make that fucking Fahed pay for all the hurt he’d caused. If we were going with them and we found him I’d kill the twat.”
Stu, also looking angry, nodded.
Manhut then spoke with Sid and Lek before he and Dave went to the lounge.
Lek and young Darth Twonk followed them and Spock chuckled. “There goes Darth Dwarf.”
Stu chortled and said. “I don’t think they call them dwarfs nowadays Spock.”
Spock’s head went back, and he furrowed his brow. “Oh aye, so what do they call them now, smartarse.”
“They are now called small people,” said Stu sounding intelligent.
Spock shrugged. “Why? Dwarfs know there’s a big difference between them and a small person.”
Stu smiled and expecting Spock to disclose anatomical and physiological facts said, “Oh yes, and what might that be, oh wise one?
“Well, for a start,” said Spock furrowing his brow. “One’s a fucking dwarf,” he smirked, “and they know who they are.”
Stu tutted and walked to the hot water jug. “I’ll make us a coffee.”
Pon came into the kitchen and Spock chortled, “and speaking of a small person.”
Pon looked confused at Spock giggling and said. “Manhut and I are going back to do more training. The girls will take care of the children but Dave wanted to stay here to make sure Sid’s okay.”
&n
bsp; Pon and Manhut left the accommodation and walked over to the gym. Thirty minutes later, Dave came back into the kitchen and sat with Spock and Stu at the table.
“Is Sid okay matey,” asked Spock looking concerned.
Dave sighed and nodded. “Yes, he is not as upset as before. He’s playing with Lek and Samnan and the women are keeping an eye on them.” Dave smiled and said, “He’s a tough little bugger.”
“Poor little mite,” said Stu. “But don’t worry mate, we will all look after him and Lek while you are away.”
Spock nodded, fished around the KFC bucket, smiled, and lifted out a piece of chicken. He smirked, took a bite, and asked. “Does anyone want this last drumstick?”
For the rest of the day, Lek, Sid, and Samnan played in the lounge, with Dave and the women looking on.
It had been a traumatic day for Sid and Lek, and young Samnan didn’t understand why every so often, either Sid or Lek burst into tears.
Throughout the day, Dave and the girls consoled them, trying to find distractions to help the kids take their mind off their deceased parents, but the pair only seemed to find solace in each other’s arms.
Although Dave and the girls found their efforts fruitless, unbeknownst to Spock, he was a tremendous help in finally cheering up the upset kids...Well, his hat was.
Sid soon realised that the big dope Spock would take his hat back once he felt happier.
Therefore, any time either he or Lek felt upset, they redecorated Spock’s hat. By the time Pon and Manhut arrived home, Spock’s adventure hat was a rainbow colour with a mixture of wax crayon and felt pen. They had drawn flowers, robots, and spaceships over his once proud headpiece.
While Dao, Kim, and Moo went in the kitchen to cook the evening meal, Stu went upstairs to write his novel in peace and quiet while Spock watched TV in his and Moo’s room.
It was twilight when Pon and Manhut arrived back at the quarters.
While the women prepared Thai and Western food, Pon and Manhut sat at the table in the kitchen and drank water. With Dave not at the gym, Manhut trained with the Tinju. Exhausted and sore, after the women saw his swollen and bruised face, Moo fetched him an ice pack.
Protector--The Final Adventure Page 11
