by Adam Hall
There were no more flashes. A single machine gun puckered the silence for a little time and then it stopped.
Vaguely I heard Pangsapa telling his men to take the Chinese into the car and guard him. Then he came up to me. ‘You need to rest, Mr. Quiller. There is nothing you can do now. The exchange will take place as arranged.’
Chapter 26
The Ride
The guards arranged matters expertly and without troubling Pangsapa for orders. One drove, with Kuo beside him. The other sat on the tip-up behind the front seat, the muzzle of his gun just brushing Kuo’s neck.
Pangsapa and I sat in the back. The tendency to drift off mentally had to be checked. It was not only fatigue and loss of blood: the roadblock was down and the prisoner was through and that was that. The 9th Directive was wiped out.
But suddenly I was leaning forward and shouting at Kuo - it may have been only a croak but it felt like a shout, inside my skull - because I wanted to know why the mission was wiped out.
‘Kuo - how did you know my set-up? How did you know?’
He was groggy and took a minute to answer.
‘I ordered a microphone to be placed inside the rosewood Buddha.’
I sat back, numbed. So they’d heard the lot. Got on to me from the moment I began searching the town for him, tagged me to Varaphan’s, picked the lock and rigged the mike and heard the lot. And the two missions, had begun merging, his and mine. One had succeeded. His.
I must have drifted off again, my brain shying from reflections on my gross stupidity. Pangsapa’s voice was fading in and out—
‘… but they said you had gone …’
My head lifted heavily. ‘What?’ I asked him.
He turned to look at me. ‘You are fatigued, Mr. Quiller: I will leave you in peace so that you can sleep.’
I hitched myself up on the seat. ‘I’m not too bloody tired to talk. I was thinking of something else, that’s all.’
He smiled in the pale backwash of the headlights. ‘The English hate losing, don’t they? It makes them so cross. I was just saying that the moment I had news that our friend here was making a run for it I called your Embassy in the hope of finding you. They said you had just been on the line to them, but that you had gone. Knowing your predilection for working alone I said nothing to them, but drove out myself along Route 5 in case there was something to be done. We were about to overtake the Honda when the shooting began, so we pulled back and awaited events.’
The big Chrysler flew smoothly along the deserted highway, the air conditioner providing us with coolness to breathe. I found the switch and got a window open; I am not a goldfish. Sweet air rushed in.
‘When did you know,’ I asked Pangsapa, ‘about the assault troops?’
‘Two days ago. But you know how it is with random information; I was told merely that a local commander of the Pathet Lao in the Communist-held area round Tha Khek had released sixty combat troops and ordered their transit into Thailand, under cover. I failed to connect it with your operation until I saw the green signal light just now. I had wondered what plan Kuo had made for leaving the country, and it was suddenly obvious. It’s galling, isn’t it, when one is faced with an event one should have anticipated long before?’
‘Listen,’ I said, ‘what kind of plane have they got waiting?’ I suddenly realized that we could get information direct. ‘Kuo - what kind of plane?’ He didn’t answer and rage flared up in me faster than I have ever known it. ‘Kuo146?’ I was leaning forward and my hand had the shape of a claw.
The driver turned his head an inch. ‘He is only just conscious. Does Mr. Pangsapa wish that we should stop and revive him?’
‘No,’ Pangsapa said, and touched my arm. ‘You should control your disappointment, Mr. Quiller. I have already dismissed my own, and it was as painful as yours.’
I let my hand fall and sat back. The adrenalin had nothing to do and it ran without purpose through my system and my pulse throbbed, flashing behind the eyes. I shut them, and heard Pangsapa lisping on.
‘There is nothing more that we can do, you see. I am informed that the exchange is officially arranged to take place at the Laos frontier, on the Kemaraj Bridge across the Maekong River. The territory on the other side is in the hands of the Pathet Lao, which takes orders from Peking. Kemaraj is three hours’ flight from here, so that the personage in the Rolls-Royce will reach there at ten o’clock tonight. He will then be placed under military guard until dawn tomorrow when the exchange will take place. You see how absurd it is to fret, Mr. Quiller.’
‘I’m human,’ I said through my teeth.
‘You are an Occidental. They are not philosophical. My chagrin is quite as sharp as yours. When you first came to me for information I saw reward in it. We settled for fifty thousand baht, if you remember. But when I began tapping my resources and learned that an abduction was planned, and not a simple assassination, I saw the opportunity of earning a reward of really immense proportion. You surely thought me impudent when I asked you to estimate your importance as an international agent. I wanted to know, you see, what your value was to the Republic of China. You gave me your estimate in the most appropriate terms when you named Abel and Lonsdale as a measure of your status. Both were agents, but they had more in common than that. They were agents who had been exchanged.’ He had turned his head and was watching me. ‘I thought you had divined my intentions, Mr. Quiller. when you named them. But it was just a felicitous accident, wasn’t it?’
So this was the measure of Pangsapa’s fury at losing: he was taking it out on me. Well, I wasn’t going to show any bloody interest. I shut my eyes again.
‘My intentions were from that moment clear in my mind, Mr. Quiller. I would assist you with all my power to prevent the abduction and the exchange, without financial consideration. Unfortunately we were opposed by a specialist of high talent, and we lost.’
It was said with sudden impatience and I knew he had no stomach for more. He couldn’t take it out on me and remain detached. I felt a little better and opened my eyes and looked at his profile; it had the aspect of a sulky child.
I said, ‘Did you have contacts? An agreement?’
‘Oh yes. Through an intermediary at the Chinese Embassy. Kuo’s price for the Person was five million pounds. For you I asked half, and it was agreed. They were very confident that the deal would never be concluded; they were certain that the Person would be made available at the exchange point - as indeed he has now been made. But it was an insurance for them: if Kuo could not offer them the Person, I would offer them you.’
That was why he’d brought the bodyguards along. If I had got the Person out of Kuo’s hands tonight, I would have walked straight into Pangsapa’s. How much had the Mil. 6 group known? Vinia had said: If they can’t get him to the frontier, they’ll get you.
It was ridiculous.
‘When did they promise to pay for me, Pangsapa?’
‘On exchange.’
Something was getting trapped inside my chest. I said, ‘That’s rich. Two and a half million quid.’ I turned to look at him. I was shaking now with the oddest kind of laughter and it came out in a series of jerks together with what I was saying. “There wouldn’t have been any exchange, you stupid bastard. You think England would hand over an all-time blockbuster like that to the red-and-yellow bloody peril just to get me back?’ There, was something wrong with the laughter but I couldn’t stop it. Tears were on my face. ‘Two and a half million quid for one piddling little ferret up to his arse in mud?’ I couldn’t say any more because of the shaking, but it stopped after a bit and left me weak as a wet rag. I think I slept for a few Godsent minutes on the way into the city.
The Chrysler dropped me at the British Embassy. The place was ablaze with light and there was a mob of journalists milling round the police guard.
Kuo had pulled himself together and got out of the car without anyone’s help. The man with the gun was ready to shepherd him into the building for me but I said
I could cope.
I looked in at Pangsapa. ‘Thanks for the ride.’ It was a cheap enough double entendre but the best I could do.
A brace of police closed in on us because of the state we were in, and it took a minute to find my papers. Kuo never made a move. He probably knew that if he made a move I’d kill him. They took us through the mob and the flash guns made me dizzy.
I walked Kuo in front of me all the way up to Room 6. No one was there and I told a scared-looking clerk to find Loman. He took his time coming; the whole place was buzzing with panic. When he saw us he didn’t look shocked. He looked as if nothing could shock him now.
I said as clearly as I was able, This is Kuo. All I could salvage.’
Loman just nodded and went across to the telephone while I leaned against the door. Kuo didn’t look at either of us. He was very pale. His hand had swollen a lot because of the broken thumb and he stood holding it. Loman was asking someone for a doctor and a police guard. When he rang off he came back to me and said:
‘What happened at Nontaburi?’
Some garbled news had obviously trickled through.
‘A bunch of Vietcong wiped out the roadblock. Far as I know, the Person’s on a plane by now. Exchange point’s the Kemaraj Bridge, Laos frontier, dawn tomorrow.’
He nodded. I hoped he would snub me for sending the mission down the drain, so I could shout at him. He didn’t say anything.
‘What’s come up, Loman?’
I saw Kuo move an inch nearer one of the windows and told him to stand still, told him I was only waiting for an excuse.
Loman said, ‘Huang Hsiung Lee was flown in half an hour ago. He’s here now.’
‘Here? In the building?’
‘Yes. The Charge d’Affaires will be taking him to the exchange point at 0200 hours. You are quite correct: it’s to be the Kemaraj Bridge. Cole-Verity is making the final arrangements now with the Chinese Embassy.’ He turned away and dug his hands into his pockets. I’d never seen him do that before; he probably didn’t know he was doing it;- but he couldn’t have expressed his feelings more exactly. The show was over.
When the two officers came Loman told them who our prisoner was and they clapped a shackle on his wrists at once. It was then that I remembered there was, a lot to do and I mustn’t fall asleep on my feet.
‘Loman, don’t let them take him away.’
‘We don’t want him. If he could do anything he would have said so by now, to save himself.’
Loman meant a telephone call from Kuo to the Laos frontier ordering his cell to hold the Person on this side. Then we could have made our own swap. Kuo would do it all right, because he didn’t want to die. He was due for trial, conviction and the firing-squad because seventeen people had lost their lives when he had shot the driver, and there’d be no chance of a life sentence. But he couldn’t telephone any orders to his cell because by tomorrow they would have collected the sum agreed on: eighty million Hong Kong dollars. They’d take it and run, his share as well, the lion’s share. There was nothing he could do on a telephone.
‘I still want him kept here, Loman. In this room.’ I got myself a bit straighter. ‘I’m not as far gone as I look and I know what I’m saying and I know what I’m doing.’
He stared at me with that glassy look that meant he was going to be obstructive. He said:
‘There is no point at all in keeping him here. He is wanted for murder by the Bangkok—‘
‘Oh for God’s sake shut up.’ I lurched over to the two officers and spoke in rapid Thai: We wished to detain the prisoner for a short time and would guarantee his safe custody until we surrendered him formally to an escort of the Metropolitan Police in due course, Ambassadorial prerogative, British soil, so forth, but thank you for coming.
The one with the superior rank said it would mean putting a cordon round the Embassy if the prisoner remained inside the building and I said that would be a very sensible thing to do.
They saluted with good grace and went away and a man came in before the door was shut and I asked Loman, ‘Who the bloody hell’s this?’
The man was English and had a black bag and gave me one straight look and said, ‘Right, we shall need an ambulance straight away.’
‘Christ,’ I said, ‘don’t you start.’ I went over and blocked the door again because Kuo was fully alert and handcuffs don’t stop a man running.
Loman was looking inquisitive. He’d lost face in front of the police officers but he knew that even a guttersnipe like me wouldn’t have done that unless there was a good reason. I told him slowly:
‘Listen. There’s a thing I’ve got to work out. I’ve only just thought of it. Give me a bit of time. I can’t do it without you - without your authority. And there are some things I need.’ His bright stare was hypnotic and I had to look down. There was a messy little patch of blood drying on the floor where I’d been standing before. I heard the doctor fiddling about in his bag so I told him, ‘I don’t want any dope. Local anaesthetic if you like. All I want’s a good wash.’
Loman was still waiting and I made an effort and got my head up again to look at him. ‘Get some kind of a guard in here. Ask Mil. 6 - those two bright lads, Green and someone - tell them to bring in some guns, that bastard’s tricky.’ My voice sounded tired and I had to make Loman understand so I got some more force into, it. ‘Don’t lose him for me. Loman, don’t lose him.’
The doctor was trying to ease my jacket off and I had to stop him.
‘Wait till the guards come, there’s a good chap.’
Because you’re helpless for a minute with your jacket half off, and Kuo was watching me, waiting for me to pass out.
Then Loman told me: ‘All right, stop worrying.’ And I saw the little black Walther in his hand pointing at Kuo.
‘That’s it,’ I said, ‘that’s the stuff.’ The doctor started again, getting the jacket off, and bits of half-dried mud pattered onto the floor. ‘What time is it, Loman? What’s the time?’
He brought his wrist up close to his line of vision and only flicked a glance away from Kuo and back. ‘2105.’
I said, ‘Taking Lee out of here, two in the morning?’
‘Yes.’
The doctor said impatiently: ‘I shall need the assistance of a nurse, and some equipment.’ He’d got a better look at me with the jacket off.
‘Loman,’ I said urgently, because my legs were trying to go. ‘I’ll have time to sleep, few hours. Don’t let me down, will you? Look after things. No dope - no injections. Wake me at midnight.’
The doctor asked if someone could send some blankets in for putting on the table, hot water, things like that, and Loman said he would see to it. I heard him on the phone and my eyes came open with a jerk but he still had the gun on Kuo.
I was in a chair and there were scissors at work on my shirt. ‘Loman, you listening?’
‘Yes.’
‘Sometime before midnight, get it for me from the warehouse. You know where it is. The Husqvarna. Need it. You do that for me?’
‘Yes.’ He said something more but it all went fuzzy.
Chapter 27
Dawn
At 0200 hours the next morning the police helped us across the pavement to the car in a storm of photoflash. There was no actual cordon because Loman had spent a lot of time with Cole-Verity and it was decided that the Thai Home Office should be told what was on. We now had permission to hold on to Kuo and to escort him out of the city.
We had him in the car with us; I had insisted on that. His broken thumb had been seen to and his clothes -like mine - had been given a brushing; they were crumpled and patches of dried mud still remained but we didn’t look too bad.
After Loman had woken me I had privately told him the set-up. He didn’t like it. He said it was a hundred to one against and there were risks. I said it was all we could do and if there were anything we could do we had to do it.
I hadn’t said anything yet to Kuo because I wanted to spring it cold at t
he last minute so that he would have no time to think beyond the simple terms of the proposal: life or death. He hadn’t spoken once, except to thank the doctor. That was all right: it meant that he knew there was no get-out for him; otherwise he would have talked hard, putting up some kind of an offer. There was nothing he could offer us.
The Humber Imperial was full: the Charge d’Affaires, Third Secretary, Loman, Kuo, one armed guard and myself. The police car behind us was bringing Huang Hsiung Lee. I had seen him for a few minutes. Young, ascetic, dedicated, a lot of assurance: they might not have told him much but he knew he was up for a swap.
Soon after they’d woken me Loman had said:
‘We’ve had a call come through. The Person landed on the other side of the frontier ninety minutes ago. He is being held ready for the exchange.’
‘Thank God for that,’
Loman had said icily: ‘I don’t quite follow.’
‘He’s still alive, isn’t he?’ I had been worrying about the Nontaburi roadblock action: there’d been a lot of stuff flying about and the Rolls-Royce crew might have panicked and tried to push through too early.
All the way to the airport Kuo sat facing me on the tip-up seat. Sometimes he looked at me but there was no particular expression. He had the eyes of a nocturnal animal, the pupils large and black in the gloom. I had no feeling of being watched by anything human.
There was a Thai Air Force transport waiting for us at Don Muang and by 0300 hours we were airborne and heading east to the Laos frontier.
At Kemaraj the Maekong River is wide and the new bridge is substantial, tarmac-surfaced and with two traffic lanes. It was closed after the Vietcong had overrun the area on the Laos side and military posts were established at each end.
We reached the bridge just before dawn in a small Army convoy. The post was normally manned by a unit of Thai guards a dozen strong but today a special detachment had been ordered up from the military base near Ku-Chi-Narai, and immediately we arrived the commander reported to our Charge d’Affaires: he was to lend us all assistance in the event of difficulty, short of firing into Laotian territory on the far side of the bridge.
