Stealing Asia

by David Clarkson

  We left Bangkok, early the next morning and touched down in Samui shortly before lunchtime. By late afternoon we were in Hat Rin on the island of Koh Pha Ngan, where the full moon party was to be held.

  The girl hired a small hut in the centre of the beach and I acquired my own at the far end of the resort, away from sight. It did not take her long to become friendly with two couples in nearby huts. If anything, this offered her more security than if she had remained alone. A greater concern for me was that I had picked up the signal from the lost transmitter and it was heading our way.

  I assumed it was her rescuer from the mugging, and if so, it was likely that he intended to meet up with her. It was then that I decided to completely break with my mission protocol. I decided that I was going to meet my target.

  Chapter 3

  I called Manu as soon as I made it out of the forest. He was my only trusted contact on the island and the one person that I knew who would have access to what I needed. The tracking device in Asia’s pendant was not only transmitting, but also moving. The best chance I had of finding the boat was if I got airborne. I knew that dive tours often used planes when searching for particular dive sites. They use the birds-eye view to seek out whale sharks, as well as to scout for possible danger such as the man eater we had earlier come across. I would use it to find the pirates.

  ‘When can we fly?’ I asked.

  ‘The nearest airstrip is on Samui,’ Manu replied. ‘By the time we get there, a plane should be loaded up and ready go.’

  ‘So what are we waiting for – let’s go.’

  We agreed that the fastest option was to take his boat. It was small and could cut through the ferry channels saving us valuable time. I also feared that the goons who had taken Asia may be watching the ports and did not want to risk a public confrontation. The mess I left behind on the beach resort probably had the local police on high alert too. Whilst we sailed, I used the time to try and gauge what experience, if any, Manu had. If we ran into trouble, I needed more than a tour guide, I needed a soldier.

  ‘You’re really serious about this spy shit, aren’t you?’ asked Manu.

  I glanced up, but did not reply. He was watching me check and prepare my kit.

  ‘Do you know who put them onto the girl yet?’ he asked

  ‘It could be one of any number of people,’ I replied. ‘The senator has many enemies. Hell, the CIA may even be trying to take her out to stop her causing him any more embarrassment.’

  ‘CIA, huh?’ he seemed amused by the suggestion. ‘And you think that you can swoop in and rescue this girl of yours singlehanded.’

  ‘That’s the plan,’ I replied. ‘If you want out, I’ll understand, but any backup you can give would be much appreciated.’

  He used the time it took for him to adjust a few of the controls to weigh up my offer. I would have understood if he wanted no part in what I was about to do, but he had earlier helped me retrieve the dive gear, which Barrett had tampered with and I suspected that he was at least curious enough of who we were up against to want to tag along.

  ‘Perhaps a little excitement would be good for me,’ he said. ‘I’ve been taking tourists out on fun dives for so long that I’ve almost forgotten what it is to fight for a cause.’

  ‘You have experience in this sort of thing?’

  He recklessly spun the wheel as he altered our heading to make full use of a strong southerly wind.

  ‘I’ve seen my fair share of naval conflicts,’ he replied.

  ‘You were in the navy?’

  ‘Marine Nationale,’ he corrected. ‘Ten years, but that isn’t where I saw most of the action. After I got my discharge papers, I joined Greenpeace. I spent three years based out of New Zealand running blockades against the Japanese whalers. The bastards even managed to take me hostage a few times, but they could never hold me for long.’

  ‘Well, I’ve already had four people taken hostage from right under my nose, so I’ll make sure that they do not add you to their collection.’

  ‘Glad to hear it,’ he said. ‘Hopefully, it will not come to that.’

  We docked at a small pier serving one of the many tourist resorts along the coast. Our pilot was waiting in a jeep ready to take us on to the airstrip. As well as the standard fee for his services, I added a considerable cash bribe on top to keep his silence. The expenses for this mission were beginning to add up and if I did not report back to the senator soon he would start to get suspicious. I had hoped to have Asia back before speaking to him, but that was now impossible.

  The pirates had a good few hours head start, but in the plane it did not take too long to make up the ground. By the time that we were within viewing range the sun was beginning to rise. I did not want to arouse suspicions, so I had to gather as much intel as possible from a single fly-by. The target vessel was instantly recognisable when I saw it. It had been moored a touch over three miles from the beach the whole time we had been there. If I had followed my instincts more and not gotten so sidetracked by those kids, I may have figured out what it was sooner.

  ‘What do you see?’ asked Manu.

  ‘Four guards on deck; all armed. There will be even more below. If I can disable their engines it should not be a problem, but we’ll need to get close. Will your boat be able to catch them?’

  ‘It depends where they are going. Is there anywhere specific they would take the girl?’

  ‘Not likely. From the information I extracted out of Barrett, they do not even know who they are working for. They were just told to nab the girl. It is my guess that they will stick to familiar waters unless something spooks them.’

  ‘In that case, we should set sail as soon as possible,’ he advised. ‘We can have them within range by nightfall.’

  The pilot took us back to Samui where we transferred to Manu’s boat. As soon as we were underway, I called the senator on his private line. It was time to let him know that I had let his only daughter be snatched from right under my nose.

  ‘Hello?’ said the voice on the other end of the line.

  ‘Mr Senator, it is Señor Cruz,’ I said. ‘I call with grave news regarding your daughter.’

  ‘Mr Cruz?’ His voice was suspicious and the line went quiet for a short while. When he spoke again, he sounded more relaxed. ‘What has the little brat done now; you haven’t been messing with her, have you? If she is pregnant, I will personally see to it that you end up in jail.’

  The coldness of his tone surprised me. I wondered how much of a threat he actually envisioned when he hired me to watch over his daughter. Clearly, his biggest worry had been more for what trouble she could make for herself rather than of an outside threat. Having spent the best part of a week with his offspring, I could see no family resemblance. It was my opinion that his low expectation of her was based more on his own failings as a father. Extra marital affairs had been well documented throughout his career.

  ‘No, sir, sadly this is an official call,’ I told him. ‘Your daughter has been kidnapped and is being held aboard a boat a few miles off the coast of Thailand. A couple of American goons working alongside a group of local pirates were hired to make the abduction. I suspect the motive is political, but the gang seems pretty clueless and they do not even know what the girl is worth. If we act quickly, I am confident that I can get her back unharmed within twenty four hours, but I will need back-up.’

  ‘You will do no such thing,’ the senator snapped. ‘There will be no rescue or any other gung-ho attempt at being a hero until all of what you say has been properly verified and I have time to consult with the Director of the CIA.’

  ‘With all due respect, sir, there is no time for that. We have to act now. My cover has already been blown and the pirates know that I was hired to watch Asia.’

  ‘I have no idea what you mean by being “hired to watch Asia”. What makes you think that you have any right to call me on my personal line and start making these ludicrous demands?’

  Of course; the sena
tor was not aware of his daughter’s change in name. I was not thinking as clearly as I should and it was causing me to make all manner of mistakes.

  ‘I apologise for my rashness, sir. I accept full responsibility for your daughter’s abduction. All that I ask is that you allow me to make amends for my mistake.’

  The line went silent for a few moments. I hoped he was patching the call directly to the CIA headquarters at Langley. It was several minutes before he came back on the line.

  ‘Can you tell me what the exact outline of your brief was?’ he asked.

  It was a strange question to ask, but when a politician has a point to prove they will always use the most condescending means to get that point across.

  ‘You hired me to watch your daughter, sir. I was to anonymously follow her on her travels and ensure that she did not come to any harm. So far, I have failed and for that I offer my most sincere apologies.’

  ‘I did not hire you directly, why did you not first call your assigned contact?’

  ‘With all due respect, sir, a butler is not going to be of any use in a situation like this. We have limited time and I need to make my move now if we are to get Katherine back.’

  ‘You will get your chance, soldier, but first I must ask you to stand down. These thugs will not dare harm my daughter and I am sure that their demands will be known shortly. I will consult with the Director of the CIA and then call you back.’

  ‘Yes, sir, as you wish.’

  I ended the call. All that was left for me to do was wait. Manu said it would be at least seven to eight hours before we would be in a position to ease off and shadow the other vessel. Hopefully, the CIA would help the senator see sense. Whilst I waited for further orders, I went to my cabin to catch up on some much needed sleep.

  ***

  A thick mist had rolled over the boat. The haze penetrated into the bowels of the vessel itself, even engulfing my cabin. I could hear muffled voices from up on the deck. I grabbed my gun and went to investigate. When I got there, I could see the senator waiting for me. He offered me his hand.

  ‘Well done, Señor Cruz, I knew that you would not let me down.’

  As I shook his hand, I looked around to see both Ben and Manu kneeling on deck with their hands placed on the tops of their heads.

  ‘What is going on? I asked.

  ‘The mission was a success,’ replied the senator. ‘All that is left is to dispose of the traitors.’

  I looked again at my kneeling friends and this time I could see the fear in their eyes.

  ‘There has been some sort of a mistake,’ I said. ‘These men helped me. They are not the enemy.’

  ‘Of course,’ replied the senator. ‘That is why they must die. You did well to bring them to me.’

  ‘You don’t understand,’ I told him. ‘These men are both innocent.’

  ‘Nobody is innocent,’ said the senator.

  I looked for my handgun, but it was no longer in my hand. As if sensing my confusion, the senator clapped his hands and a man walked onto the deck. It was the butler who had recruited me for the mission. He was carrying a silver tray with a cloche on top. Once he was alongside of me he removed the cover to reveal a golden handgun underneath.

  ‘An appropriate reward for a job well done,’ said the senator. ‘Now, if you use it, we can all go home.’

  I picked up the weapon. It was heavy and seemed to be made of solid gold. There was nowhere to insert a magazine or even a single bullet. The trigger was the only part of it that felt real.

  ‘Where is the girl?’ I asked.

  ‘Girl?’ replied the senator. ‘There is no girl. Now do your job and execute these traitors.’

  ‘What do you mean “there is no girl”? Where is your daughter? Is Katherine safe? That is what you hired me to do; to protect your daughter.’

  ‘I did no such thing,’ said the senator. ‘I pay you to kill and that is what you are going to do. Now pull the trigger.’

  I looked again at Ben and Manu and I could not do it.

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘This is wrong. I was recruited to protect a girl. These men do not deserve to die.’

  I threw the golden gun into the ocean. It made no sound and nor did I hear a splash, but it was gone. The senator turned away from me. He left along with his butler and I immediately ran over to help Manu and Ben.

  ‘It is too late,’ said Ben.

  I began to hear a beeping sound. I looked down and saw the shark magnet was attached to my belt. As it emitted its metronomic pulse, a small red LED blinked in time to the sound. I looked back up again and was confronted by the jaws of a thirty foot monster shark.

  Then I was back in my cabin. My head felt groggy and I realised that I must have slept longer than I had planned. I picked up a bottle of water and took a sip. As I did so, my phone began to ring. I answered it on the third chime.

  ‘Cruz speaking.’

  ‘Mr Cruz, it is Senator Cole. I trust that you can bring me further news of my daughter.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ I quickly checked the readout for the tracker in the locket. We were now just a few kilometres away. ‘We are almost within range. I can organize an insertion within an hour.’

  ‘That will not be necessary. The operation is under the jurisdiction of the American Government now. I cannot place my daughter’s life in the hands of a civilian. You are to cease pursuit immediately and return to shore.’

  I could not believe that he was pulling me off the mission. Although it had been my fault that the girl was taken, I was also the person best placed to bring her back.

  ‘With all due respect, sir, surely I can do more good in the field. I am ideally placed for a rescue mission.’

  ‘The matter is not open to debate. Now, I want to know everything that you know about the kidnappers.’

  I told him all about Barrett and Clay and described what I had seen on the fly-by. I did not mention Ben or the British girls. I merely stated that there were likely to be more civilian hostages onboard.

  ‘That’s very good,’ he replied. ‘What about their demands. Do you have any idea what they are likely to ask for?’

  ‘If it was solely the American pair we were dealing with, I would have said money. Probably not more than one million dollars tops. Since they are merely hired muscle, I would think that the real perpetrator behind this is likely to be politically motivated. If we are lucky, the Americans may try to double cross their employer and make a quick buck on their own.’

  ‘What makes you think that?’

  ‘They are clearly just small time pirates. They pick up unsuspecting girls travelling alone and sell them on, most likely into the sex trade. If they figure out who the girl is, they may try and go for one big payoff to retire on. It is possible that they will try to play you off against whoever hired them in a bidding war.’

  The line went quiet whilst he thought over what I had told him. Whether it was enough to convince him to give me a second chance, I did not know.

  ‘What course of action do you recommend?’ he finally asked.

  ‘If those idiots decide to go it alone and offer a ransom, you should pay it. I cannot foresee any difficulty in setting a trap for them and arresting them at the drop, whilst also securing the safe release of your daughter. If you fail to co-operate they may panic and the consequences could be dire.’

  ‘Very well, I will consider what you have said, but my decision to pull you out still stands. You are to return to shore immediately. When you dock, report to the nearest police station and await further instruction.’

  Manu knocked at the cabin door as I ended the call.

  ‘Come in,’ I said.

  ‘I heard your voice and wondered if you had any news,’ said the Frenchman.

  ‘My orders are to stand down. He wants me to find the nearest police station when I get to shore. Whoever is advising him; I don’t like it.’

  ‘Shall I turn the boat around?’

  ‘No, stick to our current heading, but eas
e off the throttle a little. We don’t want to spook our prey. I have never turned my back on a mission and I do not intend to start with this one.’

  Chapter 4

  When I first saw Ben, he had blindly risked his life to help a girl he did not even know. He would most definitely have been killed if I had not been there to intervene. His actions were rash, careless and extremely noble. That is why when I discovered that he was headed for the island, I made it my duty to meet him.

  Following my brief to the letter demanded that I kept male attention away from the girl, but I had begun to wonder what would happen if I did the opposite and allowed a relationship to blossom. The senator hired me only to ensure that his daughter was kept safe. If I could guarantee her safety without the need for me to oversee her every move then surely that would be a favourable conclusion for all.

  I left the girl on the beach in Hat Rin. By then she had the two couples with her and at the time I thought they posed no threat. I was confident she would not be going anywhere before the party and I also suspected she knew that her male companion from Penang was on his way. He had the locket with him and was approaching Donsak to board the ferry when I made an overnight journey of my own to meet him at the pier on Samui. When the crowd of backpackers dispersed into taxis he was the last man standing. It seemed that he was unsure as to whether he could trust the drivers. I knew at once that I could use his indecisiveness to my advantage.

  ‘If you fear being ripped off, it is best to do as the locals do,’ I said to him.

  ‘Excuse me?’ he replied.

  I gestured across to a stand where a few, more clued-up, travellers were boarding a waiting transport.

  ‘The open back jeeps are the best way to get around the island. Locals call them sawngthaews. They are the closest thing they have to a public bus service.’

  He thanked me and we boarded the vehicle together. It did not take long to realise that he was besotted with the girl. She was the only thing he talked about. The whole time I had watched her, she had not let one man come near her and the fact she had made this exception suggested to me that her feelings matched his. Going completely against my mandate, I decided I would use Ben to gain an introduction with her. Her father may have believed he was acting in her best interests, but I was not so sure. It was time for me to find out what she wanted.