by Leo James
Accompanied by a private doctor and nurse, they travelled from Penang and arrived at Kuala Lumpur airport. The nurse pushed Steve along in a wheelchair. Beth held his hand. Steve smiled to himself as Mark had wasted no time in engaging with the handsome Malaysian doctor.
Paul Reynolds, Vice Consul of the British Embassy was waiting at the gate with passports for Steve and Mark and to wish them a safe journey home. He pulled Mark and Steve to one side. 'Dr Laksana asked me to update you. As you know the Malaysian authorities arrested Mr Jothi but released him due to lack of evidence.'
Steve frowned. 'That's crazy. He was a director of the Shell Company. The evidence is all there. What the hell.'
Paul nodded. 'He left hospital two days ago. The car that picked him up was ambushed and gunned down in Petaling Jaya, fifteen miles outside Kuala Lumpur. Shot at close range with several gunshot wounds to his face and chest. Police found him in a pool of blood in the back seat of the car. They also murdered the driver.'
'Who ambushed him?' Mark asked.
'Witnesses who heard the shots saw two suspects entering separate cars before driving away. Both vehicles parked in front and behind Mr Jothi's car. The police believe the suspects intercepted the vehicle before firing shots. We know Kongsi seventy-seven has taken over the Ampang district and are moving towards Kongsi thirty-one's district. Kongsi thirty-one have no Mountain Master now. Police suspect the rival gang murdered Mr Jothi.'
'Wow. Do you think Dr Laksana released him to his fate?'
'I couldn’t comment.' Paul nodded.
Everything flooded back, Steve felt relieved and somehow this justified the action.
They said their goodbyes and moved through customs and into the first-class lounge. The departure board showed that flight BA34 to Heathrow was on time.
Steve and Beth could not wait to get back home to see the children.
A fresh start.
I will never forget my dear friends David, Trish and Glen.
And poor Adam. He was a good man.
We will always support Mai and her children.
I hope they can have a great life.
A tribute to Glen.
A bright future for Mark.
I love Beth. Thank God she is OK.
Can't wait to hug the kids.
A fresh start.
PART FOUR
Six Months Later
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Wednesday 9th December
THE HEAD OF KONGSI Gelap thirty-one, Mountain Master, arrived at the penthouse of the Tun Sambanthan building in the central Wilayah Persekutuan district of Kuala Lumpur, flanked by two foot soldiers both wearing black suits. Born in Malaysia of Chinese origin, his fine grey shoulder length hair clashed with his smart black trousers and tailored white shirt. The receptionist bowed as they walked straight past her into the boardroom.
The large fan worked overtime booming out air from the conditioning unit. Mountain Master sat at the head of an oval table and the two men stood motionless in front of the pillars.
Incense Master arrived. Although wearing his usual expensive suit, shirt and tie, his small frame supported a large gut due to many extravagances over the years. His thinning hair on the crown of his head and dark black stubble, made him appear much older. Mountain Master clicked his fingers. 'Two oolong,' he said to one of his foot soldiers, who left the room to organise the tea.
A petite woman entered the room, bowed and placed the oolong tea on the table in front of them, bowing again, walked backwards and left the room. Other gang members arrived. Vanguard, a skinny, weasel-like face, slight-framed man, above average height for someone from Malaysia, accompanied by White Paper Fan, a plump man with glasses and greying hair.
White Paper Fan, the money man summarised income for the month.
Mountain Master stood up, walked over to the window and looked out. He turned and focussed on Vanguard. 'Do we have the child?'
'Yes, Tien Nguyen called me this morning. A boy. Born just over a week ago at the private French International Hospital in Hanoi. There was security but no issues. She moved it to a location just outside Hanoi.'
He nodded. 'Any communication with Mai Le?'
'No. She had complications with the birth. Was due to leave hospital tomorrow.'
'Good. We move forward with the plan.'
They nodded and carried on with the rest of the agenda.
######
Steve could still not believe how times had changed. As a regular passenger in the exclusive first-class cabin of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, he loved travelling on the flight to Kuala Lumpur. The seat together with the ottoman transformed into a comfortable lie-flat bed, the soft mattress topper, thick pillow, comfortable blanket, and the lightweight, dark green pyjamas meant he had no problem in falling asleep for most of the flight. About ninety minutes before landing the cabin attendants served tea. Mark sat in the seat across the aisle. 'How are you doing?'
Steve stretched and smiled. 'Brilliant. Slept like a baby. Only way to travel.'
These days Steve preferred to stay in a suite at The Grand Millennium Hotel, a far cry from the Concorde. The chauffeur pulled up outside the hotel, the bell boy greeted them as they stepped out of the car, gathered their suitcases from the boot and moved them into the lobby.
As they entered the hotel, the concierge stepped forward and bowed. 'Mr Cliff Lin and Mr Farid Razak are waiting in the atrium.'
The blood drained from Steve's body making him light-headed. He froze, trying to comprehend the situation. Mark's face was ashen.
Cliff Lin and Farid Razak.
Steve felt sick.
THE END
About Leo James
Leo began writing during his recovery from a serious fall into a storm drain whilst on business in Singapore. To this day, he has not solved the mystery of who pushed him. Stuck in hospital, Leo found it cathartic to write. It helped with his recovery, both mentally and physically. That was the start. Once back to work, and travelling internationally, he would write everywhere: on planes, trains, staying at hotels, basically at any given opportunity.
Leo worked for over 20 years in global information technology. He is an expert in cryptocurrencies, blockchain and cybersecurity. In addition, Leo is a practicing therapist in clinical hypnosis and cognitive behaviour therapy.
Born in the UK, he graduated from Illinois State University in America. He has a postgraduate qualification in behavioural therapy from the University of West London in the UK.
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