— Chapter Eleven —
Kim, for now was safe and well taken care of inside the Control centre. Although her short journey had been confusing and arduous. Her confinement cell was quite swanky even without windows or natural light, similar to a hotel suit without the decor, but with an en-suite bathroom, large bed and a small sofa.
She was now sat on the bed with. Ca knelt in front of her between her legs and clasping her hands. .
Kim gazed upon the sad and perplexed face of Ca and stroked his brow. She had no way of knowing how long she had been captive, with all her personal items removed and phone discarded at the airport she could only guess time periods, which now seemed like days and it had seemed a long time since she’d made her phone call.
****
Ca, Kim and Tuong arrived within the control centre and met at the amphibious vehicle entrance by Mophi and a mercenary. They were taken into Grimes’s large office. Kim noticed how much Hi- tech equipment was in the centre. Several Vietnamese technicians milled about, and she noticed several large westerners, strutting around and messing around with rifles and knives. They entered Grimes’s spacious office and the Englishman greeted them and congratulated Ca and Tuong on a job well done. He went on to explain to Kim about why she had been abducted, showing her photos, video footage and holding Pon to blame for the predicament she now found herself in. Grimes informed her that her husband would be coming with the stolen item they required along with his two friends in the next day or so.
Kim listened to Grimes and said.
“My husband is not a murderer, or a thief. You have the wrong information, my husband won’t come but my father will certainly make you pay for this” and she defiantly changed the subject, screaming at Grimes.
“You are the man who conned my father and poisoned my mother”
Kim suspected the doctorate was an elaborate hoax, even though her father tried to convince her otherwise, and that’s the reason she needed to speak to Spock and Stu, they would be able to find out if the pretence was genuine or bullshit as they were from England.
“Of course I am” boasted the arrogant Grimes “Duke Phillip at your service” he stood up, sarcastically bowed and sat back down.
Kim knew these people had spent a lot of time and expense setting this up. But she had already figured out that if Pon arrived, they would all be dead and the shadow of Mophi lurking around the office with a large menacing grin, aimed mainly at Tuong, fuelled her suspicions. Grimes deceived them for over an hour about the exchange and their release, once the relic had been verified. Grimes then spoke to Ca and told him he would share the room with Kim and they’d set up a room for Tuong to stay next door.
“Who knows?” said Grimes “maybe you will rekindle some old dormant passion, I love a happy ending” he gushed ‘especially when it’s mine,’ he thought thinking of his millions
They were taken to their respective rooms and Kim sat on the sofa, Ca slumped down on the bed and stared ashamedly at his feet.
Tuong went in his room. The minutes and hours mingled into just time and there had been no way of knowing if it was day or night.
There were a few moments when Kim and Ca heard tumultuous noises through the thin walls of the room. The first occasion was approximately an hour after they’d arrived. There was a lot of shouting, cheering and booing just outside their room, which lasted for about 30 minutes, and after they’d heard a cheer, a crack, and then voices grumbling that seemed to be moving away and then silence.
Ca looked horrified but he and Kim never spoke as Ca sat up on the bed and listened and when the silence came, he just leaned forward, closed his eyes wept. Kim stared contemptuously at Ca, and as the time ticked by she had sporadic bursts of anger aimed at him. Ca just sat and apologised. They’d had several visits from Grimes, who just told them that her husband may not come and goading the pair to get closer as they could be happy spending the rest of their lives together.
Kim had already made her feelings for Pon known to Ca and he had accepted that the love they’d once felt for each other had gone, buried in the past.
Grimes loved these mind games and didn’t care about the delays from Thailand at first. The only thing that infuriated him had been Mophi and his thugs.
The next sounds came what seemed like days later and woke Kim and Ca. The sounds of weapons being loaded, checked, and excited gruffly male voices hollering, this went on for some time before fading into silence. Then, after three hours, more excitement as the men returned and sounded like a group of hunters who’d had a successful kill. This Kafuffle went on for another few hours with the sounds of bottles being smashed open, men belching, cheering one another, and thumping noises that emanated from room next door. Then the raucous slowly died away.
Grimes had also been awoken by the noise of the patrol leaving and returning. When normality returned to the control room and the mercenaries had gone to their quarters to drink and brag some more after they’d shackled the new guests and beaten them some more
Grimes decided to scrutinise the recordings from the infra red cameras and screens from the laser security network mesh, which surrounded the centre and video footage of the recent and apparently successful first mission.
Something caught his eye and he called in a now ‘spannered’ Mophi.
Mophi, Grimes and the mercenary who had coordinated the attack repeatedly studied the footage, until the mercenary and Mophi persuaded Grimes that it had been a glitch. They came up with a plausible explanation that Grimes would have to swallow, either that or Mophi’s fist, as he was tired but wanted to rejoin his party.
Grimes was not convinced and called Akhim in Hanoi to inform him of the failed rescue attempt and have him move up the deadline.
Several hours later Grimes came and led Kim away to speak with her father on the sat phone.
That lifted her spirits, although it had been a short conversation, she felt sure that her father would be planning her rescue and she knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her gentle, kind and loving husband Pon, and his friends.
She returned to her room and looked at Ca, who, apart from taking a shower and eating he’d never spoken or moved from his position on the bed.
He now looked at Kim and tears welled up in his eyes
“I am sorry Hern. I have been a fool and have been duped by that English bastard and I am sure they’ve killed Tuong”
Kim thought for a moment about how her father, a well educated man, had been easily taken in by Grimes.
She walked over to Ca and took his moist tear stained face in her hands and whispered,
“I forgive you”
Grimes smiled as he watched the CCTV monitor in his office and the images from the camera in Kim and Ca’s room.
“At last, this could be interesting and another devastating blow for Pon. Mohammed will be pleased with this new development. I will work more on these lovebirds, although it will be short lived”.
Grimes reported this new development to Mohammed and he seemed pleased, although it was hard to tell as his illness took a firmer grip. They’d had daily contact with him, first in the Hanoi office and now at the control centre through a scrambled audio/video live time feed.
Grimes and Mophi spoke to him and reported on the success of each part of the plan, assuring him that he would soon have the relic and his fatwa would be carried out in front of the screen, so he could witness Allah’s revenge. The conversation always ended in Arabic between Mophi and Mohammed, which made Grimes nervous and suspicious.
Grimes plan had started coming to fruition. Everything had been meticulously detailed and now he just had to wait a few more days, before the final and most demanding part of the operation took place, and then his escape.
****
Ca was an easy target. Grimes had all the information as to Kim’s return flight to Thailand from the gardener that he had planted [no pun intended] at Thran’s house.
A D.V.D with demands and instructions from an unfocused faced Mohammed had been placed into a bag full of tatty 2nd hand purchased clothes. He gave the bag to Ca with instructions to take one of Grime’s Vietnamese colleagues, Mr Lang Duc from his Hanoi office to the airport to catch a flight. Then, when Lang gave the signal Ca would go the window, attract Kim’s attention, get her outside and give her a letter. Grimes convinced Ca that Kim would be expecting him, but Grimes told Ca that as part of the plan she would act confused, just in case Pons spies lurked around.
“Don’t be surprised by her reaction,” said Grimes “this is part of her plan”
Ca could not drive a car, so he asked if Tuong could come along, Grimes agreed and the strategy was put in place.
Ca and Tuong arrived at the airport on schedule and dropped off Lang at departures. Ca had been both excited and agitated the whole journey up to the airport thinking about meeting his Hern after all these years. After dropping off Lang, Ca and Tuong waited in the car park for the signal.
They didn’t have to wait long as a large white car with a red star painted on the side stopped outside the departures gate. Kim and her father stepped out. The driver removed Kim’s bags from the trunk and placed them onto a trolley, Kim and Thran said their goodbyes and he drove off and Kim walked into the departures section to check in.
Ca was full of trepidation after the first glimpse and all his old feelings were rekindled, all he wanted now was the signal, so that he could be close to her.
Kim checked in her baggage and went into the small window covered departure lounge, situated on the ground floor. Airports in South East Asia are very informal and you can wander around or go outside.
Kim telephoned Pon to let him know she was on her way home and when she’d finished she went to stand by the window and thought about her mother and father, and wondered what had happened.
Lang Duc noticed Kim make her phone call and go to stand by the window. He dialled a number, let it ring three times and turned the phone off and went to stand beside Kim.
He saw Ca heading towards the window, waving at Kim. He noticed Kim watch as Ca got closer and she let out a sigh of recognition, surprise and disbelief
“Ca” she said aloud as he neared, she excitedly waved back. Ca came to the window and a happy joyous Kim shouted through the window about how she couldn’t believe that it was him and it had been a long time. Ca made a signal to suggest that he could not hear her.
“Wait” she mouthed and motioned that she would come outside. She turned and bumped into Lang.
“Sorry” she said and continued on her way to meet Ca, Lang took a seat and watched as Kim and Ca embraced like two lovers, rejoined after a lifetime apart.
‘That’s nice’ thought Lang as he disassembled the mobile phone that he’d just nimbly stolen from Kim and threw some parts in the bins scattered around the airport, he would discard the remaining parts elsewhere.
Ca’s heart raced as he held the woman he hadn’t seen for what seemed a lifetime. Kim had recognised Ca immediately although it had been a long time and they had both aged.
“What are you doing here?” asked Kim.
“I am here to help you,” he said proudly
“Help me, how?” said Kim furling her expression. “Come with me” ordered Ca excitedly.
“I have a plane to catch, I can’t” replied Kim
Ca then handed her the letter as per Grimes instructions. The large brown envelope wasn’t addressed and had been sealed. Therefore, Ca had no idea of the content, but it looked official and had a government stamp.
“Who gave you this?” asked Kim, before she opened the letter
“You know” said Ca and smiled “your good friend Julian.
“Who?” said Kim, looking confused as she tore open the letter and read the script.
Dear Mrs Kim Meesilli /Miss Heng Tangh
I want to inform you about the grave danger your family is in and things would become increasingly worse if you don’t follow instructions, implicitly.
As a demonstration of our power and influence we admit to easily poisoning your mother. If you want no further harm to come to your family you will go with our agent Ca.
Kim glanced at Ca and read on
If you try to run back into the airport you will be killed by our agent, now stood at the window.
Kim looked at Lang Duc now stood at the airport window. Lang saw her looking, nodded, and tapped his waist showing a bulge the shape of a pistol, which was a plastic water pistol that he would discard later.
The letter continued
If you try to draw any attention to yourself please look ahead to the third tree in front of you.
Kim spotted the trees and saw a figure lurking at the side of the tree pointing a rifle directly at her.
This had been a cleverly created optical illusion set up that morning by Akhim and his pictographic colleague, they used three notice boards on the front and from the road, and it was just an advertisement. However, the reverse had prints of foliage with arranged shadows, which appeared from most viewpoints to show three separate boards, but from the position Ca and Kim where directed to stand the pictures came together looking like a 3D image of a man holding a rifle.
Convinced she was now trapped and her life was in danger, decided for now to go along. She had wrongly assumed that her father was someway involved and he was the probable the target.
She thought.’ These people don’t know who they were dealing with, my father will have them sorted out in no time,” so for now she didn’t feel in much danger, and they obviously needed her alive. Besides Ca was there and she hoped he would protect her even though she didn’t yet understand his role in this. Kim read on, and as instructed and took several photographs from the envelope. The first doctored shot had been of her uncle Lee, sat on Sihanoukville beach with a menacing figure stood behind him. The others included Banti pushing Samnan in a buggy along a Bangkok street and being followed by the same ominous figure. The next showed her mother and father in the hospital after Nga had her heart attack showing a doctor administering an Intravenous infusion. She noticed the doctor had been the same menacing figure as in the other photos. Mophi was very photogenic. The photographs backed up the letter, which warned her that they could get to her loved ones at any time, but assured her that no harm would come to her or her family, so long as she followed their commands.
The letter then carried on to explain that the reasons for her abduction would be divulged when she arrived at her destination. Kim knew she had no alternative but to obey.
She returned the envelope to Ca as ordered, who folded it and put it in his pocket ready to return to his good friend and creator of his new happiness Julian.
Ca noticed Kim’s expression change from one of joy to sadness, disillusion and fear. Ca just thought she’d put on a great act just as Julian said she would.
“What have you got to do with this Ca?” she snapped
Ca leant forward and whispered in her ear,
“Your happiness and freedom” he said
A bewildered looking Kim, fearing for her and her families lives, decided to follow instructions, she went with Ca and got into the car, terrified, but curious.
The journey to the small airstrip took nearly two hours and Ca relaxed with his thoughts and memories, while Tuong drove and Kim sat silently in the rear seat, confused by what was happening, and why?
Ca thought once they’d boarded the helicopter they would be in the clear and Hern and he could talk, but the noise of the helicopter made conversation difficult, so they seldom spoke throughout the noisy journey. However they spoke even less after they left Grimes’s office and Ca realised he’d been duped.
Now that Grimes had Kim as his hostage, he awaited the phone call to tell him Lang Duc had returned safely from Thailand as Huer Dang, before the next stage could commence.
Akhim confirmed that many hours later, and told Grimes he had paid Lang off who’d reverted back to his own identity, with all evidence destroyed. Akhim informed Grimes that everything was set in Hanoi and he was ready to visit the Tangh’s in Ha Tay to play his role.
“That will be tomorrow my good friend,” Grimes informed him and advised him to contact the gardener, to get an update and to get a good night sleep as the next few days was going to be dangerous.
Grimes then made the initial phone call to Thran. He wanted to make the call personally, knowing Thran would recognise his voice, which had been his egotistical way of letting his victims know he had fooled them.
With Kim, Ca and Tuong locked away, it was now just a waiting game, which Grimes was used to in his line of work and had found many things to pass his time, like planning the rest of his life around beach resorts and casinos across the world
Mophi had other ways to entertain himself and his soldiers of fortune.
An hour after Kim, Ca and Tuong had been put in their rooms. Two mercenaries dragged Tuong out and led him to a large dimly lit space to the rear of the control room.
The mercenaries stood around forming a square, with Mophi stood in the centre.
A frightened Tuong was hurtled into the middle and bounced off Mophi’s chest.
Mophi grabbed him and smiled as he lifted the small Vietnamese off his feet, so they were face to face.
“So little man, you are a Vovinam master” snarled Mophi.
Tuong nervously smiled and nodded
“Well let’s just have some fun” Mophi said as he threw Tuong across the room like a rag doll.
Tuong righted himself in mid air and landed on his feet, spun around and faced Mophi, the mercenaries cheered at this manoeuvre.
Mophi smiled and charged at Tuong, who side stepped out of the way, spun around and landed a spinning fist to Mophi’s temple sending him sprawling to the ground. This infuriated Mophi and over the next few minutes a battle ensued with Tuong’s skills and calmness getting the better of the monster. The mercenaries stopped Mophi getting hurt on several occasions by pushing and grabbing Tuong, which gave the blood splattered, dazed Mophi time to recover. Tuong knew he stood no chance against these odds but the brave little fighter held his ground, even attacking the odd mercenary.
The combat lasted about twenty minutes. Tuong’s skills were masterful, never taking a major blow. Mophi was knocked to the floor again, this time by a devastating kick that connected with his head. He was bruised, bloody and nearly defeated.
He looked at the mercenary behind Tuong and nodded. Tuong saw this, spun around to attack the man and felt electricity curse through him as he got taserred. Everything went dark and Tuong’s next recollection was being on his stomach with a powerful force around his neck lifting his shoulders off the floor. He heard men shouting and uproar, and then a sharp pain as his neck got snapped.
Tuong’s lifeless corpse was then unceremoniously dumped in the amphibious vehicle, driven through the tunnel and thrown into the deep rain-forest.
Bragging and laughing throughout the short journey, Mophi tried to convince his comrades that he’d had Tuong easily beaten and told his team of louts how he couldn’t wait to take on his other adversary when he arrived.
“He will be easy, he is almost my size, but maybe we will get some practice in before he arrives” he said, and then smiled, growled and postured like the incredible hulk.
****
The five Cambodian commandos arrived at the co- ordinates on schedule. They silently made their way through dense vegetation and undergrowth, until they reached the origin of the sat signal, the control centre. They crept up to the entrance peered down the tunnel and then separated to dig in to positions within the jungle. The squad leader had been highly trained in jungle warfare from a young age and the many years of special forces training made him alert and at home in the rain-forest.
Unsure of what technology that the enemy possessed the squad needed to ensure that they would be invisible. The commander chose a site, by a small river away from the centre and positioned himself in the cradle of a tree. He set up his equipment, covered himself in the cool moist mud from the riverbank, and prepared for a stakeout.
The control centre was awash with the noise. Of mercenaries shouting and donning night vision equipment, and checked radios and weapons. Mophi and two mercenary’s watched a monitor displaying red and orange moving images. Mophi shouted out coordinates to his men.
The rain-forest was restless. The insects and nocturnal animals noisily fought their nightly battles for food and mating. This noise hampered the commando’s who had been unable to use their heightened hearing to the fullest.
In the control centre, the man monitoring the action transmitted locations and instructions to the soldiers of fortune. He concentrated on one position at a time and, when the units were all in place, he gave the order, Go, Go, Go! He watched the monitor that showed his red and orange teams close in on solitary, prone, stationary figures.
The jungle erupted with the sound of shouting, gunfire and explosions from thunder flash grenades. The ambush had taken only minutes. The screens then showed spectral images, the scene showing his group leaving the site with prisoners. However, one group had left the scene without any prisoners and the man at the monitor smirked “Heartless bastard Mophi, they could all have been taken alive” He looked to the largest heat detected individual on the screen as he now moved away to join the others after spending time next to a still target and needlessly pumping more bullets into the corpse.
“Control room, this is five” said a mercenary over the radio
“Go ahead five”
“There’s nothing at the location you gave, over”
The controller replayed the recording on another monitor and saw an image for a few moments that seemed to be moving erratically on all fours in and out of view, and then disappeared towards a small river.
The technician thought for a moment.
“Five, this is control, confirm there is no sign of any equipment or individual.”
“Confirmed” said a tired, uninterested mercenary
“It must have been an animal,” advised the controller “Ok return to base.”
The set up, capture and the return to base had taken just over an hour, two prisoners were led into the control centre and beaten by the rowdy and now beer soaked conquerors They were hammered relentlessly until unconscious, then with no more fun to be had, they were shackled, gagged and locked in Tuong’s old room.
The Special Forces squad leader had observed all this from his bark covered tree cradle position. He knew the cold river mud would hide him temporarily from any heat sensors he now knew that the enemy possessed. Now he knew his foes capabilities he would have to move out of range and wait for the heat of the sun to allow him to move around freely and plan a rescue attempt for his captured men and complete his mission.
Dawn broke and the sun started to radiate its daily warmth. The squad leader shimmied down the sun facing side of the tree and stealthily moved between warm, dense patches of vegetation until he reached the entrance to the tunnel and now in closer proximity he slid back into the tropical-forest.
He knew Pon and the lads were due later that day so he would spend the day on recognisance. He knew that during the day this was his domain and he could easily smell, see and hear better than any device. He intended to rendezvous with Pon and together work out another course of action. He skirted around the side of the centre and noticed another slightly raised mound that seemed to disappear under the trees into the dense rain-, which looked like the start of a separate underground tunnel.
“Where does this lead I wonder?” He thought and headed off to investigate.
Ca and Kim started to speak to each other after Kim had spoken to her father. They tried to figure out what had happening and why. The countless hours passed, they spoke about their current life. Kim told Ca about her planned wedding to Colonel Tighe, who’d appeared to have vanished and, how she met and fell in love with, Pon. Ca listened to this now distant woman and realised she had feelings only for her husband, Pon.
They talked for hours, with the odd interruption from Grimes. Grimes persuaded them if they became a couple again they could comfort each other in this time of need. Grimes’s mind games made it seem as if no rescue would be forthcoming, and placing the blame on Pon
Fearful, confused, and feeling isolated they eventually embraced. Ca told Hern he had never stopped loving her and if they were about to die, he wanted to spend what time they had left with her. Kim looked at Ca and smiled, which reminded him of the old Hern, who could always melt his heart with that smile and, eventually through the hopelessness, and with all the memories flooding back, they kissed.
They held onto each other wrapped in each other’s soul. They then got under the bed sheets and carried on with their loving embrace.
Grimes watched from his office CCTV monitor, elated. He had monitored, cultivated and nurtured this, using his proficient lifelong talent as a swindler and when he saw them kiss, he yelled aloud
“About bloody time, another few hours and it would have been a waste of time. Am I the best, oh yes! Crawford is the boy” he bragged and did a little jig around his office.
He then had the video technicians make a collage of pictures and clips, which would play continually on the screens in his office.
‘That should please Pon when he gets here, which should be soon. He thought and glanced at his watch.
He then went over to the technicians and insisted they checked the equipment over again for the next part of the operation.
The sat phone rang thirty minutes later and Grimes, who had been looking through more travel magazines and watching the collages and clips of Kim and Ca on his screens, answered.
“Hi Akhim everything on schedule” he shouted as he heard noisy rotors in the background.
“Of course” shouted Akhim “En route, be there in about an hour with our guests.”
Grimes then organised Mophi to get his unit into position, which seemed to cheer up Mophi as soon he would get to meet his new opponent in the flesh.
****
The commando spent the first few days scouting the centre around the tunnel mouth. He found the discarded corpse of Tuong. He’d decided the tunnel entrance would be the easiest and most surreptitious entry for a frontal attack.
The commando realised the plan had been aborted when Pon didn’t show for their rendezvous. However, he had no intention of leaving the zone. Two of his men had been killed and the two captured, who maybe still alive.
During the day he observed and monitored the entrance and planned ways to infiltrate unseen and attempt a rescue. Nightime he moved into the jungle to the start of the river, to a position which he knew would be out of range of the heat sensors. He built a shelter, hunted, ate, slept and prepared his additional weaponry.
He went to his daytime lookout position just after dawn broke and he felt the suns warmth, he’d had productive evenings with his tasks.
On the third day he saw several fuel drums being wheeled out of the tunnel and set out, hidden beneath the camouflaged canopy, it appeared as if they were expecting something. As the Vietnamese fuel crew stood and waited an amphibious vehicle exited the tunnel. Six men got out of the vehicle, laughing, shouting and ordering Vietnamese workers to check the fuel. One voice he recognised from the raid and execution of his troops. He stared as the intimidating man terrorised the Vietnamese with his contempt. The commando glared from his camouflaged position at this individual.
One man grabbed some aircraft direction paddles and started to view the sky towards the north.
After a few minutes the sound of rotors could be heard in the distance, one of the men pointed to a dot in the sky. The sound intensified and moments later, the helicopter hovered above the landing site. The batman directed the large M1-172, 19 seat Puma, to land and roll forward under the canopy and signalled to stop the engines.
The squad leader noticed the markings on the chopper. Helicopter Vietnam charter.
The rotors idled to a stop and Mophi gave the order for immediate refuelling, with enough fuel to take them the 40min flight across the border into Laos’s airspace.
Mophi knew they needed enough fuel to fly non-stop to Wattay Laos’s international airport where they would board Mohammed’s private jet to Saudi Arabia.
“We will soon be going home boys,” Mophi bellowed as the rotors finally came to a halt.
The mercenaries went to the side of the helicopter as the door was slid open. Akhim got out with Pons cloth bag slung over his shoulder and went over to speak with Mophi.
The mercenary’s readied their weapons as Mophi went to the side of the helicopter. Three individuals got out of the doorway with their hands tied behind their backs. They were lined up and as three mercenaries trained their weapons at the captive’s heads, the other three patted them up and down for concealed weapons. Mophi and Akhim stood back and watched. Mophi hadn’t taken his eyes