Brigadier Lee Tangh was a worried man. He had returned with Kim to the Royal Palace the previous afternoon and had a pointless discussion with his brother, Kim’s father, which had resulted in a slanging match
Kim was going to marry Tighe and that was that, her fiancé had already paid a $100,000 dowry, which the family were not prepared to return.
Lee, faced a series of quandary’s being Kim’s uncle. He had both fear and loathing of her fiancé, Colonel Tighe Nye, and knew the damage to the royal family that Nye would cause, should his involvement with Pon ever be found out. He was well aware that Tighe had a ruthless and vindictive nature. Lee’s major concern was that peace between the two royal families and country’s had to be maintained and he had chosen to side with, and help, Pon, although he realised that this could be a risky decision, but he also knew Kim was in love with someone, and it certainly wasn’t Tighe.
Lee had figured out it had been Pon during his stay at his house, when he noticed the way they’d looked at each other His suspicions were confirmed on the drive back with Kim to Phnom Penh and he said.
“Chai is a nice man, and I hope he will be Okay.”
Kim never replied and started to cry. Lee put two and two together and asked
“Is he the one you love?”
Again Kim wept, but through her tears mumbled,
“Yes, and his name is Pon.”
Lee could see how sad and unhappy his niece seemed and he became determined to stop the wedding with Tighe and assured Kim that everything would be fine,
They were both aware that Tighe was a dangerous man and assumed Pon was only an escort for the Thai prince However Lee reminded Kim about Pons two foreign bodyguards, especially the giant Spock, who had met Lee when they had driven back his driver.
Lee became anxious when his friend Lieutenant-Colonel Pagna from immigration had called to warn him that Tighe knew about the Thai Prime master entering Cambodia and wanted to know whether Lee knew anything about it. Lee lied to Pagna and said he knew nothing. That’s when he phoned Pon to warn him. Lieutenant-Colonel Pagna was a good friend of Lee, who also tolerated Tighe because he was afraid of him. Pagna had told him that he had been invited to Tighe’s wedding but wouldn’t go, to which Lee replied if it wasn’t for the fact Kim was his niece, neither would he, and unless he could stop it going ahead, he was committed.
‘Maybe Pagna could help me in another matter that will kill two birds with one stone and I hope Pon is successful and soon, because now there was a deadline.”
****
The successful Pon, his hands bound behind the back of a chair in Norman’s office, where Tar, Tighe Norm and Boran stared at him.
“What does he want?” Norm asked Tighe.
“I want what belongs to my country” interrupted Pon and he received a blow to the face from Tighe.
“Stop that!” said Norm and asked Pon “What do you want?”
Pon spat some blood out of his mouth and replied that he was trying to trace the holy relic
Norman listened and turned to Tighe, “Son, I thought you said the Thais gave permission for us to borrow it.”
Tighe went on to explain about the Thais refusal and he knew how important that obtaining the box had been to Norman, and he only wanted to swap the box temporarily and he assured Norm that he planned to replace it later.
“Now we have a problem, what do we do with him?” asked Norman.
“He knows about the citadel” said Tighe
Norm then went to his drawer and removed the relic and placed it on the table.
“If I give you this, will you keep this place a secret?” Norm asked.
Pon thought for a moment, in order to keep this secret meant having to conceal the truth about how he had recovered the relic. Pon looked at the old New Zealander. He knew Norman was not involved in the theft.
“Yes,” said Pon.
“He’s lying,” snapped Tighe “he cannot keep this secret, he is a Buddhist monk, who works for the revered King of Thailand and he dare not lie to him,”
Tighe went on
“This man is a ruthless killer we know that he murdered a friend of mine last year, even though Andrew’s body has never been found. He doesn’t deserve to live,” Tighe sneered.
Norm listened to Tighe and the confused old man sat in his chair not knowing what to do.
“I have an idea” exclaimed Boran and he whispered in Norm’s ear.
“Of course” said Norm “that may just work”
Norman got on the citadels internal phone system and a few minutes later Norm Junior entered the room with a small Petri dish and a needle.
“I need to take a sample of your blood,” Norm told Pon.
“This is crazy,” said an angry, frustrated Tighe we have to kill him and bury him along with his belongings”
“We don’t kill anybody,” said Norm “we have an alternative.”
Norm Junior took the blood sample and the three scientists left the room, this would take all of them to execute the plan and operate the machines.
“Don’t harm him,” said Norm “we will be only about thirty minutes,” and left the room.
Tar went through Pon’s bag and threw his belongings on the desk and looked at Pon’s phone.
“Try and get his contacts in Cambodia,” ordered Tighe “we can kill him later, and the traitors who helped him.”
Tar went through the Nokia’s contacts list and after a minute Tar stopped and held the phone to Tighe.
“Sir, you'd better look at this”
Tighe took the phone, looked and he turned red with rage.
“How did you get this photo?” he spat at Pon and showed him the screen and one of the many photo’s Pon had taken in Lees garden of Kim
Pon stared at his beloved Kim, and knew if he told Tighe who she was, she would be in grave danger.
Tighe smashed his fist into Pons face again and repeated the question. Pon remained silent. Tighe flew into a rage
“He dies now,” he snapped, “Untie his legs and get him to his feet,” he punched Pon again in the face, as Tar cut the binds to his legs and torso and dragged him to his feet. Tighe pressed a button underneath the cave CCTV monitor and they shoved Pon out into the corridor, Tar carried Pon’s bag and, pointing their pistols at Pons back, pushed him forward and into the citadel grounds. They walked towards the caves cargo elevator at the side of the precipice, half a kilometre away.
****
The intrepid fishermen and bodyguards to the defender of the monarch of Thailand had been falling and stumbling around some rocks, with their fishing gear and hesky, following Spocks shortcut
“What happened to that river meandering around the back of here” groaned Stu, as once again his flip flop had got caught in yet another hole.
“Just around this pile matey, I can hear the waterfalls,” said Spock reassuringly.
“I can’t hear fuck all,” said Stu.
“That’s why they call me Spock, with ears like mine, I can hear a gnat fart at 200 yards,” he continued, to lighten the mood.
They crawled around the mound and there it was! Yet another mound of rocks.
“Oh great, more bloody rocks,” said Stu.
“Look matey there’s a cave,” said Spock as he pointed between the rocks.
“And are there fish in a cave then, humm?” said a sarcastic Stu.
“No but we can explore and maybe find an underground lake, or even treasure,” said a cheerful, glass half full, optimistic Spock.
“Yeah or be attacked by bears, or step in bat shit,” replied a glass half empty, but logical, Stu.
They walked to the cave entrance, put the cooler box down and took out two beers,
“And we only have four beers left,” said Stu, panicking.
They sat down and drank beer. Stu then got up and walked into the cave about twenty yards and called back to Spock.
“It’s a dead end and bloody dark” which echoed in the cave
Spock carried on drinking, Stu came back and joined him.
“Shall we call it a day matey?” asked Spock
“That’s the most sensible thing you have said all day, but we are still lost, so we’d better head back and try to find our way home.”
Might as well finish off the last two beers” said Spock and they cracked open two more Anchor cans.
“So much for an adventure,” said a pissed off Stu
Suddenly they became interrupted by a grinding and whirring noise emanating from the rear of the cave.
“Bear!” shouted Spock and the two lads ran out of the cave mouth and hid behind some rocks.
“Are there bears in Cambodia?” whispered Stu, looking back into the cave.
“Buggered if I know,” said Spock as he peered inside.
The rear of the cave was bathed in light and the two lads looked on in shock.
“It looks like the back opened up.” Said Stu baffled
They came out of their hiding place, walked into the cave and went toward the light, telescopic rods in hand. They cautiously wandered through the cave and, as they drew near the end noticed a ridge that dropped down. They walked to the edge of the precipice and their jaws dropped as the stood and looked over the citadel and its inhabitants.
“Wow!” said Stu this place is incredible.
“I wonder where it is on the tourist map” enquired Spock.
They gazed around and Spock noticed three figures approaching the wall beneath them. Spock looked confused at Stu and asked,
“What’s shithead doing down there?”
Norman and Boran returned to his office carrying a syringe, and found it empty, except for the discarded bonds.
They noticed the cave screen had been opened and saw on a CCTV cave monitor, a large man in a daft hat and a smaller man gazing into their abyss.
“Damn,” thought Norman and called to Boran and the rest of team who came rushing in.
In the confusion nobody had heard the blood curdling scream coming from the hospital room and a weak but panicky Nick replicant emerge from the room in absolute terror. He had also seen the cave monitor and the two figures emerge into the light of the camera, carrying what appeared to be weapons and walking toward the entrance. His memory had not fully returned and all he knew that these two had been embedded in his psyche as people who had endangered him before and it now appeared they were coming to cause him harm again. His in-depth fear took hold, and like a child imagining that he was being stalked by bogeymen, the replicant stood in the corridor his head nearly exploding, he knew he must escape. He noticed the lit elevator and side controls, but no elevator only the raised stone, which he could not understand how to use, he did however know how to climb a ladder and ran toward the emergency escape route and climbed up into the small compartment that led out under the grave slab and into the hot afternoon air.
He surveyed the temple and noticed a small dark area behind a small recessed wall and he ran behind the wall.
He spotted a large dry empty well, about ten foot in circumference and approximately six feet deep, He jumped into the well, His body pulsing with fear and pain, he curled up into a ball and rocked like a child, while his new body recovered.
Norman, Boran, Junior and a technician ran into the citadel, just as three figures went into the elevator at the base of the cave wall someway in the distance.
“Damn and blast,” said Norman.
The intercom was only one way from the cave to the citadel, so there was no way to let Tighe know that two foreigners were in the cave and so he had only one course of action.
He gave Norman Junior and a technician each a rifle from his office and instructed them to try to stop Tighe. They got into a side monorail and accelerated along the side tracks, gaining speed as they ascended upwards and along toward the sentry ports.
****
After seeing Pon being led at gunpoint in their direction, towards an elevator, Bewildered, Spock and Stu were unsure what to do, moved away from the ledge and up against the dark cave wall.
“What shall we do”? Asked Stu.
“Matey, we fight, after all we are warriors from Cleethorpes and Pon’s our mate” boasted a proud Spock.
“Matey they had guns” stated Stu.
“Yeah you’re right, let’s just fuck off” said Spock and started to walk away.
“Come back here,” said Stu and Spock returned.
“Only joking,” said Spock trying to lighten the situation.
“Have you got a plan?” Spock asked expecting Stu to come up with a foolproof idea that would save them all.
“Nope,” said Stu, “let’s just wing it.”
Tighe shoved Pon down to his knees on the elevator floor. Tighe and Tar got into the elevator, the doors slid shut, the elevator rose, and after a short ride reached, the cave level and the doors opened. They pulled Pon to his feet and shoved him out of the large elevator into the cave. Tighe and Tar violently shoved him ahead and followed behind with pistols pointing at his back. They walked on oblivious to Stu and Spock hiding in the shadows. As the three walked by Spock and Stu they stepped out behind Tar and Tighe and bashed them on the heads with two large rocks. Both Tighe and Tar stumbled, but quickly regained their composure, as Stu and Spock knocked the guns out of their hands with the rocks, followed by a large right hook to the chin of Tighe by Spock and a head butt on the bridge of Tars nose by Stu. Pon somersaulted through the air and jumped through his bonds, now reversed, he fumbled through his bag that Tar had dropped. Tighe and Tar fought back and the Colonel punched Spocks face and knocked off his hat. That enraged Spock and after few harder blows, he knocked the Colonel into cuckoo land.
Stu hadn’t faired so well, Tar was a martial arts specialist and a commando and struck Stu with a high knee to the face, which made Stu lose his balance and fell with Tar straddled on top of him. Tar quickly recovered and started to choke Stu. Pon recovered his Glave, sprang out the blades and sliced through his bonds. He looked at Spock who stood over the unconscious colonel. He then turned his attention to Stu and saw Tar choking his friend. Pon somersaulted over Tar and in a flash, pierced the nape of his neck with his razor sharp Glave and pushed it into his medulla oblongata killing him instantly. This took a slit second and Pon landed on his feet and surveyed the carnage.
Stu rolled Tar off him and assumed that his initial head butt must have had a delayed effect. He stood over Tar and kicked him in the ribs and pointed at the lifeless body.
“Don’t fuck with the Brits,” he yelled at the stone dead Tar, not noticing the pool of blood now soaking into the cave floor. Pon went over to the fallen Tighe who had started to regain consciousness, but a clubbing mauler off Spock sent him back to sleep.
“Thank you my friends” Pon hugged Stu and Spock. He then walked to the edge of the precipice.
“We must get down to the ground floor and over there” he said, pointing to the laboratory and hospital complex. The holy relic was there and they have Nick held prisoner”
“Nick!” said a startled Spock and Stu in unison “why have they kidnapped Nick?”
Pon couldn’t answer, so he instructed Stu and Spock to get into the elevator and told the lads that he would restrain Tighe and Tar. The two lads did as instructed, they were both knackered.
“Just give us a yell if you need any help” shouted Stu as Pon dragged the lifeless body of Tar passed the elevator, Stu and Spock sat in the elevator exhausted and wished they had brought more beer with them
“That won’t be necessary,” shouted Pon as he stood over the colonel. Pon grabbed Tighes head and with a sharp twist snapped Tighe’s neck and heaved his body on top of Tars.
He went into his bag and took out his wharm Lorn mixture and spread the mixture over the bodies, gave a short blessing for a quick and safe journey to Nirvana. Then lit the mix with his lighter (he went modern). He never used the gold filings to direct the blast heavenwards, as he realised this could bring down the caves ceiling.
He quickly ran to the elevator and closed the door.
“What was that?” exclaimed Stu just before the elevator door fully closed
“What?” said Spock?
“That flash,” said Stu pointing at the now closed door
“I didn’t see anything,” mentioned Spock who now felt something different on the top of his head.
“I‘ve left my hat,” he gasped
“Never mind my friend we can get it later” reassured Pon as the lift started to descend.
Norman and Boran looked at the screen in horror as Pon broke Tighe’s neck and they became blinded for a moment as the wharm Lorn ignited and evaporated Tar and Tighe’s bodies, fishing gear, hesky, guns, and Spock’s hat. Then the cameras went black as the powerful mix blew them to pieces.
Norm’s office went silent and after a few seconds, Norm spoke,
“What have we done?”
“Maybe it’s god’s way of telling us to slow down, maybe the world isn’t ready for a new prophet,” murmured a sad Boran.
“Maybe your right my old friend, what have I become” Norm wiped the tears from his eyes
“Goodbye my son,” he whispered and at the black screen and started to weep
He said a silent prayer and waited to see what would happen next. They didn’t have to wait long as Srey Dar burst into the office.
“Professor,” said the out of breath teacher
“The clone has disappeared. I had only been gone for a few minutes to see what the commotion was and when I went back to his room he had vanished.
The old professors looked at each other.
“He can’t be far,” said Dar “I will look around”
She hurried out into the citadel shouting “Lord Buddha.”
“God’s will” whispered Boran.
The elevator stopped and Pon peered out. Some people had gathered in the pastures and a few milled around looking above the cave wall where a few moments ago they’d seen a terrific light illuminated the cave and now became focused on the lift as the three cautiously stepped out.
They headed towards the laboratory complex and saw a woman in the distance shouting for Buddha.
“Look at this place” said Stu it’s incredible.
“Yeah I wonder what it is,” said Spock, followed by: “Ouch something just stung me!”
“What?” said Stu “ouch!”
Spock fell to the ground unconscious followed quickly by Stu. Pon spun around and looked for where the silenced shots had come from. He spotted a glint from the rocks above him, just before he was darted in the shoulder and also fell unconscious. The citadel occupants carried the three unconscious men to the laboratory area and into the hospital ward. They bound them to beds and Norman took blood samples and entered instructions into Theory. Norman Junior added extra instructions to Theory for one of the men’s new RNA recipe. ‘The man killed my brother he will have a constant reminder,’ he thought.
Theory set about sequencing and making instructions for the oven.
****
Search parties set out looking for the Nick replicant and after a few hours of searching around the cave and temple they gave up for the day, as the sun had started to set. Other members of the citadel started erecting screens around the hospital corridors and laboratory leaving a lit corridor leading to the temple elevator.
The Nick replicant had remained in the same position for a few hours in the dark well. He had heard people moving around earlier within the temple, but now silence
The lads had started to come around when Norman entered the room. They never spoke, as Norman and an assistant injected them in the nape of their necks and arm. The anaesthetic in their arms sent them back into a deep, but temporary sleep. They awoke with a start at the same time, moments later.
“Where are we?” said Spock as they all surveyed their surrounds. They appeared to be in a small lit corridor, walled in by white metal walls on three sides, they saw the metal ladder and a control panel to the side.
“I came in this way,” said Pon “that’s the elevator Tar had used.”
They went over and looked at the control panel. Two monitors where situated on the outside, one showed the elevator pad in the temple and who wanted to come down. The other gave a wide view of the temple and showed any people inside the main temple. The control panel had two buttons, marked with arrows pointing up or down.
“What about Nick and the relic?” asked Stu
“Mate we don’t even know where we are, besides the car could be miles away, but if we find that, we can work out how to get here again and rescue him,” replied Spock
“That makes sense, let’s go,” instructed Stu with the other two in agreement.
They got on the slab and pressed the up button, the lift slowly ascended.
The replicant had not heard anything for some, so, he climbed up and peered out from his recess, dusk had set. He had no plans he didn’t know anything, but felt hungry and started to climb out of the well. Startled, he heard a clunking noise as the elevator floor rose. He stared curiously at the large round object now rising up from the floor, followed by two smaller round objects as Pon and Stu’s head also came into view. Frozen with fear, this shock was too much for the newly formed human to take. He stared in horror at the rising figures of his executioners and his new and unready body shut down. He felt a sudden sharp piercing pain in his head as his brains main blood vessel exploded, and killed him, instantly. His body stumbled backwards falling arse over tit back into the well, returning him into the oblivion from where he had not so long ago arrived.
The three lads, oblivious to the demise of the poor unfortunate creature, ran out of the temple, as dusk started to lose its turn to twilight. Pon found his bike and helmet, but the lads could not get their bearings and now had splitting headaches and wanted to sleep.
“Come on” Pon said as he drove up to his confused friends and Spock told him
“We don’t know where the car is, it certainly isn’t around here, and we had been in thick jungle.
They walked over to Tighe’s Hummer, the door was locked, but they had better luck with Tars Toyota Tiger parked nearby, he had left the passenger door open and the two lads got in. Their heads now felt like they were on fire, Spock broke off the ignition lock with a rock and pulled the two wires of the starter out. The Tiger roared to life and they pulled away.
“Didn’t know I could break into cars did you matey?” gloated Spock.
“Yes mate, you told me before that your mum taught you” replied Stu, “Now step on it, I have a blinding headache.”
“Me too,” said Spock “and I feel dizzy and sleepy, they must have drugged us.
“Oh, no shit Einstein!” said a sarcastic Stu.
They got back to the hotel about thirty minutes later and walked Zombie like to the reception, the manager mumbled something about Nick, but it was just a garbled noise. They picked up their keys and went to their rooms and fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillow, Pon had never even removed his crash helmet.