The information that the Thailand CIA team had been able to glean from informants wasn’t promising, and contradicted itself in as many places as it agreed. The only thing for certain was that she would need to get to Bangkok sooner than later and do her own nosing around. Which was how the last team had discovered the lead that directed them into the jungle, even if the ultimate outcome had been disastrous.
As she lay on the bed in the dark, staring at the ceiling, a whirlwind of possible approaches ran through her mind. Eventually she closed her eyes and pushed the rush of ideas to the side, replacing them with the image of her daughter laughing delightedly in her car seat, oblivious to her role as a pawn in a deadly chess game.
Her last thoughts as she drifted to sleep were of David, confessing his betrayal as his life seeped from him on the deck of the Russian’s mega-yacht, his strained apology an inadequate lullaby to accompany her slumber.
The following afternoon, Arthur tipped the brim of his hat in greeting and took a seat opposite Jet, who ignored the formality and cut straight to the chase.
“I want to be in Bangkok within twenty-four hours. I’ll need twenty-five grand in cash, a debit card that will allow me to withdraw another seventy-five and a contact there who can get me weapons and anything else I need,” Jet instructed. There was no point lingering at the safe house when all paths led to Thailand.
Arthur regarded her impassively, nodding as she outlined her requirements.
“So you are ready to get started. Good.”
“My big problem is that what you’ve supplied is all but useless for finding the target or understanding what his true defenses are, which means I need to dig around on the ground there and see what I can stir up. And that will require time and money.”
“As I said, we have money. Time isn’t in such a generous supply.”
“What’s the rush?”
“I’m receiving pressure over this regrettable incident, and my superiors want the matter concluded. They don’t have the same appreciation of the delicacy of the dynamics that we do.”
“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m not going to go charging into a situation I know nothing about. If you’re in such a hurry, how about finding out where his camp is? Then all I need to do is figure out the logistics of the assault.”
“Yes. All you need to do.” Arthur sighed and brushed lint from one knee of his expensive slacks. “Believe me, if I could have supplied you with more helpful intelligence, I would have. The limitations of the area are as frustrating to me as they are to you.”
“With an important difference. I’m the one who is going to have to risk my life in the jungle. You’re going to be monitoring it on a screen, safe, halfway across the world.”
“We all have our roles in this. I shall get you everything you require and arrange for a hospitality committee upon your arrival.”
“No. I want to limit the number of people who know anything about this. I’ll need a satellite phone to reach you. Beyond that, I only want to meet the ranking agent in Thailand. Nobody else. You have no idea what kind of reach the target has there. He was in place for a decade. In a tightly knit society like the Asian criminal syndicates, I have to believe that he’s got as good or better a network than you have. Anyone could tip him off. I’d rather not be the latest body to be discovered in a ditch somewhere.”
Arthur nodded and rose with effort from the sofa, taking care to adjust the rake of the white fedora perched on his head. In the late afternoon light, he resembled nothing so much as a mottled pink moray eel in a creme-colored suit and hat. Thankfully, his reptilian eyes were shielded behind a pair of dark sunglasses.
“It shall be as you wish. I’ll arrange for a first-class ticket to Thailand on the next flight out and have an operative bring over the cash and the card. The phone will be in Bangkok when you arrive. I’ll leave it to you to decide where you want to stay.”
“Perfect.”
“Your passport and things are all there.” He motioned at the small package he’d placed on the table when he’d arrived. “I do hope you’re successful with this. I really don’t bear you any ill will. This is strictly business, and you are helping me solve an embarrassing problem. I’ll keep my end of the bargain. A million dollars and your child back, no further strings.”
Jet didn’t believe him for a second, but said nothing. She was sure he would try to betray her once the mission was concluded. That’s how his type operated. She wondered idly whether he thought she believed him, then decided it didn’t really matter.
“Well, then,” Arthur said. “I suppose this will be the last time I see you until your triumphant return. Good luck. Contact me for anything you need.” He stepped to the front door. “There’s a contact protocol in with your ID. Blind e-mail, my dedicated scrambled line. All the usual.”
“I’ll be waiting for the courier,” Jet said, anxious to be rid of him. She had a difficult time keeping herself from hurtling across the room and tearing out his throat when she was in his presence. If he sensed that, he showed no indication.
Jet watched as he took careful steps down to the street and slid into his waiting car, the driver holding the rear door open for him before trotting around and climbing behind the wheel. When the car pulled off, she felt a palpable sense of relief.
The package contained everything. She methodically scrutinized the contact information and committed it to memory, absently rubbing the spot on her arm where the chip had been recently implanted. She went to pack.
It would be a while before the courier would arrive, but Jet wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice.
Chapter 10
Jet peered out through the window as the huge plane banked over the Gulf of Thailand on final approach to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, on the outskirts of the city. The serpentine brown of the Chao Phraya River poured its polluted rush into the sea, turning the blue water gray as it pervaded the coast. One of the region’s near-constant cloudbursts had just rolled through, and the runway was slick with evaporating moisture as the wheels struck the tarmac and the behemoth decelerated down the long, black strip.
A buzz of energy circulated the cabin as the jet taxied to the stainless steel and glass terminal. The flight had been a long and turbulent one, and the travelers were glad to be on the ground. About half appeared to be Thais returning home, and the others were tourists or business travelers, groggy and restless after nearly eighteen hours of flight time from Los Angeles.
Even before the flight attendants opened the fuselage door, the atmosphere had changed to the exotic. Small differences in the way the passengers interacted with each other hinted at social norms that were markedly different than in the Western world. The Thais executed small bows from the waist with their palms pressed together to each other as they terminated their in-flight discussions and reached to help with overhead bags. She had spent the flight immersed in a primer on the culture, and the wai was one of the first items discussed — a bow that was combination traditional greeting, farewell, and ‘thank you’ gesture. One of the countless ways that Thailand was different. She would need to adapt quickly to the culture if she was going to fit in.
The language would also be a problem for her. She didn’t speak Thai, but her reading had assured her that many natives in larger metropolitan areas spoke English due to the massive tourism trade that catered to English-speaking visitors from New Zealand and Australia, as well as from the United States and England — many of whom came to Thailand for sex tourism — a libidinous attraction the country was infamous for.