Mekong Dawn

  Where is he?

  The loneliness crept in on her and she felt the tendrils of fear snaking about her belly. She had only known the boy for a day, but his presence was a comfort to her and she longed for him to come back down the mooring line so they could hide in the jungle together.

  Reaching a decision, she slipped her arms around the mooring line and, with the agility of youth, shimmied along it and under the camouflage net. The hawser hole was in front of her and she peered through it onto the foredeck.

  A few ropes and chains were visible in the darkness and the wheelhouse appeared as a pale shape to her left. From where she clung to the mooring line it wasn’t possible to see down the companionways on either side of the wheelhouse so she adjusted her position for a better look. Something moved beyond the hawser hole, blocking her line of sight. Before she could even think of escaping, a hand grabbed her by the shirt and lifted her over the railing.

  ***

  Todd heard Soo-Li scream. The noise wasn’t more than five metres away, somewhere on the foredeck. The two gunmen jabbered with excitement. Then the girl’s voice in Khmer, a pleading tone that dissolved into frightened whimpering.

  There was absolutely nothing he could do to help her. Todd pushed himself as far under the console as possible as the men dragged their captive aft along the companionway. He listened to the noise fading and hoped like hell the girl would not tell them he was on the ship.

  He felt wetness on his face and realised there were tears rolling down his cheeks. Shaking his head, he dared not move a hand to wipe them away.

  ‘Oh, Soo-Li. You silly girl.’

  ***

  Ky sat in a swivel chair with his back to the door of the purser’s office, the diamonds spread on the desk before him giving off brilliant sparkles under the glow of a penlight. There was a safe in the corner of the office, the door hanging ajar after the purser had removed the passengers’ passports. But Ky did not want to trust the diamonds to a safe where he was not the sole holder of the combination. He had no idea how many members of the crew could access the safe besides the purser. No, the diamonds were too valuable to be trusted to a mere safe. He kept them in an ammunition pouch on his webbing belt and only took them out in the brief moments he found himself alone so that he could marvel at them and dream of what they would provide for the cause, convinced the little stones on the desk would propel the movement to greatness.

  Heavy footfalls moved down the companionway and he scooped the diamonds into the baize bag then dropped them into the ammunition pouch and did up the flap. He had not shown or mentioned the diamonds to his men; they were all common thieves and pirates and could never be trusted. Nor had he told Malko of the existence of the diamonds. Their only communications since the colonel had left the ship had been by mobile phone, and Ky had no way of knowing how secure the transmissions were or who might be listening in at the other end. He would show Malko the diamonds when the colonel returned to the Mekong Dawn. Malko would know how best to use them.

  The footfalls stopped outside the office door. There came a discreet knock. Ky opened the door to reveal two of his men standing there, a young girl slung between them by her arms. The girl struggled against her captors and looked up at Ky through fear-filled eyes.

  ‘What have we here?’

  ‘We found her trying to sneak aboard. She was looking for someone.’

  Ky took a handful of the girl’s hair and forced her head back. ‘She is from the little boat we ambushed today. She was with another man, a Westerner. They escaped into the swamps.’ He twisted the hair so that the girl cried out, taking delight in the child’s whimpering.

  ‘Why were you sneaking aboard? Where is the other one you escaped with?’

  The large, dark eyes filled with tears but the girl remained silent.

  Ky twisted harder. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘The other man is dead. He was wounded in the shooting and he died in the jungle.’

  ‘You are lying.’ Ky tightened his grip.

  The girl cried out, ‘No! He is dead. He died in the jungle.’

  ‘Why did you come to the ship? Who were you looking for?

  ‘I am hungry. I came looking for food. I could smell the cooking.’

  Ky held her and considered her words. The child kept her face screwed up, her eyes looking down in a show of submission.

  ‘What were you doing here in the swamps?’

  ‘We came to collect firewood from the jungles on the mountain.’

  ‘We?’

  ‘My father and me.’

  ‘Where is your father now?’

  Now the eyes looked up. Her face was contorted with pain, but Ky caught the flash of hatred in those big, dark eyes.

  ‘You killed him today, in the boat with the policemen.’ She did not look away, and Ky knew she was telling the truth. He could see it in the depths of her eyes. This child wanted him dead for what he had done.

  He thrust her backwards and the girl would have sprawled onto her back if not for the grip of the two gunmen.

  ‘Put her with the passengers. Then search the ship and the jungle along the shoreline. Make sure her friend is truly dead and not hiding somewhere.’

  ***

  Nancy was surprised to see a young Asian girl dragged into the breezeway by her arms. The guards pushed her through the doorway and turned towards the trolley the catering staff had placed by the doors for Ky and his men. They ladled out two big bowls of noodles and walked aft without another glance into the dining room.

  The girl stood in the middle of the floor watching after them. Ang excused himself from the table and went to the girl.

  ‘Soo-Li?’

  The girl looked up at the policeman and her face crumpled into a mask of grief. She sobbed uncontrollably and Ang just stood there, staring down at her.

  Nancy pushed her chair back and went to the girl, squatting on the floor beside her.

  ‘Hello. My name is Nancy. Can you speak English?’

  The girl didn’t respond. Nancy reached out and placed a hand on her heaving shoulder. At the touch the girl looked up, her eyes big and wide and wet with tears. Nancy couldn’t resist. She pulled the girl to her and hugged her tight.

  ‘It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll protect you. You let me look after you.’

  The girl buried her face into Nancy’s shoulder.

  ‘Her name is Soo-Li. Ky killed her father when he captured me.’

  Nancy gave the policeman a nod and waved him back to the tables where the other passengers watched on.

  Soo-Li cried in Nancy’s arms. Nancy stroked her hair and spoke softly, telling her she would be safe with her, though she knew if the guards wanted to harm this girl there would be nothing she could do to prevent it. After several minutes the wracking sobs died away and the girl lifted her head. Nancy used a napkin to wipe away tears.

  ‘I do.’ The girl’s voice was soft and fragile.

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘I do speak English.’

  Nancy smiled at her. ‘Yes you do. You speak it very well. Are you hungry, sweetheart?’

  Soo-Li nodded and Nancy took her to the table and sat her on a chair. Then she went to the food trolley by the door and filled a clean bowl with noodles, placing it in front of Soo-Li.

  The girl ate ravenously, emptying the bowl in record time.

  ‘Would you like some more?’

  Soo-Li nodded. ‘Yes please.’

  Nancy refilled the bowl. When she returned, she sat beside Soo-Li.

  ‘I am so sorry about your father.’ She regretted her words instantly. The girl’s face screwed up a little, but she fought bravely to control her tears.

  ‘He was a good man.’

  ‘I’ll bet he was.’ Nancy quickly changed the subject. ‘How long since you last ate?’

  ‘Not since breakfast this morning.’ Soo-Li spoke around a mouthful of food.

  ‘Well, you eat up. There’s plenty more if you want it. I’m sure the guards won’t mi
nd.’

  Soo-Li smiled at her, a broad smile that filled her face with light.

  Nancy felt her heart melt.

  ***

  After dinner Tamko set his people to cleaning up the dining room. Without power and with no lights permitted outside of the windowless galley where the crew worked, most of the passengers settled onto their own little patches of floor around the walls.

  Nancy leant against the wall with Scott on one side and Soo-Li on the other. The girl lay on the floor with her head in Nancy’s lap. She could tell by the shallow breathing that Soo-Li had drifted off to sleep and she stroked the girl’s hair as she listened to the low buzz of conversation in the room.

  Scott and Fred were discussing the movements and number of gunmen with Ang.

  ‘There were twelve men all up when they boarded us.’ Scott was back to normal now the effects of his medication had worn off. ‘Malko remained on the ship until we tied up here, then he left in a RHIB with one man.’

  ‘To go and make his ransom demands from somewhere with a fax machine and an untraceable telephone.’ Ang swept his arm to encompass the whole ship. ‘What have Ky and the others been up to since he left?’

  Fred’s voice came out of the darkness. ‘Pretty much what you’ve seen since you’ve been here. They don’t see the crew as much of a threat. They let them use the galley to prepare and serve two meals a day. That purser fellow, Tamko, is marvellous the way he has his people working to our comfort. If it wasn’t for the guns and the fact we’re not allowed to leave the saloon, you’d think the cruise was going on as per normal.’

  ‘I don’t know how much longer the food will last,’ Collette added. ‘The fridges have been off for two days now and most of the frozen stuff has already thawed. It’s just noodles and dry food left, a few tins of stuff. The last time I went in the galley I reckon we’ve got maybe two more days before the food runs out.’

  Sanika shuffled past in the darkness and collected the food trolley from near the breezeway door then pushed it back towards the dim light in the galley.

  Ang watched the trolley as it passed. ‘Do the guards always eat what we eat?’

  Scott replied, ‘They have the past two nights – and in the morning as well, come to think of it. Tamko feeds the passengers from one trolley and the guards from another. But I think it’s all cooked together.’

  ‘It is,’ Collette’s voice confirmed. ‘Without power, and with just one gas stove, the cooks only have a limited space for cooking.’

  Nancy heard movement beyond Fred and Collette. A few moments later a shadowy figure loomed over her. Ang was standing before her.

  The policeman squatted on his heels. ‘How’s the girl?’

  ‘Sleeping. The poor thing is exhausted.’

  ‘She will be fine. You are taking good care of her.’ He remained silent and Nancy sensed he had something further to ask.

  ‘Mrs Morris?’

  Nancy had told the policeman to call her by her given name, but he seemed incapable of informality.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Do you have anything in your medicines that are poisonous? Something that will take the guards out if we put it in their food?’

  Nancy thought for a moment, her mind running through the available medications. ‘Nothing that will kill them. There is a powerful sedative that belongs to one of the passengers. It won’t knock them out cold, but it will make them groggy.’

  ‘Groggy?’

  ‘Really sleepy.’

  ‘It will slow their ability to react quickly?’

  ‘You bet. If we get enough of it into their food they won’t be able to stay on their feet. Kind of like being really drunk.’

  ‘How long does it take to affect someone?’

  ‘Everyone’s different. But for the average person… say, twenty minutes. There are enough tablets that, if crushed up and put in the food, will be sufficient to affect them all.’

  Scott spoke up. ‘There’s just one problem with that. The guards don’t all eat at the same time. The ones in the breezeway and some of the off-duty chaps eat as the food is served, but the others can sometimes take up to thirty minutes before they front up for chow, and they usually disappear to other parts of the ship. We won’t be able to jump them all together.’

  ‘It’s worth a try though. Better than waiting for that murderous bastard to come back and finish us off.’ A voice from farther along the wall. Nancy didn’t recognise the speaker.

  ‘Yeah, it’s worth taking the chance.’ A different voice. Several more piped up in agreement. It seemed to Nancy that every passenger within earshot was keen on the idea. No one wanted to wait around for Malko to decide what to do with them now the governments had refused to pay the ransom.

  ‘So, if we only take out the guards in the breezeway, what then. It will be a hell of a fight trying to take back the ship.’ Scott was the only one who didn’t like the idea.

  ‘Then we get everyone ashore.’ Ang wasn’t giving up on his plan so easily. ‘We find a place where we can hide and defend ourselves and we wait for help. I have a team of men in a boat out there somewhere, looking for us. It will only be a matter of time before they shift their focus to the north side of Tonle Sap.’

  ‘But where will we hide?’ Scott countered. ‘From what I’ve seen this island is nothing but jungle. These guys are ex-jungle fighters. We’re just a bunch of tourists and most of us are of retirement age. They’ll hunt us down in no time.’

  A few voices came out of the darkness, some agreeing with Scott and some offering argument. A soft, angelic voice quieted them all.

  ‘I know a place where we can hide.’

  Nancy felt the girl’s head lift off her lap.

  ‘There’s a place in the jungle. An ancient temple. It has high walls and only one small entrance.’

  ‘This could be just the kind of place we need.’ Ang’s voice carried true excitement. ‘A couple of men with guns could hold off an army if the girl is right.’

  ‘I am right.’ The tiny voice sounded indignant. Nancy placed a hand on Soo-Li’s shoulders.

  ‘Sounds like we have a plan.’ Fred offered his agreement. ‘When are we going to do this?’

  ‘I think with the morning meal,’ Ang said. ‘We need to be out of here before Malko returns. He will start killing people just out of spite.’

  Chapter Twenty-four

  A torch beam played along the walkway, a spot of gleaming yellow light, and Todd pressed himself under the control console. He had not moved for so long that his leg muscles burned with the fire of cramps and his right calf shuddered in constant spasms. Gritting his teeth, he accepted the pain and waited.

  Footsteps followed behind the beam. They approached the starboard door to the wheelhouse and stopped. The beam played through the broken window, over the console and across the deck. It stopped momentarily on the dead body of the captain then moved on, crossing the rear bulkhead. Todd watched the circle of light out of the corner of his eye and saw it pause on a red-painted box fixed to the bulkhead. The beam disappeared and footsteps moved out onto the foredeck. Vague light flickered about, washing through the shattered windscreen. Then the footsteps and the light moved aft down the port walkway.

  Todd waited five minutes, partly to give the searcher time to move away and partly to summon up the courage to move. He crawled out from under the console and stood in the darkness, trying to ease his cramped legs back to life. Through the starboard window he could see more torches moving through the jungle along the shoreline, also heading aft.

  Judging his only moment of escape had come, he slid the starboard door open and scanned the walkway. There was nothing but darkness and he was about to slip out onto the foredeck when he remembered the red-painted box on the rear bulkhead. The box was right near his head. He had missed it when he entered the wheelhouse and only the beam of the torch had made him aware of it now.

  Todd reached up and felt the box. It had a simple snib that he fumbled with for a
moment then pulled the door open. It was far too dark to see inside so he used his fingers to explore the contents. There were metallic tubes, like small deodorant cans, lined up in holes along a shelf. Beyond the tubes he discovered something that felt like a leather purse. It had a flap folded over the top with a press stud holding it closed. He lifted the purse from the shelf, undid the press stud and felt inside. His fingers closed around a pistol grip.

  A gun!

  Todd drew the weapon from its holster. It felt heavy in his hand, heavier than he expected. By touch he examined the trigger guard and trigger, feeling along the short, stubby barrel. There was something strange about this pistol, something different from a normal firearm. The barrel was far too thick, like a piece of water pipe. Then his fingers found the catch above the trigger guard and the barrel flipped downwards, opening the breach like a shotgun and he knew what this pistol was.

  A flare gun.

  Todd felt back along the shelf and found the metallic cylinders. He lifted one out and slid it into the breach, snapping it closed. The flare gun was now loaded. It was no Glock or .38 Special, but he felt a little comfort at the weight of it in his hand. He slid the pistol into the right pocket of his board shorts then stuffed as many flares as he could into the left.

  Now he felt along the bottom shelf of the cabinet. There were books of some kind, but it was too dark to see what they were. Maybe emergency procedures, maybe last month’s Playboy. He kept going and felt something hard and oblong lying in the bottom. This object was about twenty centimetres long, ten wide and five deep. It had a short protrusion at one end and several small dials. Todd’s heart pounded with excitement as he realised what it was.

  A walkie-talkie radio.

  This one was probably used as portable communications if the captain should need to move about the vessel in an emergency. He turned one of the dials. A small screen glowed to life on the front of the walkie-talkie. The display showed full battery power and two words:

  MARINE EMERGENCY.

  Todd moved to the starboard doorway and checked the companionway. It was clear, so he went back to the port side. This companionway was also empty and he decided to take a chance, pressing the transmit button.

  ‘Hello. This is Todd McLean aboard the Mekong Dawn. Can anyone hear me?’