Goodbye Nick
THE POLICE HAD COMPLETED their investigation of Nick's corpse. They released it to his wife-to-be. Myrtle had no experience in dealing with a Buddhist funeral. She left all the arrangements in Skylab's capable hands.
A Buddhist funeral can take many forms. The length of the whole process varies. Usually, the higher the status in society or how well respected the dead person was, the longer the ceremony is. In Nickʼs case, like their friend, the guesthouse owner, there would be prayers on the first few days. Then, the final day would see the cremation; in Nickʼs case, they decided upon three days. Nine monks would chant prayers twice a day, morning and evening, for the first two days. On the third day, they would cremate the body. Crying at the ceremony is discouraged, as it could upset the spirit as it leaves its body.
Skylab arranged a meeting with the Abbot to go over each stage. Everything was meeting expectations until the coffin was reached. Skylab could see a problem here. They summoned the coffin maker.
'How big is your biggest coffin?' asked Skylab. It turned out that no coffins in this town or neighbouring towns were large enough for the job.
'If the ready-made coffins are not big enough, then I can make one larger, I can do it quickly.'
That was fine until the Abbot said he was not worried about the coffin being big enough for the body. The body, with or without the coffin, would not fit into the oven!
'Then why donʼt we make the body smaller?' suggested the coffin supply man. The Abbot would not hear of this idea.
'I will build a pyre next to the oven like we used to do years ago.' They agreed to this suggestion.
Black phoned Kev to let him know Skip would send his men to apprehend Pi Meow.
'It would be a good idea if the group that went to Prachuabkhirikhan was off the streets until they take Pi Meow in.'
Kev thanked him for the advice.
'I will round them all up; everyone can stay at the office until they give the all-clear. We can spend the time talking and planning the funeral. Can you and Skip attend?'
Kev went to the French girl's beach house to warn them about Pi Meowʼs arrest. They were happy to be with other people. Both girls looked nervous, and Kev wondered why. Surely it was unlikely anything could happen? He left the girls at the office while he went to see Charlie.
'No thanks, Kev. We have had enough excitement recently; we can stay here at home. We will attend the funeral on the final day.'
Skylab had spoken to her cousins already; they were all in the office.
Emma was not sure how Myrtle would react when they met again. Myrtle was in the shower upstairs, she wanted to freshen up. She dried herself and dressed. Myrtle did not feel like wearing makeup. Now she was ready to meet the world, she badly wanted to apologise to Emma for her behaviour. Myrtle was coming down the stairs as Kev had his hand on the doorknob, opening the front door. The two movements took Emma's concentration, looking from one to the other. She thought either Myrtle was about to hit her again or Pi Meow was entering the office. Whatever, she ducked as a reflex action. That movement saved her life.
The first shot went through the door.
The AK-47 kicked in the gunman's hand, the bullet went inches over Emma's head.
Skip's men were turning left from the main road onto the road past Kevʼs office when they heard the first shot. The driver looked up, saw what was happening, and pressed the accelerator hard to the floor. Two more gunmen stood up in the back of their pickup. Three AK-47s were now blasting holes through the office windows. The gunmen's truck had turned from the direction of Pi Meowʼs beach house. So the gunmen's pickup and Skipʼs man were facing each other. The highly trained Bangkok police driver skidded his car across the road. Blocking the exit to the main road. The police officers reacted quickly, leaving their vehicles and firing simultaneously. The gunmen's driver slammed into reverse gear. Speeding off backwards. The pickup clipped a parked delivery vehicle hard enough to knock it offline. The driver was losing control, it then crashed through a sports shop display window. Nike's "Just Do It" poster drifted to settle on the truck's bonnet. Two of Skipʼs men ran up to the pickup, hoping at least one occupant was alive. He or they would be helpful for questioning, but the shooting was far too accurate. All were dead, one hanging halfway out of the back of the truck, and the driver had been hit between his eyes.
Balls of all descriptions bounced across the shop floor. A fully pumped-up football rested in the motionless driver's lap. The smiling plastic sportsman with the perfect hair landed on his back. Looking directly at the driver's eyes. As if to say, 'You just saved my penalty.'
The other two had taken over one shot to their chests. Dark red blood slowly puddled around the motionless bodies.
The remaining two of Skip's team rushed towards the office. One was calling for medical help on his radio, and the other rushed inside, not knowing what to expect.
The dust had yet to settle; the floor was covered in broken glass. There was, however, no blood. The gunmen had fired wildly. Most rounds went high. After going through glass and wood, the bullets deflected upwards to hit the ceiling.
The local police, hearing the commotion, left their station. Buckling on their sidearms, they ran across the road to the destroyed office. By the time they reached it, there was already quite a crowd of scared but interested town folk, plus some open-mouthed tourists, who were no doubt planning what to write on their next postcard home.
A leather-clad girl was threatened with arrest by the Bangkok police if she tried to enter the office. She jumped on the black Honda, pocketed her notepad, and sped off. She knew there was no arguing with these officers.
The Bangkok policeman had finished dealing with 'the girl with the bike.' And his radio transmissions, he was now organising the crowd. He also stopped the local police from entering the office. This was not pleasing to the local officers. The local Sergeant taking a lead was shouting and waving his arms. They handed him a radio with Skip on the other end, and it took Skip a minute to explain how it would be handled. To get the Sergeant and his underlings to work to Skip's orders was now in hand; Skip then spoke to his men.
'Leave the locals to guard only the outside of the office. Now you must rush round to Pi Meowʼs and arrest him. Leave one man to stay at the office. Do not tell the locals where you are going. Or what you are doing. Pick up any evidence, their weapons, or fired shells; for example, you know what we need. Now get going.'
Unbelievable, but they hit no one in the office. All the occupants hugged the floor as soon as the first bullet parted Emma's hair. There was no panic; they lay still covering their heads, hoping. There was little else they could do.
There was not much they could say in their statements, so they left it for the officer to calm everyone's nerves and give confidence that Pi Meow would soon be under lock and key on his way to Bangkok.
The arresting officers arrived at Pi Meowʼs home. They spread out around the building, covering any escape route. The leading officer hammered on the front door. Slowly and silently the door opened, revealing a chunky Burmese lady.
'We need to see your boss, get him.'
'He is not in.'
Blocking the entrance to the men, hands-on-hips looking stern with her chin set. The officer pushed past her and started his search of the house. The other officers followed him, shoving the women aside. They were looking everywhere a man could hide. They found some interesting items. A stuffed tiger mounted on a teak base, and what looked like a shrunken head, where could Pi Meow have got that? That could be left for another day. It was too late to help the victim, anyway.
The Burmese maid could not or would not give the Bangkok Police any help where Pi Meow may be. Skip ordered his team to return to the office to see if they could help Kev. He would then stay in Hua Hin and join them as soon as he could. Skip then phoned Black. They could travel together to Hua Hin. Black was bringing his driver. They both thought this man could be useful.
Before they set off, Black telephoned Kev at the guesthouse.
'Get yourself ready. We will go to Kaeng Krachan tonight and need you to point out where everything is.'
'But' was the only word Kev uttered before Black put the phone down.
'Skylab, I will go with Black and a team of men to catch Pi Meow at Kaeng Krachan tonight. Please donʼt worry.'
'What do you mean donʼt worry, after what they tried to do, Iʼm going too!' That was her final word on the subject.
Skip's men picked up Kev and Skylab from the guesthouse. They were all going to meet at a petrol station. Further along the main road, the Phetchkasem Petrol and Service. A chance to stock up on food and drink; they didn't know the next chance they would get.
'We'll be there in half an hour.'
'What the Hell is she doing here?' spluttered Black.
'She told us you had agreed to it,' said one of Skip's men.
'Iʼm here now, and you never know, I may be helpful!' Skylab whispered.
'Sorry, Skylab, but it could be dangerous. We already have to watch out for Kev. If you come, another of our small team will have to guard you.'
'If I donʼt go, neither will Kev,' she said, looking at Kev.
Kev was trying hard not to look at her. Skylab was no longer whispering.
'Okay, okay, we have no time to argue. Gather round; this is the plan.'
They made their way to the gates of the National Park. The two cars pulled outside, and one of Skip's men got out and climbed over the fence. All present had applied black makeup to their faces. Fortunately, both Skylab and Kev were wearing dark clothes.
The officer moved silently towards the security guard's accommodation. He slipped inside. The door was unlocked, and none of the wildlife had learned to open an unlocked door, so it was never secured. He moved from the entrance foyer to another door, listening to the men chatting inside.
He burst in, the startled guards dropped their drinks.
'Right men,' he shouted, showing his ID, 'we are part of the Bangkok Police Special Forces; we are here for training. I need you to open the gates; we will drive our vehicles through. Upon completing our training, we will notify you and ask you to open the gates again. We will leave and not trouble you further. Tomorrow, you will receive a commendation thanking you for your help from, Captain Wattana. Assuming that not a single word leaves this room.'
The security men looked at each other and nodded. They then calmly refreshed their drinks and went back to their favourite soap opera - this time, it was a poor boy/rich girl.
Kev had pointed the way to the large teak building. The convoy of two vehicles drifted towards Pi Meowʼs jungle home. All inside the cars, except Skylab and Kev, checked their weapons. The clank of the magazines clicking into place. The smell of oil and the gentle waft of adrenaline-powered nerves made Skylab and Kev hold each other. They both had a solid determination to see the night's operation through. They parked their vehicles. It was quiet, with no movement except the gentle sway of banana leaves. They signalled Skylab and Kev to stay back; they hid behind a pile of cut wood. The others moved stealthily towards the jungle home of their quarry. There was one light showing, a flickering bulb from the outdoor kitchen. Only darkness from inside the house, upstairs and down.
A wild scream broke the silence. Not fear, but aggression. A flash of brightly coloured clothing skipped into view. The middle-aged hag came at the nearest officer, swinging a Samurai sword. A shot hit her high in the chest; Black's man was accurate. Down she went with a thump before reaching her target. Silence.
They searched the garden surrounding the house before continuing indoors. There was no movement, no sound from indoors. The hunt moved back outside. Now they could risk talking. There was no one to hear them. The wind was getting up. Rustling branches, bamboo, bananas trees and teak covered any sound. Then the shriek of a primate sounded its fear, the caged felines started spitting. The group followed the animal noises, Kev pointing the way to the private zoo.
There is no sign of human life, just many unhappy animals.
Behind the zoo was a copse. Kev had never been that far from the house, but something told him to go through the thick trees. He stood and pointed for Black to look. Before him was a vast field of marijuana plants, but still no Pi Meow. The search continued, this time to the other side of the house. It then became clear what the older woman was protecting.
Behind the kitchen were more cages. This time, it was covered with grimy canvas sheets. The cages were slowly and carefully uncovered. The occupants were pinned to the far side in fear, each too scared to make a sound - six young females, naked and chained inside their metal cages.
Skylab ran forward and tried to open the first rusty door. It was locked. One of Skip's crew found a steel bar and placed it in the padlock, twisting it until the lock broke. The terrified young girl tried desperately to get as far away as she could. There was nowhere to go. Skylab tried to soothe her, but they had no common language. Skylab signalled food and drink, which was understood. She then searched the kitchen for something to drink or eat. The remaining cages were opened. The girls slowly moved towards the openings. Still scared of their predicament and the black make-up the rescuers wore.
Skylab found a large water container. She poured some into plastic mugs. There were various fruits scattered around. Skylab gathered some up and gave them to the still shivering girls. She then went in search of any material they could use to cover their immature bodies.
Skip was busy on his radio.