Noah Wolf Box Set 2

by David Archer

  Noah stared into his eyes for a long moment, then cocked his head slightly to the right. “I could answer your question,” he said, “but then I would be forced to kill you.”

  Behind him, he heard Neil gasp and then say, “Oh, geez! Could you be any more corny?”

  Noah glanced at him, confused. Despite the fact that the line was often used sarcastically, Noah had been quite serious.

  Lom understood, and smiled. “I can accept that answer. However, I suspect the day will come when you and I shall meet again, in your official capacity. Would it be possible that, on that day, you might grant a last request?”

  “Why would you expect me to visit you again?” Noah asked. “You’ve actually been most cooperative, and I truly appreciate it.”

  “As I told you, I believe that Mr. Pak will shortly cease to be. At that time, I will ascend to take over all of his business interests. Since you are now aware that those interests include the transfer of intelligence and—other items—to China and others, I am forced to believe that I might one day see your face again.”

  Noah shrugged. “It’s possible,” he said. “What would be the last request?”

  Lom smiled and spread his hands. “A rematch, of course,” he said softly. “As I told you, I underestimated you. I would not make that mistake again, because you are undoubtedly a worthy opponent. If you come to kill me, I would consider it an honor to die at your hands in a rematch.”

  “Mr. Lom,” Noah said, “should that day arrive, I would be under orders to carry out my mission by the most efficient means possible. That doesn’t allow me to offer a sporting chance. However, should the opportunity arise in the near future for me to return to Thailand, I will make a point of coming to see you. We can have that rematch, but not to the death. Is that acceptable?”

  Lom stood and bowed. “Indeed it is,” he said.

  Noah stood, and Neil and Marco joined him. He extended a hand to Lom, who shook it firmly, then turned and walked out into the gym.

  There had been about a dozen men in the gym when they had entered, and a few more had drifted in by the time he and Lom had entered the ring. Now, though, as they were preparing to leave, there were more than thirty men, and they were standing in a group between Noah and the door. Several of them turned to look at him, and Noah stopped and let out a deep sigh.

  They began to spread out, and Noah saw them picking up different items around the gym. Some of them had small wooden cudgels, some were holding bottles, and others held the iron discs from the barbell.

  “This isn’t necessary,” Noah said.

  The man who had first spoken to them cast an angry look his way. “We cannot let a farang beat our teacher,” he said. “We cannot let you leave here.”

  Noah shook his head and turned to Marco, and suddenly there was a pistol in his hand. He spun back around and aimed it at the forehead of the man who had spoken. “Clear a path,” he said calmly, “or you will be the first to die. Mr. Lom has conducted himself with honor. Would you dishonor him now in this way?”

  “Chao!” Lom shouted suddenly. “This is unacceptable. All of you, stand aside.” He repeated the command in Thai.

  Slowly, the group spread apart and began dropping the items they had picked up. Noah and the others began walking slowly toward the door, keeping their eyes on the men around them. When they reached the door without further incident, Noah shoved the gun back into his waistband and pulled his shirt over it, and the other two did likewise. He looked at Lom, who was standing just inside the room, and bowed to him. Lom returned the compliment, and Team Camelot left the building.

  “Oh, geez, geez,” Neil muttered. “Are they gonna come after us?”

  “Not with Lom standing there,” Marco said. “I’ve got a feeling they’re about to get their asses chewed and spit out.”

  They returned to the car, and headed back toward the E & E office. Noah simply retraced the route he had taken to reach the gym and found it with no problem. He parked the car where Maggie had, and the three of them walked inside.

  Maggie was sitting at a desk, and looked up at them as they entered. “Hey, guys,” she said cheerily. “Everything go okay?”

  It took an hour to explain to Maggie all that had taken place, and that they needed to be in Hong Kong as soon as possible. The plane, they knew, was still waiting for them at the airport, so all Maggie had to do was file the appropriate paperwork for a private flight into Hong Kong’s semi-sovereign airspace.

  “E & E has a station in Hong Kong,” she told Noah. “The chief there is Peter McDermott, and from everything I know, he’s a pretty good guy. I sent him an encrypted email, letting him know that you are on the way and will need a vehicle and equipment. I also included a copy of the orders I received from HQ, which contains the AA code. That means you get anything you want, no matter what it takes or what it costs.”

  “I appreciate it,” Noah said. They had turned in the guns when they got back, because there was a strong possibility the plane might be boarded when it landed in Hong Kong. According to the documents Maggie filed, they were visiting Hong Kong to look at some property that a client of Noah’s was considering purchasing as an investment, but it was not uncommon for China’s State Security Ministry to board and search private aircraft before allowing the passengers to disembark. Carrying weapons into the region was strictly prohibited for any foreigners.

  As soon as she was done, Maggie turned and looked at Noah and the men. “Okay, so I know you’ve been going like mad since early this morning. How about some lunch before you guys leave? Care to join us?”

  Neil sat forward quickly, and Noah glanced at him, then nodded. “Probably a good idea,” he said. “Could be a while before we get the chance again.”

  Trudy, one of the women in the office, was chosen to stay and watch the place while they were gone, but everyone else headed out the back door. Noah, Neil and Marco climbed into the Honda with Maggie, while the others got into the Toyota. Maggie pulled out first, and drove them to a steakhouse that was on the way to the airport.

  “I figured we’d eat here, so we can go straight back to the plane when you’re done. You guys all eat meat, right? No vegetarians?”

  All three of them assured her that they were carnivorous, and then followed her inside. The others from her office had been right behind them, so they were able to get a large round table that seated them all.

  The food was excellent, and Maggie explained that most of the beef in Thailand actually came from Australia. It was part of the trade agreement the country had made under the last king, and Neil proclaimed it to be the smartest thing the king had ever done. By the time they left an hour later, he had managed to put down a pair of porterhouse steaks and about half a pound of rice and other vegetables.

  “Oh my God,” Maggie whispered to Noah, “where does he put it all?”

  Marco overheard and came to Noah’s rescue. “You’ve heard of somebody having a hollow leg? Well, Neil is hollow all the way from the neck down. We figure he must be, the way he shoves food in and never gains any weight.”

  Maggie and Julie looked at each other, and the third woman, Carol, said what they were thinking. “If only I could catch whatever it is he’s got that lets him do that. All I’ve gotta do is look at a steak wrong and I gain five pounds.”

  EIGHTEEN

  Chung brought lunch up to her, and she accepted it without a word. She left the door open as she carried it to the table, and he took it as an invitation to come inside. Sarah paid him no attention as he pulled out a chair and sat down, but she only concentrated on eating the noodle soup.

  “I received a telephone call,” Chung said. “Xiao will arrive here this evening, before dark. He wishes to meet with you as soon as he arrives, but his interrogation will begin in the morning.”

  Sarah glanced at him and realized that he truly did look sad, but she couldn’t allow herself to feel any sympathy. He was still the enemy, no matter how concerned he might seem to be for her he
alth and well-being.

  “Sarah, you can stop him. If you would only tell me something, something I can use to stall him off…”

  “Give it up, Chung,” she said. “I’m not going to cooperate, not with you, not with him, not with anybody. He’ll have to do his worst.”

  Chung lowered his eyes to the floor for a moment, then looked back up at her. “That is exactly what I fear.”

  He got up and left the room, and Sarah continued eating. With no idea what might be coming, she felt that she needed to keep up her strength the best she could. Noodle soup might not be the most delicious meal she’d ever eaten, but it was definitely filling. She could only hope that dinner would be more appetizing, and more plentiful.

  She spent the afternoon watching television, trying desperately to keep her thoughts away from Xiao and the things he might do. Chung had said that he was known for inflicting pain without doing harm, but Sarah didn’t know enough about torture to understand how that might work. The problem with a lack of knowledge was that it tended to let loose the imagination, and hers just happened to be a vivid one.

  Dinner was brought to her by one of the servers from the dining room, and she wondered if Chung had decided to avoid her so that he wouldn’t be so upset when the torture began. It crossed her mind that Noah would say he was being logical, but that only made her even more depressed. She had been a prisoner for a week, now, and a part of her had given up hoping that he would come for her.

  No! I can’t think like that. He’ll come, he always does.

  The only question that remained was whether she would be alive and intact when he did, but she had reached the point of considering suicide as an alternative to torture. She thought about jumping from the window, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t high enough to do more than break a few bones, and that would not be enough. She considered trying to hang herself with a bedsheet, but there was nothing on the ceiling or walls that she could find to hang from. She hadn’t been provided a razor, and the flatware they used was only plastic, so cutting her wrists or throat was out, as well.

  Her only hope, she had concluded, was to attack one of the guards and pray that he killed her in self-defense. She had begun watching out the window several times a day, paying close attention to the lone guard who always worked her side of the house. Every so often, the path he walked would bring him to just under her window. She began to think about jumping out onto one of them. If she could make enough of an impact, surely the man would turn and shoot her before he could think.

  The server returned and took the tray away, but there was another knock on the door a moment later. She opened it to find Chung standing there with another man, a man who was considerably older and wore the look of someone who was accustomed to being obeyed.

  “Sarah, this is Xiao,” Chung said. The look on his face was one of resignation.

  Xiao stepped into the room and looked her over, walking all the way around her as he examined her from head to toe. Sarah steeled herself against the feeling that she was being undressed in his mind, and force herself to put on a smile.

  “Mr. Xiao,” she said. “I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”

  Xiao looked up at her, his eyes suddenly wide. “Go and sit down,” he said, pointing at the chair she used when she was eating. She looked at him for a moment, then went and sat down in the chair. Mr. Xiao followed her and sat in the other chair, just as Chung had been doing.

  “So you are the driver for Camelot,” he said, more of a statement than a question. “Tell me about him.”

  Sarah stared into his face, but said nothing. Xiao looked from her to Chung and back.

  “I have no interest in you, young woman,” Xiao said. “I wish to know about Camelot. You will tell me what you know of him, now.”

  Sarah raised her chin. “No,” she said, “I will not.”

  Xiao struck so quickly that she didn’t even see him move, but his hand came across her cheek so hard that it threw her and the chair to the floor. Her head was reeling and she saw stars, and it took her a moment to realize what had happened. Blinking back tears, she rolled off of the chair and onto her back.

  When she looked up, Xiao was looking down at her. “I will tell you this again,” he said. “You will tell me what you know of Camelot, and you will tell me now.”

  Slowly, Sarah got onto her hands and knees, then pushed the chair back upright. She leaned on it, still somewhat dizzy from the blow, and got to her feet before sitting in the chair again. She looked at Xiao and steeled herself for whatever might come next.

  “I will not,” she said.

  Xiao stared into her eyes for a moment, then leaned forward. He reached a hand toward her, and she flinched backward, but he moved slowly until his hand rested on the side of her face, just where he had struck her. He gently caressed her face for a moment, but then, with the speed of a striking snake, he twisted his hand and drove his two middle fingers down into the flesh between her shoulder and her neck, digging in behind her collarbone.

  She screamed. The pain was absolutely incredible—she never would have believed that anything could be like that. He dug in even deeper, and she wondered if he was going to rip her collarbone completely out. She reached up and grabbed his wrist, trying to push his hand away, but the man was incredibly strong.

  It ended suddenly. He yanked his hand back and leaned back in his chair to watch her face. Sarah was crying, sobbing aloud at the agony she had just felt, but she forced herself to sit up straight and look him in the eye again.

  “Young woman,” Xiao said, “you have been shown great patience until now. It is unfortunate for you, however, that my superiors insist that you tell me what we need to know. The simple tests I just used show me that you do not have sufficient tolerance for pain to resist me for long. Tomorrow, if you still refuse to answer my questions, I will show you pain a thousand times greater than what you have felt tonight. Think of this, as you try to sleep tonight.”

  He rose from the chair and turned away, walking directly out the door. Chung was standing just inside it, simply looking at Sarah, and she could see the tears trying to overflow from his eyes.

  The forbidden sympathy came without warning. She looked up at him and forced a smile onto her face. “It isn’t your fault, Chung,” she said. “Go on, now. I need to try to relax for a while, and I can’t do that with you watching me.”

  He stood there for another minute, then turned and walked away. He pulled the door closed behind him.

  There was no way she would be able to resist Xiao’s tactics, she knew. If he managed to begin his tortures, she would be broken within hours, at most. The thought of betraying Noah and Allison was simply abhorrent to her, and so she decided it was time to take action.

  She got up from the chair and walked over to look out the window. As always, the single guard was pacing along the side of the house, and she waited until he had made it all the way to one end before she raised the window as quietly as she could. It wasn’t large, but fortunately she wasn’t either. When the guard turned and started walking back the other way, she stood back just enough to keep from drawing his attention to the window and waited until he would be just underneath.

  She lunged headfirst, and her timing was perfect. She landed on the guard’s back and instinctively wrapped an arm around his throat, letting her weight drag them both to the ground. Her momentum, however, was still angular as she fell, and her body swung around as if his neck was a pivot pole. The grisly snap came as they hit the ground, and the rattle of exhalation shocked her as she realized that she had broken his neck.

  The man was dead, and for at least a moment, no one was aware that she was outside. She grabbed the AK-74 he had been carrying and quickly made sure that its selector was set to auto, then threw her back against the house.

  There were additional single guards on each side of the house, and she didn’t even entertain the notion of trying to fight her way out. She had picked up the rifle instinctively
, but had no intention of deliberately engaging any of the guards; all suicidal thoughts had gone out of her mind at the moment she realized the guard was dead. The tree line was less than 100 feet away, and she sprinted forward immediately.

  Just before she reached it, there was a shout from behind her. The burst of adrenaline that hit her at that moment thrust her forward even faster, and when shots rang out a moment later, she could hear them thudding into the trees behind and around her.

  She’d been seen, which meant the rest of the guards would be coming for her. Her chances of escape had dropped to almost zero, she knew, but she wasn’t going to give up without a fight. She dropped into a small ravine and turned to face back the way she had come, the rifle steadied on the bank as she watched for the guards to enter the trees searching for her.

  One of them came running in, charging like an enraged bull elephant, and her squeeze of the trigger sent three rounds into the center of his chest. He was dead before he hit the ground, and the next man to come running into the woods suddenly slowed, but not quite soon enough. Sarah got her sight lined up on him and squeezed off another three round burst. Two of those rounds missed him completely, but the third entered his right eye and blew most of his brain out the back of his skull.

  Through the gaps in the trees, she could see that there were quite a few more soldiers approaching the tree line, but they were staying low and she couldn’t draw a bead on one of them. There was no real hope that she could escape, she knew, and suddenly the terrible weight of impending torture and the fear of her own betrayal of those she cared about was too much for her.

  She slid down into the natural ditch of the ravine and put the butt of the rifle on the ground between her feet, while she leaned her forehead against its muzzle. She had her thumb resting on the trigger as she whispered a silent goodbye to Noah, to Neil and to her father, who didn’t even know she was alive.