Forged in Honor (1995)

by Leonard B Scott

  He'd be a high roller, real big-time money. He'd seem legit, with interests in lots of different companies. He'd be working out of a regular office, so that means lots of calls and faxes to and from Hong Kong. His communications systems would all be hooked up to sophisticated scrambling equipment that would encode and decode communications. His security men would be the best there are, but they wouldn't be locals, they'd be Chinks. And the company would be running twenty-four hours a day because of the twelve-hour time difference. He'd want to keep up with news back home, so check out who's sellin' the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's major paper." Josh wrote down what he had just told Kelly, then looked up thoughtfully.

  Kelly asked, "What are you thinking?"

  Josh shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but Ky says he has Chinese customers who don't even ask the price of the turtles I sell him. Turtle meat is a delicacy to the Cantonese, but only the very rich can afford it in Hong Kong."

  "Write it down. I'll try anything right now," Kelly said, motioning to the pad.

  Josh added it to the profile, then tore off the page and handed it to his friend.

  Kelly smiled for the first time. "Hand me the phone, and tell Alvarez to come in and see me."

  Chinatown, Washington, D. C.

  Dorba sat behind an intricately carved teak desk and regarded the two men seated before him. Qui, his chief of staff, was wearing a new suit, but the Western clothes couldn't conceal the street fighter he once was. Now in his early fifties, he still made others feel insecure in his presence. Qui had worked as an enforcer for Dorba from the beginning in the Cholon district and had become his most trusted friend and adviser. On the other hand, Michael Woo, seated by Qui, was a suave young man who had been assigned to Dorba's syndicate by the leaders of the Triad to obtain experience and to ensure that their interests were kept in mind. Woo was the son of an elder and had been sent to the United States for his university studies. He went on to graduate from Harvard Law School, became an American citizen, and married an American woman. One month earlier he had left one of Washington's most respected law firms to begin learning the business.

  One day he would take his place as San in one of the Triad syndicates. He was now Dorba's American affairs and legal adviser.

  Dorba shifted his eyes to Qui. "The loss of two of our employees is of concern to me."

  Qui nodded somberly, but his eyes twinkled. "It's time for a warning."

  Michael Woo dipped his chin. "San Chu, I have great respect for your wisdom, but these two lower workers were expendable. As your legal adviser I strongly recommend that we allow this to-"

  Dorba's cold glare stopped him in midsentence. "You must learn that trust and loyalty are the foundations of the Circle.

  Our other lower employees must know they will be protected. Send the authorities a warning letter. Tell them the takeover of the city's white powder distribution was only business, and if they interfere in our affairs again, they will face the consequences."

  Woo bowed his head again. "With all respect, San Chu, the police will laugh at such a warning. I worked for the district attorney's office here and I know the leaders of the police department. They won't heed such a warning."

  Dorba leaned forward in his chair and said firmly, "They have never dealt with an organization that could carry out the threat. They will learn. I know the warning won't be heeded=this time. From now on they will know they are not dealing with children. If they continue interfering in our affairs after our warning, we will strike with enough force to bring them to their knees."

  Dorba took a piece of paper from the top drawer and handed it across the desk to his young legal adviser. "These are the men that I have already instructed Qui to make arrangements for."

  Woo's eyes widened as he read down the list. "With all respect, San Chu, this is ... is a war you are declaring. An attack on just one of these men will enrage the authorities and the people. The police and federal agencies won't rest until they find and destroy us."

  Dorba exchanged a smile with Qui before shifting his eyes back to the young lawyer. "You will learn that we do not exist. Our organization is impossible to penetrate. The anger of the police and that of the people will be turned to a group who will be easy to hate. Qui and I have used the tactic before, as have many of our Triad friends in Hong Kong."

  "But why send a warning if another is to be blamed for the attacks?" Woo asked in desperation.

  Dorba leaned back in his chair. "Be patient and you will see. Leave me now and come back in an hour. I will help you draft the letter of warning."

  Still shaken by what he had read, the young lawyer got up, bowed, and left.

  Qui grinned. "These new ones have no stomach for our old ways."

  Dorba lowered his head. "My son is like this Triad spy they have burdened me with. He thinks he is an American instead of a businessman. They will learn like we did. Tell me, old friend. Are we ready to begin distribution of the white powder?"

  "It begins today, San Chu."

  Dorba nodded once and took off his glasses to wipe the lenses with his silk handkerchief. "We might have a problem.

  One of the Burmese who brought in our white powder killed three other Burmese last night in Seattle, and another is missing. My son called and told me this killer is a man my son went to school with and I had met as well." Dorba picked up a fax message from his desk and handed it to Qui. "This Stephen Kang may come to Washington and seek refuge with an American friend who lives here, according to our Burmese friends. The name of the American and his address are in the message."

  "Eliminate the American?" Qui asked, glancing at the paper.

  "No, not yet. If he is killed we will not find Kang. Put surveillance on him. If Kang gets to him, then kill the American and find out from Kang who Kang has spoken to. We need this matter cleaned up as quickly as possible. The Burmese are holding Kang's wife, so I don't believe he will go to the authorities. Even if he did, he knows only that my son was involved, but he knows nothing of me and our business."

  Qui stood and lowered his head. "I will see to it immediately."

  Dorba smiled. "As you always do, old friend."

  Grant pulled up to the curb at Josh's office. "You won't have time for hunting, will you?"

  Josh shrugged. "I'll have time to check a couple of traps after I get my Jeep running. I'm going upriver later for a workout. It's been a while."

  "I guess that means sculling?' she asked, already knowing the answer.

  Josh nodded absently and turned to look at her. "I'm sorry about crashing at your place last night. You should have thrown me out."

  Grant winked. "It'll give you and Stef something to talk about."

  "Don't remind me. Really, I owe ya for your help this morning. Anytime you wanna go huntin', let me know. I enjoy your company."

  "My God, I think that's a compliment. Thanks. I'll stop by tonight while you're making rounds. I'd like to see you in action."

  Josh got of the car and waved. "Tonight, then. And thanks again for this morning."

  Josh watched as she pulled away, feeling guilty. While he'd been talking to her he'd kept seeing her in her nightgown. Maybe he wasn't as far gone as he'd thought.

  8 P. M., Directorate of Defense Services Intelligence, .

  Rangoon, Burma.

  Swei felt a tingling sensation run up his spine as he saw the activity in the underground tunnel complex on his way to the command center.

  Brigadier Tan was talking to four of his commanders in the planning room when he saw his superior walk in. He motioned the lieutenant colonels out and smiled. "Everything is going smoothly. The units are all on standby and all targets have been identified."

  Swei nodded and took a seat in front of a large map of the city. "My only concern is Kang."

  "Which one?" Tan asked.

  "Both, actually, but Stephen is our biggest threat for the present. I just got off the phone with our Triad friends. They confirmed Po and the two captains are dead. The
FBI is involved and has asked our embassy to identify the bodies and explain why they used false identification to check into the hotel. I've already instructed our embassy team to identify them as members of the army staff. What concerns me is that the FBI is now looking for our Sao as the main suspect."

  Tan waved his hand as if not concerned. "How can he be a threat? He thinks we have his wife and son ... and if he does go to the authorities, the lai is gone, so are our workers, and the funds are in a different account. He has no proof we were involved in anything."

  Swei's eyes stabbed Tan. "Our Triad friends are concerned he will speak of their involvement."

  Tan's nonchalant demeanor evaporated, and he blurted, "He knows nothing of the Triad!"

  Swei shook his head. "You don't understand. If Stephen Kang is caught by the FBI, the Triad wants our assurance he won't speak. I gave that assurance just hours ago, saying we had his wife and son. I didn't tell them she had already died during our questioning and that his son had escaped."

  Tan's nostrils flared. "How could we possibly have known the Shan bitch would hang herself? Kang doesn't know that!

  He thinks we have both of them, so he won't dare say anything."

  Swei rose up from his chair. "See that no one else knows of this. We have come this far and are so close. In less than nine hours we will achieve what we have always wanted, but it won't last a day if the Triad becomes our enemy. They must not know."

  Tan had already come to his feet when his superior stood.

  He bowed his head. "I'll see to it."

  Washington, D. C.

  Josh looked up at the blazing sun and judged it to be after three. He grabbed the oars again and pulled back. The sound of the seat rolling back was like music to his ears as the scull shot through the water. Sweat dripped down his forehead, gathering on his chin until dropping to his chest. He brought the oars and his legs up and pushed forward again for another bite of the water. With every stroke he was becoming stronger. Just a little more sweat and a little more pain and the faces of the screaming men and women of Shaduzup and the Wa that he had killed would blur, become indistinguishable. The dreams would fade as they'd done after Vietnam and Grenada. The river understood and gave compassion to those who tried to carry on.

  "How's it feel to be back, Mister Hawkins?"

  Josh smiled at the old boat keeper as he carried the scull up to the boathouse. "It's like I never left. I didn't lose a bit of rhythm, Fred."

  The old man raised his hand to shield the sun and looked to the north. "Well, I missed ya, you're about the only one who comes around regular. I thought ya mighta been sick the past weeks. Good thing you made it when you did. Looks to me like we got us a storm coming in."

  Josh hung the scull on the pegs and looked toward the north. "Yep, you're right, those thunderheads mean rain and wind. Looks like I'll just make it."

  Josh climbed over the seats and the squirming turtles in his flatboat and started the outboard. He raised his hand. "See ya day after tomorrow, I'm back on my schedule."

  The old man waved. "You best hurry, you don't wanna be on the water when the lightning starts."

  Josh backed up, turned the throttle up, and headed for open water.

  Josh left Ky's Emporium just as the wind picked up, and the first slaps of rain cooled the back of his neck. Pulling his baseball cap down tighter, he steered for Lil' Darlin' and his daughter, who stood on the prow waiting.

  Stefne tossed him a line and helped him up. For the first time he could remember, she didn't say a word. Josh wasn't sure how to take her silence and said the only thing he could think of. "How ya doin'?" he asked, hoping she would let it drop.

  Stefne just nodded and smiled. He threw up his hands.

  "Okay, I took Glenn home, but nothing happened. I went to sleep on her balcony. That's all there is to it."

  Stefne shrugged but kept the knowing smile. "I didn't ask in the first place. Thanks for calling and telling me Kelly was all right. I was worried about you."

  "Me?"

  Stefne just nodded, thinking of how he had gone to pieces the day they buried her mother. He wouldn't leave the grave.

  Kelly had stayed with him for almost four hours until finally convincing him to leave. His old crooked smile returned only when he had sold the house, gotten out of the army, and started the business.

  Josh realized what she was thinking and put his arm around her shoulder. "He's gonna be fine, just like I told ya.

  Come on, we gotta batten her down. There's a storm coming in."

  Josh was cleaning up in the cabin when he smelled her. He turned and saw Grant in the cabin door, looking at him strangely. "Josh, do you have a TV?"

  Stefne came in and asked, "What's wrong, Glenn?"

  Grant quickly scanned the cabin, seeing that he didn't have a television before looking back at Josh. "General Swel of the DDSI took over the government of Burma an hour ago."

  Josh's jaw tightened. "He'll have the power to finish off the minorities, just like he's always wanted. Poor Stephen will lose his job in the ministry."

  Grant stepped closer. "Josh, you'd better sit down. There's something else." She shifted her eyes to Stefne. "Stef, this is classified stuff. Would you mind if ..."

  Stefne took Josh's rain jacket from the peg in the passageway and strode toward the cabin door. "Sure. I'll go visit Bob for a while."

  Grant waited until she had shut the door behind her. "Josh, Stephen Kang has been in Seattle for the past two and half weeks, and-"

  "Now, wrong guy. Stephen would have called," Josh said adamantly.

  Grant sat down. "The FBI sent us a report this afternoon.

  They've been trying to determine if we have Burmese in our country with bogus visas. Stephen Kang entered the U. S. on the fifth of June, two days after the embassy bombing. His visa was checked and he was logged in the Customs computer. Last night three Burmese Army officers were shot and killed at a Holiday Inn just outside of Seattle, and another is missing. They had checked in early in May and rented their cars using phony names. A fifth man checked in on the fifth of June. The hotel staff describes the new man as having Oriental features, tall, good-looking, early forties. A maid distinctly remembered him because she asked him about the silver bracelet he wore. The FBI checked with the Customs officers on duty that evening. A female officer remembered him because his English was flawless-he told her he was in the States for pleasure and was going fishing."

  Josh's face had gone pale. He stared past Grant at a spot on the bulkhead.

  "I'm sorry to tell you this, Josh. The FBI has an all-points bulletin out for him for questioning about the killings. The fingerprints in his room match those on a cellular phone found in the room where two bodies were discovered. The third body was found outside, hidden under a hedge. The Burmese embassy identified the bodies as being officers assigned to the staff of the now-imprisoned prime minister."

  Josh lowered his head for a moment, then slowly raised it to look into her eyes. "You told them I knew him, didn't you?"

  Grant didn't blink. "Yes. I contacted the FBI just before coming over here. They think he may try to contact you.

  They want your cooperation. I wanted to tell you first before they got here. Josh, I'm sorry, I know how close you two were."

  His insides felt like they were being torn apart, but he dipped his chin toward her. "I would have done the same thing if I'd been you. It's your job." He walked into the bedroom and came back with a small framed picture, which he handed to her. "This was taken on Royal Lake in '82. We ... we ..." He turned away from her so she wouldn't see his tears. "Please stay until the FBI get here. I don't want to be alone right now."

  .

  Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

  Stephen had checked into a small motel near the airfield after arriving at the county airport. He was sitting in front of the television with tears running down his cheeks.

  The television screen was filled with a color photograph of General Swei's smiling face w
hile a newswoman spoke in the background.

  "Today marks the end of one more chapter of this South-east Asian country's long history. Today General Ren Swei became yet another general to become the self-proclaimed prime minister of Burma. Early this morning officers from the elite Burmese Strike Commando Battalion arrested General Maw Mung, the prime minister and general of the armed forces, at his home. At the same time similar arrests were made of his cabinet and of other key government and military officials. At eight this morning General Swei, the former leader of Burma's secret police, spoke on government radio.

  He shocked his audience not only with news of the bloodless coup, but also by announcing his plan to begin government reforms to help the Burmese people and to rebuild the country. He also announced he will open the borders and cancel all restrictions on foreign travel into and out of Burma within weeks. Most Burmese would not speak to us, but a few did say they fear the general's words are just that, words. The people of Burma are waiting to see if their new leader keeps his promises. They are waiting, and so is the world. This is Connie Hoffman, reporting live from Rangoon."