Military Orders

by Martin Roth

  “He wasn’t thinking. Anyway, he wouldn’t have known that. He’s desperate. The car crashed and he took what looked like a good escape route, up a mountain.”

  They were now just yards away. From behind a low rock they watched.

  Tenzin was clearly bewildered. He had stopped walking and was looking in all directions, seeking a way forward. Harel suspected he was becoming desperate as he realized that he had reached the summit, and the only way out was back down.

  But as the young Tibetan urgently peered around he suddenly spotted Harel and Sunhee. In an instant he raised his pistol and let off one shot. The pair threw themselves to the ground.

  “You’re trapped,” shouted Harel. “Please give yourself up.”

  Another shot.

  “We can help you,” said Harel. “We know why you’re here.”

  “Just give us the boy,” shouted Sunhee. “We’re after the boy, not you.”

  A further shot, clearly fired in desperation. He couldn’t even see them.

  “The police will be here soon. They’re going to shoot you. There’s no escape.”

  This time a long pause ensued, and then the young man spoke. His voice quavered. “Why should I be scared of death? It’s just the end of this body. My spirit will find a new body. A new life.”

  “What about the little boy? Do you want him to die?”

  It was then that Harel heard shouting, from somewhere behind. He looked around. At least half-a-dozen police officers had arrived on the rock summit. Then he heard more noise, this time from above. A helicopter was arriving.

  “We want to help you,” shouted Harel, though now he wondered if his voice could be heard above the roar of the fast-approaching helicopter.

  He peeked over the top of the rock, and to his shock saw that the young man was drawing near. No gun was evident in his hands. Instead he was clutching the little boy.

  He stopped right in front of Harel and Sunhee, though he did not appear to be looking at them. His gaze was on the little boy, clasped tightly in his arms. He pushed his face forward and kissed and nuzzled the boy’s cheeks. Next, with great tenderness, he lowered him to the ground and stroked his hair.

  “Look after him,” he said. Then he turned and calmly walked away. A sense of peace seemed to be in the air as he limped to the rim of the giant rock. He did not even hesitate, but just kept walking, over the edge. Sunhee screamed. Harel put an arm around her.

  The police officers were now running across. Harel walked to meet them. His whole body was shaking. “That was the guy you were after,” he said, pointing to the edge. “He wasn’t going to be taken alive.”

  A senior officer spoke. “I don’t need to look over that precipice to know he sure isn’t alive now. You did well to rescue the boy. Is he all right?”

  “He seems fine. He looks like a pretty tough little kid. Resilient.” He looked around. Sunhee was crouched down, holding and comforting Sammie, who had remained remarkably serene through the entire ordeal. As Harel watched it appeared she was handing him something.

  “His dad’s been transported to Alice Springs Hospital,” said the officer. “They had to call out the Flying Doctor. I don’t think it’s serious. But he might need some surgery. His mum decided to wait at home. She’s just terrified about what’s been going on. I think this little guy should be taken back home as quickly as possible.”

  He looked over at Sammie. “Hey, little fellow.” Sammie looked up. “I’ve got something exciting for you. Something that’s going to be one of the highlights of your life. How’d you like to ride in a helicopter?”

  Epilogue

  Burumarri Creek, Central Australia

  “I imagine you’re back in their good books,” said Harel. They were once again driving past Uluru, having spent the previous three days assisting the police investigation.

  “Brother Half Angel told me the governing elders back in Korea are actually pretty relieved at the way things have transpired. I think they can see now that having little Toby as Dalai Lama wouldn’t have worked. It might even have caused problems for the church. Especially as we’ve located the real Dalai Lama.”

  “Whom we’re about to see now. Why do you want to meet him?”

  “I want to say goodbye. Before I fly out.”

  The house was just up ahead. Harel parked, and they got out of the car.

  They found Eddie on the ground, at work on another large painting. He was wearing short pants, with a large bandage around one leg. With him was Sammie.

  “We’re off to the airport,” said Harel. “To Sydney. Then Korea for Sunhee, the States for me. I’m sorry we’ve met in such awkward circumstances. Normally I would want to spend time talking about your art.”

  “Next time.” Eddie did not look up. He did not seem concerned that he would not be discussing his paintings.

  Harel looked at Sammie, engrossed in his art. He was engaged in the cross hatching of the latest image, painting what looked like a myriad of tiny red crosses in one section of the artwork.

  “You’re going to have an interesting life with your son,” commented Harel.

  This time Eddie stopped work on the painting. He regarded the visitors. “Yeah, we’re still digesting it all. But I can tell you that any interesting life we have will be here in Australia. Not in Tibet, or India, or anywhere else.”

  Inside the house the phone rang. “Excuse me a minute,” said Eddie. “Vanya’s out shopping. I have to take that.” He limped inside.

  Sunhee looked at the boy. “Hey, Sammie, show Rafa what I gave you.”

  The palms of Sammie’s hands were a bright red from the paint. He didn’t seem to care. He dipped one hand into a pocket and took out an object. Harel looked. It was the crucifix that Sunhee had been wearing.

  “Let me see,” said Harel, extending his hand.

  Sammie smiled and shook his head. “It’s mine.”

  THE END

  About the Author

  Martin Roth (http://www.military-orders.com) is a veteran journalist and foreign correspondent whose reports from Asia have appeared in leading publications around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Baltimore Sun. He is the author of many books.

  The first three thrillers in his Military Orders series are “Brother Half Angel,” “The Maria Kannon” and “Military Orders.”

  He is also the author of the Johnny Ravine private eye series, with “Prophets and Loss,” “Hot Rock Dreaming” (a finalist in the 2011 Australian Christian Book of the Year awards) and “Burning at the Boss.”

  He lives in Australia with his Korean wife and three sons.