'Yes, fairly,' Major Hu wagged his cigarette at him, 'Americans… they would've bombed this whole street to catch three terrorists. My men search house to house. Nobody innocent suffers. We feed the innocent.'
Tim bit his lip. It was a deal with the devil; the chance of a lifetime. He closed his eyes.
'Just take photographs and write what you see.'
Tim nodded.
Major Hu smiled and took another drag on his cigarette before tossing it aside. 'I'll ensure you’re kept comfortably, and assign an English speaking officer as your liaison.'
'I have an assistant and interpreter. A Vietnamese woman. I want her.'
'Done.'
'The internet and mobile phones are still blocked. I need a means of communication to submit my work, and I have family I'd like to keep in touch with.'
Major Hu twitched his shoulder in a shrug. 'You'll have a laptop with a working email address. You can use a telephone at our command sites. You can go there now if it pleases you.'
'Yes, please. Yes,'
Gail and his family would surely have been worrying that he'd met a fate similar to the one he'd just escaped from. Inside an hour he'd gone from being an enemy of the state to a welcomed guest. He had no illusions that the freedoms he'd enjoy under the Chinese would be illusory, but this was the sort of chance that could really boost his career.
'Come.' The Major led him to one of the nearby troop-transports. He spoke with a soldier at the turret. After a short exchange he turned back to Tim.
'This is Lieutenant Zhang. He'll be your liaison. He speaks good English. You'll ride with him and ask him for anything you need.'
The Lieutenant’s face under the helmet betrayed no emotion.
'Where are you staying in the city, Mr Campbell?' the Major asked
'Some three-star hotel... Hai long five. In district one.'
'That's no good.' The Major tutted. 'You’ll stay at the New Continental. Lieutenant Zhang will ensure you're taken care of.'
The Major walked away, calling a greeting to a fellow officer and laughing at some shared joke.
Tim smiled meekly at the Lieutenant. If he was going to get some decent reporting done, the first thing he'd need to do was to give this guy the slip.
Lâm
16th March, 16:50
'Make yourself scarce!' Lâm shouted at Dac. ‘I told you, grown-ups are talking!’
Dac had been hovering outside the workshop. Snatching a tiny stone from the floor Lâm threw it at the boy. He ducked the stone and scampered out of sight.
'Is he your relation?' said Minh.
'He's an orphan.'
'Oh, well... get rid of him.'
'Don't be so cruel!' Thuỳ squealed.
Lâm took a drag on his cigarette. Exhaling, he studied Minh through the haze. Minh looked the stereotypical nerd; glasses, clean shaven, t-shirt with a geeky slogan, and a thick mop of uncombed hair. He looked the type to spend hours at internet cafes playing one of the many shoot-em-up games. Lâm had no doubt he could beat him senseless in less time than it'd take him to finish his cigarette.
'I'm an orphan,' Lâm said in an even tone, 'if nobody took me in, I'd have starved or ended in prison.'
Thuỳ pursed her lips, making puppy-eyes at him and a soft cooing sound.
Minh sipped his soda and looked at his watch. 'Tuấn said four-thirty. It's four fifty-two.'
'Maybe he's caught in traffic.' Lâm blew his smoke towards Minh.
'Are you daft? What traffic?' Minh said, swiping at the small cloud drifting over him.
Lâm chuckled.
'Stop it, both of you,' Thuỳ said, trying her best to sound stern.
Dũng came to the front of the shop. His slippers scuffing the footpath as he bumbled along. His t-shirt was too short for his girth, and his shorts hung dangerously low; leaving several inches of bloated stomach visible. 'What're you kids doing?' he whined.
Minh frowned. His upper lip curled on the left side. He gestured at the vendor. 'Who the hell's this guy?'
'Just the neighbouring vendor. Reopened his stall yesterday.'
'What're you doing?' Dũng persisted, 'waiting for the end of time? Why don't you buy some snacks? My prices are reasonable considering restocking isn't yet possible.'
'Get lost,' Minh waved him away.
'Hey, I'm your elder! Didn't your parents teach you respect?'
'I'm an orphan!' Minh snapped.
Lâm tried to ignore the student but could see in his peripheral vision the kid’s annoying grin; pestering like a hornet.
Dũng grunted. 'Lâm, are you turning your shop into an orphanage?'
'I'm trying to enjoy an evening with my friends. Join us if you want.'
The vendor sputtered. Waving away the invitation he shuffled back toward his stall.
'What the hell were you thinking?' Minh hissed, 'what if he came in?'
Lâm dropped his cigarette butt onto the floor; crushing it under his sandal. He savoured the last of the smoke as he slowly exhaled. 'You may be educated, but they don't teach tact at University. If I shoo him he'll get suspicious and eavesdrop. Now he's lost interest.'
Minh glowered and mumbled something.
'I think you're very clever,' Thuỳ smiled. 'Is it okay to call you big brother?'
'If you like, but you can just use my name.'
The rattle of an approaching motorbike caught their attention. It turned into the workshop, stopping with a puff of smoke from the exhaust. Tuấn stepped off his bike. Removing his riding cap, he hung it by the strap from the handlebar.
'Close down the workshop front,' he said.
'What kept you?' Minh barked.
'It's the district food distribution day. There are more checkpoints.'
Lâm hurriedly pulled down the grate. The vendor was sat outside a few metres away. They locked eyes through the gate's grill. Dũng muttered something before busying himself with shuffling items around his stall. Lâm pulled the chord rolling down the garage door-style gate. The room was plunged into darkness until he flicked the light switch.
'Okay, let’s sit. Pull your chairs close.' Tuấn squatted as there were only three chairs.
'So, is there a plan now?' Minh asked before his backside was even in the seat.
Tuấn shook his head, frowning. 'Lâm, can you please fetch the locker.'
He nodded and retreated to the rear of the workshop. Clearing aside a handful of rags and a toolbox, he dragged a black metal footlocker across the floor to the centre of their huddle.
'Open it,' Tuấn said.
Lâm wrenched the key hanging from a nail in the wall. With a rattle the padlock fell away. He opened the locker. Removing the oil stained sheet he'd lain across the top of the goods. The two seated students craned their necks trying to peer over his shoulders.
'Troi oi!' Thuỳ gasped.
'Are those real?' Minh said, reaching toward the locker. Tuấn slapped the hand away before Lâm got the chance to.
'Yes they're real,' Tuấn said, 'I fetched them yesterday. Soon we'll be using them for real so we better get familiar with them.'
'What do you mean use them?' Thuỳ said, shrinking back in her chair.
'He means shoot the Chinese,' Minh said, staring at the guns.
'Is that true?' Thuỳ's voice raised several octaves.
'Yes... it's true. Are you ready?' Tuấn regarded the girl with a scowl.
'I'm ready,' Minh interjected.
'Me too,' Lâm added quickly.
'Are you ready?' Tuấn's eyes remained on the girl.
'I 'm ready to be medical personnel,' she said. Her shoulders hunched. She looked at Tuấn with watery eyes as if she feared he may strike her.
'I told you already. We must all be prepared to fight. Can you do it?'
Sucking her lower lip, she nodded. Her thick eyebrows twitched. She didn't look ready.
'Say it,' Tuấn snarled.
'I... I'm ready to fight for my country.'
Tuấn nodde
d. ‘I hope so.’
'I'll look out for her.' Lâm winked at her. She grinned.
Tuấn shook his head, his brow furrowed in scorn. 'You can't promise that. We'll look out for each other as best we can, but when bullets are flying she needs to be able to take care of herself.'
Thuỳ looked at Lâm like a cornered and desperate mouse. Tuấn's scrutinizing eyebrow arched questioningly.
'Oh...' Thuỳ fidgeted. 'I can do whatever you guys do. I promise.'
Tuấn nodded again; seemingly satisfied.
'Can we see the guns now?' said Minh with exaggerated exasperation.
'Wait,' Tuấn picked out a pistol, ' Lâm, you know about guns?'
'Yeah, sure. My old mentor took me one time to the home of his relatives. They had a rifle. We shot at rocks and cans while drinking beer.'
'That's better than us,' said Tuấn.
'Oh!' Lâm was unable to hide his surprise, 'don't students have compulsory military training?'
Minh snickered. Lâm cast a sideways look at him.
'It's not like you'd think,' Tuấn said, smiling with Minh.
'Yeah,' Minh added, 'march around with the AK-47. Do some exercises. Strip the gun. Clean it. You never get to actually shoot it. Just be a nanny for a machine gun.'
'Can we get AK-47's?' Lâm said.
'Troi a oi! Why didn't we think of that! Maybe a nuclear bomb too?' Minh's jaw hung open, his palms clutching his cheeks in mock shock.
'Piss off!' Lâm shoved Minh's shoulder. 'You're always on my back. Asshole.'
'I'm just saying. That's all.' Minh said in low, sheepish voice.
Lâm stared at him; unsure if his sulky tone was sarcastic.
'Just stop,' Tuấn growled. Rising to his feet; pistol in one hand and a magazine in the other. 'We don't have much time.'
Tuấn demonstrated how to slide the magazine into the pistol, prime it and hold it steady. Lâm watched intently. Although he knew the operation of a pistol he hadn't fired a one. Some of the punks and troublemakers who hung out in the alleyways occasionally had one which they let him see. Usually they either sold it or showed it off until the Police took it off them.
'Take one each,' Tuấn said, standing back from the locker.
Minh dove in first. He admired it for a few moments before pointing it at an imaginary target and turning his wrist 90 degrees. 'Gangsta style!'
'Alright,' Lâm shrugged, 'but when you shoot you won't be able to control the recoil.'
'Where'd you learn that?' Tuấn said. His eyes wide and pitch raised. Lâm hadn’t seen him look surprised before.
'I just know it. I don't remember how.' Lâm scratched his ear.
'I wonder what else we don't know about them.' Tuấn turned the weapon in his hand; studying it like it were an alien artefact.
'They look new,' Lâm said, 'military?'
'I can’t say.' Tuấn jolted as if just recalling something important. 'Oh! Gran gave me some money. Few hundred dollars. I wanted to use it to try to buy a gun or two, but we could use it for supplies or ammunition. You know the people around here. Can you take care of it?' Tuấn pulled a thick roll of notes from his pocket, offering it to Lâm.
'You're giving it to him? What if he drinks himself blind with it?' Minh glared.
Lâm wondered what that kid's problem was. He resisted the urge to lash out; deciding it best to ignore him. He took the money and put it in his pocket without a glance at it.
'Cut it out.' Tuấn fixed Minh with a stare before passing the next pistol to Lâm. When he offered one to Thuỳ she didn't accept it right away. He waved the grip at her. She took it in one hand. Fumbling, it fell through her fingers. Tuấn caught it before it hit the floor. Minh cursed under his breath.
Tuấn talked them through the operation of arming the weapon. Standing in a line they all took aim at the wall. Thuỳ steadied the weapon with a hand under the barrel.
'You can't hold it like that, sister,' Lâm said, 'the barrel gets hot. Besides it'll jump outta your hand soon as you shoot.' He showed how to hold it with the supporting had under the grip.
They took time to practice stances, grip and aim. They couldn't shoot but Minh made 'pow' sounds as he picked off invisible opponents.
Lâm felt ridiculous. They would be going against trained soldiers who were better armed and wearing body armour. He considered telling them it was pointless and perhaps they should return to their studies. But if Tuấn was getting arms and instruction from the Army, maybe there was a greater picture at play. Tuấn seemed a sensible guy; respectable and serious. He’d give him a chance.
He wasn't so sure about Thuỳ. Although twenty-two she could pass for seventeen. After just several minutes of playing with the pistol she was dipping the barrel while aiming. Twice Lâm raised the barrel with his finger. She politely thanked him for his attention to her faults. He'd need to watch out for her. Maybe he'd be looking after them all. He took a cigarette; last one in the packet. He crumpled the pack and lit the cigarette, then raised Thuỳ's barrel again.
'Sorry,' she mumbled.
'Alright guys. Gather around again,' Tuấn said.
They took their seats. Tuấn squatted again.
'We have orders. There's a plan. I'll tell you all what I know…' He spoke in a hushed tone.
They leaned forward in their seats. Heads close together in a small scrum; eyes on their leader.
'We must meet tomorrow outside the University.'
'There's no school tomorrow,' Thuỳ protested, drawing an irritated glance from both Minh and Tuấn.
'Please Thuỳ, let me continue,' Tuấn whispered, 'we meet outside the University at eight AM. Everyone bring your motorbike or scooter. Wear a surgical mask or scarf. Bring a plain motorbike helmet; not one that will stand out. Wear plain clothes.'
'What's our mission?' Minh's eyes were wide. His cockiness gone.
'We'll form part of a coordinated attack. Many cells throughout the district… maybe throughout the city will strike at the same time. Our target is the Department of Justice building on Pasteur Street.'
Lâm screwed his face up in thought. Pasteur wasn't far, but he couldn't think which building was the Department of Justice. It's not the sort of building people tend to travel to.
'Why there?' Minh asked finally.
'That was my question exactly,' Tuấn smiled.
'The Department of Justice is just an administrative and record office,' Thuỳ said.
'You're right,' Tuấn said, 'but the Chinese are using it. Who knows what they are using city records for! I'm told it's lightly guarded. One or two guards and two or three office staff.'
'Do we have to kill them?' Thuỳ seemed horrified at the notion.
Tuấn closed his eyes. 'Yes, Thuỳ.'
'Were you here for the gun practice?' Minh hissed, 'did you think we're using water pistols?'
She squirmed. Her lower lip pouted. Fidgeting, she ran her hands up and down her arms nervously. 'I meant, what if they surrender?'
The three men looked at each other. Nobody had thought of that possibility.
'If they surrender,' Tuấn said slowly, as if unsure what his next words would be, 'we... cannot accept prisoners... We've no facility for it.'
'So we kill them if they surrender?' Minh said, his voice raising.
'No,' Tuấn shook his head. He rubbed his chin in thought, 'we just need to make it so they're useless. If they surrender, shoot them in both legs.'
'Why both legs?' Minh said, wrinkling his nose.
'Wound both legs and likely they'll be sent back to China rather than patched up and put on the street again.'
'What about both arms?' asked Lâm.
'What?' Tuấn snapped. He shook his head. 'Whichever. It doesn't matter.'
'Hmmm, if you shoot both arms they can't shoot back,' Minh said.
'Sure okay,' Tuấn said, 'legs or arms. It doesn't matter.'
'What about one leg and one arm?' Thuỳ said, cowering as they boys looked at her.
Minh snorted, trying to stifle his chuckle.
'It doesn't matter,' Tuấn hissed, 'just make sure to take their weapons. Half the plan is to get better weapons.'
'What are the targets of the other cells?' Minh said.
'I don't know. It's not our concern. Just listen to the plan,' Tuấn said through gritted teeth. 'We’ll go to an arranged safe house near the target. There we'll park our bikes then make our attack. Afterward returning to the safe house where we'll stay the rest of the day. It saves the risk of getting caught returning here.'
'It sounds complicated.' Frowning, Minh scratched his cheek.
'It's not complicated,' Tuấn seethed, 'you follow me to the safe house. Park your bike. Attack then run back to the safe house. That's it. It should be less than five minutes.'
'A lot can happen in five minutes,' Lâm offered. The plan sounded okay, but were all factors considered? The response time of the Chinese, the proximity of their nearest reinforcements. There were many variables that could upset the operation.
'Okay look…' Tuấn licked his lips. 'This needs to be done. These are my orders. We don't need to discuss it further. Now, put your weapons back in the box.'
That signalled the end of the meeting. The locker was dragged back to its corner. Minh and Thuỳ readied to depart; they had both opted to remain in their homes rather than stay at their makeshift HQ. Thuỳ remained silent while the boys made small talk about their motorbikes. Lâm smiled at her, patting her shoulder when she didn't react. She smiled weakly before strapping on her riding helmet.
'Drive safely. Be on time in the morning,' Tuấn said, waving to his fellow students, 'don't forget; wear a mask or scarf, and plain clothes!'
Lâm opened the gate and the motorbikes rolled out. He called farewell after them.
Dũng watched from behind his stall. Puffing on a cigarette. 'You locked your little rat outside.'
He pointed at Dac who sat beside the workshop. His back pressed against the wall; arms wrapped around his scrawny legs. Had he been listening? Lâm looked from where Dac sat to where he and his companions had been. He doubted Dac would've caught much of it.
'Sorry Dac. Come inside. We'll eat something.' Lâm waved the boy inside and with a sideways glance at the vendor he pulled the grill down.
The March of the Dragons Page 15