Indonesian Gold (23 page)

‘It could take years to set it up!'

Kremenchug
had taken the bait,
and Sharon went in for the kill. ‘Another reason why we want control over the concession vested
with a listed, public company,' she said, evaluating Kremenchug closely to gauge his
reaction.

‘Why?'

‘To recover that fifty or sixty percent of our losses, of
course!'

Kremenchug
considered this. It
made sense. ‘Where would you want the listing?'

Sharon
started to pick up the
tempo, excited that Kremenchug was hooked. She had watched closely when suggesting that his share
of this enormous wealth would be fifteen percent, Kremenchug's eyes dilating with the offer. ‘We
thought this through. It would make more sense to be listed on an exchange whose members already
had substantial gold interest in Indonesia. This narrowed it down to Canada and Australia. After
further investigation, we decided that Canada would be the more preferable as it has greater
support from North American capital and the number of Canadian mining interests already either
exploring, or producing in Indonesia, is considerable.'

Kremenchug
's eyes narrowed as
he tried to understand why they had specifically targeted him to approach. He asked the question;
Sharon responding with rehearsed reply. ‘Your name kept on popping up everywhere, Alex,' she
justified, ‘in Vancouver, Calgary, Perth and Jakarta.'

‘Okay, so you've done your homework, but that still does
not explain, why me?'

Sharon
knew the time had come
to be blunt. ‘The person we need cannot be hooked on scruples; someone who would appreciate the
value of what is on offer – and, of unquestionable loyalty. We approached you, Alex, because of
your past dealings, your perceived involvement with Meekathara, and your relationship with
Canadianbased mining companies which are already active in Indonesia.'

‘You think I'm bent?' he challenged, his expression
cold.

‘I think you know how to bend the rules,' Sharon answered
with ill-disguised contempt.

‘Not good enough, Sharon. Do you think that I was involved
in the West Australian fraud?'

Sharon
took the gamble. ‘Yes,
I think you helped mastermind the deal.'

Although Kremenchug resented the remark, he knew it to be
true. As damaging as it was to his self-esteem, he accepted that Sharon Ducay would never have
approached him unless she had been convinced of his credentials, unsuited for others that they
may be. His shoulders slumped. The image of a twenty to thirty million dollars success fee being
the deciding factor, Alex Kremenchug swallowed his pride, and said, ‘Okay. Where do we go from
here?'

An hour passed and they were nearing consensus as how best
to proceed with their project. ‘Do you want to continue with this in the morning?' she asked,
conscious that her uncle was struggling to remain awake.

‘No, I'd like to get on a plane tomorrow, if possible.'
Kremenchug glanced over at the yawning General. ‘But, if you want to leave it and get up early, I
don't mind.'

General Dominguez was assisted to his feet. ‘I will leave
you two to finish up here if you don't mind. Until breakfast, then?'

****

Sharon
and Kremenchug returned
to their discussion as to the best methodology to be used in establishing the relevant corporate
structure to suit their needs. They had agreed that the Borneo Gold Corporation would be a
suitable vehicle for their scheme. By going ‘in through the back door', they could gain control
over an existing entity, one that was already trading, and thereby circumvent the necessity of
identifying an underwriter for a new venture.

‘BGC hasn't been sailing too well. I know most of the
players and think that they would be receptive to an offer.'

Sharon
did not reveal that she
was already conversant with BGC's current status, and the financial predicament the major players
faced. Silently relieved that her game plan was working, she asked a number of perfunctory
questions, then suggested that they call it a night, anticipating Kremenchug's next
move.

‘A nightcap to celebrate?' he invited.

‘Too soon to celebrate, Alex. Let's save it until you
return.'

‘But, you promised,' he reminded, taking her by the
hand.

‘Yes, and I know where you would want that to
lead.'

‘And you don't?' he moved closer and tried to kiss
her.

Sharon
was prepared – she
pulled away. ‘My uncle is very protective, Alex.'

‘I need you, Sharon.' He took her by the hand again, and
kissed her wrist.

‘Alfredo would know,' Sharon had no intention of
subjecting herself to this man in any way whatsoever. But, she had a plan.

‘I could come to your room later?' he asked,
hopefully.

Sharon
pretended to be
considering this. Then, ‘No, it would be better if I came to yours.'

Kremenchug
felt his blood
surge. ‘That's great,' he whispered, conspiratorially.

‘You should go first, Alex. If Alfredo thinks we are all
asleep, only then will he retire. He can see your bedroom window from his quarters. So, be
careful. Leave your lights off and the door unlatched.'

Kremenchug
kissed her softly
on the cheek. ‘I'll be waiting for you.'

****

Sharon
returned from her
lengthy discussion downstairs with the servant. She looked in on her uncle and, seeing that he
was already asleep, went to the study where she poured a Chivas and lit another of her Puerto
Rican cigars then stretched out on the deep-maroon, leather, upholstered divan. While savoring
the tobacco leaf's aroma, Sharon's mind drifted back over her discussions, unable to resist
breaking into a wide smile with the realization that she had successfully manipulated the cunning
Alexander Kremenchug to deliver BGC into her hands. Not that Sharon wished to own a near-bankrupt
mining company – acquisition was but the first step in her well-conceived scheme. She was
counting on historical evidence that Kremenchug would undoubtedly attempt to screw everyone along
the way; it was his nature to do so, and the success, or failure of her plan, depended entirely
upon Kremenchug remaining within character.

The study clock chimed, breaking its monotonous, metronome
sequence and Sharon took a final puff of the Corona before snuffing the cigar out in an ashtray.
And, on cue, the maid, Maria appeared and made her way down the dimly lit hallway, and into the
guest's room.

****

Kremenchug
lay erect and naked
between the sheets, his thoughts dancing with anticipation when the bedroom door opened, then
closed quickly. In the darkened environment he sensed more than actually saw Maria slip out of
her nightdress, the woman's brown body but a silhouette in the night. She climbed into bed, her
muskiness triggering his senses and he gasped as Maria's warm, soft and moist mouth suddenly
encompassed him with delight. He groped for full breasts, their fullness driving him to an even
greater urgency and he felt a delicate ripple in his belly beginning to rise. Kremenchug pushed
her head away, rolling the maid onto her back – his less than elegant entry penetrating her
impatiently, sending a shudder through the length of her body. His erection filled even harder,
the blood pumping through his body, threatening to flow and he cried out ‘Sharon,' the stench of
his breath enough for the maid to turn her head away. He called out Sharon's name again, Maria's
body now ready. She arched, welcoming the moment as he suddenly jerked, thrusting his length hard
inside her, the warmth of the wave engulfing both their bodies as he surrendered.

Kremenchug
rolled away from
the now inert body beneath him which then suddenly sprang into life. He lay there listening as
Maria dressed silently, and disappeared, leaving him happily spent but curious at his partner's
hurried exit.

In the meantime, Maria returned to her quarters, bathed,
then lay on her own bed contentedly, visualizing what she might buy when next in the market, with
the twenty dollars Mistress Sharon had given her to service the visitor.

****

First Lieutenant Subandi acknowledged the signal then
advanced cautiously towards the clearing where a group of twenty or more Papuan tribesmen had
gathered. There were eight in Subandi's Red Beret team – all highly trained commandos belonging
to the one thousand strong,
Kopassus
Strategic Forces spread throughout Indonesia's most
easterly province, to counteract the Free West Papua (OPM) separatist movement.

Growing dissent amongst the Indonesian Papuans had
resulted in an increase in protests and hostage taking, the
Kopassus
command charged with
the task of eliminating those responsible and, in so doing, remove all threats to the massive
gold and copper deposits located there. Lieutenant Subandi was not aware that, since the mining
operation's inception, his Commander-in-Chief's closest associates had been granted twenty
percent of the stock in the billion-dollar, mining investment. And, because of these vested
interests, the company had enjoyed a special place under the Suharto dictatorship. With the
Indonesia's First Family and their associates firmly ensconced as major beneficiaries of the
mine, the company not only enjoyed generous tax concessions and virtually free reign within the
province, but protection by the full might of the Indonesian Armed Forces.

The young officer, as were so many of his peers, remained
apolitical, interested only in advancing his career, one that had recently suffered a number of
serious setbacks – the most significant, the loss of an Iroquois helicopter whilst he was
co-pilot. Grounded for a year and reassigned, Subandi now found himself participating in covert
operations, in the primitive province.

He had arrived as a major
Kostrad,
Strategic
Reserves' operation was under way. Their task, to forcibly relocate several thousand villagers
from their traditional land to make way for the mining giant's expanding infrastructure
requirements and, of course, a new military base from where the army's special units could
operate. A concentration camp had been established to contain the growing unrest, Lieutenant
Subandi's current mission to recapture escapees who had managed to cut their way through
razor-wire fencing and flee, attacking a transmigrant settlement along the way. The response to
the attack on the Javanese settlers had been immediate, with a number of Black Ops being
initiated that very day. The young officer knew that select
Kopassus
teams would already
be on their way to ‘visit' indigenes in their villages, where they would terrorize the local
population, killing, torturing, burning in reprisal. Subandi had been trained in such tactics
back in Java, but that was before his selection for helicopter pilot training. The intimidation
tactics were always successful, he knew, having participated in a number of such raids in East
Timor where he had been fortunate to meet the young,
Kopassus
commander, General
Praboyo.

The junior officer peered through the bushes as the group
congregated in the open, half-expecting to see men with noses pierced with bone. Instead, he was
surprised to discover that they carried carbines, and wore their own style of camouflage uniform.
Subandi assumed, correctly, that he had stumbled across the OPM. The commandos positioned
themselves to advantage then engaged the raggedy band, the ensuing slaughter accounting for most
of their number, with only a few managing to escape into the woods. Lieutenant Subandi's
successful mission earned the officer accolades and the attention of his superiors in Jakarta. He
was reassigned yet again, this time to the anti-terror unit, D81 located in Cijantung, on the
outskirts of the national capital.

Subandi would remain engaged in covert operations
specifically targeting high-profile political agitators for the next few years, until a chance
development would place him back on flying duty, and at the controls of a helicopter
again.

****

The Airbus' engines' whine diminished considerably,
causing heart palpitations throughout the wide-bodied jet. Then, as the captain banked and
corrected the aircraft's course for Hong Kong, to the relief of all on board, the powerful Pratt
& Whitney PW4000 engines leaped back into life as the seat-belt signs were turned off, and
the cabin crew rose to commence the in-flight service. Kremenchug closed the shades and adjusted
his seat, then busied himself with his own business plan during the relatively short flight to
Hong Kong's Kai Tak Airport. His concerns over the Philippines' government's propensity to
eavesdrop on international calls had discouraged Kremenchug from placing calls to Canada and
Indonesia whilst in Manila, as he did not want anyone from General Dominguez's camp even minutely
aware of what he intended.