Samurai Code (24 page)

“I think he believes that,” replied Rose. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be working for me.”

“Or perhaps Isaac is simply putting all his naughty fish in one rain barrel,” suggested Laura. “Easier to shoot at.”

31

Jack and Laura did not have to wait until the next weekend to hear back from Lee. It was only three hours after Rose had left Jack’s apartment that he received a text message.

“Perfect,” smiled Jack.

“You hear back from Rose?” asked Laura. “Did Isaac go for it?”

“Not Rose. It was Lee. He said there was a misunderstanding. Wants to meet for lunch. Our choice where.”

***

At twenty past twelve, Jack and Laura walked into Ceili’s Irish Pub and Restaurant and made their way to the rooftop patio where Lee waited, glancing impatiently at his watch.

“Sorry we’re late,” said Jack. “Had a flat tire we needed to get repaired,” he added, watching Lee for a response.

Lee looked slightly uncomfortable and quickly forgave them for being late. After Jack and Laura each ordered a Guinness to drink and beef stew for lunch, Lee came straight to the point.

“As a result of your displeasure over the asking price,” said Lee. “I spoke with my boss, and it occurred to us that you were likely thinking the quantity was a ton, or two thousand pounds. We were thinking in terms of a metric tonne. That would add over two hundred pounds to the quantity that you thought we meant.”

“You’re right,” said Jack, “I wasn’t talking metric. However, your price would still be at least ten percent too high. Sorry, I’m not —”

“No, please, hear me out,” said Lee. “My boss wishes to apologize for the misunderstanding. No wonder you felt insulted! He is prepared to offer you a metric tonne at twenty percent less than originally asked.”

Jack paused as he looked at Laura for a moment. Both their faces remained impassive. He looked back at Lee and stared at him briefly, before smiling and saying, “That, my friend, is an offer too good to refuse. We should drink to our new business venture.”

“I thought you would agree,” smiled Lee. “I have already taken the liberty of making a reservation for you both in Thailand. It is time, as they say, to get this show on the road.”

***

The following afternoon, Jack and Laura met with Rose, Connie, and Sammy back at Jack’s apartment, where Jack tossed a bar coaster to Rose. On it he had written:
Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort — island in the Gulf of Thailand called Koh Samui.

“That’s the resort where Lee has booked us two weeks of accommodation,” said Jack. “We’re supposed to arrive in Bangkok on September seventh, which is two weeks from tomorrow. We overnight there and then continue on to Koh Samui the next morning.”

“He said once we arrive in Koh Samui that we would be given a week to recover from jet lag and the fourteen-hour time difference before any business took place,” said Laura.

“Meaning we can expect to be under the magnifying glass the whole time,” said Jack. “However, it also gives us more time to befriend Lee. See if he gets liquored up and says something about what took place in the park with Melvin. Who knows, maybe we’ll get to meet the guy in the suit with dead eyes.”

“I would definitely like to find out who that is,” said Connie.

“You will have a cover team,” said Rose, looking at Sammy.

“Four from our office can go,” replied Sammy. “I’ll be in charge of the cover team and will handle that end of it. We’ll arrive one day ahead of you, but remember, we’re not allowed to carry weapons over there, so really, all we can really do is surveillance.”

“Must be nice,” said Connie. “A two-week vacation on a sandy beach in the tropics. Wish I could go along.”

“Personally, I feel that four members from Drug Section is too many as it is,” said Jack. “We’ll presume we’re being watched the whole time. Lee picked the resort. They could even have our room bugged.”

“Well, that’s interesting,” said Connie with a smile, looking at Jack and Laura. “You two are supposed to be a happy couple right? Young, virile, in love …”

“Good point,” replied Laura. “What do you think, Jack? Maybe we’d better practise kissing and getting intimate with each other before we go. We don’t want to look or sound nervous with each other when we get there.”

“Yeah, I guess we should,” replied Jack, trying not to smile as Connie’s head swivelled back and forth at the two of them, unsure if they were joking or not.

“Hope neither of you talk in your sleep,” said Rose, seriously.

“I don’t like being plunked into a spot of their choosing,” said Jack. “We’ll give it a couple of days to recognize faces and then find an excuse to switch hotels.”

“Keep the bad guys off balance,” said Rose. “Help put everyone on an even playing field.”

“Exactly,” replied Jack. “Still, we’ll have to be vigilant.”

“September is their low season over there,” cautioned Laura. “I’ve been to Thailand. Did a UC in Bangkok once pretending to mule drugs. Very few Canadians or Americans go over because it takes so long to get there. Most tourists are European or Russian, with a small smattering of Australians thrown in.”

“If that’s the case,” said Sammy, “and they have an insider at the hotel, my team is liable to be burned as soon as we check in. Too coincidental with that many Canadians showing up. I’d better split the team and put us up in different hotels nearby.”

“Good idea,” said Jack. “See what it’s like when we get there, but for the most part, I think you should keep as much distance between us as you can. Ensure that everyone going has their cellphones programmed to work over there.”

“What about the Thai police?” asked Rose. “We need to have someone with guns if things go to hell.”

“My understanding is there are a lot of good ones,” said Laura, “but they also have a problem with corruption. When I was there last, we dealt with our Liaison Officer in Bangkok and he arranged for a couple of trusted officers to assist.”

“I’ll contact the LO myself,” said Sammy. “See what we can come up with.”

“What do you think your chances are of The Shaman showing up?” asked Rose.

“I’ll really push to meet him,” replied Jack. “If we do, and we can get the right type of conversation from him to prove he’s importing and exporting heroin, we would never have to worry about him again.”

“Thailand has the death penalty,” added Laura. “Lethal injection. You definitely don’t want to be caught trafficking in that country.”

“Might also be the death penalty for both of you,” said Rose, “if they decide to put you on a polygraph.”

“Speaking of which, did you talk to Isaac?” asked Jack.

“I did. He shook his head and muttered something, but he okayed it.”

“Perfect,” said Jack.

“The only problem is that you will not get permission to travel to Burma,” said Rose. “Too dangerous.”

“We could find a poppy field and a lab for them,” said Jack, feeling frustrated.

“I know. But between the corruption in Burma and guerrilla gangs controlling vast areas, it isn’t worth it. You could be telling them something they already know … or own. You’ll have to come up with an excuse to tell Lee that you’re not interested in seeing that part of his network.”

“Okay,” sighed Jack. “I’ll tell him that I don’t want to visit the lab because if the place is ever raided, he might blame me. Besides, in theory, all we’re interested in is the final product. Not how or where it is made. I’ll see if we can convince him to let us examine the heroin once it arrives in Thailand.”

“Lee did say you can easily take a ferry and drive the round trip from Koh Samui to Burma and back within the day,” said Laura. “So if we convince Lee to let us see the heroin when it arrives, it shouldn’t take long.”

“Good,” replied Rose. “Even that has to be arranged and pre-approved.”

“Understood,” said Jack. “I don’t fancy myself receiving a lethal injection.”

***

The next two weeks went by fast for Jack and Laura. Rose arranged for a polygraph operator by the name of Larry Killaly to work with them.

Jack and Laura soon learned that Larry was acutely aware of even the smallest nuances when it came to detecting liars. On their last session, Larry had Jack prepare an account of what he did on his last two days off. Some of it was made up, while other parts were true. Larry was quick to spot the lies as he questioned Jack about his activities.

“You made eye contact with me about three seconds longer than you should have when you answered that last question,” Larry said.

“I thought direct eye contact was an indication I wasn’t lying,” replied Jack, feeling upset that Larry spotted his falsehoods so easily.

Larry shook his head. “We are taught to believe that as children. So as adults, we think we can deceive someone by maintaining longer eye contact. Also, don’t forget to be conscious of which direction your eyes veer to when you are asked to recall something. Remember, for most people, it is opposite directions when they recall something that is true versus using the imaginative side of their brain to fabricate a reply. And if you pause to think about it, I know you’re being deceptive, so try again.”

At the end of the session, it was clear that Larry had accurately pinpointed many of the lies that Jack tried to tell him.

“And this is before you even put me on the machine,” said Jack in amazement. “I knew you were good, but I had no idea how good.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” replied Larry. “For the most part, you learned exceptionally well. I think you would bring about inconclusive results for the verbal interview and even the majority of the questions you would be asked once you are on the polygraph. Unfortunately, if you are on the polygraph, it would only take a couple of questions, like, have you ever worked for a police force or provided information to the police? You might be able to control your outward appearance, but inside, your body would react. You wouldn’t fool a qualified polygraph operator. Every question would be like playing Russian roulette, only they wouldn’t stop until every question was answered. There would be no passing the gun. Sooner or later, they would hit you with one of the questions I just asked.”

“And there aren’t any drugs I can take to prevent or numb involuntary reactions?”

“Dead giveaway,” replied Larry, shaking his head.

After Larry left the apartment, Laura looked at Jack and said, “Guess we better find out who The Shaman is before any polygraph operator shows up.”

“Finding out who he is doesn’t give us the evidence to convict,” replied Jack. “We need to meet him. Get him saying something we can use in court.”

“I know, but from what Goldie told us, that won’t happen without passing the lie detector.”

“Guess we better force the issue and demand to meet him before the test, then,” said Jack, sombrely.

Oh, man …

***

Rose called Jack on the morning he and Laura were heading to the airport.

“Just a comment from Isaac,” she said. “Larry apprised him on the outcome of what would happen if they put you on the lie detector — basically that you would be dead. Guess I don’t need to tell you that under no circumstances are you to take it. If push comes to shove and they insist, then we’ll get Sammy’s team and the Thai police to extract you.”

“For sure,” replied Jack. “I’m not suicidal.”

“Isaac said to wish you good luck. He also suggested that it would be nice if a suspect was brought home in handcuffs rather than a body bag.”

32

Lee was all smiles as he met Jack and Laura in the departure level of the Vancouver International Airport. Their conversation was light as they boarded the plane. The first leg of the journey would take over fourteen hours to Hong Kong. There, they were to change planes before continuing on to Bangkok, arriving six hours after that.

Jack and Laura appreciated the comfort they felt as they sat in first class. The role they were playing demanded that they at least appear to be rich, when in fact, every penny spent had to be accounted for. Lee took the comforts of first class for granted.

Sammy, along with three of his colleagues, took the same flight the day before. Jack grinned to himself when he recalled Sammy’s tongue-in-cheek demand that he should fly first class with Jack and Laura as part of the cover team. Rose suggested that, based on her experience with the narcs she knew, they were nothing but a bunch of dirty dogs. She told Sammy he was lucky they didn’t cage him and put him in the baggage compartment.

Three hours into their flight, Lee placed his glass of Grand Marnier down and said, “I have some unfortunate news I forgot to mention. Some unexpected business arose on an unrelated matter and I have to stay in Hong Kong for a couple of days while you continue on.”

“That’s too bad,” said Laura.

“Only for a couple of days,” replied Lee. “I’ll arrive either Monday or Tuesday. Besides,” he winked, “it is very romantic where you are going. I’m sure I won’t be missed that much.”

“Did you hear that, honey?” asked Laura, sounding excited. “A romantic getaway.”

“I heard,” replied Jack.
I’m sure Natasha will be excited to hear about it, as well …

“I think you will enjoy Samui,” continued Lee. “Thai people are nice. Buddism is prevalent, and overall they are a gentle race. Not the type of people you would encounter, say, on the street a block or two from Goldie Locks. Okay, Laura?”

“You heard about my mugging incident?” asked Laura.

Lee smiled and said, “Actually I saw it. I was on my way to meet Goldie and an associate at the time. I was impressed. Where did you learn karate?”

“Just as a kid growing up. I had three older brothers and needed something to give me an advantage,” Laura added with a smile.

“And you, Jack? Have you received any training in hand-to-hand combat?”

“Lots,” replied Jack.

“Really? The both of you happen to be trained in martial arts?” asked Lee suspiciously.

“Oh, none of that leaping around and chopping boards or bricks for me,” replied Jack. “My training was hands-on experience. Not officially recognized as schools. More like barrooms and back alleys. I prefer a baseball bat, broken bottle, or a gun. Trying to chop at somebody with the edge of my hand isn’t my style.”

“I see,” replied Lee. “Perhaps not as impressive to watch as Laura, but the desired outcome is still … brutally attained.”

Later, when Lee left to use the washroom, Laura asked, “So what do you think? Why are we being sent on alone?”

“Could be the truth,” replied Jack, looking up from his Thai phrase book, “but more likely they want us to think we are alone.”

“That’s what I’m thinking, as well. They’re going to want to be confident that we’re who we say we are before showing us the goods.”

“So we frolic and play for a couple of days. Act like we don’t have a care in the world.”

“And hope Lee does show up,” said Laura. “Otherwise the bean counters might be a little upset.”

***

Lee said goodbye to them at the Hong Kong International Airport and assured them that he would see them soon. Jack and Laura continued on to Bangkok, arriving shortly before midnight on Friday night. The following morning found them on a one-hour flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui, where a van from the hotel met them and a forty-five-minute drive brought them to the Pavilion Samui Boutique Resort.

Jack went to the reception desk and said, “Jack O’Donnell. I believe you were expecting us?”

The receptionist was friendly and obliging when Jack requested a room with twin beds.

“He’s a kicker,” said Laura, with a smile as she wrapped her arm around Jack’s waist.

“A kicker?” asked the receptionist.

“When he sleeps, he kicks,” said Laura.

On their way to their room, Jack whispered, “Connie would be so disappointed if she knew.”

Jack and Laura set out to explore their surroundings. They discovered the hotel was in a small town called Lamai and it was set on the ocean. The long, sandy beach was lined with palm trees and several other hotels, but not so many as to make it overcrowded. Local industry appeared to be either fishing, or catering to the tourists with numerous tailor shops, bars, and souvenir shops.

It was evident that many of the bars catered to prostitution, but with Laura present, Jack was seldom propositioned or annoyed. Jack called Sammy and learned he was booked into the hotel next door to theirs. For now, they would keep their distance.

Jet lag and exhaustion took its toll and on their first night they decided to go to bed early. But not so early that Jack didn’t stand and rattle the headboard against the wall. Laura rolled her eyes and said, “I’ve got a headache. Don’t … stop! Jack? Don’t … stop.” Soon her plea picked up in pace to, “Don’t stop! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!” as Jack increased the rhythm of banging the headboard against the wall. They did not know if the room was bugged, but by the knowing smiles they received from an elderly couple in the adjoining room the following morning, they knew someone had heard.

Over the next two days, Jack and Laura found the Thai people exceptionally friendly. Some were timid at first, but they did enjoy a good laugh, and a little humour went a long way. As did a basic knowledge of their language when it came to the simple niceties.

The Pavilion Hotel catered to the more wealthy tourists, and although the staff were polite, Jack and Laura preferred to frequent the restaurants or locations that the Thai people did. They discovered a bar on the main street in Lamai called The Outback. It was owned by an Australian by the name of Bart and his partner, an attractive Thai woman by the name of Tukta, who acted as bartender. Soon Jack and Laura were on a first-name basis with everyone who worked there.

The bar, like most others, was built with an open front facing the main street. People from all over the world passed by on the sidewalk and in and out through the bar. Short, squat-looking tribal women from various mountain regions of Thailand and dressed in traditional costumes strolled the sidewalk selling handcrafted souvenirs. Transvestites, or what the Thais referred to as “ladyboys,” occasionally entered the bar along with other prostitutes. It was a spot where humanity seemed to set their differences aside and accept each other for who they were. It was a great place to people-watch — or be watched.

In the evening, The Outback had a Thai band perform most of the hits from the seventies to the eighties. Jack thought they were exceptionally good, until Laura clued him in that they were lip-synching. After Jack impersonated them, the band had a tough time trying to lip-synch without laughing.

***

By Monday morning Lee had not yet appeared, and Jack advised the hotel that something had come up and they were checking out. He and Laura took their own suitcases and trudged along the beach for about twenty minutes to another hotel they had located called Bill Resort. It was much less fancy than the Pavilion, but Jack and Laura had discovered that they had great food, a beautiful pool, and more importantly, had the atmosphere of a family-run operation with loyal staff.

Jack called Sammy as soon as they checked in and said, “Well?”

“Yeah, you picked up a tail walking down the beach,” said Sammy. “Stocky fellow and taller than most Thai people. He purposely kept out of sight, but was definitely watching the two of you. Wearing navy-blue long pants and a yellow T-shirt.”

“A lot of them wear yellow T-shirts,” said Jack. “It has something to do with symbolizing their love for their king.”

“He also had on a cheap-looking watch with an oversized silver strap.”

“Good, we’ll keep our eyes open. No sign of Lee yet. He is supposed to arrive today or tomorrow. I left a message at the Pavilion for him to phone my cell.”

“We’ll keep our distance. Let us know if you want us to move in closer.”

***

Monday night found Jack and Laura back at The Outback. Music was blasting and the place was filling up. They found a seat and each ordered a Thai beer, Chang for Jack and Singha for Laura.

Jack could hear Bart’s thick accent as he sat drinking beer with several grey-haired Australian expatriates at a table directly behind him. One of the older men swore and Jack heard Bart say, “Watch it, mate. There’s a lady behind you.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know,” he whispered to Bart.

“Well then, turn around and apologize. Better sound like you mean it, or I’ll bar you,” ordered Bart.

The man turned and apologized to Laura, who claimed that she hadn’t heard him.

Jack grinned as he looked around the bar. It was very rustic, but had lots of character. In a glance, he saw an obese Swedish man with eyeglasses that were thick enough to qualify him for being legally blind, stumbling around the pool table with two prostitutes who were trying to teach him how to play. Nearby, a ladyboy was drinking with a young man who Jack suspected would be in for a real surprise later.

Across the room, he spotted a man and a woman who had moved their table aside to jive dance. They were staggering and swaying as they held each other up, while laughing and encouraging each other on in French. Not unusual, except the man was missing a foot and dancing lopsided. His prosthetic foot was sitting on the bar and he saw Tukta smile at them as she moved the foot aside to pour more drinks.
All this and Bart makes a guy apologize for uttering the word
fuck
? Bart, you’re a gentleman. Rough around the edges perhaps, but a real gentleman.

“I like this place,” said Jack, smiling.

“You would,” replied Laura, shaking her head.

“No, I’m serious. I’ve been in a lot of bars. This is one of the best. The most fun.”

“I know you’re serious,” replied Laura with a laugh. She leaned over like she was kissing Jack in his ear and said, “Don’t look now, but across the street we have a guy in a yellow T-shirt and a gaudy silver watchband loitering about in front of another bar.”

“Love you, too,” said Jack, when Laura leaned back.

Later, after Bart got up to leave, he stopped by at their table. “Everyone treating you all right mate?” he asked Jack.

“Couldn’t be better,” replied Jack.

“A bit of a Canadian invasion we have tonight,” said Bart.

“Oh?” replied Jack, glancing around the bar while wondering if some of Sammy’s team had entered.

“The French couple,” said Bart. “Both soldiers from Quebec. Left his real foot in Afghanistan. A bloody shame, that is. The one they gave him to replace it hurts his stump. Last night he forgot it, so Tukta kept it behind the bar until he popped back in at noon to claim it. Tonight when he took it off, we put it up there as a reminder. Mind you, right now I bet he could wear it. Don’t reckon much would hurt either of them at this point.”

Jack glanced at the couple as a waitress brought them another round. The waitress tried to pour a handful of change into the soldier’s hand, but he said, “Keep the shrapnel. I have an aversion to the stuff.”

“Do me a favour, Bart,” said Jack. “Send them over another round and put it on my tab. Make it anonymous, will you?”

“Sure thing, mate. Aren’t you going to say hello to ’em? Fellow Canadians and all. Their English is good. Well, sort of. Seem like a decent lot, although a certain wanker I saw earlier today would disagree.”

“A certain wanker?” asked Jack.

Bart smiled and said, “I saw them browsing in a shop down the street this afternoon. They spotted some big ape of a wanker trying to buy a young kid. Bet she wasn’t ten years old. The soldier kicked him in the ass with his store-bought foot and put up his dukes. The big wanker backed right off and beat it down the street. The lady soldier followed him for about two blocks, cussin’ him out in French and English. Bet he thinks twice before goin’ after the next kid.”

“Forget buying them one round,” said Jack. “Make it four.”

“I’ll tell you what, mate,” said Bart. “I’ll split it with you. You going to join them?”

“Maybe later. They look like they’re having too much fun right now.”

The truth was, Jack had no intention of talking with them. He hated having to lie about who he really was to decent people.

It was a couple of hours later and not yet midnight when Jack and Laura decided to leave. The town was really coming alive and it was obvious that most of the inhabitants were nocturnal, but jet lag had taken its toll. They decided to do the twenty-minute walk back to Bill Resort and call it a night. Jack noticed that as soon as they stood and paid their tab, the man in the yellow shirt reappeared from the bar across the street and used his cellphone.

Jack and Laura had earlier discovered a shortcut back to their resort. A lane from the main street led between two tall buildings and out across an open field to the beach. From the beach, it was only a ten-minute walk to their hotel.