See You in Saigon (2 page)

Montreal, Canada,
early afternoon

“Hi, I’m meeting
with Chris Barry, party of three,” said Jonathan Addley, responding to the
hostess’ greeting at Gibby’s in Old Montreal.

“Mr. Barry just
arrived, sir,” said the hostess. “Please follow me.”

Being one-thirty,
the lunchtime crowd had thinned and the woman led him to a table off to one
corner of the main dining room where Chris sat, no doubt at his request, away
from other late lunch guests. Due to the nature of some of their topics of
discussion, discretion was generally preferred and often required.

“Chris, you’re
looking even better than the last time I saw you,” said Jonathan as they shook
hands. “Have you been working out?”

Chris chuckled as
he shook his head before replying, “In fact, I have. After you and Josée left
our place on Sunday, Sandy and I worked out before dinner.”

The two men had
known each other since early 1997 when Chris had joined
Discreet Activities
,
a clandestine government group run by Addley, its purpose being to terminate
criminal activity, often involving the use of less than conventional methods.
In addition to their long term professional relationship, they had easily
become friends and regularly spent time together, skiing, golfing, boating and
travelling.

“Do you know what
the captain wants?” Jon asked, referring to long time friend, Montreal Police
Captain, Dave McCall, who had requested to have lunch with them to discuss
something.

“I don’t know for
sure,” Chris replied as he filled Jon’s wineglass from the bottle on the table,
“But I have a feeling it has to do with the aftermath of the party with Butch
last June. Cathy mentioned to Sandy that Dave didn’t have the highest respect
for his boss lately.”

“You’re probably
right,” Jonathan agreed. “I spoke to Dave once the enquiry results were
released and when I mentioned Vaillancourt, he suggested we not ruin a fine
conversation by discussing an asshole.”

To celebrate the
Quebec National Holiday the previous June, Chris and his wife, Sandy,
had invited a few friends to spend the weekend at their lakeside home in
Knowlton. Along for the party were Jonathan and Josée Addley, Dave and Cathy
McCall as well as Leslie Robb, the latest of Jonathan’s operatives, accompanied
by her same-sex partner, Dominique Petit.

While the five
women had gone on a shopping trip and joy ride in the Addleys’ new seaplane, a
travelling crime gang had invaded the Barry home and taken Chris, Dave and Jon
hostage. Under Leslie’s guidance, the women had set on a mission of retaliation
against the offenders to free the three hostages. As expected, the resulting
deaths of most of the gang members had led to formal enquiries though
Jonathan’s position with the government had helped expedite the process in the
proper direction with a favourable outcome.

However, R
é
mi Vaillancourt,
Director of the Montreal police for less than a year, had never seemed fond of
Dave and their already cool relationship had dropped to sub-zero levels during
and following the enquiries.

“Anyhow, we’ll
know soon enough,” said Chris. “He called me just before you got here to tell
me he was on his way. He should be here any minute.”

“A bit of news
while we wait,” said Jonathan. “Did you hear who passed away in Vietnam yesterday?”

Chris smiled and
replied, “There’s a thirty-eight percent chance it was someone named Nguyen.”

“Try Cao Van Minh,”
said Jonathan.

“Are you serious?”
Chris exclaimed. “What happened?”

“He was shot with
a poisoned dart while in heavy traffic on his motorcycle,” Jon replied.

“A turf war in Vietnam?” said Chris. “I thought Cao owned organized crime over there.”

“He does, or did,”
Jonathan confirmed. “Any other gangs are small, local and generally more prone
to petty theft and dope peddling than anything else close to organized crime.
In fact, most are, or were, technically working for Cao since he controlled the
production of opium and heroin they sold. From what I’ve heard so far, the
police have no leads and are basically waiting to see who picks up the reins of
Cao’s organization.”

“Interesting. Keep
me posted,” said Chris as he spotted Dave approaching. “Here comes Montreal’s finest.”

“Good afternoon,
Captain,” said Jonathan as Dave reached the table.

“Ha, don’t be too
sure about that,” Dave replied, pulling a chair back and settling into it.

“Which part?”
asked Chris, “The ‘Good afternoon’ or the ‘Captain’?”

“Both, but
particularly the captain part,” Dave admitted, turning his wineglass upright.
“I’ll have some of that if you don’t mind.”

“You’re even
drinking on duty?” Jonathan teased. “What’s going on?”

“Well, as I’ve
told you both before,” Dave replied, “Vaillancourt has been an even bigger pain
since the enquiries came about and he refuses to let go.”

“What the hell is
his problem?” Jonathan muttered. “The board cleared you, cleared us all of any
wrongdoing. Those bastards invaded Chris’ home and took us hostage. Leslie and
all intervened and some bad guys paid for their crimes. Every single one of the
board’s decisions was unanimous. It was self-defence.”

“I know that as
well as you,” Dave replied, “But Vaillancourt has it in his head that we could
have treated this differently, particularly since I was present. That the head
of the city’s specialized homicide unit reverted to vigilante tactics which led
to multiple murders is horrendous and unacceptable.”

“He said that?”
asked Chris.

“Verbatim,” Dave
replied.

Jonathan shook his
head in disgust. “Unfortunately there are stupid cops, even in the higher
ranks.”

“Don’t you be
insulting us cops by throwing Vaillancourt into our lot,” Dave retorted. “He’s
a damned politician, not a cop.”

“Ah, that explains
the stupidity,” Jonathan half-kidded, based on his years of dealing with all
walks of governmental bureaucracy. “Do you think he’ll lay off with time?”

“I seriously doubt
it,” Dave replied, shaking his head. “This morning, he told me he was
reassigning me to ‘yet to be determined’ duties effective November 1
^st
.
He’s pulling me from Special Homicide.”

“That’s insane.
You built that unit,” Chris exclaimed, referring to the Montreal Special
Homicide Task Force which Dave had headed since its inception over eighteen
years earlier. “What are you planning to do?”

“I could see this
coming,” Dave replied, “So I’ve been speaking to a lawyer. I had a chat with
her this morning after my meeting with Vaillancourt. There’s no doubt in her
mind we have an iron-clad case for a constructive dismissal suit and she’s
assured me that financially, the outcome of all of this will be highly
beneficial.”

“So, you’re
resigning?” asked Jonathan.

Dave pulled an
envelope from inside his jacket and tossed it on the table. “There’s my letter.
I’ll be having it messengered before the day is over.”

“Wow,” said Chris.
“This is pretty heavy, Dave. Are you okay?”

“I’m actually fine
with it,” Dave replied. “Knowing I won’t be dealing with this stress any longer
is a huge weight off my shoulders and Cathy is pleased with it too.”

“So, you won’t be
captain anymore,” said Jonathan, “But it
will
be a good afternoon.”

Dave shook his
head. “Not likely. After lunch, I’ll be going back to break this to my team.”

Chris chuckled and
said, “Apologies for laughing but I wouldn’t want to be in the director’s shoes
the day he comes face to face with someone from your unit.”

Dave smiled and
shrugged. “Not to sound full of myself but once this is out, I think the
director will soon be looking for another job.”

“Which means you
could be back in your chair pretty quickly,” Chris suggested.

“That could
happen,” Dave replied, “But after twenty-four years on the force, I think I’ve
had enough. There are several members of the team who could easily take over
and keep the unit running nicely.”

“No doubt about
that,” Jonathan agreed as Chris nodded, both men having come to know Dave’s
detectives over the years. “But what are you planning to do? You can’t be
thinking of retirement. You’re just a kid.”

“Yep, a
forty-eight year old kid,” said Dave. “However, no, I don’t plan to retire for
a while. I already have an employer in my sights and if that doesn’t pan out,
I’m sure I can find something in corporate security.”

“Care to share who
your target employer is?” asked Chris. “Both Jon and I are well connected, as
you know, so maybe we can give you a hand.”

Dave flashed a
nervous smile and hesitated before replying. “If there’s anyone who could help
me, it’s you two, especially you, Jon, though Chris could definitely help if
any additional convincing is needed.”

“You can certainly
count on my full support,” said Jonathan. “Who are we talking about?”

Dave took a deep
breath and looked at Jon. “Okay, I’ll just come out and say it. Would you
consider me for a spot on your team?”

Jonathan raised an
eyebrow in surprise. “Are you serious? You’d like to join Discreet Activities?”

“I certainly would
and I’m sure my background would be an asset,” Dave replied. “I have the utmost
respect for you guys and I’d be honoured to work with you.”

“I have the utmost
respect for you too,” said Jonathan, “But I want to be sure you know what you’d
be getting yourself into. There’s danger involved on a regular basis with the
assignments we take on—”

“I’ve been a cop
for over twenty-four years,” Dave interrupted, “And most of that has been in
homicide. I’m familiar with the concept of danger.”

“Don’t get me
wrong, Dave. I know you are,” Jonathan pursued. “But I need to be sure you
understand we’re playing with a different rule book. Hell, there is no rule
book. We do some nasty stuff, a lot of which is technically illegal.”

Dave smiled. “I’ve
known you two long enough to have gotten a sense of that. I’ve also come to
realize the reasoning behind it and I’m confident I could do whatever needs to
be done. All I’m asking is that you let me give it a go.”

“How does Cathy
feel about this?” asked Chris.

“She suggested it
before I even brought it up,” Dave replied.

“There would be
some testing and training involved,” said Jonathan, “But I’m not concerned
about that. You’re smart, logical and in great shape.”

“We may have to
bring your techie skills up a couple of notches,” Chris gibed, computers never
having been Dave’s forte.

“Hey, I know how
to use my phone and an iPad,” Dave retorted with a grin, “A little.”

“Angry Birds
doesn’t count,” Chris countered, “But I think we can work you past that.”

“I’ll make you
proud,” said Dave, earnest determination etched on his face. “So, what do you
say, Jon? I want to do this. No doubt about it.”

Jonathan gazed at
him for a moment before breaking into a smile. “How could I say no to that mug?
Welcome aboard, Captain.”

Con Phung (Phoenix
Island), Mekong Delta, Vietnam, mid-morning

Hoang Hien Bao
waited impatiently for any of several tourist boats to leave the dock, annoyed
by the diesel exhaust billowing into the hot, humid air from their chugging
engines.

“
Có
,” he
brusquely ordered the skipper of the rented craft, pointing to the furthest
boat as it slowly pulled away, having unloaded its cargo of camera-toting
foreigners.

Not bothering to
reply, the skipper turned up the throttle and glided forward to the vacant
space at the dock, tossing a line to a waiting hand as he slid the boat into
position.

“Remain local,”
Hoang told the skipper. “We will call you when we are ready to leave.”

Not waiting for a
response, though none was forthcoming, he climbed the short ladder onto the
dock followed by the two plainclothes officers who accompanied him.

Glancing at his
watch, he addressed his two subordinates. “He should be here in less than an
hour. We will be meeting near the pagoda. Keep us in view but behave like
tourists. As I told you, he requested I come alone.”

The two officers
nodded and sauntered off toward the pagoda of the Coconut Religion which looked
more like a futuristic theme park attraction than a house of worship. Hoang
turned his attention for a moment to another boatload of tourists arriving at
the dock then strolled off to walk for a while to kill some time.

* * * *

Partially shielded
by an abundance of giant ferns and other tropical greenery, Dennis ‘Scorpion’
Roy stood on the opposite side of the dock looking ever the Caucasian tourist
as he casually snapped photographs of the scenery… and of Hoang and his two
lackeys. He had doubted the man would show up on his own and, in all fairness,
couldn’t hold it against him given his position. Regardless, he would bring it
up with Hoang to ensure the man understood that trust was an absolute
requirement if they were to have a long, healthy and fruitful relationship
going forward.

He watched as the
Vietnamese officer ambled by and, after a moment, casually moved on to follow
the man from a distance.

* * * *

At precisely 11:00
a.m., Hoang’s mobile chirped as it vibrated on his belt.

“
Á-lô
,” he
answered from where he stood near the pagoda.

“Good morning, Colonel
General,” said Scorpion. “I wasn’t certain if you would show up.”

“I am here,” Hoang
replied, scanning the area around him for a sign of his caller. “Where are
you?”

“I’m in the
neighbourhood,” said Scorpion. “We’ll be meeting shortly but we need to address
something first.”

“I am a very busy
man,” Hoang retorted, “And I have already been waiting for—”

“Forty-seven
minutes since your arrival,” interjected Scorpion. “I asked you to come here
alone. Who are the two men pretending to be tourists?”

“I am the second
in command of the People’s Police of Vietnam,” Hoang replied without
hesitation. “A man of my position goes nowhere unaccompanied. I am certain this
is something you must understand.”

“I guess I do but
a man of
my
position can’t afford to be seen by any more people than
required,” Scorpion explained. “I’m willing to let you see me because I believe
we will go on to have a longstanding relationship. However, if you cannot see
me alone, you might as well call your boat and head back to Saigon.”

“Very well,” said
Hoang. “Where should I meet you?”

“Call your men
over and tell them to stay where they are. They are not to leave the pagoda and
I
will
know if they don’t obey my request,” Scorpion replied. “I’ll wait
while you do so.”

Hoang clenched his
teeth in frustration but barked out a quick command to his men to summon them
over.

After giving his
orders, he addressed Scorpion. “They will remain here until I return for them.
If I am not back or have not called them in thirty minutes, they will come looking
for me, and you.”

“Fair enough,”
Scorpion agreed. “Go for a stroll along that excuse for a road the tourists use
to go cycling. I’ll join you shortly along the way.”

Hoang cut the
connection and headed in the direction of the path, unconcerned about his
safety. Two other of his men who had arrived on a tour boat earlier in the
morning would be tracking his every move and available to assist him at a
moment’s notice.

* * * *

Scorpion walked
along the dilapidated dirt and stone lane which served as the main road for the
island’s residents, trailing behind a handful of obvious tourists heading back
toward the dock. From the opposite direction, he could see Hoang approaching,
his step confident as he casually gazed about, no doubt searching for the party
he was to meet.

Hoang passed the
group but paid them no attention, his eyes continually scanning the
surroundings ahead of him. Aware that the officer was alone, lookouts had
confirmed the two others had remained at the pagoda, Scorpion turned around and
hastened his pace, quietly closing the gap between him and the police officer.

“Nice day for a
walk,” he said as he fell into step next to Hoang. “Warm and sunny but not too
humid.”

“I did not come
here to discuss the weather,” Hoang curtly replied without turning toward
Scorpion. “I have complied with your demands, even though
you
wished to
meet with
me
, but my patience is wearing thin.”

“Relax, Colonel,”
Scorpion replied. “Too much stress and aggressiveness can kill you. Look at
what happened to your friend, Cao.”

“Cao was not my
friend,” Hoang scoffed, stopping and turning to Scorpion, “And he was murdered.
Who are you and what do you know of his death?”

A motorbike
transporting two men approached and Scorpion waited until it had passed before
responding. “Only what I’ve heard on the street and on the news.”

“Yet, you said you
wished to speak to me in relation to his death,” Hoang retorted, “And then
proceed to choose an out-of-way location while insisting on all this secrecy.
This tempts me to think you are somehow involved, Mister?”

“There’s no need
to get too cozy too quickly,” said Scorpion, “And if you think I’m here to
confess to a murder, you’re wrong, Colonel. I’m here to discuss a business
proposal.”

“I am a police
officer, not a businessman,” Hoang replied as they resumed walking. “What kind
of proposal could you wish to discuss which you believe I could be interested
in?”

“I’ll tell you
what,” said Scorpion. “Let’s stop this little dance because we only have half
an hour before your bodyguards come hunting for me. Why don’t I tell you what I
know and what I propose?”

Hoang shrugged
indifferently. “Go ahead.”

“Let’s start with
your relationship with the late Mr. Cao,” said Scorpion. “He was paying you and
a number of high ranking officers large sums of money to look the other way and
keep your men from meddling in his affairs. There’s no doubt you’re waiting to
see who takes over and you’ll be expecting payments to continue. The group I
represent has taken over the bulk of Cao’s business so I assume you’ll have no
objection in accepting your future payments from us.”

Hoang stopped and
gazed at Scorpion with a raised eyebrow. “Cao has been dead for less than
forty-eight hours and you have already taken over his business?”

“We had become
increasingly involved in his affairs over several months,” Scorpion replied.
“Silent partners, if you will.”

“I see,” Hoang
replied, nodding pensively. “Assuming what you say is true, do you even know
how much Cao would have been supposedly paying?”

“I know exactly
what Cao
was
paying,” Scorpion confirmed. “However, we are planning to
expand operations so your payments should be adjusted accordingly. We feel an
increase of twenty percent is reasonable and fair for any additional assistance
we may require from you on occasion.”

“That would be
very generous of you,” said Hoang, his tone mocking. “Out of curiosity, may I
ask you to elaborate on this expansion of operations and additional assistance
you speak of?”

“It’s rather
simple,” Scorpion replied. “Your country is fertile and offers opportunity for
far superior cultivation than Cao was generating. It’s common knowledge that
opium and heroin produced here is consumed within the country. Yet, you have
much unexploited land available for additional farming which could quickly
increase production many times over, generating vast quantities of opiates for
the export market.”

“And who would
benefit from this
expansion
?” Hoang demanded. “The people of my country?
No. You would benefit. You and the group you represent.”

“Of course we’ll
benefit,” Scorpion agreed. “It’s normal to expect a return on our investment.
However, the people of your country will benefit as well. Farmers will see new,
more efficient equipment provided to them and receive much higher payment than
they do for the rice or corn they currently grow. New farms will be developed
which will generate employment. As mentioned earlier, even you and your peers
will benefit with an immediate increase in supplemental pay.”

Hoang laughed
without humour. “Yes, for additional assistance which you have yet to define.”

“We both know Cao
occasionally helped colleagues from neighbouring countries,” said Scorpion. “I
surely won’t shock you by mentioning some shipments
do
leave for other
parts of the world from Vietnam, even if actual production stems from say, Laos
or Thailand. All I’m asking for is a little bit more cooperation on your part
since the number of shipments from this country will increase.”

They paused and
moved to the edge of the path as the motorbike which had passed earlier
returned on its way back toward the dock area.

As the whining
sound of motorbike’s engine receded, Hoang replied. “In any case, if I’d had
any alleged dealings with Cao as you suggest, I would have been but a mere
representative, a middleman with little or no decisional power. I am likely not
in a position to help you.”

“Your modesty is
admirable, Colonel,” said Scorpion, “Though I do understand you will have to
discuss this with the General of your force who will in turn need to chat with
his counterpart at the People’s Public Security to ensure the additional
assistance we require will be supplied.”

“You speak with
great confidence and arrogance,” Hoang stated, making no effort to mask his
disapproval. “I advise you that it would be wise on your part to never forget
who you are dealing with. We can quickly make your life rather difficult and
unpleasant.”

“There’s no need
to revert to threats, Colonel,” Scorpion replied. “My group only wishes to
pursue its growth and share the profits with its willing partners.”

“Who is your group
and who are you?” asked Hoang. “The General will want to know this information
if he is to even listen to what I may report.”

“I’m sure you’ve
heard of us,” Scorpion replied. “People know me as Scorpion and I represent the
Devil’s Delight.”

Hoang’s expression
hardened upon hearing the names. “I am familiar with both you and your
organization, Mister Scorpion. We have heard of your growing presence in
neighbouring countries in recent years and were expecting you to show up in our
country at some point.”

Scorpion smiled.
“The day has come, Colonel.”

“You are
mistaken,” Hoang countered. “At present, consider yourself to be a tourist
visiting our country, which may well be for a limited time. While you are here,
I strongly suggest you not take any steps toward establishing any type of
business unless you are granted permission to do so.”

“Hmm,” said
Scorpion, scratching his chin. “I’ll see what I can do, Colonel, but that kind
of throws a wrench in the plans I had for the coming days. I’ll think about
what you suggested but I can’t make any promises.”

“You have been
warned,” Hoang replied. “I will discuss this matter with the General and we
shall inform you of our decision in due time.”

“Don’t take too
long,” said Scorpion, “Because my patience also has its limits.”

“We shall take all
the time we need,” Hoang retorted, “Regardless of your patience.”

Scorpion smiled
and nodded. “Fine, Colonel. I’ll grant you some time. When should I contact you
to learn of the progress of your discussions? Would Monday be appropriate?”

“
I
will
contact
you
when it is time.” Hoang replied then began heading back the
way they had come, clearly indicating their meeting was over.

“Colonel,”
Scorpion called out. “How will you even know where to find me?”