Temple looked at Nash and said warningly, “Unfortunately for us, nights can be very long.”
CHAPTER
18
IT WAS LATE WHEN THEYmade their way toward their hotel down an alleyway. The only illumination was from the moon as it drifted behind hazy clouds. The sounds of a few cars and motor scooters rumbled in the distance, but other than that it was quiet.
Temple said, “Where is Thura staying?”
Amrita glanced at him. “At a hostel nearby. He is not happy about your telling him to leave. I think he’s afraid you will blame him or tell the police that he was involved in the soldier’s death.”
“So he plans to kill us and not turn us over to the police?” said Temple as they entered an especially darkened section of the alley.
“I think he will kill you and then show the police the gun that killed the soldier,” she said, looking at Nash. “Yourgun.”
“And he collects the reward and leaves no witnesses to dispute his account of things,” added Nash. “Nice plan.”
“Shit.” Amrita had stumbled over something and banged her shoulder into a wall as she fell to the ground, moaning and holding her arm.
Nash bent down to help her as Temple turned to look.
“What the—” began Nash, as Amrita rose, holding his gun and pointing it at him. She had slipped it out of his holster when he had gone to her aid.
“What are you doing?” barked Temple.
“I am making a hundred million kyats,” she shot back.
Eyeing her warily, Nash said, “The plan you said was Thura’s was actually yours.”
She smiled. “With that much money I can go to America.”
“Fifty grand won’t get you a penthouse in New York,” pointed out Temple.
“But it will get me out of here.”
“We were going to help you do that, Amrita,” said Nash.
“You lie! You were never going to help me. Men always lie to women. It is how you think.” She spat on the ground. “So which first, you, or you?” she said, oscillating the muzzle between the two of them.
“The police will arrest you for murdering us,” said Temple.
She smiled. “In America maybe, but not here.” She pointed the pistol at Nash. “I choose you to die first.” Her finger went to the trigger and she started to pull it.
The woman then flinched, her eyes bulged, and her mouth collapsed. As she fell forward, Nash saw a knife sticking out of her back.
He bent down to check her pulse. There was none. It looked like the blade had pierced her heart. Nash retrieved his weapon and then they heard footsteps.
Nash rose and pointed his gun as Thura walked into view.
He stopped next to Amrita and shook his head. “It is sad what I had to do.” He looked up at Nash. “I do not know you. Her, I knew. Her, I called a friend. But I had to kill a friend to protect those I do not know. It is messed up, man.”
“So why did you do it?” asked Nash.
Thura bent down to free his knife from Amrita’s body. “Because it is not right to kill somebody like that. Amrita was wrong. You do not just shoot someone who stands without weapons in front of you.”
He wiped off the blood on her jacket and put the knife in a holder under his coat. “I know I said it was all good, but you do not want to get on that plane, man,” he said.
Nash said, “Amrita told us she could get us tickets on the slow ferry. But obviously that was a lie,” he added, looking down at her body.