Nash knew from the FBI that Steers was actually working with the Chinese. But he had a thought.Maybe that’s their leverage over her: Masuyo.
“So if the Chinese control the prison, does that mean they’re actually an enemy of Steers and her family?”
Temple looked uncomfortable, something Nash was quick to pick up on.
“You have another theory?” he asked.
Temple shrugged. “Just scuttlebutt I heard.”
“Tell me.”
Temple glanced around at some of the other passengers, who did not appear to be paying them any attention. When he spoke his voice was so low Nash had to lean in to hear.
“The thing is, Dillon, most people think Steers’s mother is Japanese.”
“You mean she’s not?” Nash knew this but he wanted to hear Temple’s version.
“No, she’s Chinese.”
“How do you know that? Did Steers tell you?”
“Hell no. She never talks about stuff like that, at least not with peons like me. No, I was at this huge facility in southern California used for processing and distribution of the drugs Steers brings into the country, when I overheard two of her associates talking. They were speaking a mix of languages, Thai and English and Mandarin. Now, I’ve traveled to Asia more times than I can count and I’ve got a passable talent for linguistics, so I was able to interpret some of what they said. Anyway,Masuyois a Japanese name, but I heard these men refer to her asDai Lu, which is a Chinese name. I looked it up, and it means ‘lead the way,’” added Temple. “Makes sense, right?”
“Yeah, it does,” said Nash. The FBI had previously told him about Masuyo actually being a Chinese agent, but they had not known her Chinese name; or if they did, they had never shared it with Nash.
“But they gave their daughter the name Victoria, which, I guess, comes from her English father,” pointed out Nash.
“Exactly,” Temple said in a scornful tone. “Queen Victoria. Fitting, since the bitch acts like royalty.”
Nash thought of the woman with the burned flesh standing over him that night. “From what you told me before, the kingdom wasn’t handed to her. She had to fight for it.”
“I’m not saying she’s not tough, she is. And ruthless and a killer. Which means since we have now gone off-grid from her plan we have giant bullseyes on our backs.”
A few hours later Temple plopped down on the deck and, like Thura, used his backpack as a pillow before falling asleep.
Amid all the noise, including sheep bleating and pigs grunting and the related odors that assailed him from all corners, Nash stood by the railing and looked out at the Irrawaddy, which flowed north to south, roughly cleaving Myanmar in half. There were a lot of boats out there, from big ferries to personal craft to a single fisherman balancing on what looked like a few boards as he cast his line into the water looking for food to either eat or sell. It seemed like every few minutes the ferry put into shore, where some got on and others got off. The slow rocking of the boat combined with the growing heat finally overwhelmed Nash, and he sat with his back to the railing and closed his eyes. He jerked awake when something touched his arm.
Temple and Thura were both staring down at him. As Nash looked around he could see that night had fallen.
Thura said quietly, “Bhamo is the next stop. About five minutes.”
Nash nodded and stood, stretching out his cramped limbs and trying to forget about his empty belly. They had left too early to get a meal at the hotel, and they’d had no provisions to bring on board.
“Hopefully, we can get something to eat in Bhamo,” he said as his stomach rumbled.
Thura nodded. “There’s a place we can walk to. Good food.”
Five minutes later, as they were trudging off the boat and onto land, Temple said, “I hope you have a plan for tomorrow, Dillon. Or else this might be our last stop in Myanmar.”
The thing was, Nash did have a plan.Now I just have to see if it works.
But he needed one other thing, and he asked Thura if it was possible.
“For a price,” said Thura. “Like the vehicle. I know another guy in Bhamo.”
“Good,” said Nash. “In tight spots it’s always fortunate to know guys who have the things you need.”
CHAPTER