“Very soon. Ideally, we would have more time, but there is nothing ideal about the situation. Thus, you both will have to learn most of what you need on the ground in Myanmar.”
“This prison?” began Nash. “I assume you have someone on the inside who will help with the extraction?”
“You are thinking at a level which I appreciate, Mr. Hope. Yes, I do have someone on the inside. Otherwise, the plan would have little chance of success.”
“How far is the prison from here?” asked Nash.
“Normally, the flight time is around four hours, but commercial service is not reliable and in some regions completely unavailable. The airspace around the prison is tightly restricted. And the junta, which now controls less than half the country, has taken to bombing the parts held by rebel factions. So it is decidedly risky on all levels. Thus, you will work your way to the prison from points north, where you will be initially dropped.”
“Points north!” exclaimed Temple. “But to the north of Myanmar is China. And I don’t think going across that border is a good idea.”
“China is not the only country to the north of Myanmar, Mr. Temple,” she chided. “I would have expected you to know this with your many trips to that part of the world.”
“So we enter from the north and make our way south to the region where the prison is located?” said Nash. “How long will that take?”
“A week, at the very least. And you must ingratiate yourself with the people there using the cover provided by others in Myanmar who are working for me on this.”
“And how do we do that?” asked Nash.
“Simply put, Mr. Temple is a businessman seeking commercial opportunities, which will work to his strengths. And you, of course, Mr. Hope, will be his personal bodyguard, which will be a natural fit for your skill set. Despite its political and governing challenges, and the hostilities unfolding across the country, Myanmar is opening up more to foreign trade. Locals engaged by me will be there to help you on your way.”
“And what about my company, Sybaritic?” asked Temple. “I told them I was taking some time off and I’d check in periodically, but still, I can’t just disappear for long periods.”
“All in good time, Mr. Temple. My mother’s welfare comes before all other things.”
“And the enticing rewards you mentioned if we do succeed?” said Nash.
Steers turned her gaze to him. “You get to live, of course.”
CHAPTER
6
BACK IN THEIR APARTMENT THEYfound books and maps and other information on Myanmar with a note from Steers telling them to go through the material thoroughly.
Temple said scornfully, “Great, we’re back in high school.” He glanced at the sliding door leading to a small balcony overlooking Hong Kong, and motioned toward it.
Outside, the noises of the large metropolis cascaded over the men. They watched in silence as an Emirates A380 jet drifted by in preparation for landing at the nearby Hong Kong International Airport. They had left the door open and positioned a small clock radio near the door with the sound turned up high to cover their conversation in case there were bugging devices out here as well.
“I don’t trust the woman any farther than I can throw her,” muttered Temple as he leaned on the balcony and studied the cityscape below. “You believe her mother really is in a prison in Myanmar?”
“If she has an inside person, why not deploy a well-trained extraction team to do the job quickly and precisely, instead of us slowly making our way there?”
“Does she want her mother to die? And us along with her?”
Nash shook his head. “Why not just leave her in prison then? And if she wants us dead, she doesn’t need an elaborate scheme to do so. Bang bang and we’re done.”
“Then she really must want her mother out of there. So I guess we’re headed to Myanmar on an impossible mission,” Temple said miserably.
They went back inside, where Nash started to go through the materials left for them. Temple, however, walked past all of that and headed to his bedroom.
Nash called after him, “Hey, it would be a good idea if we knew some of this stuff.”
“Yeah, brief me when you’re done.”
Nash shook his head and settled down to hisstudies.
Later that night, as he went to his room, Nash thought,I’ve done the impossible up to this point. Maybe I can do it one more time.