The foo sheng key 2013, p.36
The Foo Sheng Key (2013), page 36
“Is that the Navy SEALs’ idea of a fighting chance?”
Forbes waved the blade in front of him. “A man has to take the advantages he can as the opportunities arise.”
Shelby moved slowly around keeping his eye on the knife.
“Okay Gloria, let’s see what you’ve got.”
“I’m gonna gut you like a fish, then when I’ve finished I’m gonna slit your boys throat, then cut off his head and take it home as a trophy.”
Shelby forced a grin. “That’s the Navy SEALs I remember, all talk and no action.”
Forbes leapt forward, the knife arcing through a vicious slice. Shelby jumped back, barely evading the slashing blade. He bounced out of range, keeping on his toes. This was a hell of a refresher course in unarmed combat.
Forbes moved in again, Shelby stepped inside the blade, hammered a straight blow into Forbes ribs, and stepped out again. Forbes staggered back.
"Like I said," Shelby jibed. "You've gone corporate, too much telling and not enough doing. Where are all your faggot boyfriends now? Oh, I forgot, they're all dead."
Forbes moved in quickly thrusting the knife, Shelby parried the hand with the blade, pushing aside the arm and countered with a sharp jab to the gut. Forbes faltered but kept on coming. He delivered a vicious head butt. Shelby ducked at the last moment. But the blow glanced off his forehead. A flash erupted before his eyes. Shelby instinctively backed off, blood pouring down his face. Forbes kept on coming forward. Shelby shook his head to clear his vision and Forbes was on him, kicking and pounding. Shelby fought back blindly, lashing in body blows with all the strength he had. He needed to hold on, gain some time, to just allow Jai long enough to get clear. He caught the flash of the blade as it arced in, he grabbed for the arm with the knife. Forbes’ momentum carried him forward. Shelby’s back smacked into the tunnel wall and Forbes was over him, levering his forearm beneath Shelby's chin, pushing down hard on his throat, while the hand holding the knife continued to push closer and closer. Shelby exerted every ounce of strength he had left, but he knew it wasn’t enough.
Forbes’ face was close, he could smell his foul breath, see the grin fixed on his face. He tried moving a leg, trying to land a kick, but Forbes seemed immune.
"Time to go, Shelby." Forbes uttered between his gritted teeth. "It's been a long day."
A loud explosion echoed off the walls of the tunnel. The grimace on Forbes face seemed to fix and his eyes lost their focus. He collapsed to his knees and pitched forward on to the floor. Shelby looked up. Jai stood there holding Forbes gun in both hands.
"I thought I told you to go."
Jai remained motionless, still holding the gun out in front of him, his eyes seeing something beyond what was before them. Shelby slowly moved to his side and gently removed the gun.
"What have I done?"
Shelby put an arm around his shoulder. "You did what you had to do."
"But. . ."
"No buts, if you hadn't pulled the trigger we’d all be dead. Now let's get some help for Uthu.”
They helped Uthu on to the snowmobile. Shelby climbed on the front, Jai at the back holding Uthu on. Shelby took the snowmobile slowly forward. They emerged from the tunnel and stopped. The road meandered round to the right and snaked its way into the distance following the curves of the mountainside. To their left, the snow ran down in a gentle slope to a thick expanse of pine trees that swept on down the valley.
Shelby found his sunglasses in his pocket and slipped them on.
“Are you ready to go home, Jai?”
“I am ready,” Jai called out from the back.
Shelby smiled and let the sunshine lift him to something he thought he’d never experience again. He engaged the gear on the snowmobile and took them gently down the slope and into the trees.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Georgetown, Washington D.C.
William Crawford locked the door of his Georgetown apartment and picked up the single suitcase. This was just a setback. He had had setbacks before and recovered. It was time to take a short holiday, let things settle down.
He was not without money. Alexei had not been the only one to get rich out of the biotech boom. He had invested a considerable amount of his life savings in Alexei's fledgling company, and it had rewarded him well over the years. Of course, he had taken the precaution of divesting himself of his stock shortly before it nosedived on the disappearance of its founder.
People had short memories in politics, especially when you were in a position to help them or stand in their way. People owed him, big time, and he would soon be collecting.
The elevator door opened and Agent Dane stepped out. A uniformed officer and two military policemen appeared behind him.
“Taking a vacation, Colonel?”
Crawford looked across at the officer. “What’s going on here, Captain?”
“Colonel Crawford, I have orders to place you under arrest.”
“On what grounds, what charge?”
Dane smiled. “We could start with homicide.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I demand to see your evidence.”
“That one’s easy,” Dane pulled out a transparent plastic evidence bag and held it up. “You see that,” he pointed to a plastic tag inside. “That is the security ID of the person you signed in to the Indian Mountain High Security Facility. That person never left, but you handed in the badge. We have a very good thumbprint and a sample of DNA that confirms your identity and the identity of Alexei Barankov. Because Indian Mountain is a Bio-Hazard facility, the ID passes are used only once then sterilised. But then I guess you knew that. You probably didn’t know that because the facility is visited infrequently these days, the sterilisation process has been switched to once a month.”
Crawford appeared to gain some composure. “You call that evidence. A jury needs to see a body.”
“Jury?” Dane shook his head. “Last time I looked, they didn’t have juries in GitMo.”
“What?” Crawford blustered. “What’s Guantanamo got to do with this? I want to call the Secretary of Defence.”
Dane pulled a green sheet of paper from his pocket.
“I have here a warrant for your arrest for high treason.” Dane held up the paper as if to get a better view. “What’s this signature here.” Dane cocked his head to one side. “Admiral George Bouvier Scott III, Secretary of Defence.”
Crawford’s face had gone white.
“You of all people should know, Colonel, politicians don’t like embarrassments.” Dane nodded to the Army Captain. “Take him out.”
Beijing, People’s Republic of China
Victor Ho was plotting. He had been in tough situations before, hell, he had built an empire getting out of tough situations. He was famous for it. They had called him to Beijing. He had tried to explain things, but they did not understand. Idiots, they never understood, they only ever wanted the results. Okay, so things had not worked out, this time. But the idea had been sound, and if he had not been surrounded by idiots, it might just have worked. But there was a way back, there always was.
Someone was speaking to him, but he had shut them out. It was a special skill he had. It allowed him to concentrate on the important things. The voice spoke again. Victor Ho looked up, as if seeing the man and the room for the first time. There was a bad smell. Victor was sensitive to things like that. This was a sweet, earthy, people smell, the smell of urine. He looked down, he was kneeling on a dirt floor, his expensive tailored trousers were soiled and stained, and were the source of the smell. He looked up at the man standing beside him, his face genuinely shocked.
The man was dressed in a military uniform and he was speaking. "You have been found guilty of treason by the People's Supreme Court. Have you any last words to say before I carry out the sentence handed down by the court?"
Victor looked up at the man. For the first time he realised his hands were fastened behind his back.
“Do I have something to say? Of course I have something to say,” he screamed. “I am Victor Ho, I have much to say.”
General Liang Fang Dong of the People's Liberation Army looked down at the pathetic figure of Victor Ho, staring up at him, with his mouth moving rapidly but not uttering a word. He was unshaven and his clothing was filthy. The whole place stank. He shook his head. It was unbelievable, the spectacular way he had broken, this once magnificent man, the golden boy, as the realisation dawned that there was no one out there, that his once golden set of contacts were suddenly unavailable, and he had crumbled like a babbling child.
The General took a step behind the kneeling figure and removed his service revolver, a gun reserved for special occasions, like this. "By the power bestowed upon me, I hereby carry out the sentence of the People´s Supreme Court."
Ho was still mumbling, incoherently. The General felt no pity, this was a blessing. He brought the barrel of the revolver up to the back of Victor Ho's head, and pulled the trigger.
As Ho’s inert figure crumbled to the floor, the General flipped open the cartridge chamber of the revolver and pulled out the spent cartridge case. He contemplated the brass jacket, then looked across at Major Wong standing by the door. He flipped the empty casing across the room and Wong deftly caught it out of the air.
“Send his family the bill.”
Thimphu, Bhutan
Three days had passed since they had crossed into Bhutan. There had been no problems on the Chinese side, but a couple of miles across the border, they had been surrounded by Bhutan border troops and arrested. They were taken to a police station where they were given food and Uthu had been taken to a hospital. The interrogation had consisted mainly of a man, dressed in a fancy uniform, having long talks with his father. For himself, he had to confirm his name and that he was with his father of his own free will. Afterwards they had been moved to this hotel in the capital of Bhutan. He had been allowed to visit Uthu who was recovering well. His wife had travelled from Kathmandu and they were promising to let him go home at the end of the week.
Jai was in the hotel room lying on one of the twin beds, watching cartoons on the TV, when his father returned from one of his daily sojourns.
"Okay, get your things, we’re moving."
Jai didn't have much to bring. His father had taken him shopping for new clothes. He still felt a bit strange wearing denim jeans, and a strange pair of bright coloured sneakers, that the man in the shop had described as awesome. He had worn clothes like these before he had moved to Yangji Gompa, but somehow nothing would ever feel as comfortable as his monk’s robes.
Jai pushed a few things into a brand new backpack and swung it onto his back.
"Where are we going?"
His father smiled. "We’re going home, Jai. They have agreed we will cross into India, and from there take a flight back to the United States. It's all a bit complicated, and very political, but in the end it's for the best. We'll soon be back in the States. I think you're going to like it there."
A police car was waiting at the hotel entrance. The man in the fancy uniform was sitting in the front passenger seat. His name was Inspector Bhun. Jai climbed into the back with his father.
Jai looked out of the window, at the busy streets as they made their way out through the city. It reminded him of Lhasa, and for a little while he felt a link to his home, his true home.
They drove for over an hour before they reached the border. Inspector Bhun spoke to the guard then turned to his father and shook his hand.
"Good luck," he said in English. He then turned to Jai. "Young man, I know you have had a very interesting journey." He spoke fluent Tibetan. "I wish you well on the next part." The man put his hands together and brought the tips of his fingers to his forehead. "May the Lord Buddha bless you."
Jai smiled and made the same gesture. "And to you."
"Are you ready?" his father put a hand on his arm.
Jai nodded, they got out of the car and passed through a gate. There was a flat expanse of no man's land about fifty yards across, with another border gate at the far side. His father walked beside him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Have you ever been fishing?"
Jai had a wonderful vision of Lhakpa, soaked from head to foot. He beamed a broad smile. "Yes, I have."
"Maybe we could go some time."
Jai considered his father. "Are you an expert? I was taught to fish by a real expert."
His father shook his head. "No, but maybe you can teach me a thing or two." He gave Jai's shoulder a squeeze. "In fact, I'm sure you can."
They approached the border gate at the Indian side. There was a small crowd there. A tall dark skinned man stood towering above the others. Jai had seen many dark skinned men, but this one was different. He was tall, built like his father, but with shiny ebony skin and short crinkly hair.
The man stepped out of the crowd. "Good morning," he said. He held out his hand and shook Jai's father's hand. "My name is Joseph Thornton. I am special envoy to the President of the United States." He turned from greeting his father. "And you must be Jai." His face creased into a broad, white teethed smile. "I'm here to offer you the guaranteed, safe passage of the President.”
“Are we expecting any trouble?” His father asked, a worried expression on his face.
“No, not all. Your Tibetan friends made it across the border and made contact with Agent Dane. He sends his best regards. Your little sample worked just fine and we were able to unlock all the secrets. So no one is interested in Jai anymore.” Thornton paused and then allowed a big grin to spread across his face. “Apart from the President, who would like you to join him for lunch at the White House."
Jai was not sure what he should say, so he just smiled and nodded his head.
"Shall we go?" Thornton said. "We have a long journey ahead."
Jai turned for a last look to the far, snow capped mountains, a last look at home. The words of his master rang clear in his head. ‘Beyond Yangji Gompa, the world is just more paths and pastures. Just remember, every journey starts with the first step.’ Suddenly all the faces of his friends were there, looking down on him. He turned back towards the gate, his father and Mister Thornton were standing waiting for him. It was time to take the first step. Somehow, he knew he would not be alone.
-ooo-
Acknowledgments
First and foremost to my wife Gigi for being at the same time my greatest supporter and my greatest critic.
For my excellent editor, Sam Llewellyn, who gave me the tough truth as well as the encouragement and advice to see it through (RIP my murdered darlings). I know I got to the end with a much better story.
For our friend Tara Gillies Ghale, for advice on all things Tibetan as well as some great story insights.
If you enjoyed The Foo Sheng Key, I’d be grateful if you could take just a few minutes to give me a review on Amazon.
I am always happy to hear from readers, please contact me, or find out more about me and my writing on my Website at: www.neilhowarth.com or my Amazon Author Page
The Simeon Scroll By Neil Howarth
The Soldier and the Priest
War torn Somalia, 1992 – A young Navy SEAL rescues a priest and ten children from a Catholic mission overrun by rebels. The priest and the soldier establish a friendship, a bond that will last a lifetime. Now, more than twenty years later, the soldier is on a different path. It has been a long and often dark journey and were it not for his friend he may have never made it this far. But now he is fighting on a different battlefield. The soldier has become a Roman Catholic priest, and his friend the missionary, is now the supreme Pontiff - The Pope.
The Imperium
The Shadow Government - A secret organization, behind the Government, beyond the Government, pulling strings, manipulating markets, controlling economies, orchestrating world events - cultivating chaos. And with each crisis they reap the profits. Now they are planning their greatest crisis - The ultimate crisis for the ultimate goal.
The Holy Bible´s most famous Prophecy
Behind it all, Dominic De Vaux, billionaire entrepreneur and Golden Boy of the Imperium, pulling the strings, using an ancient scroll that will tear apart the flimsy relationship between Christianity and Islam, and plunge the world into chaos as he seeks to enact the Holy Bible’s most famous prophecy.
A Gift from God or a Curse from the Devil Pope Salas I, is offered the opportunity to save his ailing church, to bring it back from its downward, destructive spiral of scandal and public disillusion. The final proof – for the church and one billion Catholics. Is this salvation for the whole world, or the first steps to Armageddon? The Pope needs answers, but encircled and confined by the secretive powers of the Vatican, and manipulated by the ruthless world of international business and politics, there is only one man he can turn to.
A man running from his past
Father Joseph Fagan is a troubled man – troubled by his faith, by his role as a priest, and by the man he once was. He is asked a favour, a simple task. He reluctantly accepts but almost immediately he realises no one is telling him the truth. What starts out as a simple investigation into the hit and run killing of a close friend of the Pope, quickly escalates into a series of ‘accidents` that take the lives of anyone asking questions, which leaves Joseph Fagan squarely in the firing line.
Then the mysterious Francoise ‘Frankie’ Lefevre walks into his life to trouble him even more. But they have one thing in common, they both want the truth. As people around them start dying, Fagan and Frankie are thrust into a desperate race to stay alive. The clock is ticking towards an event that could trigger the ultimate Global Holy War. And to stop it, Joseph Fagan is forced to come face to face with the man he has spent the last ten years running away from.
