Death Trip

Ma

‘Nice offices,’ he said as they passed two open doors, one with a long hardwood conference table in it, and the other a lounge and informal meeting room with black leather armchairs and a wall of expensive artwork.

The fact that he was taking his time to have a good look around as he went seemed to a

The room had a hint of expensive perfume, undertones of jasmine. There was an orchid growing in the corner but little else—no photos, no personal effects. Katrien’s laptop lay closed but blinking on the desk. The room was devoid of character, thought Ma

He didn’t take his coat off—there was definite chill in the air but sat and immediately pushed the chair away from the desk and eyeballed her as he rested his forearms on the chair’s leather arms. She didn’t flinch. He could see that Katrien didn’t intimidate easily. He could see she liked to be in charge.

‘Nice orchid. Never seen a golden one before.’ He smiled. She didn’t smile back. ‘Does it remind you of home?’

She looked startled by his suggestion.

‘No.’

‘But you are Asian, aren’t you?’ Her English was impressive but she had hardly any intonation; all her words ended and began flat—which was an Oriental trait, maybe Thai, thought Ma

Her eyes took on a new light, a mix of fire and ice, as she stared at him intently.

‘I was born in Burma. I was brought over here when my village was destroyed. A Dutch couple adopted me. I am nationalised Dutch.’

‘Whereabouts in Burma?’

‘The mountains in the north.’

‘You’re from one of the hill tribes?’

‘Very good.’ For a second he saw a hint of a pro position in her eyes. This could get interesting, he thought.

‘The Karen?’

‘No. I am a member of the Lisu tribe.’ They went cold again.

‘Sorry. I only know the Karen.’

‘Everyone only knows the Karen but there are five others: Akha, Hmong, Lisu, Lahu and Yao, each with its own culture, religion, language. Not all of us want the same things as the Karen.’

‘What about the civil war? Doesn’t that affect you?’

‘My tribe is a farming tribe. The Burmese junta leave us alone; we leave them alone.’

‘Magda Cremer isn’t being left alone, is she? What’s she got that you want?’

‘Excuse me?’ She fixed him with a stare that could have cut diamonds.

‘Why are you having her followed?’

11

‘You expecting a demand for ransom to come directly to them and you want to be able to handle it, maybe? Take your cut? Or perhaps you just don’t trust them, is that it? Look, I’m impartial here,’ he lied. ‘I am just one of the people trying to help free the kids. Do you think they are hiding something from you?’

‘That is ridiculous.’ She studied his card. ‘I don’t know what you want, Inspector…‘ she placed it on the desk ‘…Ma

‘It doesn’t seem to be getting the kids freed though, does it? It’s been two weeks since they were last seen, since you sent them into a war zone.’ She blinked; otherwise her facial expression didn’t change.

‘It is unfortunate—an unforeseeable turn of events. We are doing everything we can. I can tell you that they were going to work for five months in an established long-standing refugee camp set up to help the Karen. It is on the River Mae, west of Bangkok. Their job was to help build a new school and to teach the children basic woodwork, literacy, that kind of thing.’

‘You send people all over Asia?’

‘Only to Thailand.’

‘Why only Thailand?’

‘We specialise. We are a small charity. We prefer to build up relations with the local people where we go. We like to keep it personal.’

Ma

‘What happened this time?’

‘They were kidnapped after a wave of unrest. Karen freedom fighters. Their ringleader has been identified as a man named Alak. He is responsible for the attack.’ She didn’t hesitate with the answer. She didn’t fluster, she was reciting rather than reasoning, thought Ma

‘Why is that, do you think?’

‘I can’t answer that. The Thai government has been very supportive to the displaced Karen villagers for many years; they have housed them in refugee camps. The Thai government is not wealthy—it is a great burden for them—but they are magnanimous and kind to these people. But the people in the refugee camps still support the rebel freedom fighters.’

‘So you think they want the money to use for arms to carry on the civil war and fight the Burmese junta?’

‘I think it’s likely.’

‘What is the latest?’

‘They have disappeared into the hills. The Burmese army are doing all they can to track them.’

‘Captain Boon Nam?’

‘Yes.’

‘What does Captain Boon Nam think is going on?’

‘He thinks that, as no ransom was raised by the government or the parents, they are headed north.’

‘To where?’

‘He thinks they will be handed over to a second group of rebels who have a foothold in the mountains of northern Burma.’

‘On the border with Laos and Thailand?’

She nodded.

Ma

‘You know as well as I do, if they go into the Golden Triangle, they won’t come out alive.’

12

‘The Golden Triangle is merely a name for an area that spans four countries: Burma, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.’ Katrien’s facial expression didn’t change.

‘Tell that to the heroin addicts of the world. Next to Afghanistan, it’s the world’s largest supplier of illicit opium.’

‘The Burmese government have done what they can to eradicate it.’

‘Bullshit. It’s their biggest export. The money from it is laundered into hotels, utilities, banks. The whole of the Burmese army is funded by it.’

She rose from her chair. She was clearly agitated. ‘I ca