gunfire stopped. ‘Head diagonally across to the track and into the woods at the other side. We might have a chance in the dark. Thomas, you go the other side of Lucas, we’ll run together. Anna, hold Silke’s hand. Stay together. Ready?’ They all nodded. ‘GO!’
Lucas staggered to his feet and under the shadow of darkness they galloped and smashed through the poppy heads. Jake looked behind them. He could see the jeeps coming, their headlights searching across the field, heading straight towards them. In the darkness he dropped the knife.
‘Keep running,’ he shouted. The darkness made it impossible to see where the poppy field ended. The yelps and howls of Saw’s men went up around the field. Then, ahead, Jake saw the trees rising black and blocking out the stars.
‘We’re nearly there! Quick!’ They ran on.
The forest was half cleared at its edges: sawn trunks and discarded branches tripped them as they ran. They could hear the sound of Saw’s men howling to each other and the jeeps’ engines chewing up the poppy field. Jake looked across—for a second he couldn’t see Silke, and then he saw Anna helping her up. She had fallen.
‘Run, run…’ Jake shouted across to the girls. Silke looked behind and gave a small cry of fear. Weasel was within ten metres of them. His long legs were flying over the fallen trunks and the sawn stumps, his head held high like a cheetah, intent on its prey.
‘Thomas, take Lucas,’ said Jake. Thomas held on to Lucas. Jake turned back to the girls and he picked up a thick branch. The girls ran past him and he didn’t wait for Weasel to get to him—he sprang at him as he was running full pelt and smashed the wood in to Weasel’s skull. Weasel staggered under the blow and crashed noisily to the ground. Jake threw down the piece of wood and turned to catch up the others but he was blinded by car headlights. The others were on their knees, guns to their heads. Saw was standing over them, laughing. The next thing Jake saw was a flash of light that accompanied the sharp pain in the side of his head as Weasel knocked him out.
30
Thailand
Nothing was moving out of Bangkok airport: the place was overrun by anti-government protesters. The prime minister was in hiding up near the old capital of Thailand, Chiang Rai, just a few hours north of Chiang Mai. Mann knew he was likely to remain there for a while until his safety could be guaranteed. The Thai military would have to do their best to see to it that the northern airports remain open the longest.
Mann flew direct to Chiang Mai. For one nasty moment, he was kept waiting for his luggage by airport security and he thought they had discovered his shuriken concealed in the lining of his case. He didn’t dare risk losing his entire armoury to a nervous customs officer so this time he had hidden it. He also didn’t want them to look him up and thus announce that he was coming. He was lucky, it was just a random security check and they let him through without a thorough search. The whole airport had turned into a protest centre with people camping everywhere. Their eyeswere not focused on foreign threats, they were on the brink of civil war.
‘First time in Thailand, sir?’
The taxi driver turned and grinned at Mann. He handed Mann a mock leather folder full of glossy photos: elephant treks, river rafting, snake farms—details of unmissable trips. Mann idly flipped the pages as they drove away from the airport and then set the book down beside him on the battered leather seat of the old Saab.
‘No, it isn’t.’ Mann settled back to survey the scenery. There were no seatbelts but he was used to that. Hong Kong taxis never had them either. Mann would have said that he’d been there before, even if it had been his first time. He’d learned a long time ago never to tell taxi drivers this was your first time anywhere unless you wanted to see how long they could take to drive you the shortest distance and charge you double
Lucas staggered to his feet and under the shadow of darkness they galloped and smashed through the poppy heads. Jake looked behind them. He could see the jeeps coming, their headlights searching across the field, heading straight towards them. In the darkness he dropped the knife.
‘Keep running,’ he shouted. The darkness made it impossible to see where the poppy field ended. The yelps and howls of Saw’s men went up around the field. Then, ahead, Jake saw the trees rising black and blocking out the stars.
‘We’re nearly there! Quick!’ They ran on.
The forest was half cleared at its edges: sawn trunks and discarded branches tripped them as they ran. They could hear the sound of Saw’s men howling to each other and the jeeps’ engines chewing up the poppy field. Jake looked across—for a second he couldn’t see Silke, and then he saw Anna helping her up. She had fallen.
‘Run, run…’ Jake shouted across to the girls. Silke looked behind and gave a small cry of fear. Weasel was within ten metres of them. His long legs were flying over the fallen trunks and the sawn stumps, his head held high like a cheetah, intent on its prey.
‘Thomas, take Lucas,’ said Jake. Thomas held on to Lucas. Jake turned back to the girls and he picked up a thick branch. The girls ran past him and he didn’t wait for Weasel to get to him—he sprang at him as he was running full pelt and smashed the wood in to Weasel’s skull. Weasel staggered under the blow and crashed noisily to the ground. Jake threw down the piece of wood and turned to catch up the others but he was blinded by car headlights. The others were on their knees, guns to their heads. Saw was standing over them, laughing. The next thing Jake saw was a flash of light that accompanied the sharp pain in the side of his head as Weasel knocked him out.
30
Thailand
Nothing was moving out of Bangkok airport: the place was overrun by anti-government protesters. The prime minister was in hiding up near the old capital of Thailand, Chiang Rai, just a few hours north of Chiang Mai. Mann knew he was likely to remain there for a while until his safety could be guaranteed. The Thai military would have to do their best to see to it that the northern airports remain open the longest.
Mann flew direct to Chiang Mai. For one nasty moment, he was kept waiting for his luggage by airport security and he thought they had discovered his shuriken concealed in the lining of his case. He didn’t dare risk losing his entire armoury to a nervous customs officer so this time he had hidden it. He also didn’t want them to look him up and thus announce that he was coming. He was lucky, it was just a random security check and they let him through without a thorough search. The whole airport had turned into a protest centre with people camping everywhere. Their eyeswere not focused on foreign threats, they were on the brink of civil war.
‘First time in Thailand, sir?’
The taxi driver turned and grinned at Mann. He handed Mann a mock leather folder full of glossy photos: elephant treks, river rafting, snake farms—details of unmissable trips. Mann idly flipped the pages as they drove away from the airport and then set the book down beside him on the battered leather seat of the old Saab.
‘No, it isn’t.’ Mann settled back to survey the scenery. There were no seatbelts but he was used to that. Hong Kong taxis never had them either. Mann would have said that he’d been there before, even if it had been his first time. He’d learned a long time ago never to tell taxi drivers this was your first time anywhere unless you wanted to see how long they could take to drive you the shortest distance and charge you double
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