The Trials of Being Loved

Part 58 - Orca Family rallies!

There was a companionable silence for a few minutes. Joko finally coughed. Ms. Tam sighed. "I'm not happy. Is Vihokratana okay now? His wife and a doctor are arriving tomorrow." She took a deep sigh, leaning back and stretching her back. 

Joko shrugged. "My field training says he's stable. He says he's stable. Is more people here a good idea?"

"Do we have a choice? Vihokratana's family is at risk when the coup happens. My ass of a husband told the Mafia Boss and I am going to use that to our advantage." Her mind was already working in 4D. She met Joko's eyes, bluntly. "No one is going undercover, at least not from our side. YOU will contact a few old friends, but the Mafia will do the undercover work."

Now, it wasn't a ghost of a smile. It was a real smile. "That makes sense. They have manpower we lack." Ms. Tam nodded. "You said you know how long?"

"Mm. I have an idea." She sighed again. "2 weeks. It's a short time frame." Her body slumped a bit. "How can we do this in 2 weeks when they've planned this over years?" She changed topics once more, her mind on Vihokratana's family. "Can we keep the beach house safe? I'd like to give the family a small vacation while they are here, if possible."

Joko nodded slowly. "We'll see what we can do. It would definitely free up space in the main house. Do you need a guard?" 

Ms. Tam shook her head. "I'm putting my faith in Techie, aren't I? You're gonna keep me safe." She waved a hand. "Go, do what you need to do."

~~~~~~~~~~

Tam slowly begun to round up his couriers, sending them to the safe house in Phuket. He kept the newest recruit with him, knowing that Joko would be after his hide if anything happened to Job. He sighed. Her enthusiasm while doing surveillance was impressive. He had a feeling that once things settled down to regular operations, she would have a hard time. 

For people with her adrenaline needs, there really were only two places that fit their needs: Military Special Ops and Police Special Ops. Job had been denied the Police Force and for some reason, she had never considered the military. He wondered why. Now, with just the two of them, he had his chance. Joko had done the initial interview. They settled into the car, Tam taking the wheel and he glanced at the very small woman in casual clothes. 

Job looked like a teen, dressed in cut off shorts and a loose tee shirt. Her hair flowed down her back. Tam shook his head, it wasn't good to have long hair as a guard. It was something that could be used as a weapon. Somehow, Job knew and glanced his way. "It's a wig." It was soft, almost defiant. "You said we had to be in disguise."

He snorted. "Why didn't you join the Military, Job? You could be doing so much more." He knew. Tam and Joko were both 20 year career men, having joined up at 17 to leave the streets for food and a paycheck. He watched a shadow cross her face before she turned to look out the window, forcing him to pay attention to the traffic as they left Bangkok for the long drive down south.

"Its not really anything important." But he heard it. It was there, in her voice. The need to talk about it, and how much it hurt, even years later.

He softened his voice. He was the mother, the father, auntie and uncle to countless recruits over the years, while Joko had been the hard ass drill sergeant. "Job, it helps to talk about it. Don't let old hurts hold you back because they become the ghosts of your future."

The rest of the drive was completed in silence. Job was tense, but still she remained professional, with her feet on the dash, every inch a young girl enjoying the sunshine and the ride. It was only as the night closed in that her voice, rusty with disuse, "Are we close?"

"Mm. We're not far now." Tam wasn't offering any information. This was a rental car under an alias, still, he wasn't sure who knew what, or even if his company was bugged. Safety first. Job was a  professional. No names were mentioned. Ever. From the corner of his eye, he caught the small nod. Pulling into the gas station, he motioned for her to get out, putting a finger to his lips. Carefully, they slipped out, and left car running. From the shadow, a mafia rat emerged and nodded once, took possession of the rental.