The Merger

Fourteen

First slept. He slept out of necessity, because he needed a clear mind to make rational decisions. Dao advised him to get some sleep hours ago but sleep took its time coming. Instead First worried and fretted, 'Where are they keeping Khaotung? Have they hurt him? Has he eaten? Has he gotten any sleep?." The thoughts kept coming, preventing sleep from claiming First. Eventually First did sleep but only to be plagued by nightmares of a bleeding Khaotung.

First had only been asleep for a short while when his phone rang. He grabbed it instantly, wide awake but still feeling groggy and grumpy. "I'm listening," First answered curtly. He didn't have the time nor the patience for pleasantries. Although it was a little after the witching hour (midnight) First was ready for whatever action Dao had planned. First was more than a little annoyed when his friend informed him there would be no action taken, at least not at midnight on a Thursday with a summer storm looming on the horizon.

"What do you mean Dao?" Why can we not get Khaotung back tonight?," questioned First. Dao inhaled audibly and deeply. With a sigh Dao tried once again to reason with First, but when your one and only love is being held at gunpoint there's little room for rational thought. First wanted to storm the proverbial castle, target and shoot at every pair of arms attached to legs and he didn't much care who had the misfortune to fall beneath his army of.......... "Army of what, " thought First. Reluctantly First had to admit, attacking randomly without direction or plan wouldn't be helpful. With only himself, Dao and Khaotung's mom, they hardly formed a fear inspiring trio. He had to be smarter about this, he needed whatever information Dao could uncover, he needed whatever insight Khaotung's mother could offer and he needed to keep his crazy thoughts at bay. Khaotung was strong, he was capable, he was intelligent and he had a mean judo move that could reduce any brainless minion to mush, assuming said minion didn't have any back-up.

First realised that the three of them needed to have a conversation. Lay all the cards on the table and formulate a plan of action. First called Khao's mom and asked to meet at his home. He arranged for Dao to be there at the same time and he gave Adi an out of town mission. First knows Adi would be helpful in this situation but he didn't want to many bodies involved. It not only increased the risk but it also increased the potential for failure. Failure in this instance would be too costly and First didn't think he could ever pay the price for such a mistake or be the reason Khaotung or anyone was injured in the process.

The meeting was set for eight. First had asked Dao to provide a weapon for each of them to use in case of an emergency. Whether or not Khaotung's mom could shoot accurately was of no importance, if she could aim and simultaneously pull the trigger that would be sufficient. Not shooting herself would be a bonus.

By 8:05 First was impatient, ready and reckless. Dao was late and Khaotung's mom came with a friend. First wasn't prepared to wait any longer and along with his patience, his friendly calm and polite demeanor also vanished. By the time Dao arrived First threw an unexpected punch at Dao sending him flying into the potted plants Khaotung had so carefully arranged not long ago. Khao's mum rushed at First and embraced him with both arms. This was not the mortherly embrace of a few days ago, this was a determined headstrong woman needing to save her son and from the look of things, also her future son-in-law. "First !," she bellowed. Loud enough to make him stop and turn to face her. " I'm as worried about Khao as you are, but we need to keep our wits about us. Let your friend tell us what he has learned okay? " she said to First in a softer tone. "I think you owe your friend an apology." "Yes mae," answered First softly while holding on to the woman who was now his closest connection to Khaotung. Dao meanwhile had dusted the soil from the potted plants from his hair and clothes and said to First, " You still pack a mean punch son, but I won't hold this one against you. Let's get to work shall we. Khaotung is waiting for us. After all this I'd better be the one of the groomsmen at your wedding. You nearly ruined my Johnny Bravo look there son !" joked Dao. A sure sign that he bore First no anger and planned no retribution for that punch.

Soon they four of them sat at the dining table, all staring at the screen in front of them on which a 3D rendition of the building in which Khaotung was imprisoned was rotating slowly. The fourth person whom Khaotung's mom had brought along turned out to the be the security head of what had been Brave Bean Industries. She had joined Tungmeow when Khaotung took leadership and had also been a victim of the scam with the ex and now dead CEO. She, Maize, had recently given birth to a beautiful baby boy, who at one month old was already threatened by mr Brave Bean and his brother as Maize had been one of the original whistle blowers that led to the incarceration of the ex CEO. Safeguarding her son was the reason she had joined forces with Khao's mom. Maize had also been the companion supposedly on vacation with Khao's mom and masqueraded as the Host company representative trying to find the missing passport which was in fact not missing. The baby, currently hidden under a pseudonym in an orphanage for safety, would be reunited with his mom once everything was over.

The four studied the building plans, the entryways and exits, the roads leading to and from, the guards stationed in and around the building, even the electrical plans and other potential hazardous warnings for the site and greater area. Lastly they studied the man, the slick shiny black suited man with his signature snakeskin shoes. The man who dared to not only beat-up Khaotung on more than one occasion but also kidnapped him and is now holding Khaotung hostage. First felt a special hatred for that man and anger that knew no limits. A plan was formulated, a backup was put into play and a last ditch hail Mary was thrown in for good measure.

One more night..... And these four would ride like the four horsemen of the apocalypse and rain down hell on those who had been marked, marked for extermination.......