default
increase
decreaseAfter we were sworn in it was put to me to brief the two younger guys about Cambodia. The little fuckers couldn’t take the smiles off their faces when I told them about it, but even as I did, there was still a question mark over whether or not we would be given cash to buy the weaponry I had pretended was for sale.
When I was finished telling my tale, the two boys in the boiler suits spent the next three hours taking us through various anti-surveillance techniques, and recounting various methods the British army and police had used to snare volunteers.
It was knocking on for midnight by the time the two lads were ordered home and I was on my way out behind them when Fionn called me back.
“So you reckon you can buy stuff over there then?” said one of the interchangeable head honchos.
“I reckon so,” I said, trying to affect a level of weariness at having to repeat myself.
“Do you think it might be a good idea to use this trip to sound these guys out? Make the payments next time round?”
“I already did sound them out and they said it would be no problem. Did you not tell them that?” I said, throwing an irritated eye over my shoulder at Fionn.
“Yes I did Michael, but we’d like to be sure before we commit ourselves, you know?”
“I understand that, but if I go over there now I’m going to be asking the same people the same questions and they’re going to be giving the same answers. Then I’ll have to go back a third time to try to make a deal. That to me just means more hassle and more opportunity for people to take notice.”
“But we still haven’t settled on any sort of a price. Or on what type of gear we can expect,” said one of the twins.
“I’ve already taken Fionn through the weapons they have, and it’s all for sale. They’re fucking broke. They’d sell their Mas for a few euro.”
A week later I was told I would be given €100,000 and the details of what they wanted and where it was to be sent too. Instead of been given a piece of paper with the information I was sat down and told to memorise it. “10 AK47s plus two spare clips and 1,000 rounds per gun, 10 M16s with the same, 20 nine millimetre handguns with 200 rounds and one spare clip per gun, and as samples, one RPG, one plastic landmine, one GP machine gun, a fifty kilo sample of whatever plastic explosive they had, five timers, five detonators and whatever silencers they have,” I was repeatedly told until it was ringing in my ears. I was to phone home with the name of the arms dealer’s timber yard and from there an order would be placed for five one crate deliveries of 12mm veneered 8ft by 4ft sheets to a carpentry suppliers in Dublin’s Sallynoggin area. The third crate was to be hollowed out and the weapons placed inside.
Tickets had been bought for myself, Deano and Chullainn and we would be heading off to Phnom Penh via London, Doha and Bangkok in two weeks time.
“And we know we’re paying well over the odds here. Tell them this is a good will gesture and that there are more, more substantial orders to come,” said a visibly shakey Fionn.
“I’ll tell them. I can picture their faces when they see that cash. The greedy fuckers won’t be able to resist trying for more.”
“Lets hope so Michael, because if those weapons don’t arrive, we’re fucked.”
“No buddy,” I thought to myself. “You’re fucked.”
*********************************************
I decided it was time to have another go at filling Noy in on what was about to happen. We had remained in contact but it was becoming obvious that she was loosing interest. To be honest, distance, time and everything that had been going on had started to blunt my own fascination but events had taken on a life of their own and there was no going back. Fuck it, I thought. I was starting to enjoy myself. And I knew that once I clapped eyes on Noy and she got a butchers at the money I would have with me we would both fall madly in love again.
I phoned her up and told her that I had come into a lot of cash, that I would collect her in Bangkok and that once we were together, we would be heading back up to her hick home in the North East of Thailand.
“Really? You want me leave Bangkok?” she shrieked.
“Yeah I do. Are you coming or not?” I said, struggling to hide my frustration at her total fucking failure to appreciate the risk I was taking.
“But I live here long time Michael…”
“Right fuck you then, I’ll split my money with some other hooker you ungrateful bitch. Actually, have you got any sisters? Maybe one of them would be interested?”
The conversation, which revolved around me getting angrier as Noy got more upset went on until she told me she would leave with me when I got there. With that loose end tied up all I had to do was figure out a way of getting rid of the two snotty-nosed little fuckers who had been left with the impression that I was going to take them on a nice holiday. Well, they say the simplest ideas are the best.
To be continued.
All rights reserved by the author
Print Article
Send to a friend
Save as PDF