Free Bangkok Burn by Simon Royle

of six I have around the city. Spare clothes, toiletries, instant noodles, cash, and passports, in each of them. Pim had moved into this one three months ago. She'd made it her own, turning my bare walls minimalist approach into something warm and comfortable. She had converted one of the bedrooms on the second floor into the study I was sitting in, watching TV, Bangkok burning, thinking about the data I'd just mapped.
     
    The phone data that Mother had sent me showed the boat tracking down the coast of Thailand until entering Malaysian waters and out of the cells range. My guess was that they were somewhere between Singapore and the border with Thailand. Now that's a big area, and if they were just in a quiet little bay, it would be tough to find them. But I didn't think they would because they could have done that in Phuket and they didn't. There're a relatively small number of marinas between Singapore and Thailand that can take a fifty-three foot boat. I was guessing that Lisp would be at one of them.
     
    The red cell phone rang. It was after midnight. Mother.
     
    “Chance.”
     
    “Yes, Mother. You need to rest. If you keep going like this you'll collapse and then where will we be?”
     
    “Don't worry about me. I got some sleep today. Did you check your mail?”
     
    “Yes. I got the numbers. I've traced them heading down the coast. They entered Malaysian waters. My guess is Langkawi. Do we have anyone near?”
     
    “I'll check.”
     
    “Okay, let me know. I'm going to Singapore tomorrow. How are you going with the money?”
     
    “Slowly, like I said, but I'll be able to transfer about fifteen in the morning.”
     
    “Okay, I’ll clear the rest through Singapore. I spoke to Ken. He'll lend us the cash, here in Bangkok, for 15 days, no interest. That's if we need it. I'd prefer not to take it but we owe him anyway just for offering.”
     
    “Yes, sure. When you see him, please tell him anything he needs to give me a call.”
     
    “Will do.”
     
    “And how are you. How's your eye?”
     
    “It's okay. Itching.”
     
    “That's a good sign. Means it's healing. Have you bought a lottery ticket yet?”
     
    I laughed. “No. You know I never gamble.”
     
    “You should, after surviving that bomb and the assassination attempt. What if you hadn't woken up?”
     
    “If I hadn't woken up, Chai and Beckham would have taken them out anyway.”
     
    “Maybe. Anyway, you should think about it. Your luck is running high. If we have to pay out that hundred million then we're going to be broke for a while. I've got to go. There’re rumors the red shirts are going to move up here and I've got to go talk with some of the residents. They're scared it will hit business and just be bad. It won't take long. You take care, Chance.”
     
    “You too. Bye, Mother.”
     
    It was one in the morning. The TV showed the street in front of the Dusit Hotel ablaze. The rattle of automatic weapons could be heard as the Thai news guy hid behind a phone booth. CNN and BBC were reporting the same old tripe. Rich against poor. They didn't have a clue. Media fiction for ratings. You can't sum up Thailand's political complexity in a thirty second sound bite and these morons weren’t even trying.
     
    I switched the TV off, killed the main light in the room, and turned on the desk lamp. My eyes were sore from all the time spent in front of the notebook. I needed to sleep but my eyes stung. I rummaged around in the desk and found the eye drops. Visine. I tilted my head back and lined up the nozzle. The liquid ran down my cheek but it felt good. I had to be a bit more careful with the left eye. Just as I was about to squeeze the drop in, I heard a noise in the garden outside.
     
     
     
     

Vultures in the Night
    15 May 2010 Bangkok 1 am
     
     
    I froze, listening : a scratching sound below the window of the study. Someone was trying to break in. Below the study is the kitchen. They were trying to get through the kitchen