Colin Cotterill - Grandad, Thereэ's head on the beach

Live Internet feed. 6:30 P.M. Gulf of Thailand

(CAMERA-CLOSE-UP OF JIMM JUREE)

JIMM: We've been at sea now for an hour and a half. The constant drizzle has finally-let up, but the waves continue to bat us back and forth like a Ping-Pong ball. The conditions are taking their toll.

(CAMERA SCANS TO THE RIGHT TO THE REAR ENDS OF ARNY, WAEW, AND BIGMAN BEUNG, WHO ARE LEANING OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT. THE SHOT BECOMES UNSTEADY AND WE HEAR THE SOUND OF A FEMALE RETCHING OFF-CAMERA)

ED: (OFF-CAMERA) You all right there, Jimm?

JIMM: What? Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine.

ED: You just- JIMM: Shut up, Ed.

(CAMERA RETURNS TO THE PASTY FACE OF JIMM) JIMM: It's the elements. That's what puts woman in her place. Out here we are insects. We are termites compared to the power of the universe. But even in our little ant farm, we can demand justice and fair play for-

(CAMERA DROPS TO SHOW CLOSE UP OF JIMM'S FEET AND WE HEAR MORE OFF-CAMERA RETCHING)

"Do you think they'll be all right?" Mair asked. She was at the Internet shop, sharing a seat with Sissi, watching the screen.

"They're on a boat in a monsoon sea," Sissi reminded her. "They might even capsize before they reach the slavers. But that's why it's so great."

"It is?"

"Of course it is. You couldn't write a better script. Who's going to move away from their computer with this all going on? It's so tense."

"But what if they…I don't know…die?"

"Exactly. That's the spirit. It's the ultimate thrill trip. There's no Hollywood-ending clause. The tension's real because the actors are expendable. And look at that, Mair. We've got fourteen thousand real-time viewers online. That's more than Susan Boyle's first day on YouTube."

"But I'm serious. What if they don't make it?"

"None of us makes it, Mair. We all die. But how many of us get to die live on the Internet?"

"I suppose you're right."

"Excuse me."

They looked up, surprised to be disturbed by the spotty Internet shop owner who'd been sitting at his desk watching customers turn away from the locked glass door. The five-thousand baht Sissi had handed him for the use of his establishment seemed to give him no pleasure at all. But now he was enthralled by what was happening in front of him.

"What?" Sissi asked. "This is all real, isn't it?"

"It's taken you two hours to work that out?"

"I've been sulking. I can't focus when I sulk. Can Tweet about this?"

"The more the merrier," said Sissi.

Live Internet feed. 7:30 P.M. Gulf of Thailand

(CAMERA-CLOSE-UP OF JIMM JUREE)

JIMM: We've been at sea now for almost as long as our last prime minister was in office. But we're just hearing some exciting news from Captain Kow in our lead boat. He's there at the handover spot. You'll hear the dialogue between the two captains over the radio. I'll translate as best I can.

(CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON ED)

KOW: I've held back as far as possible. The three squid boats are lit up like Bangkok. I'm dark here. I'm using my binoculars, and I can see that the three big boats have come together in a huddle around the ferry. They're…they seem to be sharing out the Burmese between the three boats. I can't make out how many guards there are. It's far, and the conditions are shitty. But…wait. There's some kind of conflict. I can hear the guards shouting. It might…I don't know. It might be someone refusing to get out of-

(SOUND OF AUTOMATIC WEAPON CARRIES OVER RADIO)

ED: Kow! You all right? Kow?

KOW: Yeah. They just…they just shot one of the Burmese. Threw his body overboard. I guess it was a reminder of who's in charge. I…yeah. (Silence) The ferry'll be coming back this way soon. What do you suggest I do?

ED: Stay out of sight, but stay with her.

JIMM: (OFF-CAMERA) I'm sorry. I was…I was a little behind on the translation there. I'm just…yeah. Oh, man. These people are serious. Ed, are you sure Kow should follow the boat?

ED: Yeah. I've got a plan.

Live Internet feed. 7:55 p.m. Gulf of Thailand

(CLOSE-UP OF JIMM JUREE SWINGS ROUND SLOWLY TO THE DARK SEA)

JIMM: (WHISPERED) We're sitting here with our lights off because the ferry, on its way back to the port after dropping off its slaves, is passing only fifty meters in front of us. We can see the red signal light of Captain Kow in pursuit. We're hoping to catch the skipper by sur-

(SOUND OF THE LOUD CLICK OF THE SPOTLIGHT BEING SWITCHED ON.)

JIMM: Our boat and Captain Kow's have both switched on their full beams. You can now see the little boat quite clearly. My grandad is standing up in the front of our boat beside Bigman Beung in his impressive uniform. I'll translate.

GRANDAD JAH: (OFF-CAMERA) Cut your engine.

(SOUND OF GUNFIRE)

JIMM: That was the sound of Grandad firing his gun over the head of the ferry skipper. At least, I don't think he was trying to hit him. I imagine with the lights and the uniform, this must look like a navy raid of some kind. He's…he's cut his engine sure enough, and he's got his hands in the air. Our own engine kicks up, and we head toward him. Will he reach for a gun when he works out we're nobody official?

BIGMAN BEUNG: (OFF-CAMERA) Keep your hands where we can see them.

JIMM: As we get close, it's obvious that the skipper isn't in any fit state to reach for anything. He's either drunk or drugged. That's Captain Kow you see pulling alongside him. He's tying up his boat and jumping aboard. Well done, Captain. (CLOSE-UP OF CAPTAIN KOW OPENS UP TO TAKE IN THE CAPTURED BOAT) And here it is. The open boat that carried seventeen slaves to the fleet, one of whom was killed right in front of the captain's eyes. I will take you aboard so you can see the cramped conditions under which the Burmese were forced to endure the journey out to the deep ocean. Here. Two narrow wooden benches. Leg irons. The smell of vomit. No food or drink. My grandad is interrogating the prisoner of war. Like many fishermen, he's probably spaced out on amphetamines.

(ZOOM IN ON THE INTERROGATION)

GRANDAD JAH: What's your name, old man?

FERRY SKIPPER: Yeah. Whatever.

GRANDAD JAH: Do you realize that what you've just done is an infringement of international law?

FERRY SKIPPER: You finished? I got a night job to get to.

GRANDAD JAH: You aren't going anywhere, son. You're under arrest.

FERRY SKIPPER: Is that so? I don't see any police. Just old farts and tarts.

GRANDAD JAH: Then you aren't looking hard enough.

(POLICE CAPTAIN WAEW GOES ROUND BEHIND THE SKIPPER AND SNAPS ON HANDCUFFS WHILE GRANDAD MANHANDLES THE PRISONER DOWN ONTO ONE OF THE BENCHES)

FERRY SKIPPER: You can't do this. I've got contacts. I've got a number to call. I'm protected.

GRANDAD JAH: Yeah? Where is it? I'll call it for you.

FERRY SKIPPER: In my shirt pocket.

GRANDAD JAH: Thank you. That'll come in very useful. In court.

(CAMERA ROTATES BACK TO JIMM)

JIMM: So, there you have it. The first victory. We are now three boats. But how do we use this windfall to our advantage? Stay tuned.

"Oh, this is just it, Mair. Just it."

"It is?"

"Absolutely it. Look at the counter."

"That's certainly a lot of numbers."

"We just jumped like some mad thing. We're fifty thousand short of half a million. And they're everywhere. Look at this."

Sissi dragged her mother to a far computer.

"See this, Mair? This is a stat-counter. It tells you where people are logging in from. Look at this: London, Rio, Cape Town. Look at the figures. We're global."

"That's nice. But I don't think I'd want her with a bush-man. A nice Englishman would be fine."