Russell Blake - Betrayal

Jet didn’t say anything, her face stony.

“And this is legal?”

“No. Not technically. But the laws aren’t enforced, and bribery is rampant. Many times it’s the police or politicians who own the clubs. In this case, Lap Pu pays the right people, so he’s untouchable.”

“And there are many of these places?”

“Tons. And the only real customers are farangs — white men. Thai men wouldn’t be caught dead in one. It’s a cultural thing.”

“How noble. So the clubs are sort of a freak show for sex tourists.”

Another swan boat, containing a laughing couple precariously pedaling away, veered towards them before straightening out and continuing on its way.

“Correct. And of course, there’s the prostitution angle. Nothing like picking a girl after the show to help you relax…”

“How is the target involved in this?”

“It’s unclear. Could be he just uses Lap Pu as his eyes and ears on the street, or could be he’s helping traffic minors in the slavery trade.”

“I read the report. Fully forty percent of the prostitutes are under eighteen?”

“Supposedly not, but the truth is that number might be low.”

“And this is culturally acceptable?”

Edgar rubbed his face. “No. It’s condemned. But the biggest customers for prostitution are actually Thai men, so what they say and what they do are two different things. The view about sex here is different. While it’s not really out and out acceptable to frequent sex workers, it’s tolerated, and in some cases viewed as a reasonable choice for males.”

Jet digested that.

“And what about the women?”

“That’s also a mixed bag. Many of the adult workers view it as a legitimate way to make money in an environment where they have no other options.”

“There are always options.”

“Try telling that to a fifteen-year-old with a fourth grade education who hasn’t eaten in a week and is culturally expected to do everything possible to support her family. Prostitution is an economic crime, in the end, whether it’s males or females. Many of these kids are starving to death wherever they live, so a life of sex work is preferable to death. It’s a pretty stark reality many westerners don’t understand. They can’t imagine a world where there isn’t a safety network to catch those at the fringes. But here, it’s not the fringes. Most of the peasants in northern Thailand as well as Laos and Myanmar live in extreme poverty. It’s the same everywhere human trafficking is rampant.”

“I’m not from the U.S..”

“Hmm. Anyway, the attitude in Thailand is different. There isn’t as much of a stigma to being a sex worker. For many, it’s their only chance at making more than sustenance wages. If you have a family of brothers and sisters and two sick parents all depending on you, it’s a vicious circle and the money’s compelling. But anyway, let’s not get hung up in the detail. The point is that Lap Pu operates some ping pong clubs, and we know which ones, and we’re currently staking all of them out, so we’ll know whenever he shows up.”

“That’s fine, but it could take too long. I’m thinking I need to get my hands dirty and start nosing around at the street level,” Jet said.

“Fair enough. Arthur wanted me to tell you that he’s allocated a resource for you to use. An experienced field agent who speaks perfect Thai and who has a lot of depth in sanctions.”

Jet bristled. “Absolutely not. I work alone. He knows that.”

“He thought you would feel that way. He gave me a message — you should call him for more detail, but this isn’t negotiable. Look. I know this guy. He’s extremely good, knows the lay of the land, and it will make any information-gathering way easier due to the language and also because a couple looking for some kinky fun is way more believable than a woman alone asking questions. Think it through.”

Jet had to concede that he had a point. It was a far more plausible cover. But she still had no idea who she could trust and who Hawker might have compromised.

“Is he Caucasian?”

“Yes. A local would raise eyebrows. This way you could be husband and wife or girlfriend and boyfriend looking for something exotic and forbidden. A lot of couples come over looking for a little spice. It’s not that unusual. But never a Thai couple — it would be socially unacceptable, or at least harder to explain, especially given that you don’t speakee speakee .”

“Who is this agent?”

“I’ll introduce you tonight or tomorrow, if you like. His name’s Rob Phillips. Twenty-nine, been here for six years. Smart, quick and dependable.”

“How much contact did he have with Hawker?”

“None. He was in the south, Hawker ran the north. Need-to-know and all that. We don’t have an annual dinner or anything for spooks. I probably wouldn’t know half the people working here, and I’ve been the top dog since Hawker went off the reservation.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. He’s clean.” Edgar paused. “You take my satchel when we get out of the boat. There’s a satellite phone in there, along with a Beretta, as you requested, and a butterfly knife.”

Jet nodded. “Ammo?”

“Fifty rounds. I’ll get you whatever else you need within twenty-four hours of you asking for it.” He smiled. “We aim to deliver good service here in the Far East…”

“Silencer?”

“Yes. As you stipulated. But try not to use the Beretta here. The Thai police tend to be very anti-gun in the hands of a farang .” Edgar hesitated. “How much do you know about Thailand and Thai culture?”

“Just what I read on the flight over.”

“This is a very polite society, at least on its surface. Everyone smiles at you, and it’s conflict avoidant. Nobody is direct about anything — it’s considered impolite. But as a foreigner we’re farangs . And Thais view farangs as fat, dumb, clumsy barbarians — which I suppose is true of many examples they see of us. It’s a racist society, too, as are most. Darker skin from the north is lower class, and there is tremendous class consciousness. Lighter skin, like yours, would be viewed as superior. But if you’re a foreigner, you’re almost subhuman from their standpoint — although part of the weird self-hatred that’s endemic to the culture is that marrying a white man or woman would be viewed as elevating one’s station in life. Mainly because it’s a society that worships money, and most white foreigners have more money than the average Thai.”

Jet shook her head. “I’m not planning on marrying anyone here.”

“I’m telling you this because you need to recognize that, in this environment, you’re the minority, so you have little chance of anyone opening up to you. Even though you look like you could be part Thai, you don’t speak it, so you’ll be treated like a farang , which means that you’ll be smiled at a lot but also lied to about anything that matters. It’s just the way it is.” Edgar increased his pace on the pedals, and Jet matched him. “If you have any problems, it will be automatically assumed that whatever happened is your fault. In any sort of situation where it’s a question of a Thai or you, the Thai will win. You need to understand that you’re operating at a distinct disadvantage at all times, and err on the side of caution, or this could go very badly for you before you’ve even begun your mission.”

“I appreciate the background, and I’ll watch my step, but I still don’t like the idea of dead weight tagging along with me.”

“Rob’s not dead weight. He’s anything but.”

“He’s a kid.”

Edgar smiled grimly. “So are you.”

Jet conceded the point. “I probably have more experience than the average fifty-year-old agent.”