Brett Battles - Little Girl Gone

When he was through, he looked up. “Son of a bitch,” he said under his breath. It all finally made sense.

By the time he finished telling Daeng what he’d discovered, they reached the small side street where the NS Guest House was located. Since the road was so narrow, it was easier for Logan and Daeng to get out, and walk down.

As they headed over, Daeng said, “Those bastards.”

“Yeah.”

“We need to stop them.”

“We do.”

“We need people to know.”

Logan nodded. “They will.”

The hotel was a modest, four story place squeezed between apartment buildings near the center of the city. There was an opening in the wall right in front, and a sign that read:

NS GUEST HOUSE

Welcome

They turned onto the walkway and found themselves under an L-shaped veranda that skirted around a swimming pool. Ahead of them was the reception desk, and under the veranda where it jutted to the right beyond the pool were several tables, three of which were occupied. At one was a young Caucasian couple eating a meal, at another a solitary Asian man reading a newspaper, and at the third four larger Asian men, none of whom were drinking or eating or even talking. In fact, what they were doing was watching Logan and Daeng.

When the two of them reached the front desk, they were greeted by a casually dressed Thai man with shoulder length hair, a goatee, and tattoos running up both arms. “Welcome NS Guest House. You need rooms? We have very nice ones.”

“We’re looking for one of your guests,” Logan said.

If the man was disappointed, he didn’t show it. “Sure. What is their name?”

“It’s a woman. Sein Myat.”

This time the man’s smile faltered, and his eyes involuntarily flicked for a split second toward the four men sitting at the table. “Sorry. No guest with that name.”

“You didn’t check,” Logan said.

“Didn’t have to. I know all guests’ names. It’s my job.”

Daeng said something to the man in Thai. Logan tried to read the body language as their conversation went back and forth. It was obvious the man was nervous. Then he stopped in what sounded like mid-sentence, and his gaze moved to something beyond Logan’s shoulder. He gave a quick, tentative smile, bowed his head, then walked away from the counter.

When Logan turned, he expected to see the four big men standing behind him. Instead, he found the smaller man who’d been reading the newspaper.

“Can I help you?” the man said. His English was very clean and proper, but with the definite hint of an accent.

“I don’t know. Can you?” Logan asked. He was feeling more than a little annoyed. He needed to talk to Elyse’s mom as quickly as possible, not be delayed by a runaround.

The man smiled as if he were merely putting up with Logan. “You are looking for someone?”

“Yeah. We are.”

Daeng said something to him, but he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t speak Thai.”

Daeng spoke again in a language Logan was pretty sure wasn’t Thai.

The man’s eyes narrowed as he studied Daeng for a moment. Then he replied using the same language.

As they talked, the four men at the table rose and walked over.

After several moments, Daeng said something that made the man glance at Logan, then turn to the others and say something. With a nod, one of the big men walked over to the staircase at the back of the dining area, and went up.

“Perhaps you would like to join me for a drink while we wait,” the smaller man said.

It seemed like more of an order than an invitation, but Logan wasn’t in an obeying mood. “Wait for what?”

“It’s okay,” Daeng told him. “They’re letting her know we’re here.”

As they sat down at the table, the man said, “You can call me Taw.” He then looked at Logan, expectantly.

“Logan. Logan Harper.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Harper. You keep fine company.”

Logan tried figure out if he was being sarcastic, but the sentiment seemed sincere.

“Would you like something?” Taw asked. “A beer, perhaps? Maybe a soda?”

“I’m fine,” Logan said.

Taw looked at Daeng.

“Nothing for me, either.”

The man glanced toward reception. “A water, please,” he called out. “Just one.”

It turned out they didn’t have time to have a drink anyway. The big man returned before the water got to the table, and they were immediately escorted upstairs by Taw.

He took them to a door at the end of the hall on the third floor. Another Asian man was standing beside it. He was big like the guys downstairs, and Logan would have laid money on the fact that he was armed. The man opened the door as soon as they arrived, and Taw led Daeng and Logan inside.

The NS Guest House was not the Ritz. Then again, it wasn’t even close to the worst place Logan had ever stayed at either. The floor was tiled, nothing fancy, but durable. The furniture, too, looked more like it had been built to last than to be pleasing to the eye. There was a window on the far wall, but the curtain was drawn across it.

Sitting on the bed was a tiny woman. Though Logan hadn’t seen her in person in twenty years, even if he hadn’t watched the videos he’d downloaded, he would have still recognized Sein. She had they same beautiful, yet slightly stern face, and eyes that seemed to see more than just the surface of things. The only change he could see was a maturity, not so much in looks, but in the way she carried herself. Perhaps it was the years of speaking out and educating the world, fighting what must have seemed like a never-ending battle. In this respect, she actually looked older than her years.

Beside her was an Asian man of average size. He wore glasses, and had flecks of gray in his hair. By the way his arm was draped around her shoulders, Logan knew he had once been the young man from the refuge camp who’d come looking for Sein after he’d finished high school. Khin, Tooney had said his name was.

“This is Daeng, and this is Logan Harper,” Taw said.

“It’s an honor to met you, Daw Sein,” Daeng said, bowing his head.

“I’ve heard of you, Daeng,” she replied. “I know of the sacrifices you have made. The Burmese people are indeed lucky to have you on their side.”

“I only do what I can.”

Sein smiled briefly, then turned to Logan. “Why are you here, Mr. Harper?”

“Because Tooney asked for my help.”

It took her a moment to realize what he’d said. When she spoke again, the sense of control she’d displayed a moment before slipped a little. “My…father?”

Logan nodded. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you. I went to Cambria High School with your sister. Anka was a few years behind me, but we were there at the same time for a while. My father owns Dunn Right Auto Repair. Maybe you remember that. He and Tooney are best friends.”

She stared at him. “I’m sorry. I don’t…I don’t remember you.”

“It was a long time ago,” he said, shrugging. “I was fifteen.”

“I still don’t understand why you are here.”

“Elyse was supposed to visit your father several days go. When she didn’t show up, he became concerned, and asked me to see if I could find her.”

“You’re a long way from California,” Khin said.

“I haven’t found her yet.”

Sein frowned. “This only happened because of my father.”

“How do you figure that?” Logan asked.

“Elyse wanted to go to school in Los Angeles. She wanted to be close to him. If she’d gone somewhere else this wouldn’t have happened.”

Her words took him by surprise. “Do you really think the reason she was taken was because she decided to live close to Tooney? They took her to silence you , not your father.”