The CHANGI BULLET

Chapter 19 - Assassination

John and Edith Tian had enjoyed a three-week skiing holiday in Germany, with some family history tourism thrown in, as Edith was of German heritage. They saw Berlin, and Stuttgart, with the highlight of the trip being the visit to the capital, Munich.

Back in England, Tian returned to SEASA. While away, he had been kept informed of the Izzati progress, and now could see it for himself on the computer data. They all hoped to hear something back very soon. Meanwhile, the rest of the Izzati program moved on a pace. Ships were being built, both there and in Indonesia, and new crews were being provisionally assembled. The original Izzati co-pilot and navigator had been assigned a new Chief pilot, something which gave Tian a great deal of satisfaction - that had been one tragedy that they could have done without.

Tian toured the complex with his Assistant Director, Leo Dovo. Izzati II was on the launch pad. Dovo was talking about the idea of giving individual names to all future crafts.

'For posterity's sake, you understand, John. In the future, people won't want to say, "my grandparents came out on the Izzati Three." He giggled. 'They should call one after me. Yes, why not?' He looked off into the distance, dreaming. 'The Leo Dovo.'

The call came in: message received from the Izzati. Tian swung the jeep's steering wheel and headed them back in.

Tian and Dovo hurried into the Command Centre building, keen to know the content of the message. One of the technicians jumped up to give Tian his seat. Dovo stood behind, a hand on Tian's right shoulder, nervous in the extreme.

'From Ari,' said Tian.

FROM THE IZZATI: MISSION PROCEEDING ON SCHEDULE. TWO ALIEN CONTACTS. SECOND ALIEN CONTACT HOSTILE. PETRIK PRASTIWARA AND VINCENT MAULA KILLED IN ACTION. SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS FOR BRAVERY TO EZRA WALKER, MIKEY ROACH, ALPHONSE MEDINA AND CERYS PUGH. OUT.

The message was shocking, but also a great relief. Now that the bosses had seen it, the people in the room could let out their emotions; happiness to hear from the ship, but that was, of course, tempered by the terrible news of the casualties.

'Cerys involved, too,' mused Tian. 'Well, well.'

Dovo slapped him happily on the back. 'All good, John. The Izzati's on course. Let's go and tell our masters.'

Tian stood, having to shake a few hands nearby. 'Yes, Leo. Coffee first, I think, while I compose the words in my head. Congratulations, my dear fellow.'

'And to you, John. No more tragedies or terrorist attacks. All good from here onwards. I can feel it in my bones.'

Thirty minutes later, John Tian phoned the Prime Minister to pass on the news. They had a warm chat, and Tian was congratulated to such an extent that he imagined a knighthood was in the offing. They decided to simply release a press statement saying that the Izzati had made contact with base. No mention of any deaths. Tian wanted to hear from Cerys, but he worried that she had been wounded in the alien action.

He was so elated with the contact message that he rang Edith and arranged to meet her for lunch at one of their favourite restaurants. She was weeping with joy at the news, and said she would see him there. He told his secretary where he was going, then happily skipped downstairs and out to his jeep. He waved to the Marines as they opened the front gate for him. It was a glorious day in Changi. Not a cloud in the sky. The warm air buffeted his hair. In his rear-view mirror, he could see the Izzati II, and he smiled to himself.

He slowed and stopped to join the main road. He saw the big man in the white shirt at the side of the road, but gave it no thought. A truck was coming along, he would go after that. But then the man stepped in front of the jeep.

'What in the name of..?'

The man was Dickie McInally. He raised a handgun at John Tian and shot him four times at point blank range through the windshield.