Chains of Heart

15 - Composing a thought

15 - Composing a thought

[Din]

P'Hin and I reach the place where Inpha has given P'Ken an appointment slightly in advance. I know the border area between Thailand and Laos well because I have been stationed here for a long time. Besides that, I was investigating Inpha's illicit wood trade, which made me realize that he must have a place to hide his goods.

I drive the car until we reach a road not far from Inpha's secret warehouse. We are on an uncultivated hillside suitable for observing from a distance. The GPS stuck in my shoes, wallet, and the two-way radio I put in the car keys indicate P'Ken's location and movements. Now we just have to wait. I begin to assemble the rifle, under P'Hin's dismayed eyes.

I actually had no intention of pulling P'Hin into the middle of this and putting him in danger, but when he is with me I am calm enough not to kill anyone. I am still not the cruel animal everyone thinks I am.

Bringing P'Hin to shoot someone...

My brother is kind and far too optimistic, he never gets angry with anyone. At least, now I can see his funny face before we have to part for the second time.

"Why did we come here, Din? Why don't we go help others?" P'Hin asks nervously, continuing to look around. I understand that he is worried about everyone, but if we went in now, it would be death for everyone.

"Calm down, Phi. Everyone is still safe now," I pick up the small telescope and hand it to my brother, then point to a spot about five hundred yards below us as I lie down on the ground and aim the rifle sight.

Everything Inpha says to P'Ken I hear through the earpiece I have had in my ear since we came down from the house. If the situation gets dangerous or P'Ken is in danger, I am ready to shoot Inpha. Fortunately, P'Ken is acting like it's his job and everything he says sounds extremely believable.

He is doing everything according to the plan. Inpha brings out my parents, Saai and P'Ken. I don't know what made him do that and put himself in full view. I rest my finger on the trigger. Suddenly, Saai is yanked by her hair by a woman, who's preparing to stab my beloved little sister. As I am about to pull the trigger, P'Hin shouts not to do it. My brother must have noticed the knife in Saai's hand, who thrusts the weapon into the other woman's foot.

"Great, Saai!" I don't know if P'Hin understood the situation, but he seems to be satisfied.

Our parents and Saai stand up to run away, but Inpha's men point their guns at them. Now I can no longer continue to be nice. I pull the trigger and P'Hin presses his face to the ground, covering his ears with his hands, then raises his head and makes to shout again.

The two bullets do not take their lives. Although the bullets weigh little, they impact at high speed against their bodies, causing a "hydrostatic shock" that affects their hands, destroying them. If I had aimed at any other place on their bodies, they would have died.

Now, Inpha must have realized that I was the shooter. It is unbelievable that only two bullets have led people who have always lived a criminal life to be so afraid like this. He doesn't even think about helping his own daughter, he runs away to save himself, inside the forest, together with his men.

There is still a person behind a gun pointing at P'Ken. As I am about to shoot, Dim reaches to help them. Now I understand the monk's words. Perhaps if I had asked them for help from the beginning, things would not have turned out this way.

"P'Hin, run and find everyone. I've got your back."

"Hmm..."

"Hey!" I grab my brother's hand. It may be the last time I do so. The hand he often used to hold me with as a child to go to school every morning. "Take off your bulletproof vest. It's illegal. If the cops see it, they might understand."