The journey home was pretty good and there were not that many hold ups which made me pleased for Ming. Although he could drive well, he was not that experienced to deal with heavy traffic.
I had read the emails and the results of the preliminary enquiries made by Uncle Film as I had saved them to be read offline. It was already clear that instructions had been issued to update the property Ming's family lived in, and then on completion to increase the rents for new tenants.
Uncle had also left reports on the company and personnel at our company in Khon Kaen charged with looking after the apartment complex, and his views made unpleasant reading. He advised me not to do anything yet but to wait for his further reports so I had a complete picture and we would discuss the best and most effective way to deal with it.
There weren't any emails or messages from Songpob, but I didn't really expect any as we had only spoken late afternoon.
It was getting on to 4:30 pm when we arrived back at the aquarium carpool centre. The car was checked and signed back in and we caught a Tuk-tuk back to college.
I sent a text to Karn saying we had dropped off the car and would be back shortly. His reply came back just as we entered the Campus. 'Meet us in Plaa ASAP'.
We quickly dropped our bags off in our rooms and rushed round to the restaurant. My heart was pounding and a feeling of apprehension and a sense of foreboding gnawed at me. I couldn't shake it off, not since the short uninformative text from Karn. I knew bad news was just around the corner.
The restaurant was closed and I tapped on the glass on the door.
Yacht answered. He had a nasty looking cut above one eye and a bruise on his cheekbone. He gave us a sad smile. "Good that you're back, Earth....., and you too Ming. Can I get you something to drink?"
We did what the twins usually did and said in unison, "Pomegranate juice please!"
We gave a half hearted chuckle aimed at ourselves. So did the twins, and we all greeted each other with hugs.
"Book is on his way," Karn advised. "He's just sent a text to say that he's been held up at the aquarium this afternoon."
I looked at Ming, "I wish we had known, as he could have travelled with us."
I read the look Karn gave me as that was not a good idea and it was then that I knew that there was indeed bad news.
While Yacht busied himself preparing drinks and, as we were to find out shortly, some food, I told the twins about our visit and about Ming coming out to his parents.
Just as Yacht brought out the food, Book arrived. Well! If I thought Yacht looked bad then Book looked like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards, not once but twice! He had cuts all over his head and hands. He was wearing dark glasses and, once he removed them, he sported two black eyes. He limped as he walked across to us and gingerly sat down.
Both Ming and myself were speechless and said nothing at first. Then Ming spoke.
He took the words right out of my mouth. "Is Pond okay?"
Book shook his head negatively.
I looked towards Karn. "You better start talking. You know something and you have kept it from us."
Karn gulped. "I didn't want to upset you before you drove home. I only found out last night when I actually met up with Book and Yacht."
Book nodded. "I told him not to. Pond was hurt badly and is being looked after by his sister."
"What happened?" I asked, as I put a comforting hand on his arm.
"It was the human mercenaries. We were well out in the ocean and were all caught by surprise. We had just beaten off Mongkut and his task force warriors that were out to capture Khun Chiang, when they came up behind us. They also then came from both sides as we tried to regroup. Some were in very fast boats on the surface dragging a big net. Big as in like we have seen human fishermen dragging through the water behind their boats. Other humans were in the water....., they were firing their spear guns at anyone caught in the net. It was hard to escape as most of us were tired and injured from the battle with Mongkut."
He looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Good and Best covered Pond's and my bodies with theirs as we used the discarded human spears to cut the net so we could try to escape. It was only the arrival of Thahan and his men that saved us. They pierced the inflatable boats with used human spears and we were able to get away. It was as we left the net that a spear hit Pond in the back. Yacht came to help me and we managed to get him away to a safer place. Later we found out from Thahan that all the mercenaries had been killed. General Dang and Commander Yucatan...., and all their warriors arrived after dealing with Mongkut's main force further out in the ocean, and that helped win the day, but almost everyone in our group had been killed except me, Yacht and Pond. Best and Good were found with multiple spear wounds to their backs. They had died protecting us. Many of Thahan's force had been killed too but without his intervention none of us would have survived."
"What about Khun Chiang? Karn told me he was safe." I asked, checking that with Karn.
"Yes!" Book answered and gave a smile. "He has some bruises but nothing serious. It was his suggestion that Thahan came to help as he had seen the boats approaching. He also defied orders and joined in the battle. I saw him kill the human that fired the spear at Pond. He has said that he saw him take aim but could not reach him in time. He is distraught and blames himself for not being quick enough."
I realised that tears were flowing down my face and when I looked at Ming, he too was fighting to hold back the tears, wiping one from the corner of his eye as it threatened to fall on his cheek.
Both the twins were openly crying. Karn doing so didn't surprise me, but Korn? That shocked me. A hard nut like him actually cracking. I couldn't believe he was succumbing to balling his head off. It went right against all that I knew about him.
It was Karn who answered one of the questions whirling around my head. "We got real close with Best and Good the day you left. I told you they played football with Korn and they were amazing. They were such nice guys. They must have loved Pond so much to have sacrificed themselves for him."
"What about River?" Ming asked, his voice breaking up as he struggled still to maintain his composure.
I saw Book look at Yacht to answer.
"Pond easily killed him as the attack started. I took Top out shortly after. They were the ones that were betraying us and were trying to lead Mongkut to Khun Chiang. Pond eventually killed his Uncle but it was not an easy fight between them. Good and Best had his back as he fought him and saved him many times from cowardly attacks from Mongkut's warriors. Book and I, and the six more junior members of our small force were charged with dealing with any of Mongkut's warriors that tried to head for the shore. We were lucky that we were outside the big net being used by the humans and were able to come back and help Pond. When we saw Khun Chiang enter the fight we knew he had to be protected but he wouldn't let us. He insisted that we helped Pond instead and just took the juniors with him. He said they fought well, and had distinguished themselves, although only two of them had survived."
"Where does this leave you two now?" I asked. "Karn said that you were looking after the aquarium?"
It was Book who answered. "Khun Chiang told us to get the inner sanctum up and running again as he was returning shortly to look into all the information that Good had been able to download that last day. He is determined to eradicate all the humans that had provided Mongkut with information and help. The two juniors that survived protecting Khun Chiang will be integrated into our team now and will attend this college to learn more about humans. They will attend when they have been home to their families and have rested."
"Are you free this weekend, Ming, to supervise the aquarium for us?" Yacht interrupted. "Book and I want to go back and see our family as well, and also to check on Pond. There is no one else we can trust at the moment that can give up the time."
"Sure," answered Ming without hesitation. "When are you needing me and when are you wanting to go?"
"We want to leave Friday afternoon and we will look to be back Sunday afternoon. It's just a couple of the soaking rooms that need a little more attention. There are not that many Merman's needing to soak this weekend but we will need all pools open by Monday. We are hoping Khun Chiang will return with us as well as these two new guys."
"These new guys? Are you wanting someone to look out for them at college?" I asked, giving Ming a sideways glance. "Like Ming looked after Pond?"
"This has not been fully discussed as yet," Book answered, "but I would imagine they would want Ming to be involved with them at some point."
"It is unlikely that they will be boarders like Pond," added Yacht. "Khun Chiang hoped that you would find them an apartment when you found ones for you and your friends. He said this was something you had already discussed."
"Yes. Does this mean that all the negotiations will be done with me through you and Book?"
"No Earth!" Book answered immediately. "Khun Chiang said for me only to relay his instructions to the trusted person he has engaged to deal with you. He has not mentioned dealing with you directly. Does this upset you?"
"Well yes. Tell him that he deals with me or the deals off. I am either trusted or I am not. His choice. I have spoken to this trusted solicitor, Songpob Sangsorn. He works for me and I will meet him soon. I will not be bypassed. Everything must come through me. Please tell him this and tell him I have great respect for him and I would like him to show some respect back."
Book caught my steely glare.
He nodded and gave a wry smile. I knew he understood how I felt and he would pass on my message using the right tone.
Karn and Korn sat there with their mouths open and an astonished look on their faces.
Ming laughed. "Meet the new Earth guys. He's taking no prisoners regarding work related issues....., and you can blame Pond for that as he put him up to it!"
"It's not fair to blame Pond, Ming, he just gave me some pointers and told me to think back to how my father acted and made his business decisions. I will not be taken for a fool or have people think because of my age they can dictate to me how I run the business."
"Well said Earth!" Karn joined in. "Start as you mean to carry on."
"Thanks. I intend to."
Ming chuckled and added "Yeah right!"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I queried, giving him a quizzical look.
"You came out to that Managing Director guy at KPIC, didn't you? Does that mean that you are coming out at college as my boyfriend?"
"No way!" I quickly replied. "For one thing the guys here are so immature and I would never hear the last of it. The guys at Dad's company would not dare say anything derogatory...., not within earshot at least....., especially if they valued their job."
"So you're ashamed of me, are you?" Ming replied with a sad expression on his face.
"No! I can't see the point in making trouble for ourselves with the morons that study here."
Ming glared at me and I knew he vehemently disagreed with me, but had the sense not to argue in front of the others.