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Into this situation, because of Bishop Esplin’s funeral, Moose and Annie preoccupied with China price negotiations and Luke grounded because of Katrina’s imminent due date for their second baby, came Smokey. Chief Joseph was the odd man out in the new company. He had been sent into an energy battle and he was expendable. A shadow team was following the American Indian and the Tibetan Monk to prevent the restart of the upper Siam pyramid, the black clads, led by the sinister Alkichi Kuboyama Jr. He was the most vocal in the confrontation with Moose, Annie, and Dom Joi at the RMC meeting. Moose liked nick names and had dubbed the vindictive politician, Odd Job.
The situation for Ho, in Orderville, was nerve wracking. Chloe had come home, heard the news and yelled, “OMG.” After crying for a moment, she exclaimed another anagram, “WTF.” Ho decided he was going to teach her the English language, again.
“BTW, sis, this techie typing street twitter, or texting form of communication is going to have to go.” His mother had stopped crying but it was obvious she held Ho partially responsible for the heart attack. All Ho Tanner could do was sit them down and relate his experiences from the Saratoga explosion forward.
Chloe was spell-bound, if comments such as ‘no way’ or ‘cool’ were acceptable to denote interest. His mother realized the enormity of what he was doing and said she understood. It looked as if he had placed his life in jeopardy several times for the world to avoid the solstice cataclysm. He really was a hero but the emotional center of a mother could not dispel the idea, if he had been more forward, the Bishop would be alive today. As it was, they planned a funeral, sent Smokey to Thailand, excused Luke and pretended Ho Tanner was a friend of the family, Esteban, from his Mexican mission. Ho had to thank his mother for that bit of deception. They did not need everyone gossiping around eastern Utah they had buried the wrong man. So Mohonri Tanner stayed in the cemetery, right alongside Elroy Esplin. The LDS Church gave the ex-bishop a glorious send off.
Ho pleaded with his mother and sister to fly to Hawaii with him. Makaewalani was due in from the Northern Territories in two days. He finally convinced his surviving family a vacation in paradise would help them cope better than moping around in the farmhouse every day, feeling the emptiness; they might as well relax in his mansion and explore the estate he was leasing. It was 180 acres belonging to a trust set up years before by one of Hawaii’s leading healing Kahuna.
Makaewalani had studied under the tutelage of one of his healers and, after the news of the Polaris Triangle and the pyramid power, the Kahuna Trust had made it available for their favorite student. The immense sacrifice and gift Makaewalani Osunolo had doggedly discovered and participated in obtaining was forefront in the minds of the new age people. Believers in the Society of Aquarius were incredibly impressed with the couple.
Some family friends drove the whole family to Saint George, where they met the pilot and were soon anticipating the island landing. A call from Annie changed the plans, the vacation, and the flight plan. Ho buzzed the cabin and instructed the pilot to refuel at Diamond Head and wait for two hours for Makaewalani to arrive, while he filed flight plans to Bangkok. Ho was now spending the time assuring his mother and sister they would have a riot in Thailand, maybe even drop over to Bali.
Annie had been alarmed; there had been no contact from Smokey Joe. Moose was expecting word from Dom Joi the pyramid was back ‘on line’, so to speak. None of it had happened and the folks waiting in Qinghai Province at the Tibetan border had no contact with them for several days. Both ends of the phone had gone quiet—this was bad—this was not just a delayed travel. They both had an urgent foreboding; anxiety hung in the air, clawing at each of them. When Ho relayed this development to Lonnie, she immediately cut the Northern Territory trip short. Ho called Moose for information and learned Dom Joi had attended the Mekong River Commission meeting and had met with several protesters in a private caucus earlier. He and Smokey were now in rough country and were most likely unable to contact anyone.
“I am not that worried,” he said. “They are both competent...” Ho cut him off.
“They are in trouble, Mooser. I can feel it—Lonnie senses something is wrong—they aren’t just lost. Even in unfamiliar country, Smokey does not get lost. Who is the muscle behind the dam construction?” demanded Ho.
“All I can find out is Odd Job and his crews have started heavy construction bypass diversions at Xayanburi, in spite of the Government and MRC tabling the decision.” Moose realized the beginning of the dam was a hard muscle move and Ho really had something; there could have been some of the ‘black clads’ involved in the disappearance.
“So, the money behind it is anxious. They are pushing aggressively. I have a real bad feeling about this whole deal. Do you know anybody behind the scenes?” asked Ho, with a worried tone.
“Just Odd Job; he is a politician, actual name is Alkichi Kuboyama, I finally found that out but I don’t know much else. The local people are pretty secretive. A few years ago, he had dealings with a big stock and mutual fund group called Tanaka Resources.”
“Well, the horse s—just hit the fan, Moose Man. I am finding out who runs this company and what they know. Smokey has our only Black Mariachi; it could be that they are after that.”
“Maybe, if they somehow learned we are out of business without it. Glad to have you on the field, partner. I have been going crazy with the Beijing bull. These are smart people but they always have some secret agenda that clouds the issue. It makes negotiating a pretty involved dance. It’s always gamesmanship—I never believe a thing they say at face value.”
“They better believe what I say, this ain’t no damn game,” growled Ho. Moose could tell Ho had his game day face on.
“Be careful, buddy,” admonished Moose. “And let’s check in several times a day. One other thing I know about—the ‘red shirt’ rebels have sent a chopper pilot looking in the canyons and along the route Smokey and Dom Joi took. This guy is a bad ass mercenary. He’s an American named Samuel Nicholson but I hear he prefers the name ‘Unca Samson’. Lives south of Vientiane, in Laos. You might start looking by checking with him.”
“Will do, Moose, thanks for the info,” replied Ho, casually and rubbed out the call to END.
Ho immediately called his old buddy Hack. The guy was almost a two-time daddy but he wasn’t so nervous he couldn’t find his way around cyberspace. He still had the chops to find out about anything. The phone was picked up on first ring.
“What, Hack, sittin’ by the phone waitin’ for the OB to call?” teased Ho.
“Yeah, kinda, Ho. What gets me a call today? I’m really sorry I couldn’t make the funeral and I’m real sorry for getting in your face about giving up on DRT. I’ve been worried the bishop is all my fault. I liked your old man, we had a lot of great times together.” There was a painful silence on the both ends of the mobile call. Finally, Hack nervously broke the silence. “I hope your mom is holding up—”
“We’re good, Hack. Headin’ to Thailand,” interrupted Ho, tersely. “Smokey is missin’. I’m takin’ Mom and Chloe with me and MK. Here’s what I need; three things, ASAP. You have to find me everything there is on Dom Joi, a monk from Qinghai Province in Tibet, also the dossier on an ex-mercenary named Samuel Nicholson; prefers Unca Samson, and everything you can uncover about Tanaka Resources, especially the CEO. Everything. Oh, and another dude, a goon Moose calls Odd Job. Call Mooser and get the spelling on his real name right.”
“That’s four things, Ho,” retorted Hack.
“OK, four, you’ll never change, Hack. I give you a better name and you are still the same old Dyno guy.”
“Does changing names change you, dude?” Hack protested.
“Good point.” There it is again, stickin’ needles in me. “These are the players and I need to know who can do what, who wants what and exactly what axe each one is trying to grind. Comprende? Today would be cool. Thanks.”
As an afterthought, Ho changed the subject. “Hey, maybe after the baby comes you guys could join us over here. Kinda party at Bali, or somethin’.” Ho was chuckling, thinking about Katrina with a new born. That probably isn’t going to happen.
“Right, that could turn out just as our rendezvous at Cabo, ‘bout got me and Kat killed. I’ll do my best, Bro. For sure we’ll be at the Board meeting in two weeks, my little girl willing.” Luke shook his head, as he hung up.
This crazy guy never quits; he was Mohonri, Ho, Ramos, Dirty and a high-ranking bird, Captain McCaw. None of the five guys had ever let people mess with him or them.