Overthrow (A James Winchester Thriller Book 2) (James Winchester Series) James Samuel (reading tree TXT) 📖

The four men patted their stomachs as they relinquished their chopsticks and a waiter brought oolong tea with the ubiquitous white gaiwan cups. Since the cups had no handles, James cradled the hot beverage between his palms and blew into the cup.

“To business, gentlemen, I think,” said Thom at last.

“Of course,” said Sinclair.

Thom’s face remained tender but lost some of its friendliness as he motioned to Heng, who pulled a folder out from under the table. The classic manilla folder passed from Heng to Sinclair. They still did things the old way here.

“The Internet is controlled in Cambodia,” said Thom, as if reading his thoughts. “It’s safer to do business by hand here.”

“So, this is our man?” Sinclair unveiled the topmost page, a picture of General Narith at some sort of military inspection.

“Yes. Narith was once a member of the ruling Khmer Rouge regime, like most of the military hierarchy. Unlike Prime Minister Sen, he only joined the Vietnamese at the last possible moment. A street dog will approach anyone who offers him food.” Thom said those words with some spite attached to them. “Are you aware of how modern Cambodia came into being?”

James shook his head, but Sinclair nodded. As always, Sinclair had done his homework.

“Ah, you must understand, then, that the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia to depose the Khmer Rouge in 1978. They overran the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea within two weeks. The Khmer Rouge leadership fled to the forests and the mountains to fight a guerrilla war. It brought an end to the genocide and Cambodia was occupied and re-established as the People’s Republic of Kampuchea until 1989.”

James sipped at some of his cooling oolong tea. “Ah, I understand.”

“The fanatics stayed in the forests for years, plotting with Pol Pot and the rest of the leadership. The others simply became civilians again, others pledged loyalty to the Vietnamese to save their lives. Prime Minister Sen fled to join the Vietnamese before the war because he foresaw the dangerous path our people were treading under the Khmer Rouge. And that’s why he is the leader of our nation.”

James nodded along with the explanation.

Sinclair rifled through the folder. “General Narith will not be an easy target.”

“Indeed. He controls the army. You will need to stretch his forces thin and undermine his powerbase. To those who know, he has a wide variety of business interests. A very rich man. One of the richest men in all of Cambodia and Southeast Asia. I have included everything you need to know about some of these interests.”

“What are our terms of engagement?” asked James.

Thom tilted his head in confusion.

“Are we allowed to kill whomever we please as long as we get the job done?”

Thom gave him a thin smile. “Your choice. In the meantime, we must take care to not alert Prime Minister Sen to the true seriousness of Narith’s plan. It would plunge the country into conflict and destroy the peace and harmony we have here in Cambodia.”

James thought about it. According to the international media, Hun Sen ruled Cambodia like a tyrant anyway. Would General Narith be any worse? He dismissed these thoughts in a couple of seconds. It wasn’t any of his business how the country decided to rule itself.

“Do you have enough to get started?” asked Thom.

“I think so, Mr. Thom.” Sinclair closed the folder and tilted it on the side of the table. “How should we keep you updated on the situation?”

“I trust you,” he said in an almost fatherly manner. “Your organisation has a perfect reputation around the world. You do not need me to manage your operations. It would also be safer for us all if we limit how often we meet.” He gestured to Heng. “If you need anything, Mr. Heng will be your point of contact. If he deems it necessary, he can pass the information to me.”

“Splendid.” Sinclair rose from the table with his hand extended.

Everyone rose from their seats along with Sinclair. Thom grasped his hand with yet another warm smile. “Half the money has already been transferred to your account. Tell Mr. Gallagher that everything is as it should be. When you’re in Cambodia, gentlemen, beware of warm smiles.”

Following a round of handshakes, Thom insisted on paying the bill. They all left separately, ensuring there were at least twenty minutes between the time each party departed. James had enjoyed the evening, but Thom’s parting words had given him something to think on.

“What do you think he meant by that?” asked James after Thom and Heng had departed.

“By what?”

“Beware of warm smiles.”

Sinclair touched his chin as he considered it. “Oh, don’t take him seriously. He was just telling us to be careful. They like to paint tapestries with their words. It makes them sound wise.”

As James pulled out a cigarette from his packet, he wondered whether any of the warm smiles that day were something to be wary of.

Chapter Five

James forced himself to read through the folder of paperwork into the night. A lot of it detailed General Narith’s movements, what he did, and some of his main allies. He yawned with every page he turned. By the time he awoke from his final doze and finished the thick sheaf, the grey pre-dawn emerged from behind the curtains.

The fan rotated from right to left and left to right in a futile attempt at cooling the room. It did little more than make the humidity dance around the confined surroundings. James cursed the heat and left his sweaty room, already wondering if it was too late to move to one of those nice five-star hotels.

The lobby was empty, and the metal grate still pulled over the door. He moved it up slightly and ducked out. During the night,