Steers closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them they seemed, to Nash, to sparkle with an ethereal force.
“My mother is Masuyo Steers. She is currently being held in a private prison facility in an isolated region in Myanmar near the Chinese border.”
“Aprivateprison in Myanmar?” said Temple. “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”
She gave him a superior look. “You and your father traveled extensively in what was then Burma.”
“How did you know that?” said Temple in surprise.
“I always know what I need to know. And your father worked for me. I elicited this information from him because I knew it might be useful one day. And so it has become. Now enlighten me as to what youdoknow about the country.”
Temple glanced at Nash. “That it’s a very unstable place. I wanted to travel there last year on business. Like you just said, I’d been there with my father a number of times, when it was still called Burma. I even became passable in the language. But then Covid hit, and the State Department strongly advised Americans not to travel there because of the junta’s coup and the presence of armed militia and insurgents. It’s a chaotic hotbed with lots of different factions asserting authority over a patchwork of territories and cities. A real mess.”
“Doubtless, you will not be surprised to learn that I am also aware of all that, Mr. Temple,” said Steers. “But it is good that you are as well and have familiarity with the language. This will increase the odds of successfully bringing my mother home safely and was also the reason I constructed this plan with your involvement.”
Steers now made a point of turning to Nash. “However, while your employer has some value to this mission and has long worked for me, you must think it somewhat curious that I would engageyou, Mr. Hope, whom I know not at all, with the task of freeing my mother from her incarceration.”
“Well, you can pin a murder rap on us. And we’re in a foreign country, totally in your control. Our only chance of getting out of this alive is to do all we can to succeed in freeing your mother. I assumethatis why you’re entrustingbothof us with this mission. It’s not like we have a choice.”
“I must congratulate you, Mr. Temple,” said Steers.
“For what?”
“Your judgment in selecting bodyguards.”
She said to Nash, “Lynn Ryder informed me that you had saved Mr. Temple and a friend from grievous bodily harm.”
“I can hold my own and I did my job, yes.”
“Good, because I believe that your skill set will be required. I will now explain in detail.”
CHAPTER
5
MY MOTHER HAS BEEN IMPRISONEDfor many years now,” began Steers.
“Why?” asked Nash. “What crimes did she commit?”
Steers said dismissively, “She has broken no laws. She is a political prisoner.”
Temple said, “So she’s a political prisoner of the Myanmar government? What did she do for them to imprison her?”
Steers said sharply, “That isnotrelevant. And the prison is not run by the government; it is private, as I said. Nor is it controlled by the various rebel groups.”
“Then who does control it?” asked Nash.
“Again, irrelevant to the mission. What matters is my mother is not in good health, and I will not allow her to remain there.”
Nash said, “I’m sure you have highly skilled people to do this for you.”
“I have people who are well-known to the people from whom we will be extracting my mother. Whereas, you both areunknownto them, which makes you particularly useful to its success.”
“Just so it’s clear, I would do anything to help you, Ms. Steers,” said Temple. “But two Americans trying to free your mother from what I assume is a heavily guarded prison in a hostile land in Asia does not seem a recipe for success.”
“It’s all in the details, Mr. Temple. I have thought through every conceivable possibility and have arrived at a bold plan that I believe represents the best opportunity for my mother’s freedom. And youbothwill be critical to that success.” She glanced at Nash. “At first, I was only going to allow Mr. Temple to journey there, Mr. Hope. But when Mr. Temple insisted you come, I queried Lynn Ryder and, as I alluded to before, she told me of your. . .strengths. I was intrigued, and thus here you are as well. I trust you will not disappoint me.”
“And when do you plan on our executing this mission?” asked Nash.
