The Scottish Banker of Surabaya

( 46 )

Captain Aries was about the same height as Poirier, but larger and barrel-chested. He met them at the door to the barracks. The other men sat behind him, occupying half the beds in the sixteen-bed unit. They were all dressed in olive T-shirts, khaki pants, and brown running shoes.

“So you’re the young woman who’s bringing us all this excitement,” he said, looking Ava and down. Then he smiled. “My friend Poirier is not so happy to see you; he would have preferred your client. But me, I prefer pretty women.”

“She wants to go to the hangar with us,” Poirier said.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Aries said.

“You brought me here. The least you can do is let me see how things conclude.”

“I have no objections,” Poirier said.

Aries shrugged. “Ryan will be staying in the background, a safe distance away. I would expect you to do the same.”

“Okay.”

“Even so, not dressed like that.”

“I have some black training pants, running shoes, and a black T-shirt in my bag,” Ava said.

“Ryan will be wearing a bulletproof jacket and a balaclava, as will the rest of us. Do you object to those?”

“Not at all.”

Aries turned. “Do we have a spare bulletproof jacket and balaclava?” he asked.

“No jacket small like her,” the nearest man said.

“I’ll tie it tight,” Ava said.

“There is a washroom at the other end of the barracks. You can change there,” Aries said.

The soldier reached under the bed and pulled out a box. He extracted a jacket and a balaclava and tossed them to Ava. “Do not lose,” he said.

“I won’t,” Ava said.

The washroom was built for men, with a main door that didn’t lock and cubicles that had no doors. She opened her bag first, took out her clothes, and then stripped. She slipped the T-shirt over her head and then quickly pulled on the pants. She had put on some mascara and lipstick in the morning. She imagined how hot it would be under the balaclava, and didn’t fancy the thought of runny makeup. She wiped it off with a damp towel, put her shirt and slacks in the bag and her phone in her pants pocket, and walked out into the barracks.

Aries’ men were standing in a semicircle facing him and Poirier. Ava could hear the captain talking and hurried to catch what was being said. When his words became distinct, she realized he was speaking in Indonesian. Poirier glanced at her and put his index finger to his lips.

The men, Ava noticed, each had a balaclava stuck in their belt and held rifles, muzzle down, loosely at their sides. There were ten of them, all in their twenties or maybe thirties, and all of them were similarly fit. They listened intently to their captain, eyes focused tightly on him, heads nodding. They gave off an overwhelming sense of competence, not to mention firepower. Ava could not imagine the Italians trying to resist such a force.

When Aries finished, the men dispersed into small groups.

“We leave in ten minutes,” Poirier said to her.

“Who are these men?” Ava asked.

“They’re a specialized rapid-response unit attached to KorMar, the Marine Corps.”

“I’ve never seen rifles like those.”

“You know rifles?”

“Some.”

“Those are Pindad SS2 assault rifles. They’re Indonesian-made, and very effective.”

“They look it.”

“We’re in very good hands.”

“So what’s the plan that the captain was outlining?”

Poirier raised an eyebrow.

“I know we’re only along for the ride,” Ava said. “I just think I would be more comfortable if I knew what to expect.”

“We’re going to wait at the hangar.”

“In the hangar?”

“No. To be more accurate, near the hangar. And that’s all I think you need to know,” Poirier said, his eyes darting over to Aries, who was now standing by himself in a corner talking into a microphone.

Aries shouted to his men. They laid their rifles on the beds and began to put on their jackets. Poirier followed suit. Ava was already wearing hers but hadn’t been able to tighten it properly. She waited until Poirier was finished and then turned her back to him. “Could you finish this off for me, please?”

“The plane is forty-five minutes out,” Poirier said.

“I assumed as much.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Of course I am,” she said.