Angel in the Full Moon (5 page)

“I don't think you're old, sir.” Quaile caught the frown that passed over Isaac's face.
Smart old fart. I'll have to be more tactful ...

“What I'm asking,” continued Isaac, “is that you keep an eye on him and report anything suspicious to me. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. You may be pleased to know that I'm already on top of it. I've sensed he was a bad apple ever since I first arrived.”

“You have?”

“I've found him to be contemptuous in nature and he is not someone I feel is properly groomed for the duties he is now responsible for. I'm surprised that his predecessor did not identify this.”

“I've noticed that your office seems ... well, more
spruced up since your arrival.”

“Thank you, sir. Shoddiness, tardiness, insubordination ... are all things I will not permit under my command. Unfortunately, Corporal Taggart has required discipline in all these areas. I also suspect he is a bad influence on the more junior members in the office. Now, realizing his history, perhaps Taggart is someone who should be given a less significant position?”

Isaac let out a sigh and said, “I hope you haven't misunderstood me on this matter. Taggart has done excellent work in the past. He is a particularly gifted undercover operative, exceptionally astute, and if I were a criminal, quite honestly, he is the last person I would ever want on my trail. All I'm asking you to do is to keep close tabs on him. Treat him fairly, but at the same time, I will not tolerate any deviations from policy. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Quaile.
The first real test of my leadership! Thank you for the opportunity, Corporal Taggart!

Hang's wet hands grasped the rope ladder to the fishing trawler waiting below. A mixture of rain and snow lashed at her face but she did not care. The excitement of finally arriving made everyone slightly giddy. The fact that their ship was three days ahead of schedule made it even better.

As soon as her feet touched the deck of the trawler, she anxiously pushed her way past the others to the outside edge to see if she could see any lights on shore. She saw only darkness.

Hang felt an arm around her shoulders and smiled at Ngoc Bích. “We've made it,” said Hang, feeling breathless.

“They told me we would be on land in an hour,” replied Ngoc Bích. “We haven't made it yet.”

“If it is only an hour, I think I could swim that far,” replied Hang.

Ngoc Bích laughed and said, “Not here. You would become like a block of ice at the fish market.”

“Quiet everyone! Lie down!” came a man's hushed voice
from the ship above.

Hang quickly did as instructed. Soon the reason was clear as she heard the sound of a third boat. It chugged closer and closer ... before continuing past.

Hang peeked over the railing and saw that it was another fishing trawler heading out to sea. Everything was okay.

Their trawler did make land in an hour and moored alongside a wharf. Two vans took turns relaying the passengers to their next destination. Eventually it was Hang and Ngoc Bích's turn to stumble down a wharf into a waiting van.

“My legs ... they are acting strange,” said Hang.

“We are like sailors,” said Ngoc Bích. “At sea many days.” They reached the van and crawled in the back with several other passengers. The driver was a Vietnamese man. He told them he was a fisherman and would take them to his home nearby.

“Just like Hanoi,” commented Hang, gesturing around the van from where she sat on the floor. “Another crowded van filled with the same people. Maybe we're still in Hanoi.”

Ngoc Bích smiled. “Same, same, only different. It is colder. We are in Canada.”

The fisherman's home turned out to be a house set back from the highway in a forest. Hang had a glimpse of the heavy moss on the roof of the house and the peeling olive-coloured paint on the siding while being ushered inside to join her fellow passengers in the basement of the house.

Once in the basement, Hang felt like she had entered paradise. The room was warm and the floor was scattered with blankets. There was a bathroom, complete with a shower for them to use, and even a television set. Few people from Hang's neighbourhood would ever be able to afford a television set.

Hang and Ngoc Bích looked at each other and smiled. Excited voices drew Hang's attention to the far side of the
room where several of the passengers were standing near a stove.
A real stove! Not a hot plate.
Hang was awed.
That a simple fisherman should own such a place—is it possible?

A large pot of boiling water was on the stove and some of the passengers who had arrived earlier were dumping Dungeness crabs into the pot. Hang and Ngoc Bích quickly joined in.

A short time later, Hang crawled under a blanket. Her stomach was full and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

It was many hours later when Hang awoke to the sound of a woman speaking English. The voice came from the television set and she saw Ngoc Bích staring at it intently.

Hang joined her and Ngoc Bích said, “Good to look. Learn English.”

Hang found herself watching a show called
CSI.
It was about the American police. It was a show she found engrossing.
They are the police and they are scientists. Very smart these American police ...

The fisherman came downstairs to tell them that because the ship was early, they would have to stay in the house for another three days before continuing on.

Hang smiled. She was anxious to meet her new family, but after what she had been through in the last six weeks, this was like being told she would have to stay in a palace.

The fisherman produced the list of paper that Hang had seen prepared by the bald ape and the vulture in Hanoi. The names were called out and everyone was divided into two groups, except for Hang, who remained standing alone.

Then came the bad news. Only half the women were being smuggled into the United States. The other half, including Ngoc Bích, would be staying to work in hotels in Canada.

Hang pushed through the group and grabbed her friend by the arm. “Say something! Come to America with me!”

Ngoc Bích took the fisherman aside and talked to him quietly. Hang saw him shake his head and she felt a lump in her throat. She wished that her father had sent Linh with her. Now the loneliness crept into her body like the morning fog that swirled past the doors of Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum.

Ngoc Bích returned and said, “It is not all bad. I must work in Canada for only a few months. Then I will be sent to America. I have been selected to work at hotels owned by three men. They are Vietnamese. The Tran brothers. I am told that one of them is taking you to your home in America. He will know where you are. We will see each other in a few months.”

Hang looked at Ngoc Bích and said, “You will not forget me?”

“You would forget your sister?” asked Ngoc Bích.

“No. I wish she was here now,” grumbled Hang.

“In Hanoi I told you I would be your sister as well. I will not forget you any more than I would forget my other brothers and sisters in Nha Trang.”

Hang looked solemnly at Ngoc Bích before hugging her.

The next couple of days went by quickly for Hang. She spent much of her time watching back-to-back episodes of
CSI
. A cube van arrived one morning and the women who had been selected to go to the United States were called.

Hang collected her clothes and turned to hug Ngoc Bích, but the fisherman touched her shoulder and said, “Not yet. You must stay here with these other women until more arrangements are made.”

Hang felt happy. The longer she was with Ngoc Bích, the better.

Later that night, another cube van arrived and the fisherman came downstairs with a young Vietnamese
man. The fisherman pointed to Hang and the young man immediately approached her.

“You speak English?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Hang.

“My name is Tommy. I was born in Canada. My Vietnamese is not so good. Explain to the others that we must leave here at midnight tonight. We have to catch a ferry at quarter after five in the morning.”

“Another boat?” asked Hang.

“Not long. Only two hours. Everyone will ride in the back of the truck. Tell them to be quiet. I do not want anyone to know there are other people in the truck.”

“And after this ferry ride I go to United States?” asked Hang.

“I do not know. I work for Dúc. He told me and Cuóng to bring everyone, so you're coming to.”

“Cuóng?” asked Hang.

“He is driving the truck. He works for my boss, too.”

“Mister Dúc is one of three brothers?” asked Hang.

“Yes, Dúc has two brothers in business with him.”

“Now I understand,” said Hang. “Mine is a special situation. I will not be working in the hotel business. Your boss is going to take me to live with a family in the United States.”

“Lucky for you.”

Hang gestured at the
CSI
show on the television and said, “Lucky—only if I do not get caught by the police. The American police are very smart. They are scientists.”

Hang believed her worry was justified and was startled when Tommy started laughing.

“You laugh that I may get caught? After what I have been through!” she said angrily.

“No ... this is just television,” Tommy said with a smile. “You need not be afraid. What you are watching ... that is not
all the police in the States. CSI are a special type. They only work on dead people. Believe me, if my boss is looking after you, you will not have to worry about the police.”

“You are certain?”

“Yes. My boss does not take chances.”

Their midnight truck ride, followed by the trip on the ferry, went without incident.

It was eight o'clock in the morning when Hang accepted Ngoc Bích's helping hand as she climbed out of the truck. The truck had been backed up to a garage where a man ushered everyone to the rear of the garage. The overhead door was shut as the truck drove away.

The man inside the garage said his name was Giang. He said they would only have to wait a few minutes and would be on their way once more.

As they waited, Hang saw Giang leering at the women. His eyes settled on Ngoc Bích and he stared brazenly, with a thin smile on his lips. Hang knew Ngoc Bích was perhaps the prettiest, but to be so bold as to stare ...

“I do not like that man,” whispered Hang, while clutching Ngoc Bích by the hand.

“If he were an animal,” said Ngoc Bích, “he would be a pig.”

Hang smiled and said, “You think of people as animals or birds?”

“Sometimes.”

“On our voyage, did you see a bald ape and a long-billed vulture?”

Ngoc Bích paused for a moment, and smiled. “Yes. The two foreigners in the apartment in Hanoi!”

They both giggled but Giang cut them short by stepping
closer. “What are you saying about me?” he snarled.

Hang stepped back, fearfully tugging on Ngoc Bích's hand but she remained firm and looked Giang in the eye and said, “Who are you that we should talk about you? We were talking about Hanoi.”

“That ...” Giang's response was interrupted by a doorbell and another Vietnamese man hollered to him from inside the house. Giang immediately disappeared, only to return moments later with two more Vietnamese men.

These two men repeated the pattern that Hang had seen in the apartment in Hanoi. The remaining women were once more divided into two groups, while she was left standing alone.

Minutes later, one of the Vietnamese men backed a van inside the garage and the first group of women were driven away.

The second Vietnamese man pointed a finger at Hang and said, “You will wait here. My brother will be along soon.” He looked at the remaining women and said, “Wait until I back my van up to the garage and then get in.”

Hang realized that Ngoc Bích would be gone within a minute. She felt Ngoc Bích's fingers on her arm and they looked at each other and tried to smile. Ngoc Bích fondly massaged Hang's arm and said, “Only a couple of months. It will go fast.”

“You are my first friend in America,” said Hang.

“No,” chided Ngoc Bích. “We are sisters.”

Hang heard the harsh command telling the women to hurry as they climbed into the second van. The overhead garage door closed again and Ngoc Bích was gone.

Hang was now in the garage alone with Giang and she fearfully glanced in his direction.

“Sit on the floor and wait,” he said, and turned and went into the house.

Hang was glad to be alone.

Half an hour passed before Giang returned. “Mister Dúc is here,” he said, opening the garage door. Dúc drove a car into the garage and Giang closed the door behind him.

The man got out of the car and smiled at Hang. “I am here to take you to your new family.”

Hang saw that Dúc was a small man, with skinny arms and legs.
If he were an animal, he would be a spider monkey.
She nodded respectfully and asked, “Mister Dúc, may I ask if the journey will be long?”

“You may ask whatever you like! No, your journey will not be long. We are in a place called Richmond. It is close to the American border. You will be in your new home in less than two hours.”

“In two hours!” Hang felt the adrenalin pump through her veins.

“I must apologize that you will have to ride in the trunk of my car. It will be uncomfortable, but I have put several pillows and a blanket in there to try and make it more comfortable. There is also some bottled water.”

“Thank you, Mister Dúc.”

“I have a rear seat that folds down and for a little while, we will leave it down so you can talk if you wish. Once we get close to the border you will have to pull the seat closed and be very quiet as I clear U.S. Customs. Leave it closed until I tell you that it is okay.”