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Read Count : 189
Category : Books-Fiction
Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery
Chapter 4 Southeast Asia-1975 Chi Ho Minh is in frantic mode. It seems the rain will never end. In less than 4 hours it will have been raining for 24 hours straight... And hard. Minhs real concern lies with the American POW. General Minh has had him caged in the the Congo River for almost three days now. Minh needs the American not only alive, but healthy. Minh thought he and his small troup would have been back yesterday... Unfortunately for Minh, the seven mile journey has taken almost twice as long as he had originally planned. The mud and pouring rain make the hike not only treacherous. .. But painfully slow. When Minh and his lutientants finally arrive at the part of the Congo where the American is isolated... Minh begins barking orders. The two young soldiers quickly come to attention. In the near distance ,a beautiful young Viet Cong woman, whom has been with the troups on the hike, now seperated. looks on from the brush down bank from the Congo. 'Nang nua len, do ngu!' 'Nang nua len, do ngu!' Minh screams! The two soilders frantically work their way toward the edge of the muddy banks of the Congo. Reaching out and standing on his toes, Minhs slightly taller lutientant is able to grab the hoyst from the tree limb it hung on. 'Quickly,' General Minh shouted in an irritated voice as he finished and tossed a hand rolled smoke in the mud. Slowly but surely they get the flimsy bamboo cage to the rivers edge. Inside, the American... Looking weak and defeaten, but alive. His hands are bound tight to the top of the cage. The American desperately tries to see out of squinted red and irratated eyes. Suddenly the American begins coughing uncontrollably. He is trying his best to get a decent gasp of breath, but his cough becomes more and more eratic. His cough finally seems to be coming to a peak. Suddenly, it comes to its dramatic climax as the trapped water in the POW's lungs comes pouring out. Though it seems painfully difficult, the American finally suceeds in taking several deep gasps of breath. It has been almost three days since General Minh had the American lowered up to his neck in the Congo river. As soon as the two men have the cage safely on solid ground, Genral Minh begins screaming orders at them again. 'Open the cage door. Then cut the American loose.' Minh ordered. No more than a second or two later he begins shouting at his two lutientants again. 'There' he shouted, pointing towards a level grassy spot about 15 yards away. 'Put the prisoner there.' Each got under one of the prisoner's arms, they give a quick glance at each other, and start dragging the American POW through the mud towards Minh's requested desination. The American is no help. Three days in the small cage in the river has damn near killed him. His feet and knees drag through the thick brush and mud, but it t is quickly over. As the two lutientants get to the grassy area Minh order them to take the POW to, they sling the American to the ground. His face slams into the wet marsh and his nose begins bleeding. Minh quickly and angrily motions his men to stand back. He's plan depends on the American being healthy. The American lay silently on the drenched grassy knoll. Naked from head to toe, he rolls on his side and takes a fetal position. Out of the corners of his blood shot eyes he catches a glimpse of the General as the blood oozes out of his nose. The General slowly moves forward towards the POW until his boots actually rest against the American's stomach. Minh pulls out another cigarette, lights it, and takes a long slow drag. THen slowly blows the smoke out as he stares down at the American. Minh then shouts at the America 'look at me' look at me.' The American slowly opens his eyes and stares into the eyes of this loathed foe. His eyes tell the story. General Minh doesnt break eye contact and slowly breaks a smile at the American then says in a soft low toaned voice ' You wish you could rip my heart out... Don't you?' The American suddenly looks very sick. Beads of sweat form on his forhead and run off his nose into the muddy marsh. Minh turns his attention down bank where the young Viet Cong woman is looking on. A word or sign are never exchanged, but she knows exactly what General Minh wants. She unzips a small brown leather bag she is wearing on her side. Reaching inside, the woman fumbles through the bag until she finds what she is searching for. Then slips it in her jacket pocket. Quickly she turns and heads towards General Minh.