Singapore Sling Shot - Andrew Grant [82]
Mendez had never been to Singapore before. He had heard it was tiny and totally buttoned up. If that were so, he wondered how his brother, who had come from one of the most violent countries in the world, could have met his death here at the hands of the man Thomas Lu had identified as Sami Somsak.
The pilot came over the intercom advising that landing was imminent and advising his passengers to fasten their seatbelts. Carlos did as instructed and prepared himself for the landing, masking his extreme apprehension from his subordinates with a scowl as he gazed out the window.
The tarmac came up fast. The elder Mendez winced and then the tyres bit with a squeal and the small jet was on the ground. The roar of the engines being put into reverse caused the drug boss to feel a moment of near panic, but then the sound faded and the jet slowed and turned off the runway.
As they taxied to the nearest terminal building, Carlos Mendez composed himself. He was now in Singapore. There was business to do. There was revenge to be brought and when that was completed, he would fly back to Bogota with his brother’s body.
The Colombians stood out amongst the mainly Asian arrivals at Terminal One. They stood out not because of their swarthy bulk, but because their clothing was flamboyant. Several wore shiny shirts and suits, and were covered in gold rings, neck chains and watches. Large diamonds sparkled in earlobes. Dark glasses topped off all the bling. Watching them as they came through the doors into the main concourse, I couldn’t help thinking that they looked exactly like the cold-blooded killers and drug thugs they really were.
Carlos Mendez was easy to identify. He was the man who wasn’t carrying anything. All of the others had one bag each. Some carried two and towed suitcases on wheels. The elder Mendez was in the lead. The others came behind in a loose group. Despite the dark glasses, I could sense their eyes were everywhere at once.
We were four to their seven: Sami, Jo, K and me. None of us were armed. Carlos Mendez called a halt in the centre of the concourse. He was obviously looking for Thomas Lu. Sami stepped forward while we three fell in at his shoulder. Sami had asked me to look dangerous. For me that meant taking the black route. Yet again, I had on a pair of black Levi’s, black kickass cowboy boots and a black shirt with a light leather jacket over it—black, of course! Like the new arrivals, my costume was completed by the addition of a pair of Ray Bans. As an additional touch, I had put both my wallet and my cellphone in my inside left jacket pocket. The bulge suggested that there was a gun holstered there. That wasn’t accidental, of course. We knew that the Mendez crew would be unarmed. Only a complete idiot would have attempted to enter Singapore carrying a weapon.
Mendez’s attention was suddenly focussed on Sami, who advanced to within a few feet of the Colombian and stopped. I watched the men behind Mendez stiffen. Bags were lowered to the floor. Jo was standing slightly behind to Sami’s left. His right shoulder was towards the Colombians, hiding his left side from their view. K was standing to my left. He was wearing a loose khaki jacket with several bulges. Were we armed? That was the question that was going through the minds of the Colombians. If so, they were at an extreme disadvantage.
“Mr Mendez, Mr Lu is indisposed. I am Sami Somsak. I believe we need to talk.”
Carlos Mendez stood motionless. I could feel his X-ray eyes beaming out at us through the dark glasses. Sami, his plastered wrist in a sling again for pure effect, stood waiting for the Colombian’s response.
“Is Mr Lu seriously indisposed?” Mendez asked.
“Not at the moment. However, the level of his indisposition I will leave to your discretion once we have had our talk. I invite you and your companions to come with me. I have transportation and I have arranged accommodation for you.” Sami paused. “I assure you that