Jungle Rules by Charles W. Henderson

Author:Charles W. Henderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.

GLASS IN THE window shook as the Flying Tigers Boeing 707 jetliner roared over the two-story-high apartment building where Mau Mau Harris and Bao sat waiting for Huong to return with news of James Elmore. Seeing the gray airplane with the blue tail and red and blue trim turning east made the Chicago native homesick.

“When I be working on the flight line, I see that freedom bird taking off on Friday and Tuesday, and I’d think about how glad those boys going back home must feel,” Harris said to Bao, staring through the glass, watching the plane grow smaller at the end of a dark streak of exhaust smoke in the distant sky. The younger brother of Chung and Huong smiled sympathetically at the American but understood little of what he had just said.

Harris looked at the Vietnamese cowboy smiling and then shook his head and returned his gaze out the window.

“Your brother sure taking his sweet-ass time getting back here with the skinny on where we going to get Elmore,” Mau Mau spoke without taking his eyes from the view outside.

“Elmo number ten,” Bao said, and spit on the floor.

James Harris laughed and looked at Bao. “You sure the fuck understand that much, don’t you.”

The cowboy smiled and nodded in reply.

Steps from the hallway, outside the apartment door, hushed Mau Mau and Bao. Both men drew their pistols as they waited for whoever turned the doorknob to step through the entrance.

“It me,” Huong said before he eased open the door, knowing well that anyone else would get shot.

“Come on in,” Harris answered, both he and Bao still holding their Colt .45s ready to fire, just in case someone else came using Huong as a talking shield.

Huong stepped through the entrance first and then brought in a uniformed police officer with him.

“It okay, this Inspector Nguyen,” Huong said, motioning for his two cohorts to lower their weapons. “He work CID for Major Toan.”

Harris frowned at the cop, but slid his pistol back in its scabbard. Bao dutifully put his .45 back in the holster clipped to the inside waistband of his trousers, under his square-tailed shirt.

“I ask Inspector Nguyen to come say you what he say me,” Huong told Harris. “No good news on Elmo. He go Chu Lai. So forget about it. We go back Hue City tomorrow then.”

“What the fuck you mean, go Hue City tomorrow! What’s the story on that shitbird Elmore?” Harris snarled, and looked at the policeman for his answer.

“I work CID so I know about Elmore,” the police inspector said, taking off his tan cap and wiping sweat from his forehead with his bare arm. “I find out last night that Marine CID send Elmore to Chu Lai two, maybe three weeks ago. Keep him safe. Pretty soon they send him Stateside unless they first catch you and Snowman.”

“We go to fucking Chu Lai, then,” Harris snapped, and looked at Huong.

“No,” Huong said calmly. “Pitts say we must leave and come Hue City, where he stay if no can get Elmo.

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