Overthrow (A James Winchester Thriller Book 2) (James Winchester Series) by James Samuel (the gingerbread man read aloud .TXT) 📕

“Neither side will trust the other. That’s just the way it is. Sambath won’t have said anything about Prak’s location. That’s the Khmer Rouge’s greatest strength. Its ability to hide in the shadows. Fen will turn on them when it’s convenient. Why do you think he asked us to find Prak in the first place?”

Dylan marvelled at Adam’s knowledge and his ability to map out a situation. Even if it turned out to be false, it was something to go on.

They started to climb towards the hill. Another body greeted them on the way up. Neither man diverted their gaze.

When they crested the hill, they found the Sambath family crowded around a body. Dylan didn’t require Adam to explain. Prahn Sambath was dead.

As they approached, the family turned fearful gazes upon them. A man, barely more than a boy, with spindly limbs, crawled towards them to bar their path. He dragged his leg behind him. Dylan spotted the undressed gunshot wound.

“No, you leave,” said Rith.

Adam took point. “We only wanted to know what happened here then we’ll go.”

Rith’s eyes blazed with fire. “Barang killed him. They kill everyone.” He showed them his slashed wrists. “They do this. Go, barang, we don’t want you here.”

Adam looked at Dylan and nodded. “Thank you for your time.”

“Sorry for your loss,” Dylan mumbled.

Dylan and Adam descended back towards the disturbed fields. He felt the eyes of the family boring into his back. Despite the idyllic weather, a cloud of sadness hung over the farm.

“So, it was them,” said Dylan.

“This really makes it difficult for us now. Fen will want to know that Sambath is dead. I don’t know how we’re going to find Prak now.”

“Or maybe they have the same goal.”

Adam stopped. “What?”

“I mean we know Blackwind came here to get to Prahn. It must mean they’ve got business with the Khmer Rouge as well. Maybe they want Prak dead too. I’m sure they didn’t want to kill only his second-in-command.”

Adam nodded slowly. “Go on.”

“Why don’t we make contact with Blackwind? Maybe we can work together to find Prak. That way we can all get what we want.”

Adam’s throat appeared to tighten at the thought of working with their rivals. If they swallowed their pride, it might save them a lot of trouble later. It was obvious they couldn’t track down Prak in the endless forests and jungles of Cambodia alone.

“It’s worth a shot, Adam.”

“You might be right. I’ll report in when we get to Kampot and see what Sir Richard has to say. If he gives us the green light, I’ll do it. Good idea, Dylan.”

Dylan's heart fluttered with joy. Finally, he felt like he had some value to Adam after all. This would be the sort of operation where he could prove himself. Sir Richard would believe in him at last.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh Province, Cambodia

Sinclair bore a grimace that hadn’t faded since James returned to Phnom Penh two hours ago. James thought about beating seven bells out of Blake all the way home. Blake didn’t seem to care as he spent most of his time fiddling with the radio.

“It was my fault.” Sinclair shook his head as they sat at one of the plastic tables outside their guesthouse. “I should have never had Gallagher send in help. This wouldn’t have happened if you had managed this alone.”

James kept his mouth shut. Blake had saved him, but it didn’t make up for their failure. It unnerved him that Blake had shown his hand, his willingness to kill him to get the job done. Not that it surprised him. He knew what sort of man Blake was.

“Thom is going to be furious when he finds out. I don’t know what I can do to make this up to him.”

“What about Gallagher? He might pull us out.” James sipped on his beer. “After Mexico, he doesn’t have a lot of patience left for us.”

Sinclair clicked his teeth together and stretched his hands out in front of him. He traced circles with his fingers on the stained plastic.

The aftermath of Mexico hadn’t been a happy one for James and Sinclair. For disobeying orders and murdering the client, Gallagher had warned them that another failure might mean their last. Cambodia was supposed to be their redemption. Of course, Blake was still the apple of Gallagher’s eye. The man who could do no wrong.

“What’s going to happen to us?” Sinclair asked the table. “What happens when you get fired from a business like this?”

“Best case scenario you never work again. Worst case scenario...” James trailed off. He couldn’t say the words, not to Sinclair.

Sinclair ran his hands down his face. “Shit.”

Occasionally, Blackwind did jettison field agents. Their fate depended on how much they knew. Mercenaries lived a nomadic existence, largely hidden from the world. Their disappearance never raised any eyebrows. James and Sinclair knew too much. Gallagher wouldn’t permit them to walk away. Maybe he deserved it. Sinclair deserved nothing. He had only served him loyally, as his friend.

The two men sat in silence contemplating their fates. They didn’t speak a word until their beers went dry and the bottles wobbled on the uneven table.

“We still have time,” said James.

Sinclair grunted.

“Thom won’t know for a while. We can’t just sit here and wait for the inevitable. At the very least, let’s try to find Prak ourselves. We’ve got options.”

Sinclair scoffed at that. “Options? What options? We don’t even know where he is. He could be anywhere. Let’s just be honest and hope Gallagher gives us another chance.”

James put his hands up. “Look, I’ve got no idea, alright? But let’s at least try. I’d rather go down fighting than sit here drinking beer waiting for something to happen. Gallagher doesn’t care