Chapter One
THE RAIU ARCHIPELAGO
SOUTH CHINA SEA
SEPTEMBER 15, 2000
The freighter had been christened the Kuan Yin,
after the Chinese goddess of mercy, but what doubt can
there be that its crew felt abandoned by their guardian
spirit at the end?
They had set out from the city of Kuching in Eastern
Malaysia at eight P.M., the cargo deck of their fifty-foot-long,
half-century-old steamship loaded with palm oil and
spices tagged for distribution in the wholesale markets of
Singapore. Despite intermittent rain, gusting winds, and
reduced visibility, the chop was moderate and the pilot
had maintained a steady speed of fifteen knots almost
from the time he got under way. He expected an uneventful
run followed by a night of drinking in a dockside
bar; even now in the wet season, the main sea lane was
short and direct, taking just less than four hours to cross
the strait and then swing up the coast to Sembawang
Wharf, on the north side of the island.
With little to do until they reached port, the four members
of the loading crew we ... read full excerpt from: Ruthless.com: Power Plays 02 ebook
