Bobby - The Island

John informed us, "Several days ago, fishermen retrieved the bodies of six girls between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. They were floating in the water near the beach on the west side of this blimp of dirt. Parents that have reported missing daughters have identified four of the bodies. autopsies of the girls report that they had probably been raped many times.

Yesterday, two boys that had been snorkeling nearby heard some rumbling come from one of the huts. They explored the shack and discovered an elevator shaft descending underground. They could hear voices that sounded like women crying and screaming. Four policemen were dispatched to investigate. None have returned. There is no sign of them nor their boat."

Mae Sua chided, "Everyday three or four girls go missing in Thailand. Most of them are from the poorer regions of Issan. We believe the Pink Handkerchief gang, in conjunction with criminals from China, have been abducting the girls. They force them to have sex and pump them full of drugs to keep them in line.

Once the girls are addicted, they will back off giving them their daily fix. The girls go crazy and will do anything to get that dose of drugs. That is when they are put in the brothels and bars, or sold on the sex slave market. They are given a quota of Bhat or dollars to give to their pimps.

If they do not turn in their allotted portion, they do not get their daily medication allowance. These young women will degrade their bodies to get the controlled substance to keep themselves from going insane. They will steal, kill and perform sexual acts that are disgusting. They become unable to distinguish between what is right or wrong."

Ling Noy supplemented, "They are victims. Nevertheless, they are often viewed as criminals by courts, law enforcement and the public. They had no choice. A cure is long and complicated."

Rage surged through my body. A fog covered my eyes. I want to beat those that would do this to these girls. My throat was parched from heavy breathing, and my stomach roared. Thoughts danced in my mind uselessly.

Jerry Lee told me to calm down. Mae Sua clutched my hand. George kneaded my shoulders, and told me to gather my thoughts, because we needed a plan to disable and put out of action these leaches of society. After a few minutes, I did relax, and understood that it was essential to keep my head straight. Muay Thai and FFF fighting had taught me those vital basics.

John asserted, "The beach on the west side of the island can support two JC-130X3s. The stealth engines were quiet enough and the water from the Gulf of Thailand will cover any noise. We will not be heard. Recon has produced some photos of the beach today. They have calculated the exact compass settings.

The onboard radar will help determine that we are touching land. We will land close to 2100 hours to insure it is dark enough to hide from any guards. George and Bobby are the best short touch-down pilots in the Air Force."

He went on to fill in the details of what should happen. Believing George and I had confidence to follow through, is all about why we had to practice the months at Clark. Both of us realized we would have to draw on our skills.

After the conference, I had to inform Martha and Rufus that I was scheduled to make a flight that afternoon. At 1600 hours we departed Chiang Mai arriving at U-Tapao at 1800 hours. I napped for an hour. We pulled out from U-Tapao at 2030 hours and arrived at our target twenty minutes later. A dozen men with sniper carbines equipped with night scopes meandered from the plane.

The next dozen men disappeared into the night. My ears picked up on their leader saying, "Check your 1960's magazines for a full load." They returned to the planes in about fifteen minutes with one hundred thirty women and girls. The females looked disheveled and blurry eyed. The doctors and nurses on board gave the rescued ladies sedative shots to help quiet them. Thirty seconds after we left I heard an explosion of gigantic proportions.

Later I learned that the tunnels were destroyed. More than a hundred of the Pink Handkerchief gang and Chinese thugs were killed. None of our men lost their lives, nor were wounded. We flew directly to Chiang Mai.

Sixty of the women were full blown addicts. They were transported to a make-shift rehab center at an old Royal Thai Army Post east of Old Chiang Mai. The other seventy were taken to a dormitory at a garment factory close to The Crystal Dragon Inn.

We were back in Chiang Mai a little after midnight. Rufus and Martha were waiting up for me. They hugged me and went to bed. I showered, dropped into bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of sausage. As soon as Martha heard me getting dressed she started a couple of eggs. When I sat down at the table I had two plates-one with peeled oranges and mangos, and the other with two eggs over easy, home fries, thick sausage patties and two slices of whole wheat toast. My mouth watered.

During breakfast, I shared with my in-laws that it would be easy to get use to them being with me. They informed me they were staying awhile, because both liked the Thai people. Also, they did not want to leave little Bobby and Leanna.

Rufus and Martha exhibited strange grins. "A fellow by the name of Rakha, a Tuk Tuk driver, told us that since we were Thai citizens we had privileges other Americans did not enjoy. He informed us that we could purchase land.We asked Ling Noy if he was on the up and up."

She disclosed, "I would trust him like he was my father. Rakha is a bit eccentric. However, he is one of the richest men in the world. You can depend on him. Even though he dresses like a poor man, he is wise and dependable."

Rufus explained, "Rakha informed me that his elderly cousin has a small rice farm to sell. Revealing that the farm had not been worked in several years, it would be a lot of work. His son is a lawyer in Bangkok and has no interest in the farm. The aging gentleman is going to live with his son."

"What would you do with it?"

Rufus' smile spread broader as he answered, "I would start out with extra sweet corn and have it sold at the veggie and fruit open air market in Chiang Mai."

"What about your farm and house in Illinois?"

Martha stated, "We sold the farm and have enough to live on the rest of our lives in Thailand. We rented the house to my niece and her husband. They have five kids. They want to buy the house as is. We have no obligations. Our son is making a career as an Army officer. He will be transferred to Chiang Mai in a few months. If we do move back to Illinois, we will buy a smaller house."

"It sounds like you two have made up your minds. Do you think you can make a living in Thailand?"

Rufus expressed, "Probably not, but it will keep us busy and we will be close to the grand children."

"What if I get transferred from here?" Rufus flatly asserted, "We will face that when the time comes. We are free for now. Let us enjoy our retirement years." Promising Rufus I would go with him to the farm after work gave me another obligation.

Checking into my new base, I was assigned to the Thailand Command Center as the commander of a special rescue unit. General Lockhart notified me that my unit would transport him, General Matthews and staff when needed.

We would be on call for rescue missions when required. My unit would assist the local detachment when not employed elsewhere. Other responsibilities would include teaching a FFF class to multi-service persons twice a week.

Preventive and regular maintenance would be performed by my crew chiefs and C-130 service personnel of the Chiang Mai detachment.

I met with my twelve pilots and explained their duties. After assigning a rotation of two pilots to be on standby, if their services were required, the others were released for the rest of the day. Then I took off to find Rufus.

Rufus was very interested in the small farm. It could be the solution binding us together as a family. He could find fulfillment in his retirement. Martha would be close to the grandkids. I would not have to raise my children alone with babysitters.

As my struggles are contained in the past, mytime ahead gives the impression of being stable. Control of my new peace isimportant. We must secure the best chances for our future. Sensing something greatwas about to happen in our time ahead, my heart had a little fluttering, as ifto say, 'atta boy.' It seems things are getting very clear. What then is causing my emotions to shoot to