Chapter 16: Chapter 15 – U.S. President Orders the Bombing of the Assassin

It turns out I have dropped myself from the helicopter into the boat of my seafood boss. I say, "Hi, Boss. Long time no see. Why do you and other merchants sail out this far into the ocean, instead of waiting on the quay?"

My boss says, "Actually, we're leaving. The fishing boats are stuck in a storm out at sea, so they are not coming back today."

"Yes, they are. See?" Hoa says, pointing toward the fishing boats coming over the curving surface of the ocean.

I point to the lead fishing boat made of black pearl. "Now we can swim to that boat."

Hoa and Tin and I jump into the water and swim to the boat, and climb into it. On the floor, a loudspeaker is lying beside a spread-out black flag printed with a white skull and cross swords. Hoa and Tin are also looking at the flag.

"There're only two baskets covered with seaweed on this boat," Hoa says. 

"Let's mark these baskets," I say.

Tin shakes the baskets by the handles, and the seaweed sloshes around. I dip my hand all the way to the bottom of each basket, and feel only seaweed.

I grab the loudspeaker and shout, "Let's get off this pirate boat."

I jump down into the water, followed by Hoa and Tin. I hold the loudspeaker above the water with one hand, and swim back to my boss' boat with the other. Tin and Hoa get on the boat, and then reach their hands down and pull me up.

"Give us back our loudspeaker," a pirate says.

"Make a pirate swim over and get it," my boss says. Then she stands up and says into the loudspeaker, "Attention please. There's a pirate boat with number plate 653 parked in our Delivery Express Lane."

The surrounding boats fire SOS red flares. The John F. Kennedy Aircraft Carrier is stationed nearby. Inflatable life rafts are falling from the aircraft carrier onto the water. The leading raft announces on loudspeaker, "We're coming up to the pirate boat." The pirate boat speeds away.

I speak into the pirate loudspeaker, "Attention all fishing boats. We're on boat number 976. We don't have enough markers to mark all of your filled seafood baskets, but we reserve all the baskets you have."

Seafood merchants trot over to the quay, looking happy. My merchant boss says, "I thought I would have to go home empty-handed, but now I can go to markets with loaded seafood baskets."

My boss acts as a seafood baskets distributor, and pays Tin, Hoa, and me a wage of 5 dollars each. 

I slap my forehead. "Oh, Hoa and Tin, the VCs caught me in a fishnet trap, and pulled it into a fig tree in the Assassin Jungle. Hammocks carrying POWs were hanging on the tall trees in the jungle. An American POW in a hammock in my tree told me that President Truman had authorized the bombing of the Assassin Jungle. The bombing would be soon."

Hoa says, "Let's quickly go to inform American Ambassador Martine Bailey who, in turn, can inform President Truman about the American POWs being held in the hammocks hanging on the trees in the Assassin Jungle."

On our way to the American Embassy, I say, "Oh, Tin, I'm sorry to tell you this. The POW also mentioned Lieutenant General Melvin Stilwell and the wounded soldier named Tom, who was being tended by his comrades in the Iron Triangle Forest. But the POW's mind was not working right because, as he said, the VCs had put him in the Chilling Chamber, which messed his mind up."

"Really? Did he say where my dad might be?" Tin says.

I say, "No, he didn't. But he didn't remember many things because his head got mixed up."

At the American Embassy, Marine Security Guards are walking around the ground. I briefly tell them about the American POWs in the Assassin Jungle, and ask to speak to the American Ambassador.

I tell Ambassador Martine Bailey that the American POWs are imprisoned in the hammocks hanging on the trees in the Assassin Jungle. I also tell him that I was on a fig tree that served as a hospital for the wounded American POWs. I ask him to help me talk directly with the President of the United States. He dials the White House number 202-456-1111, and asks to speak with President Truman. After a while, he hands the phone to me.

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"Hi, President Truman," I say.

"Yes, it's me. Who are you?"

"An undercover informant," I say.

"What do you want to tell me?" he says.

I say, "Mayday. SOS. President Truman, your American POWs are in the hammocks hanging on the trees in the Assassin Jungle, at the area facing the Iron Triangle Forest. Please don't bomb the Assassin Jungle. Mayday. SOS."

President Truman says, "You seem to have an inside knowledge of our CIA covert operations. You also clearly have inside information that allows you to know what I want to do. Hold on, let me check out your intelligence."

He gets back on the line. "You gave me false information. There are no POWs in the area where you said they are. Commandos raided the jungle but found only empty hammocks hanging on the trees. Now I can go ahead and order the Assassin Jungle to be bombed to shreds, to destroy the grounds furthering VCs' guerilla activity."

"Excuse me, Mr. President, you're crazy."

He raises his voice. "I am not crazy, but I'm a very stable genius. Ambassador Martine Bailey has told me that you were held along with the American POWs in a tree hospital?"

I say, "Yes, I was imprisoned in a net hanging in a fig tree that served as a hospital for the wounded American POWs. The VCs took me off the tree to take me to the Cu Chi tunnels. While they were transporting me to the tunnels in a confiscated American helicopter, I escaped by jumping out of the helicopter and into the ocean. I'll try to get more information about the POWs' whereabouts, and will call you back."

President Truman sounds a little annoyed, "You sound very young and inexperienced. How old are you?"

If I tell him my age, he won't take me seriously. "This is a matter of spy secret."

"Are you a double-agent spy?" He says.

"No, I'm a spy for the American POWs," I say.

He says, "OK, next time you must have valid information, or stop wasting my time." 

I say, "Thank you, Mr. President. I'll gather accurate information, and pass it on to you when I get it."

"I have a President's Busy Schedule, so you must have all your information accurate in our next conversation."

I don't have to call President Truman back. The POWs are no longer on the trees in the Assassin Jungle, and I don't know where they are.

As I get into my house, I hear Mom's sandals clacking on the floor. "Mom, I've come home."

She comes in from the backyard and embraces me, crying. "Are you OK?"

"I'm OK. See, Mom?" I open my arms wide and turn my body around and around to show Mom I'm unhurt.

After holding me for a while, Mom releases me. "Flee from the VCs by any means."

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