‘Before you go, let’s have an operational code word for this. Any suggestions?’
‘How about Operation Emissary,’ suggested Ah Fat.
‘Okay. That’ll be it and Top Secret also.’
Before Ah Fat and C C Too left Jason and his boyhood gave each other a hug and wished each other well. The Colonel signed Jason’s pass and he left. Back in the car park he found his driver. ‘Sorry to keep you so long, Ustad. Back now to the battalion.’ He climbed in and was silent all the way back, deep in thought. Unusual for him the driver said to himself.
Ah Fat also left, did what he had to do for Chin Peng, not forgetting to buy a pair of civilian-type jungle boots for the Emissary, and got back to Betong where he reported in, once more to the Secretary General’s satisfaction. That evening the Emissary strolled round, knocked on the door of Ah Fat’s room, making sure he was unseen and, without being invited in, entered quietly. ‘I have come to hear the result of your deliberations.’
‘Sit down and pay great attention to what I have for you. Some of it will, I hope, please you; some, I fear, will not. But you have been allowed to go to Kuala Lumpur where you can expect gentle treatment.’
‘That’s wonderful news. We’ll be together going there and when I am asked questions.’
‘Not so fast. This is the bit I fear you will not please you …’ and all necessary details were given him, why Ah Fat was unable to go with him, why the Bear could only take him to the border, why the journey was to be the one through the jungle, how he was to be joined by two one-time guerrillas, two Gurkhas – the Emissary had never heard of such people – and ‘the British Chinese speaker will be my boyhood friend, one I regard as a brother, who speaks Chinese like any Chinese person, who can write the script, whose name is Major Jason Rance and who I know as Shandung P’aau. He is a skilled jungle operator. You can trust him implicitly.’ Ah Fat let that sink in and then asked, ‘So do you still want to go or shall I cancel it and let you go back to China, back to your grim, artificial life?’ Ah Fat rubbed his hands together as he sometimes did when under stress.
‘So, if you don’t go with me, who will look after me when I get to Kuala Lumpur?’ which he pronounced Ka Lum Po.
‘There is one named Too Chee Chew whom I know well. He is wise and awaits your arrival with eagerness. I guarantee you will be in safe hands.’
‘Then I accept your conditions. Thank you for your efforts. I will now go back,’ and he stood up.
‘Before you go, try on these boots I have brought you to wear in the jungle. They should fit.’
‘So that’s why you asked about the size of my feet!’ said with a smile. He tried them on and they fitted perfectly. ‘A good omen.’
‘Yes, take them off and leave them here.’
Before the Emissary left Ah Fat told him the date he was expected to leave. ‘And before then I’ll have worked out exactly how you will leave this place without any suspicion.’
Next morning Ah Fat and his Bear had a long session together. The Bear suggested that Ah Fat pretend to go and show the Emissary the place in Ha La where his newspaper Red Tidings was produced and let both of them drift off down south towards the border. ‘I will have a man with me both ways and before then I will manage to go to Sadao and, under various pretexts, get enough to eat to last him to the border and us back again. You will have to buy stuff in such a way that there is no suspicion about people asking “why so much?” also don’t forget he’ll need quite a bit more for his journey on down south. See if we have a spare haversack to let him have rather than buying a new one.’ A sudden thought came into his mind: tradecraft ‘Buy a few tins of Thai sardines and a jar of Ovaltine to give to Meng Ru so if meets any Malayan guerrillas he can offer them one as “a present from Thailand” so allay any possible suspicion he has not come from where he says he has.’
Late on the evening of the 10th as soon as Jason reached Seremban he called in on Ismail Mubarak, the Head of Special Branch. The two of them had had excellent relations since the battalion had come to Malaya back in 1948. Jason told his driver to go back to the lines, have a meal, tell the Mess that Jason was back and ask the Duty Driver to come and collect him within half an hour. ‘You’ve been hanging around all day, Ustad. Time you were free.’
The driver thanked him, thinking that not all the British sahebs were so thoughtful.
Moby, hearing someone at the door, went to investigate and greeted Jason warmly. ‘Jason, what can I do for you? Not often I see you these days. Come in and have a beer.’
‘Moby, no beer thanks but I’d love the largest and hottest and sweetest cup of tea you can provide.’
They went inside. ‘Moby, I need your help for such a top secret and unexpected operation, so hush-hush I can’t even tell myself!’ and both of them laughed.
‘Can you never be serious, Jason?’
‘Sometimes. Now please listen. C C Too is on this, the Director of Operations and his staff and my old boyhood friend, Ah Fat, whom you know.’
Jason broke off as his tea was brought in.
‘Nobody else?’
‘Yes, Moby, you. Joking apart this is what has happened …’ and Jason gave him the background to the Emissary’s visit to Betong and his wish to change sides. ‘Planning has to be one hundred per cent safe from Ah Fat’s personal side of affairs. The Emissary wanted him to go all the way to KL but that being impossible I am the lamb being offered to the slaughter as we plough our way down the Sungei Perak, hoping not to bump into the CT who are still in the area.’ Jason was careful in not using the man’s name.
Ismail Mubarak looked grave. ‘Quite some task. You seem to be in the habit of being given them.’
Jason nodded as Moby asked him how many men he was planning to take with him.
‘Five not counting me. Two of them will be my gunman-cum-batman and a Gurkha operator and other two will be – and this is where you come into it – Goh Ah Wah and Kwek Leng Ming.’
‘But why them and not Gurkhas, Jason?’
‘Moby, I do not want to take as big a force as a platoon. I am relying on speed but were we to meet any CT, my two ex-guerrillas, wearing caps with red stars and a shirt that looks like one of theirs, will provide me with enough time to sum up the military problem, shoot and scoot or just scoot, kind of effort.’
‘Yes, I see your point. In other words, you can keep the initiative that way.’
‘That’s about it, yes, Moby. Now here comes my “but”: what I am about to ask you is forbidden by military convention. I and my two Gurkhas also need to wear similar hats and shirts, not the trousers particularly. If I were to suggest this or even tell my CO he would make a row, tell me I’d be for the military high jump if I wore such kit so that means I don’t tell him. Nor do you. Please, not even your friend C C Too.’
Moby nodded his agreement. ‘In that case I’ll give those two men the kit, tell them it’s spare and not mention who it is actually for. Okay?’
‘Correct. Now, arming and rationing them. They can carry what arms they prefer or what you allow them to but for food, I am taking ten days hard tack, tea, biscuits and high-protein chocolate. It won’t be popular with my three nor, probably with your two but, needs be where the devil wotsits, or something like that.’
Moby grinned. ‘You’re a hard man at times, Jason, aren’t you?’ and without waiting for an answer, went on to say that he had funds for that. ‘If you agree, I’d really like to ask C C Too if he has funds to give my two something extra.’
‘How long will it take to get hold of those two men? Can you call them here and now?’
‘Give me ten minutes and they’ll be here.’ He called the duty policeman and gave the orders and ten minutes later both men came into the house. They seemed delighted to see Jason who, as normal, cracked a joke with them and got them laughing. He told them he had an important task to do and asked them if they were willing to go with him for ten days. Before they gave their answers he said that the food would be like it was when they went to deliver Tan Fook Leong’s radio. ‘Can you manage that again, please?’
‘If we can buy some extra rations on our return, yes we will go with you.’
‘I’ll arrange that and thank you. I will fully brief you once we have started but before that I’ll come and fix details,’ and off they went, back to their lines.
