Lee Chen Woe - Alias Nicole

“The Remote Control Job - an excerpt ‘It’s too early yet to discuss any future prospects, or possible ways and means. In any case we're quite safe here; it’s our one and only safe place, where we can talk freely matters of a certain kind.’ With these amazing words said, she turned about and faced him, with a fascinating smile; exposing her even white teeth to the sunlight, with her back to the villa, his jail. ‘Our room is obviously unsafe for serious talk... So you must be very cautious from now on, don't ask be patient and wait for my instructions.’ She took a deep breath and turning her gaze to the treetops, went on talking softly with that sweet melodious voice of hers: ‘You do fully understand what I've been telling you right now, don't you?’ She asked uttering a short gay laugh not waiting for any answer. ‘Before we return to our room I must emphasize, there'll be no hints, no insinuations and of course no questions concerning what have been said here and now! If everything which I’ve just said is absolutely clear, let's get back.’ Our room...! He followed her stirred up with excitement, unable to believe his own ears. If she herself a member of that service of theirs, how should I name it? How do they themselves name it? “The people's secrurity organization”? Or some other kind of those bombastic names in which they usually refer to their intelligence services. Anyway, she must be an important member in one of their security branches, sure enough. I had that hunch from the very beginning, who could miss such an important fact? The brain she has, her guts! Just to think of it... She herself confirmed in my own ears, that "our room" is bugged – and that's exactly what I myself did suspect...! There couldn't be any doubt at all, she is with me all the way up to the end, what ever the outcome will be! As he followed Nicole's lithe and young body, he threw a few furtive glances around, before climbing the stairs, leaving the yard on the way to "their room". In a quick and rough estimate, he assessed the wall's height; the number of guards on duty, their weapons, and the rather slight chances they had to break out of that far and isolated jail. All those details which he hardly occupied his mind with, before she kindled his hopes anew, assaulted all of a sudden his busy and excited brain with unexpected urgency. The lone guard who was waiting for them at the entrance, joined them and led the way to the cellar and the cell. Down the cellar's stairs they went, up to the cell's door; and while the guard was busy with his keys Nicole turned to that guard rather abruptly, uttering some short guttural words in that strange language of theirs. Opening the door for them, he nodded his head in approval, and stepped aside to let them pass through the open door. As soon as the door was shut she turned her back to it, and blocked the spy-hole with the back of her head. Facing Nick she raised her blue eyes to his in a tense and demanding stare. He took her in his arms, drawing her to him swiftly, clasping her tight to his chest overflowed with emotion. Resting his cheek on her crown of glossy black hair and shutting his eyes breathing hard with a heaving chest, he was carried away drowning in his own sensations... They were thus embraced in each others arms, her face buried in his chest, his huge body enveloping hers; and though she nearly disappeared in his arms, he was the one who needed her warmth and support. The revelations she confided to him, this same afternoon quite shocked him; though he stood it bravely in the yard, and all the way to the cell, right now he was exhausted physically and mentally as well. All he wished was to keep clinging to her thus on and on – eternally.

‘I say, you must have forgotten something, comrade. Something that seemed rather urgent to you.’ She suddenly said raising her voice, pushing him slightly backwards. ‘There's a letter you were ever so keen to send, and I haven't seen any evidence of that urgency yet!’ ‘Oh yes,’ he admitted timidly, regretting the forced come-back into reality, the sudden awakening in mid dream by a swift and resolute hand. ‘Shall I write it now?’ ‘If you still wish to send it, yes go ahead I'm waiting.’ What's the matter now, what have I done? He sulked once again surprised, as he was walking toward the nearest chair, obeying her. Doesn't she know how much I love her? Can't she see? There isn't a thing in this world, I won't do for her. Anything to make her mine! He had already caught himself more than once, imitating her ornate lingo, her behavior; he adores her and worships her. ‘How did he get here I wonder?’ He asked her aloud, trying to restore somewhat the intimate atmosphere. ‘Who? What are you talking about?’ She retorted surprised. ‘Your father...’ ‘As far as I'm concerned he doesn't exist, so let's not discuss it any further! There's no need to indulge in futile gossip! But in any case it’s none of your business! So sit down and write your letter.’ Seated at the table he lowered his eyes to the pad and tried to scribble down the first few words. In a quick agile step she approached and reaching him, stood at his side and put her hand on his shoulder gently. ‘It’s no good.’ She said leaning forward over him. He tore off the first page, with the few words he had already written. ‘A short note will do, say...’ And he set out afresh as she dictated him: ‘My dear parents I'm alive, in good health and I do hope to see you soon.’ She added the last phrase with emphasize, smiling into his surprised face, as he turned round bewildered looking upward to meet her eyes. ‘Don't gawk at me, sign it!’ She said chuckling happily, and stroked his cheek with her finger tips. He turned back to the pad and adding "your loving son", signed it with a trembling hand. But he kept sitting over it as if he was dazed. ‘That's it.’ She said over his shoulder. ‘Put it in an envelope, and hand it over to me.’ Having done as she told him, he handed her the letter, unsealed. ‘Now then,’ she summed the matter up with a sweet loving smile. ‘I want you to prepare a summary of the analysis we did together at the yard.’ And without wasting any additional time, she went over to the door still talking to him, and rapped on it with her open palm. ‘A comparison between the debauch capitalistic system and our own. Take your time and do it with the same enthusiasm, with which you had done it orally at the yard.’ The door opened up and with a snappish: ‘See you soon comrade!’ She went out, and passed the guards right out of Nick's sight. ‘Blessed be the gods!’ She muttered under her breath with relief, as she walked to her room along the first floor corridor. The honey moon is over! I took him for such a moron! He did surprise me, oh yes! I don't know him well enough yet. Frankly, without bias, I’ve nearly lost my temper, twice at least... while being with him; just a few moments ago as a matter of fact, just before leaving him in his cell. It isn't a piece of cake as I expected it to be, on the contrary… I was on the verge of a very deep precipice, almost without realizing it!

But I did manage after all, at the end. The American, dear and precious comrade Spree, isn't as dumb as I did believe. I’ve had to grind my teeth real hard, otherwise I might have lost my temper. Reaching her room's door she stopped still facing it, and listened attentively to any unusual sounds her ears might pick; whether in her own room or somewhere in the corridor. Throwing a quick glance to both her sides, she pushed the door open and entered. At the far end of her room opposite the entrance, near the open window stood a dark figure of a man; he was engulfed in light beams and ever curling upward smoke, against the purple-orange sky of an early dusk. Whether he was looking outside or was watching her or who he was, she could not tell at her first glimpse. She shut the door silently, and leaned back on it. Her hand was still on the door's knob. The head commissar himself… She realized suddenly, awe stricken. ‘Get closer will you, it’s your room and I'm your guest.’ He said in a low and calm voice. ‘Come on,’ he added softly encouraging her. ‘American cigarettes...’ He went on pulling a foreign brand packet out of his shirt's pocket. ‘Some one has bothered to bring me a present, a souvenir from Saigon’s war spoils. Here take one.’ He said stretching out his hand, with the open packet. ‘I don't smoke comrade commissar.’ She refused his offer humbly with a bowed head. ‘You used to...’ ‘Only when I had to, comrade commissar.’ What else did you smoke when you had to?’ ‘I had to prepare it for others long ago, but I didn't touch it.’ ‘You mean you didn't smoke the stuff, although you did touch it. All right, don't disturb yourself, switch on the light and do seat down and write your report.’ The electric bulb flooded the almost bare room with its yellow harsh light, driving away the shadows that separated them. He was not impressive at all at first sight. At the two previous occasions, in which she had the honor to meet him he was seated; while she hardly dared to look up and see him. He had a rather thin body, medium height and an emaciated face. Only the cold hard look of his penetrating eyes told the amount of authority that he has. She went over to her desk and set to work, under his watchful stare, animated by his presence and short questioning. While he turned back to the window, to the dying sun and the purplish sky. Half an hour had elapsed, and she was still writing. She heard him move about and sneaking a side-glance, she saw him approaching her. Bending forward over her he stood quietly at her side, reading the written report above her head. She wrote her last sentence signed the report, laid her pen in its place and waited patiently for his next move. It couldn't have been a coincidence of course. She was quite sure of that. He would have me summoned, just as he did last time. No, that surprise meeting was premeditated. He had to check me himself and those straight embarrassing questions, plus deciphering my hand writing right afterwards must be the appropriate technique for it! There is of course my written evidence to compare against the recorded data, which he memorizes in his brain, no doubt. ‘Add it to the dossier and take the dossier with you, we are leaving.’ He ordered her briskly. Turning her head up, Lee Chen Woe looked into his face with anxious wide open eyes, not daring to ask where, or what for. ‘A village not far from here, you'll accompany a daughter of mine. She is about your age, a bit younger maybe; anyway that's the best solution I've got for the time being.’

With these few words said, he turned and sat facing her, leaning his elbows on the desk, thrusting his head forward. ‘Your remarks enlighten a crucial point, which you have to comprehend yet. Comrade Spree's mentality is different from ours in many ways, just as our East is different from their West.’ He added with a hint of a smile. Well the test is over, it seems... She thought with relief. And it looks as if I passed it with merit! The way the “old fox” chose to soften the atmosphere, relieved and flattered her. ‘Oh yes! Comrade commissar, I see...’ She answered with a faint smile, nodding her head in obedience. ‘So don't let his somewhat naive reactions deceive you.’ He told her, watching her bowed head. ‘He is not the cunning type, but on the other hand he is not a fool, and he doesn't play one, though I find him indifferent in some respect. What you have achieved in these four days, is adequate up to this point but not anymore. You'll have to use more often your fangs, and laugh in his face while doing so. Whenever you are re-inflating his down crushed ego, do it with well-concealed threats. He must be thrown from deep despair to hope again, and vice versa with much more vigor and with much more frequency!’ Drawing into her lungs a deep breath of air, she heard him rap on the floor with his shoe, in a rapid order-like cadence. ‘I'm ready comrade commissar...’ She hastened to declare. ‘It's all right, relax, I've summoned them.’ They kept sitting in silence, till they heard them coming, their approaching footsteps in the corridor and the light knock on the door. ‘Let's go!’ He said rising to his feet.