Cockatoo

Chapter 45

"Shoot him."

Aki's voice bounced around the walls of the garage as I stared down at the gun in my hand, unable to grasp what was happening. Aki stood behind me, wrapped my fingers around the stock and pushed my forefinger through the trigger guard. He held his hand over mine and pointed the pistol at Jandaeng.

"Shoot him and you will be rid of him."

I looked at Jandaeng and even now he stared defiantly back at me. My finger tightened on the trigger and inside a voice told me to do it. Nobody would ever know and I would be free of Jandaeng. My hand trembled and my heart was racing.

"Do it," whispered Aki in my ear.

I closed my eyes as he pressed my finger hard against the trigger. Only a little more pressure from my finger would despatch Jandaeng into the hell he deserved. Surely, no one would blame me if I did it. Jandaeng was going to die anyway, so did it matter who killed him? My finger pressed harder against the trigger.

"No" I shouted and wrenched my hand away from Aki's. The pistol dropped from my hand to the floor and a deafening crack echoed around the small garage as the gun went off. Someone screamed, and I opened my eyes to see Jandaeng slumped in the chair with blood pouring from his arm.

Aki bent down to pick up the gun, and I knew he would finish Jandaeng. He walked to Jandaeng and held the gun to the back of his head just as a thunderous blast ripped through the garage knocking me to the floor. My head hit the concrete and I thought, shit not again, before I blacked out.

I came back to consciousness as if wading through thick, cloying mud dragging me back into the blackness. My head hurt as I tried to sit up and I flopped back down again with my ears ringing. I opened my eyes to see Thaksin's face looming over me. What the hell was he doing here? He laid a hand on my shoulder pushing me back down and saying something I couldn't make out.

He shook his head, and I realised he wanted me to stay still. I laid back, closed my eyes and tried to remember what had happened. The last thing I could recall was Aki holding the pistol against Jandaeng, and then BOOM. Memories came back in snatches; Aki serving me whisky, sucking his cock, seeing Jandaeng in the garage and Aki urging me to shoot him. But why was Thaksin here? I put my hands up to my face, and I didn't seem to be bleeding, but my head hurt like hell and my ears were still ringing.

A hand touched my arm, and I flicked my eyes open once more to see Thaksin holding a glass and some pills. The ringing in my ears was easing a little and heard Thaksin say something like water and pain. I could sit up now and drank what turned out to be water from the glass. He gave me two pills, and I swallowed them with some more water. I was lying on a stretcher outside the house which was bathed in floodlights, and the garage door was twisted and blackened. What seemed to be dozens of men were milling around outside or coming out of the house carrying boxes.

Thaksin helped me to my feet, but I felt a little like Bambi on ice. He held my arm and pointed to an SUV parked in front of Aki's Range Rover. I walked unsteadily towards it and Thaksin opened the rear door for me to climb in before hopping in after me. The ringing in my ears had stopped, but my head still hurt.

"Can you hear me?"

I nodded. "Yes, just about."

"Don't tell me, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

I grimaced "Too bloody right I was. But, why are you here and where's Aki? Is Jandaeng dead?"

"All in good time. First, I need you to give a statement about what happened tonight. A driver will take you somewhere to do that and I will join you after we have cleaned up here."

"God, I need to let my friends know I'm OK. Can I have a phone?"

"I will send an officer to tell them you are safe. However, I cannot let you have a phone for the moment."

I nodded. I felt too wasted to argue with him. He said something to the driver before climbing out of the car. We drove out of the gates past armed police on duty outside. I slumped back in the seat and thought about how much to tell them. The car pulled up outside a grubby office block, and the driver hustled me inside into a room with a desk and a couple of chairs. I sat down and he produced paper and a pen.

"Write statement please."

"OK, but can I have a coffee first please."

He made a call and gestured to the paper.

"Please write now."

I thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth, but maybe not the whole truth. They didn't need to know everything about what had happened that night. I wrote that I had gone to see Aki to find out if he knew where Jandaeng was. Aki had made me go with him to the house. We had talked and drank whisky until he told me he wanted me to see something. He took me to the garage where I saw Jandaeng. Aki told me they had captured Jandaeng sneaking around the house. One of Aki's men was waving a gun around and I thought he dropped the gun and Jandaeng was shot just before the explosion occurred. Pretty much the truth but with a little editing of my part in the events.

Someone brought in a plastic cup with some foul coffee which tasted as if it had been brewing for months. The driver took my finished statement, and I dozed in the chair until Thaksin walked through the door.

"How are you feeling now?"

I rubbed my face with my hands. "I've felt better, but OK I guess. What happened?"

He held his hand up. "Soon, let me read your statement first."

He sat down and read for a few minutes and made notes on the paper.

"How do you know Akihiko and why would he know where Jandaeng would be?"

"I had met Aki in a bar and discovered Yut was working for him as well as Jandaeng against Kritsada. We thought Aki or one of his men warned you about Yut, and we know that Jandaeng disappeared soon after. I guessed Aki might know more about Jandaeng. It was a hunch that's all. Aki told me they had caught Jandaeng outside the house sneaking around."

"Who shot Jandaeng?"

"It was an accident. Aki asked one of his men for a gun, and as he passed it to him I think he dropped it and it went off. I remember seeing Jandaeng bleeding from the arm before everything went black. What did Aki say?"

"He is Yakuza, he said nothing. He will not say anything."

I heaved a sigh of relief. I had thought Aki might blame me for the shooting.

"How come you were there?"

"An informant told us the Triads were moving against the Yakuza tonight. It was Jandaeng's job was to take down Akihiko. The Government wanted to avoid a gang war in Bangkok. Bad for tourism if gangsters are killing each other on the streets. We were ordered to take them both out tonight. We tailed you and Akihiko from the club. We didn't know they had captured Jandaeng, but it was clear something was going in the garage, so when we heard the shot, we went in. Commandos blew out the garage door and threw flash grenades inside. That's what knocked you out. Akihiko and his men are in custody now and will be charged with criminal and terrorist activity. As will the Triad leaders."

"What about Jandaeng? Is he still alive? Not that I give a fuck if he's dead."

"The bullet hit him in the arm and shattered the bone, but he is alive. He was beaten badly as well. His ribs and nose broken, possible concussion and a lot of other injuries too. He's in hospital under guard. They think he will survive and he's going to prison for a long time. Although Bang Kwang prison may not be a safe place for a corrupt ex policeman."

I grinned, "Good, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Now this is all over are we finished?"

Thaksin smiled, "Yes. Please remember we are not all like him."

"You mean apart from kidnapping people, calling them terrorists and threatening them so they work for you?"

He pulled a face. "True, but in my job the means justify the ends."

"What happens to me after this? Will I have to be in court to give evidence or anything?"

"I think it will be best if we keep your name out of it. Your file and records will get lost somewhere in the system. Officially, you were never involved, and as far as we are concerned you were never at the house last night. That's why I had you brought straight here. Unofficially, I can give you the grateful thanks of His Majesty's Government for your help. Is that acceptable to you?"

"Perfectly, thank you. Am I free to go now?"

"I will have a driver take you wherever you want to go. I add my personal thanks as well. Go enjoy life without the threat of Jandaeng."

We shook hands, and he laughed when I told him I hoped never to see him again.

An hour later I was walking into Kritsada's house to be engulfed by everyone in a mass huddle. For the second time in two days we were all hugging, laughing and crying.

"Let Jamie sit down, she looks exhausted." Areeya was always going to the empathetic one.

"Thanks, guys, I'm so glad to be home. Can I shower and change clothes? Then I'll tell all. Oh, and can I get some decent coffee? Thai Government coffee tastes like pigswill."

We sat around the table, and they told me their story. Shane had people all over the place but they missed the move at the back of the club. My phone had gone dark, and they had no way of knowing where I was. Kritsada called everyone he knew and Shane tried the Intel guys at the Embassy but there was an ominous silence. They stayed up all night waiting for some news and then Thaksin's police had arrived at the front door.

Alex picked up the story. "We all jumped to the conclusion that if the police were here, it was the worst possible news. We were so happy when they told us you were OK. But they wouldn't tell us anything else."

Shane interrupted, "I was getting calls from the Intel boys telling me there was a lot of action by the Thai police and special forces and that something was going down."

Alex carried on, "There are news reports that the Government has moved against what they're calling foreign criminal gangs. We guess it's the Triads and the Yakuza, but that's all we know."

"That's what Thaksin told me too. The Government were desperate to avoid gang warfare, so they decided to take them both out."

I took a deep breath and told them what had happened after I went into the club. Well, I didn't tell them everything; there were bits they didn't need to know. There was silence around the table as I described being led to the garage and a gasp of surprise as I told them about Jandaeng. The only interruption was when I described the attack on the garage Shane muttered "Sweet." When I told them Jandaeng had been shot and captured, Alex said, "I wish he was dead."

"Alex, he's going to prison for a long time. It will be awhile before I stop looking over my shoulder and worrying about him, but I am so glad it's over. Now I need to get some sleep."

I didn't tell them about my part in the shooting. Maybe sometime I would, but I hadn't yet processed it my own mind. I needed time and distance from it before I shared that with anyone and I hoped I wouldn't regret what I had done.

I woke to find Alex sleeping beside me. Watching her sleep for a while, I marvelled at how lucky I was to be with her. She must have sensed I was watching because she opened her eyes, and my heart melted when she smiled at me. She reached out and stroked my face.

"Hello, baby."

We kissed and cuddled for a while, happy to be out of the nightmare we had been living because of Jandaeng.

"Alex, I want to ask you a question and I want a straight answer."

"Yes, you have the biggest cock I have ever had."

"No, you idiot."

"Phew, that's good, because that was teeny weeny fib. What then?"

I took a deep breath. "What would you say if I decided to stay as Jamie?"

"Is that what you want to do?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Then, you should stay as Jamie. I told you ages ago I loved you no matter who you wanted to be. I love you as James, I love you as Jamie, and I love you as Scarlett."

"You sure?"

"Yes, as sure as I have ever been about anything. Now shut up and kiss me."

Like a good girl I did as I was told.

Alex was gentle and tender as if knowing I needed to recover from the experiences of the past two days. We kissed and hugged, each of us taking our time to rediscover what turned the other on. Alex licked and kissed my nipples, making me arch my back and purr in pleasure. Her cock was bumping against my leg and I pushed her onto her back, kissing my way down from her breasts past her tummy to her cock. I held her cock up against her tummy and licked it from root to tip and back again. Moving down I kissed her balls, hearing her whimper as I took each one into my mouth.

I reached up with one hand to caress her breasts while the other found her hole and pushed gently inside. Taking her cock into my mouth I moved my finger in and out making her squirm on the bed.

"You're a very bad girl." she muttered.

"You want me to stop?"

"Don't you dare stop."

I went back to sucking and fingering her and listening to her whispering what evil things she would do to me if I stopped. Finally, she had enough and rolled me over onto my back to straddle me, her cock rubbing along my lips.

"Open wide for mummy."

Her cock slid into my mouth and I bathed it with my tongue, lapping under and around it, loving its velvety, steel hard strength. The head wasn't big, and I slipped it easily into my mouth, savouring its taste and feel. I looked up and saw Alex smiling down at me. My heart lurched as I realised how much I wanted to pleasure her.

"Mmm, your turn now, baby."

She slid down and took me into her mouth. She was much more skilled than I and soon had me panting as she sucked my entire length into her warm enveloping mouth. Her tongue drove me wild and it wouldn't be long before my climax would arrive.

"Fuck me now, baby." her voice was hoarse, and I knew she was close too.

She rolled onto her side and raised one leg so I could slide in from behind. I tapped my cock at her hole and with a shove I was inside. She grunted and then pushed back against me, turning her head so we could kiss as I was fucking her. I picked up my rhythm, and we moved in time, our bodies locked together in an ecstatic coupling. This wasn't about one of us getting pleasure; it was about both of us giving pleasure to the other.

I stiffened inside her and my climax tore through me with like a tsunami breaking on the shore, carrying everything before it. Alex grunted as she came, her cum spraying across the bed. We slumped sideways, our lungs dragging in air as we recovered.

"Shit." she said, "I thought you were never going to stop coming."

"Me neither. That was awesome. I can't remember being that hard before."

She grinned, "Well, you can do that to me anytime you like."

I shook my head, "I might need a few minutes to recover."

That earned me a punch on the arm. "It's my turn next time."

We cleaned each other up in the shower which inevitably involved more stroking and kissing. After we had finished and were getting dressed to meet the others, there was one thing I needed to ask.

"Has Areeya talked to you?"

"You mean about Dao? Yes, she has."

"You OK about it?"

"Yes, I'm good about it. I sensed there was a mutual attraction. I'm happy for her, I think they're good together. Before you ask, I'm not going to pull the same thing I did when Sam appeared." She smirked, "In fact, I'm looking forward to when we all get together."

"Maybe Dao's not into that."

Alex looked hurt. "You want to put money on that, buster?"

Kritsada hosted a huge dinner for us all that night at his home. Praew was on Kritsada's arm, and I nudged Areeya. She smiled, "I'm happy my father has found someone as nice as Praew. She will be good for him."

Areeya glanced across at Dao, and her eyes shone as she watched her talking with Alex.

"How does Dao feel about Alex, or I come to that?"

Areeya smiled, "She's cool with it. She knows what I feel about Alex and you, and she thinks we'll be good when we all get together."

"Oh, you mean, you know..."

She dug me in the ribs, "You haven't lost your Englishness completely. Yes, I mean exactly what you think I mean."

I blushed, "Alex said the same thing."

"Something to look forward to, Jamie." she kissed me and headed over to Dao. She whispered something to her which made Dao look at me and giggle. I blushed even deeper.

There was a shriek from the door and I saw Pao being hugged by Nin and Shane. I joined them and after a kiss, I sat down and pulled her down onto my lap. She shrieked again and looked around.

"Miss Alex! What she say?"

"I don't care what she says, Pao. I am so glad to see you." I kissed her and she giggled.

"So, I see Pao has got her claws into you again." Alex grinned as she appeared and bent down to kiss Pao.

"It was Miss Jamie, not me this time."

Alex laughed "Miss Jamie, I like that. Anyway, Pao, I'm bored with her so you can keep Miss Jamie if you want."

Pao giggled. "I've missed that giggle so much." I said, and she kissed me before climbing off my lap to be swept up again by Shane and Nin.

Kritsada had hired one of Bangkok's best chefs to do the cooking and the food was divine; wine and beer flowed non-stop and by the time Kritsada stood up to give a toast we were all buzzed.

"I feel blessed to be among so many friends and family who have shown such courage in the face of terrible events over the past few weeks. I do not know how you all found the will and strength to do what you did, but I love you all for it. I wish to thank each and every one of you for what you have done for me and for each other." He raised his glass "Chai-yo." There were tears in a lot of eyes as we drank to Kritsada's toast. He remained on his feet and for once I thought he looked nervous.

"There are two other things I would like to announce tonight. You all know I have been on my own for a long time, too long, and tonight with the blessing of my daughter I have asked Praew to become my wife, and she has graciously accepted." There was a loud cheer from everyone around the table and Praew was beaming. I glanced at Areeya and there were tears in her eyes as she smiled at her father and I knew she was thinking of her mother. I caught her eye and she nodded.

"Thank you, my friends. There is something else as well. I have decided to step back from the day-to-day operations of the business. It is time that somebody else took over and I am delighted to say that my beloved daughter has agreed to return to the family business and take over from me."

That was a surprise, but flicking my eyes from Areeya to Alex and to Dao, I could see from their faces this was not a surprise to any of them. It seems I was not the only one to keep secrets around here. There was a surprised gasp from the others and a few nervous glances at Alex, but I knew Areeya would never have agreed this without talking to Alex. I squeezed her hand beneath the table and she kept on smiling, whatever she felt inside. There were more hugs and a few tears as we congratulated Praew and Areeya.

It felt like the end of an era.

Alex and I headed back to Samui to look after the restaurant and the bar. Shane accepted the job of Head of Security for Kritsada and offered Nin a job. It took her a millisecond to accept. Areeya stayed in Bangkok to take her place in the family business and she and Dao moved in together. We had defeated Jandaeng, but it had come at the cost of breaking up our group.

It was strange to be back in Samui without Areeya. Alex settled down to developing the restaurant; she was convinced she could get a Michelin star. Pao was running Cockatoo so well there wasn't much to do there. I picked up where we had left off with the ladyboy cabaret and the days passed without incident.

I was on the balcony with a coffee early one morning when Alex wandered out and sat on my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck and we watched the sun come up.

"Do you miss her?" she said as she snuggled her head into my shoulder.

"Areeya? Yes, of course I do. We'll see her this weekend, remember? She's coming over with Dao. We can take the boat out."

"Yes, I know, but it's not the same, is it?"

"Know what I miss?"

"Her strapon? Are you already fed up with this, then?" She grabbed my hand and stuck it on her cock.

"Hmm, that feels nice." I stroked her cock gently, feeling it grow under my touch.

"No. I love that, and this might sound weird but I miss the time when we were fighting Jandaeng. Don't get me wrong, I'm so glad we're not actually doing that anymore. But looking back I loved the edge we had then."

"Mmm, I think I'm on the edge now, you bad girl." I realised I had still been stroking her cock as I was talking. As I laughed and moved in for a kiss, my phone buzzed. I cursed and thought about ignoring it, but answered to hear Dao crying.

"Dao, what's wrong?"

"It's Areeya." She started crying again.

"What about her?" The hairs on my neck stood up as I heard the panic in Dao's voice.

"She's gone. I think she's been taken."

To be continued

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