"Good work," said Bean.
"Sir!" said the surprised soldier.
"And Suriyawong," said Bean.
"Sir!" said both the sentries.
A few others had been wakened by the scuffle.
"No lights," Bean said quickly. "And no loud talking. Weapons loaded. Prepare to move out on a moment's notice."
"Move out?" said Suriyawong.
"If they realize we're in here and decide to finish the job," said Bean, "this place is indefensible."
While some soldiers quietly woke the sleepers and all were busy dressing and loading their weapons, Bean had one of the sentries lead them to a computer. "You sign on," he said to the soldier.
As soon as he had logged on, Bean took his place and wrote, using the soldier's identity, to Graff, Carlotta, and Peter.
Both packages safe and awaiting pickup. Please come right away before packages are returned to sender.
Bean sent out one toon, divided into four pairs, to reconnoiter. When each pair returned another pair from another toon replaced them. Bean wanted to have enough warning to get these men out of the barracks before any kind of assault could be mounted.
In the meanwhile, they turned on a vid and watched the news. Sure enough, here came the first report. Indian agents had apparently penetrated the Thai command base and blown up a temporary building, killing Suriyawong, Thailand's most distinguished Battle School graduate, who had headed military doctrine and strategic planning for the past year and a half, since returning from space. It was a great national tragedy. There was no confirmation yet, but preliminary reports indicated that some of the Indian agents had been killed by the heroic soldiers defending Suriyawong. A visiting Battle School graduate had also been killed.
Some of Bean's soldiers chuckled, but soon enough they were all grim-faced. The fact that the reporters had been told Bean and Suriyawong were dead meant that whoever made the report believed they were both inside the offices at an hour when the only way anyone could know that was if the bodies had been found, or the building had been under observation. Since the bodies had obviously not been found, whoever was writing the official reports from the Chakri's office must have been part of the plot.
"I can understand someone wanting to kill Borommakot," said Suriyawong. "But why would anyone want to kill me?"
The soldiers laughed. Bean smiled.
Patrols returned and went out, again, again. No movement toward the barracks. The news carried the initial response from various commentators. India apparently wanted to cripple the Thai military by eliminating the nation's finest military mind. This was intolerable. The government would have no choice now but to declare war and join Burma in the struggle against Indian aggression.
Then new information came. The Prime Minister had declared that he would take personal control of this disaster. Someone in the military had obviously slipped badly to allow a foreign penetration of the high command's own base. Therefore, to protect the Chakri's reputation and make sure there was no hint of a cover-up of military errors, Bangkok city police would be supervising the investigation, and Bangkok city fire officials would investigate the wreckage of the exploded building.
"Good job," said Suriyawong. "The Prime Minister's cover story is strong and the Chakri won't resist letting police onto the base."
"If the fire investigators arrive soon enough," said Bean, "they might even prevent the Chakri's men from entering the building as soon as it cools enough from the fire. So they won't even know we weren't there."
Sirens moving through the base announced the arrival of the police and fire department. Bean kept waiting for the sound of gunfire. But it never came.
Instead, two of the patrols came rushing back.
"Someone is coming, but not soldiers. Bangkok police, sixteen of them, with a civilian."
"Just one?" asked Bean. "Is one of them a woman?"
"Not a woman, and just one. I believe, sir, that it is the Prime Minister himself."
Bean sent out more patrols to see if any military forces were within range.
"How did they know we were here?" asked Suriyawong.
"Once they took control of the Chakri's office," said Bean, "they could use the military personnel files to find out that the soldier who sent that last email was in this barracks when he sent it."
"So it's safe to come out?"
"Not yet," said Bean.