Anh’s release from was anything but straightforward. After freeing the Australian journalist General Binh let her stew in a cell at military headquarters while he took the brunt of the blame for this debacle. She had been a key part of his success in keeping the market under her control, which was one less thing for him to worry about, but her lack of judgment in this matter was most frustrating and unexpected as he had been dragged before the revolutionary council and asked to explain.
War hero or not he was not above suspicion and barely came away with his command, after he’d been questioned about his role in the kidnapping. Undoubtedly her tributes would have to increase to account for the loss of prestige and inconvenience she had caused him.
Once he had the address from Anh he requested for Mai to be delivered to his office. The sunlit office in General Binh’s office was a sharp contrast to the cell where Anh was being held a few hundred yards away, but she waited patiently until the General arrived. Although having met many times socially this was the first official meeting that he’d requested of her, and as he entered gave a curt nod and sat behind his desk, she noted a soldier follow him into his office and stand to attention by the door.
He leaned back in his chair and eyed Mai intently, without saying a word he reached for a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Mai, which she politely accepted. Standing he leaned over his desk and lite her cigarette before lighting his own, Mai noted that he towered over her even from behind his desk and clearly a sign to intimidate her.
“Bạn biết gì về các nhà báo bị bắt cóc? (What do you know about the kidnapped journalist?)” he asked in a quiet and controlled tone. Mai’s heart froze and her mind raced, yet there was not a glimmer of recognition on her face. During his military career he had interrogated hundreds of people and watched Mai intently to see if he could gather anything from her non-verbal body language. Mai knew the General was fluent in English and so she smiled and asked enquiringly “Which journalist General Binh, I know many.”
He went on, “Am I led to believe you do not know the Australian journalist?” he barked. Mai was not to be shaken, and with a perfectly composed response retorted “of course General Binh I know the Australian journalist and I’m sure you also know that I’ve met him a number of times, but I didn’t know that he had been kidnapped”.
Most people would have been completely shaken by this time, but not Mai who kept eye contact with General Binh as she drew on her cigarette. She was an expert in complete self-control he had to give her that much.
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