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North
American biker gang a number of years back,” Jonathan recited. “Word is they
moved away from the bad boy scene but stayed in the business, putting all their
efforts into drug imports and distribution. We’re sure they still exist but
they’ve become elusive as hell and haven’t been associated with a bust in
years.”
    “You do know your stuff, Mr. Addley,” said Sharp. “So, here’s what I have. I received a
call, off the record, from General Quang who heads the People’s Police of
Vietnam. From what he told me, the Devil’s Delight has set up shop over there.
They’ve taken over opium and heroin production, from poppy farming to
distribution, with definite plans for expansion to allow for export.”
    “Ah, the
explanation behind the recent demise of Cao Van Minh,” said Jonathan.
    “You also keep up
with current events,” Sharp replied, impressed, “And, yes, Quang believes Cao’s
death is related.”
    “Before you go on,
why was this call off the record?” asked Jonathan, “And why did Quang call
you?”
    “I’d met the
general at summits on a few occasions and we got along,” Sharp explained.
“Since, I’ve consulted him a few times about troublesome Vietnamese immigrants
we were dealing with here and, on one occasion, one guy even ended up being
sent back to Vietnam on an outstanding arrest warrant. Anyhow, when this
current situation came up, Quang knew he could trust me with this and believed
I could help. It will get clearer as I go on.”
    “Good enough,”
said Jonathan. “Go for it.”
    “Last week,
following Cao’s death, someone contacted Colonel Hoang, Quang’s second in
command, to request a meeting,” Sharp went on. “As it turns out, Cao had a
payoff agreement with the police and Hoang was the appointed liaison. This
person informed Hoang that his group had taken over Cao’s dope operations and
he wished to maintain a similar relationship with the police. Hoang met with
the guy and, following their discussion, he made it clear he didn’t agree with
what was being proposed. Less than an hour later, Hoang and his two bodyguards
were dead.”
    “Presumably not
from natural causes,” Jonathan suggested.
    “The boat they
were on exploded,” Sharp confirmed. “Quang was subsequently contacted for a
follow-up meeting but never got a face to face. He was directed to a throwaway
mobile phone and was basically told the gang would go ahead with their
plans. It was insinuated rather clearly, via a veiled threat to his family,
that Quang would cooperate. Twenty thousand in cash was left to him as an
additional incentive.”
    “If Quang doesn’t
agree with this, why doesn’t he rally up the troops and take on the Devil’s
Delight?” asked Jonathan. “He runs the police force. It is their job to
fight crime over there, right?”
    “His biggest
problem is he doesn’t know who to trust because the gang seems to have already
established its presence right under his nose,” Sharp replied. “Any number of
his own men could already have been bought out. The same is true with the
People’s Security which oversees national and border security. Key people in
the military and government might now also be on the Delight’s payroll.
Unfortunately, this kind of corruption is pretty common over there. Quang
himself had been accepting Cao’s money for years.”
    “Why the sudden
change of heart?” Jonathan asked. “Is the general actually that concerned about
increased opiate exports from Vietnam to other countries?”
    “As the head of
the country’s police force, I think he is but that isn’t his main issue for
now,” said Sharp. “What he is concerned with is the control, or rather,
the lack thereof the police will have with the Devil’s Delight. Cao was
manageable, easy to deal with and, strange as it may sound, trustworthy. He was
a man of his word who played the game and ran his syndicate according to the
rules agreed upon with the police.
    “However, Quang
has