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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

You can only see the attacker from behind and a brief side profile but the man in the photos, from what I remember, is Dao’s approximate height and build.

“Where did you get this?” I ask.

“Just came up on a local media source. Not big enough to make international news, but I have some news contacts I can use to stir this up.”

“I’m not sure that blackmail is going to work on Dao,” Brazuca says.

“That’s just leverage. I’ll offer money first,” says Lam. “Do you know how easy it is to buy people? A man like Dao has been around extreme wealth for years, but he’s never had it himself. I’m giving him the opportunity to have some of mine for a price. The price is information that will lead to shutting down those drug labs for good. And you, Nora. You’re part of my price. I take care of my people. Jon can tell you.”

Brazuca excuses himself and leaves the patio, exiting through the back gate. He says something to Ivan on his way out, but I don’t hear what.

“What’s his problem?” Lam says.

“Probably the heat. Are you worried?”

“About Jon? Never. He’ll do his part. When we set up the meeting, Nora, you will of course be there but out of sight, please.”

“It’s your show,” I say. “But Brazuca will have to be in the room. And we’ll have to figure out a way for me to listen in.”

“Of course,” Lam says. “We both have a stake in this.”

I leave before Lam has the urge to shake on it or play a few rounds of golf to seal the deal—whatever it is that high rollers like him do. The ones with enough money to buy people off. To think that no matter what, their vast stores of cash can get them whatever they want. People’s loyalty. Their knowledge. Along with their love and their hate.

But you can’t buy hate as strong as what Dao has for me.

I’ll play along with Lam for now—it seems I have to. What I want is some dirt that will put Dao away for life. I’ll have to look into that report, see if there’s something to be done with those photos to build a case against him. Somebody’s got to care about him bullying local protesters, right?

It doesn’t seem like enough, even to me, but maybe it’s a place to start. There could be a pattern of this kind of behavior, one that might put him behind bars.