Summary:

The List continues to expand as Kid and Nikov have to figure out what's next to happen, so they choose to travel to the Ho Chi Minh City to see if Taha Belal Abdallah Al-Shami is there or not. Meanwhile, far away from the largest Vietnamese city, a group of notorious men is planning something or not. Then, a sudden story occurs and this puts Kid and Nikov to face a new risk inside the country that was once the scene of war. Owning that they have the computer of Hassan Benbarki in which they later sell it to keep their own computer, they research other possible figures who have tie to Taha, but it doesn't seem to go in the fair way.


The Mekong river is the largest river in mainland Southeast Asia. The river has been, for years, the source of living standard among local populace. Everyone lives with it and dies with it, happily and peacefully.

When it spreads to Vietnam, it is known by locals as "Nine-Dragon River", because it splits to nine roads. It is the most populous and richest region in Vietnam, and many different ethnic people co-exist.

20:45

But it is not always peaceful as there is something … about.

That night, a ship transported something to some men. A man, who has long beard, stayed on and called those younger, who wore kufi hats, into there.

"Chính quyền khốn nạn đó … chúng ta phải đánh bọn khốn đấy cho biết tay." (That damned regime … we must strike these bastards to give them a lesson.)

"Con cháu chúng ta không được phép quên cuộc thảm sát dân tộc Chăm chúng ta. Chúng ta hiện tại nói ngôn ngữ của chúng, nhưng nhờ có Al-Qaeda và Nhà nước Hồi giáo, chúng ta sẽ phục hưng Tổ quốc." (Our children must not forget the Cham genocide. We are recently speaking their language, but thanked for Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, we will restore our nation.)

"Inshallah."

"Inshallah."

"Allah …"

#####

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

"Would you like some tea, sirs?"

Kid just woke up from a strange dream after drinking so many alcohols and slept in a local bar close to Hoang Phap Pagoda. Nikov urged him to wake up, after booking a long flight from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City.

"No … thanks. I am fine." Kid rejected, as he soon paid dollars. Since he didn't have any Vietnamese money, paying dollars was an option. Then, Kid and Nikov left there.

In much of Kid and Nikov's surprise, they still didn't understand why Taha's possible hideout was in there. So, Kid walked into the street, where it was quite free today.

"Ho Chi Minh … psss … I prefer the name Saigon."

"(This is the communist regime, man.)"

"Yeah, except being more open, the communist regime in Vietnam is still a repressive, authoritarian regime." Kid spoke on: "I like the people and its food, anyway."

"(Well, let's try to head for the Church, okay?)"

"The Notre-Dame Basilica in Saigon." Kid smiled: "Perhaps, I can feel a breath there a while. Better say better."

Kid and Nikov saw a lot of new options there. Cheap stuff was one of them. In Vietnam, the price was cheaper than in France or Britain, so buying clothes and goods were easier.

But Kid and Nikov didn't prefer it.

"I wonder how will it consider to be like when we are here."

"(The church was built by the French in 1880. It is now considered as the soul church of the nation. Because the city's symbol showing the church's existence, the communist regime feels that it needed to establish tie with Vatican as soon as possible.)"

"If I am not wrong, a former Polish marine of GROM is now the head of the church." Kid smiled: "I was informed about that."

"(Yeah. The current Archbishop of the Ho Chi Minh Basilica Church is Radosław Chiemycz. Previously, he fought in the Iraq War.)"

"Yeah … same here." Kid reminded: "I do have a collection, but Chiemycz has never been mentioned. Very surprising to see he is now a foreign Archbishop in a Vietnamese Catholic church."

"(Depend.)"

Kid and Nikov just looked on as they called for taxi and headed to the main hotel, having slept enough out there. They just wanted to have some peace before trying to go further. Since Vietnam didn't have metro in spite of building two recently, one in Ho Chi Minh City as well, they had to take taxi. And they breathed much.

"Fuck … as long as they are still struggling for an air metro … Psss …"

"(Vietnamese land is known for being unsuitable to build an underground metro. Hence, air metro becomes an option, the only, even it is a forced one.)"

"Who care?" Kid looked into the outdoor, when he pulled the window down from the taxi. He just wondered how to be on it, as he kept looking. By that current moment, the city has seen more cars than motorbikes, but motorcycle is still very popular among Vietnamese.

Ho Chi Minh City is more popular due to being more open-minded society. Unlike Hanoi, the capital for millennia, Ho Chi Minh City is seen as a young city. It is still referred as Saigon, but to be fair, protests are banned across the country. The police was stationed around several streets to handle the traffic jams.

But it was so sucking up.

"Vietnam has some of the worst traffic systems. They need to improve someway."

Kid's criticism was also shared by the driver, who also felt ashamed of his country's traffic situation.

Nikov just looked on as they were moving from the pagoda Hoang Phap to the Basilica. High skyscrapers in the city explained so much of the city's young history in contrast to much more conservative Hanoi. And, of course, they needed it to feel happy.

Vietnamese were friendly, and are still friendly, by Kid and Nikov's standard. When the car stopped near the Basilica, Kid and Nikov paid money and stopped there. They just loved it.

"Hah … an awesome moment. Thanks."

Standing in front of their eyes was the huge Basilica. Outside some boring posters promoting spirits of the party, the city turned out was not so bad.

Kid and Nikov loved the church.

"Awesome. Let's go and make a live there."

But outside, unknown for them, a man settled something on his hand, and called that, there were many in the church.

"Nhà thờ lắm người lắm." (There are many people in the church.)

"Được. Đến lúc rồi." (Okay. It's time.)

As Kid and Nikov were crossing the street, something smelt fishy for them. They looked on the church that holding many people in Holy Mass, and they were doing for the grace of Mother Maria and Lord Jesus. The prayers were still on the run.

However, the fishy sense held Kid and Nikov back. They feared … something. But they didn't know where, and how?

"BOOM!"

A bomb blast!

It blasted right in the front door of the church, where many people were standing. Kid and Nikov felt the pressure and they just sensed like they were being thrown out. But thankfully, their strength kept them alive.

The bombing occurred so fast that no one reacted fast enough to prevent it. Eventually, the only thing they saw was …

A broken door, and … many people were lying on the ground. So many smelt of blood as the police came onward. The arrival of police force to the church was an action showing that the real situation of the bombings.

Kid and Nikov witnessed it, having been pushed by the blow for several meters but still safe enough. Ambulances and police vehicles arrived, with the church was completely under police. It was blocked to discover who and who.

The bombing occurred to fast that no one could ever imagine the strength of the detonation. It was clear, the attacker wanted to send something … because it had been carefully planned.

But that's not all.

Outside that, Kid and Nikov also heard …

"BOOM!"

Twice of a blast. The same way the attacker bombed the Saigon Basilica, the explosion occurred elsewhere, but the smoke showed that it was from …

… the city's Chinatown.

Known by locals as "Big Market", this is also the home of largest Sino-Vietnamese diaspora, mostly integrated and Vietnamized. So, if the attackers had to do it, then it must be in a place of …

"Two bomb attacks occurred in the Ho Chi Minh City which killed at least 50 people and injured 115 others, but the Vietnamese authorities believed the number to be higher." CNN.

"It is perhaps the deadliest attack ever occurred in the city since the Tet Offensive at 1968 by the communists against South Vietnam and the American force." DW.

"The government of Vietnam said they are still on investigation, but two bomb attacks occurred in both religious sanctuaries in the city. The Thien Hau Pagoda and Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica were attacked together, giving a serious concern that the attack might be prepared very carefully and the authorities were less aware with it." Fox News.

"Vietnam is known for being very harsh and often maintains strong security presence against anti-communist activists to protect the regime, so the bombings proved to be deadly as it hit the country's security reputation. There is still unknown reason, how, and why, the terrorist attacks could happen in a church and a pagoda." BBC News.

"The Vietnamese authorities have urged for possible investigation to figure out who can do such a series of bombings." France 24.

All the new reports hit on as the police administration in the city had to invite an urgent meeting. This time, the participation of the United States Ambassador was significant.

Kid and Nikov didn't want to be invited, but the Ambassador, who has been their personal friend, asked them to come in. The meeting was gathered in the city a day after the attacks. So, the two American guys had to attend.

Chief Inspector in the city, Colonel Mạc Đăng Hồng, who is tall, wearing glasses and quite old by age, 60, with a white beard, took charge of the investigation this time. Attendants included U.S. Ambassador David Martz.

"Sit down, gentlemen." Colonel Mạc opened.

"So, how do you judge the nature of the terrorist attacks?" Ambassador David Martz asked.

"I am trying to reduce … but I feel it is serious. No one could ever do such a brutalized attack like that before." The Colonel responded.

"So …" Kid soon figured out: "You will blame for some Vietnamese organizations abroad, as you think so?"

Kid wondered this, because he often heard about the communist regime of Vietnam blaming faults on other organizations that opposing communist party ruling Vietnam which was run by Vietnamese themselves. The possibility Kid mentioned was the New Vietnam Party, a political party being banned in the country's authoritarian communist rule.

"No … I expect another else." Colonel Mạc addressed: "Anti-regime parties often cite their tie with Christianity and other religious communities as symbols. But these attacks occurred against a Christian church and a pagoda, so it cannot be done by any Vietnamese political parties opposing regime."

"Then?" Kid asked another: "Who else is responsible for that?"

"We're still not clear the motivation, but personal grievance is impossible for such a case. Such, we can conclude it is a single terrorist attack, but with a well-organized plan." The Chief Inspector turned on the TV which it showed the bombing sites in the Basilica and Thien Hau pagoda: "The bombings had been coordinated to do it. In a way, the central government wants to clear who can be like that."

As they were analyzing the video, suddenly a police officer arrived to the headquarter near the Independence Palace.

"Công an trưởng, có người muốn gặp." (Chief, someone wants to meet you.)

"Mời anh ta vào." (Let him in.)

Inspector and Colonel Mạc Đăng Hồng allowed the man, who turned out to be wearing a black jersey serving for Catholic pastor. An European man by looking, yellow eyes and pink haired, this man was …

"Archbishop Radosław Chiemycz?" Kid and Nikov got surprised to see the Archbishop to be there. Appointed by Vatican to the country, the Polish Archbishop was also a former GROM soldier who fought in Iraq during Polish military campaign there.

"I have an evident who is behind the bombings in the pagoda and the church! My church, my people. We have lost over 35 people in there." The Archbishop showed his anger: "I won't forgive who had murdered my people in the church!"

He carried on with an USB, and his clothes, filled with blood that had yet to be fully cleaned, proved that the Archbishop was there, but survived. This could be expected from a former soldier turned priest.

"Take it, Colonel."

The Archbishop's determination was something they could see. Being a former Polish GROM soldier, he passed much of his life in Iraq and he knew it. As like he was still new to the Polish Armed Forces.

"Okay."

The Chief Inspector grabbed the USB and connected to the computer where it connected to the TV channel and then, the later scenes showed something people were shocked. Every officials inside the headquarter at the Independence Palace was …

In the TV scenes, it depicted a man under mask and covered, and alongside him was a group of other black-wearing man, and the black flag of Islamic State from the back. They issued in English, already translated in Vietnamese and Arabic at the same time.

The leader stood in front, closest to the camera TV, stated:

"Today, we declare the infidel Vietnamese will face our resistance. For hundreds of years since 1475, the Chams were slaughtered by the infidels who slaughtered our race and our people. We will remember the genocide that perished our race and our people, and we only have the last 3 million Chams, both inside and outside …"

"Islamic militants?" Kid was stunned. But that was not the end.

"… Now, we will face our jihad against the Vietnamese regime, and we'll not stop until the final liberation of Champa Wilayat, establishment of Sharia law and expulsion of Vietnamese infidels. May Allah bless our resistance. Amin!"

The video showed in somewhere, but they were truly sending message to the officials.

"Takbir!" It was followed with "Allahu Akbar!" and was repeated several times in the video. The old Chief was shocked to witness those who could do it.

The U.S. Ambassador was stunned as well: "Islamic State …"

"They have spread there." Kid discovered: "No wonder why the bombings occurred. It was done by ISIS fighters."

"(The matter is … how did the past influence it.)" Nikov addressed with precaution: "(In history, Vietnamese army had conducted two worst genocide against Chams. One occurred in 19th century and another occurred post-Vietnam War. There are only 3 million Chams remain in the world, Vietnam already has one million.)"

Kid knew what Nikov said. The Archbishop seemingly realized it as well, the motivation of the past and historical clash had put such bombings to occur. But when they issued its tie with ISIS, it turned into a whole new level.

Colonel Mạc, also a historian when he was teaching, didn't hide it anyway.

"Well … Vietnam in the past had a long standing tensions against Chams, a native people in modern Central Vietnam. However, when Vietnam conquered Champa at 1475, the land had already become Islamized. From then, Chams held Vietnam as perpetrators of anti-Cham genocide and had fought for it until 1990s."

"Dang …" Kid looked on with disappointment: "The motivation truly has historic root."

"Does the Vietnamese Government acknowledge the Chams as an indigenous people now?" U.S. Ambassador Martz asked seriously.

"Yes. Since 1990s, Vietnam recognizes the Chams as a people of Vietnamese ethnicities, but I am afraid the tension is increasing." Chief Mạc breathed hard: "Chams are not happy much."

"I suspect the leader to be more." Archbishop Radosław stated: "When I fought in Iraq in 2006, I had encountered a man, whom I believed to be the mastermind behind the reign of terror. He was of Cham origin."

"How?" Kid needed to make clear: "You're a former soldier of Iraq War. You served in the GROM. You know how it went, right?"

"The man I captured by then but later released since he was not important by then is Mouhamad Boukhar. Son of a Sunni Cham family in Iraq, he was born in Basra." The Archbishop examined: "By the time I engaged him, he was not a top leader. But I guessed he was informed about the origin from his parents."

The image of Mouhamad Boukhar was soon revealed, but it was 2006 version of his, when the Archbishop was still a GROM soldier. Mouhamad was smaller and less nurtured unlike today. He was also just a little kid.

"It is just nearly 15 years ago. Now, we don't know how is he now." Colonel Mạc shook the head.

"Can we?" Ambassador David Martz concluded together: "Mouhamad Boukhar had been out of range for nearly 15 years since the first time the Archbishop fought against him."

"I did arrest him and knew his name. This voice … it could not be any difference. This was the same voice I heard. It might have been 15 years but I had never forgotten it. Such voice … he was influent in both Arabic and English, it showed a great level of development."

Something influenced the confirmation of the Archbishop was due to the voice. Mouhamad Boukhar had a deep sounding dipthong, but when speaking and yelling often shouted very big like a lion.

But Kid and Nikov decided to make a gambling.

"Is there any other reasons outside historical grievances?"

"I think yes." The U.S. Ambassador reminded out: "Last year, the Vietnamese detained a dangerous Islamic State militant of Cham origin, Fauzi Abdel Galam. The Vietnamese Government in recent years wants to make a swift by trying to give up the three no policy and aligns to the United States in counter against China, its long standing enemy. Hanoi wants to extradite Fauzi to the U.S., previously he had caused a number of terrorist attacks in Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia."

"I guess the attackers want more than just that." Kid and Nikov dealt the fact well, and they looked beyond to increase their grip over the case's mystery.

"It seems like … they want Fauzi, and they want land. That's the truth of it." The Chief Inspector agreed: "Thanks Archbishop for helping."

"You're welcome." The Polish Archbishop swore with his own Catholic cross on the hand: "May the God be with us."

"But where are they?" Kid asked.

"They are spreading across the Vietnamese-Cambodian border, adding with recent influx of foreign fighters. Some of them came from Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan; but also those from Morocco, Somalia, Algeria, Egypt and Sudan; or somewhere from East Africa." U.S. Ambassador David Martz provided about that: "Two weeks ago, Thai Army reported that they had shot death a Sudanese militant in Phuket, Mohamed Abdelrahman bin Rahman, and found he was on the way to Cambodia."

"We have no choice." The Vietnamese Colonel urged: "But if we don't act, they will spread like cockroaches. We have identified them in the border, mostly they stayed in An Giang, which hosts the largest Muslim population in Vietnam."

"How long can we take them down?" David questioned.

"We have 72 hours. However, the Defense Ministry of Vietnam has issued that they will use the air force to detonate the existence of the Islamic State in the region. Only 72 hours, okay?" Colonel Mạc Đăng Hồng issued back: "We can request SEAL team to do so, but we don't want to create problem. Right now, due to seeking to give up the three no policy, tension with China is running high, as China is having military drills with Cambodia and there has been an increase of military clashes."

"(Cambodia has been recently seen as pro-Chinese and its pro-Chinese policies are weakening the traditional but less friendly Cambodian-Vietnamese relations. Due to the terrorist attacks in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese want military action. However, if this stampedes to Cambodia during the recent Sino-Cambodian military drill, it will only increase more tensions since ASEAN does not have an effective free border movement agreement and Cambodia has a long anti-Vietnamese sentiment.)"

"72 hours … less than a moment … but we will have to decide what's next." The U.S. Ambassador spoke out: "I can request the SEAL. But make sure it can be worked."

"Alright. Dismissed!" The Chief Inspector, Colonel Mạc ordered his men to depart and the job was done. Now, a group of special military police and other army troops would be deployed to find out the location of Mouhamed Boukhar.

But Kid and Nikov still felt a bit wary. The Polish Archbishop got the fact right.

"ASEAN is long disunited, and still disunited. It is not effective on trying to forge a common border. It doesn't have a Schengen agreement like the European Union, or free border movements like in African Union and Organization of American States." Dora-the-Kid walked out from the Palace with a lot of issue on the mind.

"This has made even harder when Vietnamese-Chinese tension is at the highest peak since the Sino-Vietnamese border conflict. Vietnam has recently built several artificial islands in the disputed sea against China and has increased military presence there." The Polish Archbishop expressed concern: "Vietnam is trying to seek help from the Americans, while China is expanding influence in some of Vietnam's traditional backgrounds, like Cambodia, Laos and cutting allies of Vietnam like the Philippines and Malaysia."

"We have no choice. Be fast, or be dumb, Radosław?" Kid questioned for the last time.

"This is their choice, but at least we all know the answer." The Polish Archbishop was quite fast to cite about: "But this duty is no longer mine, I have resigned from the GROM after Iraq War."

As Radosław Chiemycz left the Independence Palace with his Catholic costume, Kid and Nikov seemed to realize, they had to do it alone, even though expecting the support from the SEALs might be possible.

21:20

Cambodian-Vietnamese border

The border of Cambodia and Vietnam has never been fully clarified, even though efforts are many.

Right in this ground lied a tent of some people there. And they soon issued.

"Bọn mọi Việt Nam đó muốn tìm chúng ta hôm nay hoặc ngày mai. Vậy … đối phó bọn lính Việt Nam đó thế nào?" (Those Vietnamese scums want to find us today or tomorrow. So … how can we face off against Vietnamese troops?)

"Faisal Ghamid, chúng ta sẽ có cách. Hiện tại, quan hệ Cam-Việt đang căng thẳng do xung đột lợi ích và ảnh hưởng Trung Quốc. Nếu như kéo bọn lính Việt Nam xâm nhập Campuchia vào thời điểm tập trận Trung-Cam, chúng ta sẽ thắng lớn và một cuộc xung đột biên giới sẽ bùng nổ. Trung Quốc bảo kê cho Campuchia, họ sẽ dùng vũ lực với bọn Việt Nam đen." (Faisal Ghamid, we will have the way. Currently, Cambodian-Vietnamese relations is being tense due to conflict in interest and Chinese influence. If we can trigger Vietnamese troops to Cambodia during the Sino-Cambodian drill, we'll win big and a border conflict will explode. China supports Cambodia, they'll use hammer to the dark-skinned Vietnamese.)

"Òa … thật tuyệt vời. Hỡi đấng Allah ban phước cho chúng con." (Wow … great. May Allah bless for us.)

"Takbir!"

"Allahu Akbar!"

"Takbir!"

"Allahu Akbar!"

"TAKBIR!"

"ALLAHU AKBAR!"

On the same time, the man named Mouhamed Boukhar soon revealed into an abandoned compound, where they hosted … actually …

… a young girl there!

A girl who has black hair but one of them is dyed red and shark red eyes in depth. But she was now being tied with her mouth being covered by. Now, she was being held hostage.

It didn't take a long moment before Mouhamed laughed: "No problem … soon, we will give them a surprise."

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

After returning to the damaged church, the Archbishop Radosław Chiemycz had to clean all of them.

"To najgorsze, co wydarzyło się w Bazylice. Nigdy nie wyobrażaj sobie, że może się to zdarzyć w tym pięknym kraju." (That's the worst thing to happen in the Basilica. Never imagine it could happen in this beautiful land.)

"Myślę, że zostanie ożywiony. Wietnamczycy nie są tacy źli. Poza brzydkim rządem Wietnam jest jak nasz drugi dom." (I think it will be revived. Vietnamese people are not that bad. Except their ugly Government, Vietnam is like our other home.) The fellow priest, who himself was also a Polish national, calmed.

"Robimy porządki, Tymoteusz Barczewski." (We are doing the clean-up, Tymoteusz Barczewski.) Archbishop recalled his henchman Tymoteusz to clean the whole church and made sure it would be functioned again few days later. Both felt the same pains for the victims, though.

But when they were cleaning inside, suddenly someone came to him in fear. It was …

"Sir … please help us …"

Someone entered from the background seeking for help. Tymoteusz Barczewski received the girl there, who had a pink-hair and pig-tailed both side. She cried a lot as she headed to Tymoteusz.

"Okay … okay … what's going on?"

"My friend …"

"Alright, your friend, right? What's going on?" The Archbishop was grabbing the broom to clean the messes when the question came out of his mouth.

"She … she was kidnapped!" The pig-tail girl cried a lot, easily: "Please … save her …"

Looking on her body and her clothes, it indicated that she had run a long trip, being torn several times, even with muds, before seeking for help after the kidnap. The Polish Archbishop asked for her name to gather information, since he knew it was abnormal.

"Can you tell me your name and your location?"

"Himari … Uehara … please … save my friend … hic." Her eyes closed as she cried so much into the chest of priest Tymoteusz. From this point, the Archbishop understood that, it was more complicated than usual.

"Shit …"

Inside the already damaged Saigon Basilica, Tymoteusz wandered why.

"To porwanie!" (It's kidnap!)

"Oczekuję, że porwanie pochodziło od grupy bojowników ISIS na granicy kambodżańsko-wietnamskiej." (I expect the kidnap came from the ISIS militant group in Cambodian-Vietnamese border.)

"Co zrobimy?" (What are we going to do?)

From this moment, the Archbishop heard about the case, and he considered, it was something Jesuit missionary like him not wish to see. However, given his experience as a GROM soldier and Iraq War before becoming a priest, his heart felt bled out.

And the moment his heart felt it, he had to make …

In the same city but from a hotel far away, Kid and Nikov opened wi-fi and used the computer of Hassan Benbarki.

"Bingo … Taha, are you there?"

Their goal was to figure out Taha, the man who was assumed as "dead", but Kid didn't trust this profile. And in the same manner, they also covered …

"Wait."

"(Really?)"

"Taha's money … he bankrolled there. He truly had his form by using a fake identity."

"(I wonder how would he hide it longer.)"

"But we are still unclear what's going on."

"(We'll see how it goes.)"

"The money he distributed … it will soon reveal out."

When Kid and Nikov researched about the money blanket of Taha Belal, Kid and Nikov soon recovered a lost profile. But then …

"What?"