Chapter 25
TSERING, Lobsang and Norbu sat in Norbu's house in the Barkhor, discussing Mary Joe's arrest.
"So what we feared has come to pass, the Chinese have our brave friend Mai Hoe" Said Lobsang.
"But we have the treaty," said Norbu.
"Yes we have the treaty, but our mission would be complete only when we rescue Mary Joe and carry her across the border into India, along with the treaty."
"Aren't you being sentimental my friend. Our mission was to get the treaty and we have that with us now. Should we not concentrate on getting this document out of Tibet first. The rescue of Mary Joe is a separate matter altogether. I am not saying that we abandon her to the tender mercies of the Chinese. All that I am saying is that our priority should be to get the treaty out of this country."
"Very logical, but aren't you forgetting the person who risked her life to get this treaty for us. Mai Hoe had no reason to put her life on the line for the cause of Tibet yet she did it willingly. Even now she may be going through torture at the hands of the Chinese. Can we now abandon her to the enemy and busy ourselves with our own affairs in this selfish way. No, no, a thousand times no."
"The cause is bigger than any individual. Think again Lobsang. Would it not be better to dispatch a courier at once to carry the treaty to our friends abroad."
"My dear friend, you talk if it was simply a question of walking across the Himalayas and handing over the treaty to a reception party waiting for you. But getting the treaty out of the country is not going to be a picnic. You know very well that the Chinese have increased their vigilance on the border. Ground patrols are now supplemented by aerial surveillance by spy satellites and unmanned vehicles. The Chinese are watching every inch of the border. No my friend, I don't think we could get the treaty out-of the country unless we have assistance from our friends across the border. And to get that we have to have her with us. The Indians and-the Americans will not play ball unless she is with us. And while those are all good sound practical reasons, even if we set them aside, as a Buddhist I say, no cause can prosper if it is attended with betrayal and deceit. That is why it is so important for us to rescue Mary Joe."
"You have talked about increased surveillance on the Indian border. What about the northern border with Turkmenistan. That is reported to be fairly porous." Said Norbu.
"Norbu, what chances does a Buddhist Lama have of getting through one of the most volatile regions on the earth. None I should say."
"Unless he can disguise himself as a Mullah."
"Yeah, and who can play that part, without knowing anything about Islam. Not I, not you, not anyone that is known to us in Tibet." Said Lobsang.
"All right so we must rescue the girl, but how do we go about it?" asked Norbu, "we can't just walk into Drapchi and get the keys from the fat governor Wao Wang, can we? The prison is protected by a double perimeter wall. The outer wall has watch towers at intervals of a hundred yards. The inner wall has similar watch towers at all the four corners. The guards carry 9mm automatic carbines. The space between the two walls is probably mined. The only way into the person is a twenty feet wide causeway leading through the minefield. And this causeway has hundreds of electric cables passing through it that can, at the touch of a button, be flooded by high voltage current, converting the flagstoned walkway into an incinerator. No, breaking into the Drapchi is not going to be a cakewalk."
"What other options do we have?" asked Lobsang. "Supposing they move her from the Drapchi prison, where do you think they will take her?"
"I think either to the Public Security Building in the Barkhor or the Interrogation center on the Chagpori Hill. Both of them are even worse from-our point of view." Said Norbu.
Lobsang pondered this. "All right, what are the chances of rescuing her when they move her."
"Almost none, for such an important prisoner there is sure to be a heavy military escort. They will have a convoy of army trucks filled with troops. They will be expecting trouble and ready for it.''
"That's no good then," Lobsang agreed, "we can do nothing unless the element of surprise is on our side."
"And we can surprise them only when they are least expecting it, that is by storming the Drapchi itself, where they do not expect any trouble."
"And given the level of security surrounding the prison, this it appears is clearly impossible. So we seem to be going round in circles." Said Lobsang.
Tsering, who had been quiet so far, now spoke, "I believe it can be done.
The others listened carefully while Tsering outlined his scheme. When he had finished the others agreed that Tsering' s scheme was the only one that offered an outside chance of success. It was a chance that they had to take. As Lobsang said, it was their only chance.
