Jim Rescues a Woman: Book Two
Copyright© 2026 by Kim Chee
Chapter 1
I threw a ball of paper at Nelson as the guys laughed. Soh shook his head.
Soh: 2 day trip to Malaysia and we’re going to a shooting range.
Eric: Is it the same one we brought Tony to the last time round? Is this client another Rambo wannabe?
Soh: Yeap. Rich people get off shooting stuff up I guess, so listen up.
Soh told us the new client’s name was Ryan.
Soh: I’ve only communicated with him via mail and text, it seems he’s not fond of talking on the phone.
Soh told the team that there were 2 parts to this project. Ryan will be conducting some business in KL first before we all drive down to the range.
Soh: Now. We will be carrying a large amount of cash. 9k USD each.
Soh explained that we would be helping Ryan split up the money he needed to conclude his business since there is a limit to the amount one can bring into the country.
Soh: Ryan will be making a withdrawal as well in Malaysia, so we are to make sure he doesn’t get robbed.
Eric: Why so troublesome? Why can’t he withdraw it all over there?
Soh: Not our place to ask such questions. How clients want to move their money is their business.
The business deal will take place in a hotel, which we will not be a part of.
Soh: I made it clear we don’t do drugs and shit. If it is, we will walk, and Ryan reassured me that it’s not. Still I said we will only ensure his safety and will not take any part in the conduct of his business.
The money we will be carrying shall be handed over to Ryan the moment we arrive at the hotel, and thereafter it will be deposited in the safe.
Soh: We will then follow Ryan to the bank, he makes a withdrawal, and we head back to the hotel.
Soh pinned up a large map made of 4 pieces of A3 size paper on the board.
We will be staying at Intercontinental in Kuala Lumpur.
Soh: The bank is a short walk over at Wisma. BSN, Bank Simpanan Nasional.
Ryan will make the withdrawal, we will make sure he makes it back safely to the hotel. It’s a short walk away, just a couple of blocks.
Soh: That is it. We are all free and easy and that concludes the 1st day’s work.
Mohan: Hmm sounds good, shouldn’t be hard. Do we have individual rooms at Intercon?
Soh: No, 2 to a room. It’s just to sleep and shit. What more you want?
Eric: What about day 2?
Soh: Ryan will be settling his business on day 1. Day 2 morning we will be taking a short drive to the same shooting range we brought Tony to previously.
Rizwan: Can we play also?
Soh: I don’t know. Tony was generous to offer the last time but I’m not sure about Ryan. He might offer to treat us or if you want, pay on your own.
Soh told the team that since this was our 1st job with Ryan, he wanted us to be extra careful.
Ryan had booked the entire range that day for his private shoot, so Soh said the only danger from that was probably Ryan himself especially if he was not familiar with a weapon. People do get trigger happy and lose their head for a brief moment.
Soh: These kind of people are our rice bowl guys. Don’t fuck this up. We want recurring business, understand? Keep him alive also. These people sometimes watch too much TV, they might get certain ideas about the weapons and think they are James Bond and shit.
Everyone nodded.
Soh: Dates wise, I’m trying to firm them up, so keep the next week free. Kids, grandmas, girlfriends, please make arrangements.
We were dismissed to prepare for another short personal protection project when Soh called Nelson and me aside.
Soh: Alright, Jim and Nelson follow me. We’re going to pay Ah Peng a visit. Tony wants to get some fireworks again. Valentine’s days shit. Feb 14 is coming soon.
I nodded.
I briefly asked Rizwan about Ah Peng after we helped to load the firecrackers into the yacht during the party. Ah Peng owns a couple of old ocean properties called kelongs in the north of Singapore. His day job is still the legitimate fish and crab rearing business but trying to survive on that is really hard which is why he started to bring in stuff that he could sell.
Being a stone’s throw away from Malaysian waters, he had devised a technique and established a good network with local fishermen and other kelong owners. As long as you can name it, Ah Peng can bring it in. Over the years, he had helped to smuggle in all sorts and manner of stuff from Balut (developing duck embryo), considered a delicacy among SouthEast Asian countries, to exotic pets, lizards, turtles and even a crocodile for one rich client.
These are the small ticket items. Ah Peng charges high prices for more challenging tasks, such as smuggling a human. He only does it one way – out of Singapore. Only if you are getting out and word is he only accepts jobs from a handful of trusted confidants.
What would make anyone want to be smuggled out you ask? Well, work permit expired. Committed a crime, who knows? Plenty of reasons.
Rizwan told me smuggling people is just hearsay. It was always someone who heard from someone who heard from someone. No one knew exactly how Ah Peng got his goods into the country. Soh told Rizwan that there are rules in trades like this. Some questions you don’t ask, the same courtesy is extended to you too when Ah Peng doesn’t ask you why you want the goods you want.
We got into the car with Soh and he drove us towards the jetty where we would take a short boat ride. We arrived in Lim Chu Kang and Soh parked at the side of the road.
Soh: Ok, Jim your first time here. I’ll make the introductions later.
Jim: Ok.
I could smell the saltiness of the sea as we waited near the jetty as Soh made a call. About 5 minutes later, a single motor powered boat arrived and we hopped in. Another 5 minutes on the water and we docked at a Kelong. It felt as if I had just arrived in another world.
This is not the concrete jungle that we were used to. Everything here looked so old and makeshift. We walked along rickety planks and went under a large tarp that provided shelter from the afternoon sun. A lazy dog basked in the sun as I watched a swam of flies buzz near a line of salted fish.
A round and stained marble table sat in the middle of the place we were standing at and I assumed it was the dining area. 5 chairs of varying designs and colours were pushed against the table legs and a rusty tin can full of cigarette butts dangled off the side of the table, held by a red raffia string.
Soh: Ah Peng!! Where are you?
A thin and tanned man who looked to be in his forties emerged from a room covered by a cloth instead of a door. He had a permanent scowl on his face as he squinted his eyes and looked at me.
Ah Peng: Who is he?
Soh: Jim. The missing one I’ve been searching for for so long.
Ah Peng: Ohhh that one. So you finally found him.
Soh made the introductions and it was when Ah Peng started talking that I realised his personality was totally different from his looks. At first impression if you see someone like Ah Peng on the street, you would think he’s some gangster wannabe asshole. His tattooed arms, chiselled and tanned face with that perpetual frown, I bet he’s one of those that would surely get some random spot-checks by the authorities along the street.