ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-April2018

April• 2018 | 79

READER’S DIGEST

Suddenly, Nayeri glanced at Ma

and ran his index inger across his

throat.Inaninstant,daysofanger

and anxiety broke, and Nayeri and

Duongfellintoarollingheap.Nayeri

endedupontopandlandedaseries

of clean shots to Duong’s nose and

jaw, one after another. Satisfied,

Nayeri pulled himself out of his rage.

Each man gasped for air.

Ma was terrified. But Nayeri did

notgrabthegunandshootthetaxi

driver. He did not haul the old man

outside and, in the shadows of the

motel, slit his throat. Nayeri simply

retreatedtoacorner.Foranother

night,thefourwatchedoneanother

and, as they went to bed, stewed in

the frustration that illed the room.

The news reports were no better

the next morning – their seventh day

on the run. Law enforcement shared

photos of the stolen van the men

were driving. his rattled Nayeri and

Tieu, who told Duong that they were

leaving to have the van’s windows

tinted and its licence plates changed.

Whenthedoorclosedbehind

them,DuongturnedquicklytoMa.

“Uncle,wehave to go,” he said in

Vietnamese.

now,theycouldmakeacleaneres-
cape.MawatchedasNayeripointed
in his direction and again shouted,
“Boom, boom, old man!”
he escapees decided they needed
tomovenorth,andonTuesday
morning–dayfourofMa’scaptivity
–theydrove560stressfulkilometres
toamotelinSanJose.Thejourney
exhaustedMa,andthatnighthe
snored so loudly that he woke Du-
ong, who was lying beside him. But
Duongdidn’telbowhimawake.In-
stead, he slowly climbed out of bed,
careful not to stir Ma, and
curled up on the loor, so
Uncle might rest more
peacefully.
Thenextday,Nayeri
announcedthatheand
Tieu needed to take Ma
outforawhileinthevan.
By the time they parked near the
oceaninSantaCruz,Mahadigured
he’d been driven to the beach to be
executed.
HisstrollwithNayeriandTieube-
gan aimlessly – and because of that,
it felt even more malevolent to Ma.
Nayerihadthemposeforpictures.
Withtheocean,thebeachandthe
pierastheirbackdrop,Nayeriacted
as if they were friends.What is he
doing?Ma thought. And then ...
nothing. he three got in the van and
drovebacktothemotel.
Afterwatchinganothernewsre-
port on themselves, Nayeri and Du-
ong started shouting at each other.

MA KNEW IF HISKIDNAPPERS

KILLED HIMNOW, THEY COULD

MAKE A CLEANER ESCAPE