Moonlight and Madness
by tobyMac
True, he could not bring back to life the innocent lives that had been taken, but he could quit this army of evil, do no more evil in this army’s name and most importantly, he could save the life of this young lieutenant and get him back safely to his family. It was still dark; he could easily go to the supply hut, take a knapsack of food and medicine, release the American officer from his cell and get him to the Thai border, where he would be safe. He was aware that at dawn, when they realized not only had the prisoner escaped but the General had deserted as well, they would throw as many troops as possible into their pursuit. But he had a plan even for that possibility. If that eventuality occurred, he would send the Lieutenant down a secret path to Thailand where the Thai border guards would immediately take care of him. Then he would leave an obvious trail to throw the Khmer Rouge off the Lieutenant’s track, even though he knew that his capture would probably lead to his own death.
He found it strange that the chance of losing his own life now worried him far less than the possibility that if they were ever to meet again in the future, would the Lieutenant embrace him as a friend, or turn away from him as a participant in genocide. A murderer, not only of lives, but of compassion and tolerance. Still, either way, it did not matter, the die was cast, the Rubicon about to be crossed and the Lieutenant saved.
Tran-Do walked across the camp and looked through the slats on the Lieutenant’s cell door where the Lieutenant was still peacefully sleeping. In the far distance he could hear the falling of B-52 bombs on an area where he knew the Khmer Rouge had an ammo dump. Anti-aircraft fire was filling the sky and a sudden huge secondary explosion let him know that one of the bombs had found its target. The explosions distracted the guards with its impromptu fireworks display which the General used as a perfect opportunity to enter the supply hut unobserved. But those same distant explosions also caused the Lieutenant’s dreams to become more fitful.
Moonlight And Madness
(Instrumental)