The Adventures of Indiana Jones and Short Round

8

Although he decided he liked traveling, it felt good to be home. 

They spent the night in Wu Han's apartment again. Short Round managed to stay awake with the two men long into the night as they made a plan for tomorrow. As the plan became more complicated as loopholes were taken into consideration, it gradually became easier for Short Round to stay awake. The tea Wu Han brewed helped as well. 

  "And you're sure I can count on you to get us three plane tickets to Bangkok?" Indiana asked him. Because they planned for Wu Han to be in the club with him personating a waiter, the only other person available was the kid. 

  Short Round nodded. "Easy like pie, Indy." He actually wasn't sure how pie was easy. He just heard many tourists use that expression when something was easy. This wasn't he first time doing shady business and it won't be his last... unless. 

It suddenly hit Short Round that he never considered what would happen after all this. Indy had said three tickets, but after landing in Bangkok, Thailand, what then? Would they send him back to China? Would Wu Han go back with him? Would they both join Indiana in America?

He liked that idea. Although he loved his homeland, Wan Li had always fantasied about going to America. The films in the movie theaters portrayed America has this place where anyone can turn their rags into riches. For a moment, he fantasized what life would be like if he lived with Indiana, perhaps even adopted. Short Round never thought much about his future. He was too busy worrying about where his food would come from for that day and where a safe place would be to lay his head that night. It was all about surviving until the next day. But moving to America with his new friends, his life was looking up.

  "Dr. Jones?" he interrupted suddenly. 

  Indy glanced up. "Yeah, Shorty?"

  "What happen after this?"

  He smiled. "Well, it's up to you, but I was thinking I could take you with me to America. Would you like that?" 

Short Round released a loud whoop and Indiana's grin grew wider.

  "I'll take that as a yes. All right, kid, settle down," he added. "We still need to figure out our getaway situation."

  "We can hire a driver, but he may be unwilling to speed and we need someone who can keep calm under pressure. Someone we know would be preferable," Wu Han determined. 

  "I can do it," Short Round volunteered. 

The two men stared at him in bewilderment. 

  "You can drive?" Wu Han choked out. 

  The boy nodded. "Tourists pay good money to drivers."

  "How do you get a car?" Indiana inquired. 

 "Place gives cars to drivers. You give them half of your pay." 

  "And they trust you to drive it?"

  Short Round shrugged. "They don't care. As long as I don't crash and they get money, they don't care."

  Indiana shared a helpless glance with Wu Han. "I guess that's our best option."

After about another half hour of debating and planning, Indy seemed satisfied with the game plan. 

  "Okay, let's lay it out one more time. I go into Club Obi-Wan to make the trade with Lao Che with Wu Han disguised as a waiter. Short Round, you'll purchase the tickets and then wait for us outside the club in the car. I'll meet up with you at the bar where we first met to give you the money." He locked eyes with the pickpocket seriously. "That means no stealing."

  "You got it, Dr. Jones."

  "If Lao Che tried anything, and I know he will, we may need a quick getaway. So be ready to break all speed laws. Wu Han and I will have our guns and we need to be ready to take off as soon as we arrive to the airport. From Bangkok, we'll fly to London, England where a colleague of mine from the British Museum will meet us. He has some interest in the diamond for the Far East exhibit. Then we'll finally fly to America. Anything I'm missing, Wu Han?" 

  His Dutch-Chinese friend shook his head. "Sounds like as good a plan as any."

  "I would believe you except your face is not agreeing with your words."

  "Since when have things ever gone to plan? It just gives me a bad feeling."

  "Lucky for us, improvising is what I do best." Although his words were cocky, his expression remained serious. "If our line of work was easy, we wouldn't make desperate plans like this one."

  Wu Han huffed in mildly amused agreement. "I pray I don't find out the answer to the Great Unknown Mystery is you."

  Indy smiled at his friend. "Same goes for you."

  Short Round was puzzled by the affectionate exchange between old friends, but he didn't pry. "Are we done?" he questioned, stifling a yawn. However, the two men noticed. 

  "Yeah, kid. You can go to sleep now."

Wearily, the boy climbed onto Wu Han's couch and pulled the blanket over him. Pillowing his head with his arm, Short Round quickly fell asleep. The two adults followed his example. Indiana claiming the tiny guest bedroom while Wu Han crashed in his own bed. 

Tomorrow, their adventure will close, but none of them ever dreamed in their wildest nightmares of the adventure that would begin before this one ended.