Chiang Lap | POV: Loweis | September 2025
"ZZZZZZ!"
The long, drawn-out snore indicated that Sawn was finally in a deep, heavy sleep.
The silence that replaced his snoring allowed my mind to drift back into the past, back to my younger days. We used to be mercenaries in the same unit. After training, I’d often tag along with those two on their escapades. They possessed a rare blend of generosity and courage that was hard to find. Sawn was Jetdo’s partner—or to put it more clearly, he was Jetdo’s dog, taking orders without a single question.
As for me, I was in the radio communications unit, having fought in the ISIS wars across Libya and Iraq. After leaving the army, we hardly ever had the chance to be close again.
I tossed and turned, my mind heavy with memories of the distant past. I hadn’t even fallen into a deep sleep when a voice broke through.
“Loweis!”
Sawn’s voice barked as he slapped my leg hard.
“Huh!”
“Let’s move. Can you handle it?” Before he even finished, he stormed off into the room on the right.
I sat up, groggy, feeling as though I had only closed my eyes for a fraction of a second. I stretched to shake off the haze while glancing at the clock beside the stag head... it was only two in the morning.
He led me through another door into the innermost room. When he slid the door open, I stood there, utterly stunned.
“Whoa... it’s a damn mini-armory.”
I let out a gasp as I saw various types of weapons neatly arranged on the steel mesh walls. He gave a faint smirk and tossed a GLOCK 19 toward me with pinpoint accuracy.
“Check it. See if you still know how to use it. Just don’t accidentally fire into my back while we’re on the bike.”
He then grabbed a COLT 1911A1 and tucked it into his waistband. I quickly grabbed the .338 LAPUA rifle, slid it into its bag, and slung it over my back. I grabbed my jacket and ran after him.
“Vroom! Vroom!”
The KAWASAKI D-Tracker X surged into the darkness, leaving the safe house in Chiang Lap behind as we headed straight into the mission.
Taunggyi, Shan State | POV: Loweis | September 2025
The first light of a new day painted the sky. Crows began their morning hunt. The mountain ranges cradled the city in their embrace. Monks walked in a steady line for alms, their brick-red robes fluttering orderly along the road.
The two of us reached Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, nearly at six in the morning. The Shan people hold a powerful Buddhist faith; villagers knelt calmly on the ground, holding rice bowls as they waited to offer alms in silence. Though I belonged to a different faith, the sight brought a sense of peace to my heart.
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Rows of wooden shophouses stood parallel. Shops began opening their doors for morning activities. Sawn rode the motorcycle slowly through the market to the roundabout at the back before surging up the steep incline toward the mountain peak—to the temple grounds that served as the city's highest point.
The temple stood prominently on a wide plateau, surrounded by lush, shady trees. Sawn led the way inside with the confidence of someone who knew every inch of the path. Passing through the main pavilion, we soon reached a smooth stone ledge with a rocky outcrop jutting out over the cliff.
It was the perfect sniper’s nest. A flawless vantage point.
“Binoculars.”
He reached out his hand. I immediately unslung the binoculars from my neck and handed them over. He raised them, scanning for targets before pointing down below.
“Remember that roundabout we just drove past?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, my eyes following his fingertip.
“That’s where the villagers will gather today. And the soldiers? They’ll be swarming in from over there.” He pointed toward the northern road we had just come from.
“We’ll take out about ten of their heads and then head back.” He smirked, his dimples appearing. His gaze was cold, steady, and devoid of any worry.
“Rifle!”
He walked over to take the long gun, hiding it beside the stone ledge and piling leaves over it for camouflage. He patted my shoulder.
“Let’s go find something to eat. They won’t be here yet.”
The Buddhist temple was lonely at this hour, devoid of people. The monks and temple boys must have all gone down for alms, leaving only a pack of local dogs sleeping in groups. We rode the motorcycle back down toward the roundabout.
“This place is old. Strong, traditional coffee.” Sawn chose a corner shop that offered a clear view of our sniper nest on the peak.
Even though Taunggyi was the capital of Shan State, to me, it looked like a small town hidden within a vast forest. The road conditions and the way of life were simple and unhurried. Most of the shops were ancient wooden structures that had survived for generations. The wooden doors were uniquely folded to the sides. Small wooden tables with tea sets waiting sat on the sidewalk.
I was quite relieved this meal; there were soft-boiled eggs and deep-fried dough sticks that went down easy. I chased them with a cup of local coffee, thick and sweet with condensed milk, trying to drive away the exhaustion that had been clinging to me since 2 AM.
After our fill, we sat killing time, watching the morning flow of village life. The open-air market began to bustle with people. But the one thing that couldn't be missed on those fresh morning faces was the symbol of fear—they were all covered. Surgical masks had become the fifth necessity for every nation.
I downed the eggs and coffee until my stomach felt warm. As the morning sun grew increasingly fierce, Sawn stood up to pay and signaled to me.
“Let’s go catch a nap first.” He invited me back up to the peak.
I laid out flat on the stone ledge beside the cliff. My eyes began to droop from the mounting fatigue and the heavy sugar from the coffee. But then, my ears caught a tumultuous sound rising from below. I forced myself through the exhaustion, rolled over, and peered through the binoculars.
“What’s that sound? What are they announcing?”
“Ah... that’s the announcement calling for the villagers to gather and protest the central government at the roundabout. They’ll be swarming out soon!” he replied after glancing down for only a moment.
The temple grounds were now in motion. The monks had finished their morning meal and were walking back to their quarters in a line. Temple boys in school uniforms were busy washing piles of dishes stacked like mountains before rushing to school. The sound of children arguing playfully made me feel that no matter what evil occurred in the outside world, the temples of every religion remained cool sanctuaries and refuges for the underprivileged—including these stray dogs.
The chirping of myna birds drifted on the cool breeze. The air in Taunggyi was so pleasant it invited dreams... finally, my eyelids fluttered shut, and I plunged back into sleep.
That sugary coffee didn't help one damn bit.
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