Chapter 11: The Baby's Cries and the Military Checkpoint
The dust from the fertilizer sacks and the musty odor that permeated the space under the tarpaulin covering the back of the ten-wheeler truck made Amorn cough sporadically. She tried to use an old piece of cloth she found in Ar-Chin's leather bag to cover her own nose and mouth and that of the little baby, but it offered little help. The constant vibrations from the rough, potholed road made her exhausted body ache in every part, especially her back, which had to constantly support Ar-Chin to prevent him from hitting the truck bed or the hard fertilizer sacks.
Ar-Chin, after drinking his first bottle of milk and having his diaper changed (Amorn had spares in the bag), seemed to calm down for only a short while. But soon, loud wails of discomfort and unease erupted once more, this time seemingly louder and more prolonged than before. Amorn tried everything to soothe him, from pacing in the cramped space to singing soft lullabies, but nothing worked. The little baby continued to cry incessantly.
"Oh… shhh, there, there, my darling… be quiet now, my good boy…" Amorn murmured, her voice trembling, filled with exhaustion and anxiety. She was terrified that Ar-Chin's cries would reach the driver and his mate upfront, or worse, the soldiers who might be at a checkpoint ahead.
The warning signal from the truck mate, tapping on the side of the truck bed, came again, more frequently and urgently this time. Amorn knew instantly they were approaching another checkpoint. She quickly held Ar-Chin tighter, trying to shield him with her body as much as possible, while praying repeatedly in her heart for everything to pass smoothly.
The truck began to slow down noticeably. The engine's roar, once loud, gradually softened until she could clearly hear the sound of the tires crunching on the laterite road. Amorn heard the low voices of the driver conversing with someone outside, in a local northern dialect, but she couldn't make out much of it. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would leap from her chest.
"Be quiet, son… please, Ar-Chin… be quiet now, good boy…" she pleaded with the infant in a whisper, but he seemed not to understand or sense the impending danger. His crying continued, though it had softened somewhat.
Suddenly, the tarpaulin covering one side of the truck bed was violently ripped open! Bright light from outside flooded in, forcing Amorn to squint to adjust her eyes. At the opening stood two soldiers in camouflage uniforms, holding rifles at the ready, their eyes sweeping across the dim truck bed with a harsh and unfriendly gaze!
"Anyone on this truck! Out for inspection, now!" one soldier barked loudly.
Amorn froze as if petrified! Fear gripped her heart, sending a chill through her entire body. She tried to move further behind the fertilizer sacks, but knew there was no escaping the soldiers' sight. Ar-Chin's persistent cries only worsened the situation.
"That's a baby's cry! There's a child on board!" the other soldier exclaimed, quickly stepping onto the back of the truck, his gun still aimed unwaveringly at Amorn.
"Ma'am! What are you doing up here! Get down, now!" the first soldier ordered sharply.
Amorn had no other choice. She slowly moved out from her hiding place, trying to shield Ar-Chin with her body as much as possible. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes darting nervously, but she still tried to maintain her composure.
"I… I just hitched a ride with my son… We're going back home to the province… a relative is critically ill," Amorn tried to explain, her voice trembling.
The two soldiers looked at each other, their eyes still full of suspicion and distrust. "Coming from Bangkok, are you? Didn't you hear the announcement? Travel is prohibited unless absolutely necessary!"
"It really is necessary… it was very sudden…"
"And this child… is something wrong with him? Why won't he stop crying?" the soldier on the truck asked, leaning in to look closely at Ar-Chin.
Amorn's heart skipped a beat! This was what she feared most! If they suspected Ar-Chin was "infected" or a "target," what would happen?
"He… he's just hungry and a little uncomfortable… babies are like that," Amorn tried to answer as normally as possible.
The soldier continued to stare intently at Ar-Chin for a moment before turning to speak to his colleague below in the local dialect. Amorn couldn't understand everything, but she caught some words: "red baby," "crying loudly," and "annoying."
Amorn's heart pounded so hard it almost stopped. She prayed they would let her go without any further suspicion.
After the two soldiers conversed for a while, the one below nodded, then turned to Amorn, his voice slightly softer but still firm. "Alright, alright, hurry up and get down from the truck. We're about to search this vehicle thoroughly. You need to wait at that checkpoint post over there first." He pointed to a small guard post a short distance away.
Though not entirely safe, the fact that they didn't show overtly threatening behavior or much suspicion towards Ar-Chin gave Amorn a slight sense of relief. She thanked the two soldiers, her voice trembling, before carefully climbing down from the back of the truck, one soldier holding her arm to assist (perhaps more out of duty than sympathy).
Just as she was about to walk towards the checkpoint post as instructed, she clearly heard one of the soldier's radio crackle to life:
"…Notification from central command… all checkpoints to increase rigor in inspecting individuals and vehicles traveling from Bangkok, especially those accompanied by newborn infants… repeat… newborn infants… reports suggest suspicious individuals may be attempting to smuggle a 'high-value target' out of the controlled zone… if sighted, detain for immediate investigation!"
Those words struck Amorn like a sledgehammer blow to the heart! "High-value target!" "Newborn infants!" It was all too clear! Ar-Chin… he really was the target they were looking for!
Amorn whirled around to look at the two soldiers who had just let her off the truck. The way they were looking at her and Ar-Chin had now changed! It was filled with suspicion, alertness, and… the glint of a predator that had found its prey!
"Wait!" one soldier shouted loudly, raising his rifle and aiming it at her again. "Ma'am! Stop right there! We need to inspect the child in your arms thoroughly again!"
In that instant, Amorn knew she had no other choice. Negotiations or pleas would no longer work. The only thing she could do now… was to run! Run for her life to protect Ar-Chin!