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Black belt

Fiction: The story of a ‘natural’ death in the generals’ Burma.

Black belt
Illustration: Paul Aitchison

The phone call was frantic and not clear.  It sounded as if the cell phone's batteries were failing. My friend's voice quavered.  He sounded as if he was going to cry.

"Bring all the guys and your mother," he said. "Come quickly."

I could not get anything out of him except where he was. He needed help getting to the hospital.

It was 2 am. It was raining.