The Dutchman

(Not political nor combat oriented; the war is merely a backdrop.) For Dutch, the Vietnam War is opportunity come a-knockin'! A money tree in a forest of money trees. Southeast Asia has no shopping malls, factory outlets, K-Marts. Enter The Dutchman; Anything, Anywhere, Anytime - if one's willing to pay the price. Wars are a money pit, and Dutch owns the pit, lock, stock, and barrel. Making money hand over fist, knowing heads of state on a first-name basis offers a calculated yet casual lifestyle; sure, there's a war on -- excuse me, "police action" -- and to the entrepreneur, go the spoils. Such is the life as Dutch balances friend against foe, cautious never to be more than a blip on the radar, so it would have remained had he not elevated the stakes. Foreign heads-of-state financing the war find themselves left holding an empty bag, and Dutch is suddenly on the run, unintentionally happening upon a small village/hamlet in the highlands the war appears to have bypassed, where one can lie low and – hopefully – be forgotten. Unfortunately, lying low is not in Dutch's resume; creatively mixing a few old contacts with new prospects and hello opportunity – it is game on. Dutch creates the nightclub/casino to end all nightclub/casinos deep within a monstrous cavern complex on the Viet/Lao border, with transportation supplied by Air America. It is neutral ground, where East/West/North/South can leave their lives and wars behind and spend lots of money, having a good time. Dutch is again the owner of the money pit, figuratively and literally, but with one glitch: the village that offered him shelter has transformed from material object to emotional attachment, a consideration which, before, had never been a factor in the bottom line. This attachment, not money, pits Dutch against heads-of-state – this time, the West included. But Dutch has one hand left to play, an ace up his sleeve worth more than money alone – blackmail. Dutch knows where all the skeletons are buried in the power capitals of the world and has both the proof and the means to expose all. Dutch has one demand: The war will continue to bypass the village, so long as this remains the case, lives and careers are safe – anyone breaks the rules, everyone loses. Every head-of-state, ranking officer, or influential dignitary wants Dutch's head; so long as he is alive, they and their pampered lifestyles are in jeopardy; North and South, East and West coordinate their efforts – Dutch must be found and eliminated. For Dutch's plan to succeed and for the innocent villagers to survive the war unscathed, he must disappear and buy time – because time breeds opportunity.