8
Rebecca POV
I spy little Nat with Nam and Heng, excitedly talking their ears off. Nam is holding her cheeks as she stares at the boy and Heng is turning redder and redder as the minutes tick by.
My eyes drift around the room, searching for her. Freen doesn't seem to be mixed into the crowd and when I checked in with May she said she was off in a hurry to the restroom.
I wander around the venue looking for Freen. An unpleasant gnawing feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. Something isn't right.
…
As I make my way to the valet parking attendants, a white sedan zooms out of the circle driveway narrowly missing one of the valets.
"Hey!" The man shouts, waving his fist at the driver.
"Excuse me, did you happen to see the driver? Were they one of the guests?"
"No ma'am. He didn't use our service. He was lingering around here before a woman came out to meet him."
"I need my car." My eyes panicked. "Right away please."
"Yes ma'am." The valet runs off, sensing the urgency in my voice.
I call Toh while I wait for my car to pull up.
"Hey Phi-"
"I need you to track Freen's location."
"On it." Toh's response is immediate. This is why he's on my payroll. "Khaojao, come!"
"What?!" His muffed reply comes.
"Gon is in the area. And at one point, he was really close to Freen's location then started getting further away from her and the venue."
I hop into the front seat as soon as the valet gets out. I hand him a random bill and speed out of the driveway, clipping a bush on my way out.
"Follow him." My hands are tense around the steering wheel. When I get my hands on this bastard..
I fumble through the center console, reaching for my work cell. I call Gun and tell him to assemble a unit to intercept Gon. "..I need you to relay the situation to only Fay and Billy. This is an extremely sensitive situation and no one at the party should know except you, Fay and Billy."
"Yes boss." Gun says amidst the background chatter.
"If anyone asks about Freen then say that she's with me."
"Yes boss." I end the call and listen for Khaojao's directions.
…
Freen POV
I wake up to a pounding headache and my hands tied.
What?
The last thing I remember before everything going black is Gon's sinister grin.
"Finally awake." A voice says in the dark void.
I blink my eyes rapidly to adjust to the darkness surrounding us.
"Mr. Gon?"
"That's right." He smiles eerily.
"Why?" I fight the tremor in my voice.
"You. You're the reason why," he angrily chews out the words. "I was fired from my job. And I got all these false charges. And my dad is threatening to cut me out of the inheritance if I don't move out of the country. My life is over."
He holds his head in hands, shaking all over.
"But everything will be ok." He lifts his head, eyeing me. "As long as I get rid of you. Everything will be ok."
"Mr. Gon, I don't think…"
"THEN DON'T THINK!" He shouts, slamming his hand down on the table beside me. Its contents rattle and I try not to dwell on what's on it.
"Please." I pleaded with him. I can't die. Nat needs me.
"Don't worry, Freen. I'll make sure your death is as painful as possible," His eyes taking on an evil glint. "And I won't sexually harass you. You're too disgusting to derive any pleasure from my putting my hands on you."
"Please Mr. Gon, let's talk." I'm sobbing. My life is at the mercy of some psycho. Oh Nat. I'm so sorry. Your phi is sorry.
…
Rebecca POV
My hairs prick up at the back of my neck. Khaojao’s voice drones on in the background as I get closer and closer to their last known location.
If he so much as touches a hair on her head, I swear-
“BECKY!” Toh’s voice brings me back to the surface. “CCTV places her in the warehouse.”
“Ok.” I swallow down my hatred, fear for Freen’s safety taking priority. “Update the team.”
Toh and Khaojao voice their affirmatives before I hang up.
“I’m here, Freen.” I slip my discreet firearm into my waistband.
…
“Who’s there!” Gon shouts, halting his hand in the air. He’s holding a blade in his hand over a slumped over Freen.
I see red.
“It’s me.” I step out of the shadows, brandishing my gun.
“Becca?” He stares at me, puzzled.
“Leave.” I grit out, resisting the urge to empty my magazine. “Now. Get out!”
“Y-yes.” The knife clatters to the ground as he scrambles to the door. “I won’t forget this, Becca.”
He sounds grateful.
Little does this bastard know.
Once Gon “escapes”, I hurry over to Freen’s side. I press the back of my hand to her forehead. She’s burning up. I wipe my prints off the firearm and toss it to the side. My phone lights up with a message from Gun.
Caught dog. Will confine.
With the confirmation that Gon won’t be making another appearance, I quickly untie Freen. She falls into my arms as we slide down to the floor.
“…B-bec” Her voice cracks as her eyes flutter open.
I hold her close and murmur reassurances to her.
“I got you.”
“It’ll be ok.”
“Breathe baby breathe”.
Freen shakes uncontrollably, lifting her head to search my eyes.
“Nat.” Freen gets more panicky if that’s even possible. “Where’s Nat? Is Nat ok? Did something happen to Nat-”
I hug her tighter, pulling Freen further into me, my hand coming up to caress the back of her head.
“He’s ok.” I tell her, tightening my hold. Anything to lessen the trembling. “May and Babe are with him.”
“Take me to him.”
“Ok.” I nod. “Ok. But first we should take you to the hospital to get checked out-”
“I’m fine.” Freen says sharply. “I just…I need to see Nat.”
Her chest heaves. Pupils blown.
“Ok. Let’s go see Nat.” I loosened my hold, watching carefully as Freen got up. When I get up next, Freen laces our fingers together.
I smile softly at her, leading the way to the car.
“How’d you find me?”
“P’Gun.”
“Oh.” Freen ponders. “Is he…dangerous?”
“He’s my…bodyguard,” I searched for the right word to describe Gun.
“Oh. Ok.” I look back to see Freen rubbing her arms.
“Here.” I shimmy out of my suit jacket and help her slip it on. I grab her hand again and we continue to make our way to my car.
The car ride back to the venue is silent. Freen’s ironclad grip on my hand loosens the further we drive from where Gon had taken her.
Freen POV
I’m about to open the car door and take off running to Nat but Becky pulls my hand away from the door handle. She hops out of the driver seat and slides over the hood of the car. She opens my door and offers her hand.
I thanked her, took her hand and stepped out of the car. As I stand, I lose my balance and tumble forward. Becky’s quick to wrap an arm around my waist and pull me back into her.
“Are you ok?” She says beside my ear, I shiver for a different reason of being cold.
I nod, trying to find my footing but my legs seem to be in an uncooperative mood.
“I think I’ll cut off your legs first.”
My knees bend against my will as I recall what would’ve happened only moments earlier.
Becky holds me closer. I sigh in relief.
It’s ok. Becky is here. Becky is warm and solid.
She turns me around, hands firmly around my waist. “Put your arms around me.”
Becky frees one hand to help put mine around her when I don’t move. Then she twists her body around the best she can in the awkward position. Becky crouches slightly to slip her hands underneath my thighs and lift me up.
“Becky!” I flop onto her back, my arms locking around her neck.
“-Freen,” she coughs, adjusting her grip.
“Sorry.” I loosen my arms, letting them fall over her shoulders.
“If you don’t want to go to the hospital, please let P’Nam do a check up.” Becky says, walking past the valet services and toward the venue entrance.
“Ok.”
As we’re walking, I ask Becky one question that won’t leave my mind. “Why didn’t you call the police?”
“…I was worried about what would happen to Nat,” Becky says finally after waiting a couple of breaths.
“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
“You recently moved to Chiang Mai. Gon…He’s lived here his whole life and the Jintakoson family has a lot of influence.”
“But what does that have to do with Nat?”
“He used Nat to lure you, didn’t he?”
“How did you know?” My eyes flutter in surprise.
“Anyone with eyes can see your love for the boy.” Becky tightens her hold around my thighs. “If he reported you to the CAC, they might’ve taken his word against yours especially after a hefty donation. Then Nat would…”
Becky trails off but I know what she’s implying.
“…and now he’s on the run.” My blood runs cold.
“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”
“We?”
“‘Of course! We’re in this together.”
“Why?”
“I feel responsible. This probably wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t work at Armstrong-”
“Mae!”
Nat ran up to us with tears in his eyes. He sobs, pulling on Becky’s shirt. “Where did you go? Don’t leave me.”
Becky carefully lets me down, snaking her arm around my waist. I’m grateful for the help, my legs still feel unsteady. Becky bends to lift Nat up with her other arm. She holds still while I cradle his face, wiping the tears off his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Luk Chai.”
“Don’t leave, don’t leave.” Nat pleads, slumping over having cried himself to exhaustion.
“P’Nam.” Becky calls her over. “Can you run a quick check up on Freen?”
She nods, no questions asked as she moves to lead me away.
“Can you come?” I hold onto Becky’s sleeve. “I don’t want him to wonder where I am.”
Becky smiles, adjusting Nat to rest more comfortably in her arms. “Of course. Let’s go.”
I lean on P’Nam as we move to a private room in the venue.