CLOSE TO YOU

The car was filled with the stench of bile and sushi but I had to make sure we were safe before I pulled up alongside the road.
Metavee ran as soon as she opened the door and vomited some more.
When I joined her on the grassy part of the deserted field, she was on her knees, retching.
Sweat covered the small forehead.
I knelt down beside her and swept the long hair away from her face.
“Are you going to be okay?” I asked when she stopped.
“I don’t think so,” She wiped the side of her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Stay here,” I walked back to the car and opened the glove compartment to get the box of tissue.
Vomit was on the floor so I grabbed the mat and tossed it outside
Metavee was sitting on the ground when I gave her the box.
“Now, aren’t you glad we didn’t use your car?” I sat beside her.
“How can you make a joke out of this?” She pulled hard on the tissue, ripping it into shreds.
“I’m just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Lighten the mood? We almost died. Look at you,” She pointed at my face.
“You’re still bleeding.”
“This is nothing. What’s important is you’re alive,” I pulled out multiple sheets of tissue and press it on the side of my face.
“We’re both alive,” She corrected.
“Fine. But why are you mad?”
“I’m not mad. I’m scared.”
“You get angry when you’re scared?”
“Because I don’t understand how you could joke about what happened.”
“Ma’am...”
“Call me May.”
“Okay. May, I’m not being callous but I know you’re terrified and making a joke out of it was my way of making you less scared.”
“You don’t have to do that. What happened to us was very serious. We could have been killed.”
“That’s what they want. This is why you hired me.”
“I didn’t. It was my cousin.”
“Whatever.”
“We have to call the cops. They have to know what happened.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I looked away and saw police cars coming towards us.
The blaring of the sirens broke the silence of the night.
I was thinking the whole commotion was probably captured by traffic cameras eventually alerting the cops.

The patrol cars stopped on the side of the road.
A slender woman came out and approached us.
I helped May up on her feet.
“Attorney Metavee?”
“Captain Decha-anek.”
The police captain gave me a curious look.
“We were alerted about an incident on the road. What happened?”
“Our car was followed by people, men, on motorbikes. This was not a random attack and could be related to what happened to me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We were being shot at. Whoever was behind this was determined to kill me.”
“But they didn’t.”
“No. Thanks to my bodyguard, the only thing I have to worry about are small cuts. Captain, do you have any leads as to why they would do this?”
“We are still looking for the suspect who attacked you the last time.”
“You still don’t know who that person is?” I asked.
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“What do you mean by that?”
I opened my mouth to answer but May grabbed the sleeve of my dark suit.
I closed my mouth again.
The cop glared at me.
I ignored her reaction.
“We have a lot to do here but I will make sure to give you an update. I will also be in touch with you in case we have more questions. In the meantime, we’d better get you both to the hospital to make sure you’re okay.”
A medic came over and ushered us inside the ambulance.
May and I sat beside each other.
None of us said anything.

I thought of what happened tonight and how it had been a long time since I had to deal with such an attack.
My boss gave me the details about May and I was ready for anything that could happen.
But no matter how many times I experience this, it still doesn’t change the fact that I feared for our safety.
I never showed them I was scared because that was a weakness that would definitely get us killed.
Tonight was no different.
I made a joke out of it but deep inside, I worried for May.
She was shaken and terrified.
Who wouldn’t be?
I bet that aside from what happened the last time, this encounter was on a different level.
If May had no idea then of how much in danger she was, tonight definitely changed that.

We were taken to a hospital and were assigned in the same room.
Aside from the cuts from the shards of glass that flew everywhere, she was okay physically speaking.
But mentally?
This was out of the ordinary.
It would take a big toll on her mental state.
If the first attack didn’t mess with her head yet, this one definitely upped the ante.

I needed a few stitches for the cut on my face.
The doctor just finished with my treatment when a guy in a lab coat came in.
He rushed towards May.
I jumped out of the examination table ready to tackle him but May raised her hand to stop me.
“It’s okay.”
I took a step back.
“He’s my cousin.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
“We were chased by a group of men in motorbikes.”
“Shit. Did you call the police?”
“They saw what happened on the traffic cameras.”
“Do they know who did this?”
“No.”
“Are you sure you’re alright? Nothing hurts anywhere?”
“I’m fine, P’ Ton. Ai, on the other hand, needed stitches.”
“You’re the bodyguard.”
“Yes.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s just another day on the job.”
He frowned.
“She likes to make jokes,” May didn’t get upset this time.
“Do you know who’s behind the attack?” The doctor asked me.
“I have no idea.”
“May, I don’t think it’s safe for you here.”
“You want me to go away again?”
“But you changed your mind the first time. After what happened tonight, I think it’s best if you leave until the cops figure this out.”
“Where can I go, P’Ton? My parents house? I’d rather die than go back there.”
“Don’t say that. Just think of what happened to you tonight.”
“What if whoever is after me finds out where I am? Any place I go doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be safe.”
“I know a place.”
May and the doctor looked at me.
“Where?”
“Nam Jai.”
“You knew about Nam Jai?” The doctor asked.
“Yes. No one can find you there.”
“Are you sure of that?”
“Of course. That place is like the land that time forgot except there are no dinosaurs.”
They frowned, clearly unaware of the reference.
“How do you know about that place?” May asked.
“I grew up there.”
“Do you have family in Nam Jai?”
“I do.”
“Who?”
“My grandmother.”
“Ai, you know how dangerous my situation is. I don’t want your grandmother to be involve in this.”
“If you don’t want to go to Nam Jai, where can you go?”
She didn’t answer.
“I know you’re worried about my grandmother but I assure you, if there’s a place where no one can find you, it’s in the island.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Nam Jai is the place you go to if you want to be forgotten.”
“That sounds scary.”
“But it’s the perfect place for you to hide,” Her cousin said.
May let out a sharp exhale but I could see that she was considering the idea.
I thought of my grandmother.
It had been months since I last saw her.
I promised I would come back and we would work on renovating the bed and breakfast but that didn’t happen.
The situation with May was not ideal but her cousin was right.
If she wanted to lay low for a while, Nam Jai is the perfect hiding place.
“What about the cops?” May blurted.
“What about them?”
“What if they need something from me?”
“I’ll take care of them,” Her cousin answered.
“Right now, what’s important is your safety.”
“I guess I’m going to Nam Jai then.”
Her cousin looked very pleased.