41

Back in present time

“HOW CAN YOU KEEP SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT LIKE THIS AWAY FROM ME?”

Mr. Wu yelled as he stared bewildered at the sudden turn of events. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME? ALL THIS TIME, I LET YOU GO OUT AND IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO YOU, IF SOMEHOW—YING JIE! WE NEED TO FIND HER AND GET HER BACK—” The phone suddenly broke the heavy atmosphere and Mr. Yan quickly ran over to answer it. “Okay, thank you for your hard work. We will see you there, alright, see you.”

When Mr. Yan hung up the phone, Mike held onto Hebe as everyone waited eagerly for what he has to say.

“WHAT IS IT? DID THE POLICE CALL? WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT DID THEY SAY?! ARE THEY ALRIGHT?”

Mr. Yan walked over to grab his jacket from the hanger, “We are going down to the station.”

Hebe, Mike and Mr. Wu followed Mr. Yan to his car and they sped all the way to the police station. 

................

Upon their arrival, Hebe eyes widen when she saw a group of men dressed in black appear before her. She wanted to run over to them and smack them but Mike held onto to her.

“W—W—Where’s Gui?! W–Where’s Aaron?! U–Uncle, Uncle! UNCLE! WHERE ARE THEY?”

Hebe nervously called out and just then, the chief and the crime investigator walked out of the room to see what the ruckus was all about. Hebe suddenly grew restless. “Please come with us.” Mr. Yan, Mr. Wu, Mike and Hebe followed the two into a room and in an instant, she saw Wu Chun, Jiro and Calvin who were seated in the room.

Something didn’t feel right... What was it?

“Jiro! Calvin! And Wu Chun! I am so happy you guys made it out in time!” Mike agreed as he patted them on the back but something was missing. “Where’s Gui? Where’s Aaron? Where’s my uncle? What happened? WHERE’S GUI?! WHERE’S AARON?! U—UNCLE, UNCLE! WHERE ARE THEY? WHY AREN’T THEY HERE WITH YOU?!”

What is going on?

And before she knew it, her chest started to hurt so much as she held on, trying to stop the heaviness but it wasn’t stopping. 

“They... They are gone...”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY ARE GONE?” Mike shouted out as he slammed his hands on the table, surprising everyone in the room.

“Come, there is something I have to show you.” The chief brought us to another room and in an instant, Mr. Wu and Mr. Yan froze as Hebe broke into tears. Mike lifted the cover and quickly tried to shield Hebe from seeing it but it was too late. She cried harder as if she was frozen in this point of time.

“There is something else.” The chief quietly moved Mr. Yan and Mr. Wu into another room.

“When we arrived to the scene, we could not located Mr. Aaron Yan and Miss. Wu Ying Jie. The window was smashed when we got there. My team is doing their best to break the witnesses who were there. The boys said they jumped into the sea together and it’s the only lead we have.”

Mike punched the cold wall with his bare fists, putting out his anger out at the wall. He was angry, he was more than furious at himself. He should’ve went with his brother, he should’ve been there to back him up. How could this happen? How? Hebe walked back and forth, she wasn’t a firm believer in prayers but she can’t help it.

When Mr. Yan and Mr. Wu came back out to tell the news, Hebe wasn’t able to find her happy place as the stress took over her. Mike caught her before she fell to the floor, he pulled her close and wrapped her in his embrace.

“No... No... I still think Aaron is out there somewhere...  Aaron is probably protecting her with all his strength...”

4 months later,

“This is the Taiwan News Channel reporting, at 2:00A.M. January 23, 2012, a fire broke out just outside of Taipei where it has been reported the gang responsible for the forest fire a month ago has been caught and brought in for questioning. Our Investigation Bureau has stated that regarding the 2005 gang case involving Mr. Wu that lead to his disappearance. Officials can officially close the case stating that Mr. Wu and his family has been falsely accused. It has came to the conclusion that Mr. Wu and his family is not involved in any underground activi...”

For the last couple of months, she didn’t get any news of Gui or Aaron. Throughout the time, the news announcements has been going on and on about what happened and how Mr. VanNess Wu is now cleared of all accusations. 

“Dad, can we turn off the T.V?” Mr. Yan took the remote and turned it off himself. “Mr. Wu and I are going to overseas for business. We won’t be back for a while so Mike,” Mike looked up from his plate. “Take care of the house and Hebe.”

“Yeah, okay.” Hebe looked over to Mike who was still rolling his pea back and forth using his fork. Then Mr. Wu and Mr. Yan excused themselves and headed upstairs where they began packing for their trip overseas.

“Are you still thinking of them?” Just when Hebe asked him that question, Mike’s secretary walked into the room with a folder. “It’s alright no more secrets, just tell me here.”

“Alright, Albee did some digging and she did think there is a possibility that they are still alive but the whereabouts are scattered. The wave current that night had been at the highest but there was some civilians that claim to see a boat depart from a dock around the same time the police started to move to the abandoned warehouse. Although the times are considered irrelevant, Albee believe that this could be a possible lead.”

“Did you guys find the boat?”

“Sadly no, we couldn’t locate the boat anywhere Taiwan. We believe it sailed across borders.”

“Alright, is this everything you need to tell me?”

“As of right now, yes.”

The secretary walked away at Mike’s instruction and Hebe caught his gaze. She knew he hasn’t been able to sleep properly, they have been dreading this matter for a long time. His brother was missing and her sister is as well, both; haven't gotten a good night’s rest.

Mike continues to look at his food. “I will like to believe that they are still alive, somewhere out there, they will come back to us and until then, we will not stop.” Hebe reached over to caresses his hand. “We will find them, Mike.”

“What am I going to do without you?”

“Well, you could have passed out or—get married to someone else or—walked away.” Mike signalled her to move closer to him and she did, she leaned in close enough to receive a light pinch on the nose. “Seriously, what am I going to do without you?” She flicked him on the forehead. “You need to get ready for work.”

“Are you coming with me?”

“No. I am going to tend to the garden.”

“The garden?”

“Yes, the garden has been feeling sad recently so I am going to spend my time in the garden today.”

Flashback

“When this is all over…” He carefully drops the flowers in her head, he leans in to kiss her. “I just want to be by your side. I cannot imagine myself without you.”

End of Flashback

Just when Hebe was about to leave him, he called out to her. “Do you still remember my proposal?”

Hebe stops to shake her head. “Are you serious? You forgot about it?!” Hebe closes her eyes tightly as she heard Mike walk out of the room furiously. She’s all alone now as she recalled his proposal.

“Sorry Mike... I cannot let you stay with me after all this has happened to us... Not now...”

She found herself walking into the garden with tears coming out as she grazed her hands through the beautiful flowers. As the wind blew past her, the petals flew along as well. She closed her eyes and cries, where are you guys?