Under My Protection

Chapter 20

Taking a relieved breath, Phayu returned to his place outside Rain's door, relieving the night guard. He had been temporarily assigned to support Rain's father on a business trip and, therefore, hadn't seen Rain in over a week. He had planned to talk to Rain soon after Sky's visit but had suddenly been instructed to pack and meet at the back driveway within 20 minutes. Passing by Bun Ma on the way to his own bedroom, she gently touched his arm and whispered, "I'll take care of him." He felt simultaneous relief that Rain had someone like Bun Ma and frustration that the opportunity to talk to Rain was being stolen from him.

He tried to create a script of what he would say to Rain. Tried to decide what words would be best to convey his fear, his regret. What he could say so that Rain understood why he had remained silent after the kidnapping attempt. Kidnappping attempt. Phayu hated those two words. Whenever another guard or Bun Ma said them aloud, whenever they slipped into his mind, an unbidden thought that arose too frequently, he felt like vomiting. Like running away from this life. Away from the guilt and sadness that often overwhelmed him.

But, the script he had tried to create was a jumbled mess of words that would most likely upset Rain more than calm him and help him understand. So, Phayu knew he would just have to do his best in the moment and hope Rain would believe him. That his words would encourage Rain to open up as well, explaining his own silence.

So, Phayu waited for Bun Ma to show up with breakfast, bringing Rain to the door, hoping Rain would let him in to talk. Bun Ma seemed confident that Rain would say yes, so he forced himself to remain hopeful her words would prove true.

Carrying Rain's breakfast tray, Bun Ma smiled and gestured with her head for Phayu to knock on the door. Hand trembling, Phayu knocked several times and stepped back to make room for Bun Ma. After no answer, Phayu knocked again, louder, assuming Rain was still sleeping or in the bathroom. They waited several minutes more with no response.

Stomach sinking, Phayu said, "Bun Ma, I'm going in."

Sensing Phayu's increasing panic, Bun Ma nodded, "I'm sure he's just sleeping, Phayu. But, yes, let's go in."

Phayu knocked one last time, announcing loudly, "Rain, Bun Ma and I are coming in."

Opening the door, Phayu walked in ahead of Bun Ma. Rain's bed sat, unmade, with the bedspread laying half across the bed with the other half draped across the floor. Glancing towards the open door of the bathroom, he heard no sounds from the shower or sink and after a brief search, found no Rain.

Behind him, he heard Bun Ma set the tray on the table, "Phayu, the window."

Quickly moving towards the open window, Phayu's only thought was to please let Rain have escaped somehow to spend time alone in the garden, while knowing that Rain would never leave without telling him. After the previous kidnapping attempt, Rain had grown so fearful of the window, they had stationed an extra guard on the ground below. But waiting for him below the window was not Rain but one of Pakorn's night guards on the ground, bleeding from a bullet wound to the temple.

Phayu spoke quickly into his earpiece alerting all the guards that Rain was missing and a guard was dead. While ordering them to search the house and grounds for Rain or evidence of his possible location, he struggled to distance himself from the alarming realization that Rain may be gone. That Rain had been successfully taken this time. Taken from him while he'd been sleeping. Sleeping while Rain had been taken. Failing again to keep him safe. But he pushed those thoughts back and tried to focus on his job.

Calling Channarong, he was met with no response, despite three attempts to reach him as he ran towards the garden and the dead guard. While searching the garden for other clues, the other guards began checking in with no one laying eyes on Rain.

Rain's father arrived, requesting an update from him, with Mai following close behind, reaching forward to take hold of Pakorn's sleeve. Despite Phayu's disgust for the man, he knew he'd have to work with Pakorn if he wanted to get Rain back. "It appears that Rain was taken from his room, dragged out of the window somehow," gesturing at the dead guard lying at his feet. "No one has found him in the house or on the grounds."

Fists clenched, face turning red, Pakorn shook Mai off his arm. Phayu continued, "So far, there is no evidence of who might have done this. Unless you've received a call or have an idea?"

"It could be one of many, but someone is going to suffer," Pakorn replied, deep and menacing, while staring down at the dead guard, briefly nudging the body with his shoe.

Finding it odd that Channarong had not checked in, Phayu asked, "Sir, have you heard from Channarong? I haven't seen or heard from him. He's not answering on the earpieces or on his phone and no one has reported another body on the grounds"

Frowning, Pakorn attempted to call his main guard, also without success.

His fear for Rain overtaking his fear of Pakorn, Phayu further questioned, "Sir, is it possible that Channarong was also taken? Or, well, an accomplice? Part of the plan all along? Even though he was injured, he had been the one with Rain during the last attempt."

At the suggestion, Pakorn's hands wrapped in on themselves, fists curling along his sides at the sudden realization his most trusted servant may have betrayed him.

Looking away from the body, Pakorn's eyes passed by a sobbing Mai, and landed on Phayu. "Gather everyone you deem critical in my office." Then with his eyes narrowing, as if assessing Phayu's worth, he continued, "Consider yourself head guard for now."

After watching Pakorn walk back towards the house, Phayu looked up at Rain's open window, finding Bun Ma staring back down at him, her face mirroring back the agony he was fighting to keep from his face.

Notes:

It's short, but it's here. Thank you for your continued patience. Much love to my patient readers. Thank you for sticking by me.