MINE, YOURS ONLY (SHORT STORY)

CHAPTER 4

The day had dragged on longer than Sailub could bear. Despite the progress the detectives had made in tracking down Pon's movements, there was still no sign of him.

The breakthrough had come when they'd finally managed to piece together where Pon had been before he disappeared in Siam Discovery Mall. But even with that vital lead, the search had hit a dead end.

Every phone call Sailub made was met with silence. Every message he sent to Pon's phone went unanswered.

The anxiety gnawed at him relentlessly, turning his insides into a twisted knot of fear and guilt.

The thought of Pon, alone and unreachable, made his heart ache. Where is he? Why won't he respond?

Sailub leaned against the large window of Pavel's office, staring out at the bustling streets of Bangkok.

The city moved on around him, but inside, he felt as if time had come to a screeching halt. He couldn't keep still, his mind racing through every possible scenario.

His phone buzzed suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts. It was another message from one of the detectives, a glimmer of hope in the form of information.

"Sir, we've checked the CCTV footage from Siam Discovery Mall. Pon was seen leaving with a man who was Boss, the high school friend he mentioned. They walked out of the mall around 3:00 PM. We followed up with the nearby establishments, but no one has seen him since. No one has any information about where they went after that."

Sailub's breath hitched as he stared at the message. Pon had been with Boss. A person Sailub didn't know, and that alone filled him with dread. His hands shook as he typed a quick response.

"Find him. Find Boss. Get everything on him. I want to know where Pon is."

The response came immediately: "We're on it, sir."

Sailub glanced over at Pavel, who had been silent for most of the afternoon, observing the investigation unfold.

His friend didn't need to say anything for Sailub to know what was on his mind he was just as worried as Sailub was.

Pavel stood up from his desk and walked over to Sailub, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find him. You can't do this alone. You don't need to carry this burden by yourself."

Sailub nodded, but his heart was heavy with doubt. What if we don't find him in time?

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and one of the detectives stepped inside.

"Sir, we've got a possible lead. We spoke to a few of Pon's colleagues and some people who frequent the same places he visits. There's a chance we've tracked down a friend of Boss who might know something about Pon's whereabouts. We're meeting with him now."

Sailub's pulse quickened. "Where is he?"

The detective gave him a brief nod. "We're heading to the café near the mall where they were last seen."

Sailub didn't waste another second. "Let's go. Now."

As they rushed out of Pavel's mansion, the tight grip of fear settled deeper into Sailub's chest. His mind raced with questions. What if Pon's in trouble? What if Boss is hiding something? Why didn't Pon try to reach me?

The drive to the café felt like an eternity, the streets blurring by as his thoughts continued to spiral.

The weight of the moment pressed on him, but there was no room for hesitation. He couldn't afford to think about what might be. He had to focus on finding Pon.

Finally, they arrived at the café. It was a small, quiet place tucked away in a corner of the city, with only a handful of people inside.

Sailub's heart pounded as they walked in, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of Pon. The detectives quickly made their way to the back, where the informant was waiting.

Sailub stood near the door, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. Every second felt like an eternity.

"Sir," one of the detectives called to him from the back. "He's here. He says he knows where Boss took Pon."

Sailub's breath caught in his throat. "Where is he? Where is Pon?"

The man, a lanky figure with a nervous look on his face, stood up from the table, holding out a piece of paper. "I don't know much about Boss, but I've seen them together a few times. Pon was always quiet about their meetings. But I overheard something that might help. After the mall, Boss took Pon to a hotel a private one on the outskirts of the city."

Sailub's heart skipped a beat. A hotel. What was Pon doing there? was he forced by boss?

The detective quickly wrote down the details of the hotel and handed it to Sailub. "We'll head there immediately. We'll be ready to move in if anything's wrong."

Sailub nodded, his mind spinning. A hotel? What was Boss planning? Why was Pon with him?

As the detectives got into position, Sailub couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He felt like he was running out of time, like the world was closing in on him.

Sailub stared at the address, the weight of the moment settling deep in his chest. He was almost there. He could almost reach Pon. But the fear, the uncertainty, still lingered.

"Let's go," Sailub said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The SUV roared to life, and as they sped toward the hotel, Sailub couldn't stop himself from asking the questions that haunted him: Where was Pon? What had happened to him? Was he in danger?

The answers he desperately sought still seemed far away, just out of reach.