THE TIDE BETWEEN US

THE RISING TIDE

Before 10 AM this morning, A sleek, black SUV pulled up and stopped just outside the resort entrance.

Two men stepped out into the sharp sunlight, their sharp, tailored suits contrasting heavily with the beach surroundings. In their hands, they carried heavy leather folders.

Inside the lobby, the receptionist forced a polite smile.

"Good morning," she greeted them.

"Welcome to Solomon Shores Resort."

"We're looking for Mr. Gabriel Solomon," one of the men replied, his tone devoid of any warmth.

The receptionist hesitated, her fingers hovering over the desk.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No." The man locked eyes with her, his expression cold as stone. "But our business concerns his nephew."

The receptionist's professional smile vanished completely. Cold dread settled in her chest as she reached for the house phone.

"For a while Sir.. I'll inform him immediately."

As expected minutes later, Gabriel entered the lobby with a heads up.

"I'm Gabriel Solomon."

One of the men extended his hand.

"My name is Attorney Victor Reyes.

"And this is Mr. Daniel Cruz. We've been trying to locate Ismael Solomon."

Gabriel's heartbeat quickened. "Why?"

The two men exchanged uneasy glances.

Attorney Reyes slowly opened a folder. "Mr. Solomon....your nephew may have witnessed something he was never supposed to see."

Gabriel's face hardened.

"What are you talking about?"

Atty. Reyes clears his throat and stands straight. "I'm afraid we cannot discuss the details here."

"But if Ismael contacts you..."

The two attorney looked directly into Gabriel's eyes.

"...his life may be in danger."

The words echoed through the quiet lobby.

From behind the reception counter, Sheena froze.

She had only intended to deliver paperwork. Instead, she had overheard the one sentence that shattered every hope she still held. Ismael had disappeared. And those people are looking for him?

"Who are these people?" Sheena whispered.

Now she knows why Ismael didn't reach for her, she did not receive a message from him two months ago.

"Why? and what was happening to him?"

"And everyone was searching for him, to bring him home safely. While I..., I did not know anything... How about his Uncle, did he know this?"

"His life may be in danger."

Sheena talked to herself.

The words lingered in the lobby long after the two visitors had gone.

Gabriel stood motionless, watching the black SUV disappear through the resort's entrance. For years, he had faced storms powerful enough to break ships apart, but nothing had prepared him for the helplessness of not knowing where his nephew was, or whether he was still safe.

Behind the reception counter, Sheena quietly gathered the documents she had been carrying. Her hands trembled, after she had overheard enough.

Ismael wasn't simply avoiding his family. Something far more serious had happened.

Gabriel Solomon returned to his office and closed the door. He placed the business card Attorney Victor Reyes had left on his desk and read it again.

No company logo, only a name. A phone number and office address in Manila.

It felt deliberate. As though the fewer details written on the card, the safer everyone would be.

Then suddenly, a knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in."

Sheena stepped inside.

"I'm sorry for entering without permission."

"It's alright."

She hesitated before speaking. "Was what I heard... is it true?"

Gabriel looked at her for a long moment. He could have lied, almost did, but instead he sighed.

"I don't know how much of it is true. That's why I never told you, but I have no intentions to hurt you."

"But still... he is gone. What did his parents do? And why should I.... nevermind?!" Sheena sobs.

"That two men came looking for Ismael."

Sheena lowered her eyes. "They said his life might be in danger."

Gabriel nodded. "They also refused to explain why."

Silence settled between them.

"I thought he hated me," Sheena whispered.

Gabriel frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"He stopped answering my calls. I convinced myself he wanted nothing more to do with me." Sheena said.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"But if something happened to him...". She couldn't finish the sentence.

Gabriel offered her a box of tissues.

"We don't know that anything has happened."

His voice was calm, but even he wasn't convinced by his own reassurance.

That afternoon, Gabriel drove to the small house where several of his long-time employees lived.

Among them was Noel, the resort's head of security.

"I need a favor."

Noel nodded. "Anything, Sir."

"I want you to review every security recording from the day Ismael left."

Noel looked surprised. "Two months ago?"

"Yes."

"It may take time." Noel said.

"I'll wait." Gabriel said.

He thinks to start his own investigation from his private place before he goes to the outside place. Wonder if he could find some small trace or any sign.

By evening, stacks of archived recordings had been loaded into the security office. Hour after hour, they watched footage from different cameras. Guests checking in. Delivery trucks arriving, and employees beginning their shifts.

Nothing unusual.

But then...

At exactly 8:43 in the morning on the day Ismael departed, a camera overlooking the parking area captured something unexpected.

A silver pickup truck stopped beside Ismael's vehicle.

A man wearing a dark baseball cap stepped out. He spoke briefly with Ismael. The conversation appeared tense.

Ismael looked shocked.

After several minutes, the stranger handed him a sealed envelope. Then the pickup truck drove away.

Gabriel leaned closer to the monitor.

"Can you zoom in?"

The image became clearer, but not enough to identify the stranger's face. Only one detail stood out. A turtle tattoo on the man's right wrist, it's the proof.

Gabriel had never seen it before.

"What happened after this?" he asked.

Noel switched to another camera. Then the footage showed Ismael standing alone for several minutes, staring at the envelope before climbing into his vehicle and leaving the resort.

That was the last recorded image of him.

Later that night, Gabriel couldn't stop thinking about the envelope. What had been inside? Why had it changed Ismael's expression so completely?

Unable to sleep, he searched the guest room where Ismael had stayed. Everything had been cleaned weeks earlier. Fresh linens covered the bed. The closets were empty. He was about to leave when something caught his attention.

One floorboard near the window looked slightly uneven.

Curious, Gabriel knelt and gently lifted it. Hidden beneath was a small waterproof pouch.

Then he found inside of it, was folded letter.

His heart pounded. The handwriting belonged to Ismael. With careful hands, Gabriel unfolded the paper.

> Uncle Gabriel,

If you're reading this, then I wasn't able to explain everything. Someone approached me before I left Surigao. They knew things about my work, my future, and even about our family. They offered me money to keep quiet. When I refused, they warned me that people I love could get hurt. Please don't involve Sheena. She has already suffered enough because of me. I have to find out the truth on my own.

If I fail... Tell my mother I'm sorry.

The letter ended there. No signature and no further explanation.

Gabriel slowly lowered the paper. His breathing became shallow. Whatever Ismael had discovered...

It was dangerous enough to make him disappear willingly.

The following morning, Gabriel asked Sheena to meet him in his office. However Sheena noticed the letter immediately.

"Did you find something?"

He nodded. "I found this hidden in Ismael's room."

He handed it to her.

She read every word. By the time she reached the final line, tears blurred the ink.

"He was trying to protect us."

Gabriel remained silent. "I judged him too quickly."

She closed her eyes.

"I thought he stopped loving me, after I left home."

Gabriel gently folded the letter and placed it back inside its envelope.

"No. he left because he believed he had no choice."

Since Ismael's disappearance, Gabriel realized that someone had threatened his nephew. And that someone knew his place, as a secret hide out.

And if Ismael had tried to protect them... Then perhaps the danger had never truly left Surigao Island.