Pools of Blood

Chapter 52

Have you ever felt a bolt of electric shock so deep that it literally frenzied your sinews and fried your nerves? Franks’ call made me feel that. All over my body, a felt a jolt of shock as if a thousand electric eels stung me all at once. My brain froze for a moment and my heart almost collapsed.

I was about to fall unconscious just like a woman would have done when Jasmine held me tightly.

" No. Nothing is going to happen to mom and dad. nothing." She tried her best to console me. but I knew the truth.

The man who killed his own father for the property, the man who killed his girlfriend after f*****g her, the man who can r**e anyone out of the blue, is capable of doing anything. That was the last card he played. He knew very well, that Alfred’s mom and dad are the only living people I had, the only ones who were the main plug of my life. and diffusing them would kill me straight away. I had already suffered enough by losing my parents, wife, brother. And now, my godparents too were captured by him. The video that he showed was heart-wrenching. They were mercilessly tied with a pole and they were crying in pain. Recently the pain of losing their child hasn’t subsided, the pain of seeing their daughter-in-law in a drenched condition still rang fresh in their minds, on top of that, they were hurled by Frank another brutal stroke. What was their fault? What was my fault? Not a day passed where I had slept in peace. Not a day passed when I had laughed freely. I had always flinched and mercilessly whipped by my Fates. I looked at Jasmine. Tears were streaking down her cheeks. She was crying silently. Poor girl! How much more did she need to suffer? I asked the mocking Fates. In a span of a month, she had lost her image, her child, her husband, and now the ones she called her parents.

" I have never felt the love of a mom until I met her. She is the real embodiment of Mother Teresa. So kind, so much compassionate and so much full of love for me. I once told Alfred that he was lucky to have a mom like her. She is a jewel, you know", Jasmine whispered in her tears. I nodded. I to felt the same way. No one cared for me when I was alone. No one pulled me closer and hugged me and said comforting words. She came like an angel from the moon. Her face was glowing brightly and she was the most beautiful creation of God. I never remember how my own biological mom looked like. But every time I saw her, I felt, maybe all mothers looked like her, so serene and pure in love. Her dedication and filial love for her children was unmatched. Never she compared or partially favored Alfred over me. We both were like her two eyes and Amiya was her heart. She was the one responsible for our good upbringing, for what we always have been.

Now on thinking, I realized one thing. Not everyone’s mother is like her. Frank’s mom taught him to kill his father. He taught him to commit p*******e, snatching other innocent people’s lives, hunger for wealth, and greed. Monica herself was a monster and she produced a Caliban.

"The court has announced the arrest of Frank a long time ago. Why isn’t he still been arrested? How did he kidnap mom and dad from your place? It's always well guarded with high securities. Then how? ", Jasmine asked. I too was wondering the same thing. When their secret infiltration in the police department, caching the thief becomes almost next to impossible. Because he gets all the necessary help from within the force. I pulled out my phone and dialed Bo Chang Number. After a few rings, someone picked up.

" Hello? Michael?", it was Angela.

-" Angela. Where is Boss? "

She remained silent for a few moments and then started to cry.

"Michael we can't find him anywhere."

-" WHAT? "

-"Yes. From yesterday night we can't find him anywhere. We were at the office. He came and said that he was going out for a snack in the canteen. That was the last time I saw him. He even didn’t carry his phone with him. He simply vanished."

I felt uneasy and I wanted to pull my hair and shriek in anger. What the f**k was happening everywhere?

"Angela, did you hear about my parent's kidnapping? "

-"WHAT? What the f**k are you talking Michael? Are you out of your mind? Your parents are completely fine. I met them at lunch yesterday afternoon."

Jasmine looked bewildered just like me. We couldn’t make any head or tail of what was happening.

"Angela I am sending you a video link. Go through it and then please send someone to my house for a check. If my parents aren’t there, that means they have been kidnapped at night, maybe the same time as Bo Chang’s disappearance. I am coming back to Seoul as fast as I can".

She agreed and I hung up.

" Michael, this isn’t some random kidnapping. I don’t think Frank did it all alone. Someone is behind this too."

-"Yes. You are right. It's not easy to kidnap Bo Chang, neither my dad. Both are veteran Army cadets, trained and strong on their feet. There must be a cauldron boiling somewhere."

-" Mr.Topaz too cannot be ruled out as completely innocent."

I nodded. Jasmine had a valid point regarding his nature. Naturally, all her predicaments had turned out real.

" How can you predict someone so accurately? Do you have some superpowers or what? "

She gave a faint smile.

"No. Just a good skill of observance."

-"You would have been a good detective, do you know that?"

-"Yeah. Alfred too used to say this. Maybe I will try to open an agency after all these ends on a good note".

I nodded. I too have plans after all these. After I have arrested Frank and ended all these disasters.

" I want you to stay here, Jasmine".

-"Why?", she looked at me in surprise.

-" Because you have to do two things. One keeps an eye on Mr.Topaz and second, read the book and try to analyze the clue hidden deep within it. You are more intellectually advanced than me in these cases, I can not deny that. In the meantime, I am going back to Seoul. And find clues on Bo Chang’s disappearance and if both the cases are interlinked or not."

She nodded. "The hotel view seems fine to my health. Fresh air will help me to focus on this task."

-"Yes. And Mr.Topaz shouldn't find any hint that we are keeping tabs on him. Mask your intentions and wear a sweet smile. Even my parents' disappearance should be kept in wraps. Pretend that I have gone for some emergency medical workout in the capital for a day or two. That would suffice. The two disappearances must not be leaked to the media or chaos would run rampant everywhere. The dominant and aristocratic thunderous attitude of Bo Chang kept all the criminals of the country at bay. If they found out that he is kidnapped they would start their actions again. All hell would run loose, now with the jailer is gone."

-"I am afraid, that’s what is Frank planning".