107 Jia's Abduction

After exchanging goodbyes, the couple left. Jia and Jim were also packing up. Today would also be their last but they would first go for a helicopter tour to get a good view of Palawan's Bacuit Archipelago.

Palawan is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines but above all, there is the archipelago of Bacuit, which is considered as one of the most beautiful bays in the world. It is composed of dozens of islands and islets, lagoons with turquoise waters, all surrounded by huge karst peaks and lush rainforests.

After breakfast, back in the hotel, Jia packed up all their things. They went ahead to the hotel's lobby, waiting for the arrival time of the helicopter Jim had booked. It would still be after an hour and a half, so Jim pulled out his laptop and began working on some business matters.

Jia made herself busy as well by scanning all the photos she had taken all throughout their stay here. Then, she thought of calling her son. If not for the awkwardness of talking to Anthon first, she would have called up her son many times a day.

"Jia..."Anthon's voice was on the line.

"Ton, how are you and Jian? "She asked, mentioning him first to avoid complications like the one during her previous call.

"We're fine. Jian is enjoying as well.

I made him occupied the whole night until he falls asleep so that he won't be looking for his mom."

There was no more bitterness in Anthon's voice and he talked to her as if she was somebody else. Perhaps, Jian's presence somehow eased his pain.

"How about his milk? Is it still enough? " Jia asked in a worried voice.

"Jia, I could buy tons of milk...and from now on, I would like to shoulder all his needs."

"Thanks, Ton. We'll talk about it later when we will be back. Let me talk to my son, please."

"Our son..." Anthon said, teasing her.

She did not want to start another argument, so she went on with the tide.

"Yes, our son."

Soon, the shrill voice of Jian took off all her worries right away. She could really tell that the child was really having a good time with his own father. And she knew, Anthon could be a good one.

"See you later, my love." Jia bid him goodbye.

"I haven't talked to daddy yet..."

"Ah, okay, how could I be so forgetful?" She laughed and handed the phone to Jim.

Jim was laughing all throughout his conversation with Jian. And in the end, he heard him say, " Ton, thanks for taking care of Jian..."

As soon as he ended the call, another call went through Jim's phone. It was un unknown number.

"Is this Dr. Wayne? "

"Yes."

"Dr. Wayne, due to a little problem, we have decided to land outside in a vacant lot not far from the hotel. Could you just please come over?"

"Sure, but are you a bit earlier?" Jim confirmed. The expected time to pick them up would still be an hour away.

"Yes, doc. We only have your booking for the day and we are ready, so we decide to come earlier."

"Okay, then." So, they picked up their luggages and walked towards the direction the caller had instructed them.

While walking, Jim was engrossed with different calls so they did not talk. Jia just dragged her small suitcase quietly while listening to Jim.

Soon, an aircraft crew met and greeted them as he guided them to climb up to their seats. It was a four - seater, light helicopter with single engine and a single main rotor.

Jim was still talking to his phone when he settled in his seat absent - mindedly. When, finally, a call was ended, another call went through.

"Dr. Wayne, a document is sent to you just now. Please, drop by here later to pick this up."

"Document? " Jia asked, wondering what coud it be. "Perhaps, it's important. Go, pick it up." She said, with a questioning look.

Jim hesitated but after a short while he decided to just go back and picked it up.

As soon as Jim descended, the crew who greeted them approached Jia.

" Ma'am, let me help you with the seatbelt and your headset." While helping Jia, he also gave his instruction with the headset and how to see to it that the microphone was on and in the right place. He, then, proceeded to the seatbelt.

"This front seatbelt has a radial dial that can be twisted in either direction to release it." The crew said as he demonstrated it to her.

"Thank you." She, then, positioned herself comfortably and closed her eyes while waiting.

Suddenly, she felt the airbus was lifted up. She looked down and realized they were already high above the ground and Jim was not back yet.

Looking around first, being a bit confused, she, then, shouted into the microphone while looking towards the pilot.

"Wait, my husband is still not here! "

They seemed to ignore her so she shouted again.

"Wait! What are you doing? " She started to get panicked as she saw that they were already high up in the sky.

The pilot turned to the crew and nodded. Then the crew answered her.

"We are sorry, ma'am. We are just taking orders. Don't worry. We are not going to harm you as instructed." The man, whom she mistaken as a crew, calmly answered her.

"What? Where are you going to take me?" She was already hysterical.

"You will be exiled in the middle of the rainforest. But don't worry, you are not going to starve. All your basic needs will be provided."

Jia was now shaking ucontrollably all over. She stared at the two men around her and her eyes grew wide in sudden waves of fear. She had no survival skills at all. How could she live in the middle of the forest when she was even afraid of earthworms? She, also, knew that Palawan's rainforest was a home to lots of endangered species which made her fear intensified. She was even so helpless to think about jumping out of the aircraft to escape.

"Why do you do this? Who gives your order? In what way do I offend him? "

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's highly confidential."

Jia's hearbeat was already on her throat that she could not almost breath anymore. She, then, remembered that the only hope of survival for an unskilled person like her was to keep her mind sound and intact. She should calm herself down and be highly vigilant.

Who could have done this to her?

Then, a suspicion dawned on her. She thought of Jim's father who was now, supposedly, his father in law.