110 The Lead

Sensing her fear, the senior inspector assured her. "We are not enemies but this is not the right time yet to tell you who we are. "

He went ahead. "Call me Mr. Rex. My rescuing you , as I said, is a private and personal matter. Though this is in line of my duty but I do this as a separate matter. I will not provide evidence or present a lead to your abductor. Please understand that this is highly confidential that even the authorities should not know. "

The more Jia got scared. She would not be handed to the authorities? Her rescue was a separate private matter? Who else had she offended? Who else could have been interested in her life?

It took them many hours on seemingly deserted highways and on narrow roads until they finally stopped on a somewhat private property. There were several buildings overshadowed by giant trees but due to the darkness, she could not see it well.

"Stay here for a while. I'll get your necessary papers and identifications." The police officer said.

"Sir, I have here with me. "

He smiled. "You will be flying back home in a disguise. Remember what I told you."

Her fear which subsided a little returned after hearing him. Could it mean that they were falsifying her documents? Where could she be safer? To her abductor who would have been exiling her in a comfortable house ? Or, to this man who claimed as her rescuer but was not going to hand her to the authorities and even made her some fake documents? She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She should force herself to act brave and fearless. This was her only weapon to maintain a sound and sharp mind.

After a long while, Mr. Rex came back. She gestured for her to come down while his assistants took her luggages out. They then walked to a vast outstretch of a grass - covered vacant lot where a private helicopter was waiting.

As she gazed into the spinning rotor and the man who climbed up the aircraft before her, she felt her hopes began to crumble down. In each step that she made towards the access ladder, no matter how she tried to keep herself strong, she still felt that she was stepping into a death trap. Though Mr. Rex looked kind and reliable, how could she trust the words of a stranger? Who knew then if this man was more dangerous? Who knew then if she was just being deceived and this man was still a man of her abductor? If not, what could be his motive?

Why would life be unkind to her forever? She grew up in poverty and lived for her dream that one day, all her hardships would come to an end. One day, she would wake up to see her dream coming true. She believed that success can be worked out and it was only a matter of perseverance and determination.

Until she met Jim. He turned her life into a fairy tale, a life in absolute contrast to what she had grown up and ever known. He made her dreams fulfilled in ways she never expected. She completed a medical course and became a franchisee of a business she longed to have one day. She lived a comfortable life and made trips everday with an expensive car. She could buy anything she desired.

Most of all, high above those material aspects, she was wrapped into an uncondtional love. She was placed into a pedestal and treasured like a queen. Not only her, but her son as well.

Yet all of these, she realized, were only momentary. All those beautiful things on earth were fleeting like bubbles. Now, her life was in the hand of the one who hated her existence. In a matter of hours or days, she would either be tortured to die or be forever separated from the ones she loved, especially the most precious creature in her life... her son.

Soon after she buckled her seatbelt, the helicopter spinned towards the unknown path of the sky. It was totally dark like her hopes and dark chance to live.

----

The search for Jia had been intense and unceasing even through the night. Investigations and interrogations had been mind -racking as they were searching for leads. Private flights had been tracked and finally, the authority followed a certain lead towards a private flight that landed on a certain area in the outskirts of El Nido. Unfortunately, its next flight tracker had been blocked.

Troops had been dispersed to different areas of the whole municipality while Jim and Anthon went out with a team assigned to areas within the rainforest close to the target area. It was already daybreak but there was still no signs of Jia.

Finally, when the sun began to rise above the horizon, an information was passed that a certain area where a private helicopter had landed had been traced down. Jim's team rushed towards the place right away. The moment they landed, Jim and Anthon hurriedly descended from the aircraft.

Not far from that grassy, vacant lot where they landed was a solitary concrete house that stood alone, too far from neighboring wooden houses. While walking towards the direction of the house, Jim's eyes were caught by small, white cards strewn across the ground. His heart raced, the cards looked familiar.

He hurriedly picked one and.....he was right! It was indeed the business cards kuya Nap had ordered for her for the advertisement of Jian's garden. Jia had intentionally dropped these...

Anthon rushed to Jim when he saw his reaction after he picked up the card. Soon, the team gathered around. Jia was indeed here. She was indeed here not long ago because the cards were still dry and new. Where was she taken? They could not almost breath due to mixed emotions.

They, then, all walked towards the only house in the area. Few meters from the door, those same cards were also scattered and flown by the wind.

At an opposite direction, a woman in her fifties came walking towards the house. She obviously got panicked when she saw them.

"Good morning, madamme! We are looking for a woman who was brought here a while ago. We are hoping that you can help us. " One of the team approached and greeted her politely, then showed her the photo of Jia.