CLAUDE
“I need your help, guys,” I said to my friends. I deliberately gathered Monte, Zion, Arlo, Caelan, and Jenson at Lyndon’s restaurant to talk to them.
“What for?” Monte asked.
“What kind of help?” Zion inquired.
“I think you’re asking the wrong question, Monte,” Caelan said.
“What should we be asking?” Jenson chimed in.
“Maybe we should be asking who the help is for,” Arlo interjected.
All of them friends turned to me after Arlo’s remark. I sighed heavily.
“The other day, you asked Jenson and me for help regarding your wife’s scandal. Is it about her again?” Caelan asked.
I was forced to nod at Caelan’s question. My friends are really smart. They could sense trouble.
Caelan shook his head. “What happened to Sia?” Monte asked.
“She’s been missing since yesterday,” my friends all asked in unison.
Arlo gave me a skeptical look. “Are you sure your wife is missing? Are you joking, Claude?”
“Maybe your wife left you,” Zion suggested.
My eyes narrowed. “Take back what you said, Pyro. That’s not true!”
I couldn’t bear the thought of Sia leaving me. What about me and Adrian? If she no longer loved me, I hoped she would at least think of our son. But I couldn’t accept that my wife had left me, possibly with the man she was involved with in the scandal video.
“Maybe Pyro is right, Chaos. Maybe your wife did leave you. She is probably embarrassed by the scandal. Or maybe she decided to be with the man in the video,” Jenson said.
I pounded the table. Everyone stood up at my action. Luckily, our food hadn’t arrived yet. So, the table is empty except for the flower vase that fell to the ground. Harmony Springs Hotel’s staff quickly approached us.
“Is there a problem, sirs?” the elderly woman asked.
“Ah, no. Our friend just has a problem. Whatever the damage is, just add it to our bill,” Monte said.
“Okay, sir. I’ll have the floor cleaned,” she said.
A waiter approached and cleaned up the broken flower vase.
“Relax, Chaos. Your hot-headedness is acting up again. We won’t solve your problem if you keep acting like that. Cool off a bit. It’s already hot outside, and now your temper is flaring up,” Arlo interjected as we sat back down.
“Maybe you just need to try other women, Chaos. You seem to have frozen up with your wife. If you want, I’ll accompany you to look for a new one after we eat,” Caelan suggested.
I gritted my teeth. My palms clenched into fists. I was about to punch Caelan, but Zion quickly grabbed my hand.
“Hey! Don’t start a fight here. Lyndon will scold us,” Zion warned.
I squeezed his hand tightly. I glanced sharply at Caelan.
Monte, on the other hand, gave Caelan a smack on the head.
“Idiot! Watch your words! Maybe you’re the one who needs to find another woman. You’re just lusting after one of the maids in your house. Since you can’t score with her, you’re dragging other people into it,” Monte scolded.
Caelan grimaced in response. “I was just kidding. Chaos’s just really hot-headed right now,” Caelan defended himself.
“Don’t joke like that about married people. Among us friends, everyone who’s married becomes loyal to their wife. So, don’t tease Chaos about looking for someone else because he surely won’t. Even if his wife cheated on him, he still wouldn’t look for someone else. That’s how love works, it knows forgiveness,” Monte explained.
“Chaos, is Monte right? Have you forgiven your wife?” Zion inquired.
I wiped my face with my hand. “That’s another problem I have. Sia refuses to admit her mistake. She insists that it’s not her in the video. She says she’s innocent. That’s why I’m getting furious. Even though it hurts, I would accept her apology if she just admitted it. But she won’t. And now, she suddenly disappears. I don’t know what to think. What if Jenson is right? What if Sia left me for that man? I can’t accept it, bro. What about Adrian and me? I almost died during the five years we were apart. It hurts even more now because I love her so much. It’s okay if she cheats on me, just don’t leave me,” I confessed.
I couldn’t hold myself back. Tears streamed down my face. Arlo patted my shoulder.
“You’re not sure if your wife left you. Did she leave a letter? Maybe she just left to cool off. Didn’t you guys have a fight because of that scandal video? And then you didn’t come home one night?” Arlo said.
“She didn’t leave a letter. Her stuff is still at home too. She didn’t even say goodbye to Adrian. That’s why our son is crying his eyes out looking for her. He doesn’t want to go to school anymore. He hardly eats,” I said.
“Chaos, maybe Arlo’s right. Maybe your wife just needed some time alone, that’s why she didn’t say goodbye. Because if she was leaving, she’d take your kid too. It would be a big deal. And you said that she didn’t bring anything with her. Maybe she didn’t really leave you. She probably just went somewhere. Have you talked to her friend or her workmates?” Zion suggested.
I nodded. “Maven said my wife didn’t mention anything about leaving. And her colleagues said she was supposed to go to the shop that morning. But she never arrived.”
Caelan raised his hand. “Wait a minute, okay? If your wife didn’t tell Zeke’s wife about her leaving and she had somewhere to go that day but never made it, there might be another problem. Couldn’t someone have abducted your wife, Chaos?”
We all looked at Caelan.
“Who would abduct Chaos’s wife? And for what reason?” Jenson asked.
“Wait, think about it, okay? His wife won’t admit she’s the one in the video. Then she had somewhere to go but didn’t make it. Isn’t that suspicious? Something’s wrong with what’s happening,” Caelan suggested.
We all fell silent at Caelan’s words. No one wanted to argue.
“I-if… if your suspicion is true, Caelan, who could have done that to Sia?” I stammered.
“Only you can answer that question, Chaos. Does your wife have any enemies? Has she had any conflicts?” Zion asked.
I shook my head quickly. “I don’t know of any enemies or conflicts Sia has. She rarely socializes. She only goes to the house and the shop every day. She doesn’t even go to Adrian’s school unless necessary. She hardly even comes to my office. The only ones who know she’s my wife are my secretary and the building guards. She only interacts with other people at her bookshop,” I clarified.
“If that’s the case, maybe the person who abducted her has something to do with you,” Zion suspected.
I cursed. “I’ve been out of the service for a long time. When I left the SEAL, I turned my back on everything related to it. Why would people I encountered before come after my family? I am still single when I left. How did they even think to involve my family?”
“Chaos, you seem to have forgotten that because of our previous job, your family isn’t always safe. If your wife doesn’t have any enemies, then it’s you who has enemies chasing after you,” Monte said.
I sighed. “If that’s the case, I have so many suspicions. With the number of enemies we encountered. How do I even begin to find them now?”
“You can ask for help from Earl. He still has connections to the organization. We can also ask my brother for help. But he’s not in the country right now. He’s in New Zealand with his family. I don’t know if he can come back,” Zion suggested.
“I also know someone who can help you. He’s the boss of an organized syndicate now. We can ask him for help,” Monte volunteered.
“What? Why would I ask for help from a syndicate? What can they do?” I retorted, irritated. I couldn’t believe Monte’s suggestion.
“You never know, maybe one of the syndicates he knows has your wife. It would be easier to save her if we know who’s holding her,” Monte explained.
I closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe that this day would come, where my family would be in danger because of my past job. I am afraid to think that my wife could be in the hands of a syndicate or any bad person. They might have done something terrible to her. She had been missing for two days now.
If Sia was in the hands of the syndicate, only two things could happen to my wife. If she wasn’t raped, she might be sold at an auction. Double crap!
My mind and heart couldn’t accept such a scenario. I wished I hadn’t been stubborn. I wished I hadn’t let my wife leave the house alone. If only I had always been with her, perhaps my wife wouldn’t have disappeared. I could have protected her if we were always together.
“Who do you want to ask for help now, Chaos?” Caelan inquired.
I sighed heavily, massaging my temples. My head was starting to ache from thinking. It felt like I was being dragged back into my old life when Sia and I were separated. The only silver lining now was that I had Adrian with me. Before, I endured the pain of our separation alone.
“While you’re thinking of your plan, Caelan and I will study the CCTV footage from your house and all the places your wife passed by before she disappeared,” Jenson suggested.
“Thank you very much, Jenson. I really count on you guys.”
“What about our suggestion, Monte and mine? Who do you want to approach?” Zion asked.
“You said your brother isn’t here. I’m also hesitant to approach Earl. His life and his family’s might be in danger again. So, I’ll accept Monte’s offer instead,” I replied.
“Okay. That’s good.” Monte said.
“Who are you referring to as your acquaintance, Monte?” Arlo asked, who had been quiet in his seat, just eating.
Monte cleared his throat. “Guys, this is just among us, okay?” His voice trembled slightly.
They were all curious and listened carefully to what Monte had to say.
“I have a cousin who is a leader
of a syndicate involved in gun running and gun for hire. Other people don’t know that’s what he does because he’s more known as a successful businessman.”
It was like we all heard a loud bomb in Monte’s story. We didn’t react immediately. It was only now that I realized my friend had many hidden skeletons in his closet.
“Huh? Your cousin seems to have a double life. It’s good that you didn’t clash,” Arlo remarked.
“I retired from SEAL when I found out about that. It’s a secret. I wouldn’t have known about it if my grandfather hadn’t fallen ill back then.”
After they confessed, each of them went home. I walked alongside Monte.
“Monte, who is the cousin you mentioned earlier?”
“You might know him, Chaos. He’s the CEO of Horizon Bank. I’m referring to Ramiro Martin.”
I knew Monte’s cousin he was talking about. I had faced him several times at gatherings of prominent businessmen, although we didn’t talk much.
“Huh? Ramiro is now the CEO of Horizon Bank? He doesn’t seem like someone who would lead a syndicate.” Ramiro is kind and cheerful. Monte is stricter and more serious than his cousin.
“Yes, he’s the one sitting in that position now. His father retired. We’re just second cousins because my mom and his mom are full cousins,” Monte explained.
“Okay. I’d like to talk to him. When can we speak to him?”
“I’ll call him now. I’ll let you know what he says.”
“Alright. Thanks, bro.”
For some unknown reason, I felt a bit relieved after learning that someone could help me find Sia. Wherever she is, I hope she is safe because I am deeply worried.