Bovian Image - 20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

After endless hours of being in the dark, the hood came off and his captors dragged him out of the van. His legs were stiff; the two mercenaries getting him out had to support him. Once he could stand on his own, they pushed him forward and he blinked looking around.

It was morning again, Savan didn’t know what day it was but the sky was lighting up.

He was standing in a parking lot of a high-rise building. Looking around, he frowned when he saw the sign on the door. It read Ashika.

Ashika, his frown deepened and he turned to look at the men who were pointing guns at him as if he could attack them.

Idiots.

His hands remained cuffed behind his back and his feet were bare. He reeked too. Savan sniffed his armpits and wrinkled his nose. His gaze dropped to his chest and his heart slammed against his chest. He wore a jacket made of C4 with a timer set on the clip, no doubt set to detonate if he tried to remove it. He was to die by exploding, how dramatic.

“It’s time, my little nephew.”

Dao Ming appeared from behind him and the rage rose again.

Bile came up, his anger getting hard to control. It bubbled beneath the surface, this urge to rip out Dao Ming’s heart. Savan trembled with its force. Savan moved to take a step toward him, but Dao Ming held up a small gadget.

“Uh ah,” Dao Ming shook his head. “I hold the key to that jacket strapped to your chest. One move and I end this earlier than you expect.”

“Bastard,” he hissed. “What are we doing here?”

“I’m sure you know why we’re here. Your troop of saviors will join us soon, but they will be too late. I want your father to suffer, and this seems like the perfect plan.”

“What do you gain from this?”

“Revenge,” Dao Ming answered with a shrug. “Take him. We’ll use the service entrance.”

The mercenaries grabbed Savan’s arms again and he struggled for a moment refusing to take a step forward. They remedied that by picking him up and dragging him toward the side of the building.

***

Cole woke up to commotion. Han was pulling on his arm while Choi Yang and Ahmon were running out of the conference room they had made into a command center. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and allowed Han to lead him after Choi Yang. They rushed out of the house and into black SUVs that took off, tires screeching in the early morning.

“Did we find him?” Cole asked, his gaze searching Liang’s eyes. “Where is he? Is he hurt?”

“Someone called in a bomb threat at one of the Ashika buildings. There is a high chance that it’s him.”

Liang’s tone was calm, straight to the point no trace of panic.

Bomb, the word seemed to settle icicles in Cole’s heart. He was still reeling from the fact that Savan was really the son of a billionaire, instead of the wild Harajuku hair stylists.

The weapons, the danger, the intrigue, he wanted it all to disappear and he could go back to being able to hold Savan in the quiet of his penthouse.

Han drove like a maniac, it seemed like none of Savan’s friends were inclined to drive at traffic speeds. They screeched to a stop outside an Ashika high-rise building minutes later. Police and security personnel prowled the parking lot. Heavily armed men guarded the front doors. One guard opened the doors for them allowing them into the building.

“Where are they?” Choi Yang demanded of the Inspector who came to meet them.

“The main conference room, we’ve counted a total of ten mercenaries, all heavily armed. Their leader is waiting for you; he says he will only speak to you.”

“What about my son?” Choi Yang asked.

“Savan is the reason why we had to call the bomb squad. He is strapped with a C4 jacket. He was struggling but they hit him on the head with the butt of a gun. He is unconscious.”

Cole glanced around the main lobby, his gaze sweeping over the empty reception desk. Ahmon caught his inspection and cleared his throat.

“This building is one of many. We use them for conferences and events the consortium is hosting. We also rent the facilities to other companies. The main conference room is just down the hall. These people must have studied the building. It’s the perfect place to place a bomb, if it detonates, the entire building will come down.”

“Please don’t talk like that.”

Cole begged thinking of Savan exploding was more than he could handle right now.

“I don’t care what happens to the building. I only want Savan safe. What’s the plan?”

“The culprit won’t talk to anyone but Master Nan,” the Inspector in-charge said. “I have people monitoring their movement. There is also a team in place, if we get a shot, we’ll take it.”

“Keep my son safe,” Choi Yang said. “No matter what, SarEr gets out alive.”

“The bomb—” the Inspector started.

“SarEr gets out alive,” Choi Yang repeated as he turned and stalked to the main conference room. His fists clenched tight as he pushed the door open and walked in.

“Is there a place we can see what’s going on?” Cole asked, eager to see Savan’s face even if it was through a screen.

They ended up in a state of the art security room. Ahmon and Liang brought up the live feed from the domed conference room, and Cole reached for the edge of the desk to steady himself when he finally saw Savan.

His lover, hands cuffed behind his back, lay on the open space in the middle of the conference hall. His clothes were dirty, and his feet were bare. His face streaked with dirt, and ugly bruises on his left eye were turning purple. There was a bulky belt around his torso, a closer look, and Cole sucked in air.

“We have to get in there. How do we get that thing off him?” Cole asked.

“First, we need to get past the dozen mercenaries who might shoot him before the bomb even starts counting down.” Liang sighed and sunk into a chair. “Cole, this might be harder than we thought. I’ve always thought it about money, but the police arrested Jiro at the Hong Kong airport three hours ago. He was running to France. His father is behind the whole thing. This is a family feud.”

“Meaning what?” Cole asked. “That Savan might not make it through this? How can you even think that after all you two have been through?”

Liang pointed at the man on the screen who was standing with his arms crossed against his chest.

“He gave up his son to get to Master Nan. Look at him; he’s not going to end this neatly.”

Choi Yang walked into the camera’s view and Han added the volume when Choi Yang spoke harshly. His expression was unreadable as he came face to face with the leader who was now standing over Savan.

“What do you want from me, Dao Ming?”

“You dare ask me that?”

“I thought we were family. After your accident on the highway, I thought you died. I buried you.”

“You buried someone else. You betrayed me, Choi Yang. I asked for your help, and you refused to give it, a simple deal turned into a massacre.”

“That was your own doing.” Choi Yang shook his head. “I have always run a clean operation and what you were suggesting involved very unsavory characters and illegal acts. I couldn’t do it.”

“As a result, my family paid for it and you lost yours.”

“Lost mine?” Choi Yang faltered, clenching his fists tighter, his gaze narrowed.

Cole wasn’t sure that was a good thing. The cold voice that followed sent a chill down his spine.

“What do you mean by that, Dao Ming?”

“I begged her to make you understand what would happen. She defended you to the end, and it pissed the hell out of me.”

“What did you do?” Choi Yang demanded his calm demeanor changing, reminding Cole of a feral animal about to pounce.

“She died protecting this sorry young man,” the answer came.

Dao Ming kicked Savan’s still body.

“I asked her to choose between you and him. When she wouldn’t, I made the choice for her. I was going to shoot your sleeping son, when she jumped over him. Her sacrifice was quite beautiful actually.”

“Oh no,” Liang whispered beside Cole, his gaze flying to Savan who was still unmoving on the floor.

“Wake up,” Liang murmured. “Wake up, SarEr.”

“What’s wrong, Liang? What are they talking about?” Cole hissed.

“Savan’s mother was murdered when he was young. Dao Ming has just confessed to the murder,” Liang said.

Cole’s gaze remained on Savan.

“He’s so still, are you sure he’s alive?”

“They must have hit him really hard,” Liang said.

Ahmon pointed to a spot on the screen and Cole leaned closer in time to see a window high on the dome open and a man peeping.

“Looks like the snipers are in place. We should now worry about the bomb,” Liang said in relief.

“What are they waiting for?” Cole asked, looking at Dao Ming.

The scar on Dao Ming’s face made him look menacing, the dark clothes and bulging muscles added to the dark aura surrounding the man.

"I don't know," Liang said.

Dao Ming's gaze moved to Savan.

“I want you to suffer like I have, Choi Yang. I want you to watch your son die, knowing you can’t save him no matter what you do. I want you to know that you’re the last of your family left, and then I’ll come for you in the deep of the night when you least expect it.”

“All this for a mistake you made?” Choi Yang asked, taking a step closer to Savan. “If you hadn’t made that deal, you wouldn’t have lost everything. You’re the one who refused to listen to me.”

“I was your brother in every sense of the word, and you refused to back that bond when you walked away from me. As a result, I lost my wife, and almost died. You made me take Ariel’s life.”

“You didn’t have to,” Choi Yang said. “Ariel had nothing to do with this, and neither does that child. Stop this madness, and take me instead.”

“I want you to suffer the pain I suffered, Choi Yang. Watch him die.”

Dao Ming held up a small gadget and pressed a button. Choi Yang gasped and his gaze fell to Savan. Cole could only assume that Dao Ming had activated the bomb.

Choi Yang fell to his knees and reached for Savan only to have Dao Ming kick him away hard.

“Do something!” Cole yelled as Dao Ming pointed his gun to Savan’s head. He couldn't watch this. “Someone do something!”

Running out of the security room, Cole headed to the main conference room doors just as a series of gunshots rang. Cole felt like he was going mad with fright. He threw himself into the conference room and ran down the stairs to the center.

Choi Yang sat on the floor holding Savan on his lap. Falling to his knees beside them, Cole ran his hands over Savan’s body looking for fatal injuries.

“He’s fine,” Choi Yang said. “He’s alive.”

“The bomb,” Cole said staring at the device. The green numbers on the timer were counting down fast. “Five minutes. What do we do?”

“The bomb squad is behind you,” Choi Yang said. He combed his fingers through Savan’s hair and sighed. “All this because of a stupid deal, I can’t believe it.”

Savan remained unconscious. Choi Yang propped Savan’s head on his lap.

Cole stared at Savan’s closed eyes and felt a surge of pain lance through his heart. He didn’t know if he could fit in to this world even while he desperately wanted to. The thought of never seeing Savan was more than he could take. Shaking his head, Cole squeezed Savan’s hand, but had to move when the bomb squad arrived.

Cole refused to leave when they urged him to, watching with worry as they worked over the counting device around Savan’s torso. The tension in the room was palpable until the timer stopped at the minute mark. Every one took in a deep breath as the bomb squad leader shouted clear.

Once the bomb was off, the paramedics took over and Savan was soon on a stretcher headed for the hospital with his father holding on to his hand.

Cole sat on a step outside the building as the sun finally rose fully, and the street below filled with pedestrians going about their business. He couldn’t help feeling as though he'd dreamed the whole night up.

“Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” Liang asked, sitting down beside him. “You should be with Savan.”

Cole shrugged. He didn’t know why either. It felt like he was in a trance and he was going to wake up soon.

“Savan almost died in there. I don’t know what happened, but that man was going to shoot him in the head.”

Cole shivered at the memory of the fear that had made him run to the conference room.

“He didn’t die,” Liang said. “Savan is alive and well, a bit bruised up, but he’s seen worse.”

“How can you say that so calmly?” Cole demanded.

Shaking his head, he stood up and glared at Liang.

“Is this why you warned me off? You two should have told me what was going on instead of keeping all these secrets. If things had gone different, if I hadn't come in search of you and Savan had died would you have told me?"

When Liang didn't answer him, Cole cursed under his breath. Why had he even considered the answer would be different?

“You’re angry.” Liang sighed and leaned back where he sat propping his elbows on the step behind him. “Anger is useful, Cole. It kept us alive for a long time. Look, don't take it so hard. Life has been very challenging for Savan, and my family. If it’s any comfort, you remain the best part of this life we've been living in Tokyo."

“I don’t know what to say to that,” Cole said looking away.

Cole didn’t know who he loved, SarEr or Savan? Which one was going to wake up in that hospital bed? What role would he be playing then? Ahmon was right. He didn't belong here.

“I’m going home.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” Liang said, as Cole turned to leave. “It might seem like he lied to you, but he didn’t have a choice, Lucianne. He was protecting you.”

Cole shrugged and walked down the remaining steps. He would take a cab, and go home. Maybe after a hot shower, things would start making sense.

***

Savan woke up to the steady rhythm of a beep. He was warm, and his hand was clasped tight, the nice kind of tight. The tight that made it feel all was right. Lifting his free hand, he moaned when pain shot through his upper arm. Opening his eyes, he blinked at the warm light overhead. His head was throbbing, but it was distant. Turning his head slightly, his gaze fell on a head of dark hair streaked with gray resting on his bed. He breathed out and stared at the man holding his hand for a moment before he gathered enough energy to speak.

“Father,” he croaked out.

Savan moved to sit up, but pain lanced across his chest.

His father sat up concern written all over his face. Savan could barely breathe at the surprise of seeing his father seated beside his bed holding his hand.

How had this happened?

“How—when—”

The words jumbled in his mind, and he could only gape like an idiot.

“Thank God you’re awake,” Choi Yang said. Squeezing his fingers gently, Choi Yang smiled in relief. “The doctor was worried when you didn’t regain consciousness. You have a concussion and he wanted you awake every hour. I was starting to worry."

Savan nodded, but all he could think about was how his father was in Tokyo. In here with him, holding his hand like it was perfectly normal—he shook his head.

“Jiro—”

“He’s in custody,” Choi Yang assured him. “I’m going to make sure he pays for every wound you have endured for the last five years. Police shot his father dead this morning. It's over, SarEr."

It was over!

Just like that, all the running, the fear, the different names. Was it really so easy? Savan couldn’t believe it. His fingers tangled with his father’s warm ones.

“Dao Ming killed Mom. He killed her. When he told me, I wanted to kill him. I couldn't help it, I was so angry.”

“I know,” Choi Yang said. “I’m so sorry, son.”

“What are you sorry for?” Savan shook his head. “This was Jiro and Dao Ming's fault. I wanted to keep you and Zun safe. His family was in trouble. Where is Zun? They told me he was going to be hurt if I didn’t—”

Choi Yang rubbed his arm with a soothing murmur.

“Zun is safe. He and Ahmon are still dealing with the police, tying up all the loose ends in the investigation.”

Savan closed his eyes in disbelief. It seemed surreal. The throbbing in his head was increasing, but he didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to know more about how his father had found him. And if Cole was—

Cole!

Savan sat up despite the pain in his chest.

“Cole, tell Liang to check on Cole Lucianne. They’ll know whom I mean. They kidnapped me from his house, they drugged him but I couldn’t be too sure. He might be—

“Cole is fine, SarEr,” Choi Yang soothed.

His father stood and wrapped a gentle arm around his shoulders to give him a brief hug before he firmly pushed him back to lay on the pillows.

“Your ribs are pretty banged up, stop straining them, or the doctor won’t be happy with me.”

“You know,” Savan asked in surprise, falling back on the pillows tired, suddenly realizing that his father was talking about Cole without any anger.

“I have known for a long time,” Choi Yang replied. He arranged the covers over Savan with care. “SarEr, you’re my son. What makes you think I wouldn’t know everything about you?”

“Han.” Savan frowned. Thinking about those last days before he'd left Hong Kong. Han had reported everything back to his father, he must have told him then.

“Of course,” Choi Yang confirmed with a small smile. “He never gave up looking for you. He kept me sane when I thought you were dead. He gave me hope.”

“I’m sorry,” Savan apologized again.

He loved his father, and he could see the pain his disappearance had caused in those dark eyes and wished he could erase it all. What a mess.

“How did you find me?”

“Han did, through Ahmon Sanori,” Choi Yang said, taking back his seat. He reclaimed Savan's hand turning it over to study the tattoo on his inner wrist. “I was afraid to believe it, but now that I see you,” Choi Yang squeezed his fingers, “now that I feel you like this, I can’t let you out of my sight. I want to take you home.”

Home, Savan couldn’t help the shiver. His home was here, with Cole. He closed his eyes as a new thought filled him.

If his father knew about Cole, then Cole must—

“Does Cole know?”

“Yes, I told him everything, so did Zun and Ahmon. He was with us when we found you.”

Savan felt tears prick the back of his eyes but he forced those emotions back. He couldn't. Not here in front of his father who needed him. He wasn’t going to allow them out. The fact that Cole was not here in this room with him was enough of a message. He’d betrayed Cole’s trust. There was nothing else to say. Breathing out the pain, Savan tried to ignore it.

Opening his eyes, he met his father’s gaze and smiled.

“I can’t wait to go home with you.”

Choi Yang beamed.

Warmth seeped into his body. He’d missed seeing his father. It was hard to describe the emotions going through him. Leaning back on his pillow, he’d been running for so long, it felt strange to be so still. The fear was not gone yet but this warmth, this he could hold close. Maybe it would heal the pain of losing Cole.

***

Cole didn’t notice the flowers dropping to the disinfected tiled floor. Moving away from the door, he leaned on the wall and closed his eyes. The love inside him turning to pain, deep pain that seeped into every part of his body, he couldn’t move. His brain filled with Savan’s little smile and the words that had come with it.

Savan was leaving him behind.

***