Hong Kong International Airport
"Khun Mae ka~ I do not understand why P' Pei and I have to go all the way to Thailand for," whined Ahyoomee, clinging to her mother's arm. "Are you really going to send me off to the world all alone and unprotected?"
"Stop it sweetie, you are so grown and capable to be on your own now," coaxed Pakboong. "Plus, you are not alone."
" That's right. Nong Mee still have P' na," assured Pei.
As Pakboong, Ahyoomee, Parnward, and Jian Hao appoarched the gate, Ahyoomee said, "All right, all right." Mee, finally letting go of her mother's arm. "But where is Khun Pau?"
"Khun Pau is busy and stuck at work. You know how hectic everything is lately," said Pakboong.
"Ugh! What is the meaning of this? I am about to leave to another country and Khun Pau is busy working? See, this is why Khun Mae and Khun Pau should just let P' Pei and me stay here to work and help you two," said Mee.
Pakboong and Parnward looked at each other and frowned. "Going to Thailand is for the best," said Pakboong. "Don't you feel bad for P' Pei? She haven't seen her parents in 2 years. Your aunt and uncle also need help too. Going away from home is good. Everyone is already scared of you at our corporation. Pau and Mae will be traveling too. If you go to Thailand, you will have Khun Nah and Khun Ah to take care of you."
"Khun Pau and Khun Mae are always calling to say how much they miss you," chimed Pei.
"Excuse me, but we are closing the gates in 5 minutes," said the flight attendant.
"You two take care and good luck na," said Pakboong. She hugged and gave the two of them a kiss on the cheeks.
"Thank you," smiled Pei.
"Khun Pau and Khun Mae have to take of each other okay," said Mee. Tearing up, "Noo ruk Khun Pau and Khun Mae na ka."
"Ja," nodded Pakboong, wiping the tears from Mee's cheeks. "Jian Hao, take care of the girls for me."
"Krub," said Jian Hao. "Let's go Khun Noo."
Hospital
"Khun ka," said Pakboong, approaching the hospital bed.
"How were the girls?" asked Chen, voice was cracked.
"Your little princess was sulking a little but they already boarded the plane," said Pakboong, giving him a glass of water. "How are you doing? Are you still hurting a lot?"
"I am doing better," assured Chen.
"Loog Mee asked for you," mentioned Pakboong.
"And what did you say?" asked Chen.
Pakboong let out a sigh, "What can I say? I just told her that you were busy working."
"That's good. I do not want the girls to know about the incident," said Chen.
"Ka," nodded Pakboong.
Turning to look at Bun, "Ah Bun, did you find the bodyguard for the girls yet?"
"It's been taken care of boss," said Bun.
"Khun ka, can we really trust only him to take care of the girls?" asked Pakboong worriedly.
"Please be at ease, Khun Pooying," assured Bun. "This guy is one of the best. He used to be one of the best policemen on the force."
Chen took his wife's hands and squeezed tight. "Don't worry Pakboong. The girls will be okay. Tian Ming Sun is after me. We kept the girls going to Thailand a secret so they should be fine for the time being. You just take care of yourself.
Bangkok Airport
"Will do," said Cee on the phone. "I am already here. Yes, I'll bring them back to the house. Don't worry Khun Lhoong. Bye." After putting his phone back into his pocket, he went into his suit pocket and took out a picture. It was a picture of Pei and Mee at the Great Wall of China holding hands and smiling happily. Looking at the picture while walking, he bumped into Pei, dropping the picture.
"Oi! Are you okay?" they both asked in unison. Cee then got up and pulled Pei up. "Wait, you dropped your picture," said Pei, before getting up. She picked up the picture and was going to hand it to him. Then she saw that it was a picture of Ahyoomee and herself. She looked up from the picture and then at Cee.
"I'm so sor-," said Cee, finally looking up and seeing Pei in front of him. "Khun."
Ahyoomee and Jian Hao then came up behind Pei. "P' Pei ka, is everything okay?" asked Mee, aware of Cee's presence.
"Do you need me to take care of something?" asked Jian Hao, giving Cee the death stare.
Cee, now noticing Mee and Jian Hao were also there, "Uh, sorry. I did not introduce myself. I am Siwat, but you can call me Cee. Khun Lhoong, your father (he said, looking at Pei), asked me to pick you up. He told me that he already told you that I would be waiting here. This is my business card. I work within the company." Cee handed Pei his business card. Pei and Mee looked at it and then smiled. Cee then held out his hand, "Sawatdee krub. Nice to meet you."
"Sawatdee ka," said Pei and Mee, they both waii him.
"Sawatdee krub," said Jian Hao, giving a slight nod.
Cee took his hand back. "Krub, right this way to my car," he said, trying to change the atmosphere.
On the way home
The car was silent. Cee was driving with Jian Hao as the passenger, Pei and Mee are in the back. After driving for a couple of minutes, Cee looked at his rear view mirror and noticed two men on a motorcycle were following them. "I think there is someone following us."
"I know already," said Jian Hao. "Just drive normally."
Soon, the motorcycle sped up and was now right beside Cee's window. The man at the back pulled out a gun and pointed it at Cee. "HUEY!!!" exclaimed Cee, speeding up.
The man started shooting at the car. The girls screamed. "What should we do?!" asked Pei. At the intersection, two black SUVs starts chasing after them too.
Jian Hao took out a gun and started shooting at the motorcycle and cars. "Khun Noo! Keep your heads down. Khun Cee, drive as fast as you can and keep switching lanes!" he ordered. "Turn into the next intersection and block the road. I'll hold them back as much as I can, all of you get out on the other side and run!"
"What?! No Jian Hao!" exclaimed Mee.
"How can we just leave you?" said Pei, concerned.
"Don't worry, I can handle it. I will meet all of you at the exit of the market on the other side," assured Jian Hao. Just then Cee swerved the car. He got out and then opened the back doors. "Go!" Jian Hao ordered. "Khun Cee, please take care of them." Cee nodded.
"But-" said Mee.
Cee grabbed Pei's arm and pulled her and Mee out, "Come on! We have to go!"
"NO!" exclaimed Pei.
"If we stay, we would just get in the way!" reasoned Cee, dragging the girls down the road into the market leaving Jian Hao to fend for himself. Jian Hao managed to keep the men in the SUVs busy, but the motorcycle made it through.
Ahyoomee held on to Pei's right hand while Cee was holding on tightly to Pei's left arm, pulling them along through the crowd in the market. The two men that were on the motorcycle were now following close behind them on foot. "Tell the other guys that they are heading their way!" shouted one man. Not far into the market, 5 other men stopped them and cornered them onto a vegetable stand. Cee moved Pei and Mee behind him while looking at the men. One of them tried to grab Mee but Cee kicked his hand away and then kicked the man with his other feet right on the stomach. The other men started charging at him two at a time. Pei and Mee were pushed off to the side with Cee surrounded by the men. One of the men looked over at Pei and Mee unprotected, then charged towards them. A man then came out from the side and kicked him away. The man then continued to go help Cee fight. Cee and the man fought off the men, leaving the men laying on the floor crying out in pain.
"Follow me," said the man and then he ran away with Cee, Pei and Mee following close behind. The finally reached the exit just in time for Jian Hao to pull up in the car. The 4 of them jumped into the car and Jian Hao drove away. "Jian Hao!" exclaimed Mee, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," he said, driving at top speed. Mee felt something wet on her fingers. She then looked at her hand and saw blood. "Jian Hao! Blood!"
"Jian Hao, are you sure you can drive?" asked Pei.
"Krub," said Jian Hao, squinting.
"What should we do?! Should we stop the car? Should we go to the doctor? Dtai dtai dtai!" Ahyoomee went on and on.
"Be quiet!" exclaimed the man. "Listening to you is making me want to die!"
"What did you say?!" exclaimed Mee, eyes widening.
"All right, all right," Cee said, cutting in. "Let's just all calm down right now. Khun Jian Hao, are you sure that you can handle it?"
"Krub," said Jian Hao. "It's just a scratch. I do not need to go to the hospital."
"Since you say so, let's go home first and we can talk there," said Cee, letting out a sigh. Pei was patting Ahyoomee's hand while Ahyoomee and the man were giving each other the death stare.
Pei's House
The driveway to the main entrance from the gate was at least two to three blocks long. The house is definitely not a house, but is a MANSION. White and castle-like, surrounded by flowers, a pond, well kept gardens and lawns with small animals running free.
Pulling up to the main entrance, Pei's mother, father, and the maids were standing there waiting to welcome the girls. De Yong, upon seeing Jian Hao's hand dripping blood, eyes widen and ran down the steps to the hold Pei. "What happened?! Why is Jian Hao bleeding?!"
"Khun Mae ka," cried Pei, burying her face into her mother's chest. De Yong looked at Min.
"Sawatdee krub Khun De Yong, Khun Min," said Jian Hao, bowing to the both of them.
"Khun, let's just go inside, and we can talk there," said Min. "Jian Hao, go take care of your wound first." Everyone went inside.
At the main sofa, Pei and Mee sat down by each side of De Yong and clung onto her. Min was standing while the man and Cee sat down on the side sofa.
"Can someone tell me what happened?" asked Min.
They all shot glances at each other and their eyes settled on Cee. "We were being pursued, Khun Lhoong. We were on our way back from the airport and a motorcycle followed us, then more men came. We then decided to get out of the car and run into a market while Jian Hao hold them back. We would not have made it if this man did not help us." Cee then looked at the man, Kaub khun na krub."
"You're welcomed," replied the man.
Min then looked at the man, "Thank you too, but I'm sorry, who are you?"
The man got up from his seat and bowed at everyone, "Hi, my name is Kibum. Khun Chen asked me to be Khun Ahyoomee's personal bodyguard."
Ahyoomee lifted her head, "What?!"
Min sighed in recognition, "Right, Khun Chen did mention that he would have someone else come to look after Loog Mee."
Then entered Jian Hao, his arm in a sling. "Jian Hao, you are fine right?" asked De Yong.
"Krub," said Jian Hao. He then looked at Kibum and gave a slight nod.
Mee and Pei looked at each other. Then Pei asked, "Khun Pau ka, Khun Mae ka, what's going on? Nong Mee and Loog are not just here because you wanted us to train at the company right?" Min and De Yong were silent.
"Jian Hao! Tell me what's going on now!" ordered Mee.
"Um," was all Jian Hao can manage, and then he averted his gaze away from Ahyoomee.
In realization, "Khun Pau, Khun Mae......I am going home!" she exclaimed getting up from her seat.
De Yong then took Ahyoomee's hand and said softly, "Loog Mee ja, listen to Nah na. Khun Pau and Khun Mae is safe right now. Don't worry. This is nothing new."
"Khun Nah ka, this is nothing new, but Khun Pau and Khun Mae never had to send me away before," said Mee, tearing up. "Loog Mee want to go home."
"Loog Mee," said Min, "Calm down first."
"I cannot go down any lower than this," cried Mee. She then moved over to Pei and hugged her, "P' Pei ka, help me convince them to let me go home~"
"Nong Mee ja," said Pei, "listen to me okay? I also do not know what is going on, but I trust Khun Lhoong's and Khun Pah's decision. If we go back to Hong Kong, they will just have to worry about us even more because we will be even closer to the enemies."
"Khun Noo krub," said Jian Hao, "please listen to everyone."
Ahyoomee, hesitated, then said, "Fine. I will stay, but on one condition. Jian Hao, you have to go back to Hong Kong and look after Khun Pau and Khun Mae."
"But Boss told me to take care of you," said Jian Hao.
"It is either you go home, or I go home. You choose," said Mee turning away from everyone.
Jian hao looked at De Yong and Min. Min gave him a slight nod. "Okay, I will go back to Hong Kong."
"It's all settled now," said Min. "It's getting late, everyone go wash up and then come back down to have dinner. Jian Hao can leave tomorrow morning. I'll take care of it."
After Dinner
"Ki Bum," said Min.
"Yes sir," answered Ki Bum.
"You are fine with your room right? I made sure to give you the room across from Loog Mee, this way it will be easier for you to get to her in case of an emergeny."
"It's better than I need it to be, thank you," said Ki Bum.
Shifting his gaze to Cee, "Cee, it's already getting late, just spend the night here okay?"
"No, I'll be fine. Thank you," said Cee, smiling.
De Yong sighed, "Stop it Cee. After what happened today, I do not even want you to go back to your condo. Hm, that's right! Stay here until everything is taken care of."
"Um, I think-" started Cee.
"That's enough Cee," interrupted Min. "Good idea Khun De Yong. Cee, just stay here. I do not want anything to happen to you. I would feel like I failed your parents if I did. We have so many guards here. Don't let old people worry about you."
Cee then reluctantly agreed.
"Please excuse me," said Mee, getting up and walking out of the dining room.
"Please excuse me," said Ki Bum, getting up and followed Ahyoomee. Ki Bum followed her silently. Where is she going?, he thought. She walked to the back of the house and out towards the guards' living quarters. Just then, Jian Hao came out from his room.
"Khun Noo," he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Jian Hao," said Ahyoomee approaching him. "How are you feeling?" She held onto his good arm and led him to sit at the nearby garden bench. She sat down next to him.
"I am doing better now, Khun Noo, thank you," he replied.
"Jian Hao, I'm sorry about earlier. I did not mean to yell at you and pressure you like that," said Ahyoomee apologetically.
"It's okay Khun Noo, I know that you were just worried about Boss and Khun Poo Ying," Jian Hao reassured with a smile. "Khun Noo...about flying back tomorrow..."
Ahyoomee smiled slightly, "Is Khun Pau really okay? He did not come to send me off...Wait, actually, I do not want to know." Ahyoomee frowned again with worry. "You know, it is not that I do not need you, Jian Hao. You are one of the best bodyguards we have. I will do fine here. Khun Nah and Khun Ah have so many guards already and Khun Pau also sent that man to look after me. I want you to take care of yourself and look after Khun Pau and Khun Mae for me. Na ka?"
"Krub, Khun Noo," said Jian Hao.
Heh, she is actually not that bad, thought Ki Bum, smiling a bit to himself.
to be continued