"Iced Americano, please," said Fah to the woman behind the counter. He sent a text to Manao to let her know he was at the cafe.

He took his drink and sat at the table closest to the parking lot so he would see Manao's car. One of the men with a newspaper stood and left. Now it was just Fah and an older man who sipped his coffee as he stared into space.

I hope he doesn't leave, I don't want to be here all alone thought Fah.

Not that he expected any help from the old man if he were to be attacked. He smiled at that thought as he checked his social media.

Pok watched Fah and waited until he was settled. He texted his boss that the target was alone and the other car had left. After he bought an iced coffee, he walked over to Fah's table.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit at your table? I'm waiting for a friend to pick me up and this table gives the best view of the corner." Pok smiled disarmingly at Fah.

"No, please, have a seat. I'm waiting for someone myself," said Fah. Pok sat down across from him, drank his coffee, and feigned interest in the few cars that passed by. Suddenly he stood up, as if he remembered something important, and walked back to the coffee shop counter.

Fah knew once Manao arrived he wouldn't have this opportunity again so he took out his burner phone and texted Lom.

I know I'm not supposed to be texting this early but I miss you and I need to hear that you're safe. Please send me a text to let me know you were able to escape from those men in the car. I love you and I can't wait to hear your voice next week. Or even earlier if you choose (hint hint) AHAW

He knew Lom might be irritated with him but he hoped he would understand. He slid the burner phone back into his pocket.

Pok returned with two coffees and then returned to the counter to grab two more. When he sat down again he noticed Fah looking at him curiously.

"I told my friends I'd buy them coffee and gas if they'd give me a ride and I didn't want to make them wait. They accidentally went too far and had to turn around to get me, but they should be here any minute." Again Pok smiled warmly at Fah as he texted his boss to come.

As the car pulled into the parking lot, Fah became worried because the same type of car had followed Mek and Lom. But the man across from him had said his friends missed the stop so they must not have been following Mek. Fah looked around hoping Manao would show up soon.

"Great, my friends are here! Hey, do you need a ride? We can give you a lift to wherever you're going if it's not too far," said Pok.

"No, thanks, my friend should be here any minute. Have a good trip," said Fah.

"Oh, hey, I hate to ask, but could you help me carry these coffees to the car? It would help me out a lot," said Pok.

"Sure, no problem," said Fah. He grabbed two coffees and Pok carried the one he was drinking and the other two. Pok leaned in the driver's side window and handed the people inside their coffees.

The backdoor of the car opened and a man smiled at Fah as he reached for a coffee. He handed it to the person next to him and then turned around to reach for the other coffee. At the same time, someone from behind Fah tried to push him into the car.

The seated man grabbed Fah's neck and tried to pull him inside. Fah panicked and pushed himself away from the car as hard and as quickly as he could. The seated man made a last-ditch attempt to grab Fah and ended up ripping off his chain.

Pok was the one who had pushed Fah from behind. When Fah discovered this he turned, grabbed the back of Pok's head, and slammed his face into the car. Pok's nose hit the door frame and instantly broke. Blood came thick and fast as Fah dodged out of reach and ran inside the convenience store.

"Fuck!" snarled Pok. A hand reached out and pulled him into the car before they drove away.

"I guess he's not as harmless as he looks," said the mustached man. Someone handed Pok a handkerchief. He leaned his head back and tried to stop the blood as the car sped out of the parking lot to meet up with the other half of their team.

Several kilometers away, Lom realized he was trapped. As the car in pursuit gained on him, he turned onto a dirt road that led into the woods. He knew the trees could protect him.

Unfortunately, the people after him must have foreseen this possibility and had several men on motorcycles much bigger and newer than Lom's, waiting in the woods, They blocked his way at every turn.

He spun his bike around and headed back to the road. A car sped towards him, he tried to dodge it but it slid perpendicular to him, blocking most of the road. His bike fishtailed on the gravel and he barely kept it upright. He pulled in on the clutch, eased off the rear brake, and slowly drove to the opposite end of the car. Instantly, several men stepped out and pointed their guns at him.

Lom knew he couldn't dodge bullets in such a small space. He turned off the motorbike and got off. He stood and waited for someone in the group to speak.

"So you're the infamous Lom, the one who was supposed to replace Ton. I don't see it - you're not impressive at all. No wonder your father wants you dead," said the tall man who had driven the car. Lom remained silent.

The tall man continued. "Right about now, the rest of the team should be dealing with the other half of the contract." He sneered at Lom.

"What contract?" asked Lom in a lighthearted voice.

"The contract promising 20 million baht for getting rid of you and your lover," said the tall man. "I guess your father doesn't want a gay man in charge of the family, and neither do your cousins since they put up half the reward. Your family sure hates you."

"20 million for killing me?" asked Lom.

"For killing you and Fah," said the tall man. Lom had hoped they didn't know who his lover was, but they did.

"I have money; I can pay you to leave us alone. We aren't going to bother my father or my family at all. We just want to live quietly and far away."

The tall man laughed. "You have money? And you're riding that?"

"I didn't want to attract the attention of the police. They think I'm dead."

"Well, soon you will be," said the tall man as he let out a small laugh. Another car sped towards them. For a few seconds, Lom was relieved, believing the distraction would allow him to escape. However, the car pulled alongside the first car and more men dressed in similar outfits joined the group.

Lom addressed the tall man again.

"Fine, do what you need to do with me, but please, I beg you, let Fah go. He has nothing to do with my father's business. I'm the reason he's mixed up in all of this. Let him go and I'll give you money and you can take me to my father."

"Oh, sorry, it's a little too late for that offer," said Pok.

"He begged us not to kill him and just like you, he begged us to leave you alone. If it makes you feel any better, we killed him quickly since he broke my friend's nose," said a mustached man.

"I don't believe you!" Lom yelled.

"Believe this," said the mustached man as he threw the AHAW necklace at Lom's feet. Lom bent over and picked it up. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Fah was dead and they hadn't even been apart for one day. As he realized the finality of what he'd just heard, he turned to the side and vomited. He heard laughter all around him.

"Not so tough, are you? Crying and vomiting over another man? You're pathetic and disgusting." The tall man shook his head and grimaced as some of the others jeered.

Lom held onto Fah's necklace as tightly as he could. His mind went numb and he barely felt the blows as they rained down on his head and body. His knees gave way and his cheek scraped the road as he fell. Boots kicked his sides and his head, and someone stomped on his legs. Not once did he attempt to evade their feet or fight back. He felt the warmth of the blood spreading from his head to his face. His last conscious thought was a prayer that he and Fah would be together in the next life.

After several minutes of kicking Lom's unmoving body, the tall man called for everyone to stop. "Someone check if he's still alive. You," he said as he pointed at Pok, "see if he's breathing."

Pok knelt and checked for a pulse in his wrist and neck but couldn't find one. He put his finger under Lom's nose but felt nothing.

"He's dead."

"Good. Take a photo to show the family. I'm not putting that bloody mess in the car with us. We can tell them where to find it if they want it back," said the tall man as he pointed at the mustached man.

The moustached man didn't want the photos on his private cell phone so he reached into Lom's pockets and found two cell phones. The nicer one he handed to the tall man to give to Ton as proof.

The other was a basic burner phone. He opened it and was glad to see it was unlocked. He took several photos of Lom's bloodied and bruised body lying on the ground, still clutching the necklace, and sent them to the tall man's phone.

He was about to shut the phone when he saw an unread text from an hour ago. He read it and quickly sent the photos to that number as well, with the message Lom is dead.