{CHAPTER TWELVE}

                                    ~~~~~~~~

"Cheers! Hahaha." The jovial laughter mixed with the melodic clinking of glasses, accompanied by a spill of beer.

"Finally, my friend," Victor remarked, savoring his beer, "I knew you'd accomplish it. Your uncle would undoubtedly be filled with pride."

"Have you told your Uncle yet? Come on, you have to," Victor urged, gesturing for Jackson to pick up his phone and share the good news of his achievement with his uncle.

Disregarding Victor's words, Jackson nonchalantly remarked, "No, not necessary. I'll update him later." He took a sip of his beer, glanced forward, and continued, "Moreover, he's probably already in the know. It seems there's an unknown figure collaborating with him."

Victor, caught off guard by Jackson's words, swiftly countered, "Unknown Figure?" His eyes revealing his suspicious countenance.

"I was also shocked myself when I discovered! It was evident that Uncle couldn't have carried out the plan by kidnapping Phil alone," Jackson said, shifting his gaze to Victor's before gazing back ahead. "And I'll do whatever it takes to uncover who this young man is!"

Upon Jackson's revelation, Victor's beer betrayed him, triggering a fit of coughs and splutters. "I'm good, man," he managed to gasp out, while Jackson's comforting pats tried to calm his uncontrollable coughing.

In the midst of his coughing, Victor's phone chimed urgently, prompting him to gulp down more beer for relief before he stole a quick glance to identify the caller.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" Jackson prodded Victor, who simply stared at his ringing phone with a foreboding silence.

Victor's attention was consumed by the incoming call; however, upon hearing Jackson, he seemed to drift away. His whole body registered a lack of focus and suspicion.

"You mean th- the call?" he stammered, then awkwardly shifted his stance. "Uhm, it's nothing important," he managed to smile nervously.

"Alright, if you say so," Jackson remarked, shifting his attention back to his beer. His voice carried a subtle undertone of resignation.

A tense silence filled the space between them.

"Found anything on that young man your Uncle's involved with?" Victor asked, nodding towards Jackson.

"Not yet, but it's just a matter of time before I find out," Jackson exhaled deeply.

Victor, trying to hide his unease, hesitated as he said to Jackson, "Do you really think there's any need for that? I mean, the little boy was unharmed and seemed very pleased with the young man." He stopped abruptly, noticing Jackson's suspicious gaze on him, realizing he might have let something slip.

In the midst of the charged atmosphere between them, Jackson's voice cut through the surrounding clamor. With a stern stare, he inquired, "How did you come to know he was unharmed and content with the young man? I never mentioned it to you."

The tension was so thick, every word felt like it was hanging in the air, as if a passing fly could shatter the delicate balance. Just then the intense moment between them was abruptly shattered by Victor's ringing tone once more, breaking the spell.

With a subtle shift of his gaze to Victor's phone, brows raised in curiosity, he uttered, "You should pick up," directed at the still-frozen Victor.

"See, I told you, it wasn't important" Victor uttered, a strained smile visible in his lips, as the call suddenly ceased.

With a pensive "Hmm," Jackson quipped, then refocused his gaze ahead, seemingly unfazed by Victor's words.

With a swift maneuver, Victor seized the chance created by Jackson's distracted state to swiftly tap out a message on his phone. His fingers moved deftly as he turned discreetly to the side. Meanwhile, Jackson, fixed on the distance, inquired, "You didn't answer to my question," his gaze now on Victor, who promptly stashed his phone into his pocket.

Victor hesitantly answered, "Uhm, I just guessed, it was obvi..." His sentence was suddenly cut short by the ringing of a phone, which, this time, belonged to Jackson.

Right as he picked up, his Uncle's voice pierced through the line, "We need to talk." His Uncle suddenly disconnects the call.

"I think I have to leave, my Uncle needs me," he said, rising from his seat, delicately wiping his mouth free of any lingering beer. "Let's catch up some other time, my friend!" With a firm handshake, their fingers snapped in sync as Jackson departed.

To Jackson, his unwavering trust in Victor was unparalleled; he only sought to unravel the mystery of how Victor obtained the crucial information about the young boy's safety, viewing it as a pivotal step towards uncovering the young man's identity.

Victor had become more than a friend to him; he was like a brother, sharing an unbreakable bond that they both cherished. It felt as though fate had brought them together in this journey of trust and friendship.

Their remarkable meeting during their teenage years truly strengthened their connection in a touching manner. It began when Victor was faced with bullies while playing football with other teenagers at the orphanage. Jackson, witnessing the scene as he passed by, swiftly came to Victor's rescue with a display of courage and kindness, dispersing the bullies and offering his support to Victor.

Their second encounter as teens unfolded in a heart-pounding moment. Victor found himself being chased by an angry apple seller for allegedly stealing her apples. In a stroke of quick thinking and camaraderie, Jackson, spotting the unfolding drama, sprinted to Victor's aid. With swift coordination, he managed to hide Victor in a nearby trash can, successfully evading the woman's pursuit. Their shared victory over the situation led to laughter.

In that moment of their shared laughter, Jackson inquired why Victor was a constant presence on the street. Victor then revealed his emotional past, recounting the heartrending story of his mother's passing during childbirth and his father's choice to place him in an orphanage soon after his birth.

Despite this difficult separation, his father made regular visits, reassuring Victor that he would one day return to take him home once he accomplished his goals, promising a brighter days ahead.

Jackson also confided in him, sharing the heartbreaking loss of his parents and how he now found himself under his uncle's care, who harbored the intentions of seeking justice by avenging their death.

In one of Jackson's sneaky visits to see Victor, he got word from a teenage orphan that Victor's father had eventually taken him away, mentioning it was time for Victor to be useful to him.

However, fate had its twists, and they ended up reuniting in their later years at the same bar where they now enjoy spending time together.

"That was a close call," with a heavy sigh of relief, Victor mumbled to himself as soon as Jackson departed.

Soon after, Victor returned the call to the persistent caller.

"He was so close to figuring it out," he uttered anxiously to the caller on the other end of the line.

"You were sharp by dropping me a message about the intense conversation between you two, nudging me to quickly give him a call to come over," the caller praised, clearly pleased with Victor's clever move.

"I was stuck, had no comeback to his questions, so that was my only move, and you know how clever and brave Jackson is. I'm just glad you acted quickly," Victor explained, flashing a grin at the caller's praise, then taking a swig from his beer.

"Hahaha," the caller chuckled through the phone, "no need to be anxious, Jackson might be clever and brave, but he'll never be able to catch on to this," he reassured Victor.

"If you say so," Victor affirmed confidently.

"So, tell me, is there any news I need to know?" The caller inquired, shifting the conversation to a more informative topic.

Victor said with a hint of excitement, "Nothing much, except the fact that he finally asked the girl to be his girlfriend."

"Ahh, good! Excellent! And I'm certain her response was a yes. Hahaha," he chuckled heartily, the laughter resonating loudly even through the phone.

"Hahaha, absolutely, Jackson's charm is undeniable! Every lady would swoon over him in a heartbeat," Victor chuckled, joining in the laughter with the caller.

The caller continued, "Meet me tomorrow, at the spot, son." His words resonated with significance.

Victor's face suddenly shifted, serious and somber, the word triggering a painful memory. "Okay, Dad," he muttered softly before wrapping up the call.

As soon as he ended the call, Victor was consumed by thoughts, tears welling up, recalling his mother's tragic passing during his birth. He hastily wiped away the tears, hoping to conceal his emotions from the other patrons in the bar.

"I wish I had at least gotten to meet you, Mom," Victor said to himself, sniffing his tears back in.