After warming up the microwavable pancakes and sausages Rain left us in the freezer for brunch, Moira helped me come up with a reply to my brother's email. It was a difficult task, coming up with just the right words, since I wanted him to know I care but at the same time I was afraid of coming across as preachy. I mulled over my sentences, trying to imagine how I would respond to them if I were him. In the end I took Moira's suggestion to write from the heart and not worry about how my email would be perceived because, as she said, "it's the thought that counts."

Dearest Johan,

What happened to Sherlyn was tragic, but you have to remember that we couldn't always predict somebody else's reaction to bad news. You couldn't have foreseen that she would go as far as killing herself, so please don't feel as if you were a murderer. You might roll your eyes at me because I used to be exactly in your position, ceaselessly blaming myself for a death I had no control over, but precisely because I've been there I can tell you that it's an unhealthy place to be. Grief has a wicked way of eating us alive but we can choose not to be eaten. Also, I get that you feel like isolating yourself, but I beg you not to push Kenta away as you guilt-trip yourself. His unconditional love for you is genuine and he's not gonna abandon you even if you ask him to, especially not when there's a cold-blooded woman who believes in "an eye for an eye".

Speaking of, please promise me you're not going to deliberately seek Linda out. She doesn't want reconciliation and she doesn't want to reconnect. She's merciless and wouldn't be satisfied until she makes you pay for what in her mind is an unforgiveable crime. You might be inclined to think that you have to die because her sister did, but that's not going to solve anything. Linda probably has problems coping with reality and she's using you so that she doesn't have to accept that perhaps Sherlyn already thought about leaving this world long before you broke things off. Isn't it possible that Linda silently feels guilty about being helpless in preventing Sherlyn's death and, in an unsuccessful attempt to lessen her pain, she makes you a scapegoat instead of seeking help? I can understand why you're incapable of hating her, but that doesn't mean you need to be hating yourself as a result. Linda needs to learn to move on and you also deserve to do so.

Stay strong,

Nardho

"Did you mean it?" Moira pointed at the line about coping. "Is that your theory, honey, that the girl was disturbed and the break up was the last straw? Wouldn't that be even more upsetting?"

"What I meant was that we can't pinpoint a single cause for suicidal tendency," I replied as I logged off the email App. "You know how an avalanche is an accumulation of snowballs that get bigger and bigger? The underlying issues behind someone's impulse to end their life are complex," I took a deep breath. "For example, when I was caught in a downward spiral in college, it wasn't just about my mentor's passing. I dealt with other demons too, namely low self-esteem and homesickness. Who knows what could have troubled Sherlyn. I suspect, however, that all the pressure she kept to herself finally accumulated and she got desperate."

"I have no recollection of what you were like in college," Moira rubbed the back of my hand. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I also want to know if I were a good girlfriend to you."

"Moira, if your memories of our college years ever come back, I hope the ones about my struggle with depression never do," I smiled weakly. "I hope only the happy ones will come back. To answer your question, though, you were the best. You were an angel, still are."

"I'm glad you survived your darkest moments," she said softly. "Do you think Johan will recover just like you have? His email is worrisome. Does depression run in your family?"

"It might," I shrugged. "Though Nardhia seems to not be affected. Or maybe she is but she has never shown any obvious symptoms. Speaking of, I should check how she and Tony are doing."

"Not a bad idea," Moira said while handing me my burner phone. "They must have wondered how you're doing too."

I took the SIM card out of the phone and replaced it with a new one. Moira looked at me with a curious expression and I reminded her that Rain gave us plenty of those cards to minimize the risk of our identifying data being hacked.

Tony's number was one of the few numbers I've memorized and he wasn't the type to change number often, but I still held my breath as I dialed it.

Pick up, pick up, pick up...

"This is Anthony Mhoirbheinn here, who am I speaking to?" he answered after several rings.

"Hey gym rat, it's me." I almost shouted my greeting. Linda hasn't gone after him and Nardhia yet. If I were more religious this would be the time to sing hallelujah.

"Nardho!" he exclaimed. "Dude, you should have called sooner. Neesa gave me all the details but you have no idea how relieved I am to hear your voice again. So, you're at Vannie's now?"

"Yeah. Where are you? May I speak to Nardhia? Or did you two agree to hide in separate location just to be extra safe?"

"I'm back at my childhood home and I brought Izzy, LJ, and Naoko with me," Tony said. "They're gonna be safer in this remote countryside hamlet. Nardhia is in a neighboring town with a friend of my mom's, living above a fabric store. Also, for extra precaution she doesn't use her real name so that if anyone asks none of the villagers has heard of a woman named Nardhia."

"Tell your mom's friend thanks on my behalf," I let out a breath I've been holding. "And thanks for taking the children with you. Anything else I should know?"

"Just that in case anything happens, please remember that you're the best buddy I could ever ask for," Tony's voice trailed off. "I wish I could hug you right now."

"Same here. Tony, are you crying?"

"I'm not cryi-- okay, you got me, man. I'm happy you're alright but will you continue to be alright?"

"I'm trying to be. Just hope for the best."

"Here's hoping you stay unharmed. In the meantime, I'll do my hardest to keep my and Nardhia's disguise."

__

The digital clock in the dining room showed that it was 10.35 p.m. and curiously enough neither Rain nor Vannie was home yet. They did say they might stop by the grocery store to get ingredients for dinner, but grocery shopping shouldn't take hours, should it?

"If they don't return in fifteen minutes or so I'm going to look for them," I told Moira as I eyed my car key hanging from the hook by the front door. "You don't suppose they got stuck in traffic, do you?"

"Let's be patie--" she started but got cut short as the doorbell rang. "Just a second!"

Vannie wheeled herself into the house and slammed the door behind her before putting a finger on her lips.

"A car followed Rain and I this morning. Rain took a detour and drove past a police station, at which point the car went the other direction," she began breathlessly. "We reported the incident to the police and they said they would be on the lookout for that car. Anyway, we still went to work as normal. However, as I got off work this evening, just before Rain was supposed to pick me up, I saw the car again in my workplace's parking lot. Terrified, I went back inside and asked a co-worker to call a cab for me and that was how I got home."

"That's scary!" Moira put a hand to her mouth. "I'm glad you made it home safely with the cab, but do you know where Rain is?"

"That's what I'm getting at," tears fell to Vannie's lap. "In the cab, I tried to call Rain to let them know that they could go straight home, but the line was dead. A minute or so later, I got a call from an unknown number. Whoever that was promptly hang up but then I got this crazy voicemail!" Vannie put her phone on speaker mode.

The message contained in the voicemail echoed through the dining room:

I know you're the lady who have been giving Nardho a place to hide. Have him call 7752216633 before midnight or say farewell to your partner. Wanna save their soul? Then persuade Nardho to tell me where Johan is. If he refuses, I'll break your partner's neck, I'm serious.

Don't ask me how I know your whereabouts and your employer. All I'm willing to tell you is that you've been betrayed. You'll find out who the traitor is soon enough if you call me.

"It's Linda!" My blood ran cold. "She's holding Rain captive as a bait to lure me to her basecamp. Now we need to locate this lethal woman fast before she does anything crazier."

"Please tell me she's not actually going to hurt Rain!" Vannie cried harder. "Please tell me this is just an empty threat. Coercive measures aren't that fatal, are they?"

"Only one way to make sure," Moira's head hung low. "I guess we're calling Linda back. Better do it before the clock strikes twelve."

"Here goes," I punched in the number Linda mentioned. "But I'm not telling her where Johan is, not in a million years. We'll see if we can negotiate something else, although it'd be like making a deal with the devil."

There was silence on the other end before a maniacal laughter fill the air.

"I see you still value your friend's life," Linda cackled. "Just so you know, I have a knife to their throat right now and they're tied to a chair. I can make them bleed profusely."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Sitohang!" a male voice cried out. "But she threatened to kill me too."

"Shut up, pizza guy!" Linda snapped. "Your betrayal has served me well, now shoo or I'll tie you up too and put duct tape over your filthy mouth. Go before I change my mind."

"George, we'll talk later, get yourself out of there while you can!" I exclaimed. "Linda, Rain has nothing to do with your wickedness, let them go. Your beef is with Johan, right?"

"Yes, I'll set your friend free if you answer this simple question. Where is Johan?"

"You first," I gritted my teeth. "Tell me where you are and I'll come."

"Buying time, aren't you?" Linda laughed again. "Very well, I'll still make you speak one way or another, don't you underestimate me. Come to 7315 Purple Clover Street and you'll see an abandoned supermarket. I'll be waiting in the storage room. If you don't arrive in ten minutes..." she paused and I heard Rain's muffled screamed. "It's a gunshot to the head for your friend. Oh, and don't try to call the police. They're easily bought over with riches. They're on my side."

---

"Rain!" Vannie rushed to her partner's side. "You're okay, oh my goodness."

I wasn't really afraid of dying itself, Rain signed once Vannie untied them. I was afraid I'd die before I had the chance to say I love you one last time. But looks like Allah has mercy on me.

"Why are you signing?" Linda glared at the couple. "Are you really mute? Damn, if I had known you're useless I'd not bother dragging you to this stuffy storage room. But still, it's great that Nardho is here," she pointed her long finger at me. "Now fulfill your end of the bargain."

"What good would killing Johan do?" Moira spoke up. "Is that what Sherlyn would want?"

"Don't try to speak for my sister!" Linda thundered. "You weren't the one who had to watch as the light faded from her eyes. You weren't the one who failed at resuscitating her. You weren't the one who heard her last words."

"Did she ask you to avenge her?" Moira retorted. "Would revenge put her soul at peace?"

"You want to know her last words?" Linda sneered. "Hours before I found her passed out on the floor, we had dinner together. At the dinner table, she said Remember what our parents said before the fire engulfed them? Big sisters have to protect little sisters and vice versa. I couldn't protect Sherlyn from heartbreak, but I could protect other women from that heartbreaker."

"What are you griping about? Having your heart broken is a given, there's no way to prevent it," Moira argued. "It's a natural part of life. We all will face rejection or be the one who rejected someone at some point."

"Enough babbling!" Linda pulled Moira by the wrist and put a knife under her chin.

"Linda, let my wife go!" I bellowed. "She's not the one you're having grievance against."

"Don't tell me what to do!" she grabbed her concealed gun from the holster and fired at the ceiling, her eyes shone with contempt. "You're overpowered, give up trying to outsmart me."

"Look, I get that you're hurting from your sister's death," I said as I held my hands up and slowly backed away. "I've lost an important person too and let me tell you from experience that being angry and bitter about it would lead you nowhere. What you need is counseling."

"Wrong!" she yelled. A split second later, the sound of gunshot pierced my ear.

The last thing I heard before my vision went blurry was Moira's gasping and Vannie's sobbing.