Shadow

11

"Hey Boun, where are you going?", the Chief of Police asked the blonde who looked like he was getting ready to go out.

"I'm going to the hospital to meet Ohm. Fluke must have already arrived there too. We're going to interrogate the victim of the last Shadow attack.", the man said, putting the gun inside his holster.

The older man nodded in agreement, but he looked distant. "Do you need anything?", Boun asked his friend.

"It's just that I was checking Fluke's file and–", Kao was interrupted by his friend.

"Oh, man! I thought you got over that thing you two had! Aren't you dating that cute psychiatrist who owns a clinic downtown?", Boun wiggled his brows, teasing him.

"I'm going to ignore your comment like it doesn't exist and get back to business!", Kao said, blushing a bit. "The fact is that I found something strange in Fluke's file, Boun!"

"By your tone, you seem serious.", the blonde dropped the playful mood and let his professional persona take over.

Boun could be seen as someone that didn't strictly follow the law, but all his actions were guided by his sense of good and bad. He could never hurt innocent people even if his hands were dirty by helping to condemn the real bad guys.

"Do you remember…", Kao looked hesitant, "when we had that happy hour party when Fluke arrived at the unit and he told us about how his father had committed suicide?"

"Sure, man. That was heavy as hell. But what's with it?

"Fluke's file says his emergency contact is his father who lives in Lamphun.", Kao said, letting the silence complete the sentence. Fluke had lied to them.

Boun felt his throat dry, but decided to speak. "Must be some system error, I'm sure…", the blonde tried to ease his consciousness.

"I called to check. The information fits. The man who answered is actually Fluke Natouch's father."

"Ah… maybe he has 2 dads? It's very common nowadays and we shouldn't judge…", Boun was desperately trying to put up with a reasonable explanation to why their colleague would lie to them like this.

"Boun, Fluke was reported missing 3 months ago.", Kao kept dropping facts at him.

3 months. The time coincided with Fluke's arrival at the unit.

"Wait, there's an easy way to solve this. Let's Google the story he told us about his father and…", Boun said looking at his phone which was displaying the results for his research on the case of the assistant who had committed suicide after BKK Records declared bankruptcy.

"So?", Kao asked after waiting uncomfortably for his friend's answer.

"It says here that Mr. Sripinta left a wife and child behind. But the boy, Pongsatorn Sripinta, was soon taken in by an orphanage after his mother followed her husband's fate.", Boun felt his legs going numb.

"Do you think that…?"

"Kao, look at the family photo…", Boun turned the phone to Kao, so the other could see the screen.

The Chief of Police could have fainted at the sight of the photo, but his years of experience and training helped him stay on his feet.

"Ohm! We need to tell him now!", he looked at Boun with an urgent tone as they both ran out of the Police Station.

********

Fluke was surprised by the loud noise and didn't know what to do for a few seconds. It was like his brain had frozen and he couldn't think of a way out. He could hear voices calling Ohm's name and even without seeing who they belonged to, he knew they were Kao and Boun. He didn't remember seeing Ohm closing the door of the bedroom where Ethan was, but that was the only thing still separating them from the two men outside. Even after the door had been shot.