Message In A Bottle ↬Markson

Chapter 20

"What news do you have about my uncle, officer?" Jackson asks anxiously as he stands up from his place at the dining table.

An anxious feeling is building up inside him, the pit of his stomach is heavy and he feels like he is about to throw up. His heartbeat races as he continues to look at the police offices intensely.

"It might be good if you sit down Mr. Wang." The tall police officer says, hand wavering towards the couch, making the suggestion he should sit down there.

Jackson walks to the couch and sits down slowly. Next to him Mark and Jinyoung sit down. Jinyoung's hand finds its way to the small of Jackson's back. Mark intertwines his left hand with Jackson as he puts his other hand on Jackson's thigh, slightly squeezing it.

The officers sit down infront of them on two chairs the small officer grabbed from the dining table.

"Your uncle," the tall officer starts, "he disappeared a while ago."

Jackson stares at them confused but also noticing how the officer is looking at the ground, as if he is finding it difficult to tell Jackson the full story.

The police officer looks up after a couple of seconds of silence and stares at Jackson. Jackson is looking back at him with distressed eyes, scanning all over the police officer's face for any sign of comfort.

"He disappeared a while ago as I said. To be exact, he disappeared 3 months ago. Exactly the day after he had called you. You see, Mr. Wang, after he called you he was seen driving to some apartment building, but he never got out. All there was seen was three man, all wearing black clothes and masks to cover their identity, escaping the back of the building. A couple of minutes later they came out with a big bag in their hands. They carried it to a van and disappeared, just like your uncle. The surveillance cameras recorded every movement. We tracked the license plate of the van, but to no succes. The license plate was fake and the van was stolen. The footage of the theft is missing so we have no clue who they are."

The pit of Jackson's stomach got heavier as the police officer told the story. His eyes started to sting, and as he desperately tried to hold back the tears, it didn't work. Tears fell down his face. The reaction of the two beside him are immediately felt by Jackson, Jinyoung rubbed his back as Mark held his hand thighter and rubbed his upper leg in attempt to comfort him.

Jackson himself was trembling. His legs was shaking as his whole world seems to collapse right infront of him. The one who supported and loved him when no one else would is gone.

"People started worrying and looking for your uncle as he didn't show up to his work, missing his appointments. We were notified by this and soon after the Hong Kong police department started an investigation. We tried looking for your uncle and  we searched for him everywhere. It wasn't until a week ago until something incredible happened, we had gotten the golden hint. The forest ranger said they might had seen the culprits in their forest close to the apartment building. He also said he heard struggling coming from nearby when he was walking through the forest. Days before the police department in Hong Kong had told the nation on national television about what happened and they asked if someone might new what would have happened. In the end we went to search for your uncle in and around the forest. Fortunately, we found him."

Jackson feels relieved, they found him. Though worry crushed his hopes quickly. "I-is he still alive? Is he okay?" Jackson interrupted the police officer.

"Unfortunately, he isn't. We found your uncle dead about 7 feet underneath the surface in a coffin. He died due lack of oxygen according to the autopsy. He most likely suffered a slow and painful death. When we got him out of there, his body seemed almost unrecognizable."