Not Me : 🎨 Yok's Tapestry 🔻this Is Not a Yok/Dan story🔻

Thirteen 🎨

I meet Sammy outside her offices. In her vehicle, hidden behind a couple of pillars, she shows me the footage she received. I see Finn on the screen, slumped over in a wheelchair and being pushed towards the exit. Sammy had described the entire clip to me and yet, as I'm watching, I'm hoping for a different outcome. I must however accept what I wish not to. Finn has been taken.

"Why had the airline called you, did they suspect something? " "Well... actually it wasn't the airline itself. I have a few contacts working at the airport, that supply information for a small fee. I had asked them to keep an eye on Finn. I had this feeling, a gnawing feeling in my gut, something is about to happen.

When the flight departed without him on it , one of them called me. I called the airport to check whether Finn had perhaps changed his reservation. They confirmed he had missed the flight. I asked one of my little birds to copy the security footage for me. I called you as soon as I saw the tape."

"I'll call White. He has a few contacts in this field. Maybe they can take a look at this footage." "Okay. Please keep me in the loop if you learn anything more." I immediately give White a call.

" Hey, sorry to disturb. I have a dilemma and need some help. A friend of mine ran into some trouble. I have a video clip, could you take a look at it for me please Na." "Email it to me Yok." I immediately oblige. Clip sent.

I intended to see if there may be some clues at Finn's place, but he had already vacated the apartment and security refused to let me in. After nearly an hour White returns my call. He found something, a reflection in one of the shop windows. The person who took Finn, is clearly visible in the reflection and is easily recognisable.

That reflected face belonged to Danai. No mistaking it anymore. Danai is alive and he's got Finn. Why would he want Finn? No guesses at this point. Why is he doing this or going this far? Why couldn't he just contact me? Something smells very rotten here and Finn is trapped in the middle of it all.

White and his contacts found more clues in video footage from other areas around the airport. I'd rather not speculate on the how of it. What we do have is a vehicle registration number, an address and what we assume to be a fake name.

The address is roughly thirty minutes in the northerly direction. Thanks to Sean and White, we make a team of three. We head out to the address. We are completely in the dark as to what we'll find when we get there. Most important to me is Finn's safety.

At first glance the place looks deserted. A three bedroom ramshackle house sits on the property, nothing more. It's eerily quiet. There's a thick tree line to one side and railway tracks running at the back of it. The nearest neighbour on the other side is at least a couple of kilometres away, far enough to not see or hear anything.

The only thing that stands out to us, is the vehicle someone tried to hide between the trees. We recognise it from the video footage. We circle it cautiously. Tip toeing around it, weapons drawn, we approach the passenger doors. It's empty. No surprise there. We head inside.

We enter via the back door. The inside is even more rundown than the outside. Cupboard doors hanging off hinges, some completely missing. It's bare of furniture but an ominous sounding melody is playing softly from a room at the far end of the passage. We approach quietly.

Before approaching the room from where we can hear the music playing, we check all rooms on the way. They're all quiet, old, empty, smelly and creepy. The door is slightly open to the last room. We can tell it's empty, but the creepy melody is coming from inside. It sounds like a music box, the wind up kind, with the twirling ballerina.

That's exactly what we see in the middle of the room on the floor. This was once a bedroom, now it's bare except for the wardrobe against one wall. We inspect it before approaching the music box. Diligently we search the cupboard, it's empty. The windows no longer has any glass in them and is covered with the mouldy tattered remnants of a blanket.

We finally approach the box. Inside is a cellphone. A post-it note stuck to the phone with the words 'Watch it' scribbled on it. White instructs me not to touch it. Sean uses a pen to poke the phone. Nothing happens. He pulls off the note. There's nothing at the back of it. Sean uses the pen to tip the box over. The melody immediately stops.

We look at each other trying to communicate without speaking. We each nod towards the cellphone and again to each other. This is my signal to pick up the cellphone. In my gloved hand the phone is small. I press the big button right in the middle. It opens to a menu. There's no listed numbers, no call log, no photos, just one video clip. I assume this is what we must watch.

My heart is beating so loudly, it almost drowns out all other sound. A cold sweat drips from my face. Everything has gone quiet around me and still my heartbeat is thunderous in my ears. I glance at both Sean and White. In turn they each signal for me to continue. I press the button. Immediately the video starts playing.

Finn in the wheelchair. Still slumped over. The chair sits in the middle of this very room, right where the music box now lay on it side. Danai steps into view. "Hello Yok," he says. "Didn't think you'd ever see me like this did you?" Myself and my companions remain quiet, our eyes glued to the tiny screen.

"I need something from you Yok. My watch, the one you gave me. I need it back. The police returned it to you after the explosion and I want it back. You're probably thinking I could've just asked you for it but consider how you would have reacted when you saw me .... Back from the dead, besides I wanted to prove one thing to you....

I can reach out to you whenever I want. You and him," indicating Finn," will never know a moment of peace. I will always be looking over your shoulder." He laughs maniacally.

"I'll exchange the watch for him." Indicating Finn again. "Here's my instructions. Obey it to the letter or else ...." He lets the threat hang in the air . He's now holding up an A4 notepad to the camera, the combination to what looks like a station locker on it.

He speaks again. "In a locker at the train station leave the watch. Lock the door and walk away. Go home and await further instructions. I'll call you. If you choose not to obey me, you'll find your new boyfriend stuffed in that same locker."

The screen went black. Sean, White and myself concur, that was indeed Danai. "What will you do," Sean asks. "What can I do. I have to save Finn. Nothing else matters." "And your feelings for Danai? This is the second time he's betrayed you. What will you do?"

"I feel nothing for Danai now except fear. By his actions he killed whatever feelings I had left. Finn is all that's important now. I must bring him back safely."