~

"I can't risk anybody's life in this, P'Mew. I can't ask for help without knowing the depth of this case. Dad, I need your help in this," I requested my dad.

~

"Baby, DDT is not about the test results alone anymore. It's dangerous to get involved in this case. You don't know how tricky and risky it is," I pleaded to my husband Beam to hear me. At least, this once.

~

"Khun Kong suggested getting photo evidence and DDT samples from the rig during the event," I slowly replied as I watched Beam's frowns deepen.

"No. Drop the plan!"

"But, baby..."

"No! Forth. Your CEO, Khun Saen, will be there for the event, and some of his trusted people will be there too. Forth what you're suggesting is a suicide mission. I won't allow you," stated Beam heatedly.

~

"Baby, I'll be alright. And I need you here to do me a favour," I said as I pulled an envelope out of my back bag and handed it over to Beam.

~

"I promise, baby. I love you," I vowed as I hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead.

~

~1982, 30th June~

D-Day for the mission.

"Forth, get out of here! They know about our plans already," said P'Kong as soon as he got to the locker room. He pulled me away from the DDT locker room as he entered room suddenly.

'He was supposed to be out there watching out for the guards. How did our plan leak?' I thought. But the evidence is almost within my reach.

I can't drop the plan now.

"P'Kong, I only need a few more minutes. How did they know about it, Phi?" I asked, alarmed as I tried to transfer the files into my pen drive.

"We don't have time for this. Drop the plan! My uncle knows it's you, so please leave faster!" shouted P'Kong hysterically as he pulled me away from the room will full force.

But it was too late. Khun Saen, with his loyal bodyguards, has surrounded us. It looks like the event ended early.

I got shaken as this was not part of our plan. We went through several outcomes where we could get caught and get away. But, none of it included getting captured by Khun Saen himself.

"P'Kong, you go left. I'll go right. We can take them down," I whispered to him as I structured an escape route in my head.

We both could fight our way out to escape this situation. If we could get away from them and jump off the ship, we could swim and save ourselves.

But, to my surprise, P'Kong didn't move from his spot. The guards marched forward and only captured me.

"P'Kong, what's going on here? Let go of me!" I shouted as I tried to pry my arms off the guard's stronghold.

"Well, well! Nong Forth, your P'Kong sold your plan info in exchange for his boyfriend's safety. He led us here. He betrayed you," said Khun Saen, smiling smugly at me.

It can't be true.

We were in this plan together.

P'Kong won't do this to me.

"P'Kong," I called his name with great disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Nong Forth. They have my P'Arthit," he replied with guilt.

"A little brat like you want to end my business! How dare you!

Boys, finish him off!" ordered Khun Saen as he hit my face hard.

"You said you'll let him go. Uncle Saen, please let Nong go," argued P'Kong as a few guards held his place.

"If you can't watch him die, then don't, Kong. Boys, bring him away," added Khun Saen as some of his guards pulled P'Kong away from the scene while the rest hit me.

"If I kill you and throw you in this ocean, none would know. Why would an engineer with a bright future risk his life for these things? Do you want to be a hero? Well, all the heroes die at the end in real life," he sneered as his guards ravaged me.

"Even if you kill me here, Your dirty business will get revealed today. The Navy is on its way here. You can't get away with this ship full of evidence," I yelled at him, not backing out.

"The Navy will only get to arrest me if there is any evidence left," Khun Saen said as he looked at me with a devilish grin. With this look, he could pass as a devil himself.

"Burn the ship. I don't care if the people on the boat die. I need all the evidence gone. Get rid of him," Khun Saen ordered before he left the spot.

"No! No! No!" I trashed around to get away with the remaining energy.

I need to warn my fellow engineers. We are brothers, and I can't risk their lives due to my failed mission.

Upon his departure, his men took out the gun to aim at me.

I don't know how many punches and kicks my ribs could take before they completely collapsed and failed to provide oxygen to my body. I don't know whether my skull is still intact with the hits it took from their metal rod.

I'm sure I lost a lot of blood. But I can't die here today.

I planned this mission to save lives, and I'm not going down without a fight. I promised Beam to be home safe.

I gathered my remaining energy to push the guards who held me tight as the others hit me. I used my street fight skills to attack them back.

I know I don't have much time, but that doesn't mean I can't save the others.

As I got away from the guards, I made my way to the top tower of the ship. We have our signal operating speakers and navigation there. If I could inform the others about it before the fire spread wild, the rest they would manage.

With the remaining power, I climbed the stairs to the top tower as quickly as my legs could handle.

Upon reaching the room, I used the microphone to announce the fire. The disadvantage of this plan is that the guards could hear me too and would know my whereabouts.

Before the guards got to me, I had to inform Beam about the files. If the files reach the right hand, Khun Saen can't get away with his crimes.

"Hello, Beam. Baby, send the envelope now!" my voice got muffled by the background sound as the fire started to spread to the top tower.

"Forth, when are you coming here? What's going on there?" questioned Beam, alarmed. I can feel the anxiousness in his voice.

"Beam, s-stay with Phana a-and Kit," I added.

My breath had come short, and I was bleeding. I have a lot to say to Beam. It could be the last time I hear his voice.

"Forth, what happened there?" asked Beam, crying.

"Beam, I-I can't-t....c-come. Be s-safe."

Before I could convey my love to him, an explosion happened at the DDT barrel area, which made the ship go through turbulence.

I dropped my phone due to that and couldn't get it back as the fire was fast to eat up the whole place. I dragged my injured leg out as I noticed a gunshot wound at my kneecap.

I can't even remember when I got shot in the first place.

The flames exploded everywhere as the marine engineers ran out of the collapsing building to the lifeboat.

The enormous marine ship was on fire. There was the toppling of oil vessels, cranes, and metal container stands everywhere.

The good part about the fire is the guards of Khun Saen had to run for their life together with the engineers, as the whole ship could blast at any time.

They were busy saving their life to bother about killing me. I tried to get out of the tower as my survival rate ran low with each passing minute.

As I staggered out, I heard Beam's voice, and I prayed it to be a delusion in my last minutes.

"Forth!!!" I heard him again.

'Baby, leave. It's not safe here,' I wanted to shout that to him, but I was short on breath.

I was surprised to see Khun Saen still on the ship, and to my distress, he was aiming his gun toward my Beam.

The fire explosions and the massive waves in the middle of the ocean played against me. I swayed with the ship as I heard a gun sound and felt immediate pain in my chest.

I saw Beam's terrified face as I fell into the deep ocean. As I lost all hope and willing to die, I felt two arms trying to bring me out of the waters.

I saw a glimpse of Beam as he tried to save me while risking his own. I know I won't survive, but I can still rescue him.

Any minute now, I'll die. I know that, but I had to push Beam to the surface before that. As much as I tried to push him up towards the surface, he attempted to pull me with him.

I saw him fighting for my life as I released my last breath and surrendered to the darkness.

~

"Beam!!!" Forth woke up with a scare as he revisited the last moments of his previous life before he died.

"Beam!!! Beam!!! Where are you???" Forth shouted as he couldn't find Beam near him. The lightning from the outside was the only light source in the room, and the absence of Beam made Forth feel agitated.

He remembers seeing Beam before he fainted, but where is he now? Did he imagine things due to the headache? But, this is their house. He designed and built this house for Beam.

"Beam!" he called out as he got off the bed but landed butt first due to his weak, feverish body.

Beam rushed into the room as he heard a loud thud from their master bedroom.

"Forth, what are you doing down there?" Beam asked in concern and helped him get back on the bed. He left Forth to make dinner just a moment ago, and Forth chose that time to wake up hence the panic.

"Baby...," Forth engulfed Beam in a tight hug as soon as Beam settled beside him.

"I'm here, Forth. I'm here with you. It's all okay. Calm down," said Beam as he patted Forth's back to calm the frantic guy.

Forth feared that Beam would slip through his arms if he let loose. He even feared blinking his eyes.

"Tell me you are okay. Tell me you got away from the ship that day.

Tell me you survived," he begged as he held Beam tightly in his arms.

Beam wasn't ready to reveal that part of the past yet. He will never get prepared for that. It could break Forth. But, he had to be honest with him.

"I- I didn't," replied Beam almost like a whisper after staying silent for a few minutes.

"What?!" asked Forth, stupefied.

Forth remembers pushing Beam towards the surface.

'Was I too late to rescue Beam?

Did Beam die because of me too?' this kind of thought invaded this troubled mind.

"I vowed to be with you till the end, and I kept my promise, Forth. My life would never be the same without you, and I refuse to live a day without you. So, I stayed by your side," replied Beam as he returned the hug with the same strength.

Remembering the worst memory of their lives, again and again, doesn't do anything good to both of them. Beam felt the same sadness and pain when he first remembered his past. He returned Forth's hug, and Beam held the trembling Forth in his arms.

This side of Forth is new to him. The Forth that he remembers was a mighty person with an iron mind. Yes, he always had a weak spot for him. But never in his dreams that Beam imagine Forth would get shattered like this due to remembering the past.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I'm sorry I was not with you till the end. Please forgive me, baby. Please don't leave me," Forth begged as fresh tears streamed down his face.

"Why would I leave you, my love? I'm here, am I not?" commented Beam softly to convince him.

Despite Beam's effort to calm Forth, he kept apologizing.

"I'm sorry. Don't leave me," Forth murmured as Forth slowly slipped into unconsciousness again.

Beam made Forth lie comfortably on the bed and watched him sleep. Even in his unconsciousness, Forth refused to let his hands go. The frown on his forehead mirrored his troubled mind.

"Why would I leave you, Forth? I'll be forever with you, alive or dead," said Beam as he kissed Forth's forehead and lay beside his once husband.

~

"They are safe. Forth and Beam are at their old home. Beam is taking care of him. You don't have to worry about him, Phana," said Mew as he hung up the call from Beam.

All the elders have gathered in the Jaturapoom mansion while their kids and grandchildren are in Ming's guest house as Stell handles them as their host. Bane left Sanoah with Jane and Stella, as he knew they needed her to tell the past about their son.

Gulf entered the home office room with drinks and snacks for the rest. All of them are in their late fifties or sixties and too old to ignore food and their medication.

"P'Mew, I guess, you hide about Beam from us like how Pha hide about Forth. Why did you do it, Phi?" asked Kit, tired.

Too much past revealing was exhausting for him because it was too much to take in a single day.

"Same as Phana, we didn't know Beam was late Beam's reincarnation in his childhood, even though we had our fair share of doubts. Bane named him Beam as his only son had the same skin complexion as the late Beam. As you all remember, my Bane loved Beam more than his own uncle, Forth," answered Mew with a little chuckle.

All the elders gave Bane an unamused look as they finally knew the reason behind Beam's name.

Skin complexion?! Seriously?!

"According to our theory, Beam had his memories since birth. Not all of them but a little glimpse here and there. He would do and say stuff he did with you guys in college days as he experienced it at just two years old.

We didn't bother him that time. We went with the flow," added P'Gulf.

"Then, grandpa died. Dad and I took over the pending case and investigated it secretly. At Beam's 16th birthday party, there was a little fire accident. That's when he experienced his first phobia attack," said Bane as he remembered carrying the unconscious Beam to the hospital.

He would never wish to experience it again.

"P'Beam has phobia too? Pyrophobia, to be exact?" asked Ming.

"My mother-in-law used to say that phobias represent the course of the dead in a past life. I used to joke about it with my parents because P'Beam died because he drowned in the ocean, but my son's phobia was due to his fear of fire," answered Bane with a deep sigh.

"But, after getting to know Forth's phobia, We think their phobia is not due to the reason of their death. But, due to their other half's death. Beam had pyrophobia because he lost Forth to the fire. If I'm not mistaken, the last view Forth had before his death was Beam drowning with him, which may be the cause of his Thallasaphobia," added Gulf as he shared a stare with Mew.

"When did Beam gain all the memory?" questioned Phana this time.

"Beam started to gain his memory since the very first phobia attack. He had a terrible fever to the point of comatose and was bedridden for almost a week. We feared his health. We lied about the hospital stay and sent him away to study aboard against his wish. Just a glimpse of the past made him sick like that. Therefore we decided he shouldn't remember his past.

But, Nong Beam was stubborn. He researched reincarnation and phobia during his stay in Canada even though we grounded him. He tried his all to return to Bangkok and remember his past behind our backs," commented Mew.

"Beam was never a sweet guy, P'Mew. My friend was the trouble with a big, bolded 'T'," replied Phana as he remembered how stubborn Beam could be when he decided to do something.

"That's why I agreed to meet you on the first ring. I want to settle all the issues before he remembers them. But we didn't know that he had met Forth in this life, and his memories have been returning slowly. Leo called us a week before from the hospital cause Beam had another phobia attack due to an event at their campus.

That day I found Nong Beam at their home. He was a mess.

He got all of his memories that day. Luckily his semester holidays started, and we brought him here," finished Mew with a weary expression.

"Why didn't Beam want to meet us if he got his memory back, Phi?" asked Kit sadly.

Did his friends didn't trust them anymore?

Didn't he want to meet them again?

Kit got sad with his own sceptical view.

"Beam started to look into the DDT case-related article as soon as he regained his memory. He wanted to get justice for Uncle Forth and the island people. When Beam knew that the evidence was gone and it delayed the judgement of our case, Beam busied himself with his laptop.

He wouldn't say what he was looking for to any of us. Not even his best friend, Nong Leo," added Bane.

"Nong Leo said Beam was happy before he left the hotel this afternoon. Leo told us that Beam finally found the one thing he had been looking for all this week. We have to wait for Beam and Forth to return to know more about the details," remarked Gulf.

"I don't mind waiting as long as it takes. I missed Beam so much. To be honest, I blamed myself for not protecting him in the past," said Phana with a content smile.

"Yes, P'Mew, Phana was like the unofficial father of Beam. He was more like our son than a friend most of the time," responded Kit as he sid hugged his tall best friend.

"Let's wait for them tomorrow, then. For now, please rest, uncles," said Bane worried.

After all, they all are worried sick. The elders were physically and mentally exhausted from the turns of the event in a single day.

"Thank you for keeping P'Beam from danger all these years, P'Mew, P'Gulf. Thanks to you, I could finally see P'Pha genuinely smile," supplied Wayo as he smiled brightly.

All the elders resigned to their destinated room and signed off for the day. When they planned a family gathering, none of them predicted this.

They got back their friends, and a lot of the past incident got revealed. But, at last, it all ended well.

Now, they could finally sleep without grieving for their late best friends.

____________

End of Chap 17.

TBC.

____________