Across Borders beyond fate

The days after Joaquin had that meeting with the mysterious entity were still normal. Somehow, an alien kind of anxiety lay over him like heavy clouds as every second went by. He kept turning around, looking back repeatedly, and was laden with questions: what about Adrian Mendoza, what were the Zhang family's secrets?

It was one of those nights when he was alone in a semi-dark room, sitting up and staring at the limited amounts of information he had gathered to date. To him, Adrian Mendoza seemed more a product of some great cover-up than an unsolved disappearance. And Lianhua's words still rang in the back of his mind: "He wouldn't have just left like that."

Another ping sounded from the laptop; another email notification. No longer attributable to an anonymous sender. The subject read: "The Truth About Adrian Mendoza."

His heart thumped wildly with the thought of opening the email. It only had one line: "Meet me at the deserted garden pavilion at 12 midnight tomorrow. Come there alone." A blurry picture of a man who resembled Adrian, bundled among others with Wei Zhang around, was suddenly thrust into Joaquin's hands and starting tremoring. Was this real or some gruesome joke?

It was one of the hardest decisions to make, but the truth just sounded so good that Joaquin couldn't imagine letting it go. That night, his mind buzzed with anticipation and dread all mixed together, and at midnight he stealthily moved out of the Zhang household and toward the garden pavilion, the night's air sharp across his skin. 

The pavilion was ghastly; once majestic, it was now mere ruins entangled with creeping vines in shadow. His footsteps echoed off the stones of the path loudly.

"You came," came the voice from the dark.

Joaquin was frozen stiff, squinting into the darkness. From the shadows stepped a figure whose face was hidden in the depths of a sweatshirt's shadow. "Who are you?" Joaquin asked, quavering in his voice.

 The figure lowered its hood, showing a young man whose features were sharp and whose eyes were a piercing type. "Daniel. I was a friend of Adrian."

Joaquin's breath caught. "You knew him? What happened to him?"

"You can't say he left. He was forced out. The Zhang family.. they are not what they seem. Wei Zhang has connections to powerful people, and Adrian came too close to something he shouldn't have."

"What do you mean?" Joaquin pressed, his mind working faster now.

Daniel paused for a moment and then handed Joaquin a folded paper. "A list of names. People that disappeared mysteriously after they got involved with Wei Zhang. Adrian's name is on it."

Joaquin unfolded the paper, scanning the names with his eyes. His stomach twisted as he recognized a few names: some were former students, faculty, even a journalist. "Why are you telling me this?"

 "Because you are next," Daniel said bluntly. "I've been watching you. You're asking too many questions, just like Adrian did. If you don't back off, you'll end up like him."

Joaquin could feel cold blood pulsing through his veins. "What happened to Adrian? Is he...?"

Daniel's expression darkened. "I don't know for sure. But I've heard rumors. Some say he was sent back to the Philippines under false pretenses. Others say he never made it that far."

Thoughts spun in Joaquin's mind, needing more answers. Just then, Daniel slipped back into the shadows. "Joaquin," he said, "just be careful. You're playing a dangerous game."

And he was gone, leaving Joaquin to clutch the list of names for dear life in the cold night air.

The following day, Daniel's warnings were never far from Joaquin's mind. However, to avoid the Zhangs would almost have been an impossible task with Wei Zhang's penetrating gaze bearing down on him. Lianhua seemed to have purposely separated herself from him. Gone was the passionate Lianhua Joaquin remembered; in her place was a distant stranger.

But the more." He had to know it all; he found undesirable acquaintances of Wei Zhang. His research led him to indicate that several of these individuals had spoken against the Zhangs and had some incriminating information regarding Zhang's business."

He was certain that he was getting close, but further help was necessary: a reliable source. He would tell Lianhua against his better judgment.

That evening, under the cherry blossom trees, over myriad blossoms that one could easily expect some magic to be in that softening light, Joaquin found Lianhua there. Upon his approach, she looked up to see him and regarded him with an expression that betrayed nothing. "What is it, Joaquin?"

After an awkward pause, he extended the paper with the list of names toward her. "I need your help."

Lianhua's face expressed disbelief and shock as her eyes darted to the paper. "Where did you get this?"

"Adrian's friend warned me... I'm in danger... because of your father..."

"That's where you stop." Lianhua's voice was dark as she uttered the words. "You really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Joaquin challenged in return. "Adrian didn't just disappear, did he? Your father has something to do with it."

"You're not getting it," Lianhua shouted back at him, rising and clenching her fists at her sides." My dad... He's a complicated man. I'm not proud of what he's done, but he is still my father."

"That doesn't make it right," said Joaquin. "If he is hurting people, he ought to be stopped."

Lianhua turned away. Her shoulders tightened. "You have no idea what you're asking of me. If I go against my father, I will lose everything."

"What about Adrian?" Joaquin pressed again. "What about all those others? Don't they deserve justice?"

Tears filled Lianhua's eyes but were quickly wiped away. "I... I need time to think."

Joaquin nodded, knowing that time was a luxury they did not have. "Promise me you won't tell your father anything. If he finds out I'm investigating him...?"

"I won't," Lianhua replied in a faint voice. "But please look after yourself, Joaquin. You are stepping onto a very dangerous road."

Staring at the night's darkness, Joaquin felt for sure that they were being watched. Everything seemed to awaken in the shadows with him: the slightest sound reverberated so loudly within the silent corners of the Zhang mansion. At long last, he secured virtually all doors; checked every window and finally crawled back into bed. But sleep still evaded him.

A sudden thud woke him early one morning. His heart racing, he took the flashlight and crept in the direction of the noise. The hallway remained dark, but he could hear the soft drumbeats of footsteps heading toward the study.

Joaquin cowered behind, tightening his hand on the flashlight. When he reached the study, however, he found the door ajar and a long slash of light down the hallway. So, he very slowly pushed the door open. His breath caught in his throat at what he saw.

The room was trashed. Papers were strewn everywhere on the floor, drawers pulled wide open. Wei Zhang stood engulfed, back turned to Joaquin as he rummaged through a stack of papers. 

Joaquin's heart raced. He knew he ought to turn back, but something held him in its thrall and kept him advancing. The floor creaked beneath his feet, and Wei Zhang spun around stiffly, eyes narrowing as they locked onto that of Joaquin.

"What are you doing here?" Wei Zhang barked, his voice cold and threatening.

Joaquin swallowed hard as his brain scrambled for a believable response. "I-heard some noise and came to see what it was."

Wei Zhang's stare pierced into his for a beat before he gestured towards the door. "Go back to your room. Now."

Joaquin needed no persuasion. He ran back to his quarters as if his heart was going to burst from his chest. It was clear that Wei Zhang had something to hide, and Joaquin was determined to find out what. But he also knew that if he wasn't careful, he wouldn't live to find the answer he was looking for.

The next day, Joaquin received a fresh transmission from Daniel. It was really just a single line: "Meet me at the old clock tower tonight at 11."

Joaquin hesitated, well aware of the danger, but he couldn't turn back now. That night, he again left the Zhang house and made his way toward the clock tower, keeping an eye and ear out for anything suspicious.

Daniel was waiting there, his expression grim. "We don't have much time," he said to him. "I found something you need to see."

He held out a USB drive towards Joaquin. "This has proof connecting Wei Zhang to the disappearances of several people, including Adrian. Just be careful, though; if he learns you have this, he'll definitely silence you."

Joaquin nodded; he hardened his will. "Thanks, Daniel. I won't waste it."

While moving back to the house of the Zhangs, Joaquin started noticing shadows following him. He hastened larger steps while gripping tightly onto his USB drive. After all, this was the risk one had to take, and one misstep could cost everything.