Chapter 5 - The Assistant Superintendant

As I reeled from the shock and struggled for an answer demanded by the new arrival, CK came to the rescue.

“This is Dr. Anthony Jin. He teaches at the University of Singapore.”

“University of Singapore? Then why is he here?”

A flush of heat crawled down my neck. I felt like a 10-year old who had been caught playing truant and now had to give a reason for my existence. I had never before in my life felt the need to do so. 

“I had clearance from the Chief, ASP Wong.” The Colonel continued in a firm tone and his face had a unflappable expression. A man of steel who had seen rough waves. 

He turned to me and smiled. 

“This is Assistant Superintendent Wong. She leads the police team who is assisting us with the search operation.”

The lady police officer rolled her eyes over to me and then looked at the Colonel.

“How is he going to help you? Help us?”

Her thoughtful questions had the Colonel mellowing his voice. “He has the powers to communicate with supernatural entities. He has a track record. I’m sure he can help us.”

She must have been quite the character to humble a seasoned Army Officer.

ASP Wong soon turned to me. Her eyes were blazing into my soul. I could now see her ID Card .

Wong Shu Wen. A genteel name that is incompatiable with her demeanour. 

 “I live and stand by facts and science. Anything else, including supernatural stuff, is plain

nonsense.” This triggered me and I responded. 

“I beg your pardon. Nonsense?” I repeated. “I disagree. The phone-”

“The phone was found by my men. Don’t touch it again without my permission.”

“ASP Wong. We appreciate you and your team’s presence, but we need to try every option.” The Colonel intervened. ASP pulled a grim face. “I would appreciate you seeking our opinion before making such a major decision, Colonel.”

She gesticulated toward the forests outside the tentage.

“It is a potential crime scene out there. If we find anything, even if it's a pin, we have to classify it as evidence.”

“I understand, but Dr. Jin is part of the search task force. I consider him one of us.”

I felt encouraged by the comment, somehow.

“Fine,” ASP Wong nodded but eyed me with admonition. “Please don’t be touchy with things that are found out there. Your fingerprints may mess up our investigation work.”

I nodded rather unwillingly and asked, “Can I continue?”

“Put this on.” She commanded and had one of her staff hand me gloves. It was painful putting them on with eyes all on me.  When I was ready to receive the phone, ASP handed the it over, but not without warning. “I need it back for the lab to do some tests.”

“Only two minutes,” I assured her.

Quickly, I returned to   inspect the picture and check the details.

“The timestamp was eleven forty-five pm on Tuesday. That’s last night.  What time were they supposed to report for debrief?”

“I think it's 2300hrs.” Colonel said.

“That’s forty -five minutes late. They must have wandered off the path and lost their way.”

“There were twelve instructors, and they searched the key spots. However, none of them mentioned they saw the boys.”

“Madam Wong, may I know where your men found the phone?”

“The highest point of the trail.”

“What trail?” I asked innocently.

“There is a trail that our NS men commonly use,” Razali shared. “We call it Trail eighty-one.”

“Can I finish?” ASP Wong asked, faintly irritated.

“I’m sorry.”

“At the highest point, by the long tree. It was lying in the midst of the tall grass.”

“The only Flame Tree on that trail,” Razali added.

“Anything else?”

“I had men sweeping the spot with the Colonel’s men.” ASP Wong said.

“According to reports, nothing was found. Not yet.” Colonel stated.

I smiled. This was a sign of a supernatural phenomenon where a human accidentally transgresses into the other arena, the non-human dimension, and becomes trapped there. They are therefore unseen by the humans even though they may be physically next to them.

“If you look closer, I think the boys must have seen something... or someone.”

ASP Wong’s deep-etched frown mellowed, and in curiosity, she snatched the phone and pawed over the image.

While I was searching for videos, I found an SMS text with an incomprehensible line of alphabets ‘ghskldfhsdfldhl.’

“What is this? Some code?”

I shook my head.

I shook my head. “I think they pressed the keypad in a panic.”

“Panic?” The Colonel repeated “What could have triggered a panic?”

“I will have it analyzed, in any case.” ASP remarked. “It may be some code or it may be just..”

ASP was tentative and I searched her face for a clue on her thoughts.  She looked away.

She is not sure too. I thought.

However, she soon chipped in, in a confident voice.

ASP Wong added. “They could be in severe anxiety and panic. We had seen many such cases where when victims were under attack or harassment.”

Everyone nodded in an uncomfortable and I spoke

“I agreed with ASP Wong. The boys’ disappearance may have to do with someone or something they saw.”

There were murmurs.

“They had seen something that destabilized their response mechanism.”

“A credible hypothesis”  Colonel reinforced my observation.

“Maybe they saw a supernatural being? A ghost? Pontianak?” Lieutenant Razali suggested. His mellifluous voice was now crammed with tension.

“I am not sure there are such spirits in these forests and…” ASP remarked to which Colonel shook his head.

“Hasn’t there been a few mysterious deaths in these forests in the past?” Staff Chua added.

“Those are just rumors. Urban legends. I don't believe in ghosts.” ASP Wong stated flatly.

Suddenly, I saw a warrior of reason and science standing right in front of me. I was speechless. She removed the phone from my hands in an indirect pronouncement that my two-minute grace period was up.

“We need to check for trespassers. There may be some characters in this forest. Drug traffickers? Refugees? The NS men may have seen something that led to their abduction. We will have to start checking the CCTV cameras in the area.”

ASP turned to her men and started to issue answers, while the Colonel looked to me for inspiration.

“What do you suggest we do next?” he asked.

“Ghosts or humans. I need to find out.” I whispered to him.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I want to come back.”

“Come back?”

“I am coming back at eleven pm tonight”

 “Why not now?” Colonel asked.

“11pm for the encounter because that is the beginning of the darkest hour. The ascendancy of the Yin(阴) energy.” I explained and then realized something. The Colonel is smiling

 “Why are you smiling? Shouldn’t you be worried?”

“I am just glad to see your enthusiasm. Two hours ago, you were still resisting my invitation.”