*Warning：This chapter contains violence

 You've been warned...

“It was all his plan. He knew it’s impossible to get to Ms. Im if they kept staying in the safe house or moved with full preparation.”

Taecyeon pounded the hood in the middle of chaos. “Shin Minseok used Han Donghee to alarm us and also lowered our guard toward he himself, gave Nichkhun and I no choice but move beforehand…Then he volunteered to drive, bringing them directly to the intersection Ha Minwoo was waiting…”

The surveillance footage Jihyo just pulled out was replaying. The truck rushed into the scene, made the car which Nichkhun and Nayeon were in leave a long scratch on the road before stopped abruptly on the crosswalk. And in one second, within few violent bumps and shakes, the windshield and the side window were sprayed by crimson red. At the same time, the driver of the truck shuffled out, turned to the surveillance above him and ‘bang’, the screen turned into a total black.

“I can’t believe it’s him. I still remember finding him in the ally, fainted, bleeding…after that explosion in front of the bureau…He was supposed to be the driver that day! Did he strike his own head!? So he could get a reasonable alibi?”

Taecyeon didn’t have the mind or the vigor for that. “Did any other surveillance capture them?”

“I’m still digging, but sir…” Jihyo stayed in her office and was talking to Taecyeon through earphone. “Officer Shin was a patrol before transferred to the bureau. This was his working area, he knows how to avoid the surveillances.”

“Do whatever you have to. I want them to be found.”

Jihyo peeked at the other call line which had been off since the occupant rushed to the scene. “Yes, sir.”

She pressed the call button once, twice, but Jeongyeon didn’t answer. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, reminding herself to focus.

Jeongyeon was not the only one whose heart was burning. So were her, Sana, and even the team. Jihyo had to bring her calmness back first and be the strong backup she had always been. She called Jeongyeon again, this time she answered.

“You found anything!?”

“Not yet, but I need to know you’re there with me.”

“Where else can I be? How I wish I could be somewhere else…Somewhere that bastard took her to!”

Tzuyu gripped Jeongyeon’s wrist, not letting her punch the wall beside her. “Unnie, you have to calm…”

Jeongyeon yanked her hand out. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“I know I can’t feel what you’re feeling right now.” Tzuyu said behind her. “If it was me in your shoes today…You’d tell me the same, right?”

Jeongyeon breathed in deeply but doing so didn’t ease her fear. Tzuyu walked closer, resting a hand on her shoulder. “This might not comfort you, but I suppose they took her means they don’t want to kill her…not now. She’s still alive, we have to race against the clock.”

That was what Jeongyeon thought as well. Nayeon had their uses, but she didn’t dare to think what they were planning to do.

“What do we know about Shin Minseok?” She asked through her dry lips.

“He was an orphan, grew up in the same foster family with Ha Minwoo.” Jihyo’s voice came to their ears. “Their foster parents were smuggler…Guns, drugs, organs, you name it. They used kids as their cover, sometimes even let them deliver drugs to the buyers, the medical records show that they were badly abused…Especially Minwoo, he was the oldest kid in that house.”

“What happened next?”

“In 2004, the police took down the smuggling gang, the kids were all underage so the authority didn’t sue any of them. Their records during the time under the gang were sealed and they were assigned to different new homes. That was when Mr. and Mrs. Ha adopted Minwoo, and Mr. and Mrs. Shin adopted Minseok.”

“Grew up in the same abusive environment, the e…Minwoo was Minseok’s protector. He would do anything his older brother asked him to.”

“True, but he’s not as vicious as his brother. Remember the puncture wounds on Jeon Jungkook? Shin Minseok hesitated when stabbing him, and his behavior showed remorse when attacked Chief Son. This could be the way to estrange them.”

“Sir!”

They heard BamBam’s exclamation and saw him run over with a tablet.

“You told us they must left by car, we drew the potential scope which a normal vehicle can reach in an hour without speeding…” He pulled out the map. “The roadblocks stopped their way out, this district should be where they are now.”

“…They’re in the downtown. What do they want? Catching everybody’s attention and…”

Jeongyeon felt her phone vibrate against her thigh. It was her personal phone, the caller unknown. She gulped, took a glimpse at her teammates, before hit answer and turned it to speaker. She waited, was like being choked.

“Knock knock. Anybody there?”

The voice spoke first when didn’t get any responses. “I know you’re listening, agent.”

Taecyeon pressed his earphone and lowered his voice. “Locate the call, Jihyo, and get us on.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

“Agent Ryu. Ryu Jaehee. I’m waiting.” The voice sang, followed by a few light chuckles. “Or I should call you Jeongyeon? You must be more familiar with that.”

The first thing Nayeon sniffed after restored consciousness was dust. She panted and coughed, causing the back of her head to bump onto something solid and cold. She blinked several times, her eyes slowly adapted the darkness, what happened earlier came back in her mind and her body tensed.

Detectives were shot outside the safe house.

Nayeon struggled to sit up and found herself lying in the corner beside a row of balustrades. She looked around, vague shadows of cars and pillars were everywhere, there were some other stuffs but she couldn’t discern what exactly they were.

That agent, Nichkhun…He rushed into the room and told her they had to leave. She was like stuffed to the backseat and the car dashed forward before she could sit upright.

Someone was talking. Nayeon turned to where the noise from and she heard footsteps. The watch on her wrist knocked the balustrade, she winced, and she could hear echo. This place was bigger than she pictured and there was a glimmer of light on the floor on the opposite side, it was from the thin gap under the heavy door.

They were yelling. Nichkhun and Detective Choi were yelling at the driver, Officer Shin…And their car started to zigzag in a crazy speed, making them collide the seat and the car doors, suddenly a truck appeared in front of them and she was almost thrown out when they halted if Nichkhun had not held her in place.

“Click”

Nayeon trembled when the door unlocked, she wanted to stand up, but dizziness soon hit her and made her fall back to the dirty ground. She tried again but failed again. It was not just her legs, her arms, her whole body, was like paralyzed and could not use any strength.

“Oh.” A ray of white light stung her eyes. “I gave you some Chlorzoxazone…To relax your muscle, reduce the tension.”

The light moved away and Nayeon saw two figures. She crawled backward out of instinct. The man with flashlight wore a ski mask, Officer Shin was behind him, and she remembered what they did.

Shin Minseok shot Detective Choi. Nichkhun blocked her and raised his gun but “Bang bang”, Shin Minseok gave him two shots, blood sprinkled and Nayeon didn’t even have time to scream. The car door beside her was pulled open, the next thing she knew was the masked man pressed a cloth onto her nose and mouth and grabbed her neck. Then next…she woke up here.

“Agent Ryu. Ryu Jaehee. I’m waiting.” Nayeon looked up in affright when hearing the name. “Or I should call you Jeongyeon? You must be more familiar with that.”

He knows…He knows……

“Where is she?”

Nayeon was scared, but she didn’t cry for help. She didn’t even make any sound. Jeongyeon must know they had me but she doesn’t know where we are, she wants to find me…

“That was rude.” The masked man was talking to his phone but his eyes kept locking on Nayeon. “I don’t have a simple greet? It’s been so long since we saw each other…Oh no, I think it was the very last time we saw each other…with our original looks, right?”

He bent down and pinched Nayeon’s chin, forcing her to look at him. “I bet she loves you more with your new appearance. Honestly, you didn’t look that good before…And it’s the reason why you live till now, but things are just so interesting, aren’t they? We wouldn’t be here playing games if you didn’t get that pretty face.”

Even under the mask, Nayeon could see his face twitch and hear the rage in his tone. “Same cruise, same bomb, same trauma…but I end up here…”

“I can talk to you.” Jeongyeon interrupted. “I can go meet with you. You want to see me, right? Let’s