Kyungsoo wanted to throw his phone out of the window, he couldn’t even keep the count of how many times he had already been woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. His first instinct that he had to work very hard to overcome was to chuck the phone at the wall. He cursed as he grabbed it off his nightstand, yanking the wire out with more force than he needed to and pressing the green button. “What?” He demanded grumpily.

“Get to Baekhyun’s house, he is missing.” His sleep ran away, he was wide awake and his heart was sinking. He spent no time getting himself decent before he drove to the sight at the speed of light. When he reached there, he saw the two brothers, Sehun and Junmyeon, if he could recall correctly, arguing with the police to

let them through. Kyungsoo walked over to the officers who were busy with them and the two brothers immediately approached him after seeing a familiar face.

Before they could say anything he raised his hand in order to show that he could feel their worry. “Please sirs,” he said to them. “You need to calm down, Just please let the officers do what they do best. I will not let anything happen to your friend.” He promised.

“But.. “

“Junmyeon.” Kyungsoo rubbed the bridge of his nose, he had forgotten his glasses home again. “I know,” He had used his name to show that he was being very genuine and it seemed to work. “I will assess the situation and tell you what is going on.”

He said and turned around when Tao called his name, meeting him and putting the gloves and shoe net on as he walked into the small house, his eyes immediately caught the sight of a small amount of blood near the door. He worried for the boy, he wondered and feared not being able to save Baekhyun. He did not want to think about it, it had only been a year since he had gotten his promotion over the big David the night killer’s case. He had performed very well and had been made a full-fledged detective at a young age because of that. Kyungsoo had sacrificed so much to be here, solving crimes and he just could not fathom an entire family ending because he couldn’t save the last surviving member of that family. His heart ached at the thought. Is that how families came to an end? 

Kyungsoo shook his head, right now he needed to only focus on finding Baekhyun Before he was killed. Kyungsoo had not spent the past month just sitting on his even if it felt like it was all leading up to nothing and that the killer was uncatchable. He knew that if anyone could tch him it would be him so he had endlessly compared the files of the homeless murder that had been committed to silence Chanyeol and the one of Baekhee. He had gone as far as 2 years to see if there were any similarities between the cases. But he could only link 3 murders together so fat and that did not include the attempted one on Chanyeol.

Kyungsoo knew that Baekhyun would still be alive because the guy they were chasing was sick and sadistic and loved to play with his victims from all cases he had linked in all three it seemed like the killer had enjoyed it way too much. He had taken his time with each and every one of the victims to the point where they probably had to beg him to end their life before he finally did deliver that last blow. 

So yes, he was sure that Baekhyun was alive but he did not know how long he had. Despite all that, there was still this one thorn in his mind. The killer had broken his pattern of sadistic behavior when he had dealt Chanyeol the killing blow, or it's what it would have been if luck hadn’t been on Chanyeol's side that day.

Kyungsoo moved his eyes away from the blood and examined the broken remnants of Baekhyun’s phone lying there in the flood. He kneeled in front of it and leaned in to see more details, he could see a slight imprint of a shoe left on the screen with his eyes, maybe there was dirt there too. He did not even dare breathe so as not to disturb anything. Maybe the forensic analysis could tell them where the dirt came from.

He left the phone behind to be collected as evidence and moved to the rooms in the house. One particular room, when Kyungsoo entered it, looked to be the room of a young person. A girl. Baekhee. Kyungsoo felt his heart shrink at this. This is what murderers did, they turned a warm house cold and somber, just like this room. It must have been alive with her laughs not that long ago and now Kyungsoo could hardly imagine it ever being that alive.

It looked like nothing had been disturbed in that room, by the killer nor by Baekhyun. As if it had been left in vain hopes to freeze a time when Baekhee had been here when it was longer possible.

He was about to turn around and leave when he noticed something from the corner of his eyes. He looked closely at the decorations and posters on the walls.

“Tao?” he called loudly from his place. “Have you guys been here yet?” he felt someone come to stand behind him and heard Tao’s deep voice answering. “Not yet, should I get someone here?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo said absent-mindedly as he took a step closer to the city map on the soft board over the study table in that room. Kyungsoo looked at it carefully before he grabbed a copy from the table under the board and opened it, he read a few random passages.

“Get me a notebook from Baekhyun’s room. Possibly the one with more than one person’s handwriting in it.” Kyungsoo said to the officer who had just arrived to seal this room off as well. The officer nodded and went away.

“What is it?” Tao asked. Confused at what Kyungsoo seemed to be doing. “You think this is the killer's doing?” He motioned to the map.

“No, I am sure this is his doing. I just want to be sure,” he said and leaned in to read what was written on the map. He squinted in an effort to make out the unruly handwriting. 

Time is of the essence.

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, as his hand went up to the map to trace the 5 different circles drawn roughly on the map.

“,” he exclaimed angrily.

“Tao, call back up, send a team to each of these locations, with an ambulance.” he motioned to 4 of the locations. “As for this one.” Kyungsoo mentioned to the one on the upper right corner, “You and I are going there.”

He dragged Tao and rushed out, seeing Sehun and Junmyeon on the way. “Follow us in your car.” He said to the two brothers who had been waiting for him outside. Thankfully they noticed Kyungsoo’s rush and that was enough to tell them that something was wrong and this was not the time for questions. They obeyed him and swiftly got into their car ready to follow his lead and save their friends.

 

***

 

When Baekhyun was aware of himself again, he realized his ears were still ringing and his head hurt so badly that it made bile rise up to his throat. He tried to move his hand to touch it but felt them bound, positioned high above his head. The zip tied cut into his skin as he struggled.

He was going to die. And he was scared, he was so, so scared. What would happen after he was dead? Who would seek justice for Baekhee? 

He was going to be murdered by the same guy who murdered her. This was some sort of delirious move by the same guy. 

Baekhyun blinked, swallowing the bile down. He looked around and with a start, he took notice of where he was. 

This was not his house. 

The whole situation he was in made his head spin in circles that knew no end. He felt like he was caught in a whirlpool and this would only end with him six feet underground. 

He had difficulty raising his head from the ground and looking around but he forced himself to do so. His head was hurting very badly and his neck seemed as strong as a thread. He let it back down. 

He was alone. The place was dimly lit and spacious. He was currently lying on the dirt.

Baekhyun thought of Baekhee. Had she been this scared too? Had she been in pain too? 

That was a given. Dying always hurt. But had it at least been quick?

His mind went back to the things he had heard Chanyeol say in the hospital on that fateful day he had given up. He said her eyes were pleading and she was in pain. She was in pain.

This monster had caused her to hurt. His little sister whom he had promised to protect with all he had. He had failed her and now he was going to fail his whole family and himself as a brother if he let the killer get away, he was only a few feet away from this monster and he felt like it was his personal duty to show him to hell. 

Angry tears filled his eyes and he tried his best to blink them away. He was not going to cry, he would send this monster to the depths of the fiery pit of hell and then and only then would he let himself be free of this grief and this burden.

He tried to move again and a yelp escaped from him as his wrist started to bleed from the cuts made by the binds. 

His anger was overriding all other senses and he pulled even harder trying to get free.

"There's no need for that. You’ll only make your end quicker.” A strident voice broke through Baekhyun’s indignant thoughts and dug into his head like nails.

This was the voice of Baekhee’s killer, because what were the chances of there being two separate killers attacking two members of the same family. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from thrashing. He would let the killer think he was calm and then attack him with his bound feet. Even if he had to kick the guy to death he would.

The killer stood right in front of him. Baekhyun looked around to see what he had heard the killer dragging on the floor earlier and he could not make anything out from his position, it did not allow him to look very far.

“Hmm.” Contemplated the killer. “I did not expect you to be this calm.”

Oh, you think? Baekhyun wanted to scream out but he kept his mouth shut. Just a little closer and he could make him see stars.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” The Man broke him away from his fury again. “You’re trying to make me think you’re compliant so when you have the chance you can hit me.”

That voice was like nails on the chalkboard, it was the noise of the traffic horns, it was the call of a vulture before he swooped down on an almost dead man telling him that he was going to be devoured. He wanted to strangle the man so he would never speak again.

The killer moved from where he was standing near his legs and stopped right over his head, looking down at him, elated.

“Pathetic,” he said annunciating each syllable. Baekhyun felt sick being stared at like this. He felt like the guy had just undressed him in front of the whole world as if he could read all that was hidden in Baekhyun’s mind. All the pain and sorrow and hate. He hated this man with all that his heart was “They all look the same.” The killer continued to taunt Baekhyun. His eyes filled up once more from the anger he was not able to show. And it was getting harder and harder to not twist around and kick this .

“Yes, I have done this before.” He leaned in, and Baekhyun wanted to stay away from this man. He felt as if he was being shoved into the fire when this man came closer he felt disgusted. “Yes, I remember them all, Baekhyun.” His name from the killer's mouth made him want to retch. “Do you want to know?” The killer smiled sadistically. “Someone you know is on it.”

Baekhyun blanched, he did not want to hear this. He closed his eyes, not caring if that made the tears from his spill.

“There’s the Do couple I killed.” Baekhyun’s eyes snapped open and the killer’s smile widened as he saw the signs of recognition cross Baekhyun's face. “Oh, you recognize them? The parents of Do Kyungsoo? The detective currently struggling to catch me? Poor boy doesn’t even know who killed his parents.”

If Baekhyun wasn’t sure before that he was going to die then he was sure now because why else would the killer tell him this. He wished he could see something other than the Killer’s eyes, he had only been able to perceive his facial expression through the muscle movement he could see through the mask and his eyes. Those horrible, terrible, scary eyes.

“I’ll spare you the people you don’t know.” He said as if he was genuinely doing Baekhyun a favor by skipping over the names of the people he had murdered. The mare thought made Baekhyun want to close his ears to anything else the killer was going to say. 

“Then there is …” The killer looked intently at Baekhyun taking in every change that appeared on his face. “Baekhee”

“Shut up,” Baekhyun whispered his anger melted, making way for a wave of hurt and pain he had pushed away for a whole month. 

“He talks.” The killer giggled in delight. “Then there is Chanyeol, the guy who survived, he is the reason it’s you y’know.” he continued as if he hadn’t just stabbed Baekhyun with his words, with one word, a name. Baekhee.

“If that son of a had just died as I wanted.” The killer lamented and Baekhyun wanted to scream. He closed his eyes tightly trying to block the unpleasant voice out of his ears. It still cut him like daggers each time. However, a moment later it did stop. He heard movement on his side and opened his eyes again just a smidge to see the killer crouching right next to him, their faces only a foot away.

Without a warning, Baekhyun felt a loud slap across his face, the pain stung so bad and it made his vision double. The bile was back tickling the back of his throat and he was about to pass out again, the pain that he had forgotten in his head was back with a vengeance and he wanted nothing more than to pass out but a strong group on his hair he slipped away from the darkness he so badly wanted to sink into.

“Let me teach you respect.” the Killer seethed, angry. “You look at me. When. I’m. Talking.” Baekhyun Gulped. His fear was making him see stars.

There was a long pregnant pause in which they both looked at each other. Once the killer was sure that Baekhyun had submitted and was not going to look away, he continued in his happy-go-lucky singsong voice again.“If you weren’t enjoying the story, you should have told me. Let me start a new one.”

“It was early March, and the cold was biting.” he started. Baekhyun’s heart sank. “I saw this young girl and she was crying. So I tried to help her. I offered her a shoulder to cry on and she told me of how her brother was being very unfair and not letting her go on this trip she really wanted.”

Baekhyun felt his heart rate begin to rise as he started to lose control of his breathing. “Stop,” he mumbled quietly, not letting his eyes move. 

“But when I offered her a ride back home, she realized her mistake of trusting a stranger and wanted to leave.” The Killer grew sad for a moment. “Everyone wants to leave me,” he whispered sadly. He seemed to be lost into another time all of a sudden. 

Baekhyun didn’t care. He just wanted this to end. He wanted to wake up and realize this was all just a messed-up dream and never think about this again. The pain in his head and cheek was too much, he was sure his cheek was going to bruise very soon.

“She screamed when I hit her.” Baekhyun closed his eyes but a harsh grip made him open his eyes again. The killer’s large hands were digging into his flesh mercilessly;y, making him look him in the eyes.

“Do you know how I killed her? Do you know that she died right here?” he said and Baekhyun felt as if he had been burned.

“On the exact spot you are lying, I spilled every drop of her blood here and killed her.” Baekhyun struggled to get off the ground but a hand was placed on his chest and it shoved him back. “Her screams were very loud when I her.” 

“Stop!” Baekhyun had not known that. The body had not been found and he did not know what had happened to her and now that he did a sob escaped his mouth and with the vomit, he was holding back. He forced his head to the side and vomited, his arm however was in the way and he only made himself dirty.

“She was delicious.” Baekhyun was crying very hard now. He kept mumbling for the killer to stop stop stop. The killer looked at Baekhyun for any signs of recognition at what he had said and then he smiled as it dawned on him.

“They didn't tell you.” He mused. Baekhyun did not want to think about any of this. He didn't want to know anything he didn't already know and he certainly didn't want to know it from the guy who had done it to her. Who had... she was only 12. She was a child.

“Now i need to change my plans. I can't just kill you yet.” The killer said joyfully. "You keep expanding my game yet more." He laughed slapping Baekhyun lightly on the cheek in appreciation. 

Baekhyun shook his head trying to get those filthy hands off of him. The pain in his wrist was growing, he hadn’t realized he was struggling and he had made his cut worse.

"Do you want to know a secret?" The killer leaned in right next ti his ear.

“You’re lying right on top of what’s left of her. I buried her here.” he whispered.

Baekhyun screamed this time, unable to take any more of this. “Stop! Please.” the words spilled out.

“Yes!” Roared the Killer moving away from Baekhyun as if this was the most pleasurable experience of his life. “Beg! Beg me! That’s what they all do.”

Baekhyun’s wrist was becoming unbearably painful just like his emotional pain. And then he had an idea. He would never beg this man to end him. He wouldn’t. He would do it to himself. He started to struggle even more against the bounds. Biting his lips to keep the sounds of pain as he cried. The killer had not realized what Baekhyun was doing yet, good. Baekhyun would not give him the chance to end his family if his family was going to end, it would be on his terms. 

Just as the cut grew deeper, he couldn't stop a pained sound from escaping. The killer turned alarmed at the sight of his wrist. Another slap followed on the same spot as the first.

“No honey, not right now. You get to live for a while yet.” He laughed. "I meant for Kyungsoo to find your mutilated corpse but you make this much more interesting." He started talking to himself as he paced here and there making more plans. "Yes that box wasn't meant for you but I guess we all make sacrifices." He finished and looked at Baekhyun in the sickest possible way.

Baeklhyun felt his zip ties being cut. The guy allowed Baekhyun a moment to struggle feebly to get the upper hand before he was yanked into a standing position. It was the first time that Baekhyun noticed how massive the killer was. He was almost a whole foot shorter. Then he felt a prick in his neck and his body started to sag.

“I love the struggle, but unfortunately you are out of time.” The killer took a hold of the back of Baekhyun’s shirt. It dug into his throat and made Baekhyun gag as he was dragged to the side of the large diary space. The paralytic had completely made his body useless and he couldn’t even breathe right.

Or maybe it was the sight of two very nasty things in front of him that made him panic at the sight of what waited for him. So that was the box.

“Don’t be flattered Baekhyun.” the killer cooed dropping him on the ground carelessly, Baekhyun heard a snap from his wrist and cried out in pain as it fractured. He had landed directly on it. Baekhyun forgot the pain as soon as he felt it because he was lying right in front of a six-foot wooden coffin and he knew that he was going to end up 6 feet under. Very much still alive. The lid was taken off and then he was gently being put in the coffin, it was a gentle action as if a mother putting her sleeping baby down. Baekhyun couldn’t even control his tears that were still leaking.

“Don't take it personally, Baekhyun.” the killer cooed, caressing his cheek softly. “It’s all just a game, you are just a perfect pawn. And the detective is my end game.” He took out something from his pocket. Baekhyun couldn’t do anything but lay there helplessly as the killer showed him what it was. In exactly 15 minutes, when you are safely under, there will be a call. And you will talk to detective Do. Let's see who is faster. Your death or the detective.” He placed the phone next to Baekhyun’s head.

“Oh and don't worry,” he said casually. "I made this coffin extra roomy you will still have half an hour of air if you don’t panic."

Baekhyun cried silently and then his nightmares found a place to live when the lid was placed back and he heard the coffin being nailed shut. He wanted to move. Why won’t he move? The darkness, oh lord the darkness was going to suffocate him. Before he could make himself calm down, he heard the sound of dragging and then his body jolted and slammed everywhere in the coffin as it was dropped into the pre-dug hole and Baekhyun lost his fight with staying awake for the third time.

 

***

 

Chanyeol hated the hospital. It had been a month and a half and his stab wounds refused to heal properly. One of the wounds had healed and everything had looked good and no infection had been detected and he was almost ready to go home and the next day it opened again and started oozing. It was disgusting and very painful. 

It still hurt to breathe. He felt awful being cooped up in the same room and taking occasional walks in hospital ground. He felt like he hadn't been able to inhale a long sigh for ages and it made him feel like he was slowly suffocating.

After his release form the hospital, he still wasn't allowed to to heavy walking or chores. Not even being allowed to drive made him want to punch the walls in his house.

The while time he felt like his body was taking revenge on him for letting it get hurt this bad in the first place. The stitches were removed in two weeks as his wounds closed up. But then one day while taking a walk at night with Minsoek he had frozen, like the life had been out of him. He saw a guy, taller than him and just that aline brought him back to that alley, he was being chopped up by the killer's knife the pain was immense and he was sliding down the wall his eyes locked on the dying girl he so badly wanted to help because no child deserved to be tortured like this. 

Then the vision had come back, bringing him back to present and he saw Minsoek's worried but all knowing eyes. He hadn't made a sound while he was having this episode but his facial expression betrayed his calm pretence and Minsoek saw right through his facade. He could see on his older friend's face that he knew what Chanyeol had just seen flash behind his eyes. He had judged it when he had closed his eyes and his breath hitched. 

It had only taken a second but that had done the damage Chanyeol had been trying so hard to prevent.

It lead Minsoek to act more like his psychiatrist than a friend there to take care of him and even if Chanyeol hated every second of his subtle unasked for therapy, he knew it was a the straw keeping him afloat.

Chanyeol had never had a serious trauma in his life, except for not talking to his family that lived back in Korea, he had never had to go through something as hard core as this. Yes there were some comments on the Internet that made him hurt but never had the pain ever lingered this long in his mind. And the more he tried to ignore it the more it attacked him from the inside. 

Trauma was such a funny thing. When he thought about it, it was just a rock life threw at him, true he had almost died stumbling over it and getting tangled up with a killer but it had passed hadn't it? He was alive and right here and he had all the life left to live unlike the other victims. Right? So why did he feel this way? So afraid. His life was saved and their's wasn't. He did not get to complain or show pain. There were people who had lost their loved ones to the same hands that did him in and their pain was much greater. So why must he whine at this simple near death experience? 

Then the other part of him, the weak and scared part of him started to talk just as usual. His life had been almost lost. He had almost died. And for what? Of he had died where would his life be at right now? What had he done with it? Hell he didn't even tell his family that he had almost died. He hadn't talked to them in years. Chanyeol had not be able to stop thinking about his sister and parents that he had left behind. He had wanted to become a producer and they had wanted a better son, who did something useful. And one day the fight got so bad that he just picked up and left. His sister hadn't done anything wrong and he had abandoned her too. 

He occasionally visited their instagram accounts to see what they were up to but these days he felt like if he didn't see them right now, if he didn't apologise for leaving them behind, he would die. 

And so he needed to contact them and try to salvage the pieces that were scattered all over the ground. 

Or so he had been told by Minsoek in one of their therapy-non-therapy sessions. Chanyeol had started calling all their meetings that. He hated his therapy-non-therapy sessions. But they still helped. He had even told Minsoek to stop doing what he was doing, saying that he knew exactly what Minsoek was doing and the answer had put him back in his place.

"Either you let me help or I'll put you in a group for people with trauma."

Trauma, Chanyeol hated that word. He hated calling his mental anguish that and yet there were no other words for it. But trauma still felt like the worst option. He had told Minsoek that too, he had told him to stop calling his experience 'trauma'.

Minsoek had just nodded like he could see right through him and stayed quiet, only to later mention that Chanyeol hadn't come to terms with his almost death.

Chanyeol had come to terms with it thank you very much he had stayed in a coma for 7 days, come out of it had was well on his healing journey, one more week and he would be out of here. And to that Minsoek had said 'I wasn't talking about your stab wounds'.

Ever since Chanyeol had that episode while walking with Minsoek where he literally collapsed fighting for breath, Minsoek had been relentless with his nagging. He had told Yeol a million tims to 'get help'.

Help for what though? He was fine. 

Minsoek had told him that the reason it was so hard for Chanyeol to talk to Minsoek was that they were very close and with all the cooped up feelings Chanyeol had inside him, he didn't want to say anything that changed the way Minsoek looked at him. When Chanyeol had refused and outright told Minsoek that he would not go to therapy no matter what he had been threatened. 

"Either you sign up for therapy or I would do it for you." Minsoek was small but he had looked so big and fierce. "I will bloody make sure you get help."

Chanyeol had grumbled and Minseok had continued finally done with Chanyeol's evading game. "I know you feel like your troubles don't compare to those bigger ones of others but your feelings are yours and no one else feels them but you and they hurt no one but you and if it hurts, it is still pain, no matter how little."

A few days later, today, Chanyeol wanted to kick Minsoek even though he was younger and minsoek would kick him right back for it. It would provide Chanyeol with a little peace of mind. His apartment had been empty except for him and he later realized it must be Minsoek's doing that Jongdae had left him alone because thay guy was glued to him.

He opened the door and a guy pushed his way in. Introducing himself as Doctor Mark. 

Chanyeol knew Minsoek had a friend in this city named Mark. 

Mark, from the psychology department.

.

"Minsoek told me you won't come to me so I offered to come here." Mark elaborated. "Its better this way, this is your place of comfort and it'll be best to start here."

Chanyeol wasn't going to start no matter where. But still Chanyeol found himself shedding a few hidden tears as Mark very skillfully maneuvered Chanyeol to the topics he avoided. 

Therapy was hard. But when Mark left, he felt lighter than he had in a while.

And then his phone rang

***

Kyungsoo cursed as he ended the call with the third search party. Nothing. They had found nothing.

When Kyungsoo had seen the map and what was written on it. 'Time is of the essence.' He immediately looked at the wall where the clock was and just as he had thought it wasn't ticking away. It was still. And when he looked at his watch he realized he only had two hour to save Baekhyun.

"! ! !" He cursed as he punched the dashboard. He stared at his watch presently to see he had only under an hour to save the other guy.

He told Tao to drive faster heading to one of the locations they had chosen for themselves. 

The car hadn't stopped fully before he was out of it and running in to the warehouse. Soon followed by Tao, Junmyeon and Sehun. 

Kyungsoo looked around in the giant space. And then at his watch, he still had time. He spent five minutes directing others and himself combing through every inch of the area but there was no sign of Baekhyun. 

Kyungsoo cursed and cursed kicking the ground. His phone rang and like an instinctively move as he wasn't even thinking about he picked the call, hoping to any thing that this would be it. It was the last party and yet...

"No sign of him here sir." His arm fell back to his side, he didn’t know what else to do, where else to look. He was almost ashamed of himself. He was so sure that Baekhyun was here, he had even brought his friends along knowing that they'd be very helpful to calm Baekhyun down. He knew his anxiety issue and had thought it was going to help. But now he regretted it as he looked at the dejected and tear filled eyes of the two males.

"I'm sorry." He let out in a tremulous voice. His heart hammering in his chest, it ached. He had not been able to save his parents from being murdered. And now his third case was going to bring him right back to that night he had pushed away, the night he had failed.

Kyungsoo’s eyes filled up and he looked away from the others not wanting to let them see him this involved, this vulnerable. He was a police officer for God's sake and he should be used it. But then again it was only his third case and he wanted to be involved, he wanted to feel the pain, he wanted it to drive him to try harder to find Baekhyun. He felt a strong arm on his shoulder and turned back to stare into Junmyeon's eyes. 

"Its not your fault." He reassured and shook Kyungsoo. "We cannot give up! You cannot give up." He almost yelled.

That brought Kyungsoo back to earth. He realized what he was doing and shook his head, wanting to slap himself for being this way. He had made a promise to himself when he took the path to become a police officer and later when he was promoted to being a detective. He would never give up on his cases until he had any sort of proof.

So Kyungsoo picked himself up and stared at the three men in front of him. "We have forty-six minutes." He counted. "And we won't give up until we find him regardless of the time."

 

***

 

"How did you get my number." His mind screamed as he was told who he was talking to. Anxiety was making him go crazy as he bit his nails to keep himself calm, he couldn't let his voice fail. He was better than this.

"Look what you've done now." Chanyeol heard the voice say. What had he done? What had the killer done?

"You made me do it, you know." Chanyeol felt his hand tremble as he held his hand up to his ear. "I gave them so much time and only 30 minutes are left and they still haven't found him."

What the hell did that mean? Who was not found? He got the answer when the killer next spoke.

"You see... I want to play this game and since Baekhyun expanded the board It got fun for a while but you see, nothing happened in two hours and I am getting bored." 

Baekhyun, the brother of the girl he'd seen. If this monster was in front of Chanyeol right now, he would slap him to death, how much more would he hurt this poor guy who'd already lost his sister. It immediately made him think of Yoora. He couldn’t imagine losing her regardless of their lack of communication in the past years. Who did he think he was treating human beings like play things.

"I already have two pawns, I wouldn't mind three." He continued. "Let's see Chanyeol if after what I did to you, you're still willing to help people."

Bait, the killer was baiting him. Should he take it?

"I didn't give Kyungsoo the right location but i did leave clues, all five location's longitudes and latitudes spell one more. And since they failed, I'll give you a chance to be the hero."

Chanyeol felt sick being a pawn in this game, he felt like he was being tainted by being forced to play it.

"I'll text you the address, let us see if Park Chanyeol is a coward who stays in the safety of his apartment or if he has the guts to save a life. Oh and don't bother calling detective Kyungsoo, he will play his own side of the board, if you give him the slightest of hints, I'llend Baekhyun with a button."

Bomb, Chanyeol realized, the killer had placed a bomb near Baekhyun. He blanched qnd glanced at the clock. The killer confirmed his bomb theory and the call ended.

Chanyeol felt like he was going to walk to his death if he took this bait. He paced the length of his apartment, his stomach started to ache.

He got the text within seconds as promised, telling him the location of where Baekhyun was supposed to be. He wanted to cry. This was true but it could just as much be a lie to lure him out and kill him. Would he take this chance? Or rather would he chance someone else's life for hia own?

He had not even been able to help thay little girl the least he could do was save her brother. He felt like he owed it to him.

But this could be a lie.

You will die.

Its a trap.

His thoughts were savage and brutal. He trembled like a leaf in a storm tears ready to spill, his breathing non existent as his mind blurred from the lack of air. He fell to his knees not caring if it jolted his healing body. He couldn’t risk his life, no. He won't. He will not step into this trap. 

But will you be able to live with yourself if someone died because you were such a coward?

He cried then before making his decision. He grabbed hia coat and phone. 

Thankfully he had only wasted 5 minutes and the place he had to go to was only about 17 minutes away.

His abdomen screamed in pain as he sat in the driving seat of his car driving fast. 

He was going to die and he had accepted that. With that acceptance and the panic he was pushing down me a thought. 

I don't want to go like this. 

Tears still a steady stream on his face he grabbed his phone and dialed hia parents.

The call didn't go through.

He called Yoora and the same voice quoted that he could leave a voice mail. He looked at the time and it hit him that it would be night in Korea, they'll be asleep so he opted for the lesser option. 

'Leave a message after the beep'

"Yoora, Noona." His voice hitched. "Its me, its Chanyeol." His words failed him. Six years of no contact and finally calls his family crying like a baby. What would he even say? He started saying anything and everything that came to him when he realized this was a voice mail and his time was almost up

"Noona. I am sorry I left. I am so sorry that I abandoned you and mom and dad. I regret what I did. I just want to tell you, mom and dad that I lo--"

Beep beep beep. He threw his phone away in anger. Before picking it up and dialing Minsoek. He grunted in pain as his card hit a bump and the pain inside him intensified. 

The moment he revealed to Minsoek in a very short version of what he was doing he was blasted with 'you utter fool' and then the call was cut, he sent Minsoek the address the killer had sent him anyway. Chanyeol couldn't contact Kyungsoo, but he wasn’t prohibited from calling Minsoek. And he knew that his friend would get the hint despite his fear for Chanyeol's life and the despicable situation.

He reached his destination within the next ten minutes. He found himself in front of a large warehouse, it was either a life saved or his lost.

Did he dare?

With heart thumping loudly and his whole frame in pain and shivering from a mix of fear and cold. Chanyeol opened the door to the wear house and opened.

 

***