Stranger
21-3
Author’s note: We’re almost done! After this chapter, I’ll reveal everything. I hope I already did my best for the previous chapters and everyone enjoys this fanfiction. And again, I’m sorry for my shippiness! Please enjoy and don’t forget to give comment bellow also—subscribe! Thanks!
Rating: T for language.
“But his name is Onew,” the other grunted beside the messy haired man as they drove back into their hideout.
“Yeah, but I’m sure he’s my friend when I was in college, hyung.” The messy haired man replied, concentratingstill.
“Hm... What’s his occupation?”
“A model, I suppose...” the messy-haired man glanced slightly at the man beside him. “I don’t think he doesn’t have a stage name, hyung. Just like the other entertainer, they have their stage names, I suppose?”
“Yeah... so his real name is Lee Jinki?” The other man asked, trying to make sure.
“You can trust me about it.”
“Good... Hm... I’ll stop by the convenient store, you may head back first. I’ll catch you later,” the other man who seemed to be older told him to stop. “Don’t forget to give him water, I forgot yesterday.”
“Wha—” The messy haired man opened his mouth in relex of his shock.
“Bye~”
The messy haired man drove his car back to the hideout. He felt not really good after he heard that his hyung did not even give Jinki—Onew if he preferred—water since the day they took him with them. He at least knew that it may cause their hostage to experience dehydration and it was not a good thing. He drove his car even faster just to get their hideout soon so that he could give water to his... ex-classmate? Whatever, he just wanted to get there as soon as possible.
The alley was quiet as usual; nobody was around, only few pairs of curious eyes which stared at his car which was driven slowly. His brown eyes stared back and those curious eyes quickly disappeared behind the curtain.
As he parked his car, the messy haired man did not pay attention there was a stranger’s car was parked near to his hideout. But somehow he quickly noticed there was someone had entered his hideout, as he saw the garage’s door was opened wider. His eyes widened in surprised and he slid his body inside, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Someone had touched the bronze handle of the door which connected the garage and the living room. The messy haired man took a deep breath and stepped slowly inside his own. He was a bit afraid if whoever entered the hideout was a police—it must be the worst thing if it was so. He tried not to make any voice when he stepped and the first place he needed to check was where his hostages were kept.
Slowly but sure, the messy haired man was now in front of the room where Taemin and Onew—Jinki, was. His hand reached at the handle and pushed it slightly as it wasn’t closed anymore. For no reasons, his heart pounded faster, worrying if there was someone with gun waited inside and his hostages had been taken away somewhere else—
No. It was beyond his imagination. Someone that he saw—even though the room was dimly lit, the messy haired man noticed it was the man who appeared on the television lately regarding some case happened in Seoul. For a second his heart pounded even faster as his imagination driven crazy, thinking if there was someone else—or a group of police who already surrounded his hideout.
He knew what would happen soon if his hyung got here. The only thing he needed to do right now was to take this man away from here—perhaps he had to lock him inside another room, giving him a light-effect poison so he would not awake for a moment and in the meantime, he could do something he really needed to do.
It was determined. The messy-haired man stepped closer while taking out a handcrafts from his pocket, spraying a small amount of poison he usually used to make his target fall unconsciously. He quickly covered his “guest’s” nose from behind with the handcrafts and fell to the floor unconsciously.
“Hn, Kim Key, you’re brave enough,” he said, trying to be calm even though his hands were shaking when he tried to drag Key’s body out of the room.
Now what he needed to do was to hide his body—no, but to lock his body inside the other room and made sure he could not escape at least until he was done with his own mission. Trying to carry the blonde’s body to the other room, the messy haired man thought that his body was not as heavy as he ever imagined before. He was too light, and it was a good thing because he did not need to waste more energy to do it.
“Hah...” He dropped key’s body on the humid bed. “I thought you were here with your partner, doctor Key,” he talked to the unconscious body, a chuckle left his lips. “Ah... I expect something more than this. Sadly, guess I have to do it myself. Both of you are not capable to do your job properly.”
The messy haired man undress Key’s top, trying to take out whatever the doctor had brought with him. A PDA, a small gun, a small notebook and a pen. There was nothing more than those insignificant things. He checked inside Key’s pockets and found a pair of latex gloves, a wallet and an ID. But nothing more.
“Good,” he mumbled. “I wonder if you came here with someone—or a group of your smart people,” he said sarcastically. “Hn. Well, good night and have a nice dream, doctor Key. I’ll make sure you won’t find us when you wake up later.”
Jonghyun POV
“The light turns on at a dark street
I’m wandering around to find you again...”
Jonghyun did not expect that he would receive a mail from Key. He wasn’t so sure but he felt uneasy about it as if there was something bad would happen. Not thinking twice, he waltzed through out the door of his apartment and ran into the elevator.
“Damn... where are you now?!” He ran to his car, holding his phone near to his ear as he tried to call Key. It made him even more worry to him that Key did not pick his call. He never did something like this before.
“...” Jonghyun threw himself inside the car and drove his car out of the basement.
Nothing was left for him except the unclear position of his partner. Somewhere near to the station! He had no idea where it would be. It could be somewhere on the west, east—it could be anywhere near to the station! He did not know where he should start his search but he knew he had no much time to do so. He needed to find Key fast before something bad happened to him.
Ten minutes had left and he already got to the subway station. He started from the west side of the station where a row of shops arranged orderly. The situation was not suspiciously there, only some other normal life people had in Seoul. He did not even find something strange there. He kept driving slowly as he tried to pay more attention to his surrounding.
An hour already. He found nothing.
“Damn! Where the hell are you?!” Jonghyun checked his phone again. “Damn—”
Wait. Did he just saw something? Jonghyun stopped his car and narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to focus his sight to the other side of the road where there was an alley. But it was not the alley which surprised him, but the car which parked few meters in. It was the familiar car which belonged to the one and only partner who was now making him worried as hell.
“Damn you, Key. There you are. What the hell are you thinking by turning off your phone?” Jonghyun parked his car on the other side of the road and ran to the alley.
The dark, humid alley greeted him with a very unusual view. A dirty residence was all he saw in there. It was like when he finally revealed the other face of Seoul, where there was also a place with people he never imagined to exist amongst the famous people. For a moment he was amazed—no, but rather being surprised to what lied before him.
“Whoa...” he muttered lowly as he stepped forward.
The car he had seen was exactly belonged to Key, his partner. But he did not see any sign that Key was somewhere near to his car. He hurried, running on the quiet alley. The only sound his ear could hear was his own steps on the muddy ground. His eyes seriously checked every single turn in there as if there was always a possibility that Key was there.
He kept running in small steps until he met a turn where a car just left. Jonghyun looked at the car passed him, but he did not pay any attention to whoever drove it. There was something more interesting tickled his curiosity. The foot prints on the muddy ground. Somehow he was so sure those foot prints belonged to Key—it was not because of his feelings told him so, but it was more because he did know Key so well. The way he walked and whatnot.But more importantly, the prints left on the ground itself.
“Well, it could belong to anyone but—” Jonghyun put his finger on his chin, staring down at the foot prints. “I feel like I’m a detective in a movie. Or perhaps someone like Sherlock Holmes,” without any more thinking, the detective decided to stepped forward, feeding his curiosity.
So there he was now, standing in front of a house—a dirty old house which seemed to be empty. He walked toward the front door but it was locked so he moved to the garage where the door was closed. This house was locked and it seemed nobody live in there. Jonghyun sighed and turned around, attempting to leave but suddenly he turned again when he heard a low voice from inside the house. Whoever it was, he could heard someone was crying for a help.
Key! That was what he thought at the first time. It could be him, or anyone. All he had to do was to find a way inside the house to help this person to get out of this house.
“Damnit who’s there?!” Jonghyun ran back to the house and knock the door rapidly. “Oi! Who’s there? Can you hear me?!”
No one answered but he knew someone knocked the window next to the front door. Someone.
“Oi! Oi!” Jonghyun moved to the window and pressed his face against the window, he saw someone—a stranger. He did not know who probably he was but that man told him to save him and someone else inside the house.
Damn, what should I do?Jonghyun trying to figure out—he only needed to open the door. And a key that he needed at the moment—no, screw that! He could use a force if it was necessary.
“Wait for me!” Jonghyun said to the man who stood behind the window. He went back to the front door, hoping what he would do was someting right—if not, at least his boss did not know anything about this so...
A single kick and the door fell on the floor. His eyes widened for a while realizing that it was not as strong as he thought. The door was fragile, perhaps because this house was old enough, and no one had ever lived—well at least, seemingly. He did not want to waste any more time so he waltzed inside the house, finding the man who looked so exhausted in there.
“Oi, you’re alright?” Jonghyun grabbed the man’s hand and shook his body. Damn, this man apparently is experiencing a dehydration! “I’ll look for water! Wait a moment—”
“Save it until later! You have to save someone else first! He’s somewhere in this house—”
“Who? Oh what’s your name?”
“It’s Onew. I’m Onew.” The man replied faintly.
! This man is Onew?Jonghyun opened his mouth because the reality that he faced was all surprising. So this was the place where Key after. Key must be somewhere in this house.
“You have to be hurry!” Onew said, trying to push Jonghyun away. “Y-you’re a detective right?”
“Y-yeah... Jonghyun is the name.” Jonghyun said.
“I’ll be fine here, detective Jonghyun. Save him first.”
Jonghyun was unsure, but he just went out the room as the other told him so. He did not know if what he did was a good decision or not. He was too confused with all sudden events.
“Key!!!”
“I’m here! Oh my God you come! Get me out of here!” Key growled from inside the room in the back of the house.
Jonghyun stepped closer to the door when a hand reached at his shoulder. In relfex, the detective turned around—but it was just to receive a punch right on his face. The dark place made him unable to see everything clearly, but he was sure whoever did this was not Onew—considering his weak condition after experiencing adehydration.
He searched in the empty space in his surrounding as another punch landed on his abdoment, giving him a sensation where he wanted to throw up. Another punch, and another one, landed one by one on the exact place where it weakened the detective and made him fell on the floor.
“Damn,” Jonghyun cursed, wiping the blood from his mouth. He had been beatened up. But the good thing was that his eyes already accustomed with the dar in his surroundings. It meant that he now could see a bit clearer, and his eyes captured a figure of a man who was taller than him.
“Oh, detective Jonghyun?”
“Who are you?!” Jonghyun tried to stand up when the man tried to land a kick on him, but with all the energy he still had, Jonghyun dodged and attacked him back, tackling him so that the man before him fell onto the floor roughly. “Don’t underestimate me you damn bastard!” Jonghyun landed another kick on the man’s body.
“Hmph—” The man stood up and reached at Jonghyun’s collar, but guessed it was a good chance for the detective to punch the other hard right on the abdoment and give a hard kick so the stranger flew few feet away from him.
“Jonghyun hyung! Are you okay there? What’s happened? Tell me you’re okay!—”
“Shut up, Key. I’m trying to beat this guy. Wait a minute and I’ll take you out of there.” Jonghyun walked closer to the stranger and grabbed him by his collar, giving him a final punch on the face—two final punches on his face until he fell unconsciously. “The first punch is for punching my face, the second one is for kidnapping people, bastard!”
Jonghyun walked back to the door and tried to kick it just like what he did to the front door back then. But it was not as easy as earlier. He needed to kick it at least three times to open it by force. And when the door was finally opened, he was surprised by Key’s reaction who suddenly burst into his arms and quivered lightly.
“Oi, oi, are you okay?” Jonghyun tightened his arms around him.
“I am, yeah, I’m fine. Just what the hell happened earlier?” he asked.
“You’re the one who needs to tell me what’s going on earlier, Key! You left without telling me anything! Geez...” Jonghyun let go of his partnet and stared at his topless body. “Just what’s happened with you? Where’s your clothes? What did they do to you?”
“Shhh—shut up! I don’t know... I woke up like this!” Kay looked away when Jonghyun wrapped his jacket around his body.
“Let’s get out of here, and we should take Onew as well.”
“Yeah, and Taemin. But I don’t know who’s the culprit.”
“Taemin?” Jonghyun furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes telling the other to explain more.
“There’s Taemin as well, isn’t there?” Key walked out the room.
“No... There’s only this man named Onew—”
“Damn...” Key swore lowly. “This man—This man who locked me inside that room must have taken Taemin away, moving him somewhere...”
“Okay...” Jonghyun grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the room where Onew should be. He worried if the man who attacked him was the same person who locked Key inside the room and if he already moved Onew away. “I’ll call the team.”
They entered the room where Onew supposed to be—no he was still there in a bad condition, lying on the floor in dehydration. “Key, find water—or try to get out of here with him. I’ll take care everything in here. Just get to the car and get back to the office as soon as possible. Savvy?”
Key nodded and quickly pulled Onew from the floor, helping him to stand up while Jonghyun walking back to the place where the culprit still in unconscious state. He let both his partner and Onew to get out first while he himself checking on the culprit.
Jonghyun eyed at the man who was still lying on the floor unconsciously. The man was apparently a thirty year old with dark hair. As he stood up next to his body, Jonghyun made a call to the office, asking them to send a team to arrest this man.
Is it over?
Jonghyun sat on the sofa, looking at Key who walked toward him, bringing a cup of coffee. “Oh, for whom is that sweet coffee?” A smirk covered his face.
“Me! Hmph… who do you think?” Key stuck his tongue out, sipping his coffee casually. “Oh, how’s your wound, Mr. Detective?” He sat next to him.
“Hah… it’s fine, really.” He rested his head back, taking a glimpse at the blonde beside him.
“So…” Key started. “Who’s this man?” He referred to the man they just arrested.
“Ah…” Jonghyun stretched. “He’s a criminal. I can say he’s not alone. It’s a group of people, and he was here with his brother but he said his brother just left him—with Taemin. That’s why we sent some people to search for the car his brother might use so we can arrest him as well and save Taemin.” He paused for a moment, looking at Key with eyebrows slightly furrowed. “We found the car, indeed.”
“Whoa really? And how…?”
“But don’t be so happy about it. We didn’t find anyone in the car. It’s just left there in the airport so…” Jonghyun rubbed his temple in frustration.
“I see.” Key nodded.
“But you don’t have to worry. Taemin will be back soon. I know it,” he offered the blonde man a smile.
“What?”
“I know who sent us an anonymous letter, Key.”
After all, the mystery had been solved. Jonghyun realized there was only one person who tied things together, triggering him to get involved in this case by sending him an anonymous message. All those evidence, all those facts were pointing at one person. He was clever, indeed, but not clever enough to use the same paper twice.
“Here, find it out yourself,” Jonghyun smirked as he handed three pieces of papers.
A piece of it with cell phone numbers, the other one was the anonymous letter—and the last one was—
“What?! What is this? Explain it to me!”
"... See who's gonna protect you in the end..."
Next issue: Last Chapter! Where's Taemin? Reaveal the mystery!
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