Kangin stood motionless. Suppressing a sigh, he contemplated everything which had happened in the past few minutes. As soon as he got closer, the child cringed. His rough voice when speaking had resulted in making those brown eyes dart around as if looking for every possible escape that four-walled room offered. A stretched-out hand only made that small body recoiled even further toward the wall behind it and the breathing sound grew harsher. He had stood still since then.

A careful movement from behind and a second torchlight invading the small room told him that one of his subordinates had come into the bunker as well. “Bloody hell,” he heard Hangeng curse; would that be from the kid’s condition or from the state he was obviously living in, the leader didn’t know.

Glancing at his boss, Hangeng tried to make out the situation. But the stench coming from the overused privy quickly made him say, “We need to get out of here. And him as well.” How the leader was able to stay in that room for a full five minutes was beyond him.

Nodding in agreement, Kangin moved.  He took a few steps forward and immediately the kid tensed. his lips, he tried speaking in what he considered to be his softest voice, “It’s okay, we’ll get you out of here, alright?” The boy made no movement. Kangin took this as a good sign and carefully placed his hands on that frail shoulder.

And that was when the kid bit him.

“!”

“Boss!” Several voices rang out at once.

Hangeng quickly moved to where his boss was crouching down. Aiming the torchlight, he saw teeth marks now on the leader’s hand. Not deep enough to draw blood but the marks would definitely stay there for the next few days.

Kangin cursed as he also saw the small wound. Growling in anger, he grabbed the boy’s throat and squeezed, until he was almost cutting the other’s air supply. “You dare ing bit me?” he asked, anger clearly shown in his voice. He didn’t wait long before the kid began to choke, arms and legs flailing around trying to escape. Then those large brown eyes began to stare back at him, and they were no longer blank. Instead they were filled with raw fear. A small sob escaped and that small body began to tremble. Almost instinctively, Kangin let go and drew back a step. Whimpering, the kid curled into a ball before scrambling –crawling– into the other far end of the corner, successfully putting safe distance between him and the other two males.

We can’t even get close, how can we take him up? Then the answer came to him soon.

“Get me some chloroform.” Remembering the bite he received earlier, Kangin gruffly added, “And some ropes would be nice.”

*************************************************

Under Kangin’s orders, Siwon and Kyuhyun had stayed behind in the Park’s Family mansion; they might be able to learn something about the mysterious bunker and the resident in it. Plus the Consigliere also needed to do a final check before they could deem it safe to blow down the mansion. It was how Yesung found himself driving a sleek black SUV back to their headquarters.

He shot a glance at the rear window, making sure that the other black SUV which hosted Kangin and Hangeng inside was still following them.  Beside him, in the passenger’s seat, Ryeowook stared straight ahead, but Yesung didn’t need to turn and look to know that his partner was worried. Sitting behind them, for once in complete silence, was Heechul. Yesung found his mind drifting to the last passenger in the car. Judging from the silence spreading over them, he knew that the chloroform was still dong its work. The kid was still asleep, his hands and legs now tightly bound—although it probably wasn’t necessary until the sleeping drug wore off.

Nobody said anything until they drove into a familiar landscape. Now safe within their own territory, Yesung slowed the car and stopped in front of a huge manor. Several men dressed in suits stood guarding the front double door, their guns immediately lowered as they saw who was driving the black SUV. Knowing that their boss and first front-liner were not far behind, Yesung gestured at one of the men to open the door. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before they heard tires crunching gravels ahead and saw another car coming into the driveway.

Kangin got out of the passenger’s seat even before Hangeng could pull the car to a stop and immediately asked Ryeowook, “How’s the kid?”

“Still asleep.”

Nodding, Kangin ordered, “Bring him inside. I’ll see all of you in the library in five.”

A chorus of “yes, boss,” rang among the main members and they followed their leader into the house. One of the guards had opened the car’s door to find the kid their boss had mentioned. Yesung shot a questioning glance at Hangeng and the latter shake his head. The second front-liner suppressed a sigh. Either the ride back home wasn’t good or their boss’s mood was particularly bad. Whichever it was, he was sure that it was going to be a long night.

Exactly five minutes later, Kangin arrived in the library. His subordinates were already waiting for him, each of them occupying a comfortable chair around a coffee table. They sat a little straighter when the Don entered.

Kangin’s gaze lingered at a small bundle currently curling on his expensive wool rug. The even breathing told him that the boy had not yet awoken. He looked around the room, noticing the absent of two members. “Siwon and Kyuhyun are not back yet?”

“No, they said they would make a stop at the hospital first after they had taken care of the house,” Hangeng replied. Everyone’s gaze was immediately directed to the first front-liner.

The leader’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Hangeng seemed hesitant for a moment. “They wanted to check his DNA. It might help to answer a few questions. They found no trace whatsoever of this boy at the house.” Kangin nodded. Silence reigned over them as nobody moved. The leader finally took the chair nearest to the sleeping kid but he didn’t say anything. The air was heavy and the grandfather clock at the corner slowly ticked by.

Yesung cleared his throat. “What do you think?” he asked no one in particular.

“He’s like an animal,” answered Heechul bluntly. His nose crinkled. “And he smells like one too.” Ryeowook shot him a disapproving glare, which Heechul countered with his own.

“You shouldn’t say that, hyung, he was badly mistreated,” reprimanded Ryeowook.

Heechul snorted. “That’s one way of saying it. He ing bit our boss, damn it.”

Kangin’s mouth curved upward into a slight smirk. “Why, cousin, I didn’t know you care so much about me,” he said jokingly, attempting to lighten up the solemn mood. Chuckles went through the room as the others snickered. Taking the hint, Heechul merely sneered but didn’t say anything else about the boy. He knew his cousin was tired, everyone was, and an argument between him and Ryeowook was definitely the last thing Kangin needed right now.

“Loosen that rope and clean him up,” the Don finally ordered.

***********************************************************************************

Yesung swore he had never seen a gaunter creature in his what-most-mortals-would-consider-long life. The first time Hangeng had gone back up carrying the boy from the bunker, judging from the other’s face, Yesung knew the kid’s condition would be bad. But he didn’t expect it to be this bad.

The sunken features were definitely signs of malnutrition. The skin was so pale as if the boy was dead already. As Ryeowook peeled off that threadbare blanket, Yesung had to close his eyes. Predictably the kid was , but it was his body’s state that was even more distressing. He could basically count the ribs jutting from the boy’s chest. His entire body was also covered with bruises. There was barely an inch of skin that was unharmed and the sight made him wince. Someone had beaten, cut, and by the looks of it, burnt the kid with cigarettes.

“I’ll get my medical kit,” Ryeowook stood up immediately. No one stopped him as he ran out of the door, muffling a sob. Knowing his partner was upset, Yesung quietly followed him out.

He found him in a room they used as a treatment center. Although the nearest hospital was only fifteen minutes’ drive away, the Kim Family preferred to have a well-supplied private clinic in the house, in case of an emergency. Of course considering the world they lived in, it was a pretty smart move. Ryeowook himself was not a licensed doctor, but he was more than capable to perform an operation to remove a bullet if needed.

Ryeowook looked up to see his partner coming into the room. Not bothering to stop, he frantically put everything he considered important into a medium-sized medical bag: bandages, painkillers, antiseptics.

“Wookie.” He stopped at the sound of his name. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Arms wrapped around his body and he leaned back into the familiar embrace.

Yesung placed a soft kiss on top of his lover’s head and held him close. Ryeowook was also physically abused by his father, a mere guard of the Kim Family. But luckily Kangin’s father somehow sensed that something was wrong and immediately put it to a stop. The late Don himself had been the one who killed Ryeowook’s father.

Seeing the boy’s state must have brought up painful memories for Ryeowook. Yesung’s arms unconsciously tightened as he remembered how frightened his lover had been.

“Don’t worry. It will be okay,” he whispered in the younger’s ear. “Kangin will take care of him. We will also help.”

The younger nodded. He knew it. Their boss was just and kind, although some people viewed him as ruthless leader. And Ryeowook had seen how Kangin looked at the boy. He didn’t say anything but Ryeowook knew that the Don was concerned. The kid would be alright, there was no doubt about that. Still, it took him another two minutes before he would finally step out of Yesung’s embrace.

******************************************************************

The DNA test provided them with an answer: the malnourished, brutally mistreated and abused boy was no other than the heir of the now-ruined Park Family. Siwon ran a hand through his hair, almost pulling the black tresses. “What kind of father would treat his own flesh and blood like that?”

Sensing his partner’s distress, Kyuhyun stepped forward, his hand providing a comforting squeeze on the older man’s shoulder. What they had found was definitely shocking. Nobody in the mansion knew about the boy. In fact, no one had realized that there was a child living under the Don’s library floor. But someone had obviously fed the kid, and the one that could go in and out freely from the private library was only the Don himself. And so Siwon and Kyuhyun opted for DNA test. They had sent a sample DNA of the child to the Kim Family’s hospital. They themselves had lingered at the mansion since Siwon had to make sure there was no unfinished business left behind.

As soon as they had arrived at the hospital, a guard immediately ushered them to the lab and they had remained there since.

“He locked him in a ing bunker, Kyu,” Siwon said again.

Kyuhyun grimaced. “I know.” Siwon rarely cursed, but the fact that he swore just now only proved that the Consigliere was extremely upset.

“He didn’t let him out. He didn’t teach him anything, not even how to speak. He only fed him like an animal. Yesung’s dogs are treated better than this.”

The hand squeezed again. “I know.”

The Consigliere groaned. He hung his head down, his hands forming a pair of tight fists. The whole thing was a mess now. Finding an heir of the Park Family was the last thing they needed. Eradicating one Family meant that they were required to kill every single one of that Family line down to the last member. Only after that they could declare that the Kim Family had brought down another rival clan.

But Siwon couldn’t bring himself to imagine murdering a kid. Neither could he imagine Kangin doing it. And definitely not after they had seen how this boy had been treated so far.

Letting the boy live would mean that the Park Family line had survived. The mission that night had failed. They couldn’t declare that the Park Family was now gone. Every other clan would say that the Kim Family had lost its power for they couldn’t even wipe out such a rundown clan like the Parks. They would definitely deal with more attacks and assassination attempts as soon as the words started to spread out. There would be a Family forming a temporary alliance with other Families in order to match and take down the Kim Family’s influences. This could result in bad business deals as they would probably think that the Kims had less bargaining power now. His fists tightened. They would have to double security precautions as soon as they were back at the mansion.

As if reading what his partner was thinking, Kyuhyun fished out his phone from his pocket. Punching a familiar number, he called Kangin who picked up on the second ring. Siwon muted out any other sound as he heard the other man updating their boss of this new development. His mind already began a list of everything that needed to be done.

****************************************************

Kangin was swirling a glass of whiskey later that night. He heaved a sigh before stepping out to the balcony, dark eyes looking at the wide expanse of forest circling his Family’s mansion. It had been a long day. The satisfaction he usually felt when he had successfully eradicated a rival’s clan was replaced by something he hadn’t experienced in a long time: pity. Already living through years and years of the ongoing wars among clans and Families had molded him to be hardhearted, almost unfeeling. Some had even called him cold-blooded, cruel and heartless behind his back. And he had grown accustomed to it.

Kyuhyun had informed him who the child was and the leader of the Kim Family was not pleased. He echoed what the Consigliere had said to Kyuhyun earlier. What kind of father could treat his own son like this?

Once he had returned to the mansion, Siwon told the others everything he had discovered about the kid, or Jungsu, as he had graciously informed them (the name coming from the mother’s diary which one of the guards had found in the master bedroom). The response was immediate. Ryeowook was horrified. Despite his harsh words about Jungsu, Heechul was tempted to shoot every single member of the Park Family before Hangeng reminded him that they had done so. Yesung had to close his eyes to calm himself down.

And Kangin was furious.

In their culture, a child should be cherished. Immortal they might be, but they also lived in a world full of constant wars. A child marked a new hope, and for the lack of better words, a new source of manpower. That fact alone should be enough for the late Park Family to cherish Jungsu. Even more so considering the fact that Jungsu had been an heir, the only heir. He should have been treated, honored better than any rare gem or precious metal. And yet he wasn’t.

He’s like an animal. Heechul’s words came back echoing in Kangin’s mind. In a sense, it was true.

When the drug had worn off, the boy looked at the closest person beside him who unfortunately happened to be Kangin himself. Immediately releasing a wail, the large brown eyes moved around frantically before he scrambled off the couch and curled into a ball at the farthest corner away from the Don. He flinched whenever somebody tried to get near him.

Kangin almost regretted threatening Jungsu earlier.

When some food was brought out, Jungsu eyed and sniffed at it immediately. But as if he was afraid, the kid barely moved to touch it. Siwon finally pushed a bowl slightly toward him, and then the child grabbed the bowl and ate the food with his bare hands. The chopsticks provided remained untouched. It was obvious to everybody in the room that the kid couldn’t speak. When somebody moved to take the now empty bowl, Jungsu moaned like a mentally retarded child, small hands gripping the bowl tightly. Hangeng had to pry Jungsu’s fingers one by one before he was able to fill the bowl with more rice.

The Don could only feel pity at the sight of one of their own immortal kin behaving like that.

He was raised as an heir of one of the largest immortal clans in the world. He had been taught how to handle guns before he learned how to talk. He had learned battle tactics, business strategies, communication approaches, intimidation and interrogation techniques. But not how to raise an unspeaking, malnourished child who had been treated like a ing animal.

His grip on the whiskey glass tightened. He was aware of the consequences of not killing Jungsu; he didn’t need his Consigliere to tell him that. Already he could smell the conspiracy among the rival Families they would soon face. But he wasn’t afraid; he knew he could trust his Family to fend these all off.

His mind drifted to how Jungsu had practically bolted across the library at the mere sight of Kangin. And the Don remembered how those eyes had shone in fear back in the bunker when he had almost killed the boy. The decision came clear: he would let Jungsu live.