It was the smell that woke up Ji hyo. The air was suffocating, saturated with chemicals that she fought with to regain her senses. The place reeked of urine and body odor, of wet cloth that dried out in a tight container. Strangely there was a hint of antiseptic, drugs that she shouldn’t have been able to identify -- and of fear.

Ji hyo took deep breaths, ignoring the nausea and headache as she swallowed the building panic. Taking care to make sure she’s not giving away the fact that she’s regained her consciousness. It was years ago since her last kidnapping, which comes in with the territory of being filthy rich and an heir to a large empire. She was trained to handle kidnapping situations, but that fact never made actual kidnappings any less terrifying.

Deep breathes. She slowly inventoried her surroundings. The room was dark. Not a sliver of light can be seen. It is cold and musty beneath the heady scent, meaning she’s underground. Maybe a basement or one of those wine cellars. She’s in a province then, maybe in a traditional stone house. Or the basement of a really eccentric enemy could be a foreigner… a rival. If she is left alone for hours, a competitor would be the obvious mastermind since kidnappers would force her to confirm that she is alive while they ask for ransom from her Pa.

Next was determining her condition. There were no aches, just slight dizziness from inhaling chemicals. Typical kidnapping method. She is tied though, without wiggle space. Ji hyo twisted her numb wrist, thanking the heavens that her kidnappers where idiotic enough to leave a bracelet on their victim. Her Pa was a paranoid man and he spent a lot of money making sure Ji hyo was safe.

And if he couldn’t stop people from taking Ji hyo, her Pa has made sure that he could always find her even at the ends of the world.

The bracelet is a tracker and there’s another implanted device at the sole of her right foot. She has them since she was young. So all she has to do is wait for the cavalry. The thought chased away some of the fears, replaced by hope and a familiar feeling of being challenged.

See, her bracelet is made of a really strong metal with engraved design sharp enough to do damage if used properly. Ji hyo relaxed her body and leaned back, allowing her wrist to angle the bracelet. She patiently rubbed at the tight ropes, feeling the braids give as the metal saw through them.

An hour has passed and no one has even checked at Ji hyo. She continued to feign sleep. No one would want to talk to a drugged hostage and besides if they really wanted, they could have woken her up forcefully anytime. At last she felt the last of the strands to give away. She wiggled discreetly to allow blood circulation and waited. It might be dark but there were also things like night vision and heat detecting cameras.

She discreetly wrapped the bracelet in her knuckles. Any future punches she’d be throwing will hurt a lot. Another hour passed before Ji hyo ‘woke up’, letting her captors see her faked panic attack. Frankly she’s just getting bored now. If someone comes in then it means the room is bugged. Ji hyo would try for a chat to discover why she’s taken. If no one comes then the room is probably clean and she could scour every inch of the dump she’s in. Hopefully finding a way to escape.

Option two happened. No one came in barreling even if Ji hyo shouted like a poor scared kitty asking for help. She cried for her Papa which isn’t so hard to fake. Still she was ignored. Already fed up, Ji hyo stood up, letting the ropes fall on the floor. Continuing the plan, Ji hyo proceeded carefully to search the whole area.

After a careful sweep, Ji hyo discovered two important things. Her captors were idiots and secondly, they seem to only care about keeping her there and did a botched job at that.

A sense of dread made Ji hyo shiver in fear. If she was out of the picture what was the worst that could happen? What was so important today that she was taken here… as a distraction probably or bait?

All the answers Ji hyo could think about was related to her father. Yes, the chairman made sure he could recover Ji hyo anywhere meaning that her father would be distracted and vulnerable.

That could only mean one thing, the target is her father. Something important she doesn’t know about is supposed to happen. People needed to stop the something by taking her. There’s a million things that an enemy could want. Information, business, property, money, fame, clients… but whatever it is, they wanted to distract the Chairman and used her. He’s vulnerable now and distracted.

That means she is safe. Killing her is not important because she doesn’t know… but her dad --

A desperate cry spilled out of Ji hyo’s lips. Fueled by fear and desperation, she ran out the unlocked door praying that the element of surprise will be her friend (the kidnappers were idiots who thought that rope was enough to keep her). There were no guards outside or any movement at all. Feeling daring, Ji hyo ran. She was right that they took her in a European style house and was kept on the wine cellar.

Finally Ji hyo burst out of the main door, inhaling fresh air and blinking dazedly at the bright sun. It seemed she underestimated her kidnappers. Although she was proven right that she’s just a distraction. Because Ji hyo is not in Korea at all but in the middle of a large vineyard and she’d been overseas enough to notice when she’s no longer breathing the air of her homeland.

They dumped her in the middle of nowhere. Left her to die of hunger in that wine cellar or if she somehow escaped, it wouldn’t matter because they’d bought enough time to get rid of her Pa -- if her gut instincts are right. Whatever they are trying to cover up, it’s a secret only Cheon Sanggu knows.

The nausea hit Ji hyo hard, making her throw up in the pavement. Wiping the bile off , she went back to the house now that she knew there were no threats. She looked around for anything, supplies, weapons or maybe a phone if she’s lucky enough. Her quick search produced a flashlight, footwear (she realized she’d been running around barefoot), her destroyed and useless phone (which she still kept), and a bottle of water that she drank greedily then refilled in the tap. She also found a trowel in the backyard shed and took that as a weapon.

After securing her loot in a discarded plastic bag, Ji hyo embarked on her journey. The sun was directly over her so it must be around lunch time, the thought sent her stomach complaining which she remedied by running towards the vineyard and feasting on the grapes. Filled and watered, Ji hyo decided to start walking. There was a dirt road for vehicles but Ji hyo didn’t take the easy way. Trees were thick along the path so she chose to walk underneath the heavy foliage, concealing herself should there be anyone who went back to check on her.

It was almost night time but there was no end to the path. There’s just more trees and the endless dirt road. Ji hyo walked until she felt exhausted enough to collapse. Not wanting to be too sore for the next morning, the teacher walked further away from the road looking for shelter. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of running water. Following the sound lead her to a rocky river.

Joyous, Ji hyo hurried to the water and drank her fill, splashed water at her overheated skin and refilled her water bottle. She ate more grapes, drank again then looked around, risking the use of her flash light since it was completely dark by the time her stomach was satisfied.

Ji hyo opted to sleep on top of the biggest rock she could find. That way she’s safe from predators. The trees might be a safer choice but she didn’t want to be eaten by a snake… at least the water around her would discourage most wildlife. The fact that there are rocks big enough for her also tells that there’s only fish living in the fast flowing stream.

“I miss you Papa but I’m okay… so please, please be okay too.” she whispered softly to the wind as she curled into herself. “I miss you too Jong kook-ah. I could’ve used those stupid muscles right now you know. I bet they are softer than this stupid rock.” Ji hyo tried so hard not to let the tears spill but failed. Before she knew it, the tears were just falling nonstop. It’s cold, she’s worried that snakes will eat her and that someone is after her family. For all she knows, she could die here or that there’s no more family waiting for her…

After a silent prayer, pushing away thoughts of her Pa and Jong kook, Ji hyo surrendered to exhaustion and welcomed unconsciousness.

It was the cold that woke up Ji hyo this time. She was shivering so badly but at least she’s alive and still free. Deeming her body rested as well as it could be considering the circumstances, Ji hyo decided to have an early start. Judging by the lightening of the sky, she slept for at least six hours. There was enough light to find the road again and to make her travel faster, Ji hyo took advantage of it. It was dark enough that she wouldn’t be noticed right away and if a car is approaching, she has enough time to dive back to the safety of the forest. The length of the road would guarantee that no one will come looking for her by foot anyway.

Before the sun was fully up, Ji hyo covered a good distance. She merged with the forest once again, choosing the cool shade instead of getting dehydrated under the sun. If only the stream is parallel with the road, Ji hyo would have chosen to walk alongside it. By midday, the last of the grapes were gone, her water bottle was half full and Ji hyo was losing hope. Why hasn’t anyone come yet? The trackers were top secret, almost illegal but impossible to glitch. They tested it. In the desserts, the arctic… even in extreme temperatures, it has always worked.

Ji hyo estimated the time to be around four in the afternoon when she heard the rumble of a motorcycle engine. She immediately ducked and rolled into a shrub. Carefully, she wiggled to get a view of the road without giving away her position. The sound was quiet, compared to ordinary motorcycles. Whoever was approaching didn’t want to be heard. It is also feasible that there’s only one person in the transport because the vibrations in the ground felt lighter. She only knew it was coming was because she was hyperaware of her surroundings. The observations made her hope but did not lessen her wariness.

At last the black shiny motorcycle came into view. The rider was in black fatigues, a Kevlar vest, his helmet dark and revealed nothing of his face. Ji hyo didn’t dare approach him even if she was ninety percent sure this was her savior. People could turn on you anytime and two days of captivity plus escaping did wonders on Ji hyo’s paranoia.

The man stopped right in front of Ji hyo’s bush. “Miss Cheon Seung Im.” the man called out softly, removing his helmet and showing his hands to prove that they are weapon free.

“Finally!” Ji hyo rolled out of her shrub grinning at the familiar face of her personal body guard and friend. “You’re late Seung Won!” but nevertheless, Ji hyo threw herself on the other man, ignoring the cuts and bruises she’s aggravating by the rash movement.

“I’m sorry Ms. Song. Wherever they put you, it scrambled the signal and we couldn’t track you. We only knew you were somewhere in Sicily, but it was hard to pinpoint where exactly until this morning. Everyone’s looking for you. Master Cheon was most worried and Jong kook-ssi.” the man offered a small smile which did nothing to calm the fear roiling in Ji hyo’s gut.

“Seung won, you didn’t see me taken at school?” she asked the man who looked away in shame. “How many teams were deployed?”

“Five primary search parties. Two more were sent last night when we couldn’t find you. Three more flew in this morning.”

“M-my father?”

“As soon as we got your exact location he flew in. I was the scout. Extraction team is on their way.”

“No… please… when did the jet leave Korea?”

Seung won finally caught Ji hyo’s trail of thinking. The man paled, shoved Ji hyo his helmet and shouted codes over his radio. “Miss Cheon, any person who might be looking after you?”

Ji hyo shook her head, securing the fastening and climbing behind Seung won. “I was left alone here to die in that wine cellar which could block out tracking devices or die trying to escape. How many hours to the main road?”

“Im sorry Miss, I should’ve…” a stern look and a light punch stopped the scout. “I’m afraid it would take at least three days by foot.” he answered, handing her a communications ear piece.

Ji hyo swallowed hard at the information. In three days time she would be starved, dying of thirst, and too weak to do anything but wait for her last breath. If there are miracles and she survived that and she made it to the main road, it would still take precious minutes to find help or hitch a ride. And if she manages to get help, how long would it take for them to get her medical attention? Anyway she sees it, Ji hyo was truly doomed.

Seung won wasted no time and started driving away from the place. Ji hyo briefed him and the team listening in on the earpiece about all her activities since waking up in the abandoned wine cellar. Her theory was that her father is carrying certain information and whoever kidnapped her wanted that information buried. She was bait, a distraction so they could get to the chairman.

“Whoever did this, Seung won, he is close enough. Someone who found out about my tracking devices. Smart enough to leave me to die alone without any evidence… a rival who hit gold. It could have been a fortunate hunch… which he or she has proven true. This was planned oh my god. And my old man had to send almost all our security teams looking for me!”

“He is with Alpha and Charlie team. I sent the distress signal. Stay strong Seung Im!”

“You’re not telling me something!”

“I’m sorry Miss. He came too…”

“Who? -- Oh no. No gods…”

Ji hyo wished she’s wrong. Ji hyo fervently prayed that she’s just panicking, that everything is just her mind spinning morbid imagery. The plane will land safely. There wouldn’t be any explosions. No one will die. Not her Papa, not Jong kook, the man she is falling in love with… she already lost her mom. She just couldn’t go through that again.

Seung won flinched ten minutes into the ride, which didn’t escape Ji hyo’s notice being practically plastered against the man’s back. It was almost a yes, a horrible confirmation she didn’t want to hear.

“My Pa?”

He hesitated, revved the engine to go faster. As if willing the bike to go faster, like flying through the wind while Ji hyo’s life fell apart around her.

“We’ll find them Miss Song.”

No, no, no…

---/:::::/---

Jong kook might have watched too much spy movies… too much Jackie Chan maybe? Or has Jaesuk just rubbed off him without him noticing? The PE teacher couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were being watched. As if they were caged animals in a flying deathtrap. Half-way through the flight and he still couldn’t chase away the bad feeling. Like something bad will happen. Something other than Ji hyo’s kidnapping.

Suddenly there was an explosion. Cheon Sanggu who was seated in front of him tensed.

Jong kook’s training in accident and calamity responses kicked in. He searched the cabins for parachutes, finding none. The watchful eyes were also gone and he felt his instincts scream at him. It was a set-up and they fell right through it. His eyes fell on the older, panicking man and cursed himself for not listening to his gut feeling earlier. Jongkook was kidnapped too when he was young. They always asked for money then gave him back.

In this case no one called for her. They couldn’t find Ji hyo. The doctor who operated the tracker into Ji hyo was missing. The device’s inventor himself called them to say that the only way it is not working is because someone made sure it wouldn’t. That means they knew about the trackers. Jong kook should have pieced everything together right away but he was blindsided with emotions. He didn’t see the foul play until it’s biting him in the .

Jong kook was with the bigger, more secured fish. Ji hyo was the path, not the target.

“Chairman! We’re set up! Listen to me…” he peeked outside, they’re above the ocean and quickly losing altitude. “Sir, I can’t find any parachute and we’re likely not going to find one. If we hit the water inside this plane we die of explosion.”

“Oh god… I think I know why we’re in this mess. Oh my poor daughter.” Sanggu sobbed, collapsing on his seat. He looked at Jong kook, steely eyes boring into Jong kook’s. “Tell me, do you have a plan or are we out of options?”

“We jump before we hit the water. If we do this right and jumped a few meters above the water then the force wouldn’t kill us, then we swim away as fast as we could to avoid the plane.”

“We have a chance then.” the Chairman’s demeanor changed. He was more determined now, fire blazed in his eyes and the tears were wiped away, forgotten. Jong kook himself felt the adrenalin rushing in his veins. He wouldn’t, can’t let Ji hyo be an orphan.

“Son, go check communications and send a distress signal. Press my company logo and it will let my people know. Then follow me to the cargo hold.” The two men hurried to their tasks, mentally calculating how much time they had. The plane is steadily falling, the machine smart enough to automatically switch to auto-pilot. It bought them more time with the plane fighting to correct its course.

Jong kook found everything destroyed and the cockpit empty except for two dead bodies. He pulled a gun from a corpse and tucked it in his jeans. He pressed the logo and went out, wishing he could erase the bodies from his memory.

Hurrying to the cargo hold, Jong kook found Sanggu fastening a life vest. “They got rid of the parachutes but they didn’t get rid of all the emergency stash. Better than nothing?” Sanggu said as he tossed a vest into Jong kook who gratefully put it on. Jong kook remembered the open emergency doors for the pilot and ushered the chairman there. The smaller door will provide more safety than taking the jump on the cargo door that can give them a higher chance of falling off the plane before the right time.

Standing side by side and watching the ocean get nearer until they could see waves clearly was nerve-wracking, considering it could be the final view they get to see before they plunge to their deaths. “Sir we need to jump before we hit the water, too early and we could die as soon as we make contact with the water. Too late and the plane will fall on us. Crush us to death or the explosion will.”

“I know! I don’t trust those small eyes of your Kim but I hope you have clearer eyesight than me!”

Jong kook gulped hard, watching the chairman pull himself together. He knew it wasn’t the right time. But if he couldn’t tell her personally… at least maybe, he could tell her father instead. “I love her!” he shouted, voice hoarse and regretful.

Sanggu turned to him and smiled weakly. “I know… that’s why we need to come home to her.” Jong kook nodded, and they drifted into a peaceful silence with only the roar of the wind around them. Yes, they could die… but they sure will do everything to survive.

The private jet finally gave up and now they are plunging to the waters quicker than anticipated. Jong kook couldn’t even think straight anymore, nor see with wind rushing so fast. Staring at the dark blue swirl, Jong kook prayed grabbed the chairman and jumped headfirst.

Jong kook closed his eyes, clutching the older man tightly. He thought of Ji hyo, her smile… her laughs, her zombie look in the mornings, and her grumblings before her daily dose of coffee… the way her hand fit perfectly in his. Her cute voice when she tries to sing or how quiet and at peace she gets when a beautiful song plays, or when she teases Kyung or when she flashes those eyes to get what she wants…

Jong kook didn’t really want to die. He wanted to live, wanted to see her again. He wanted so badly to tell Ji hyo that he’s loved her even before he was old enough to know love. As his dearest friend, as the most important person in his life and now, as his all and everything. And that he still, and would love her until the end of forever… and show her it’s true.

 Then there was pain and cold as they sunk into the icy dark waters.      

Hi all, thank you for reading this story. We're about finished and I will do my best to complete this before the weekend reviews for my board exams. I hope I did ok... I wasn't able to research much so this is not scientifically accurate - the crash, Ji hyo's escape and other tings. I just hope they looked real enough or just ok to be overlooked. Thanks again!