Rating: Strong T

Warning: None.

A/N: Thank you for reading, up voting, commenting and subscribing people. This is another important chapter for the plot.

|Eleven|

“Jun-oppa, I need your help with my…” Sooyoung’s voiced trailed off when she found only Jaejoong in the kitchen. She must have just missed him. With their conflicting assignments, Sooyoung swimming lessons had been put on hold. Today she’d hoped to be able to pin Junsu down long enough for a short session, but it seemed she failed.

Jaejoong looked up from the coffee he was making, his eyebrow raised in question. “Help with what?” All pleasantness on her face and in her voice disappeared abruptly, you’d think she’d just seen a devil. And…oppa? Really she and Junsu were on that level now. Next this she’d be calling Captain Dojin samchon.

On a hilarious note, she’d probably go pale if she found out they were alone in the house. With how fast the others had left, there had been no time to call Boa to baby sit them like the last time. But that information he would keep to himself.

“You care?” she chuckled with her arms crossed and question dripping in cynicism. Since when had he cared about what she did enough to ask? Hadn’t they both established that they wouldn’t acknowledge each other unless strictly necessary? This was out of strictly necessary circumstances.

This woman and her attitude, he hadn’t even said anything offensive and she already had her claws out. “I asked, right?” was his counter to her mocking tone. Why was he even trying again?

“Swimming lessons,” she answered to humor him, and then added with a mocking smile, “Why will you help me?” Please he would rather set himself on fire, than help her train. Heck, he hadn’t lifted a finger all this time. Changmin, Junsu, Yoochun and Yunho were the only ones to take the time to do it. As expected he went on sipping his coffee undisturbed by her challenge. His silence was enough of an answer, “Then, I’ll leave –”

“–Why not? You might actually learn something,” her haughty and dismissive attitude was enough motivation to shock her. He would have let it go if she wasn’t so conceited with it, but what the hell he’d answer her nonchalant challenge.

The unexpected response stalled her despite herself. “Don’t bother, I’ll –” her protest died on her lips when he used his speed against her to block her exit, head tipped to the side with a smirk that promised trouble.

“–accept?” he completed for her, liking the startled look in her eyes. Her hair was slightly ruffled by him blurring past her to get ahead of her. When the initial shock wore off giving way to annoyance, she attempted to step past him, but he got in her away once again. She started this, he’d finish it. “What, didn’t you ask for my help? It’s rude to walk away when I have accepted,” smiling as charmingly as he could manage.

Why were they even having this conversation? His insistence was making her nervous, and it didn’t put her at easy that she was close to him. “That was sarcasm. Are you stupid? I’ll leave first,” once again she tried stepping past him and he allowed her with no hindrance, finally calming her rapidly beating heart.

He listened closely to her racing heart returning to its usual steady rhythm, and allowed her the small moment of security before he acted. In a move that barely gave her time to breathe he whirled her around and threw her over his shoulder, taking off toward the lagoon without missing a beat.

“Let me go,” her pounding fist hit hard against his back and legs kicked out violently in a demand to be let down. But, he remained undisturbed continuing into the forest. The blurred greens and browns rushing past and being hung upside down made her stomach churn uncomfortably. “Let me go, you bastard!”

He stopped abruptly, dust flying into the air choking her slightly. “Let go,” the statement barely passed her lips before she was flying through the air and landing into the water in a large splash. The anger and fear turned into panic as Sooyoung splashed around trying to break to the surface. Her anxiety hindered any coherent action or thought.

Jaejoong watched her splash and splutter around for a few moments, struggling to break the surface as though she had no knowledge of swimming. Was this really what Junsu had to work with? “Yah, stop struggling and relax. You’ll drown if you continue to panic,” he commanded in a put out tone. All this time and she’d learned nothing.

Even if delivered through annoyance than helpful concern, his words were right and permeated her mind through her panic despite taking in gulps of water. They forced her to calm down and rationalize, slowly tempering down the panicked spluttering splash to calm tread, managing to swim away from the part of the lagoon she feared for good measure. “What the hell is your problem? How could you –”

“–Help you?” he spoke over her, cutting off her words. “Do you honestly think you’ll always have time for a Lamaze session before you enter the water? Have you forgotten what happened the last time?” his tone patronizing and unapologetic.

Of course being the petty jackass he couldn’t wait to bring it up. More so she hated the fact that he was right. “So what, I’ll learn by drowning? Is that it?” it was a weak defensive counter attack, but she wasn’t going to be gushingly grateful if that was what he was expecting.

“We both know as much as I dislike you,” he smirked. “I wouldn’t let you drown,” his eyes tracing her lips purposely, before he returning them to her angry brown eyes. “Have you forgotten?” he spoke the question in a husky tone that was beyond suggestive.

He really was proud of his leverage over her wasn’t he? Instead of an answer, she glared at him swimming toward the bank. If there was one thing she wasn’t going to deal with on her first free day in two weeks, it was his crap.

“Here,” he offered a hand to help her, when she neared the bank he was standing on. “It seems we have a lot of work to do.” Being the stubborn ordinary she didn’t accept his help.

Was he kidding her with the gentleman act? Forgoing his offered hand, she pushed herself up onto the bank on her own. For all she knew he’d push her head into the water and hold it there in an effort to teach her. As for her progress, it needed work but certainly not from him. “Stay away from me,” she stated in a measured whisper that promised violence if he didn’t comply, flipping Dong Bang Shin Ki or not. The glare added emphasis, before she stormed off.

The one time he takes the time to do something for the ordinary and he gets threatened. This ordinary was never grateful. But he was bored and needed entertainment. She’d barely made it two steps away before he caught her by the waist; bring her back flush against him.

“Do you like pain? Because I can make you cry. Let go,” What the hell was his problem today.

 At least she knew struggling was futile, and settled on threatening with a deeper octave. “Are you a coward? Because, it’s the only reason I can find for you resisting me. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t need water. I will not let you drown, and you’ve achieved something even if it embarrassingly small.” She calmed, his words piqued her interest.

“What?” her curiosity overpowering her needed to leave.

“You managed to calm down, after I threw you in the water without warning. Isn’t this an achievement?” he finally released. “You can thank me later. Right now I have to try and achieve something of actual substance.”

Once again even if every fiber of her being was screaming in denial and protest, she had to admit that he was right. Now that she looked back, she really had achieved what he said. Aish, will you owe him more?

“Yah, woman. Are you daydreaming right now? Strip; we have work to do.”

Strip? He was already without a shirt and shoes when the words actually donned on her. A reply was on her tongue, but he dived in the water cutting off her words. This guy; such a pain, she internally grumbled, removing her own vest and pants and slipping into the water.

Even though she hated to admit it, he had helped her.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

Other than small assignments sent over to him by Yunho and the Captain, Yoochun’s main object for being in the city was to watch over one Kim Hyoyeon. The task would have been an easy one, if the woman didn’t stick her nose into dangerous situations every other second. If it wasn’t snooping around Chu’s warehouses, it was going after mob bosses.

How she wasn’t dead already it was damn luck, and a little bit of skill.

Today was no different, being that she’d illegally entered Chu Laboratories in the city before heading home. Yoochun had written her return off when she’d entered the warehouses that housed the labs, but an hour and a half later, and just when he was reading himself to go after her; she’d emerged unscathed with a too pleased smile on her face.

It wasn’t a requirement to follow her home, or stay longer to ensure she entered her apartment without trouble, but he did it anyway. Watched as she entered the apartment complex, and waited to see her turn on the light in her 3rd floor apartment. He was ready to call it a night, when his acute eyesight caught a flash of struggling shadows at her window.

He was at her door in a flash.

The slightest of pushes blew in the door in time to see a black clad figure knock her unconscious and whip out a gun with intent to finish the job. The assailant didn’t get the chance, getting knocked into a wall hard enough to crack it against his weight before falling into an unconscious heap.

A quick check of Hyoyeon’s pulse assured Yoochun of her mortality. Getting her to the hospital himself would be faster than EMTs getting there, that and he really didn’t want to explain his part in the whole fiasco. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you curiosity killed the cat, Kim-ssi?” he asked the unconscious blonde, as he picked her and took off toward the nearest hospital –Seoul General.

The bustle of the emergency room, allowed him to slip away unnoticed after he was assured of a doctor attending to her. Besides, he had Yunho to call who would probably rip him a new one for dropping the ball. “Blondes are always trouble, natural or otherwise,” he dialed, when he returned to the apartment and found it swarming with cops. “Hyung, she’s in the hospital… Nothing major, but it’s the safest place I could think of while I investigate… I’ll update you with the findings,” he slipped into his car and waited to see if the local PD had managed to catch the perp.

They didn’t, meaning he’d have to do it himself.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

Yunho and Junsu were in Japan tracking down a lead on something that wasn’t related to Chu. Changmin was with the professor searching for possible answers to the unknown DNA strains and specimens in the data fragments they’d retrieved. Yoochun was in the city looking out Hyoyeon until the threat level on her died down.

As for Jaejoong and Sooyoung they’d been assigned a surveillance and bug operation with Victoria and Siwon. According to intel, Drake Larson had purchased a club named The Blue Orchid, which only meant that he was hoping to do some less than legal trading. The Captain was convinced that his clients might clue them in on what he was cooking up with Chu.

“Let’s go through it again,” Captain Dojin called for debrief. “Siwon, you’ll go through the back and straight to the office and start the bugging. Victoria, will join you and handle data mining. Sooyoung, you’ll handle taking pictures of his clients and back up for them. Jaejoong, you’ll be on comms. Now, any questions?” They all remained quiet. “I doubt you’re stupid, so it will be virtually impossible to mess this up. Don’t prove me wrong, I hate being wrong.”

On the upside, Sooyoung didn’t have to be virtually this time round. Or have to deal with Jaejoong directly, because despite his help with her swimming he was still an insufferable, elitist jackass. What the captain had failed to mention was that The Blue Orchid was a popular club with lines a mile long just for entry.

“So how exactly are we getting in this place? The line outside is goes round the block,” Sooyoung spoke into communicator, Victoria by her side eyeing the daunting task with similar deductions.

“A hip swaying walk and confidence,” Jaejoong suggested in a bored drawl. Sure, Choi wasn’t exceedingly beautiful, but she was good to look at and attractiveness was only ever half the battle. Give a man hip swaying walk, eye contact and confidence and you could get him on his knees. “Don’t tell me you can’t manage that Choi.”

Of course having him in her ear wasn’t any better, but at least she didn’t have to look at him while he delivered his lazy condescending suggestion. “Really?” the skepticism was clear in her voice.

“Show some cleavage, get wind in your hair and keep I contact,” he went on to explain. He wouldn’t suggest something he wasn’t sure would work. “You could waste time questioning me, or try it so we can move onto plan B if it fails.”

Sighing, Victoria ed a few more buttons on her shirt, all under Sooyoung’s indignation. “It doesn’t hurt to try. What other choice do we have?” She was just as excited to do this as the tall brunette, but they didn’t have the luxury to try something less degrading.

“Aish, fine,” taking off her leather jacket and tossing it into the car, Sooyoung fluffed her hair. Hair flipping and hips swaying wasn’t all that hard. “Let’s do this.”

It was unfortunate that the suggestion worked; there was no movement of obstructing as they both sashayed past the two bouncers and door man. Even with the jeers of protest by the waiting crowd, they did nothing.

“Now was that hard?” Jaejoong taunted, sounding all too pleased. What he wouldn’t give to see her face after his suggestion worked.

“Alpha can move in now,” Sooyoung refused to humor him with an answer when he was already sounding too smug to be right. “We’re looking for Larson now,” her height usually came in handy for looking over crowds, but the sea of bodies on the dance floor of varying height made it hard to see.

“He’s in. It’s your turn,” Jaejoong announced after few beats, while Victoria and Sooyoung spilt to search for Larson. Victoria headed for the 1^st floor which would make it easier for her to access the offices, while Sooyoung handled her end of the mission on ground.

“I’ve got a visual on Larson,” Sooyoung easily picked out the tall Caucasian arms dealer in the sea of Koreans. “Sending in the first shots of his companions now,” moving at the perimeter made it easier to navigate the dance floor without getting pushed around too much. When within meters of him and his clients having a clear view of them she took the first photograph. It was a profile, but with the facial recognition software Captain Dojin’s team had she didn’t doubt it would be enough to identify. She managed a couple more of the other two with them, before they stepped into a cordoned off booth toward the back in VIP.

“Can you get me sound?” Jaejoong asked, after confirming Victoria’s safe arrival in the offices.

Of course, if she managed to get past the burly guard without confrontation. Planting the mic wasn’t the problem; it was getting close enough to do it and not getting caught. The options were playing a ditzy drunk or a clumsy ditz. She went with the latter, tripping over her feet and getting caught by one of the bodyguard before she hit the ground.  It was enough of a commotion for her to plant the mic on the door frame. “Aigoo, I’m so clumsy. Kamsahabnida,” she giggled, walking away.

“I’d be impressed if it wasn’t your default setting,” was Jaejoong’s snide confirmation of her success. Not surprising since he lived to insult her.

Responding to him would be giving him the satisfaction; instead she dissolved into the dancing crowd and waited for further instruction. She would have preferred not to be grabbed by overzealous revelers looking for a dance partner, but it was the price she had to pay being the back up and finishing her objective too fast.

It was a while before radio silence was broken by the sound of a physical struggle coming through her earpiece, “What’s going on?” she asked, trying to get through the crowd into a quieter area, ready to move if they needed her.

“Guards came in, we had to engage,” Victoria answered breathlessly, the sound of Siwon in the background still in combat clear. “You’ll need to distract or stall them; we are still at 40% on data download.”

A glance in Drake Larson’s location confirmed that he was about ready to wrap up the meet, which could mean he was heading back up stairs. “Don’t tell me I have to walk you through this one too?” Jaejoong informed her, when her silence stretched too long.

“Don’t worry, I’m on it,” short of engaging them herself, she figured using her feminine wiles again couldn’t hurt right? It was work a try in lieu of a round house to the head. Here goes nothing; she mentally prepared herself with a deep breath before stepping onto the center stage, welcomed by a hail of cheers.

It did however get Drake’s attention along with his entourage and clients. She even managed eye contact –good. Usually she had Hyoyeon around to stir her confidence, but her blonde friend wasn’t there and it was all on her. So she began dancing. With all the swaying, shimming, dipping and body waving necessary to excite the crowd and thankfully Drake Larson, who was more than interested. Even his lips in appreciation, was this really what she’d been reduced to: a gyrating object of male excitement? “How are we looking?”

“I’ve seen better from idols, but it isn’t awful.”

“I wasn’t asking you, jackass,” he just had to open his mouth didn’t he? “How are we doing on the download?” She concentrated on her dancing adding a little hair whipping, and slow salsa shuffle for variation.

“We are at 60. Just get to the end of the song,” Siwon was the one to answer.

•                                                             •                                                             •

“Want to tell me what happened kid?” Kim Hyunjoong grilled in a calm voice filled with measured charm. The kid was already battling a monster of a headache, separated shoulder and a few bruised ribs, Hyunjoong didn’t see the need to rip him a new one.

Tao swallowed thickly, knowing he’d screwed up. Hyunjoong was never around unless something went wrong, not to mention the fact that the guy scared the living daylights out of him. “I tried to subdue her but she fought back, so I knocked her out. I was going to shoot her with a dart for transportation, then the door blow open, something rammed into me and I out,” he recalled the event, to the dark haired man who just looked back at him, prompting him to continue. “When I came to she was gone. The door was hanging off its hinges and cops were minutes away. S-s-so I… so I run, s-sir,” his stutter unconscious as the older man stepped closer.

“You didn’t get a look at her savior?” Hyunjoong watched the lanky teen shift uncertainly in his seat at his proximity. He was in too good a mood to do anything to the kid, so he was safe. But, Tao didn’t need to know that.

Words escaped Tao, settling on shaking his head vigorously as answer, anxiety filling his every pore in anticipation of the man’s next move.

“You can leave,” The taller male dismissed with a bored drawl of his deep voice. He wasn’t surprised that the faired haired kid scrambled to leave, he allowed him to get to the door before Hyunjoong spoke again. “I don’t have to tell you that the next time you mess up, the consequences will be less than pleasant. Don’t let it happen again, kid.”

Tao paused, the subtle threat sending a chill down his spine, “Yes sir. I’ll leave first,” it was only out of fear of pissing his superior off that he kept his movements measured. Before hightailing it once the door clicked shut behind him.

Kai was rounding the corner, when Tao all but knocked him on his . “Yah, what the hell man?” rubbing his shoulder for good measure, glaring at the taller teen. “Got the devil chasing you or something,” noting the anxious look of pale fear on Tao’s face.

“Worse, Hyunjoong is back,” Tao corrected before speed walking the hell away. The guy had been forgiving, but what’s to say the guy wouldn’t change his mind when he found him dallying in the hallway.

Kai paled despite himself. Oh crap, he hadn’t been on his most obedient behavior lately, and was probably number one on the guy hit list. To think his day was pretty good hanging out with Jinri. Aish, is this really my life?

A door clicked open, and Kai was ready to follow Tao lead and run. But, Hyunjoong’s deep baritone stalled him dead in his tracks, “Kai!” Why? Just why? Schooling his features into the most remorseful expression he could manage, he turned to face the man who had already made his way to him.

“Yah, don’t look so harassed. I’m not going to hurt you,” clasping a friendly hand on the kid’s shoulder, Hyunjoong teased feeling the boy tease under his palm. “We’re going somewhere.”

“Mwo?” he wasn’t going to drive him somewhere and kill him, right? Street racing, curfew breaking and being MIA for a day didn’t warrant death.

“Follow me,” Hyunjoong ordered over his shoulder, expecting the teen to follow.

•                                                             •                                                             •

“Lee Sunkyu here to see Kim Hyoyeon,” Sunny rushed to the nurse’s counter, Jinri paces behind trying to keep up with her quick strides despite her height advantage. “I was called.”

“Are you family or next of kin?” the nurse asked the customary question in clinical detachment.

Family was on the tip of Sunny’s tongue, because the blond and the Choi sisters were closer to her than her own family. But, in regards to Hyoyeon’s medical health, she was her listed as next of kin, “Next of kin.”

Jinri held onto Sunny’s hand, eyes balancing tears hoping and praying Hyoyeon was okay. She couldn’t handle losing anyone else.

“She’s with the detectives, but I’m sure you can see her. Follow me,” the nurse prompted, leading them into the ward and toward Hyoyeon’s room. True to the woman’s word, there was a group of uniformed police men and a plain clothed detective questioning Hyoyeon, who looked less than impressed at the interrogation.

“Yah Lee Hyukjae, are you deaf? I said I didn’t see who knocked me silly,” Hyoyeon groaned tired of the mundane questions, not to mention embarrassed that she’d ended up in the hospital. “I don’t know who brought me here either, and I don’t know who sent the assailant. Are you going to ask me again?”

“Woman, I’m only asking so I can write up a report. Can you stop being difficult?” Hyukjae sighed knowing how hard headed his colleague could be when she put her mind to it.

“I wouldn’t be difficult if you stop asking me the same question over and over,” Hyoyeon hit back, spotting Sunny and Jinri. The tall teen didn’t waste any time in closing the distance and throwing her arms around her in relief. “See what you did stupid. You made Jinnie worried.”

All Hyukjae could manage was a roll of the eyes. She gets knocked silly and ends up in the hospital and it’s somehow his fault? Was it him chasing mafia gang members and leads on Chu that could end up killing him? No, it was her stubbornness that was scaring the teen not her. “Prosecutor Lee, you deal with her I’m done,” She could be Sunkyu’s problem now. “Come on we have criminals to catch. Kim, get some rest and stop being annoying.”

“Are you still here?” was Hyoyeon’s reply, more concerned about comforting the teen than her exasperated colleague. “Jinnie, I’m fine. Just a bump in the head,” feeling the girls tears wetting her shirt.

“And what did you do to get a bump in the head?” Sunny already knew she was snooping around Chu on top of the Reds case she was working on. How best friends became an agent, detective and prosecutor god only knew.

Hyoyeon wasn’t going to have this conversation in front of Jinri, heck she would have loved not having this conversation at all. “Jinnie baby, I’m fine,” pulling the girl away to wipe her tears. “See, I’m okay so stop crying.”

“Well at least tell me who brought you here?” Sunny conceded, moving onto less dangerous topics.

“I don’t know since I was too busy being knocked out,” Hyoyeon returned with cheek. “The only description the nurse had is average height, handsome with wavy black hair. Since it’s the emergency room she didn’t get a clear description. He cleared out in the commotion.”

“But enough time to gauge he was handsome? Brilliant,” Sunny sniggered, eyewitnesses were such pains.

•                                                             •                                                             •

“The song’s almost over. Tell me download is complete,” Sooyoung inquired as the song begun winding down. Drake wasn’t losing interest, but she was done dancing and enduring Drake’s lusty gaze.

“Download complete, rolling out now,” Victoria thankfully revealed after a beat. “How are we on transport?”

“Ready and waiting,” Jaejoong answered. “Choi take five before you follow, to avoid suspicion. Transport will be half a block away waiting when you leave.”

As much as she wanted to call him out for prolonging her suffering, she couldn’t argue with the logic. There was no telling when the guards Victoria and Siwon had engaged would come to or be discovered. Not to mention her abrupt leave would be suspicious “Got it.”

•                                                             •                                                             •

Hyunjoong didn’t particular like dealing with Larson, but it was his job to ensure there were no weak links in the chain after the recent breaches at the party and SIST. It meant being demoted to a glorified gofer and babysitter to the kids, but at least it was on home soil.

“Keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious,” Hyunjoong told the kid, who’d been anxious the whole trip down probably expect some form of violence. But, the leash on Kai was much looser than the other boys given his mission. His indiscretions would serve their purpose.

The pulsing beat grew louder as he approached the club, the line of revelers awaiting entry still long despite it going to 2 in the morning. Knowing his face, the bouncers didn’t bother stopping him and allowed him to step past them. Most of the crowd was concentrated toward the centre stage, where a particularly bold woman was dancing for the world to see and holding everyone’s attention at ransom.

He would have given her a passing glance, if her familiar features didn’t come to view.

A part of him hadn’t believed she was dead, even when he’d stared at her memorial portrait at her family’s mausoleum. And his hunch had been right, because there she was dancing on the stage.

Choi Sooyoung.

It looked like Larson had been compromised. Her presence there indicated as much, which only meant he was in for a monster clean up.

Across the way from her was Larson, who was just as entranced as the rest at the dancing woman. Interest and indecent intent clear in his eyes for Sooyoung. If she’d hoped to slip away unnoticed after her little performance, she would be in for a big surprise. Larson obviously wanted more from her.

Even now Choi, Do I still have to have you back? He wondered in amusement, the first genuine hints of a smile after years of flashing false ones, tugged at his lips. She was on the opposing side, but he felt a compulsion to help her for old time’s sake.

Keeping to the shadows to avoid being identified by her, Hyunjoong slinked toward the roped area. The guards stalled him, until he slid the shades down his nose and showed his face to Larson who motioned him forward. You owe me one, pretty girl. “Chu said you’d have something for me?”

“Take a seat and relax,” Larson motioned to the other couch. “Then we’ll talk business,” his eyes already searching the crowd for Sooyoung who had long since left.

On the upside, Hyunjoong hadn’t killed him. Downside was that it probably wasn’t the end of things. On top of that, Kai was now staking out a club for suspicious activity without really knowing why or what counted as suspicious.

He was ready to doze off, when he spotted her. At first he thought he was seeing things, but he could not be mistaken. The woman walking out of the club and down the road was definitely Sooyoung-noona.

By the time he got the sense of following her down the road, she was gone without a trace.

What the actually heck, just happened?  He wondered, scratching his head in confusion. Maybe I was wrong? Even as he thought it, he knew he hadn’t been mistaken.

TBC

A/N: So sorry it took so long to update, this chapter was being a pain. I know no Yunho, Changmin and Junsu but they’ll be back next chapter. But, I hoped you liked it either way, since it will push the plot forward and revealed something.

[P.S] Hyun Joong = Kim Woo Bin. Drake Larson = Joey Lawrence.

The plotline and story is mine. Please do not repost, copy, translate anywhere without consent and plagiarism is a bad thing.

Comments would be lovely and greatly wanted, helps me know what you think. Constructive Criticisms is welcomed, because it helps me improve. Flames … “to each his own”.