[CONTENTID1]CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE - FAMILY SECRETS [/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2]

We're sitting in the dining hall of the military facility. This, and our rooms, are the only places I've seen that aren't covered in filth and don't sport moulding walls and putrid stenches. There are no "trainees" (that's what Mohamed called them) in here, only my team and the newbies. Jungkook hasn't been back from wherever he took that boy and Bora disappeared to attend to "private matters". 

I look down at my plate: vegetable couscous with Merguez (spicy lamb sausage) and some sort of wheat-based desert. I feel my appetite dwindle. How did this food get here? Were one of those poor imprisoned teenagers forced to make this from scratch? Did they suffer? I know they most likely did and that knowledge sickens me. Still, I force myself to eat because I do not know when or if we'll be fed again. 

"I really don't like this place," Jessica utters and we all look at her. She pushes her tray away and runs her fingers through her hair, tying it up in a high ponytail. "It's dirty and the people in power look like savages."

"Mohamed seems alright," Hyoyeon states and she nods. "But I agree about the others. Did you see what that Jonghyun guy was doing to that poor boy?" 

Youngjae nods quickly and swallows hard, looking as if he is struggling to stomach the food. "It makes me feel guilty to be eating their food. The prisoners probably aren't fed properly." 

"I never imagined it to look like this..." Daehyun mumbles, playing with his couscous. "I never imagined the soldiers and assassins to be trained in a place like this. It makes me wonder if...if Jungkook and Bora were put through all that." Something twists in my stomach and I suddenly feel sick. I push my tray away as Jessica did.

"I don't want to think about that," Youngjae sighs, rubbing his face. "I just want Kyuhyun to get better quickly so we can leave."

"Agreed," a few others respond at the same time as the double doors of the dining hall open. Jonghyun, followed by several other people, enter the room. They all look at us with quizzical stares and one steps forward, making his way over. The rest of his posse follow. 

"Who the hell are you people?" He demands, his gaze piercing. Something seems off about him but I can't quite pinpoint what it is. His eyes scan each and everyone one of us, as if he is sizing us up. They settle on me and he takes in my physique, a particular look flashing in his eyes. 

"We brought back some of your people, Mohamed has agreed to letting us stay here until our friend is better," I say, not really answering his question. He steps closer and a charming smile spreads across his face. Something deep in my gut tells me that this guy is bad news: his demeanour changed far too quickly. I stick my hand out, if only to put more distance between us. "Choi Hyerim." He wraps his fingers around my hand and shakes it, his touch lingering on me.

He leans in even closer, his face inches from mine now. "Yoon Doojoon. Pleasure to make your lovely acquaintance." Jackson clears his throat and walks over, wrapping a protective/possessive arm around my waist. Right now, I'm grateful for his jealousy. 

"Jackson Wang, the boyfriend," he bites out and I inwardly cringe but my heart also pangs a little. Doojoon's smile becomes wry and he releases my hand but not before pressing his lips against the back of it. I recoil and discreetly wipe it on my cargo pants. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Doojoon replies, his voice indicating that that is far from the truth. "You've got yourself a pretty little thing, there." 

"I'm a person, not an object," I say and he raises a thick eyebrow. "I don't know how things work around here but just know that I am not subject to any of your rules. None of us are. We will not cause any uprisings and we'll stay out of the way but don't take our politeness for weakness." Doojoon whistles and laughs softly, his comrades laughing behind him. I glance at Jonghyun and he throws me a wink. 

"Pretty and mouthy," Doojoon chuckles, rubbing his jaw. "I like it. The girls here are almost all the same. That's why I prefer to keep it...close to home." I frown at his strange choice of words but do not respond. "Anyways, I hope you enjoy your time here. Let me know if you want a tour of the place."

"We'll be fine. Thank you," Jackson replies curtly and the other male snorts, nodding once. He then marches past us, his friends following closely behind. I feel lighter once they're gone and I can't help but wonder why they made me feel so uneasy. I do not even know those people. Except, I have seen Jonghyun's cruel acts first hand. But my edgy feelings towards Doojoon are unexplainable. "I don't like him."

"Me neither," I agree, nudging his arm so that he removes it from my waist. "I'm going to go find Jungkook." 

"I'll come," Jongin and Henry say at the same time. Hyoyeon stands, as do Daehyun and Youngjae. 

"Me too," Hyoyeon says.

"We'll return to the infirmary and see how Kyuhyun's doing," Youngjae tells me and I nod once. Kyungsoo stands and joins their side, earning appreciative smiles from the two males. We leave the others to do as they please in the dining hall. I grimace at the gunk-covered walls as we walk down the hallways. They're badly lit and a pungent smell permeates the room. 

"Jesus, it stinks," Hyoyeon grumbles and I nod in agreement. I cast looks down linking corridors as we pass them, my chest constricting every time I see or hear a person begging to be fed or washed or released and, sometimes, to be killed. I hear a familiar voice and freeze, turning towards a cell. 

"Karim?" I call out and he looks up from his praying position. His cheeks are stained with tears and he's covered in swelling bruises and severe cuts, most of which have been stitched up. I grab two bars and peak through them. "Karim, is that you? What are you doing in there?" 

"P-P-P-Punishment, m-m-miss," he stammers. In the darkness of the cell, I finally notice how ridiculously green his eyes are. They're like piercing marbles surrounded by wild, black lashes. His bruised skin is a rich tanned colour - he's simply beautiful. It hurts to see such a beautiful thing being abused so badly. 

"I thought Jun--Jay saved you...didn't he take you to the infirmary?" I ask and he nods, turning around to show me the dressing and bandages on his back and around his torso. "Why are you in here?" He turns back around and looks at me with fear in his gorgeous eyes. 

"J-J-Jonghyun t-t-told D-Doojoon that Jay h-helped m-me," he tells me. "D-Doojoon likes b-being in ch-ch-charge. H-he d-doesn't like J-Jay." 

"Why?"

Karim looks around then beckons