[CONTENTID1] CHAPTER FIFTY - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE PART 2 [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

Sorry for the irregular updates -- late updates at that! But I have exams coming up (this is my last week of school WOOOOOOOO then I'll officially be done with high school...except I still have to go in during the month of May for 4 exams -_- but still!) The point is, I really don't know how frequent updates will be but please bear with me!

Also, I'd really appreciate it if more of you commented. Last update hardly got any comments and comments are what really drive me to write loads and update fast. Seeing comments that have more than "update soon" or "good chapter" actually get me excited and eager to post again. So please don't be stingy with comments =.=' xD

Karim and Daeho.

They’re sitting on the floor, next to the bed, on large pillow-like seats. They’re dressed in traditional Korean clothes and they're being coddled by a woman. I can only see her back; she has long, healthy-looking brown hair with what also looks like honey blonde highlights. She pinches Daeho’s cheek with her manicured hand and he giggles, beaming at her.

He’s so naïve, it’s almost painful to watch.

Karim, on the other hand, is sitting rather stiffly. His curly black hair has been cut slightly shorter, similar to how it had been when I first saw him in Algeria. His skin is glowing, more so than before and he looks clean for once. However, his eyes paint a different picture. They’re darker than when I last saw them and they’re cold. It’s not that they lack emotion, they simply lack…warmth. Trust. Love.

He knows.

“Karim,” I whisper, though I know he won’t have heard me. A door swings open and Shindong bursts into the room, panting heavily. The woman looks up and I just manage to make out her straight nose and wide, high cheekbones. She has her hair cut into front bangs. 

“What are you doing in here, disturbing our peace?” she asks calmly, almost brightly. She has a certain authority to her voice and even her composure. She obviously holds herself very highly.

“The patients in the A32 ward,” Shindong pants. “They’re…um…not…there.” A silence fills the room and Daeho stops playing with a rag doll, looking between the woman and the chubby guard. “B-Boss?” 

Wait, what?

“They’re…gone?” she asks and he nods nervously. “How on earth did that happen, hm? Don’t I have guards for a reason?”

“That’s the thing, Boss…” Shindong coughs, rubbing the back of his neck. “We think Yongguk, Himchan, Jongup and Zelo helped them. Oh, and Minseok and Seohyun. They’re all missing.” 

She laughs, shaking her head slightly. “I have no idea who any of those people are. If they ran, fine. Round up some other hunters, find them and make them pay for their betrayals.” She starts playing with Karim’s hair, the young boy stiffening even more. “We don't forgive people who just take advantage of our kindness. Oh, and find out how they got out of those cells. Whoever helped them must be brought to me and punished.”

“We checked the systems…it was Lee Minki's keycard,” he reveals and her hand freezes on Karim’s head. 

“Lee…Minki?”

“Ne, Boss. Taehyung is nowhere to be seen, either. We’re still looking for them, though.”

“Why on earth would my brother abandon me?” she laughs and my eyes widen. Taehyung is— was her brother? Well, . “He’ll be looking for that traitor, Minki. You know how glued at the hips those two are.” Not anymore, . “Well, is that all?”

“Uh…ne, Boss,” Shindong replies. She nods.

“Then, be gone,” she says, dismissing him with the wave of her free hand. He bows and turns to leave. “Oh, and Shindong?” He turns back around, his face twisted in obvious fear and worry. “Daeho and Emerald are hungry, fetch them some meat?” He nods and bows, leaving the room.

“I’m not hungry,” Karim says coolly. 

“Of course you are, Emerald,” the woman insists. “Your stomach’s been going crazy. A growing boy like you can't survive on rice and vegetables.”

“My name is not Emerald,” he snaps. Oh, ! His stuttering has stopped. “My name is Karim and I’m not hungry.” He pins her with an icy look. “I won’t eat people, I’m not a monster…or clueless, like Daeho.” At the sound of his name, Daeho looks up and grins innocently at the older boy. 

“Emerald, you’re being difficult again,” the woman sighs, pinching his cheek. He smacks her hand away, glaring at her. “You don’t want me to ground you again, do you?”

“I don’t care,” he spits. “I’m not eating that meat.” Just then, she slaps him across the face. I growl under my breath and start to open the door but catch myself in time. I narrow the gap again, my fingers gripping the doorknob harder than ever.

“Don’t you dare use that tone on me, young man!” she hisses. She starts caressing his red cheek, tutting. “Aigoo. I’m sorry for hitting you, Emmy. I’ll make it up to you, okay? Mommy’s sorry.”

“You’re not my mother.”

That’s right, Karim! She’s not!

“Of course I am. I take care of you, I feed you, I tuck you in, I love you,” she says, a smile in her voice. “That makes me your mother, or at the very least the equivalent of your mother.”

“I have a mother,” he tells her, his voice matching his eyes: ice cold. I’ve never seen him this way and it’s slightly chilling, though in a good way. Suddenly, his eyes flick to me and I freeze, my breath catching. He tears them away again and looks back at her. “And she’s coming for me.”

“Go to bed,” the woman hisses, shoving his face away. “I’ve heard enough from you for the day, go to bed. Daeho, come with mommy.” Daeho looks around, a confused look on his face. The woman outstretches her arms, making grabbing motions at him. “Dae, come here. Come to mommy.”

“Mama?” he asks, looking around. “Where’s mama?” The woman drops her arms to her sides and balls her hands up into tight fists. She storms away and moments later, I hear a door slam. I take that as my cue to enter the room.

“Hyerim!” Karim exclaims and I quickly shush him with my index finger. He runs into my arms, pushing me over with his sudden weight. He lands on top of me and I giggle, hugging her lovingly. I ignore the searing pain from the deep wounds in my back. He snuggles into my chest, his ear right above my heart. “You’re back.”

“I told you I would be,” I reply, smiling. I sit up and get to my feet, though he doesn’t move an inch away from me. He’s stuck to me like superglue and I’m happy with that, one arm wrapped around him. I look down at Daeho and pull him into the embrace. He squeals and hugs me back. “Hi, Dae.”

“Hyerim,” the five year old beams. He makes signs with his hands and I look at Karim for help. Turns out, Jungkook and Bora are not the only ones that can read sign language; the entire Alpha Team can. Jongin was also able to.

“He says he’s happy to see you,” Karim translates. Daeho does some more signs. “And he wants to know where Bora is.”

“Your mama is waiting for us,” I tell the younger boy. “Are you ready to see her?” He nods excitedly and I smile, bending over to kiss his cheek. I then kiss Karim’s and ruffle both boys’ hair. Let’s—ARGH!” I feel something shoot right through my leg and fall to my knees.

“Hyerim!” Karim shouts, also going to his knees. Daeho covers his ears and screams, shaking his head frantically. He runs behind the bed and crouches down, hiding himself. I look up and see the woman with around five guards behind her. Karim also looks up. “What’s wrong with you!? Leave her alone!”

“Who the are you?” she demands. Her hands are empty, however, the guards with her do have weapons and one of them has his gun pointed at me. I’m guessing he’s the one that shot me. “Shoot her again.”

“No!” Karim exclaims.

“I’m his mother, you crazy ,”