30; Conclusion pt. I

The last thing 17-year-old Kim Taehyung imagined himself doing was an activity as horrifying as sky diving. Such ‘thrills’ never quite appealed to him as much as they did to his neighbour and childhood counterpart.

However, what he was in for tonight was by far more stimulating than all the things he could list on his fingers that he would succumb to: being involved in a brawl, witnessing a kidnapping, a ride he was surprised didn't lead to the grim reaper's front door, that-gun-scene-from-every-action-movie-ever, and the retribution he never imagined he'd get the chance to experience in this lifetime.

‘How can you be so sure?’

‘Trust me, I’ve seen that van before.’

‘Trust is far too indefinite of a thing for me to invest in, Kim. I need evidence.’

‘Actually, I think I agree,’ was Jimin’s start to the strained conversation between his partner and the janitor in the backseat. ‘And the Chief’s not picking up.’

The frustration and anxiety became thick in the air as they zoomed through; most likely; the third red traffic light, to Taehyung’s absolute horror.

‘I am so dead when I get home,’ were the younger boy’s words the moment he noticed a flash of light from a hidden speed trap beneath the bridge.

However, such concerns seemed to pale in comparison to the discussion he tuned into between the other three individuals present. The five minutes they initially spent in silence was more a product of the woman’s unexpectedly swift take off; tyres screeching under them with startling friction, followed by a bright teal 140 glowing on the speedometer. Both he and the janitor jolted back against their seats on impact – each giving silent thanks for such a preposterous hour of the morning where the roads were more or less deserted – and observed a quiet moment more out of shock than because they were asked to.

Perhaps it was at the right time when Jimin was the first to break the silence, asking to borrow one of their phones, to which Taehyung was the first to respond to. The younger boy’s mind had been trapped within a void of concern and fear. The only image flashing across his eyes being of Jihye, which he responded to by means of nervous lip biting and anxious fidgeting with the fabric of his pants.

Yet it was only when he registered the foreign terms out of his school mate’s mouth did he realize there was a lot more to their predicament than simply going to the girl’s rescue. ‘ARU’, ‘vehicle code’, ‘ATL’… Taehyung struggled to fathom how Jimin issued such terms as if he were incredibly familiar with them. Watching as the former expertly navigated whatever conversation he was engaged in on the other line with expert proficiency, it was at this point that his attention shifted to Kyungja and the janitor; the two engrossed in what he could only gather was an argument on their impending destination: the port.

Shipyard? Taehyung’s thoughts swam chaotically. He couldn’t understand it. Why the port of all places? Why was the school janitor – Mister K, of all people – with them? Why was he even at the school at such an hour? Why did Jimin suddenly seem a lot more different than he usually did? Who was the ‘Chief’? And for God’s sake, who is Park?

‘I didn’t mention it any earlier because I thought I was going crazy,’ the redhead divulged, keeping his eyes on the road ahead with an elbow propped against his window and eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

‘But I’ve seen it too, alright. On multiple occasions. Near Moon Jihye’s home, and at the school… geez, how could I have not noticed it any sooner?’

‘Try the station landline,’ Kyungja mumbled; her lips pursed as her mind churned through every one of her partner’s words with mechanical efficiency.

‘On it.’

‘Kim Jongin. Your sightings of the suspicious vehicle took place during your time at the dockyard, am I mistaken?’

‘Yep,’ Jongin combed a hand through his candy hair in frustration. ‘Was that seriously the one thing we all missed? That stupid van?’

Kyungja observed a moment of silence in response to the janitor’s disbelieving muse. She herself never would have imagined something as elusive as a vehicle was what connected the school, the docks, and the kidnappings together. In fact, the discovery was somewhat laughable in the bitterest of ways. Something so obvious had been at work right under their noses and yet they had failed to take notice of it up until the last possible moment.

‘Come on, pick up, pick up…’ Jimin droned mindlessly into the receiver after a handful of monotonous rings.

If they couldn’t get hold of the commissioner in time, their next best bet was undeniably Namjoon. Jimin trusted his colleague in the field most likely a lot more than he trusted himself. He had no doubt the blonde would be swift to take action, and his thoughts lurched into a quiet panic at the short; however indefinite; time they had to make whatever arrangements they could. For all they knew, Jihye could already be to the point of no return. The possibilities were endless and against them. Yet Jimin willed himself to believe otherwise the moment he heard a brief clatter replace the telephone rings.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi there,’ an unexpectedly melodic voice chimed to the redhead’s surprise. ‘Officer Kim Namjoon isn’t available at the moment. In fact, he just responded to the call of duty a minute ago. If there’s a message for him, I’ll gladly relay it.’

‘Jongdae…?’ the latter almost sputtered for a moment, however he quickly collected himself, noting the incredibly faint, questioning glance from his partner.

‘Huh?’ Jimin could just imagine a single groomed eyebrow of his tilting and head rearing back slightly in surprise.

‘Who is this? How do you…’

The red-haired officer groaned, effectively drowning out the rest of Kim Jongdae’s astonishment and the overall imagery accompanying it that popped into his mind. It was extraordinary – really – how often the latter was subject to the obnoxious cop’s antics that he could effortlessly draw up picturesque illustrations in his mind to compliment his words and relentless sing-song tone without having to see him in the flesh.

‘It’s Officer Park Jimin,’ he responded after drawing a palm over his face, already feeling the ridiculous amount of energy it took to converse with Jongdae on a regular basis.

‘Look, I’m with Officer Woon, and we’re in a situation. Kim, I need you to…’

‘What? Chimchim?’ a booming chuckle followed, causing the latter to pull the phone away from his ear slightly, frowning.

‘A situation? I don’t want to guess what it is that’s so important to report at 2 in the morning on a Saturday directly to Officer Kim’s desk. But go ahead, Chim. I’m all ears.’

‘Can you put me through to the Chief?’

‘Woops. He took off early today.’

Jimin in a deep breath of air before expelling it with newfound competence. As cynical as Officer Kim Jongdae could be at times – in the most passive ways possible – time was the last thing he had to waste entertaining his underlying jeers.

‘Then I need you to listen to me real good, Kim. Get a notepad and pen if you have to; maybe a chair too; because we’ve got one hell of an agenda tonight.’

Kim Taehyung sat glued to his seat, listening intently to a string of abbreviations he couldn’t recognize, neither make head or tail out of. But such questions proved irrelevant when compared to a more startling; albeit unbelievable; discovery of his.

Jimin hung up, and Taehyung watched as he and Kyungja engaged in another conversation regarding something called a ‘BLK’ the former made mention of just moments ago on the line. Ever since Mister K had returned with the pair, it seemed as if aliens had invaded their bodies in his absence. He could barely recognize his classmate without feeling a sense of overwhelming scepticism, and dwelling on the heavy doubt that weighed on his mind, the student spoke.

‘OK, can someone please tell me what is going on here?’

He noticed Jimin glance at him from over his shoulder, and a streak of guilt surface in the form of an elusive flinch. If Taehyung hadn’t been as scrupulous as he did then, he was certain he wouldn’t have noticed it… but he did. And that was all it took to make him even more fearful of the answer he’d receive.

‘I’ll explain later, Tae.’

‘Well why not now?’

He didn’t expect being capable of such a quick retort, but his confusion was slowly morphing into a thin irritation. The mix of emotions he felt reached an aggravating height, and the stress of the situation bore down on him like a mighty hammer; all these elements exploding in the form of gritted teeth and a deepened frown.

‘Guys, you’re freaking me out. What’s with the code names over the phone? And the shipyard, kidnapping cases…,’ Taehyung threw a hand in the air upon recalling the last of the puzzling – and most alarming – things he’d heard from what he could gather of Jimin’s telephone call.

‘And a cartel? As in—like—drugs? Are you freaking kidding me!?’

‘Oh boy…’

The janitor muttered, glancing anxiously between the student and officer in the front seat at their impending confrontation. Jongin was certainly in for a surprise when he’d discovered the transfer students were in fact undercover police officers, but it was in his nature to exercise suspicion, especially when his own covert mission demanded no less of it.

But he didn’t know what to expect of Taehyung’s reaction. From what the janitor had witnessed in the little time they assumed the role of students, the youngster seemed especially attached to the redhead, and a mutual amity radiated from the pair. He could feel the strain and tension thick in the air like a giant, smothering ball of cotton.

This is way too much drama for me for one night, was all he managed in his mind before channelling his attention out the back window; the nearing sight ahead giving rise to a curious raise of the eyebrow.

Jimin preserved what appeared to be a conflicted silence; his mind prying apart every possible way to explain the truth of the situation to the boy. So much so, that he hadn’t noticed the bright white lights ahead of him until hearing a gasp from behind, which sliced through his thoughts within the blink of an eye.

‘There’s no one here.’

The statement dispelled the pressurised container the car had suddenly turned into, in turn nabbing the attention of the bickering two. All four members within the vehicle focused on the deserted entrance to the port ahead; an empty booth beside a candy cane pole with a weighted end, blocking their only path in.

Jimin turned to face his partner; an arm extended in front of him as he grasped the dashboard, as if addressing a large group of people. ‘Think they’re expecting us?’

‘I don’t see a reason why they should,’ Kyungja responded; her voice cool and even as she brought the car to a humming idle.

‘Kim, if it is found that the vehicle was registered under no insurance, the police force will subsidize any damages dealt on the private property.’

Taehyung’s grimace betrayed nothing of the sheer puzzlement he felt. ‘Huh?’

Jimin’s eyes widened in horror. ‘Wait, you’re not…’

The female officer didn’t give him the chance to express his disbelief as she slammed her foot down on the accelerator, effectively straining the tyres against the asphalt. Smoke plumed from beneath them as the car took off at a speedy start, racing directly for the closed boom gate.

All three men wailed in surprise; the sound of curses, concerns, and an