Rule #6: Less is more…except when it comes to money.

            Siwon looked over the bill for the carpeting that would be installed the next day and his brows rose in surprise.  “You’re certainly talented at spending money!  I think I’m going to have to put a clause into the security guards contracts from here on out, offering severance pay if they are hurt or killed on the job ONLY if they do not spill blood on my new carpets.”

            Heechul laughed at this and smacked him in the arm playfully.  “You’ll love it, I promise.  But if you’d like, I would gladly abstain from wearing shoes at work from now on if you’re afraid I’ll wear out the new carpet.  It would save me money.”

            “No doubt!  From what I can tell, you must live in the worst part of town, since most of your paycheck clearly goes to your shoe shopping addiction,” he pointed out, looking down at his secretary’s new sparkling blue high heels. 

            “Actually, I probably would have to live on the cheap end if I didn’t have a roommate,” she admitted.  “Splitting the rent helps offset the cost a bit.  I can even afford a decent dinner out every now and then.”

            Siwon shook his head and set the paper on his stack of bills at the right hand side of the desk.  “I assume that your little shopping spree helped settle you down a bit?”

            Heechul began to fan himself and shook his head.  “Only a bit.  I still can’t help thinking about what would have happened if one or both of us would have been here when those men came.  Did you figure out who they were?”

            “Not yet,” he told her.  “My men are investigating the matter still.  I have so many people envious of my position, both socially and financially, that it could be hard to pinpoint since everyone got away.  The important thing is, they didn’t hurt either of us and we’ve upped our security.  No one will get past the doors so easily in the future.”

            Heechul sat on the edge of Siwon’s desk, smiling down at him.  “Even if they did, I have a feeling you would protect me if anyone bad came near the office.  Am I right, President Choi?  My great fear was that they nearly came when you were gone and not around to protect me.”

            “True enough.  I keep a handgun on my person at all times and I know perfectly well how to use it,” he informed Heechul, pulling back his jacket to reveal his concealed weapon.  “When you’re in a position such as I am, you can’t be too careful. 

            “Certainly not,” Heechul agreed.

            “Now, Ms. Kim, if you’ll pardon me, my head of security is headed upstairs as we speak to discuss his progress in tracking our attackers yesterday.  Why don’t you order us some lunch?”

            Heechul winked at Siwon and then sauntered out of the room, walking out the door of the office just as Kangin approached and nodded to the beautiful secretary.  “Good day, Ms. Kim.  Hope you’re doing well.”

            “I’m feeling better than yesterday, but I’m still shaken up.  I hope you find the culprits soon.”

            Kangin nodded, but his features looked solemn as he entered Siwon’s office.  All was well, at the moment.  No one seemed to notice that Agent L had aided in Agent Y’s escape from Choi Headquarters and there was no suspicion of Heechul being involved in the least.  Heechul felt in the mood for a grand feast and spent a great deal more of the boss’s money on a lavish lunch, but Siwon never complained or commented on the cost.  His mind appeared to be elsewhere when Heechul delivered the food.  It was likely he didn’t even taste the deliciousness of it as he ate, but Heechul did and he thoroughly enjoyed it.  Such moments of leisure, he reminded himself, might very well be nearing an end.

            Eunhyuk tossed Ryeowook a keyring with keys attached for a new car parked next to the dock.  “Max said not to wreck this one, if you can help it.  We all have bets going at the office to see how long it takes you.”

            Ryeowook gave him a hard stare.

            “So mine isn’t the only car you’re managed to destroy?” Kyuhyun questioned.

            “I dare you not to scrape up a car in a high speed chase.  You’d probably die!” Ryeowook told him.

            “Actually, since I’m one of the best video game players around, my hand-eye coordination is phenomenal.  I’d probably do much better than you,” Kyuhyun argued.  “Maybe you should let me drive.”

            Ryeowook hugged the keys to his chest.

            “That’s a good idea,” Donghae said.  “Give him the keys, R!”

            “No!  I’m the agent and this is an NIS car.  I should do the driving,” he argued.

            “But you’re the one with the guns and if they find us and start to follow us again, you can’t shoot and drive at the same time,” Kyuhyun pointed out.

            “Oh yeah?  Wanna bet?” Ryeowook said, still resistant to letting the computer geek drive.

            Eunhyuk reached over and snatched the keys from Ryeowook as he was staring down Kyuhyun, then he tossed them to the kid.  “Let Kyuhyun drive.  I have a feeling the car will survive longer this way.”

            Ryeowook grumbled to himself about his incompetent coworkers and begrudgingly got into the passenger seat, tossing his backpack onto the floor.  Kyuhyun flashed a triumphant grin at Donghae and Eunhyuk before heading for the driver’s door.  “Are you coming with us?”

            Eunhyuk shook his head as he got onto his motorcycle.  “We’ll stay close, but Choi’s men will be looking for motorcycles.  It’ll be best to keep a little distance.”

            Kyuhyun nodded.

            “You have a cellphone in your bag with several phone numbers listed.  The one titled Fishy is me,” Donghae informed him.  “Monkey is Eunhyuk, because he looks like one.  Eternal Maknae will get you R, if you become separated.  Mochi is our tech guy, in case you need help with the decoding.  Pororia is the secretary’s line at NIS headquarters.  Call us if you need back up or any other assistance.  Hell, you can call if you just need to vent about having to deal with R.  Trust me, no one understands like we do.”

            “I heard that!” Ryeowook hollered from inside the car.

            “I meant you to!” Donghae yelled back. 

            “Thanks, hyungs,” Kyuhyun said, getting into the car.  He glanced over at Ryeowook as he put on his seatbelt and noticed Ryeowook’s bright pink cheeks.  “Why do they call you the Eternal Maknae?”

            “Because they claim it looks like I haven’t aged since I was fifteen,” he mumbled, looking away from Kyuhyun.

            Kyuhyun tried not to laugh at this, but he just couldn’t help it and a little chuckle came out unwillingly.  He then put the keys into the ignition and started the car, feeling relieved to be in control after last night’s hellish trek through the city.

            “Where to?” Kyuhyun asked.

            Ryeowook sighed and pointed to the left.  “Back into the city.  We have to get you a computer.”

            “What about the disc?” Kyuhyun asked.

            “It’s in my bag,” Ryeowook informed him.

            Kyuhyun smiled at this and turned left.  “So, you’re willing to trust me enough to drive, but not to let me hold onto the disc.”

            “It’s just safer with me,” Ryeowook explained.  “If I have no other choice, I’d have to ditch you and save the disc.  That would be the only way of retaining some small chance of decoding it.”

            “No, believe me when I tell you, if you do not have me decode the disc, the only other way it will open would be to get the code itself from Siwon,” Kyuhyun informed him.  “And your odds are better with me, to be honest.”

            Ryeowook looked over at him, tightly gripping the steering wheel.  “Why are you nervous?  Is it just because Choi’s men are after you or are you afraid that I’m going to intentionally ditch you?”

            Kyuhyun didn’t say anything.  He just continued driving.

            “If that’s what you’re worried about, I have no intention of leaving you behind fo