18: Stolen

     Suzy flinched as a single white lightening shot across the sky following the second bell.

     Everyone stopped in their position as they looked up at the sky that was getting foggier and foggier until raindrops began to fall from the sky. They took shelter under an empty game booth and watched as the cold rain dropped on the floor.

"This rain reminds me of those times back home," Joohyuk said. "When we ran home from school because it was raining and we didn't have an umbrella."

"Oh yeah," Suzy chuckled. "And your umbrella ripped apart."

"Having a fun time?" Zico glared at the two and focused his eyes back on the rain and at the sky.

     The sky was getting darker as the rain got heavier, and it didn't seem like they could move anywhere for the day. Zico stood up and walked around the game booth, kicking open a door in the inside corner of the booth.

"Come on," Zico signalled everyone to go inside. "We'll stay here for the night."

     Suzy followed Joohyuk into the door that led to a large storage room with blue light fridges lining the walls. Inside the fridge were glass bottles and leftover food that looked at least a year out of date.

     Zico slammed the door behind him and walked toward the fridge, opening the door and examining all the things inside.

"Animal Serum," Zico said as he looked through the bottles. "Tranquilizer."

     Zico slipped a bunch of tranquilizers into his bag and searched around the room for needles, stuffing the lot he found near the potato sacks in the corner. He slipped out the food supply from his bag and placed them into the fridge, checking out the food that was already in the fridge.

"Looks like these are our bedding for the night," Joohyuk threw the potato sack on the hard floor.

    Zico sat on the stacked cartons in the side and stared into space, thinking. This game was something that he couldn't really predict; all the past games he had been in were an obvious pattern of hide-and-kill, but Cirque city seemed different. 

Not to mention, he had teamed up with his worst enemy.

     "Tomorrow we have to get to the Midnight Circus A.S.A.P," Zico said as he threw a small scroll map on the floor and unrolled it. It was a faded map of the entire Cirque city with markings and crosses all over it.

"Where'd you get this?" Joohyuk asked, staring at Zico.

"Head department," Zico murmured. "I sneaked it out."

     Everyone gathered around the map and looked at the plan-out of the city. The city was divided into four different large sections in each corner of the city, a city within a city of each section. The center of the map was a large stadium that was roughly written Circus Stadium. 

"What are all these markings," Kyungri asked as she pointed at the crosses all over the different parts of the town. 

     "I'm assuming they're danger zones," Zico said. "I was secretly studying this map on my way here through the crossed sections, and there's always been some sort of trap in each marking." 

Joohyuk and Kyungri exchanged unreadable looks then diverted back to the map. 

"But it's practically impossible to get out of this section of the city without stepping in at least one danger zones." Joohyuk said as he looked at Zico. 

"We're going to have to watch and act."

"Watch and act?" Suzy said, confused.

"On my way here, I saw footprints into the place, meaning there are others who'll try to escape this place." Zico pointed his finger at their current position. "They'll go through this passageway near the game booths we walked through, because it's the only pathway that's visible to their eyes."

Zico led his fingers across a set of lines that led across their section.

"If we follow this secret route here, we can avoid all the danger zones except for that one zone that blocks the entrance of the stadium."

"What if we die in that one?" Suzy asked, slightly scared. 

"You see this part here?" Zico pointed to the small opening in the secret route. "This opening is hidden behind a small shelter that faces parallel to the pathway that the others will use. We'll hide there and observe the others walking through the danger zone."

"It's a 50/50 chance," Kyungri said, irked. "There's so many dangers with this plan alone."

"Someone could see us. Plus, so what if we observe? That doesn't give us the possibility." Joohyuk added. 

"If one gets left behind, they get left behind." Zico said coldly. "There's no time for an extra."

"That's ridiculous-"

     "We'll leave as soon as the rain stops." Zico cut off Joohyuk and grabbed a potato sack, wrapping it around his body and leaning against the wall, trying to get some sleep. "You watch for when the rain stops." Zico pointed to Joohyuk and closed his eyes. 

     Joohyuk glared at Zico contemptuously.

"Hold it," Kyungri knudged Joohyuk. "Don't ruin it now." 

     Joohyuk breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down. 

"Are you okay?" Suzy asked as she crouched down next to Joohyuk who had his eyes on the map. "Zico's just desperate, that's why-"

"How old is that bastard?" Joohyuk spat.

"He's.. a child Joohyuk that's why he's-"

"That son of a ," Joohyuk cursed under his breath and bit his lips. 

"I'm glad we're here together," Suzy placed her hand over his. "You're the only person I can trust."

"Me too," Joohyuk said with a small grin. 

"Do you really think.. at the end of this.. one of us will.. die?"

"Suzy," Joohyuk looked into her eyes. "Even if someone dies, it won't be you."

"I wish I could say the same," Suzy breathed lightly. 

"If he doesn't, I'll save you." 

"Us," Suzy said with a smile as she leaned on his shoulder. "We'll get out of this place no matter what."

"Yes we will," Joohyuk replied. "Try to get some sleep." 

---

     "WAKE UP!" Suzy opened her eyes abruptly as Zico shook her awake.

     "What are you doing?" Suzy screamed and pushed Zico off, gasping as she looked around the room that was destroyed. There were vials shattered on the ground and cartons broken all over the place.

"I knew we should have never teamed up with them," Zico seethed.

"What are you talking about? What is this?" Suzy asked frantically.

"The map," Zico said. "THE ING MAP, IT'S GONE."

"What?!"

"And guess who decided to disappear also?" Zico said sarcastically. 

     Suzy looked around the room and noticed that Joohyuk and Kyungri were gone.

"N-no, he couldn't have-"

"Your lover boy ran off with our only golden rope," Zico growled. "And the rain stopped ages ago."

"N-no! Joohyuk would never do that! You haven't looked closer-"

"You still have the ing nerve to defend him after what he's done?" Zico breathed heavily. "This was his sly plan Bae Suzy. Did you think he seriously approached us because he really loved you and protected you and all that crap you always ramble on about?"

Suzy stared at Zico, speechless.

She wanted to say something; she wanted to believe Joohyuk hadn't stolen the map. 

But there wasn't a single thing she could say. 

"He.. last night he said I was the only person he could trust.. H..he-"

"Shut up Shut up SHUT UP!" Zico screamed and ran his fingers through his hair, walking back and forth frantically. "He trusted you to be fooled by him."

Suzy wiped the tears forming on her eyes. 

"Stop crying," Zico said sternly. He grabbed Suzy by the wrist and burst out of the door, staring at the sun that had completely dried all traces of rain on the floor.

     Zico and Suzy walked across the pathway.

Zico tried to remember the secret route in his head as he took a turn that led into the secret way. 

"I'm trying to get this memorized in my head-"

     Zico and Suzy stopped in their steps as a large explosion came from not too far. 

Zico planned out the road with his fingers and led to the direction of the explosion, looking up with a shocked face.

"What?" Suzy asked, frightened.

"The first danger zone's been found." 

Zico grabbed Suzy's wrist as he walked toward where the explosion came from.

"Are you crazy?" Suzy shrieked. "Why are we going toward the explosion?!"

"I got a plan,"

"Walking into a tiger's den is not a good plan-"

"Well it's better than having traitors into our team." Zico glared at her and continued to walk.

Suzy bit her lips in silence, feeling an small ache in her heart everytime she thought about Joohyuk.

I'm sorry I didn't update for a long time.

My final exam just finished and even before that I was busy trying to raise my grade because the semester was nearly ending. I should have more time on my hands now because it is my second semester of Senior year so I really don't have anything that busy going on.