Everything was a blur and spinning round and round when Kim Jisoo slowly opened her eyes. She couldn’t make out much but she could see there was a glass table in front of her, a black metal cabinet, a bulletin board with a lot of newspaper clippings and a group of people which looked like they were all made up of men.

And these men were shouting and yelling and there was a palpable tension and a cloud of frustration hanging over the room.

Jisoo tried to move over to the men but she could not. It was as if her legs were tied to something. She tried to move her hands, but could neither do so. She looked down and her eyes widen in fear, shock, and confusion.

Her hands and legs were tied expertly to a round black chair that you usually find in restaurants and cafes. Jisoo decided to ask the men what happened to her but they were all too preoccupied with raising their voices.

“Excuse me,” Jisoo said, but no one laid their eyes on her. She tried again, this time louder, but still no response. She tried again for four times and that was when annoyance start to build up in her.

“Excuse me!” Jisoo hollered over all the noise. This time, the men ceased all the screaming and turned towards her.

“Um, may I know why I’m tied to a chair?” Jisoo asked. One of the men, dressed in a sharp suit and brown hair gelled to his left side, with a face god took his time to create, stepped forward and bent down to her eye level, not caring about the distance that barely existed between them.

“You knew too much.” The man simply replied.

What the ? Jisoo thought. For all she knew, she didn’t know anything. What do I know too much of?

“You don’t remember?” the man asked, after seeing Jisoo blankly staring at him. “Remember what? Did I become amnesiac and was erased of all memories of me living as a member of any royal family? Or am I the president’s daughter?” Jisoo blabbered on and on about possible scenarios that ended in her being either filthy rich or famous.

All the men looked flabbergasted at Jisoo. Never have they met someone as talkative as her, considering that she’s currently being held as a prisoner.

“Last night. You don’t remember?” asked another man, who was a giant compared to Jisoo’s petite body frame. Jisoo racked her brain and memories of last night started coming back in pieces.

<< 

“.” Jisoo sighed under her breath as the last buy home to her apartment drove away. She ran as fast as she could, but apparently the damned bus was too fast. She started trudging home, ready to walk a whole two kilometres when she realized she could use the shortcut. It consists of alleys and small roads that were a big no-no for women to walk at night.

But Jisoo was too tired to even care about the consequences. If anyone tried to do something to her, it would be them who would be injured or just run away. As she walked home, the number of people on the streets start to dwindle until when she reached the third alley which opens to her apartment, there was no one but her.

Jisoo had a premonition that something horrible was going to happen.

Something horrible did happen.

As Jisoo walked along the deserted alley that looked like a good place for someone to kill her, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a man kneeling down on the ground.

He wasn’t praying. Mourning.

He was dying.

A gun was placed on his forehead, a finger ready to press the trigger and end his life. A few other men, all dressed in black, their faces covered by a black mouth mask and their head with black caps so only their eyes could be seen. Jisoo knew she should’ve called 112 or run away or search for help.

But she didn’t.

Instead, her feet were rooted to the ground, not knowing how to react to the situation. She wanted to help, really, but calling for help would attract the men’s attention and who knows she might be going to heaven or hell sooner than expected.

“Please don’t, I-I’m sorry. I’ll work for you! This won’t happen again! Please—“

The man never get to finish his sentence.

Jisoo just stood there numbly. A man died right in front of her. She could’ve saved him.

But she didn’t.

She should’ve ran when she could.

But she didn’t.

Instead, Jisoo stood there idly, which was a huge mistake. The men started going back to the black Chevrolet SUV when one of them made eye contact with Jisoo. Leaving an eyewitness to a murder would be a huge blow to their operations and the man would probably be roasted all day and night by his boss.

So the man took a spray bottle from his pocket and sprayed some liquid onto his handkerchief. His friends were confused on finding out why he was not in the car and when they looked out, they saw him with a girl in his arms.

That girl was Jisoo.

And Jisoo didn’t know.

>> 

“Oh! Now I remember! So you killed someone and you saw me and then one of you just shoved a piece of handkerchief onto my face and I just fell dead asleep—best sleep I ever had by the way. The thing on the handkerchief— chloroform, am I right? Oh and why did you kill him? He seemed innocent.” Jisoo rambled.

“You don’t know who we are?” the shorter brown-haired man asked. Jisoo shook her head. How am I supposed to know them? I mean we just met now and—oh wow, um, okay, haha now I know who they are. Jisoo’s eyes averted to the big crest behind the man that spelled three letters that means death.

EXO.

Jisoo had seen their logo on the newspapers, television shows. The police told citizens to report to them immediately of any sightings of this dangerous mafia gang.

“Now you know who we are, love?” the man asked with a smug smirk. “Yeah and can you please stop calling me ‘love’? It’s creepy. Makes you sound like a e or something.” Jisoo said straightforwardly.

“Oh god Joonmyeon hyung just kill her now.” the taller man said in frustration. “Where do you want to put her corpse? In your bathroom? Use your brain Sehun. Oh wait never mind you don’t have one. ” A particular short guy with doe eyes that you could drown yourself into snorted. “Kyungsoo hyung, do you mind going back to hell? With you there, Satan may be able to take a holiday in the Maldives.” Sehun retorted.

“Why don’t we just dump her in the sea? That’ll make it harder for the police to track us down. Kkaebsong.” suggested another man with his thumb and index finger making a V then putting it under his chin. “That’s actually not a bad idea Baekhyun hyung. We can just give her a lethal injection then she’ll be gone.” a giant with a pair of ears possibly borrowed from Yoda said.

“This is fun you guys discussing on how to kill me and dispose me right in front of me.” Jisoo mumbled sarcastically. “Do you prefer lethal injection or gunshot?” another man asked. “Jongdae’s being kind. He doesn’t really give people options on how they die,” the giant said, “Where’s Yixing hyung by the way?” “He’s all the way in China remember? Gosh Chanyeol hyung you’re so forgetful. ” another man who was carrying a KFC bucket said while shaking his head. “Alright Jongin that’s enough.” Joonmyeon said while running his hand through his hair.

“So, injection or gun?” Joonmyeon asked. “Look, first of all, why can’t you just let me live? I can keep secrets. I won’t tell the police I saw you guys! Or anyone for that matter! I’ll keep my mouth shut okay? Just let me go before my mom go hysterics realizing that I’m not home and my phone can’t be reached. She’ll call the police and then they'll start investigating then later the death of the guy you killed in the alley will be investigated then they’ll somehow connect these and they’ll start pointing fingers at you.” Jisoo defensively said, trying her best to convince them to keep her alive.

“Girl’s got a point actually.” said another man who looked like he had not aged since he was two years old “You’re so easily convinced Minseok hyung. What if she’s lying?” Joonmyeon said.

I need something that would force them to keep me alive. Jisoo thought as she wired through her currently messed-up brain.

“I-I’m a cryptology student actually. Maybe I can help you guys solve codes and all?” Jisoo said, each syllable said with a raised pitch. “And I can also fly planes! And cook! I also have a good sense of accuracy!” Jisoo said with a smile.

“No one sends us codes, we have a pilot, Kyungsoo is the chef and all of us have an amazing sense of accuracy.” dismissed Joonmyeon.

Just then, a knock on the door was heard and Sehun told the person to come in. Another man come inside and handed him a white envelope and immediately left. Sehun gave the letter to Joonmyeon and he opened the envelope without hesitation.

“It’s from Yixing. He said this was the only clue he found.” Joonmyeon announced after scanning through the first paper. He put aside the letter and looked at the second paper behind it and confusion started brewing. Kyungsoo looked at the paper and muttered, “It’s all numbers, something like that code—what was it? The American one, the one that shows the location of a treasure—“

“Beale. The Beale cipher,” Jisoo said, “I can help you solve it.” “We can’t trust you. This thing may contain some sensitive information not meant for ordinary people you know.” Joonmyeon rejected Jisoo’s offer. “Hyung, none of us can solve that. We are good with locks and breaking in, decrypting stuff on the computer but on the paper? Even Chanyeol can’t do it. Give her a chance.” reasoned Sehun.

“If I can solve it, you keep me alive. If I can’t, then I’ll pick the gunshot.” Jisoo compromised. Joonmyeon walked towards Jisoo and lowered his body to meet Jisoo’s eyes and said, “Prisoners don’t make deals.” “When you can, compromise. When you can’t, don’t.” Jisoo said, staring right into Joonmyeon’s eyes

Time seemed to stop when EXO heard Jisoo’s words. It sounded so familiar to their ears. Joonmyeon remained silent for a while and said, “Seventy-two hours. That’s all the time I’ll give you.”

A/N: Hey lovelies! Thank you so much for the views and subscribers! Here’s the first chapter and I hope it meets your expectations!