“I’ve called the Jo Twins. They are dropping off a couple of sets of harnesses,” she rushed to say before Chanyeol could interrupt and yell at her. Her gaze went from one man to the other. “If we leave now we’ll have a few hours of daylight. In the caves, time won’t matter as it’s all darkness anyway. We won’t be hampered by a lack of daylight.” 

 

She stepped forward and held out her hand. “You must be Sehun.” 

 

Sehun shook her hand and nodded. 

 

With her hand still outstretched, she walked to Kyungsoo. “I’m Rosé. Thank you for helping.” 

 

Kyungsoo, quiet as ever, stepped forward and with a soft drawl said, “My pleasure. I’m sorry about your father. He’s a good man.” 

 

And that was when she realized these men had met her father. Not just Chanyeol but the others as well. “He is a good man,” she whispered. “He didn’t deserve this.” 

 

“And your uncle?” Sehun asked. “What can you tell us about him?” 

 

She shrugged. “Not much. He and my father were estranged for over thirty years. Then all of a sudden he shows up wanting to make peace. Dad never thought anything of it. He opened his door and let him back into his house and his life.” 

 

Kyungsoo nodded. “What did your uncle do for a living?” 

 

“Apparently he was down on his luck when he showed up at Dad’s house. Part of the reason he let him in, I think. Dad has always been a softie.” 

 

“And then he started working at the store?” Kyungsoo asked. 

 

She nodded. “It gave me more time as I’d been helping out a lot more since Dad’s accident.” 

 

His voice quiet, Chanyeol said, “How did the accident happen?” 

 

“He was driving on the highway and some idiot ran him off the road.” 

 

The three men exchanged glances. She frowned. “What are you thinking?” 

 

“That it was all a little too convenient,” Sehun suggested. 

 

“In what way?” 

 

“He gets run off the road, your father is injured, a long lost brother shows up needing work and before you know it there’s a cache of weapons found and all hell breaks loose.” 

 

The thoughts ran through her mind. “Do you think Yoochun was helping with bombs?” 

 

“Was he the type?” Chanyeol asked curiously. “You haven’t said anything as to what he was like. Or not like. How did you feel when he showed up?” 

 

“I was happy for Dad’s sake. But…” She stopped, hating to say anything against the dead man. 

 

“But what?” prompted Sehun. 

 

“But… I didn’t like him. I didn’t like the avariciousness I heard from his everyday words or his constant assessing looks at my father, the shop, the house. As if to say if something happened to Dad, he’d be happy to step into his shoes. But he’d never fill them.” She ran a hand through her hair. “He wasn’t half the man Dad is.” 

 

The others nodded. “Then for the moment we’ll assume he had something to do with this as the one terrorist implied. That his death was a falling out among thieves.” 

 

“What a thought.” 

 

“Have you any better hypothesis?” Kyungsoo’s soft voice belied something else entirely. A sidelong glance his way confirmed her initial impression. That man handled danger like a baker handled bread dough. 

 

And Sehun. The big man looked like he’d used full size trees as toothpicks and snap them in half when he was done. But Chanyeol, there was something so implacable in his visage, she wondered if he wasn’t the most dangerous. “No,” she said in a quiet voice. “I don’t have a clue what’s going on.” 

 

A car drove in as she finished speaking. “That’s Young-min.” She walked over and talked to her friend. He got out and unloaded the gear from the trunk. “Thanks for this, Young-min.” 

 

He nodded. “Not an issue. Bring it back when you’re done.” She smiled her thanks as he pulled away. 

 

Once he was out of sight, she turned to the others. “Ready?” 

 

A scant half hour later, she was directing them to the turn off she’d taken first thing in the morning. The shadows from the tall trees cast the entrance in darkness. Only she’d been here many times over. She her headlamp and led the way in. They were fully geared for anything, and like this morning, she hoped for nothing but a nice hike. If they were so lucky. 

 

As they walked, she studied the men and realized they moved easily, fit and with lethal smoothness. Like Chanyeol, they made no noise as they walked. 

 

In contrast, she felt like an elephant with every step she took. No matter how much she tried, the leaves still crackled under her feet. 

 

“You’re trying too hard. Instead of walking on the ground,” Chanyeol said, correctly interpreting her frustration, “step inside the ground and be one with it.”  

 

She stopped and considered what he was saying then closed her eyes and stepped again. Her steps were softer. More in tune. Good. Well, better at least. 

 

They entered the first cave, and she took the lead across the same cavernous space she’d walked this morning. And led them to the other cave and on and on. By the time they were at the tunnel, and she had to squirm through on her belly, she was comfortable with her companions’ skill. They took to this like they likely took to every other challenge. Although Sehun might find this part of the journey a little small. “This next section is tight,” she warned. “So in your guts.” 

 

And she dove into the tight channel. By the time she made it through, dirt falling down on her face and neck and coughing out as much dust as she could, she struggled to her feet in the last cavern–the one where she’d found the bullet–and reached for her water bottle. She was still drinking when the others crawled out behind her. 

 

Sehun was covered. In fact, as she watched him come out, she realized he must have ploughed the tunnel wider with those damn shoulders of his. Kyungsoo came behind him and made the journey look easy. And it probably was. 

 

“So Sehun, did you make it big enough I can walk through on the way back?” 

 

The big man, now dusty with sand, spat and gave a chuckle. “You should have let me lead. I’d have made it easier for you this time too.” 

 

She laughed and motioned to the far side. “It’s in t