Jiyong

 

"Anything?" I asked, hovering over Aurelio's shoulder to look as he vigorously typed on his keyboard.

 

 

He shook his head. "I've gotten everything set up. If her signal appears, it'll show on the screen. Until then, we'll have to wait
some more."

 

"It's already been 8 hours," Chaerin groaned.

 

 

"There's nothing I can do, Chaerin. Her phone has to be . The last signals emitted from her showed that she was going down highway 95 and that's not enough to go on with."

 

 

I plopped down into the sofa, sinking in frustration with my face in my hands. I heard the door opening and lifted my head up to see Top and Taeyang.

 

 

"We brought food," Top announced as he set the take out bag on the table in front of me.

 

 

Aurelio was already up and out of his chair, drooling after hearing "food".

 

 

Chaerin, on the other hand, looked disappointed.

 

 

"Seriously? How do you guys have an appetite at a time like this?" Chaerin criticized. Taeyang and Top ignored her, taking the food out of the bags.

 

 

Chaerin sniffed the air and walked to the table to get a better look. "Wait, did you guys get burgers?" 

 

 

"We did. Two burgers, large fries, and a milkshake for each of us." Top said, handing her a burger.

 

 

"Is my milkshake strawberry?" Chaerin asked.

 

 

"Yes, with two cherries on top," Taeyang said, sliding her cup in front of her and giving her a straw. Chaerin thanked them as she cheerfully dug in with the rest of us. Halfway done with her first burger, Chaerin spontaneously cried.

 

 

"Woah, Chaerin. What's wrong?"

 

 

"This burger is really good and my best friend isn't here to taste it. I'm here enjoying this and she's probably out there
experiencing the worse or ... or ... dead! What am I going to tell my mother in law?"

 

 

"Mother in law ?" Taeyang asked, "Are you keeping in touch with Sanghyun?"

 

"No, but that's not the point," she replied, sniffling. 

 

 

I got up, bringing along my burger wrappers and opened ketchup packets to throw in the garbage on my way to Aurelio 's computer. I sat in front of the screen and examined it. It showed the last signals we got from Dara. Going down Highway 95, the road was highlighted red. Then, it abruptly stopped. The only
explanations Aurelio gave were either her phone died at that spot or Kyesang's men found her phone and got rid of it.

 

 

I've been worrying nonstop about Dara. I closed my eyes in anger of myself, remembering that it was me telling Dara to
leave. I thought it would have been safer for her that way instead of stationing myself near Dara to protect her. If I had done that, there was more potential in harming her since I was a big target.

 

 

She's going to think of me different. An annoying part of me kept telling me that she was not going to come out of there loving me after I rescue her. It was my fault she got into the situation. Not
because of the night of the attack where I sent her back to the parking spot, but the day she found me in the alleyway.

 

 

The fact that Kyesang has an YG was no good. The passion of hatred he has for us will no doubt suffice in cruel ways, torture. The fact was that he didn't capture a male member of YG, he
had a woman. I didn't want to think of what the men of his mafia will do to her. Yet, as I stared longer at the screen, all I could think about was the worse. The didn't have just any YG woman, they had my woman. My anger started to boil and I shot straight up from the chair.

 

 

"What? Did her signal pop up?" Aurelio asked, his mouth full of fries.

 

"No," I answered, "I'm going to go outside and get some fresh air."

 

 

Sefan

 

I closed the door behind us as we walked out of the basement. The doctor had passed out and seeing that there was no
longer any way to get information out of her since she's knocked out cold, we decided to stop for now.

 

 

"Why they attacked us anyway?" Emilio asked as we reached the living courters.

 

 

"Who? YG?" Sunghwa questioned for Emilio to be more specific.

 

 

 

"Yeah. Weren't we working with them a few months ago?" I asked, joining in the conversation.

 

 

"That is until they murdered Ho Young and the rest." Herman clarified.

 

 

Emilio and I immediately made eye contact. We knew something they didn't, we knew what exactly happened on the night of the murders.

 

 

"Wait, YG killed them?" Sunghwa asked, confused.

 

 

"Do you guy not know anything?" Herman laughed, patting Emilio on the back.

 

"I and Conrad were on call to stir up problems with some of the YG and I guess the attack at the den was their response."

 

 

As if on cue, Conrad approached us.

 

 

"Boss wants us over at his office in five minutes," he said.

 

 

"Looks like the five of us are getting busy since the top five are dead now," Sunghwa smirked.

 

"We are, aren't we?" Herman laughed, "A blessing and a curse. Boss wanted nothing to do with us and now them five are gone,
he can't get enough of us." 

 

 

Conrad tried to hush them. "My friends, don't let him hear you say that. Mr. Kyesang is still grieving."

 

 

Sunghwa excused himself, "Before we head over to his office, I have to get something from my room real quick."

 

 

"I'm feeling sort of hungry, I'm going to go to the kitchen and grab something," Herman said, rubbing his stomach.

 

 

"I'll join you," Conrad said before parting way with Emilio and I and going along with Herman. We both watched them walk away out of earshot.

 

"YG?" I asked, shaking my head in shock.

 

 

"At least they aren't on our tails," Emilio said, shrugging. "We got what we want and Sunghwa, Conrad, and Herman seem to be happy with it."

 

 

I looked at Emilio and declined what he was inferring, "It's best not to tell them. They won't understand, nor will they keep their mouths shut. What if words get around and reach the Boss himself?"

 

Under the watch of Ho Young, Danny, Joon, and Taewoo whenever Kyesang was gone, the place was run like an absolutist monarchy. They grew to be feared by many people in our mafia, but they were loved by Kyesang. He liked them so much that only their words were listened to and their actions were praised for.

 

However, it's not like they said or did anything much. All they did was lounge around with Kyesang in the palms of their hands, drinking, sleeping, and spending the mafia's money. With them gone, our profits had gotten better and the rest of the mafia members got their words in.

 

 

However, if people start talking about how I and Emilio wiped out the top five, the consequences will result in torture,
followed by death. Betrayal in the mafia was not taken lightly.

 

 

"You're right," Emilio smiled. Emilio and I were the first one to reach the office.

 

 

"Where's Conrad, Sunghwa, and Herman?" Kyesang asked.

 

 

"They are on their way here," I told Kyesang.

 

Kyesang nodded, "Well, did you get anything out of the girl?"

 

 

"She claims to not know anything. Even after handling her, she still insists that she doesn't take part in meetings and has no say in planning," Emilio informed him.

 

 

"I think we can take her word for it. She wasn't lying when she told us her name and her part with YG. If she is the doctor, I don't see why she would be involved with attacks." 

 

 

Conrad, Sunghwa, and Herman walked in after knocking to announce their presence.

 

"And she doesn't seem to be dangerous," Herman added, "When we took apart her backpack, there were just medical supplies. When Conrad and I patted her down, she only had a knife hidden in her bra. Even before, when Sunghwa and I found her in the car, she didn't have a gun or anything."

 

 

Sunghwa pulled out a phone from his back pocket and placed it on the table and explained, "I found this in her pocket. It's
currently dead."

 

 

"Charge it and see if there's anything useful on there," Kyesang ordered. "As for the girl, let's keep her a little longer and see if we can use her a bait. If they don't come for her in a week, kill her."

 

 

Jiyong

 

I drew my fingertips away from my mouth, holding a cigarette. I exhaled and watched the smoke rise and disappear. A car pulled up in the driveway and my father stepped out.

 

 

"Father? What are you doing here?" I asked.

 

"The same reason you're here," My dad answered.

 

 

"To find Dara?" I asked, unsure.

 

"What? No, to see Aurelio. What happened to Dara?"

 

I frowned, "She got captured by Kyesang's men. I think some of them managed to escape the attack last night. They probably ran into Dara when I told her to go back to the cars."

 

 

"That's unfortunate. I'm guessing Chaerin, Taeyang, and Top are with you?"

 

 

"Yes, they are inside Aurelio's ro-"

 

The front door behind us burst opened and Chaerin was sprinting full speed with Taeyang chasing her. Chaerin cut
through the grass by the time Taeyang caught up and tackled her to the ground.

 

"Taeyang, let go of me!" Chaerin yelled, squirming underneath him.

 

"Give me my keys!" Taeyang begged.

 

Chaerin managed to get out of Tae's pin. Just as Chaerin got on to her owntwo feet and started to run to the car, Taeyang was up and running too. Taeyang sprinted past her and blocked Chaerin's path to the driver's door.

 

"Move out of the way, Tae!"

 

"I barely got her repainted!"

 

 

I handed my father my cigarette and jogged my way over to the fighting pair.

 

"Guys, what's going on?"

 

"I'm tryna save my baby from getting wrecked!" Taeyang said, referring to his car.

 

"And I'm trying to save my best friend. Dara's signal showed up. She's only three cities away! Tell Tae to move out of the way so we can go get her!" 

 

 

With Chaerin focused on me, Taeyang grabbed the car keys out of her hand. At the same time, he grabbed Chaerin from the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. Without hesitation, he ran towards the house and away from his car.

 

 

"Let me go!" She yelled, slapping his back, "I'm going to shove Kyesang's drugs down his throat until he poops our !"

 

 

Jiyong

 

"What do you mean we aren't going to get her right now?" Chaerin asked.

 

 

"Jiyong, you turn this car around!"

 

 

"Chaerin, we can't act rationally," I said with no intentions on changing routes.

 

 

"Oh, you're the one to talk," She said, sarcastically.

 

 

"We can't go storming to Kyesang's house with just the four of us who are deprived of sleep," I reasoned.

 

 

"Jiyong's right," Taeyang said, "Dara's a tough cookie, she can hold out for a while longer." 

 

 

Dara

 

I don't think I can continue on for much longer. I remembered being on the floor and getting harshly kicked at but I had no
memories of being strapped to a wooden chair. Looking down to my lap, I was still in my bra and underwear. I could see cuts and bruises forming at my sides and down my legs. There were also pains that I couldn't see such as the swelling of my left eye and the sharp jabbing of my ribs that I believed to be broken.

 

 

Judging by how cold the basement had gotten, it must have been night already. I had spent a day here and it looks like I was going to be staying the night. In response to the temperature
change, my body instinctively shivered.

 

 

I tried to refrain myself from shaking and chattering my teeth since I could physically feel my energy draining. I later found out that trying to stop myself from trembling would be just as exhausting.

 

 

This must really be hell, I thought, there's no such thing of relief here. At the brink of passing out, I felt something soft drape over me. I focused my gaze to see that I was covered by a blanket. Am I a wizard like Harry? I looked up, wondering where the blanket had magically appeared from and flinched. It was one of the men from earlier who had beaten me up after Kyesang's command.

 

 

"Thank you," I said, out of habit.

 

"Don't thank me," he said.

 

I realized what situation I was in, "Sorry".

 

"Don't apologize either."

 

"Look, I don't know exactly what to do anymore," I said, beginning my rant, "I don't know anything. If I did, I think I
would have told you. No matter how bad that sounds to YG but I would have spilled everything. I desperately want to get out of here. I don't want to die. Not like this, I don't. A-a-and if I ever get out of here, I'm not going back to Jiyong and them. This is insane. You guys are all insane! The drugs, the money, the murders, it's all crazy. Crazy! Do you not process what situation I'm currently in? I'M ING HALF AND TIED IN A CHAIR INSIDE A BASEMENT BEING TORTURED BY A GANG MEMBER BECAUSE I JOINED A MAFIA! They told me that I should learn how to shoot a gun. IF I KNEW HOW TWISTED YOU SONS OF A ES ARE, I WOULD HAVE AND THEN I WOULD HAVE DONE THIS WORLD A FAVOR AND SHOOT YOU GUYS!"

 

 

I stopped rampaging with my words to catch my breath. The guy who stood in front of me was still and silence fell until I opened my mouth again. Unlike my voice before, my voice was small and raspy.

 

"What am I saying? I'm here pretending to hate you and your mafia but at this very moment, I'm just feeling regret. I regret helping Jiyong that night. I regret following him when I saw him. I regret joining. I should have just listened to my mom and asked my brother for help and take my case to court. I-f you guys are
planning to kill me, please let me tell my family that I love them."

 

 

Tears spilled as I thought of my family. I imagined their worried, concerned, heart-broken faces. I wouldn't want to go without saying goodbye to them. If I died right now, I'd be missing a lot.
I'd never see Sanghyum fall in love and get married, see Mom and Dad playing with grandchildren, or ever feel their embraces again. I tried to stray my mind from thinking about my personal future. I didn't want to think if I'd ever get married, have kids of my own, and host parties myself because, in the back of my
mind, it all went back to Jiyong. I must have gotten mentally messed up. After all I've been through, I was still thinking
about him. I don't what to think anymore.

 

 

The man finally decided to say something, "The boss isn't planning to kill you."

 

"Then what am I still doing here?" I asked, "What are you guys planning to do to me?"

 

 

"Kyesang wants to use you as bait, hoping maybe YG will come and get you."

 

"I'd like believe they will, but they won't," I said. I remembered what Jiyong told me when I first started my self-defense training.

 

 

"They don't come after their own members who get caught,
whether it's from the police or from enemies. So, please. Please just let me go. I won't run to the police or anything. I'll convince Jiyong to stop whatever is going on between his and Kyesang's mafia. Please, just let me go!"

 

 

He stepped closer and reached his hand at one of the ropes that bind my hands to the arm of the wooden chair. He hesitated
and pulled away.

 

"No, please. Please untie me." I begged.

 

He shook his head, "You're still an YG and your mafia killed my closest friends."

 

 

He began to walk away and I screamed after him, pleading him to help me. He didn't look back once. He closed the door
behind him, leaving with every once of hope I had left.

 

 

Jiyong

 

"We found Dara's location," I said, informing the curious members of my mafia that gathered in the meeting room.

 

 

"Where is she?" Eric asked.

 

"She's about three cities away, I have the address on my phone," Chaerin answered.

 

"We are going to get her in 2 days," I revealed my plan. "Two days?" Chaerin asked.

 

"Jiyong, that's too long. There's no guaranteed they'll keep her alive for that long."

 

"Wrong. Knowing Kyesang, she'll be kept as bait." 

 

"Then wouldn't you be doing exactly what he wants you to do?" Jinwoo questioned.

 

"Yes and that's why I need two days," I explained, "I don't want to sneak Dara from under his nose to get her back. I want
Kyesang to know that I got her back and I want him to regret it. If anything, I want it to be his last thought. I want him to know he was wrong to hold Dara and that he's going to pay for it." 

 

 

"I say that's a waste of time," Jooyeon said. 

 

 

Taeyang nodded. "I agree with Jooyeon. We should go, grab Dara, and shoot up the place."

 

"No, I mean that she's a waste of our time," Jooyeon corrected. "Who cares about her? She's just the doctor. We can get a new one. Maybe this time we'll hire a male doctor, someone who knows how to do their job correctly. Someone who knows how to actually fight. The weak always dies first, it's about time that she-"

 

 

"You ing !" Chaerin yelled. 

 

I pushed past people to get to Jooyeon. With one hand, I grabbed the collar of her shirt. I lifted my free hand into the air and with my palm opened, I brought it down onto her face. 

 

 

"Get the out," I said, looking down at Jooyeon. She was clutching her face and I felt no sympathy towards her.

 

 

"I suggest you shut the up and go before I lose it."

 

 

--

 

Did you miss Jooyeon? 😂