“I mean…what the ?”

Baekhyun voiced Chanyeol’s sentiments perfectly. They stared through the mirrored window at the handcuffed man sitting in the interrogation room. Dressed in a white blazer over a brightly patterned shirt, hair slicked back and a bored expression on his broad, flat face as he slouched in his chair, was Bakwi.

“He walked right in here, bold as brass,” Sehun said. “Said he had information, but he’d only talk to someone working directly on the drug trafficking case.”

“This makes no sense,” Baekhyun said, shaking his head. “Last we know Bakwi’s had his entire power base taken out and is kidnapped by a rival, and two days later he saunters into a police station later wanting to talk?”

“Did Chen lose him?" Sehun wondered. "It doesn't seem likely considering his show back at the factory, but how else could he be here?”

It was a good question, and one they would have to find the answer to. Chanyeol turned to Seulgi. She was by far the best of them at interrogation. She’d served in that division in the army and been trained in advanced techniques, and she was also the most likely of the three of them to keep a clear head.

“Give it a shot,” he told her. Seulgi nodded and went through the door into the interrogation room, closing it behind her. The other three watched through the mirrored window as Bakwi looked up, an annoyed look replacing the boredom.

“It’s about time,” he scowled. He raised his handcuffed wrists and gave a tug at the chain that bound them to the reinforced table. “What’s this in aid of, anyway? I came in of my own free will. There’s no need for all this.”

Seulgi didn’t bother replying. Everyone present, including Bakwi, knew exactly why he was handcuffed. They also all knew that the squad had less than 24 hours to get enough evidence to charge him with a crime before they had to release him.

“Why are you here?” Seulgi asked.

“I brought you all a little gift,” Bakwi said. “I thought you might appreciate it, after all the dedicated work you’ve been doing lately. Only problem is, I can’t get my hand into my pocket like this.” He yanked pointedly at his handcuffs.

Chanyeol felt a scowl press his eyebrows down. Seulgi gave Bakwi a disgusted look and stood, coming round the table. “Which pocket?”

“Front left.”

Seulgi put her hand into the pocket of Bakwi's pants and felt around. Bakwi leered up at her. “Oh, that feels good. Sorry, sweetheart. It must be in the other pocket.”

Beside Chanyeol, Sehun made a sudden lunge for the door, but Baekhyun grabbed his arm and hauled him back just before he could storm inside.

“I’ll kill him," Sehun snarled. Baekhyun shoved him back against the wall, none too gently.

“Get a grip, man. Seulgi can handle it.”

This was true, but it didn’t mean Chanyeol was going to stand here and watch his team member be harassed. Nor could he let Sehun assault the man, however satisfying they all would have found it. He left Baekhyun to calm Sehun down and went into the interrogation room himself, stopping Seulgi from going for Bakwi’s other pocket.

“I’ll get it,” he told her, shoving his hand into the man’s right-side pocket. Bakwi leered up at him.

“That’s right, take all the best jobs for yourself. Guess they even let fags into the police these days.”

Chanyeol ignored the shivery twitch in his chest as Bakwi unwittingly hit on the truth. His fingers closed over a small, smooth object and he pulled out a USB stick. He showed it to Bakwi. “What’s on this?”

“The information you’ve been looking for,” Bakwi said. “Go ahead and have a look.”

“Why are you giving this to us?” Chanyeol tried to stop his frustration from showing in his voice, but it was difficult. For months they’d been chasing this guy, and now he was just handing over evidence to them. It made no sense. He’d thought Bakwi was at the top of things, but it was starting to look like he’d been wrong.

“Is it because of Chen?” Seulgi asked.

Bakwi slumped. “The bastard is ruthless,” he said. The mocking tone was gone from his voice. “He’s terrifying. He stops at nothing, and now he’s after me. Everyone knows that once Chen is on your tail…” he trailed off and glanced between Chanyeol and Seulgi, a strange expression in his eyes. Was it fear? “There’s no point in being free if I’m dead.”

Seulgi went back around the table and sat down. Chanyeol backed off, but didn’t leave the room. Instead he leant on the wall beside the door, his eyes fixed on Bakwi.

“What can you tell us about Chen?” Seulgi asked.

“Everything starts with him. Everything leads back to him. He’s like a spider in the middle of a web. What I do? That’s nothing. He gives the orders, and not just for my business. And like I said, he’s a psycho. Nobody climbs so high so young unless they’re ing ruthless.”

“So why is he after you?”

Bakwi shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he heard some rumour. People are always backstabbing in my line of work. All I know is that he took out two dozen of my guys – alone – just to get his hands on me. That ought to tell you something about how dangerous he is.”

“How did you get away from him, then?”

“I escaped.” Bakwi gave a small smirk. “Even Chen can’t be everywhere at once. But he’ll never leave me alone now. I won’t be so lucky twice.” He leaned forward. “You guys need to catch him. I know I’m not exactly a model citizen, but Chen?” He shuddered. “He makes me look like a choirboy. We’d all be safer if he was locked up on death row.”

---

Chen sat silently beside the hospital bed, hunched forward with his forearms resting on his knees. Xiumin was out of immediate danger now, and Chen’s panic had ebbed away, leaving him feeling drained.

He’d never intended to care so much about Xiumin. They were just kids who’d been dealt a poor hand, born into a brutal world. They were a similar age and there was safety in numbers, so they’d naturally stuck together. But somewhere along the way, so slowly neither of them had really realised it was happening, their partnership of convenience had become something more. The heart Chen had tried so hard to harden had been secretly invaded by his friend’s bright eyes, his fierce loyalty, his childlike, lopsided smile. And look where that had gotten him. Emotions threatened to rise to the surface, emotions he didn’t want to feel. This was exactly why he’d never meant to become close to Xiumin – to become close to anyone. Caring only gave you a weak point, made you less able to pursue your own goals.

Unhappiness rose to choke at his throat. He fought it back fiercely, unable to take his eyes from Xiumin's sleeping face. He looked like a child, small and lost among the harsh white sheets of the hospital bed. 

To distract himself from his rebellious emotions, he considered Suho, recalling the blinding shock that had seized him on hearing that familiar voice. The last he had heard of the man had been six years ago, and that was a rumour that he’d been killed down in Gwangju, shot in a turf war with a rival gang. Chen hadn't believed the rumour at the time. Suho wasn't the type to get taken down in such a petty way. But as the six years had slowly passed with no word from Suho, he'd become less and less sure that th