The van screeched to a halt which woke Soojin up. Stirring, she looked up to see that Seon-jung was looking out of the panel van’s back window. They were the only ones at the back of the van with the driver and another person sitting beside him.

A screeching sound of metal could be heard from within the van as the gates to the warehouse were pulled closed. Soojin then heard chains wrap around something and the soft click of a padlock whose bearings clicked in place.

Ever since Soojin got kidnapped, her sense of hearing experienced an increase of some kind. She can now hear footsteps, breathing, and other mundane sounds that most of us ignore during normal times. It might be because of her awareness that she is in danger or so, Soojin thought to herself as she hugged herself tighter.

There was a sound of footsteps that went near the van’s door, and it slowly opened, allowing a sliver of light into the van’s cabin. The sliver of light grew wider and wider until the door fully opened to bear a man that Soojin had never seen before. He seemed to be working for Seon-jung.

“You’ll be safe here; my brother doesn’t know about this place.” Seon-jung assured Soojin as she slowly got up, looking around the place.

She was helped down by two somewhat older men, they looked to be older than her father or maybe perhaps it was due to Soojin’s hazy vision at the time. The men gently escorted her inside the structure while being shepherded by her father.

As they walked, Soojin couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She had never been to a place like this before, and the stark industrial surroundings were a stark contrast to the comfort of her usual office job. Her , a burly man with a gruff demeanor, strode confidently ahead of her, occasionally glancing back to ensure she was keeping up. Soojin couldn't help but wonder why she had been brought here, and what was going to happen to her. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of walking, they arrived at a small, nondescript room at the back of the warehouse. Soojin's gestured for her to enter, and she tentatively stepped inside.

The room was sparsely furnished, with a metal table and two chairs in the center and a bed and a small, enclosed bathroom at a corner. A harsh overhead light illuminated the room, casting deep shadows across the walls.

“I’m sorry Soojin, this is all I could get ready at the moment. Its too risky if we go out and venture. Jung-su might find us.” Seon-jung said as he led Soojin to lie down on the bed.

“Why are you hiding me from him? You two are collaborators.” Soojin asked her father.

Seon-jung explain that they were indeed collaborators from the beginning. But after what he had done, blowing up the warehouse in an attempt to save himself with no regard for Soojin’s safety, Seon-jung had changed his mind.

“I’ll find a way to return you to your mother. I’m truly sorry for everything that had happened to you, my child.” Seon-jung said, brushing Soojin’s hair.

“What about you?” Soojin asked, feeling a spike of concern for her biological father.

Seon-jung smiled and told her not to worry about him. He also promised her that he will take care of his brother to make sure that he never bothers her again.

“I chose this, its time to face the music.” Seon-jung said with a weak smile.

Unknown to them, Jung-su stumbled out of the burning warehouse, his body shaking from the force of the explosion that had just rocked the building. His ears were ringing, and he could feel the heat of the flames on his skin, but he knew he had to keep moving. He had seen the red and blue sirens of police cars or emergency services, giving them a wide berth, he made his way out of the warehouse ruins.

Coughing and choking on the thick smoke, Jung-su stumbled towards the open air, his eyes stinging from the acrid fumes. He could hear the distant wail of sirens and the shouts of firefighters as they rushed to the scene.

As he emerged into the moonlight, Jung-su was momentarily blinded by the brightness of the sun. His vision slowly cleared, and he looked around, trying to get his bearings.

The warehouse was a charred, smoking ruin, flames still hungrily at the few remaining walls. Debris littered the ground, twisted metal and shattered glass reflecting the orange glow of the flames. Jung-su staggered backwards, his legs feeling like jelly beneath him. He could feel the weight of his injuries, the sharp pain in his side reminding him of the shrapnel that had torn through his flesh. But despite the pain, Jung-su felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. He had made it out alive, against all odds. He had survived the explosion that had ripped through the warehouse, and he was still standing.

But he had felt one other thing.

Fury.

Soojin was nowhere to be found, a large portion of his men dead or missing.

“Seon-jung!” Jung-su snarled as he walked out of the dockyards, snatching a stray jacket off a shipping crate. He had a pretty good idea of why Soojin was nowhere to be found.

Soeun, Jinsol, Haseul, and Jungeun huddled together in the conference room of their safehouse, their eyes swollen from crying. But even in the safety of their hiding place, they couldn't escape the fear and uncertainty that gripped them. Their dearest Soojin had been caught in the crossfire of Haseul’s deep and dark past, and they had no idea if she was alive or dead.

Tears streamed down Soeun's face as she clutched a photo of Soojin in her hand. "I can't believe this is happening," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

“I thought she was coming home, finally coming home”. She added as she wept clutching at the photo.

Jinsol put an arm around her daughter, trying to offer some comfort. "We don't know for sure what happened," she said softly. "We can only hope that she's okay." She had also added that her people were working on finding out Soojin’s fate.

Haseul let out a sob, burying her face in her hands. "It's all my fault," she said, her voice muffled. "I should have done something back then to make sure that those two brothers never trouble our family again."

Jungeun shook her head. "We all made that decision together," she said. "We didn't know things would turn out this way." She had been referring to their mutual decision to file for divorce and Haseul’s lawsuit that sent Seon-jung to Seodaemun Prison.

A couple of days passed and Seon-jung was finally able to get the warehouse into a more livable area. He had not restricted Soojin’s movements and she was given free reign to go about as she pleased, provided that she stay within the safehouse. The windows were boarded up and the doors are opened carefully after outside observers deem it safe to do so.

She had finished having lunch, it was a couple bowls of mushroom soup and bread. They were rationing equipment up until Seon-jung’s messenger was able to come back with a response from Haseul or any one of Soojin’s friends and family. They had no means of communication to the outside world. Seon-jung had destroyed his phone along with his men’s for fear that Jung-su would be able to trace them using that means.

Seon-jung had a backup plan however, he had kept a spare bar phone wrapped in aluminum foil. Its battery is disconnected along with its SIM card. Just in case he needed to make a phone call. He could surrender to the police after his men fled the safehouse.

This was his plan if the messenger does not arrive tonight. It had been three days since his departure. South Korea was a relatively small city. There is a present risk, albeit small, that Jung-su had gotten to his man.

If so, would he have told Jung-su their location?

It was unlikely. But Seon-jung couldn’t be sure, it was Soojin’s life that hung in the balance.

Walking back, he had found Soojin. The young lady was reading in a lit part of the warehouse, draped by black canvas sheets so that the light would not bleed out.

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