She jumped over a dead log laying still on the ground, slid onto the dead leaves listening to them crumble underneath her, then reached for a thin tree to her side to help anchor her from falling any deeper down the hill. Footsteps rushed above her on the trail leading east into the woods, which smelled of heavy animal dung and the earth. Whispers and shouts went from one person to the next.

“Sir, we’ve lost track of her,” a male soldier reported.

His general grunted in the dark and glanced around in his heavy uniformed suit. Victoria could barely see his shadow standing from just above her.

“Keep an eye out! We’re moving farther east! I don’t care whatever lions or tigers you see, shoot all animals in the way! I don’t care what happens, we need to find her this instant!!”

“Yes, sir!” they all shouted in unison.

How many of them had come? 20? 30? 45? Victoria tip-toed up making sure she wouldn’t slip and clutched onto the only handgun she’d been able to take with her. Just hours earlier she’d recalled that she had merely escaped death. How dare those bastards betray her?

The president’s son had made an official trip to Kwangju to attend a board meeting with some government directors to speak about some bills that were being passed concerning student education in his father’s stead. There Victoria had lurked around as one of the female employees serving coffee.

Just before the clock struck 10 a break had been issued and almost everyone had left the hall leaving the president’s son alone with one of his man. Victoria paced back and forth in front of the large white doors decorated with gold rings around the rectangular doorknobs. Her heart grew weary and nervous for some reason that night. She’d never felt that way since a long time. Was something bad going to happen? Before she pondered on the door opened abruptly and the man who’d been inside stared at her suspiciously.

“You’re still here?” he asked.

Victoria glanced at him, eyes full of surprise then she smiled. She had learned from experience that a woman’s smile held much power over a man. Men found it seductively alluring.

“You’ve worked hard,” he bit back his tongue.

As he walked pass Victoria listened to his footsteps before she snorted, “Tsch!”

Turning back to the doorway she slowly reached for the gun hidden on the strap around her thigh under her maid uniform. Barely touching it, a gunshot resonated from inside the room making her jump. In that split second she realized someone else had made the shot. She should have run away at that moment but instead she pulled open the door to see the president’s son bending over the oval desk that ran all around the room, blood seeping from his head. An immediate death. Victoria turned around to scam the room. Who had done it? Who had given the shot!!! She felt her brain scream then her eyes spotted the small hole in the third window from the right. Someone moved from the rooftop of the building just across from the city hall building disappearing from sight.

“Freeze!!!” a voice warned from behind.

Victoria felt her jaw grow tight. Had the order to assassinate him been a real order? Or were the guys in the gang playing around again? Victoria slowly put her hand on her thigh and turned around with an innocent face. The expression from the guard behind her grew surprised with gentleness before he lowered his gun.

“Miss…” he began.

In that split second she grabbed the coffee mug and turned to look at him, “Would you like some coffee sir?”

The guard’s face turned into a frown before she tossed the coffee mug into the air and shot it. The shards flew everywhere. She turned her face away to avoid the shards and grabbed the tray the coffee mug had been sitting on. Jumping into the empty space in the middle of the oval desk she hit his head with as much strength as she had in the middle of her high leap. His head crashed against the desk and Victoria took the chance to jump over the desk again to escape from the site of murder.

“Backup! Men, I need backup!!” he screamed into his walkie-talkie.

Victoria turned around and shot him in the back and just to be on the safe side grabbed his gun from where it’d been hanging at his side. Running down the hall she heard her tennis shoes make a soft tapping noise with each step she made.

Footsteps emerged from the stairs and men in black suits appeared, guns in their hands. Using an estimation as to how many there were she held out both handguns and fired at them mercilessly. She heard loud grunts and shouts come from them as they dropped to the floor. Hurrying toward the steps she tossed her two handguns down and grabbed three other on her way down. As she stepped onto the last platform to the first floor she found herself staring at security, who had been rounded from all over the mansion.

“Drop the gun.” a sturdy voice warned.

She stared at them. They stared at her. No one made any motion. Victoria lowered herself and placed the gun she’d been carrying on the ground with eyes observing each and every one of them. If she got rid of the guy at the center and the three on her left she’d reach the door in no time.

The room the securities filled had a giant gold statue in the middle of the room with red carpet laced everywhere amongst the shining floor. A one thousand dollar crystallite chandelier hung from above the ceiling sparkling as rays of lights bounced off it. Tables, chairs, couches for elite visitors decorated her right and down that hall there was a dining buffet.

Victoria reached behind her back and shot at the chandelier as fast as she could. With each shot the crystals hanging from it fell down like raindrops crashing onto security. As everyone focused their attention on the falling crystals in panic she turned and shot the man in the middle. With a fast run toward him she knocked him down with a high kick and grabbed the heavy camera he’d been holding. Rushing toward the men at the left she blinded them with the flash and tossed the camera at them shooting them right after.

The cool night air froze her face as she stepped outside to find cars pulling up in front of the mansion. Their headlights blinded her as she came to a stop. Glancing at her left she found a dark alleyway full of trash bins. To her right was an empty road where more incoming cars were coming from. But beyond the road she saw luminous trees fading against the night, the woods. Making a run for it she dashed down her right dodging the cars escaping through each gap she saw. They screeched leaving behind black marks from their tires while they twisted and turned to avoid running her over.

“After her!”

“Just run her over!”

“Don’t let her get away!”

Voices screamed and shouted behind her. It was no good to turn back. She knew she couldn’t twist her head back to see how many were behind her. She had been trained to know better. She jumped onto the hood of a car as it rammed into one heading for her and used it as an object to rebound her weight. Jumping off the car she landed on the ground and started toward the woods. Bullets came chasing after her echoing into the air. Owls and the numerous birds flapped their wings flying out from the trees in dozens for immediate escape as she entered the woods. The bullets landed behind each step she took blowing out the dirt and sticks.

In the middle of fall it was cold, the wind wasn’t nice or considerate as it blew against her bare skin freezing her. Her legs were cold and her nose became runny. To her luck the sun had already disappeared from the morning sky engraving it into a stone of black. Silence stung the air suddenly and she hid behind a fat tree clutching onto her handgun.

“What the hell is happening?” she muttered, easing her breathing to mix in with the silence.

Her maid uniform was blue, a dark blue. In the dark the only thing that stood out from her was the white apron she had on. They were nearing her. They were too careless about how they were easing through the trees. Slowly untying her apron from around her waist she clutched onto it counting silently in her mind. Closing her eyes she held her breath and tossed her apron out to the side when she reached the number 10. Gunshots flew at her apron at such speed she knew she would have died if she’d been hit.

“What?!” one of them stuttered confused.

Victoria snuck out from behind the tree and adjusted her eyes immediately to her surroundings. Pulling the trigger on her handgun she shot three of them down at once and the chase began again. They continued to chase her with surprising speed. As one of them tailgated her she grabbed onto a tree and watched him run pass her. In that split second as he turned around confused wondering if he'd missed her, she gripped onto the tree lifting her body up, and kicked him. Turning around she knocked another guy in the head with the of her gun. Watching him fall to the ground she turned around to find a gun pointed at her forehead.

“Don’t move. You’re under arrest for murder.”

She grinded her teeth and stared at him. Holding up her handgun at her waist she pulled the trigger once then another time. No bullet came out. She was doomed. He glanced down and laughed then grabbed her hand tightly to prevent her from moving.

“I’ll shoot and just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean I will hesitate.”

“And about that we’ll see.”

Victoria leaned forward coming face to face with him and smiled. “Am I pretty?”

He froze and in that moment she lifted her leg up behind her back landing a thick kick on his shoulder. She was so proud of her flexibility. Head-butting him she spun around and punched him in the face.

“Cocky jerk.” she mumbled running through the woods.

And that was all she remembered before jumping over the dead log seeking shelter. Finally reaching the path she glanced down the way the troop had disappeared. With no destination and no plan to head back to the torturous base she headed west in order to make her way up north.

- - - - -

“!!” at the end of the dark room sitting in a black leather chair behind his oak desk he pounded his fist against his open folders. The papers inside flew up and landed back on the desk in a slow patterned manner.

The man before him bowed his head in apology. “Should we go look for her?”

The man grumbled, “Leave her be. She’s going to die, anyway. If she tattles on us, it’s going to be the end for all you jacks out there. Where’s Jung Min and So Young?!”

“I’m not sure, sir.”

“When they get back here get them to tail her and get rid of her.”

“Should we bring her back here after?”

The man behind the desk tossed his thick folder at the man in front of his desk. The fat cigar in his smoke created a trail of smoke that suffocated anyone of air in the room.

“Are you an idiot?!” he scolded standing up behind his desk in rage. “Shoot her down and toss her into the river! I don’t care!”

“Sir, I still don’t think she would have been careless enough to have gotten caught on her mission…”

“Did you hear me, or not?! I said get out! I don’t care!” he screamed. “She shouldn’t have failed in the first place! She’s not one of us if she can’t even handle it!”

The man tightened his hands behind his back.

“Get out! Where’s Jung Min and So Young?!!”

- - - - -

Donghae paced back and front in front of the large gourmet restaurant where they had promised to meet. An hour late already. Sighing he glanced at his watch for the hundredth time that night. Fishing out his phone he dialed her number.

No one answered and he was met with the voicemail again. This time he decided to leave a message. “Where are you? Do you remember our date? Call me back soon.”

After hanging up he waited for a few minutes before his phone beeped. It was a text.

“Oppa, sorry. I can’t make it, tonight. How about we have a meal at my house? I’ll cook you something nice!”

Donghae sighed again. How many times had he been stood up that week? 4 out of 5 days. Walking over to his black Mercedes he drove toward the huge house her father owned. A golden crowned gate opened to allow his entrance.

Yoona was a deputy. Her father a sheriff. They had many enemies so therefore they always had cameras and guards around the home. Lights outside lit up the house showing off its white nature and the golden coils around the windows. The house was just as magnificent.

“Good evening, young sir,” a maid greeted him at the door and took his jacket. “Miss will be down in a moment.”

Donghae nodded and walked down the clear hallway. Two lion statues stood on either side of the hallway representing strength and bravery. Turning into the living room decorated with glamorous furniture he continued down the hall with red carpet and entered the big kitchen. It was empty but dinner plates had already been set out and the entrée had already been placed in the middle of the table.

“Oppa,” her voice made him turn around. “I had a lot to do today.”

“I understand.”

“You’re mad, aren’t you?” she asked walking over to her chair across from him.

“No.”

“Oppa, I’m really sorry. It was really important today.”

“I said it’s fine.”

“I promise we’ll spend some more time together before the wedding next month, ok?”

“Do you still remember when that is?” he asked sitting down and reaching for his utensils.

Yoona smiled as she placed a piece of the boiled fish on his plate, “Two weeks from now.”  

“You better take off next week then.”

“I promise.”

- - - - -

By the end of the week Yoona had finally made time to talk to the Chief in charge. Inside his office were stacks of newspapers that piled up to the ceiling and tall drawers that were beyond her reach. In comparison to the brand new drawers were the shady curtains behind him and his old desk and chair. He looked just like his desk. Old, worn, but still holding strong. A large man, he was. At the age of 55 he had an unshaved gray beard around his face and his head was still full of hair despite his age.

Before she spoke she noticed that the room smelled off cigarettes. “You still smoke? I thought there was a new regulation banning smoke from inside the station?”

He cleared his sight pushing his glasses up as he coughed his throat, “It’s probably coming from outside. You know I don’t smoke.”

Yoona smiled. “Sure.”

“Anyway, what are you here for Sheriff?” he leaned forward clasping his hands together.

“I had something I wanted to say.”

“Oh,” he told. “Me too. I was going to call you in later in the day.”

Yoona felt her eyebrows go up. “What is it?”

“You go first.”

“I want to hear you first, Chief.” Yoona urged.

“Did you hear about the assassination of the president’s son?” he asked.

“I did.”

“It’s getting real tense out there. Everyone’s on the lookout these days.”

Yoona waited.

“We’re going to be joining forces with the others to search for the fugitive.”

“The detectives?”

Her Chief nodded, “I nominated you to go for it and got the notification for it today. If you agree, you’ll be sent out there next week.”

“Next week?” Yoona repeated suddenly feeling uncertain, yet excited about the opportunity to be working with the higher ones in charge.

“Yes, will you go or not?”

Yoona paused. She wanted to go. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be doing work like that and she’d waited all her life for it. But her wedding preparations were next week…and she’d promised Donghae. Could the wedding possibly wait?

***Happy New Year's everybody!!