45
Defence
Taecyeon moved his eyes to the corner of his eyelids. She had stunning features. A long straight nose, short hair, perfect lips, and smiling eyes.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
Taecyeon didn’t reply until she knocked him in the chest with her elbow. He let out a loud cry of pain and finally realized that he was tied to a chair. His feet bound with thick rope in front, his arms pulled behind the chair. He couldn’t move nor try to free himself. It was as if she’d known how to tie him up in order to prevent him from making any movement. If he fell, he’d fall with the chair and end up crushing an arm. His wrists were already pained from the knot.
Where was he? He felt entrapped in the large room where only a small light from above lit the darkness.
“What’s your name?” she repeated.
“Ok Taecyeon.”
She smiled, “Ah…Taecyeon. So I see you’ve been providing cover for our Victoria.”
His eyes stiffened, “Who are you?”
“Mmm…” the girl played, “well since your end is near I guess telling you won’t give me away. Kang So Young. So Young is just fine.”
He didn’t say anything but turned away. Seconds later she gripped his chin and forced him to look at her.
“Why are you looking away?” she asked. “No one looks away from me.”
His eyebrows twitched at her statement.
“All the men at the base love me and that means you should give me just as much attention.”
Not a word escaped his mouth.
“You’re not saying anything?” she challenged before smiling. “Well, I guess that’s ok. Victoria probably doesn’t provide much of a service.”
“You’re sick,” he spat and earned a slam in the face.
“I dislike rude comments, but I like tough guys. I guess you count.” she smiled again.
He found her smile creepy.
“What do you want?” he asked straightforwardly.
“Should I tell you a story?” So Young asked.
“I’m not interested.” he easily replied.
She shot him a glare but let it go. “To make a summary short I’ll just say I hate Victoria. Even her mere presences disgusts me. I want her out.”
He had no option but to stare at her.
“So after she comes here I’m going to…” she said then made a cutting the throat gesture.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but she’s probably not returning to the apartment tonight.” Taecyeon said. “Instead, why don’t you just pretend that I’m her and get it over with?”
“Hmph, you’re one to talk.” the girl said finally letting go of his chin and his face instead. “Why would you sacrifice yourself for such an ungrateful person? Hmmm?”
“Compared to you she’s a hundred times more innocent.” he stated before she slapped him across the face.
“Don’t you dare say that.” she huffed for more air.
Taecyeon turned away from her.
“You’re a naïve boy,” she commented, “you’ve already grown onto her, haven’t you?”
Taecyeon clenched his teeth together.
“What was it that you said? ‘Just like anyone else I want the best for you.’ You said that, right?” she challenged with a mischievous smirk.
He held himself back from saying anything.
“Or are you jealous over that one man you keep talking about?” she tried.
He unclenched his teeth, “You’re jealous over Victoria. Because she has great people around her. Because there are people who get jealous over her and not you. Is that right?”
“You want to mess with me?!” So Young shouted grabbing her handgun from behind her.
Taecyeon felt his heart leap at the sight of it.
“I warned you, didn’t I?” she said holding the back of the gun up to her face while staring at him menacingly.
“Drop it!” a voice echoed within the first floor.
The both of them turned to see a shadow appear from behind the wild pipelines before Victoria’s face came into shape.
A satisfied smile came over So Young’s girly face and Taecyeon, next to her, felt his eyes go wide in surprise.
“Yah!” he began but Victoria never met his gaze.
“Where’s Jung Min?” Victoria demanded.
“I’m alone, believe it or not.” So Young replied.
Victoria squinted her eyes.
“He should be joining me in about 15 minutes or so. He’s out hunting for props,” So Young explained.
“What do you want?” Victoria wondered never losing the tension in her tone.
“Your head. You said you’d give it willingly the last time, right?” So Young’s smile never left her face.
Victoria only stared back, yet her heart raced with fear for Taecyeon when So Young raised her gun up to his head.
“If I pull the trigger all the way, his brain will fall out.” So Young started. “You…or him? Would you really risk your life for such a person?”
“Do it,” Victoria tried, “it won’t get you nowhere. In the end I might get your head instead.” After a moment of silence Victoria continued, “I dare you.”
So Young hesitated and hit Taecyeon’s head with the of her gun. A loud shout escaped him as he was unable to express the pain properly. Victoria swallowed with relief but didn’t show it. For the first time in those 14 years, this was the first situation in which she wasn’t sure of how to find a solution. It wasn’t some stranger’s life that was at risk, it was someone she owed a debt of gratitude to.
A loud shot bounced off the floor when So Young released her anger by pulling the trigger. Taecyeon jumped in his seat as the bullet landed on the floor just a couple of feet away from Victoria’s shoes. He was amazed by her fearlessness.
Biting her lip, So Young struck another bullet shell from her handgun and Victoria jumped away in time landing on one knee beside the thick silver pipe. Instantly getting up she started for a run behind the pipes where the bullet shells echoed off after each hit.
Taecyeon watched stunned. His heart raced every second wondering if Victoria was dead or if she had made it safely. When she didn’t appear from the pitch blackness his eyes frantically searched around. Yet, So Young, beside him, let out another frustrated scream.
“Where are you?!” So Young shouted. “Come out!”
He suddenly turned when something dropped from above and So Young fell to the ground with a loud scream. It was then that he noticed Victoria wrestling with So Young from the ground. Where had she come from?! Taecyeon looked up to find a second floor. Its aisles fenced by thick fences and railings to prevent anyone from falling down. Where was this place?!
“Let go! Let go!” So Young screamed trying to keep a hold of the gun in her hand.
She and Victoria rolled back and forth across the ground in a tiring battle for the gun. Taecyeon jumped in his chair again as the gun went off. He had never known a noise to be so ear piercing. Turning his head around, straining his neck, he watched So Young push Victoria off of her, slowly getting up panting as Victoria landed with a small thud.
“I’ll kill you…and I mean it…” the girl stated as she struggled to get up to her feet.
His eyes fell wide when he noticed blood dripping from Victoria’s side. When she finally up to her feet, So Young kicked the struggling Victoria back down to the floor and watched satisfied as she tried to regain her strength to get up once more. He wanted to scream for her but nothing escaped his throat. It felt as if an unknown invisible cord had been knotted around his neck. He felt sick.
Victoria bit her lip getting onto one knee feeling her strength quickly decline before using her left hand to push herself up. When she did manage to get up she sent So Young flying into the lead pipe behind her with her fist. The young girl let out a high pitched scream.
“I died ten times and yet every time I managed to come back. You think I’m that easy?” Victoria questioned. The deep bags underneath her eyes had become darker with sudden fatigue.
Taecyeon felt his heart take a leap glad to see her standing. Yet, the small puddle of blood on the floor sickened him. It looked like old black oil in the dark. He wondered how she was withstanding the pain…
So Young clumsily charged forward again but Victoria punched her back.
“You were never good at combat. How did you even believe yourself to defeat me?” Victoria asked the girl with her legs sprawled out before her.
So Young gripped onto her head with the gun beside her, just inches away from her fingers. As she tried to reach for them sneakily in the dark Victoria reached for the hidden gun behind her and pulled it out immediately pointing it at the girl. So Young’s eyes widened.
“On the way here, I promised myself that I wouldn’t let you get away.” Victoria gulped hesitating. “I’m going to get him out of here even if we’re to die together.”
So Young stared back terrified.
“You wanted to poke fun with me by mentioning everyone from my past, didn’t you?” Victoria felt her hands shake as she rewrapped her fingers around the trigger. “I’m going to defend them all. After I’m finished with you, I’ll follow you all the way down to hell so we’ll burn together. Does that sound like a plan?”
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