46
Defence
So Young clenched her hand into a fist and backed up into the pipe as Victoria pulled the trigger…but only an empty click sounded. A confused frown poured over her face as she clicked the trigger again. She was certain she’d still had bullets in there.
Suddenly Taecyeon felt regretful. The night of Victoria’s birthday, after she’d slept so peacefully, he’d discovered her gun, unloaded it, and tossed the ammo. He watched as Victoria turned to look at him with large eyes. In a split second So Young was up to her feet, kicking the gun out of her hand. So Young threw her small fist into Victoria’s face tossing her to the ground helplessly before stepping on her wounded area and held the gun down aiming for her head.
“So much for your precious speech.” So Young commented. “I’ll make sure you burn well in hell.”
A loud shot rang in the air and Taecyeon shut his eyes. A high pitched scream howled in the air and seconds that felt like long hours ticked by before he reopened them. He spotted Victoria half sitting up, wide eyed searching around the darkness as if looking for someone. Immediately, Taecyeon felt confused. What happened? So Young was nowhere to be seen. It was then that he spotted the young girl lying on the ground, blood seeping from her.
Footsteps sounded lightly from in front of him and he turned fearfully to find Yoona with both hands on her black handgun. He was so relieved he felt like crying.
In a rushed manner she brushed pass him and ran over to Victoria supporting her back as she got up painfully.
“Are you ok?” Yoona asked panicked.
“Get Ok Taecyeon first. We need to untie him before he comes,” Victoria managed to say through the scorching pain her body was feeling.
“But you…” Yoona started.
“I’m ok.” Victoria assured.
Yoona glanced at her before letting her go and ran over toward Taecyeon as ordered.
“How’d you…” he began when Yoona placed the gun beside her and began to untie the rope binding his feet together.
“I’ll explain later,” Yoona promised.
Taecyeon watched her silently feeling his blood still rushing from what he’d just witnessed. A cold wind seeped by and he looked up as Victoria limped by with her hand clutching her side, gun in her other hand.
“Yah! Where are you going?” he shouted, his voice echoing in the dark.
Victoria spun around with her eyes still searching every inch of the room.
“Be quiet.” Victoria ordered.
Taecyeon gulped. “Why? It’s over.”
“No. Jung Min is on his way,” Victoria told before suddenly turning back and rushing toward them.
“What, what?!” Taecyeon asked.
“He’s here!” for the first time he witnessed her in panic mode.
She stopped behind him and untied the rope behind his back in no time. Just when she approached his side Yoona dropped the rope from around his ankles to the floor.
“I’m done,” Yoona said grabbing the gun and getting up.
“In the back, there are stairs leading up to the second floor. Go hide there until I come find you,” Victoria urged.
“What?!” Taecyeon shouted.
“What about you? I’m not leaving you here alone,” Yoona muttered seriously, anger underneath her tone.
“Go!” Victoria groaned angrily. “If not, all three of us are going to die tonight.”
They didn’t move.
“Go!!” Victoria whispered every more seriously.
Taecyeon gulped and turned around taking a step forward stopping when he noticed that no one was following him. He glanced at Yoona, who had her eyes set on Victoria.
“Lets go,” Taecyeon suggested.
Yoona didn’t budge.
“Lets go,” Taecyeon whispered ever more hurriedly before grabbing her wrist and leading her toward the back.
“Let go,” Yoona demanded, “we can’t leave her out there alone!”
“It’ll be fine,” Taecyeon whispered.
“No! She’s wounded, she’s been shot! Do you know how serious a wound like that is?! He’s going to kill her!” Yoona cried.
“Im Yoona!” Taecyeon stopped at the top of the stairs to face her. “Trust her.”
Yoona stared back at him silently and gulped. After taking a breath Taecyeon led her to an empty room with a weak old wooden table that looked as if it’d break with one touch. He hid beside the door silently hoping and praying.
- - - - -
Victoria hid behind the large pipelines as Jung Min slowly walked in. His steps sounded in the thin air loudly. Even in the dark she could imagine him strutting forward ever so confidently.
“So Young!” he shouted. “So Young!”
Victoria gulped before suddenly stepping out in front of him. Jung Min stared back at her surprised.
“You…what are you doing here?” he questioned. “Where’s So Young?”
Victoria calmly replied, “Done with.”
His face expression stiffened.
“Leave.” Victoria whispered. “Get out of Seoul.”
“You think I’ll leave with just that?” he wondered then shouted, “So Young!!”
Victoria half stepped aside so that So Young’s body was visible to the eyes. She took a glance at the dead body before glancing back at him. In that instant he grabbed the collars of her shirt threateningly.
“What’d you do?!” he screamed, his disgusting breath bouncing off her face.
“She messed with me first,” Victoria simply answered, “you might end up the same if you want to mess with me as well. So leave. Don’t let me see you ever again.”
“Psh! You think you’re so great?” he shouted, his face distorted already. “I don’t understand you but I guess I never did in the first place. You started off bullting us, then you want us to kill you, and now you’re bullting us again.” he shook his head. “Alright, I’ll be sure to keep hunting you down like a dog. I can turn you into the FBI or the cops anytime. I could easily say you were the one who shot the president’s son. I can verify the truth for them as well. Even if I have to turn myself in.”
Victoria stared back at him, “I dare you.”
His lips trembled tremendously, “You will certainly regret this. I’ll get revenge.”
He tossed her back to the ground before walking over toward So Young. She watched him hesitate before touching her lifeless torso. Feeling remorseful she turned away from the sight. In moments he passed her with So Young’s body in his arms. When his footsteps disappeared Victoria gritted her teeth and looked up to the second floor.
She had no choice but to get up and get the others, however, when she reached the stairs she found Yoona staring down at her. The look on her face told Victoria that she’d heard everything. There was no such thing as avoiding the confrontation she’d been avoiding all along anymore. Victoria waited patiently as they climbed down the stairs to meet her.
Yoona came face to face with her in seconds. For a long time they only stared at each other.
“October 18.” Yoona started. “You’re the fugitive?”
Without warning Taecyeon interfered by stepping in between. Yoona watched as he pushed Victoria back in a gesture to defend her.
“Yoona, it’s not what you think,” Taecyeon tried.
“Leave it,” Victoria called from behind.
He slightly glanced back toward her.
“October 18, Kwangju. I was disguised as a maid.” she went on.
“Why are you…” he started again.
“Be quiet,” Victoria snapped then eyed Yoona. “I have a reason for everything. If you want to ask me whether I killed him or not, I’m not going to say.”
“Why can’t you say it? Why can’t you tell me the truth?” Yoona asked.
“Because I don’t know you.”
Yoona’s heart sank. She felt taken aback but held on strong. “Because you didn’t do it.”
Taecyeon felt surprised by what he was hearing. Even Victoria became surprised with the answer she hadn’t expected from Yoona at all.
“You think all along I haven’t done any research?” Yoona asked. “You think I haven’t suspected at all? I’m not stupid. I know you, even though you’ve been lost for 14 years. You’ve avoided me, you said you didn’t know me to keep me away from knowing anything. Do you think I’m dumb?!” Yoona gritted her teeth to keep herself under control. “You’re…a coward.”
“Yoona…please.” Taecyeon interrupted.
“Shut up,” Yoona ordered never looking at him, “you’re not going to hide. I won’t let you hide. Everything they’ve done to you, I will find it all out. You’re going to spill it all out because I’m not going to feel at peace until you return to us. And I will force you, even if I have to strap you down.”
Victoria stared back.
“I’m not going easy on you, just as you’ve never gone easy on me ever since that night at the banquet. I will return to you every ounce of pain you’ve given me.” Yoona continued on. “Until this pain disappears, until the pathetic life I’ve lived is gone.”
Victoria wasn’t sure she was hearing right anymore. Her ears buzzed, her head became woozy, the pain suddenly became that kind of a numbing throb falling into beat with her pulse. In less than a second after Yoona finished talking Victoria tumbled onto the ground.
- - - - -
Taecyeon wasn’t sure that bringing Victoria to the emergency room was a correct move but Yoona had insisted. He had no choice but to comply. Now they waited eagerly in front of the ER doors. Not one of them spoke a word. The silence was too heavy for them to try to tear it apart.
“Should we notify Donghae?” Taecyeon wondered.
“No.” was her short answer then they became quiet again.
“Will you get in trouble?” Taecyeon asked after a few minutes.
“I wasn’t supposed to use my gun,” Yoona answered.
They became silent again. This time the doors opened and a man with a green mask walked out.
“May I ask who Victoria Song’s guardian is?” he asked taking the mask off.
Taecyeon shot to his feet. “I am. Is she ok?”
“The bullet grazed pass her internal organs, but we’ve managed to remove it. She’s very lucky. We’re going to move her to a private room shortly, you can visit her within an hour.” he explained.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” the two of them thanked and bowed feeling more than just relief.
After he walked away Taecyeon turned toward Yoona, “You go on home. Your parents will be worried.”
Yoona stared at him, “No. I want to stay. You’re not making me leave.”
“We have to let Victoria rest too. You can continue to question her when she’s released.” Taecyeon suggested.
“Do you think I’m staying because I want to continue the interrogation?” Yoona asked, a tone of tension in her voice. “Can’t I stay just because I want to stay? Does it make any difference from the reason why you want to stay?”
“What are you talking about?” Taecyeon asked wearily.
Yoona turned away, “You want to know, too, don’t you?”
Taecyeon frowned.
“What those men did to her. What that girl was talking about. How the base treated her. You want to know as well, don’t you?” Yoona tried.
Taecyeon gulped.
“There’s no time. Can’t you tell that there’s going to be danger lurking in every corner anytime soon?” asked Yoona. “She’s injured, but she’s not weak. You want justice for her, don’t you?”
Taecyeon knew she was right. He wanted to know, too, about what that girl had been speaking about.
- - - - -
Victoria awoke with a slight headache and throbbing pain in her body. The first thought that occurred in her mind was to grab her gun from the bedside table and get ready for the day’s tactful fight. However, when she sat up it felt as if a thorn had been stabbed into her digging further and further in. When she let out a gasp someone from beside her moved. It was then that she saw Yoona raising her sleepy head up while rubbing her face. And in front of her Taecyeon lie asleep on the portable bed they provided for relatives visiting a family member.
“You’re up?” Yoona questioned.
Victoria stared at her and searched around the room.
“You’re in the hospital,” Yoona explained as if reading Victoria’s mind, “you had surgery last night. Are you thirsty? Hungry?”
Victoria closed her eyes slightly and let out a loud sigh. “No.”
Taecyeon groaned from before her and sat up with a long stretch and a yawn. He sat up resting his elbows on his knees finally looking toward them.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Perfect,” she sarcastically answered.
Victoria closed her eyes attempting to sleep again but opened them again when she saw a shadow stand over her through her closed eyelids. She opened her eyes when she felt a warm hand on her forehead.
“Aish!” Victoria complained slapping his hand away. “What are you doing?!”
“Checking to see if you’re sick.”
“Why are you still here? Go home.” Victoria whined then turned to her left where Yoona was sitting.
She felt trapped.
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