"Kahi. Can I have a minute with you?"

Park Kahi tore her eyes away from her computer. "Yes, Youngjae. What is it?" She hoped whatever the intelligence agent had to say wouldn't take very long. All day she had been immersed in researching Kwon Jiyong, the trafficker of the mockingbirds, and she didn't want anything distracting her. Nearly four hours had passed since she'd started. Kahi hadn't found much on him yet ('twas the curse of trying to track down a black market dealer). Still, she kept at it. The lady agent was sure- she hoped, anyways- that she would find info on him soon enough.

'And after I uncover Mr. Kwon's past activities, I can track down the person who brought the birds from him. You can't hide from us forever, whoever you are...' Kahi thought grimly, then nodded at Youngjae to proceed.

He cleared his throat. "I have a few things to tell you, actually. The first you should know is that I've asked Sunggyu to transfer me to this case."

"You did?" Momentarily distracted, Kahi was surprised. Youngjae rarely requested to be assigned to an investigation-in-progress. Being transferred to the case meant he would have to go out and do field work as well, not just provide support from the data room. "When was this?"

"Just this morning, if you must know." Youngjae pushed his glasses up. "This case is quite different from what we've seen in the past. I don't think we've ever had as much trouble with an investigation before. In fact, this Mockingbird Killer even puzzles me, something which I find highly irritating.

"To make a long story short, I'm intrigued," Youngjae continued. "There are many questions I want to solve for myself. For one, how is it possible that the killer has left no trace of himself? There have been three murders now. Three, if I may repeat. I refuse to believe he's left us practically no evidence to work with."

He furrowed his brows, giving off an intense "I'm-deep-in-thought/don't-bother-me" vibe. "Two, why hasn't he killed again? If we go with the theory of him being a serial killer, there should have been another murder by now. I find it unsettling how it's been more than ten days since Lee Minhee's death."

"He could be bidding his time," Kahi offered. "Or perhaps his murders had a goal to them, which he accomplished. It may be that those three victims were the only people he needed to kill."

"Maybe. But something about that, too, doesn't seem right." Youngjae frowned at Kahi's monitor, then brought attention back to the topic at hand.

"So that was one. I'm now officially part of the Mockingbird investigation. Number two... I think you'll be more interested in what I have to say here." Pausing in his speech, the bespectacled man glanced at Kahi. The frown he'd worn earlier had disappeared, replaced by an expression close to pure smugness. 

"Yesterday, I decided to take Kwon Jiyong's laptop from the lab and analyze it myself. I don't know why you didn't just give it to me in the first place. They hadn't even recovered half of the data yet. I would have finished the task on the day of."

That was so  like Youngjae, to flaunt his obviously superior skills at every little opportunity. "They did manage to retrieve 20% right after I gave it to them," Kahi replied. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "In fact, I distinctly remember you asking how they accomplished it so quickly."

Youngjae dismissed her words with a wave of his hand. Details, details. "The point is, I have the laptop now. I've just completed the retrieval process of everything that was stored in the hard drive. Do you want to hear about what I found, or would you prefer I give the laptop back to the lab so they  can tell you?"

Kahi's eyebrows shot up. "You found something?" She stared at the resourceful man, feeling a bit stunned. Stunned, but grateful. Although she knew Youngjae was a genius, she hadn't thought even he could hack an elusive trafficker's computer so quickly. But now, thanks to him, her hunt for the Mockingbird had just switched tracks and was speeding on the freeway.

"Yes." The man handed her a piece of paper. Anticipation on the rise, Kahi took it from him. Her eyes quickly scanned the sheet as her companion continued to speak. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to find much. Remember that the laptop belonged to Kwon Jiyong, a dealer who'd expertly eluded the authorities for years. But his security system was very tough to crack. Most likely he'd thought that would be enough to keep unwanted eyes prying into his documents."

"'442 Highwater Street'," Kahi read aloud. The information on the paper was scarce. There were only two things typed on it: an address, which sounded vaguely familiar, and a name. "Highwater Street... Highwater..." She turned towards the intelligence agent.

"Isn't that the area by the shipping docks? The one with all of the warehouses and equipment storage facilities?"

"That's correct."

"I see. Am I also right in assuming that's where we'll find this"- she checked the paper again- "Park Kyung? What do you think his connection to Kwon Jiyong is?"

"It's both simple and complicated at the same time." Youngjae briefly closed his eyes. "When I first uncovered this file, I phoned the police station to ask about Park Kyung. There was nothing in our database about him, but I thought if the police had information about our trafficker, they would have something about this man, as well. Anyway, we believe he was the partner- or former partner- of Kwon Jiyong. The two were similar in the way they worked, but Park Kyung was much, much more elusive. The police have only caught traces of him in recent years. None of it was enough to warrant an arrest. Not even a search could be made."

Kahi stared at him. For a moment, she sat completely still in her seat. Only her eyes were moving- they darted from the paper to her computer to Youngjae, and then back to the paper again. One could almost see the gears in her head turning at top speed.

Youngjae watched as she did her thinking. "Park Kyung was the only unmarked name I found," he said, as if that would help. "The rest were the buyers and sellers of Jiyong's business. If the two were partners, chances are he'd know about the mockingbirds."

His words seemed to pull Kahi out of her deep thoughts. "Let's go," she decided. The female detective swivelled her head to look at the clock on her desk. "It's only five o' clock. There's still some time to follow this lead."

After informing Sunggyu of their leave, the two boarded Youngjae's car. It was a quiet ride there. The only noises made were the hums of the engine and other cars passing by. The partners made no attempt to start a conversation. Each were preoccupied with their own thoughts, running  through their next step and, if need be, an escape plan.

It took nearly an hour to reach Highwater Street. Located on the east side of town, it was a rather bland-looking region. Only abandoned factories and empty shops decorated the area. There didn't even seem to be any people around.

"Most of the businesses here close early," Youngjae explained as they drove past a chain of stores. "It's an industry-based part of Seoul, so not many people live around this street."

"There seems to be something going on over there, though." Kahi pointed out the window. It was only when they travelled closer that she realized it was the place they were looking for. 442 Highwater Street.

"Hmm..." Youngjae pulled the car over to the curb. It was a large, dock-like setting. Warehouses were lined up in a messy row, trucks, crates, and storage equipment scattered between them. A metal fence surrounded the place. Made of what seemed to be barbed wire, it loomed high above the ground, sending visitors a message that could not be misinterpreted.

Keep out. Stay away. Trespassers will not be tolerated.

Youngjae turned the engine off and peered through the window. "You're right. I see some people around that unit in front of us. There are two- no, three- men standing outside."

"Do they look suspicious to you?" asked Kahi, althought she knew what the answer would be. She craned her neck to see around her partner.

"Extremely." The data inspector tapped on the glass. "One, those men are dressed in dark hoodies and jeans. Not your typical outfit when working in storage buildings. Two, one of them keeps glancing around furtively, telling me that he wants to keep a low profile of whatever they're doing. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the police he's watching out for."

He looked at Kahi over his shoulder, adding, "Let's not forget the fact that the man in the middle has a gun on his belt."

The lady detective had to squint to see the armed man. It was only 6 PM, but already the sky was beginning to darken above. It wasn't a shock, however, given that it was nearing the cold month of December. "You have a sharp eye. Do you mind lowering your window, though? I can't quite see clearly through it."

Youngjae complied, but he was careful to open it with as little noise as possible. His car was parked so close to the warehouses, it was a miracle the strange men hadn't caught sight of them yet. "They still haven't noticed us. Make sure you don't make any loud sounds, or we'll draw their attention. I don't think they'll be too-"

"Shhh!" Kahi whispered hastily, tapping him on the shoulder. "Keep quiet! I can hear them talking!"

Her partner instinctively pressed his lips together. As soon as he did, a faint murmur reached their ears. It was the voices of the three men, apparently arguing over something amongst themselves. If the agents stayed silent and focused hard enough, they could just make out parts of the conversation.

"I don't want to wait for that bi-polar !" one of them was saying. "On top of that, we need his approval?  What is he, our ing mother?"

"No, but he could make our lives a bloody hell!" the man facing him shot back. "Have you forgotten what he's like already? Don't make him angry, Kibum. You won't live to see the next day."

The first man angrily his teeth. But before he could spit back a response, the person in the middle- the one with the gun- placed a placating hand on his shoulder.

"He's right," the armed man said quietly. Kahi and Youngjae had to concentrate even harder to hear his next words. "Think before you act for once. Do you want to suffer an early death? Are you really that stupid? Park Kyung isn't a man you want to cross."

Park Kyung!  Youngjae snapped his head back and stared at Kahi. An unspoken message pased between their eyes. This is the place. This is it for sure.

Kahi broke her gaze and quickly glanced outside again. She needed more evidence before she could plan her next move. 'Park Kyung... If you're who we think you are, I'll make sure to get every last answer about the birds from you...' Her thoughts trailed off as she stared at the scene in front of her. Before, the men had merely been talking (well, verbally fighting) with each other. Now, one of them seemed to be holding up a bag... filled with what looked like... white powder...

"Youngjae!" the woman hissed as loudly as she could. "Look outside!" 

Her companion whipped his head to the side. Just as he did, the men's low voices carried through the air once more.

The guy standing on the left was offering the bag. "Here, have some of this. If it helps calm you down, take a shot from my private stash."

The person called Kibum eyed it for a moment. "Isn't that meth? Tch. I can get that anywhere," he said. Even from where she was sitting in the car, Kahi could hear the sneer in his voice.

"It's not meth, you ," his companion retaliated. "Take a closer look. It's 4-FMP."

Kahi frowned. "4-FMP?" she repeated under her breath. As a CSI agent, she knew a lot about drugs and the various types in the trafficking world. Coke, PCP, heroin, opium, you name it. But the drug which the man was holding up- the 4-FMP- was one she'd never heard of before. "What's that?"

Youngjae quietly answered back. "4-Fluoroamphetamine. Commonly known as 4-FA, PFA, or, as this man calls it, 4-FMP. The effects of it on users are similiar to those of ecstasy. I'm not surprised you don't know about it. 4-FMP is considered to be one of the rarer drugs on the black market."

"- how the hell did you score that?" Kibum was asking. There was no mistaking the admiration in his voice. "I thought that thing was a freakin' myth."

"Not if you work for Park Kyung, it isn't."

The armed man added, "That's the kind of reward you get if you stay a good boy and listen to Kyung. Take a five minute break for now. After you're done, go to Unit Seven and start packing the red boxes. Some of Kyung's clients are expecting a trade of opium and MDMA tomorrow."

Kahi leaned over and pushed the 'Windows Up' button. She'd heard enough. The lady agent hardly dared to breath aloud, in fear that the men would find her and Youngjae spying on them. This was big. This was incredible. Those men, under the orders of Park Kyung, were shipping illegal substances! Youngjae had told her the police had virtually nothing to suspect this trafficker of. Now, thanks to his loud-mouthed henchmen, the investigators had all of the proof they needed to warrant an arrest.

Once the car window had fully closed shut, Kahi wasted no time in pulling out her phone. She punched in a number that she'd saved on speed dial, in the event of an emergency coming to light. And right now, in her professional opinion, this constituted as way  more than any old emergency.

The dial tone stopped, and someone answered on the other end.

Kahi cleared . "Yes, hello? This is Inspector Park Kahi of the CSI agency. Could I speak to officer Lee Donghae?"

-----------

"So, the almighty Kris has fallen at last."

Woohyun couldn't help but smirk at the sight before him. A tall, sandy-haired male was lying on a bed. He wore a hospital gown, which was particularly funny because it looked so off from his usual dress shirts and pants. But what was even stranger was the man's right leg. Bounded in a cast, it hung in the air from where it was suspended above the bed. A few signatures- Woohyun's being the biggest and most obnoxious-looking- were already scribbled on the front of it.

Yes, it was quite an unusual sight. But the only explanation which the author can give is this: it was Kris. Kris was the man who was lying in bed, the patient with the stitched and broken leg in a cast. And it was so strange because the callous man rarely got hurt during an investigation. In fact, he himself couldn't even remember when he'd last received an injury from a case. "Me, get hurt? Don't be a fool. I'm Kris, remember?"

With that being said, we shall now focus our attention back to the present scene: Woohyun laughing at the sullen-faced, self-proclaimed 'invincible' Kris, who was alternating between glaring at his visitor and wincing from the pain in his leg.

"Shut up," the patient growled, but that only earned another snigger. "It was dark, okay? I didn't even see him pull the trigger! And dammit, Woohyun, he was an old man. How was I supposed to know he was actually going to shoot?"

"I don't know," Woohyun said, still smirking. Hoya had told him the full story before he'd left, so he wasn't completely out of the loop. "Maybe all of those 'get-out-or-I'll-kill-you' screams should have given you a warning."

"..." Kris muttered darkly under his breath. But before his companion could ask what he was saying, he jerked his head towards the door. "Excuse me, but don't you have something else you should be doing now? Like investigating?  Or did Sunggyu finally smarten up and fire your lazy ?"

Woohyun grinned. "Nah, he'd miss me too much. So would you and everyone else in the building, for that matter." He ignored Kris' scoff as he leaned back in his chair. "Besides, it's almost seven. I'm off duty. For the rest of the night, I'm just a regular guy visiting his old friend at the hospital, not a hot and talented detective chasing after a killer."

The taller male rolled his eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"You're right." This time, it was Woohyun's turn to scoff. "I'm hot no matter what time of day it is."

His cockiness never failed to amaze. Kris opened his mouth to scorn some more, but before he could, a light knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," he called, glaring at his friend instead. Careful not to move his leg, he turned his head to see who his new visitor was. "Oh- It's you."

"Yes, it's me." A young man entered the room. At least, he looked to be younger than the two inspectors. He had reddish hair that was spiked at the ends, and multiple piercings on both ears. They contrasted brilliantly with the rest of his appearance. Certainly his hairstyle and studs didn't match the studious glasses on his nose, nor the shy smile tugging the corners of his lips. "Sorry for interrupting. I just came to make my usual rounds."

The disabled agent nodded. "Go ahead," he responded in a brisk tone. Those words were the only ones he said as the redheaded man walked closer, moving towards the side of the bed.

The nurse- at least, that was what Woohyun assumed him to be- examined the monitor beside Kris' bed. He jotted a few notes down on his clipboard, then turned to his patient. "It looks like everything's okay for now. I'll drop by later to see how things are. In the meantime, do you need anything? Food? Water? Painkillers? I'm Tao, by the way. I'm the intern on this floor."

"I know," Kris said in the same abrupt voice. "You told me that when I first got here. You also pointed out which button to press if I needed your help."

The intern's cheeks coloured. Amused, Woohyun watched as he shifted the clipboard in his hands, looking very hard at the intercom on the wall. "Oh-That's right- Sorry, I forgot." The medical assistant bowed his head. "Yes, that's correct. If you need any help, I'll be here. Err- Sorry to disturb you."

The red-haired man hastily left the room. Woohyun waited until the door had closed shut, then carried on with their conversation. Of course, he was tempted to crack a joke or two about the eager intern, but that would just earn him a string of curses and what he called 'Kris' Face'. Not a pretty sight. "So. What were you saying about me and my good looks?"

"... Nothing," Kris answered, maintaining his cool tone. However, Woohyun didn't miss the way his gaze lingered on the door. "How can I comment on something that doesn't exist?"

"Wow. That actually hurt. And here I thought being bed-ridden would have done something about that harsh tongue of yours."

Kris snorted. "Did you? Did you really? I wouldn't be so quick to bet on that."

"Mmm."

A silence followed after. It was comfortable, not awkward at all, like the kind that was expected between two good friends. Woohyun's mind, on the other hand, was a mess of thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about what he and Chanyeol had discovered at Lee Seonwoong's house: the Mockingbird box. Marked with a picture of the bird on the flaps, the carton had only contained folders and complex research notes. None of it had made sense to Woohyun. He'd flipped through the notes with an eagle eye, wondering how any of it was connected to the mimus polyglottos species. But, like Chanyeol, he'd never been an outstanding science student in school. The equations had only served to peak his migraine, and more than once he'd fought the urge to rip the papers in half.

As if he had acquired mind-reading powers, Kris broke the silence. "How was work today?"

Woohyun grimaced. "Exactly like yours. Frustrating and annoying as hell to go through."

"Except you didn't get shot," Kris said in a dry voice.

"Well, when you put it that way..." Woohyung snickered, then proceeded to tell the injured man about his discovery.

"A secret room?" Kris mused once Woohyun finished. His eyebrows creased in the middle. "That's hard to imagine. I know the neighbourhood where Lee Seonwoong's house is. That area looks too modern to have something like a secret room hidden in it."

The dark-haired man shrugged. "Not the house itself, apparently. Chanyeol mentioned it was built more than half a century ago. Modelled after Victorian architecture, I think."

"I find that interesting," commented Kris, "Almost as much as I do the hidden room. In that entire neighbourhood, that house is the only one to be built with an England feel. Why is that?"

"I'll make a note to check it out later," Woohyun replied. "It probably doesn't mean anything, but you never know. Sometimes, the tiniest, most unexpected things can turn out to be murder links.

"Anyway, back to the box," he continued. Gone was Woohyun's claim of shedding his 'hot and talented' detective skin for the night. The expression on his face was concentrated, reflecting the brooding inspector inside of him. "After Chanyeol and I finished searching the room, we dropped by the research institute where Seonwoong used to work. We brought the box along and asked if they knew anything about it. Unfortunately for us, their answer was no. None of our victim's work portfolios matched the stuff he had in the room."

"This could be big." Kris ran a hand through his hair. "Let's say there is  a connection between those lab notes and the Mockingbird Killer. That would unlock an entirely different door for us- new suspects, new motives, and solid evidence to back everything up."

Woohyun agreed. "It gives the case a whole new perspective. I also sent an email to Youngjae about everything. Wanted to see what his input is on the matter. I couldn't tell him in person because when I got back, he'd left for somewhere with Kahi."

Nodding, the agent-turned-patient reached for the glass of water beside his bed. After taking a large gulp, he set it back down on the table. "You know, I just thought of something. Lee Seonwoong and Kim Jongin used to be research partners. That box you found in the secret room was full of research notes. Do you see what I'm getting at?"

"What do you think I am, stupid?" Woohyun snorted. "Of course I do. I hope whoever's guarding ol' Jongin is keeping close tabs on him. We wouldn't want him to disappear again, not when we have such a resourceful lead."

Kris leaned back in his bed, suddenly feeling worn-out and exhausted. He felt like all of the energy in his body had been out by a black hole. The day had truly been a train wreck to go through. After Jongin shot him in the leg, Hoya immediately tackled him to the ground. The highly fit, athletic agent versus the crazed, elderly man... As expected, it hadn't been much of a fight.

Hoya leaped forwards and pinned the screaming man to the ground. In one swift move, he wrestled the gun out of Jongin's grip and threw it far into the shadows.

"Kris! Are you alright?" he called, sounding much calmer than he really was.

There was no answer. Hoya strained his ears, trying to hear a response over the yells of Kim Jongin. When a minute had passed with no sign of his partner's well-being, Hoya's heart sank. He began to assume the worst- that the bullet had hit Kris in a fatal spot- that he was bleeding to death somewhere in the darkened hallway-

A groan interrupted his panicked thoughts.

"I'm okay." Kris' voice was tense, as if he was speaking through gritted teeth. It also sounded like he was panting, struggling to regain his breath after being hit. "I'm just- My leg-  ."

"What's wrong? Did he shoot you in the leg?" Hoya asked at once. He ignored the protesting man trapped beneath him.

"Let me go! Let me go or I'll shoot! I'll kill you if I don't leave!"

Kris in a breath. "Yeah, my leg. The bullet hit my shin. I think it shattered some bones. But it's not that bad." He suddenly hissed loudly, giving Hoya the impression that it hurt a lot more than he let on.

"Give me a second, okay? Hang in there." Hoya pulled himself to his feet. It took some effort, seeing as his prisoner was struggling like an eel in a net, but he managed. The agent held onto the screaming elder with a tight hand, reaching into his jacket pocket with the other.

"Kim Jongin, you're under arrest for threatening and maiming a Crime Scene Inspector." Pulling out a pair of handcuffs, Hoya slapped them onto Jongin's wrists. "Also, we're bringing you in on the suspicion of a murder. Anything you say or do can be used against you. A solicitor may be brought in at your request."

"I'm not afraid to shoot!" the old man was still shouting. "I already hit one of you bastards; don't think I won't do the same to you!"

"Save it for the questioning. I'm sure Chen will be very interested in what you have to say, Mr. Kim." Hoya reached into his pocket once more. This time, he brought out his cellphone. Again, it wasn't easy holding the suspect and punching numbers into his phone at the same time, but he did it.

"911? We have an emergency here. A man has been shot and requires immediate medical care... Yes, the shooter is still here. I'm currently holding him captive. A team of officers is very much necessary..." After giving the operator the appartment address, Hoya hung up.

"They're coming, Kris." Hoya glanced around the shadowy corridor. He wasn't certain, but a few feet away from him, he thought he saw the faint outline of a man, lying on his side and clutching one of his legs. "An ambulance and some police officers are on their way. They should be here in a few minutes."

"I heard you," Kris retorted, although his voice sounded the tiniest bit strained. "It's my leg that's hurt, not my ears."

Woohyun exhaled, pulling Kris out of his reverie. 

"Are you sure that man is Kim Jongin? The one who shot you?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Kris winced when his leg gave a particularly painful twinge. "The guys at HQ have confirmed it's him. But I pretty much knew when Hoya arrested him. He told me later how he saw a picture of Jongin in the hallway, near the entrance. For some reason, it had his name on the frame."

"He couldn't be interviewed today, right?"

"No." Kris looked at his friend. "When back-up arrived, the medics sedated him and told us to question him tomorrow. Hoya was pissed about that. He kept complaining about wasting time, and how the killer would slip even further out of our reach. But you know what medics are like with us. They were adamant about us talking to the man tomorrow."

Woohyun laughed. "Doctors, nurses, medical assistants... They're all like the mortal enemies of us CSI agents, aren't they?" Leaning over, he snagged a stray orange off the bedside table. It was originally supposed to be a part of the patient's dinner, but seeing as he hadn't touched it, Woohyun claimed it for himself. 

He began peeling the fruit. "And this Park Hana. Our suspect's step-sister. Hoya said there's still no sign of her. It could be that she's just out of town and left her phone behind, or Jongin..." Woohyun lifted his gaze to meet Kris' own.

"Or Jongin, that crazy bastard, killed her like he meant to do to you," was what his eyes implied.

Releasing a sigh, the sandy-haired man reached for his water again. He could feel a big, unwanted headache coming on- just what an injured agent on a murder case needed. "A few guys in intelligence are working on it. They're doing everything they can to track her down. Hopefully, they'll find her. When they do, she can fill in the gaps about Jongin."

"You mean, if  they do," replied Woohyun. His words were only met with a grunt.

The two men sat in another silence. One was lost in his thoughts and the other was eating an orange. Methodically, the latter pulled the wedges apart one-by-one, before popping them into his mouth. The quiet was broken when Woohyun, having reached his last piece, cleared his throat obtrusively.

"So. Cute guy, that Tao." Smirking, he tossed the orange segment into his awaiting mouth. "Does he come into your room often, Kris?"

"Shut up, you idiot," was the immediate reply. But Woohyun still noticed how his eyes flickered towards the door, motionless after the redheaded intern had closed it behind him.

[A/N] I'm not keeping Taoris in this story. I just thought it'd be a nice way to ease tension in that scene... So, sorry to all of you eager shippers! (I'm keeping Kyung, though. I'm keeping him because I've recently discovered my inner BBC, and I'm ready to unleash my full love for those seven poor, suffering, idiot idols ♥)

And I should tell you that I'm going on a mini-hiatus. End-of-year exams are coming up and I have way too many final projects to work on. Wish me luck, yeah? I have the worst feeling I'm not going to survive this term /oh Krisus/

But to keep you hanging: What's going on at Highwater Street? What does Kyung have to do with the investigation? (okay that was obvious) Exactly how much does he know about the mockingbirds? And what's with Jongin? Or Seonwoong's research notes? Are they a total coincidence, or do they have an obscure connection to the case? Oh, the suspense~!