D—“:

Namjoo turned away from the window to look at Baekhyun when the door opened.

“They’re gone, aren’t they?” Namjoo questioned.

He came over and nodded. Namjoo scooted over a little before gesturing for him to sit.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

Namjoo shook her head, “I’m ok.”

“You’re worried, aren’t you?”

She gently smiled, “I’m worried, but they’ll do fine. Kris and Victoria are strong people. They know Organization One better than we do.”

“That’s a given.”

“Baekhyun,” Namjoo started, “you want to go too, don’t you?”

He didn’t reply.

“Can I ask for a favor from you?” she questioned.

He nodded with a smile.

“I know Kris has been having a hard time after Luhan died,” Namjoo said, “and I’m afraid of what might happen to him after I go too. Can you look after him for me and make sure he doesn’t do anything silly?”

She did her best to hold her tears in her eyes and she knew he saw them too because his face softened up and he tilted his head down.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m putting a burden on you,” Namjoo apologized.

“No, it’s not a burden.” Baekhyun assured. “I’ll do it for you.”

“And…there’s something else,” Namjoo added, “if anything happens to me before they make it back…I have an apartment in Seoul. Kim Dong Hyun, my father…since I won’t be able to get the key to my apartment, you can find him and tell him that I told you to ask for it. If he doesn’t believe you, tell him that Namjoo has a burn on the back of her shoulder because dad accidentally burned her with a cigar once. No one knows but my parents and Luhan, so they’ll believe you.”

“But…why…”

“I’m afraid Kris won’t have a place to stay when he goes back to Seoul.”

Baekhyun stared at her for a long time before asking, “A…aren’t you going back with him?”

Namjoo smiled again in reply.

“Are you hurting somewhere? You’re in pain, aren’t you?” Baekhyun started to rise, but she grabbed his arm to stop him.

“I’m not,” Namjoo assured before she frowned somewhat. “And…thank you, Baekhyun, for always being there. I’m glad I got to know you.” This look of heavy concern entered his face before she pulled him into a hug. “I’m so grateful for you.” Then she patted his back. “Go after them, Baekhyun. I’ll wait for you here.”

He hugged her in return before letting go. “You promised.”

Namjoo nodded before she watched him go and when the door closed she bid her farewell, “Live well.”

D—“:

Approximately 20 minutes later, they stopped. Victoria turned to them, “Police camp is east of here. We’ll split up here.”

Without question, the others nodded.

“Be careful, Victoria,” Kris cautioned.

“You too.” Then she turned and started her own way.

D—“:

After massaging and putting an icepack on his ankle the whole night, Changmin was able to walk without limping the next morning. Right at dawn, a troop of 70 highly personalized and trained men led by a detective arrived on site. Changmin didn’t witness the welcoming of them by Sergeant Park because he was still in his tent numbing his ankle, so by the time he got out he found everyone in a neat formation of four columns.

“We’re going to arrest everyone we see, don’t shoot unless you’re in danger. We want everyone back alive,” Sergeant Park shouted loudly from the front, “don’t back down, and don’t run! Is everyone clear on the rules?!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Move out!”

D—“:

It only made sense that Kris and the others would arrive at Organization One before Victoria did. They were supposed to be the first ones to attack, but as they neared Organization One’s base, they stopped in their tracks. Their eyes wondered around as the blood smeared on the trees and the bodies of people that had been left behind on the trees caught their eyes.

“What the hell…” Eunhyuk muttered. “What happened here?”

“Didn’t you say there were cops the other day?” Tao questioned. “Maybe it’s them.”

Chan Shik turned away from the sight with his eyes closed. “Argh…how gruesome…”

Kris, on the other hand, was devastated by the sight. Since when did Organization One go with leaving bodies around like this clotted up in one place?

“Get your guns ready,” Kris whispered as he turned toward the clearing. “If they attacked the cops like this, they’re going to be on the watch out for more.”

He listened as the others readied themselves with their guns held at their sides. Chan Shik almost jumped in spot when Kris suddenly pointed his gun up and shot someone on the rooftop. All of a sudden a few rounds of bullets swarmed into the ground around them and dirt went flying up into the air. Eunhyuk turned to avoid getting it into his eyes.

“Stay together!” Kris shouted.

He would have to hold out for as long as possible until Victoria arrived or else they would be in a complete mess. A few more members from Organization One popped up from the rooftop and continued cornering them into spot with their guns. Tao turned in spot and shot someone from behind a tree before he realized that Organizaiton One was starting to surround them. Someone darted out from behind a tree, but before he could shoot, a bullet zoomed from out of nowhere striking that person down. Tao twisted his head around and spotted Baekhyun running toward them.

“What are you doing here!?” Chan Shik exclaimed.

“You think the five of you could do this alone?!” Baekhyun criticized before he pulled the trigger of his gun again. “Wasn’t the plan to get into Organization One?! What the heck are you doing out here?!”

Kris turned to eye Baekhyun, but unable to use up his time to ask anything he shouted after taking the last person from the rooftop down and before anymore might come up, “Go, go, go!”

D—“:

Victoria was forced to a halt when she was halfway to police camp. In front of her was what looked like a marching band. Men in uniform. Guns at their sides. Their heavy boots stomped against the ground with every footstep.

What was this? Who were they? Where were they going?

She didn’t move from her spot and reached back for her gun. Gripping it in hand she searched each of their faces before she recognized some of the police officers among them. Victoria could only assume now that perhaps the cops had gotten the better of the information the day Luhan had died. Of course, they would have also collected his body.

Without her, they would be heading to Organization One anyway. So…what would she do now?

Victoria pressed her lips together and ran her thumb over the gun handle before raising it. Through the pupil of her eye all she saw was Changmin. Her hand didn’t shake and she was well in control of herself. Victoria knew she could do this.

D—“:

Changmin’s eyes flew wide open when something whizzed past his ear and struck the tree behind the 13 others who were behind him. Breaking the formation, he paused and turned in time to see the bullet lodge itself into the fat bark chipping some of its rough surface off with a sound underneath the air. Everything silenced during that moment and he twisted around to see someone running away.

The murmurs of confusion and excitement drowned out everything behind him before his eyes zoomed in on that long hair. Tory had long hair…and she had gone missing for a long time…

His eyes grew wide again and he ran after her.

“Shim Changmin!” he heard Sergeant Park scream after him.

D—“:

Victoria was fast. She knew she could outrun them, so she wasn’t worried or scared and she knew the cops wouldn’t shoot her down before they caught up to her first. She reached Organization One’s grounds before they did and from a distance could hear the others in battle already. Guns were going off everywhere and she could hear Organization One members screaming and shouting orders around.

She felt sorry for Kris and the others because she had planned this. She wasn’t going to aid them in fighting; this was meant for a confrontation between her and Changmin. Victoria was confident she could trust in Eunhyuk to allow for the other’s survivals.

Turning away from the roars of bullets she eyed for a tree and climbed it.

D—“:

Bodies, bodies, and more bodies ended up sprawling across the grass around them. Eunhyuk could hear himself almost panting from the frantic movement of his hands.

“Reload!” he shouted before reloading his gun with more bullets.

He could feel Chan Shik push him aside while covering him and shooting his own gun. After reloading his gun, he raised it up again only to turn around a second later to see people entering Organization One’s grounds from the woods. Uniformed men, Eunhyuk spotted uniformed men…

“Freeze!” they shouted before the other men got into formation on their knees and held out their rifles while the next row behind stood cautiously in the background.

Organization One members turned from where they were on the grounds and on the rooftop of the artillery building. Without hesitating, a sniper shot down one of the uniformed men. The others swung their guns in his direction.

Eunhyuk could feel his heart racing. Uniformed men…then he peered back at the others.

“Don’t shoot, don’t do it,” Eunhyuk ordered before he nervously reached around for his pockets and pulled something out. Kris watched him hold out an identification card stamped with a red mark before shouting, “Don’t shoot! We’re a specialized government unit!”

A general in front nodded for one of his men to run forward. He grabbed Eunhyuk’s identification card and ran back with it. Eunhyuk anxiously watched as the official eyed his I.D. before giving a nod of acknowledgement.

From the corner of Kris’ eye he spotted another sniper setting aim on the uniformed men and quickly raised his gun up to shoot.

“These men are with me, don’t harm them,” Eunhyuk stated when the official drew nearer with his men. “And there’s a woman…”

“What’s going on here? You have some explaining to do, Lee Hyukjae,” the official grumbled.

Eunhyuk eyed the others, “Kris, can you lead them? I’ll stay here with the others.”

“Sure,” Kris nodded and eyed the uniformed men before they ran forward.

Eunhyuk picked up his gun and continued shooting.

“Hyung, who are they?” Tao questioned from behind. “Is it ok to just let Kris go off with them?”

“A branch from the FBI,” Eunhyuk explained. “No more questions. Keep them covered.”

D—“:

Changmin flew to an immediate halt when someone jumped down from what seemed like the sky in front of him. His chest heavily bounced up and down when his eyes froze on her.

“Changmin!” he heard the others screaming behind him then he heard them lift their guns up.

“No!” Changmin screamed. “Don’t shoot!”

Her eyes weren’t what he remembered. They were silent, deep, dark, and full of anger. Tory…wasn’t like this. Her eyes had gleamed of softness and sadness. She was gentle…she didn’t hold a gun…but why was this person so similar to her?

“What the hell…who is she?” Yunho whispered from behind.

The screaming from behind her made Changmin’s heart race even faster. He gulped, but never looked away from her.

“Changmin! What the hell are you doing?!” someone scolded. “We can’t stay here any longer!”

Yunho grabbed onto his shoulder, “It’s not her, Changmin!”

“Leave.”

Yunho became silent before his hand slipped off Changmin’s shoulder.

“You’ll be alright, won’t you?” Yunho questioned.

He didn’t reply and in the end Yunho joined the others and ran toward the battlefield. When they disappeared out of sight and only Changmin remained along with the dead bodies hanging from the trees, Victoria raised her gun. The wind blew at the dirt among the ground and they swirled up by his feet before falling back onto the ground. All that really perked his senses was the hard beating of his heart pounding against his rib cage. He didn’t breathe nor moved, and his eyes landed right on the pistol.

Who was she?

Yet he still had the nerve to call her name, “T…Tory…”

“I’m not Tory,” she replied with a straight face, with those hard eyes, “I’m Victoria Song, 27 years old, I grew up here at Organization One. Don’t mistake me for one of your disgusting friends.”

But all he could hear from inside was his screaming. This wasn’t it. She was Tory. She was the person he’d met. He was sure of it!

“N…no…”

He listened as she unlocked her gun. Changmin flinched and shut his eyes for a split second when Victoria shot at the tree right behind him.

She took a step forward with her aim still on him, “Why did you shoot him?”

Changmin raised his eyes to look up at her furious expression and locked his lips together.

“Who was it that said killing is wrong?” Victoria raised an eyebrow and shot at the ground before his feet.

He ended up taking a step back with eyes still on her. His body was frozen. His brain wasn’t functioning. He couldn't even tell himself to defend himself by pulling out his gun.

“Who was it that said taking someone’s life is a crime!!?” she shrieked with eyes shut and he saw the hand with the gun was now shaking. “That no matter the circumstance, killing is wrong…but why did you shoot him!? Why!?”

Changmin felt his bottom lip shake. She pulled the trigger twice on him and he clamped his eyes shut. The bullets pierced the air around him, but they didn’t touch him. Why…why wasn’t she shooting him directly? What did she actually mean to do?

And when he looked at her, he saw all the pain etched onto her face.

“Changmin,” she said, “if you see that a girl is alone and that she’s struggling, would you want to save her?”

“Of course, I’d want to help her.”

“Even if that girl was me?” she shouldn’t have asked, Victoria felt dumb for asking, but she’d done it anyway.

Changmin slightly stopped in his steps and turned to look at her.

“Of course.” His voice was gentle and coaxing. “I would save you.”

Then Changmin heard it.

“Save me.”

“Save me.”

“Save me.”

His eyes slowly grew wide and he heard the last gunshot go off.

***This chapter for action, the next chapter for conclusion. 

***Victoria's confrontation with Changmin ends here. She can't shoot him or hurt him. And she may just as much as hate herself for that.