~_____~

It was raining now. The rain splattered them, soaking them all the way down to the bones. The cold downpour reminded him of the freezing winter, the time when skin grew numb and senses recoiled merely because it was so cold. Streets were emptying and tremendous amounts of water crashed up onto the sidewalk whenever a car drove by. Not that Kris wouldn’t get any more wet than he was already.

“Search every black car! Stop everyone you see! Don’t miss anyone!” Donghae earlier barked orders at them. “We have to find Suho!”

In the end, nothing was going the way they wanted yet again. Being with Donghae’s team sent them rolling through bizarre events. Something was always happening. It didn’t seem like his private life was all that calm either.

Suho’s earlier fight with Lay still stung his mind, like a score of arrows. So were the words he’d very apologetically given him before disappearing. What did it all mean? Why would he feel used? What lies? What secrets did Suho have with Namjoo exactly?

Kris struggled to remain on task. His mind kept trailing off. He wanted to talk with Namjoo, because he didn’t believe for a moment that she would lie to him. She wasn’t like that. She wasn’t. Not the person he knew she was.

But did he…really know her?

“Detective,” he flashed his I.D. after pulling over a black vehicle, had the driver scroll the window down. “I need to check your car. Please open your trunk and give me your I.D.”

Dedicated to her job and willing to put her life on the line to get the job finished. That was Namjoo. A person who didn’t love, didn’t know how to give love or receive it. She was a wounded sheep in wolves’ clothing. Her pride outweighed everything else in her life.

What would Namjoo have lied to him about?

Kris couldn’t imagine any situation that would have inclined her to do so, not in his memory. Namjoo wouldn’t have used him for anything…she wasn’t like that…

“I feel a bit sorry for you, Kris. I think you’ve been fooled. Not just by a team of liars, but even by the woman who lost your child.”

A sense of dread filled him.

“Hey, excuse me,” the man tapped the side of his car impatiently. “What exactly are you doing? Is this some kind of trick?”

Returning to reality Kris felt the cold rain senselessly trickle down the side of his face, into his clothes, and beyond. The man groaned as Kris stepped back onto the curb dazed, rolled his window back up, and drove away splashing water against his legs as it disappeared down the road. Kris watched the vehicle go, his mind pleading for confirmation that Lay was wrong.

He hadn’t been used. He wasn’t a fool.

~_____~

Tension was high in the air, the true obstruction of their peace. Victoria ran along the streets, keeping in mind to keep Donghae in sight. He was nearly a block ahead on the opposite side of the street, swiftly stopping to peer into each parked vehicle the shade of black. Victoria had never known for so many people to own so many cars.

Right after the game started they immediately split up after catching up to Kris and Lay. They were all now farther from their starting point than ever. She and Donghae would continue going straight until they reached a dead end. Kris and Lay had split, each going right and left. All they were hoping for now, was some kind of news about Suho. If he was dead – worst case scenario – Donghae would ultimately kill whoever had started the game. Then he’d go after whoever let him split from the group, Lay or Kris.

Suho was the core part of that team. He was likeable, although destructive. Right now there was no other way, but to get to him before he would hemorrhage and die. They were, once again, on time constraint.

Victoria was shivering, wishing the cold downpour would cease. They streets were well abandoned except for those sheltered in cars. Among these buildings, she wondered which ones may be abandoned. The only spot those rogues would take to hiding in was a well abandoned one, unchecked by authorities.

Panting from both the cold and from the continuous run she’d made desperately to keep up with Donghae, she stopped and watched him hurry ahead. Donghae was panicking, she could tell. He wouldn’t admit it, but if his favorite assistant’s life was in danger he would near crumble after receiving that kind of message. Whoever had taken Suho may have taken his gun seeing how the walkie-talkie had been stolen.

Judging from the speaker, she didn’t believe he had any link to Hyukjae’s human trafficking circle. Then who the hell was he? Why ask for Hyukjae? To play around with Donghae? Them?

Static clicked in the air. The sound waves tangled before a voice came through. Victoria’s heart jumped, wondering if the captor was speaking to them. Instead, it was Lay. “I found it. A black car. The window’s cracked.”

“Where are you?” Donghae immediately inquired.

A second later Donghae came lunging down the sidewalk in her direction. Victoria readied to turn and follow when he neared. They raced along the street, their feet pounding into the sidewalk and into the deep puddles. Every splash reminded her how soaked her feet were. Socks drenched into oblivion, freezing and almost numb. Her hair now lanky and stiff, molted together. Everything was uncomfortable inside out, but dismissing her comfort for the sake of the job wasn’t it.

Everyone arrived on location no less than ten minutes later. Victoria’s eyes sunk in the sight of the cracked window, the center of the collision with spidery cracks spreading out. It was obvious Suho was surprise attacked here.

“He must be near here,” Donghae turned around to gaze up at the buildings looming over them. Everyone followed to gaze around, but there was no sight of anyone. “Dammit!” Donghae slammed his hand against the car. “Why isn’t he contacting us back?”

Heaving a groan he pulled out his radio and spoke into it. “Suho? Do you hear me? Whoever is there, we’ve found the car.”

Silence.

The noisy rain splattering against concrete became louder in their ears, an eerie echo. Victoria watched Donghae clutch onto the radio so hard his knuckles turned white. He was upset, angered at the severe turn of events.

“Why did you let him run off?!” Donghae turned to Lay and Kris, raising his voice as loudly as his anger allowed. “Do you take my orders as a joke?! Will you take responsibility if we lose those girls again?! I specifically said no one is to act on their own! How vague does that sound?! We came here to save the girls, but look what we’re doing right now?! One of our men is dying, and we can’t do anything about it!”

Lowering their heads, Lay apologized in a murmur, “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?!” Donghae screamed. “Will an apology fix this?! If Suho dies, will it bring him back from the dead?!”

Each drop of rain carried with it desolation and grief, the heaviest of all feelings. The surging tension flew around them, drawing deep into their hearts the realist act of consequences.

Knowing it may be helpless, yet Victoria reached out to grasp onto Donghae’s arm with utmost certainty. “We’ll save him. We will.”

Then the sound of static infiltrated the air again.

“Round two.” The man spoke. “I spy a phone.”

Victoria locked eyes with Donghae, sharing his confusion yet frustration. Then glass shattered and they looked up to see a mobile phone flying through the air before crashing against the puddle sidewalk. It immediately broke, its screen shattered and the battery slid out. Donghae was quick to pick it up. Panic and fire coated his eyes.

“What do you want? Let him go, I’ll give you anything.” Donghae rashly offered, clasping the phone within his grasp like some long lost object.

The man chuckled from the other side. “Well that’s no fun. We have a round three to get to.”

“I said let him go dammit!” Donghae screamed into the radio.

“On the rooftop. I spy a man with a gun.” All their heads immediately turned to find someone readying an aim on them.

“Kris, Lay, you get him,” Victoria immediately demanded. “Scatter!” a round of bullets flew through the air, flying against the sheet of rain destroying the business windows. As shards of glass swooped down, shattering into irreplaceable pieces Victoria darted toward the building the phone had dropped from.

She slammed into the locked door with a grunt. Impatiently stepping back she unlocked the safety on her gun, aiming for the silver door handle. After numerous shots the knob finally clicked. Rushing ahead of her Donghae opened the door and started up the stairwell that greeted them.   

If they were thinking the same thing – she hoped they were – they were both after the person who’d dropped the phone – Suho’s phone, she realized. Upon the first brown door they came across Donghae angrily kicked it until it flew open. An empty office. Swerving, they continued to run up the stairs.

~_____~

“If you have the opportunity to help, then you should do it! Doing what’s right, that’s my job! Don’t tell me yours is any different and you’re willing to go against it.”

“Donghae’s orders, Suho,” Lay reminded. “This is our job. We can’t do anything about it. Sometimes we have to break our morals to get what we need in the long run.”

Suho panted angrily and tried to break free again, “I’m not shameless; I’m not willing to let someone’s life break apart when I had the chance to make a difference! I’m not going to let her go through what the other girls had to! You know clearly about the abuse they have to face and you’re going to do nothing?! If so, you should quit your job. We don’t need someone like you on the force. Morals shouldn’t be broken, Lay, they shouldn’t be taken so easily either. If they’re so easily broken, you should look at yourself and see what you’re doing wrong.”

Lay wanted to bitterly laugh, break free of his stoic expression. He didn’t.

Back when they were sent to Yeongwol, leader-like Suho had taken charge of their expedition. Made the wrong right, selflessly gave his money away to a girl he didn’t know so she could have a new beginning somewhere else safely, and turned the situation around for him and Chorong, who by the end of the mission, both walked away guilt free. He’d led an operation to save thirty more girls, risky as it had been but the three of them had survived.

Now he felt if they were to go back in time he would stand in Suho’s shoes and Suho in his shoes. For keeping Eunhyuk’s twin a secret, they’d broken a code of trust. He, himself, had said it. Sometimes we have to break our morals to get what we need in the long run. Suho and Namjoo were doing exactly that, for their team leader…for everyone.

They were right.

The coin had flipped. The both of them now stood in the other’s shoes. Lay owed Suho an apology. Under every condition they had to get to him before anything else could happen.

They stampeded up the stairs, their breaths shooting out in short even gasps. The air smelled rusty and dry. Walls were in need of repainting and the smooth brown floor no longer able to be cleaner than they already were. Adrenaline pumped through Lay’s blood as he surged forward, but came to an abrupt halt upon the sound of footsteps. Lifting his head up revealed to him a man with a long range rifle, the black strap slung around his torso, the hilt in his hand. He looked menacing with narrow slits for his eyes, thin lips a straight line, all with a crooked expression.

The heavy gun clicked as he raised it, pointed it toward them.

For a long second the three of them froze, each awaiting the other’s move. When neither did, Lay felt his hands sweat and ended up pressing his fingers into his palm to calm himself. He wasn’t sure what to do in such a dangerous situation. Maybe Chorong and Suho were rubbing off him with their impulsive antics.

This was the first time in history he’d ever been held at gunpoint so closely. One wrong move would have him or Kris dead. Lay scanned his mind for a strategy, but all he could think about were the words Chorong once said. “Lets not act coy.”

Well, he supposed, majority of the time Suho’s crazy antics always came out successful. This would either kill or save them. Without warning Lay lunged forward, his hand grasping onto the body of the gun. Tilting it up at once he felt debris drift down on them like snow at the vibration of the gun.

His ears deafened with a leftover ringing that lasted the rest of the fight. The weight of his body forced the perpetrator back onto the steps, pinning him there. Lay worked fast and gripped onto the of the machine with his other hand to make resistance futile. The man swiftly grappled at his hands to free himself, but Lay dug his knee into the man’s chest with utmost pressure. He listened to the enemy cry out in pain.

Twisting the entire rifle against the man’s throat, Lay threatened, “I have you at breaking point. I’ll crush your throat if you don’t give me the answer I want.”

His body jolted slightly with the man’s attempt to throw him off. Lay pushed the rifle down onto him with more force.

“Five seconds.” Lay warned. “Where’s your boss? And where’s our friend?”

~_____~

Static waves breezed from through the walkie-talkie. Victoria immediately lifted hers up.

“Not there. Get out of there,” it was Lay.

“Did you get him?” Victoria asked, swinging her eyes to Donghae who was quickly moving ahead. They’d gone up five floors and still nothing.

“Suho’s not there. Neither is Kim Dae Ho.”

Donghae noisily shifted around to stare at her and instead of pulling out his own radio, snatched it from her. “What did you say?”

Victoria could feel it from deep down in her veins. Something big had just happened. Kim Dae Ho, the name was familiar.

“Kim Dae Ho.” Lay repeated with more clarity. “They sabotaged the van and took the girls with them. He’s got Suho too, but they’re not there. We have to leave now if we want to save him.”

Immediately walking pass her Donghae began running down the steps, skipping two at a time. Victoria remained on his heels.

“Where are they?” Donghae asked.

“Like you said, northbound,” Lay stated.

“If you and Kris are out, get there first. Victoria and I will follow,” Donghae ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Lay replied before clicking off.

“Kim Dae Ho,” Victoria began, “what about him? He was the one who mentioned Hyukjae.”

“Yea,” Donghae murmured, gliding down the steps, like a snowboarder down a mountain of snow. “Kim Dae Ho was penalized for a series of thefts. When he got released he ventured into drugs. He’s famous among dealers.”

“You know him.” It was more of a statement than a question.

A long silence followed, as if Donghae wanted to avoid answering. Victoria didn’t push, but waited. They finally arrived at the broken entrance and Donghae dramatically paused in front of the door.

“We’ve gotten into long and dirty scuffles,” he turned to look at her. “Suho, Namjoo, and I were tailing him before this. No matter how long we chased him and his people, we couldn’t nail them. I thought we could pin them down if we pulled down Hyukjae’s line of work. If two strings are attached, they’re both bound to unwind when one breaks. The two are hand in hand after all. Drugs contribute to the . You get paid for providing drugs; in turn, the human trafficking line reaps money by drugging those girls and calling forth business. It evens out business in their terms. They can shed blood for money.”

Donghae’s eyes were cold. She wondered how much disappointment he was faring with after all the denial he had long been feeding himself with. That a friend could do something so ugly and he was unable to put a stop to it, because he didn’t have enough power. The anger, the disgust. Victoria couldn’t put the depth of his feelings into words satisfying enough.

She wouldn’t be able to stand herself if anyone close was involved in such work.

“But seeing how he wants Hyukjae,” Donghae said, “they must have each other. They’re having a war.”

“And what are you going to do?”

“If two male are placed in a ring, who do you think wins?” Donghae looked at her. “They fight till death until one has his flesh torn from his body.”

Victoria stared at Donghae sullenly. His desperation to get to Eunhyuk had tremendously changed. She couldn’t tell whether she was more chilled or shocked.

“We get Suho, let Kim Dae Ho go and follow his trail. If he wants Hyukjae, we’ll let him get Hyukjae.” 

***Welll, Lay realizes he made a big mistake .-. 

***Donghae's taking the wheel! After Namjoo barely survived and now Suho, he's met his limits! Nothing's more important than the life of those closest to you. At least he's not being so selfish anymore. But will he really forfeit Hyukjae like this?