One second they were at the warehouse, the next at the Yeongwol police department. The three of them leaned over the counter while the officer tracked down the location the call had come from.

Even now Kris still felt chills from just thinking about it. Reality was punching him in the guts harder. They were all in danger. This person watching them would stall them for as long as possible and it wouldn’t matter who got hurt. The suddenly realization that they were receiving indirect threats and had only realized it now made it seem to surreal. They were slow with catching on; no wonder they were always a step behind.

“Seoul,” the officer broke into his thoughts, “the call came from Seoul.”

“What?” Chorong asked shocked. “Seoul!?”

Being the only calm one Lay placed his hands on the top of the counter, “Can you verify the address for us?”

~_____~

Something was there in Wonju, something close to Eunhyuk. Before Victoria would realize it, Donghae needed to plan a move. Namjoo and Suho would have to make a trip there and look around, but where to look was the problem.

If Victoria hadn’t run out during the middle of interrogation alarming Officer Choi who’d seen her in the hallway, he wouldn’t have been found out and scolded. Without given the chance to question those two gangmen anymore they were taken back to their cells. Their mention of Wonju stuck inside Donghae’s head like glue though.

They were stopping in Wonju next. For what? To gather more girls? To meet up with the ring leader?

Questions burst into Donghae’s head upon one another. Unable to help himself any longer he left his office and made the drive back to the Detention Center.

“Nope can do, Donghae,” Officer Choi shook his head at his desk 10 minutes later when he arrived, arms crossed over his wide chest.  

“Just 5 minutes,” Donghae bargained. “Please, it’s important.”

“You already went against the rules today; you treated them roughly, and went ahead with the questioning without my watch.” Officer Choi retaliated a bit kindly. “I didn’t report this to Lee Suk Jin, so take that as my favor.”

“I need them to clarify something for me,” Donghae went on stubbornly, “it’s crucial to the mission! Please!”

Officer Choi glanced up at him through his lids and for a second Donghae was sure the man felt compassion for him. Donghae let out a disappointed sigh when Officer Choi shook his head.

“What are you doing here, Donghae? Don’t you have more important things to do out there?”

“I can’t do anything without verification of my next target location!” Donghae let his irritation slide through.

Officer Choi, who’d become used to Donghae’s tantrums over the years, remained cold in his seat without reaction.

“Maybe you should stop relying on the gangmen and rely on your intuition,” Officer Choi advised. “Or focus on your teamwork. You don’t look united as a group to me.”

Donghae felt his stare become bleak on this man in front of him.

“It’s impossible to cut right to the chase in these kind of cases,” Officer Choi reminded, “you know that. It’s a lot of work and information gathering. The workload is too heavy and mighty for you and your small team, have you not thought about it?”

Officer Choi paused to let the words sink in Donghae’s head.

“Victoria joined hands with the people she believes is most capable in order to help you through this case,” Officer Choi continued, “you’re supposed to share the work. Instead of coming here all the time to keep your eye on the people you bring in, why is there no other strategy than that? You know I’ll call you if information comes up. So what is this Donghae?

“Are you disregarding your assignment for the friend involved in this case or is it because you still refuse help from outside? Don’t come here tomorrow or the day after. I’ll figure out a way to get something out of those men, so go back.”

~_____~

Suho had just stepped outside of the shower and just placed some microwavable food into the microwave. Picking up the towel draped over his shoulder he worked it against his wet hair and turned when the doorbell rang.

He wasn’t expecting any visitors and he hoped Namjoo hadn’t decided to drop by. Donghae had, after all, purposely given the day to her and Tao to spend together. Though he couldn’t retaliate against what was going through Donghae’s mind he was a bit worried about his friend. Plus, the things Chorong had asked him about Namjoo and Kris were spicing up his curiosity.

Actually, he’d never wondered what Namjoo’s side of the story with Kris was. He was only aware that Kris liked her. It made him wonder about what Chorong had seen to tell him that they treated each other different. What was this ‘different’?

The doorbell rang again and he walked toward it. To his unexpectation, Donghae was standing on the other side.

“Oh…Donghae,” Suho said surprised before letting him in, “I thought you were working on other matters.”

Donghae heaved a loud sigh before dropping onto Suho’s couch comfortably. Suho almost started toward him, but the beep of the microwave signaling that his food was finished stopped him. Turning around he grabbed his food deciding that fulfilling his hunger was more important before sitting on the coffee table to face Donghae.

“So why did you stop by? Did something come up?” Suho wondered.

Donghae suddenly leaned forward, arching his back, “Does it…does it look like I resent Victoria and her team?”

The fork stopped midway to Suho’s mouth and he asked dumbfoundedly, “You don’t?”

This made Donghae roll his eyes before falling back against the couch. “So you think we can’t handle matters ourselves too.”

Suho suddenly found himself stuck between choosing to put the food in his mouth or talking with Donghae. In the end he had to set the food aside.

“Realistically,” Suho began, “there’s just so much of them the four of us aren’t enough to try to track or stop them. The information gathering makes things quite difficult too. There’s always someone innocent in the way and we’re always being prohibited in some way. It’s easier because someone from the other team can make up for what one of us lacks. We can’t do it by ourselves.”

Donghae turned away from him as if to further think about it.

“But you don’t see me trying to stop Victoria or her team,” Donghae tried.

Truthfully, Suho felt like he was consulting an upset child. Donghae couldn’t see that his withholding information about Eunhyuk from Victoria was the sole start of the problem. But there was nothing to be done now since Suho was already in on it. Besides, he and Namjoo already had their own plans. It was best to remain this way.

“Ok, Donghae, ok,” Suho cooed. “I can see that you try to put them in the work too. If you can try to tone down your arguing with Victoria, I think that’ll make her feel better. It always seems like you’re going against her.”

He watched Donghae ball his tongue up against his cheek.

“Suho, be honest,” Donghae started, “do I seem like a bad person?”

“Accoring to the dictionary; bad means sinful, wicked, or evil,” Suho then proceeded with a joking smile, “you’re none of those. Though I joined you and Namjoo late, out of everyone we’ve known you the longest. You’re a good person, Donghae, I believe in you.”

“Ok, thanks Suho,” Donghae smiled sincerely. “By tomorrow morning, do you think you and Namjoo can head out to Wonju?”

“Wonju?” Suho repeated a bit surprised. What had Donghae found out?

“Just, one of the gangman mentioned that their next stop was there,” Donghae explained. “I couldn’t find out where exactly in Wonju…”

“I know,” Suho cut him off, “we’ll look into it.”

Again with a smile Donghae looked at ease, but that was when his phone started ringing loudly and crazily. Suho watched him answer the phone with an at ease expression before it became strict and dark.

“What is it?” Suho questioned when Donghae suddenly stood up.

“Business,” Donghae told starting toward the door to which Suho followed. Then he suddenly swirled around surprising Suho. “Also, do you think Tao and Namjoo can become an item?”

“Huh?” Was all Suho managed in that mere moment of surprise.

Donghae smiled again before patting his arm, “Help make some opportunities for them. They go well together.”

Without waiting for him to reply Donghae just walked off. Suho stared at empty air for a second before closing the door behind him. When he picked his food up it had already gone cold.

~_____~

Pushing aside another shirt with dislike Namjoo again found a plain blue button down with white cuffs. For a long time her eyes trailed over it. Tao had just unluckily reminded her of the shirt she owed Kris. If she got him the shirt he would stop pestering her, but she didn’t know how she’d feel when he did stop pestering her about it.

The next minute went by before she grabbed the tag to look for the shirt size. There was a flush of embarrassment flowing through her when she realized she did know his shirt size. A realization sunk into her that maybe he’d been watching when she placed his clothes onto the edge of the bed that morning. Maybe that was why he kept teasing her about it.

Namjoo drew her hand away from the shirt wondering what she was doing. It was probably a joke. Perhaps Kris didn’t really expect to receive a shirt from her after all. Lifitng her head up to look over the rack she saw that Tao was still not yet out of the fitting room. A second later her eyes trailed back to the shirt of her liking on the rack.

Flustered with so much thinking she grabbed it off the rack, clutched it within her arms, and walked toward the fitting room to wait for Tao. He finally walked out two minutes later.

“You’re buying that too?” Tao eyed the shirt in her arms.

As if she could hide it from him she grasped it tighter, hugging it against her, “Well…it’s…it’s for my brother.”

A smile of innocence burst across Tao’s face before he handed her one of his shirts, “Buy this for me. It’s the most expensive one.”

Namjoo looked up at him before quietly taking it without knowledge that he’d probably just handed her one of the least expensive ones to pay for.

~_____~

“Shouldn’t we stop to notify Victoria first?” Chorong wondered from the backseat.

“Lets find out what’s going on first,” Lay suggested. “I’m pretty sure we’ll still be ok.”

“This is probably a trick, isn’t it?” Chorong went on.

As they conversed back and forth Kris felt his mind slide out of focus when he took out his phone. At first his heart was thudding when he saw that Namjoo had sent him a text. He was expecting some sort of notification about dinner. Finally, they’d be able to spend some time together, just the two of them.

His heart sunk when his eyes roved over the words telling him something had come up and Namjoo couldn’t make it for dinner. She added at the very bottom of the text that they could reschedule, but Kris felt like she’d done it so she wouldn’t hurt his feelings.

Had Donghae assigned her on a job while he was in Yeongwol? Why couldn’t things work out for them?

The car was brought to a halt and Lay announced, “I think this is it.”

A second later Chorong asked, “Kris, you coming?”

That was when Kris realized the two were already out of their seats. Unbuckling his seatbelt he got out as well and followed them in.

~_____~

Chorong hadn’t expected a grand location nor had she expected a rundown location. In all she hadn’t known what to expect. The call had just come from somewhere in Seoul was all she’d been keeping in mind.

The front yard was really diluted with earth and a poorly kept playground. The building looked like it was rotting, alive and rotting. It wasn’t a great place to live, but after all not a lot of people were able to afford nicer places.

Who would have been here that made the call?

When they walked in she stared at the blank green walls that were just a mere reflection of one another. A young girl and her mother walked out of their apartment behind them and Chorong turned to see the young girl glance at her before being pulled away. So, Chorong guessed, there were really people inhabiting the alive and rotting building after all.

Lay brought them to a halt a few minutes later when they found the apartment.

“Someone left the door open,” Lay stated as he turned to look at them.

Chorong barely froze on spot. Was this an ambush?

“Do you think there’s someone inside?” Chorong whispered.

“Stay back,” Lay gestured his head to the side.

Both Kris and Chorong stepped against the wall out of sight. Skillfully and very quietly Lay stuck his foot out and lightly kicked the door open pulling his leg back a split second after. They waited in silence for anything; gunshots, shouts or threats, but none came.

The three of them turned to look at each other before nodding at each other and Lay first stepped out. Chorong’s eyes first became wide before covering her gaped mouth with a hand.

“Kris, call the cops!” Lay immediately ordered. “Someone needs to call Donghae. Chorong! Chorong!”

Horror clogged Chorong’s ears upon the unconscious and bloody Victoria lying on the floor, a cellphone beside her.       

~_____~

After being trapped in late afternoon traffic Donghae finally made it to the hospital where the three subordinates were waiting in front of the ER.

“How’s Victoria?” Donghae first asked upon his arrival.

The calm and collected Lay turned to greet him, “The doctor said the surgery is progressing well. They’ll be done with her in an hour.”

“What exactly happened?” Donghae questioned.

Lay went on to explain about the call to the phone they discovered at the warehouse and tracking it back to Seoul then to the apartment. Donghae’s eyes went split wide after hearing about the apartment and where it was Victoria had been found. At first his heart raced a little, but when he recalled that Namjoo had already gone through the apartment he became relaxed. There was nothing else in the apartment to be found.

The door opened a quick moment later and along with some nurses, Victoria was wheeled out. It wasn’t long till they were all standing in Victoria’s ward watching over her as she slept.

“I can stay and watch over her,” Donghae offered. “I need someone to find out what Victoria was doing there and what may have happened.”

He turned back to look at the three, but only Lay stepped forward. On a part, Donghae was glad Lay had offered. Compared to the other two, he looked most logical at the moment.

“I can do it,” Lay offered.

“Good,” Donghae nodded, “tell me anything you find out then. What about the phones?”

“Right here,” Chorong held out a bag they’d gotten for the phones.

“Should we give them to the Detention Center?” Lay wondered.

Donghae had to think this over. If given to Officer Choi’s people, Donghae might not receive any news about them. What if someone in the ring called? Donghae could then have direct communication with the people in the ring and get closer to Hyukjae. Whether they were threats or not, Donghae would at least be able to speak to those involved in the ring.

“Leave them at headquarters,” Donghae ordered. “Kris and Chorong, take a break. Thanks for your hard work.”

When they left the ward Donghae turned around to look at Victoria who was sleeping off the heavy anesthesia given to her. 

***Donghae seeks help from Suho xD LOLOL I just got a flashback of YSRM when Donghae also watches over Vic in the hospital *.*

***TaoJoo dinner date next, Chorong and Kris also have a conversation of their own, which will only help lead to Chorong's later confession huhu~~