~_____~

Anyang was half an hour’s drive from Seoul. They’d taken Namjoo’s car upon her suggestion. Namjoo could almost die at the thought of having to sit in his car in the passenger’s seat. This time she wanted to take charge, be in charge. However, this ride didn’t seem as plentiful as yesterday’s. She could feel his eyes glancing at her out of the corner of those lids. It irked her immediately even after she pretended she didn’t notice, but then why should she play hooky?

“What?” Namjoo questioned. “I don’t like people who stare. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

Kris placed his elbow against the window and slightly bit on his knuckle. “Did you go somewhere after work yesterday?”

A baffled confusion surged through her and Namjoo’s reaction was to half laugh, half snort. “What!?”

Kris slightly tilted his head, “I saw you at the park yesterday, if that was you.”

She let out a surprised breath, “I guess you’re very interested in my life.”

“It was coincidence.” He corrected. “Was that your boyfriend you were with?”

A frown crossed her face. “Boyfriend?”

From what she knew, she and Kyungsoo had been next door neighbors since the age of 10 and had gone to school together since the meager age of 10. If he was her boyfriend, she didn’t know. But she thought this was turning interesting.

“Yea,” she answered. “My boyfriend. His name’s Kyungsoo. He’s a silly one.”

She glanced at Kris through the corner of her eye. He seemed indifferent, but that didn’t matter. If he thought Kyungsoo was her boyfriend, she’d let him think that. What was the use of correcting him anyway?

Namjoo found a spot to park her car right away and got out of the car. She wanted to split up right away so she could work on her own instead of together, but they naturally entered the market together. It was slightly busy, but not packed. Most of those she saw were old women, aunts and grandmas. She ran her eyes over the displays of delicious foods, fresh fruits, fishes, and samples of cooked food set out for passersby to taste.

“You young couple, do you want to try some fried squid?” a middle aged woman shouted out toward them from her shop.

Namjoo put up a hand to kindly decline as she walked by. A lot of chattering was going on around her, which made it impossible to try to eavesdrop. When she listened in on one conversation the chattering next door would interrupt her concentration. It was like an endless wave of voices going in and out of her ears. She’d forgotten old people loved to talk and gossip.

When she stepped back from the food stand she saw Kris purchasing some kimbap from an elderly. She shot him a stare when he turned to start walking away.

“Why? Want some?” he asked.

Namjoo turned to walk away. They walked out of the tented shops and headed for the open shops outside. The bright sunlight almost blinded Namjoo when she stepped out and had to turn away to shield her eyes from the burn. It was even more packed outside considering that it was only morning, but she assumed housewives liked shopping in the morning rather than in the late afternoon with their whining children.

Kris was already walking ahead when she turned. He wasn’t going to wait for her, she realized. Well, that was good too. She liked it that way. Namjoo quietly followed far from behind and took caution to look around at the faces around her. Men and women of all ages were out and about. She guessed the open air offered them more relaxation than the stuffy air inside. Another step forward and someone nudged her in the shoulder hard as he passed by.

“Ah!” she let out a shout and turned to glance at the tall man passing by. “Aish!” she grumbled underneath her breath irritated with his rudeness.

She turned to continue heading on through the crowd, but something made her stop. Turning around she moved her head around to catch sight of the man through the crowd that had suddenly become thick. Heads of different colored haired people came into her sight, but Namjoo nailed him. A black head. 6 feet. Big and sturdy like his weight profile. It fit the description of Cho Chin Ho that Donghae had given them.

Pushing her way through the crowd she shouted, “Excuse me! Sir!”

People shot her stares and made rude remarks toward her when she slid pass them slightly shoving them aside, but it wasn’t time to pay them any apology. Her eyes were dead set on her target and she’d get him. As if he’d caught on to her chasing him, he began to slide faster through the crowd with quickening speed.

“Oh no, you don’t,” she muttered underneath her breath and urged her feet to increase speed.

Her pupils were glued onto the back of his head. It was too bad his height had to give him away. Namjoo wouldn’t lose him.

~_____~

The shops were just experiencing their morning rush. Steam of heated hot food s into the air in thick white smokes before they evaporated off somewhere. The stores even seemed hot themselves. Chorong suddenly imagined all the stuffy heat inside the restaurants packed with bodies. For some reason then she lost her appetite. Suho on the other hand, looked around hungrily.

“I haven’t been here for a long time,” Suho commented in a quiet voice. “Still as run down as ever. Guess that’s what makes it tradition.”

She glanced into the thin alleys spooked with stray cats and garbage. Chorong didn’t want to be entering those parts of the street.

“Excuse me, can I ask you a question?” Suho’s voice caught her ears.

When she turned she saw him showing an old man the picture of Cho Chin Ho. Alarm struck her and she made her way over to him just as the old man was shaking his head. Suho bowed toward him and she watched him walk away before pulling on Suho’s arm to get his attention.

“What are you doing?” she questioned.

“Why?” Suho looked confused. “I’m just asking around.”

“Can you be less open about it?” Chorong went on. “If there are people around here who know him, word’s going to get around that we’re looking for him. It’s going to give him time to escape before we find him.”

“Well that’s ok.” He shrugged her worry off senselessly.

Her eyebrows deepened confused by his coolness of the situation she’d just predicted. Was he always this cool headed? Then she thought about yesterday and how he’d risked his car in the act of saving that little girl. Perhaps Suho was a little winded in the head, she thought.

“If anything happens, we’ll deal with it,” Suho turned to walk away. “We’re not going to get anywhere by playing safe. I know my deal, you can trust me.”

Chorong suddenly wasn’t sure if she could trust him, but she decided he had a point after all. If he’d succeeded in catching those two kidnappers yesterday, he might be more capable than she’d thought. She wondered what other plans he had hidden under those invisible wings of his.

~_____~

Hwaseong Fortress towered over them with its ancient stones that made up its spectacular wall. It was a defensive fortress that came into existence during the Joseon Dynasty, still standing today. It was as big as its name. Victoria was assured that with its large size, children predators were surely lurking around. Waiting and watching for parents to become absorbed in the plentiful sceneries before forgetting about their children.

It was two hours to noon and already buses and cars had filled the lot. Victoria wondered how they were going to go about this. Stalk families with children? Or randomly walk around? She had to almost remind herself that they weren’t there on a trip, but for work. There was this urge in her to walk around and just enjoy the scenery she hadn’t seen for quite a while now. She had been so caught up with work and the SWAT unit that she’d forgotten how nice it was to step out of her barriers.

Donghae seemed to be leading well so far. Honestly, she liked it how he opted for their opinions as well instead of just going along with what he wanted. Most team leaders often did that, but Donghae cared to discuss with them about decisions. That was a pointer for him, but Victoria reminded herself that she couldn’t solely trust him so quickly.

She turned to await his lead, but instead found his eyes dazing off toward a group of young teens on a school trip. Was he reminiscing his young days? There was this sad gaze on his face before he pressed his lips together and turned to them.

“Should we get going?” Donghae questioned.

Victoria’s mind blanked for a second. Why did a surge of sympathy suddenly flash over her?   

“We’ll walk around for a bit, but keep your eyes out,” Donghae continued when they started toward the first gate.

“Ugh…great,” Tao muttered from behind her while stretching his arms out. “It seems boring here. What do you even do here?”

“Enjoy the scenery, learn about history,” Lay answered.

Tao snorted. “I’m hungry. Is there something to eat around here?”

“Are you going to keep yapping or are you going to try to do your job?” Victoria turned around to snap at him tired of his attitude.

How in the world did Donghae fare with him?

“Someone’s angry.” Tao mocked.

Victoria bit back the urge to punch the life out of him.

“Is that supposed to be a glare?” he poked fun at her.

“Tao!” Donghae yelled before Victoria could bite him back. “Get over here.”

Tao rolled his eyes in response.

“Don’t forget your pay is under my control,” Donghae growled and Victoria thought she heard restrained anger in his voice. She was impressed that he was good at maintaining his emotions.

Tao groaned angrily still recalling Suho’s words that if his pay got cut, that money went to him and Namjoo. Like heck he’d give up his money for those two.

Victoria watched Tao drag himself toward Donghae before they began walking toward Hwaseong Fortress.

~_____~

Another kimbap went into his mouth before he finally recalled to look back to make sure Namjoo was following. Surprise vaguely indulged into his face when he saw her making her way through the crowd the way they’d come. Confusion slapped his mind before he saw that she was running. Then the bigger questioned bumped into his head.

Why?

Quickly finishing the rest of the kimbap he tossed the bag into a garbage bin before hurrying after Namjoo.

“Hey! Watch it!” a son helping his mother carry a platter of hot red chili peppers screamed when Kris almost knocked him down.

He paused and half turned in his run to raise a hand in apology before turning around. Namjoo was even farther through the crowd now and he could hear her loud voice screaming after someone. Had she seen someone suspicious? Or was it Cho Chin Ho? Figuring he had no time to waste, he shoved customers who were in line waiting to look at displays.

“Sorry, excuse me, sorry,” he repeated over and over again.

The rude remarks he got didn’t quite bother him as much as it would have the first time he started his career as a detective. Five years into being a detective had gotten him quite used to sharp comments.

Kris leaped forward, but slid to a halt when he saw before he could shout. Or perhaps what he’d seen coming had transmitted the signal to shout a warning to his brain had come late. Because a second after Namjoo had taken a step forward, the man to her right suddenly turned flinging his fat elbow against her face. The bucket filled with ice and water that he’d been carrying using his shoulder as support toppled down onto Namjoo. A loud shout escaped from her before she pressed a hand against her face.

He was sorry to say, but he quite wanted to laugh. Her scrunched up face read of flaring anger and embarrassment before she looked up at the man who was furiously apologizing to her. Namjoo couldn’t say anything spiteful, but solemnly glared at him and turned her attention to browse around the crowd as if she'd lost someone.

“You ok?” he asked when he got to her.

Namjoo swung her arm out at him pushing him back.

“Ow! Hey!” he shouted suddenly angry.

She shot him a death glare, “If you would’ve been paying attention I wouldn’t have ended up like this!”

He narrowed an eye. “What the heck were you doing? All I saw was you running insanely.”

Namjoo groaned irritated and pulled at her wet t-shirt.

“You should have said something instead of moving off on your own. I’m not at fault in this, so don’t give me an attitude,” Kris shot at her.

“I don’t know what attitude you’re talking about,” Namjoo replied mindlessly before reaching for the bottom of her shirt.

“Don’t play that with me. You’ve been doing it on purpose, haven’t you? Looking down on us by calling us incompetent.”

Namjoo snorted before turning to look at him, “I’m only saying what I know.”

“That’s very immature and childish.”

“Look here, you shouldn’t be speaking about what you see as right and wrong unless you see from my point of view.”

“Right back at you!”

They glared at each other before turning away from the other. She was so damn annoying! Kris bit on his lower lip and caught the stare of everyone around him before he realized why they were doing so. Namjoo was stripping off her shirt in open space as if she had no shame to spare.

“Yah!” he hissed. “Shouldn’t you do that somewhere more private?”

“Is it your ugly habit to make a drastic comment about every little thing someone does?” Namjoo hissed back folding her shirt up.

Kris was prepared to argue back, but instead found the words stuck in his throat when his eyes roamed over her torso covered in that blue tank she was wearing. He gulped when she suddenly turned to shoot him a stare.

“What!?” she snapped when he turned away from her.

“Forget it. I’m going to go get something to eat.” He brushed past her and started toward the tented shops.

Namjoo let out a tedious snort before following him.

~_____~

Nothing. No one. Not a person was suspicious. The trip to Suwon seemed utterly useless. They’d covered all the ground there was to cover at Hwaseong Fortress. Victoria’s feet were aching unsteadily and she just wanted to sit. Even the whiny Tao had shut up by now as he silently dragged himself along.

“It’s getting late into the afternoon. Lets head to Hwaseo Market and get something to eat there,” Donghae voiced.

“Ugh…finally!” Tao shouted relieved.

“Good idea. I’m completely starved,” Lay added.

“Do you want me to drive?” Victoria asked when they trudged back to the car.

“It’s ok, I can,” Donghae smiled at her.

She stared at him a second before turning away. “Should we call in to check with the others? If they’ve found anyone suspicious?”

“I don’t mind if you do, but they would have called if something came up.” Donghae replied putting the car into gear.

“I don’t think it’s going to be very simple to track this Cho Chin Ho down,” Lay commented.

Donghae glanced into the rearview mirror to look at the commander, “Scouting once doesn’t guarantee we’ll get anywhere. We’ll just have to keep trying.”

“How do you still have the strength to talk about work?” Tao asked.

Everyone ignored him. Victoria felt like stabbing him with the pins in her hair. The thought quickly evaporated when Donghae’s phone rung. She watched him press a button on his Bluetooth before answering.

“Yes?”

Donghae’s expression gradually changed and he turned to glance at Victoria with this surprised gaze before he braked at a red light.

“They found him.”

“Cho Chin Ho?” Lay’s eyes went wide. “That easily?”

“Where?” was Victoria’s concern.

“Uijeongbu,” Donghae replied.

“Ugh…come on! I wanted some food!” Tao whined.

Victoria blinked her eyes suddenly shocked at how easily this had been done. She’d thought they would have to spend the whole day in their particular cities scouting and searching. Either Donghae’s team was really talented or they were just lucky, because all this was proving him to be more capable than she had wanted.

“I told you, trouble comes to Suho,” a satisfied smirk climbed onto Donghae’s face, “I’ll buy you a meal later, Tao. We’re heading back to Seoul.” 

***Donghae's thinking about Eunhyuk and Victoria can feel the sadness from him. We'll further see what Vic thinks of Donghae in the next two chapters. 

***Kris and Namjoo don't get along haha~ but he's starting to feel some attraction

***Chorong's obvious attention is all on Suho xD Next chapter is theirs.

***I'm flowing through the story kind of slowly since I want to pay attention to details of each of the character's feelings, and I have 8 characters to worry about so it's going to take some time.  There's not much to comment on, so I'm ok if you don't leave a comment too. I'll keep updating though ^^