Tao and Kris were in the hostpial, but only Kris was in the ER. This was really some news.

“Why don’t you go see Kris?” Suho suggested. “I’ll go see Tao.”

“Why?” Namjoo glanced at him.

“We’ll get out of here faster this way,” Suho excused.

Namjoo glanced at him warily, as if he was up to something before walking toward the automatic glass doors. Turning away from her Suho started down the hall in search of Tao who was sitting somewhere in the lobby.

Tao was easily identifiable among the heads of the other patients. His dark black hair stood out uniquely along with that strong gaze of his. He seemed to be looking at the bulletin board ahead as if to memorize all the advertisements, yet at the same time he seemed to be looking at nothing at all.

“Am I supposed to be your guardian?” Suho questioned sitting beside him. “I heard you gave my number away.”

“Tshh…” Tao snorted. “You think I wanted Donghae to come? You’re easier to push around.”

Suho smiled enlightened by the fact that Tao didn’t seem too pushed down by Kris’ injury.

“What happened?” Suho wondered.

Tao’s eyes drifted toward the floor as if guilty. “I got angry.”

“So…” Suho let his voice drone on for a few seconds, “you decided to hurt Kris? Did you punch him? Did it feel good?”

Tao side eyed him to which Suho slightly laughed.

“It’s ok,” Suho nodded coolly and crossed his arms as he leaned back. “Fights happen, just gotta get over it.”

“If it was that easy.” Tao quietly uttered.

Suho turned to look at him and said enthusaistically, “It can.” When Tao turned to him he added brightly, “You control yourself, not the other way around. And you start by apologizing.”

Tao shifted away dejecting his suggestion.

“Come on Tao,” Suho went on. “First step to making things easy, is realizing you’re wrong, which you’re already doing. Second step, what do you think you’re supposed to do?”

Tao shot a glare at him through the corner o fhis eye, “Don’t treat me like a child.”

Smugly smiling Suho continued, “Then you already know what you’re supposed to do.”

Suho waited patiently for Tao to react, but his phone first answered. Pulling it out of his pocket he answered.

“Donghae,” Suho greeted.

“There’s an emergency.”

~_____~

Down the hallway Namjoo paused in steps when she saw brochures about childcare and pregnancy sitting in cups plastered to the wall. There was a picture of a proud happy mother gazing down at her infant, as if it was the most precious thing. Part of her wondered if she’d be able to look like that.

Namjoo peered around the busy ER as she walked in. Every beep of the monitors hit her ears as she slowly trudged in. The nurses were all busy and curled up in their work, the patients quietly waiting to be diagnosed and checked on. Her eyes passed over an injured man with a nurse patching up his wound.

“Here for me?” A voice made her turn.

Kris was sitting on a bed with a bandage on his forehead and a bandage wrapped around his right hand up to his wrist. He waved at her quite happily and she thought he didn’t look very injured.

“Are you ok?” She asked walking toward him.

“Now I am,” he replied in that witty voice of his meant to annoy her.

“What happened?”

He shrugged, “It was a small fight.”

Namjoo peered at his bandaged hand again.

“Small fracture, that’s all,” he told again, as if to assure her. “Maybe I should get injured more often to get you worried about me.”

A frown crossed her face at the meaningless joke.

She caught his eyes looking around before he stood up to draw the curtain then quickly grabbed her hand to pull her after him. Namjoo found herself seated on his lap and his injured hand around her waist.

“Kris!” She shouted pushing her hand against his shoulder in an attempt to get off.

“Do you really not like me that much?” He asked.

Namjoo grasped onto his shoulder, a frown casting itself over her expression.

“Aha…” he teased, “you like me.”

“Stop it,” she tried pushing him away again only to have him tug her forward.

Her hair flailed over her shoulders as her forehead brushed his. Namjoo slightly bit her tongue as she stared at him uneasily. A second later he firmly smiled before brushing his finger against her bruise.

“Looks like it got worse,” he commented. “You better take care of yourself if you don’t want me doing it for you. Put that ointment on that you always put on my injuries. Hmm?”

“Let go already,” Namjoo whined and pushed at his shoulder again.

He winced loudly, “Be careful, you might worsen my fracture. Unless you’re doing it because you’re willing to take care of me.”

She shoved her hand against his shoulder again only to hear him laugh happily.

“You have to answer first.” Kris bargained.

Kris always got on her nerves so easily she felt like flinging a fist against him. She quickly turned a second later when Suho pushed the curtain aside.

“Namjoo…” he began before suddenly stepping back.

His eyes darted back and forth between them and Namjoo felt herself flush red in embarrassment and loss of pride.

“Um…I’ll wait out here,” Suho managed and drew the curtain back again.

Finally pushing herself away from Kris she ran her hands over her outfit before readjusting her hair flustered. Kris chuckled at her lightheartedly with his eyes shimmering.  

“What?” Namjoo asked quite seriously, wondering what his problem was when she knew exactly what it was.

“Nothing,” he smugly smiled again then commented, “you’re cute, Namjoo.”

Deepening a brow to look at him she turned to step away. His quick footsteps caught her ears before he gently grabbed her hand.

“Remember to take care of yourself, ok?” Kris asked with a soft expression.

Namjoo glanced at him with no comment before turning to meet with Suho outside. As they started out of the ER Suho cheekily smiled at her the whole way until she slammed her hand against his chest.

“What’s so funny?” Namjoo asked flaming with embarrassment.

“Ow,” Suho moaned and rubbed his chest. “Do you really have to hit me like that?”

“You asked for it,” Namjoo clarified. “So what’s going on?”

“Emergency call,” Suho explained.

“What?” Namjoo asked surprised.

“It was from Donghae,” Suho went on. “Victoria went missing in Yeongwol. Chorong and Lay are waiting for us.”

“What about the others?”

“I gave Tao some money for a cab. I think he needs some time to himself and well Kris,” Suho eyed her teasingly, his eyes laughing at her before she hardened her eyes in warning. “Well, as you’ve seen, he’s injured.”

“So you, me, and Donghae.”

Suho nodded, “It’s a pretty fair number. We better hurry cause I don’t think Donghae is too happy with the sudden news.”

~_____~

Assumptions and many thoughts entered in and out of Donghae’s mind as he sped to Yeongwol. He was more worried about what Victoria had been planning and what she had intentionally been seeking by going to Yeongwol instead of back to her place. She’d totally thrown him off.

The mere thought of it made him laugh bitterly. Pressing his feet further down onto the accelerator he turned down the highway. Lay and Chorong were waiting for him on some staircase, but upon seeing his car immediately stood.

“What’s going on?” Donghae asked stepping out of his car and slammed the door after him.

Lay and Chorong slightly glanced at each other, but Donghae found himself more dumbfounded and stupefied. Their injuries this time had surpassed what he’d imagined. By disappearance he hadn’t pictured bleeding people or a wrecked car.

“What happened?” Donghae readjusted his interrogation.

“Someone drove into us.” Chorong explained.

“I see that,” Donghae stated short on patience.

Seeing the extent of their injuries and learning about the crash told him that whoever had taken Victoria meant business. He couldn’t take matters lightly anymore.

“Do you know where Victoria is?” Lay cut in. “You tracked the car, right?”

“Where’s Suho and Namjoo?” Donghae looked around.

As if waiting for his signal an engine roared up behind him before Suho stopped his car just behind his.

“We’re here,” Suho announced their entrance.

He watched Namjoo close the car door before eyeing the bruise on her face. Before he asked about that they first had to attend the matter at hand.

“Namjoo, you come with me,” Donghae ordered. “Lay, Chorong, and Suho, stick together.”

“What are we doing?” Suho asked with a raised brow once they approached.

“Victoria should be north of here,” Donghae instructed. “The car’s been abandoned in the streets, obviously somewhere away from where they’re hiding. Search the whole area.”

They nodded.

“Our only goal is to save Victoria, all else will come after,” Donghae continued strictly. “Don’t kill anyone. Chorong, Lay,” he turned to them, “neither of you are armed?”

“No,” Lay replied.

Donghae had to quietly heave a sigh of how bad their situation was.

“Where’s Kris and Tao?” Donghae questioned.

“Um…about that,” Suho began almost hesitantly, “Kris is injured and Tao is back home resting. They were in the hospital just a moment ago.”

“What?” Donghae felt his face twist up in disbelief.

“Putting matters aside,” Namjoo cut in, “we shouldn’t waste time.”

“It’s been an hour since Victoria’s been missing,” Chorong pointed out, “Victoria could be in danger.”

“Fine,” Donghae puffed out a helpless breath, “Suho, Namjoo, are you armed?”

He watched them both pat their sides where their guns were hidden underneath their clothing.

“Don’t split up, do you hear me?” Donghae cautioned. “Namjoo and I will head down our left and cut up north. You go down the right. Shooters may still be around, so always watch your backs.”

“Yes, sir!” Suho shouted before they turned to head down the street.

“Lets go,” Donghae quickly crossed the street with Namjoo on his tail. “Did you find anything about Lee Hyun?”

“No. Where were you this morning?”

“Police station,” Donghae explained; his eyes darting back and forth repeatedly. “Victoria’s acting suspicious.”

“I told you she’d catch on sooner or later,” Namjoo told.

“Don’t act like a smarty pants here.”

Namjoo glanced at him before scoffing.

“Those guys are probably Hyukjae’s,” Donghae assumed. “If they took Victoria it can only mean they want to sabotage us. Hyukjae might be here as well.”

“You’re not serious about that,” Namjoo started and immediately quieted when Donghae ed his arm out to stop her from heading further.

After the earlier shootout the streets were slowing down with traffic while officers worked to barricade them. In no time the cops would be arriving at the scene with the co-ops. Donghae knew that once they appeared he wouldn’t be permitted to act on his own since the case wasn’t his to be in charge of. The fact that the shooters may not be with Hyukjae would be used against him, but he was filled with certainty that they were with Hyukjae. He wouldn’t leave until he either got Victoria back or until he met Hyukjae himself.

Donghae backtracked them into the building and slightly leaned out to watch a man looking around warily before walking into the street. Their eyes zoomed in on the stranger tapping his fingers calmly against his pocket before heading toward a black car, shifting around to glance down the street and spinning around again. His hand reached out for the handle of the car and pulled it open. The dark tinted windows made it difficult for them to see who was sitting inside.

As Donghae watched he could feel his heart slowly ramming against his ribs before his lips dropped apart.

Hyukjae! Or rather…Eunhyuk!

They were talking, but Donghae could feel his blood rushing through his body at such a speed he couldn’t handle. Without thinking his feet accelerate forward

“Eunhyuk!!” Donghae screamed from the top of his lungs.

“Donghae!” Namjoo yelled racing after him at once.

He wouldn’t get away, no this time, not again. Donghae would bring him in for sure. He was tired of being messed with. The second Hyukjae saw him running near he immediately pulled a pistol out from inside his jacket before shooting at the ground. Donghae had no choice, but to jump back in order to avoid getting his feet shot.  

“Eunhyuk!” Donghae bellowed out again after he started dashing down the street.

Shoving the earlier man he’d seen aside he chased after the man whose back was so similar to his best friend’s.

~_____~

“Are you two ok?” Suho asked as they headed down the walk.

“We’ll manage,” Lay nodded. “We need to get Victoria back first.”

“I know,” Suho replied. “Did you see who was in the car that hit you?”

“Must’ve driven off,” Lay assumed. “It was nowhere to be found after we got out. Right Chorong?”

“Yes,” she added quietly.

Suho peered at her feeling sorry for how injured she was, but still heavily remembered how he’d rejected her. Although he was still awkward with her it wasn’t something he had the time to worry about right now. There was a mission at hand. He was there to aid them, not put his feelings before someone’s safety.

“Suho, let me ask you a question,” Lay started bravely.

“Sure.”

“Do you think Eunhyuk and Hyukjae are two separate identities?”

Suho barely stopped in his steps shocked by Lay’s questions. Of all the things he knew, obviously they could be two different persons but there was no proof at the moment. Eunhyuk did have a twin, which was indeed a very true fact but no one knew about it except for him, Donghae, and Namjoo.

“W…what do you mean?” Suho stuttered and hoped he hadn’t given himself away.

“There has to be a link between Hyukjae and Eunhyuk, don’t you think?” Lay started cornering him. “Otherwise, why would Eunhyuk, who’s missing, have anything to do with the trafficking in the first place? Why would such a person like Hyukjae steal his birth name?”

Stopping at a red light Suho could sense paranoia growing all around him.

What exactly was Lay trying to say?  

***Uh-oh Suho's about to be found out by Lay.