Chapter 10
You Said Remember Me II
/ / / / /
Nana had been searching all night. Right after leaving the site she pulled her gun on an innocent and stolen his car. She felt bad, but she needed to keep the gang in her site, and luckily she’d came across them on the freeway speeding through traffic. What they were planning to do to the investigator and the other man was a question Nana couldn’t figure out.
They’d stopped in the city of Cheonan and Nana had parked her car far away from the warehouse the gang had taken control of. She didn’t know what to do…yet. So during the meantime she’d dumped the stolen car somewhere along the streets, bought something to eat, and had strolled back to the warehouse to find the gang outside discussing something amongst themselves. It’d be suicide to confront them and there was no way that she could take them on.
Turning her gaze back to the quiet warehouse about the size of a shed for cows, she wondered how the investigator and his companion were and if they were still alive.
/ / / / /
Eunhyuk had left and promised to be back soon. Victoria had told him not to come back, but he’d insisted on returning the next morning. After watching him drive off, Victoria started up the stairs and opened the door to their bedroom. It was empty…lonesome…and she couldn’t bear walking inside. Just a look at it burdened her with heavy thoughts about Donghae. Immediately shutting the door she strutted back downstairs.
Early in the morning after taking a quick warm shower the doorbell began ringing. Wondering if it was Eunhyuk she started toward the door without much thought and opened it to find a woman in her 40’s standing on the doorstep. Her face was small but her eyes were pretty underneath her almost graying hair.
Victoria was silent as her mind went blank. She wasn’t expecting any visitors and this woman certainly didn’t look like one of Donghae’s aunts. She also hadn’t told anybody about Donghae…
The woman smiled, “You’re much younger than I thought you were.”
Victoria’s mind still remained blank.
“I’m Soo Ae, Chief Kang’s wife. I’ve heard a lot about you,” the woman greeted.
Victoria nodded but was still unable to transmit to her brain the reason why the woman was visiting her.
“You must be suffocating about the news,” the woman began, “if you don’t mind, can I take you somewhere?”
About half an hour later Victoria found herself walking through a hospital looking around at the nurses and patients walking pass. She was still confused about where she was, why she was there, and why she’d followed the woman.
The thin woman paused in front of a door and opened it. Victoria followed her in without a word and stopped when she saw a woman lying on the bed in a hospital gown with tubes stuck all over her. Her whole body was wound up in gauzes and she remained heavily asleep. The sight was painful.
“Sasha was shot and left outside to burn along with the building,” Soo Ae explained without turning to look at Victoria. “It’s such a cruel thing to do.”
Victoria’s eyes still remained fixed on the women in the hospital bed.
“They’re not dead,” Soo Ae’s confident voice made Victoria turn to her. “Sasha wouldn’t have been left to die out there if our husbands were still inside, I’m sure of it. And I can feel that my husband’s still alive, he wouldn’t have died like that.”
Confusion engulfed Victoria into a cruel circle.
“Don’t give up,” Soo Ae finally turned to her, “they’re out there somewhere and they’re going to come back to us.”
Victoria stared at her bewildered.
“You and your husband still have a long way to go, I know it,” Soo Ae comforted. “So don’t cry.”
Victoria didn’t know what to believe. As she stared at Donghae’s burnt jacket she wanted it to be the truth that Donghae was out there somewhere, yet she was afraid to put her hopes up for nothing. But Soo Ae was Chief Kang’s wife and he’d been through numerous dangers, she would know how it was, right? She couldn’t be wrong if she believed Chief Kang was still alive. And if Chief Kang was still alive, Donghae had to be a live as well.
Eunhyuk stopped by for lunch. Victoria debated to herself if she should talk to him about Soo Ae’s visit. In the end, she didn’t speak about it. She returned to work the next day.
/ / / / /
Osan was as peaceful and lively as usual. A couple of teenagers had been brought in that morning. The cops pestered them loudly as she walked pass them.
“Whoo! There’s a babe in the building!” the teenager in a red jacket cooed loudly as she passed.
She paused and turned to get a glance at his young face. Small face, small eyes, neatly combed hair, and a smirk growing upon his lips. She couldn’t have expected anything more from a young boy. Without a word she started toward him, her short heels clicking against the tiled floor loudly with each beat of her heart.
“It’s disrespectful to call a woman you’ve just met, babe,” she implied.
The young teenager half shrunk back as he tilted his head up.
“So? You’re hot.”
She turned to look at his silent friend then turned back to him.
“What’s their offense?” she turned to the cop behind the desk.
“Skipping school and stealing.”
“Typical,” she muttered before turning to the boy. “Did your mother teach you steal? Your friend? You couldn’t have taught yourself.”
She watched as his face contorted into anger.
“Don’t talk about my mother!” he screamed.
A smile curved her lips as she smoothed out the collar of his shirt, “Go home and apologize to your mother. Don’t let me see you here, again, and it’s disrespectful to call someone hot or babe. Beautiful is more like it.”
Turning away from them she headed around the hall.
“Officer Kwon!” someone shouted after her.
Yuri paused and turned around to see an attendant running toward her.
“I’ve been told to pass this to you,” he explained handing her a newspaper. “There’s been an explosion at an criminal investigation firm in the morning two days ago. The Chief has ordered us to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious.”
“Ok,” she nodded.
She took it from him before entering her office. As soon as she sat down she kicked off her short heels and propped her bare feet onto her desk. Leaning back into her chair she glanced at the front page of the newspaper.
/ / / / /
Ren Gei didn’t appear before Donghae the next few days. They were given poor food, but in order to survive Chief Kang had literally forced the food down his throat. Sleepless nights followed and all he could think about was Victoria and how she was doing.
/ / / / /
The sight had been cleared. Majority of the group had climbed into the van and had departed for elsewhere. She was unsure why they’d left or where they were headed, but it didn’t quite matter to her at the moment. If she wanted to get inside information, she was sure that the investigator would have it.
It was dark, the full moon was breezing through the thick trees as Nana started for the shed. As dark as it was even with the moon shining upon her, it was difficult to locate the door. She discovered it near the front by some hallow trees. A thicket of trees stretched across the dark land and for miles she couldn’t spot even a single household. The gang had chosen a really neat place to hide, she thought sarcastically.
Twisting the silver knob, she pulled open the door. A black wall of emptiness invited her in. It smelled of damp cigarettes, trash, and animal poop. What had been inhibiting this place the whole time?
Pinching her nose as she trotted forward she glanced around to see that the place was barren empty. She wasn’t surprised, though. A dead light bulb hung down from the middle of the ceiling. Turning to her left she spotted a door and started for it. Quietly looking around to make sure that she really was alone she stopped before the door and pulled it open.
/ / / / /
The light blinded Donghae at first and irritation raced through his blood as he wondered what the gang wanted from him. However, when no one made a move nor said anything he turned to find a girl standing in the doorway staring at them. Confusion swirled his mind before she started toward them.
“What are you doing here?” Donghae questioned when she knelt down to untie the rope around his wrists.
“They’ve left,” Nana explained, “you want to get out of here, don’t you?”
Donghae stared at her wondering why she was so fearless. When the rope dropped from his sore wrists he turned around to untie Chief Kang and helped him to his feet.
“How’d you get here?” Chief Kang questioned.
“I followed you from Incheon,” Nana replied. “I saw what happened, they blew up your workplace. You two have been announced dead.”
Shock and worry ran through Donghae. Victoria….
“We have to get out of here,” Chief Kang grabbed Donghae’s arm.
Donghae turned around to him, “It can’t be…right? We’re not dead…”
“Lee Donghae,” Chief Kang gripped his arm tighter, “we can’t worry about trivial matters yet, we need to get out of here first, and try to understand what’s going on.”
“Trivial matters?” Donghae repeated bitterly. “This isn’t trivial to me.”
Chief Kang stared at him and his eyes fluctuated just the same emotions before he dragged him out the door. Nana followed them quietly and they stopped outside.
“Where did you come from?” Chief Kang asked.
“I’ve been watching from the woods,” Nana pointed to the thicket of trees looming over the fields disappearing among the hills.
Chief Kang looked at the young girl before starting toward the woods. By now Donghae’s heart had already sunk halfway through his body. Victoria would believe he was dead. She’d be crying, she’d be in so much pain… He couldn’t imagine it. He didn’t want her to experience the pain of losing someone again. He didn’t want her to go through what she went through after In Seol died…
The further Chief Kang dragged him, the more he wanted to go back and beat Ren Gei up into a pulp. Yet, even as such thoughts prevailed through his mind he didn’t have the strength to fight with Chief Kang at the moment. That was until a loud gun shot flung itself into the air making them freeze.
“A trio?” Jin Young repeated.
They turned around to discover the thin man with a bandaged arm standing behind them with a gun in hand. Silence overwhelmed the atmosphere before Chief Kang suddenly pushed him back.
“You two…go,” he ordered.
Donghae’s eyes widened.
“I said GO!” he turned to face him. “One of us has to survive, Lee Donghae, do you understand?”
Donghae gulped unwillingly.
“Lee Donghae,” the Chief repeated.
When Donghae didn’t move, Chief Kang turned to look at Nana who silently stared back.
“Take him and run,” Chief Kang demanded. “If you don’t want to let the chance of discovering the reason behind your brother’s death slip from your hands, go.”
In that second, Nana grabbed Donghae’s wrist and started through the woods as fast as she could.
/ / / / /
When he confirmed that the two had started off, Chief Kang turned back to face Jin Young.
“Aren’t you a brave one?” Jin Young questioned with a tone of sarcasm attached to his voice. “But you can’t save them, because I’m going to finish you off in less than 5 minutes.”
Chief Kang stared at him for a long time before lunging forward. Jin Young held back from shooting right away and only when Chief Kang neared did a smile shoot across his face.
A gun shot exploded.
/ / / / /
Donghae’s heart raced crazily. He’d left Chief Kang behind…he’d left his boss behind…Chief Kang…
Suddenly pulling his wrist out of Nana’s grasp he started with a run back to where they’d just come from. Nana chased after him and they embroiled themselves into a tug of war.
“You can’t go back there!” Nana screamed.
“I can’t leave him alone! What if he dies?!” Donghae asked suddenly breathless.
Nana stared back at him. Donghae turned around and took a step forward, but Nana pulled him back.
“He’s gonna kill you!”
Donghae clenched his teeth together before he felt fear grasp him.
“You said they left,” Donghae remembered, “who left?”
Nana stared back dumbfounded by his sudden change of personality.
“Who left?!” he raised his voice.
“If there was on only one guy left, who do you think left?” Nana asked angrily and annoyed.
Donghae glanced around. There was no phone…no public road in sight… He started back with a short run before Nana chased after him again.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?!” she yelled. “I already told you, you’re going to die if you go back there.”
“I need a phone, I need to get to her, they’re after her,” Donghae panicked, “Victoria’s in danger.”
Nana stared back at him lost. He turned around again, but she grabbed his arm and when he turned, he found her holding out her phone.
/ / / / /
Donghae’s uncle would return tomorrow evening. Victoria rehearsed the speech over and over in her mind. How to perfectly tell him that the police had reported that Donghae was dead? How to tell him that Donghae was really out there somewhere? During those days Victoria felt as if she’d been going insane. She’d cried herself to sleep, yet she’d also wandered the house restlessly hoping that Donghae was really as Soo Ae had said, out there somewhere making his way back to her.
Victoria prayed and prayed, yet she was still so confused about Donghae’s death. To presume him dead or alive? It was a painful thought either way…
Five days had passed since she’d been without him and she’d forgotten how different it was without him. Donghae had always been in her sight the past year and even before that. She was beginning to miss him more and more. The way he’d smile at her, the way a simple hug from him could set her heart racing, and the way he’d always hug her to sleep at night. Without it now she was beginning to feel like an empty shell.
Stopping in front of the convenience store she walked inside. The cold breeze coming from the vent above sent chills down her spine as she started toward the aisle at the end.
Two girls were giggling over some magazines, a lonesome boy was deciding what flavor milk to buy at the freezer, and the counter clerk watched them with a smile on her face. Victoria turned away from them all and stared at the pregnancy tests before her. It had been exactly 9 days and she was becoming curious…yet she was uncertain and scared…
After a few seconds she snatched one off the shelf and started toward the counter.
“Are you and your husband having a baby?” the clerk asked curiously with a smile.
She looked young, but mature. Victoria glanced at her nametag, ‘Krystal’, and just smiled.
“Good luck,” she told after Victoria paid.
She stocked the fridge up with some food before starting toward the bathroom. A few minutes later she was staring at the two lines on the pregnancy test, her heat thumping wildly.
The kisses they’d shared that night flocked back to her memory before the big WHY appeared. Her eyes became watery before the phone in the hallway began ringing.
Victoria turned to stare at the door for a few seconds before walking down the short hallway.
Lifting up the phone she answered, “Hello?”
“Victoria? Victoria?” the panicked, yet familiar voice called.
Victoria’s eyes widened as tears emerged from her eyes, “Donghae? Donghae, is that you? Oh my god…Donghae!”
“Victoria, listen to me,” he sounded worried, panicked, anxious. “You need to get out of there. Get out of the house!”
Her heart began thumping worriedly and she became anxious as well.
“Where are you? Donghae, where in the world are you?” she asked before the phone call was cut off. “Donghae? Donghae! Lee Donghae!”
The ringing of the doorbell made her turn. Who would visit at this time of night? She’d told Eunhyuk not to come. Pressing her lips together, Victoria slowly started for the window and stopped when she spotted more than one shadow lingering on her front doorstep.
***So, Victoria's pregnant, Donghae & Chief Kang have escaped but are separated. And now for Victoria's abduction.
spring semester ends this friday and i'm off for summer break :D i'll get back on track with YSRMII
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