Chapter 82
You Said Remember Me II
“No?” Donghae’s pitch dropped into a deadly tone of disappointment. “Victoria, I’m going to ask you one of the simplest questions in the world. It should have been the reason why you married me, but I don’t know if I can believe it anymore. Do you really love me?”
Something surged within her the breath out of her system.
Victoria laughed not happily nor sarcastically, but sadly with his question. It was true, she was the cause of it all. Of the doubts running through Donghae’s mind right this moment, of the tension between Donghae and Eunhyuk, she was guilty of her own feelings.
“I wondered that myself a million times,” Victoria calmly said, “why did I marry you, why am I still with you, why did I decide to go through all this because of you. I thought about it a million times over the course of our first year together. I thought about it a lot, then oh yea, I remember how I helplessly held on even when you left me like I was nothing. That desperation I felt at that moment, I remember it. It’s so clear, it’s always so clear to me.”
Victoria nodded her head and watched as Donghae stared at her.
“And, maybe, I thought, maybe that’s why I married you,” Victoria blinked back her feelings, “but I thought about In Seol and how much I loved him. How in the world, after 7 months, you shamelessly told me your feelings. How in the world, after the many years I spent with him, did I marry you and what for? That man, I thought of him a lot when I married you. When we lived together, I thought of him. When you weren’t around I thought of him. That’s how it was, Donghae. You, are you really ready to hear why I went with Eunhyuk that day?”
Donghae continued staring into her eyes.
Victoria nodded, “I wanted to visit his grave for the first time after we married. I tried asking you, but you were busy, so there was no one else but Eunhyuk. I thought about In Seol so much during those days you were so busy at work, I was wondering if the one I really loved was him, not you. While you were at work, Eunhyuk went with me. We stayed at the graveyard talking and talking until I remembered that place. The home I’d often gone to with In Seol. The place where he lived after leaving the orphanage. That, was where Eunhyuk and I went. Would you have agreed to come with me if all I was doing that day was reminiscing old memories with my love? No. You wouldn’t have.”
Tears streaked Victoria’s face.
“If I hurt you because letting go isn’t easy for me, I can’t do anything but apologize.” Victoria pushed the words out. “Why you think it’s unfair that I don’t show as much affection toward you, how many times do I have to remind you? I grew up different from you. My aunt didn’t stay with me long, I lived alone, in rehab, in a small apartment by myself. Do I have to spell that out for you? But I can face it that I’m not the only one at fault. You ask things of me I find hard to meet.
“Do you think I can still talk to you about In Seol without feeling guilt sting me? Do you know how bad it makes me feel when I remember him while I’m with you? Do you know how guilty it makes me feel with all these doubts clouding my mind? Do you understand that!? So how do you want me to prove to you that I don’t love you?”
“I’m sorry,” his gentle voice rose to her ears when she felt him put his hand at the back of her head. “I’m sorry that remembering all these hurt you.”
Victoria clutched onto his shirt hiding her face into his shoulder.
“If I don’t have you, who else am I supposed to have?” she asked.
He tightened his arms around her quietly and they remained like that for a while.
After drying her tears they lie down in bed holding hands.
“Do you think Chief Kang will make it in time?” Victoria asked.
“He will. I know he will.” Donghae assured. “If anything happens, I’ll make sure that you come out safe.”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Victoria declared tightening her hold on his hand. “We’re all going to be ok.”
“Yea?” Donghae reached his free hand over to brush her bangs aside. “Even if nothing happens, even if something does happen, I won’t forget you.”
“Don’t talk like that. Why are you talking like that?” Victoria half scolded. “Nothing’s going to happen. Not to you or me.”
Donghae smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
“Our baby might be getting tired. You should go to sleep.”
/ / / / /
Eunhyuk opened his eyes after dozing off and turned to see Nana leaning against the bars her eyes flickering back and forth.
“Are you tired?” Eunhyuk asked.
“No.” Nana replied.
“I guess neither of us are meant to go home,” Eunhyuk said, “something always occurs when we plan to leave.”
“I guess…”
Eunhyuk ran his eyes over her.
“I’m glad you couldn’t go.”
Nana’s head perked up and she turned to look at him.
“I wonder what the others are doing now.” Eunhyuk leaned his head back against the wall slowly inching his hand toward hers.
Before their fingertips could meet, the lights went out enveloping them into a darkness. Eunhyuk’s eyes wavered around trying to make out everything in the dark.
“What’s going on!?” one of the officers shouted.
“Go check on the power circuit!”
“I’m going right now!”
A scream bellowed in the air, then another scream, and another. Rustling noises and loud thuds of things being thrown around alarmed Eunhyuk. Both he and Nana slowly rose to their feet. His breath steady and calm helped hold him from panic for a few mere seconds before something rammed itself against the bars of the cage. The two jumped back frightened before someone started laughing.
“Who’s there?” Eunhyuk questioned.
“Quit it, twerp,” a low voice grunted.
“I got it,” a feminine voice piped up handing something jingly to the big man Eunhyuk could make out from where he stood.
He listened as the keys jingled in their hands and rammed it against the metal bars before he realized they were trying to unlock the cage. Eunhyuk stepped back pushing Nana along with him making sure that she stayed behind him.
“Ah-ha!” the excited, younger boy chimed in. “Me first.”
“Move aside!” the woman scolded pushing the boy.
“You shut up! This isn’t your job! Why aren’t you in the car?!”
“Shut your traps,” Eui Tae demanded stepping in.
Eunhyuk felt their eyes meet after a second and felt chills climb up his spine. Were they there for him or Nana? He didn’t have much time to think before they’d really be cornered in the cell.
“Get him.” someone ordered.
Eunhyuk couldn’t make out whose voice it was before a hand blocked his mouth from screaming and pushed him into the wall. Within a mere second he’d been handcuffed to the bars, Nana defenseless.
“What do you want?” Nana asked surrounded by the three of them.
“Knock her out,” Eui Tae ordered.
“Nana! Nana!” Eunhyuk hopelessly tried to reach an arm out to get to her but the handcuff limited his area of reach. “Nana!”
The pain digging itself into his wrist when he tried to move toward her, but the handcuffs restricted him, span up his arm.
Someone grabbed Nana’s arm to hold her in place.
“Ah!” a shout came from Nana.
All Eunhyuk could see then were shadows. Someone lifted Nana over his shoulder before they walked out of the cell slamming the door close.
“Nana!” Eunhyuk screamed at the top of his lungs with all his energy and desperation.
/ / / / /
Victoria jolted awake when she felt like she could no longer breathe. She kicked her legs up and down wildly before her vision cleared and she saw Donghae thrashing around wildly from beside her.
A last attempt for air made her open and she immediately out.
/ / / / /
“Do you guys not understand what is going on!?” Eunhyuk screamed from inside the cage.
He’d learned from the loud voices that morning that last night’s officers had been cut up while the others had gone to work on the turning the circuit back on. Eunhyuk had been released from the handcuff, but he hadn’t been released yet and for what reason he couldn’t bring himself to think of. All he wanted to do now was go after the gang and bring Nana back. There was no idea what they were going to do with her.
Eunhyuk really wanted to call Donghae and the others.
“You can’t just come in here!”
“Excuse me, sir. You’re going to have to leave.”
Eunhyuk heard a lot of footsteps and protesting from his blind side and could only wonder what was going on. Or actually, who had come.
“I’ve got a warrant with me.” a familiar voice stated. “Touch me and I can get you to the district attorney right away. You know what’ll happen to you then? Yea, you’ll be burning. Now, where’s Lee Hyukjae? Anybody care to lead me to him?”
A frowned forced its way across his forehead.
Someone gulped loudly, “I apologize for the rudeness, sir. Right this way.”
Footsteps shifted and slowly neared. Eunhyuk found himself staring back at Kim Heechul from through the bars.
“It’s been a while,” Kim Heechul greeted.
“What’s going on?” Eunhyuk whispered when he stepped out of the cage.
“You might want to run once we reach the door,” Heechul warned. “There’s not a lot of time left.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Heechul opened the door for him with a broad smile.
“Once we’re to the car, I’ll explain. There’s going to be chaos running loose at the home you’re staying.” Heechul told.
“What, are you telling riddles? Can’t you just tell me?” Eunhyuk wondered frustratingly annoyed.
“I told you to run, didn’t I?” Heechul’s smile disappeared.
/ / / / /
Donghae woke up coughing and sat up on the couch.
The couch?
He glanced around to see the others leaning in to look at him.
“Do you hear me? Are you ok?” it was Yuri.
Donghae still coughed and nodded before looking around. Changmin sat on the edge of the couch adjacent to him, his face scrunched up in stress.
“What’s going on?” Donghae wondered, his mind blank.
It was strange being unable to think. Nothing had yet occurred to him. He let himself indulge on the momentarily silence as if they were all expecting something from him. Then he remembered awaking to footsteps before someone had stuffed something over his mouth. And then Victoria…
“Where’s Victoria! Victoria!” Donghae shot up from where he was, but someone held him down. “No! Let me go! Where’s Victoria! Who took her!?”
“Don’t rush, yet,” a familiar voice with a firm hand on his shoulder advised. “We still have to wait for our other guests.”
Donghae frowned and looked up to see Chief Kang. His face stilled before he felt joy overwhelm him.
“Chief Kang!”
“Save the reunion for later,” Chief Kang instructed, “get back into position Donghae. Remember who you are. You’re a criminal investigator, I can’t have you leaving your post at this moment.”
There was something in his voice that meant business.
“Stay calm, I can’t have you running off like the last time. Do you hear me, Lee Donghae?”
“Y…yes, Chief.” Donghae forced the words he hadn’t said in months out.
It felt so refreshing. He was so glad that Chief Kang had made it alive. And he really looked just as fine as usual.
The doorbell rung and Changmin got up to answer it. Once the door opened, Donghae saw Kim Heechul walk in followed by Eunhyuk, who looked mightily distressed and angry.
Chief Kang, who was standing in the middle of the room, turned to them all, “Let me explain what we have here.”
They tuned into his words.
“We’re going to have ourselves a hostage situation within the next 24 hours,” he prodded on. “I have a squad team all set and ready. We’re going to be in communication with the gang. I won’t prohibit anyone not from the bureau to join. I’ve already had some men check into a safe hotel for Shim Changmin and Eunhyuk.” He tilted his head to look at Yuri, “Officer Kwon, I’m going to have to ask you to help aid me.”
Donghae stared at his Chief.
“Hostage situation?” the hole in Donghae’s eyes became more apparent and he looked over at the lone Eunhyuk.
It dawned on him then, why Kim Heechul had only returned with Eunhyuk alone and why he’d awoken on the couch without Victoria.
“Hostage?” Donghae repeated lifelessly.
***Yay! Heechul & Chief Kang to the rescue! But trouble still looms ahead
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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