‘We were working the EXO Killer case…’ Yixing started, ‘but we didn’t realise how big it was until we were in far too deep.’ He paused to gather his thoughts, looking into Sehun’s tired eyes. 

    ‘What was the case about?’  Sehun asked, and Yixing was surprised that Luhan hadn’t told the boy - the EXO Killer case was their biggest case yet. 

    ‘Homicides,’ Yixing answered. 

    Sehun leaned forwards, wanting to hear more.

    The detective sighed and forced a hand through his still damp hair; ‘There’s a serial killer out there somewhere… hypothetically.’ 

    Sehun nodded, ‘hypothetically,’ he whispered back.

    Yixing pursed his lips, ‘And this killer tracks his victims for weeks at a time, memorising his victim’s schedules, who they talk to, everything. After he feels comfortable he’ll make a move; sometimes he talks to the victim, befriends them and kills them… or he just kills them.’ 

    ‘How?’ The younger boy’s voice came out no more than a whimper.

    Yixing looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one was within earshot, ‘Sehun, I’m only going to tell you this once. E is for eyes, an X carved onto the chest and O is for organs. This hypothetical killer is so low profile… we didn’t even know he was following Luhan until it was too late.’

    Sehun didn’t take his eyes away from Yixing for a second.

    ‘That day Luhan left a message on my phone, “Yixing, tell Sehun I love him. It’s too late.”’ Yixing looked at his ice-cream and realised that he wasn’t hungry anymore. ‘We traced the call, but we were too slow. The warehouse was completely empty except for a single jar and a note that said; “Come and find the rest.”.’

    Sehun didn’t need to be told what was in the jar. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. 

    ‘We didn’t know where to look. We were going in all the wrong directions because I couldn’t think clearly. Luhan had told me every single day that we the EXO Killer is different from other killers. We were trying asking “Where would the killer go?” when she should have been asking “Where would Luhan go?”… The victim; the killer was living in the victim’s mind and we should have been too.’

    ‘I think I know the rest…’ Sehun inhaled sharply, his eyes dull.

    ‘You only know a part of it,’ Yixing interrupted heavily. ‘There was a video…’

    ‘What?’ Sehun breathed, his eyes sad and lost.

    Yixing tried to fill his lungs up with air, but it never felt like enough, ‘I’ll never let you see it.’ 

    Sehun nodded grimly. ‘Okay. It’s almost lunch time.’

    Yixing checked his watch, ‘You’re right. I better get you home.’

    ‘Yixing hyung?’ 

    ‘Sehun-ah?’ Yixing responded, surprised that Sehun had called him hung.

    The boy reached for Yixing’s sleeve, ‘You were wrong. I still don’t hate you.’

    ‘The EXO Killer case’s team of experts, please introduce yourselves!’ Suho clapped excitedly. The tallest member of the team stood and Yixing recognised him instantly.

    ‘Park Chanyeol of cyber intelligence and homicide units. Yixing, I missed you,’ he smiled and made a love heart with his hands.

    Yixing smiled back and formed a heart over his head; ‘I missed you too, Chanyeol.’

    Chanyeol sat down and nudged the short boy beside him, ‘Hello I’m Detective Do Kyungsoo. It’s good to be working with everyone again.’ He gave Yixing a careful smile before sitting down. Yixing remembered the first time he had met Kyungsoo; he was fresh from the White Collar Case Unit and more than ready to switch to homicides and petty thefts.

    ‘Detective Kim Jongin,’ said a well built man as he stood. ‘Let’s work well, and welcome,’ he said as he smiled at Jongdae and another man Yixing had never seen before. 

    The mystery man took his turn, ‘Hello, I am Byun Baekhyun; a rep from Special Victims unit.’

    ‘What’s a Special Victim’s worker doing here?’ Kyungsoo asked

    Baekhyun’s smile faltered, ‘Detectives qualify as special victims,’ he said as he sat down. 

    ‘Ah…’ Jongdae cleared his throat, ‘Well, I’m Kim Jongdae. I’ll be the new forensic psychologist and am Detective Yixing’s new partner.’

    ‘Wow!’ Chanyeol pointed, ‘I thought they were lying when they said they’d find a new psychologist.’

    ‘Do we often lie?’ Suho’s eye brow twitched.

    ‘No comment,’ Chanyeol muttered as he sat straight in his seat. 

    Jongdae laughed and took his seat.

    ‘I’ll be the pathologist; Kim Minseok,’ a chubby cheeked man raised his hand. ‘It’s nice to see you again Yixing.’

    Yixing smiled at his friend, ‘It’s always nice to see you,’ he bowed his head.

    ‘Cold Cutter, its an honour to be working with you again,’ Chanyeol grinned.

    Minseok threw a paper ball, ‘I told you not to call me that. I have feeling too.’

    ‘Cold ones,’ Kai said under his breath. 

    ‘I heard that!’ Minseok shouted, waving an accusing finger at the younger man. ‘Respect your elders!’

    Yixing stood, ‘If you want to be respected as an elder then stop acting like a twelve year old.’

    Minseok pouted, ‘Whatever, just tell us who you are Yixing.’

    Yixing rolled his eyes, ‘Hello, I am Detective Zhang Yixing. Let’s work hard with our new members to solve the case. Let’s try to keep our feeling towards any victims out of the case.’

    Jongdae looked his partner up and down, not so sure that Yixing would be able to follow his own advice. 

    ‘Would the last member please introduce himself and then we can continue on with the briefing and assignments,’ Yixing ordered.

    ‘Of course,’ said a tall boy as he sprung from his seat. ‘I am Huang Zitao, I am new to the team but I think most of you know me.’ Somehow everyone did know Tao, even Jongdae and Baekhyun had heard about the homicide squads freshest wonder boy. Yixing had helped him solve two petty thefts and knew the boy had been friends with Sehun in the past.

    ‘Thank you,’ Yixing said as he left the table and sat beside the projector. ‘Kai can you hit the lights?’

    ‘No need for violence,’ Kai chuckled at his own joke - none the less he obeyed.

    ‘Sit down before we have another homicide on our hands,’ Kyungsoo grumbled to Kai. Chanyeol sniffled a chuckle.

    ‘The EXO Killer case is a year long investigation. Four months ago the team was temporarily dismissed after the death of one of the lead field detectives assigned to the case. During that time they were permitted only to monitor the case. The murders can be traced back to as far as seven years ago and there are a total of 27 victims, Detective Luhan being the twenty seventh and therefore the most recent murder. This means that there are roughly three months in-between each murder.

    ‘The previous forensic psychologist determined that the killer stalks the victims and due his obsessive compulsive nature selects victims with consistent schedules. He kills the same way every time. It was determined that the killer attempts to adapt the thinking process of the victim, therefore wherever the victim likes to shop, he will shop; wherever the victim likes to go; he will go. It is believed that the un-sub is a male with taller than average height yet an average build. He is calculating and calm in every situation. Is there anything that anyone would like to add? Any questions?’ Yixing asked, particularly inter to hear what Jongdae had to say.

    Xiumin spoke first, ‘He’s probably of a medical back ground; the cuts he makes are far to clean to be made by someone that doesn’t have a thorough understanding of the human body.’

    ‘You’re right, Kyungsoo right that down,’ Kai demanded.

    Kyungsoo scoffed, ‘I already did.’

    ‘Can you tell us a bit more about the victims?’ Jongdae inquired as he spun around in his seat.

    Yixing flicked to the first victim’s slideshow; ‘Victim number one was called Kim Minah. She was a single mother with one son, he was 18 at the time. Kim Minah had her eyes removed while she was still alive and then an “X” was cut into her chest. After the cut was made he allowed the victims to bleed out and then he cleaned away the blood. From the cut he extracted of Minah’s organs - both lungs, aorta and then finally her heart. All victims were killed in the same fashion.’ Yixing continued to list the victims and any minor discrepancies in the murders. 

    ‘Only six of them were men,’ Jongdae noted. ‘So I doubt he kills men for fun, its most likely out of necessity.’

    ‘What?’ Xiumin almost spat his coffee across the room. 

    Jongdae responded calmly, ‘I’m saying that all of the male victims probably scared him at one stage.’ 

    ‘So Luhan was too close to figuring him out? But then that would mean his next target could be Yixing,’ Kai thought out loud.

    Yixing had considered this already, ‘Let’s just get through the information we already have. Chanyeol, it’s your turn.’

    The giant of a man hooked his laptop up to the projector and Yixing sat beside him. 

    ‘Hyung, you may not want to stay for this,’ Chanyeol warned as he opened the file for Luhan’s final video.

    Yixing gave him a pale smile, ‘I have to, remember what I said about personal emotions?’

    Chanyeol smiled as convincingly as he could. ‘This is the video left at the most recent crime scene. As far as we know they are Luhan’s own words, as well as those of the EXO Killer. This is the first message left by a victim.’ 

                    Then he pressed play.