Kyuhyun and MinJi's dynamic takes a drastic shift. Donghae receives a warning about the plan to have him killed.

MAMACITA
Bait:

Heechul left the back room once he was fully calm and collected. Now that there was a proper plan in place to clear his conscience, he had nothing to worry about anymore. Shindong and Leeteuk had already run off to take SoonYee and bring her to wherever they had planned. Kyuhyun's part was telling Donghae all about it so he could lure him in while still keeping both Heechul's and Donghae's trust (depending on how he would break the news, of course). Everything was going according to plan. 

Heechul reentered the bar and locked the door to the back room. The place was lively as it always was at this hour. The saloon girls brought the men of their choice upstairs to the private rooms. Leenah was busy pouring beers and whiskey and sliding them down the bar. He smirked as he watched people all around the bar clinking their shot glasses together like they had something to celebrate. If only I could join them, he thought, if only they knew what I had to celebrate. Freedom, riches beyond imagination, and most of all, a real start at a brand new life. Everything was about to come together.

"I'm back my love." Heechul pranced happily down the bar and kissed Leenah's cheek with his arm around her waist. Leenah was happy Donghae left right after receiving the ice from her because she was ready to yell at Heechul for the way he acted before. Even more so now that Heechul seemed to suddenly be in a great mood.

"Heechul, what happened?" She quietly asked him so others couldn't hear. Luckily the background noise of everyone wrapped in their own conversations made it easier to keep their own private from others' ears, "Why did you react like that when you saw Donghae?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Heechul said calmly. His smile seemed a little more fake when he said that through his teeth. She saw right through it. There was much more to this story.

"Does he have something to do with the things you've done in the past?" Leenah asked. Heechul didn't answer, but the look on his face was enough. She saw the flash of fear in his eyes when she mentioned his past. He didn't like when anyone brought it up; he wanted to forget about it all. He was doing a damn good job at it until Donghae showed up, that was for sure. Of course, she thought. Bounty hunter. What had happened on the train those years ago before the two of them met. She gasped when she came to the realization. "Oh my goodness! That bounty hunter you killed in that gunfight...That was Donghae's-"

"Leenah-" Heechul said with a stern tone. She knew he was warning her to stop talking about it. He grabbed her shoulders intending to (most likely) scold her for it and pulled her to the side by the back room door, but he didn't scold her after all. He took a moment to bury his memories and feelings down to where he wouldn't know where they went. He put on that fake smile again and softened his grip.

"My love, it's alright now." He said, "None of it matters anymore. We won't have to worry about him much longer."

"Why?" Leenah asked, "What have you planned to do now?"

Leenah didn't like the cunning smirk he made with what he said next, "I've arranged a...Surprise for him."

"You're going to kill him aren't you?" Leenah gasped, "How could you do that? How could you decide to kill him just like that? Like it means nothing?"

"Because I'm not the one who's doing the killing. There's no blood on my hands this time." Heechul grinned, kissed her forehead, and went to go back to his job while Leenah frowned in disappointment.

"And SoonYee?" Leenah asked as she followed behind him. SoonYee was her best friend. What would happen to her if Donghae died? She saw how much SoonYee liked him when they talked about him together in this very saloon. Heechul didn't answer her and she knew it wasn't because he didn't hear her.

"You may not be the one doing it, but you're still responsible. That's just as bad." Leenah said under her breath so he couldn't hear her for real this time, "You promised that all of this would stop."

__

Donghae waited patiently for SoonYee at Kangin's shop. He removed the ice from his eye, which reduced the majority of the swelling so it wouldn't turn black. He knew SoonYee would get upset once she found out what happened, but that was okay. It's been a long time since someone cared about him. He noticed he had been standing there a while. What time was it? Sundown would be on its way soon, where was she? Did he get the time mixed up and come earlier than expected? No, she was probably held up with those chores she mentioned. He decided to put the thought out of his mind. Not because he didn't want to worry, but because he didn't want to think about the word chores ever again. He had his reasons to justify it.

"You've been hanging around for a while," said Kangin, "What brings you here? Waiting for someone?"

"Yeah. I'm waiting for SoonYee," Donghae replied. "We have something very important to discuss. I thought she would be here by now."

"Love, it's a beautiful thing," Kangin grinned, "Good luck to you, sir!"

"Donghae!" Donghae saw Kyuhyun running up to him, making him roll his eyes. There goes my good mood, he thought. "Donghae, I have to talk to you right now."

"Kyuhyun!" Kangin waved happily.

"Not now." Kyuhyun snapped at him and went for Donghae. "I need to talk to you. It's important."

"Kyuhyun, for the final time," Donghae gritted his teeth, "I don't have time for you and your offer so kindly leave me alone." 

Donghae immediately walked away, only for Kyuhyun to chase after him.

"That's not what I'm here for." Kyuhyun caught up with him. "There's a plan to have you killed."

"Don't care," Donghae replied bluntly, trying to get away from him.

"Of course, you don't care. It's good that you don't, you know that? That means you won't take the bait and you'll be safe."

"You're right. If I did then I'm a dead man, and I need to be alive as of right now. So I still don't care. Whatever bait they have won't work. I care about no one anymore."

"Look," Kyuhyun continued following Donghae down the dirt street, "I know you don't want to care about anyone, not even yourself. And heaven forbid you get close to anyone, right? But you do care about someone. SoonYee. I know you do, so don't pretend like you don't!"

"Why do you care?" Donghae snapped.

"Because I know everything about you. Every little detail, you hear me?" Kyuhyun knew that would get him to stop, which it did.

"Did MinJi tell you?" Donghae stopped and turned to look at Kyuhyun.

"Of course not," Kyuhyun replied, "Good stories always travel fast, don't they? You're a legend as they call it."

Donghae clenched his jaw in anger and pointed his finger at Kyuyhun's chest, "Don't bring it up ever again. It's my business. Mine. Got it?"

Kyuhyun waited until Donghae began walking away again to continue. He wasn't going to chase him anymore. "I still know something you don't!"

Donghae ignored him and continued walking. Kyuhyun had enough beating around the bush. It was time to just say it.

"SoonYee's the bait," Kyuhyun called out, making Donghae freeze again. "She's been taken."

Donghae stood still for a moment so he could think. Kyuhyun figured he would need to take some time to process it. Donghae suddenly felt that familiar ping of anxiety in his chest. He did everything he could to make himself look composed. He hadn't felt this way since that day...He never had many people in his life, none that he cared for. This is what I get for following your advice, he thought. 

"How do you know that?" Donghae asked.

"I was told to tell you so you would go," Kyuhyun replied. "I'm also supposed to threaten you. If you run then she dies."

Kyuhyun got closer to Donghae and grabbed his shoulders so he could show him he was getting serious.

"Listen, Donghae. I've lost people close to me, too. It hurts. It hurts so badly, and I of all people know that. But if you use your pain as an excuse to not help or care about someone, then I will lose all respect I have for you. And respect is something I always held dear to you since you arrived here. I know you care for her, for SoonYee. So you need to own up to that and do something. I wish there was another way, but we don't have the luxury. The people behind all this are getting too angsty with you around. You need to show them up, Donghae. Can you do it?"

Donghae knew he was right. He had to do something. He sighed in understanding and asked, "Where did they take her?"

"I don't know," Kyuhyun frowned, shaking his head. "I guess that's something we'll have to figure out for ourselves."

__

Kyuhyun found Sungmin and let him spread the word about the current situation. Alongside Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Kyuhyun, and MinJi, Donghae entered SoonYee and Sungah's home. They immediately saw that SoonYee was long gone.

"The door was kicked in, that must've scared her by the looks of it. She dropped clothes in the hallway down there when they came in," Donghae said. He looked around the main part of the house for any other clues. He kept his composure as best he could so he wouldn't miss anything, "They chased her back down that way."

Donghae followed the trail to SoonYee's room. She made it in there and even got the door shut, but it had been kicked in as well. He saw her window slightly open with bloody fingerprints on the hinges. Donghae swallowed a lump in his throat when he envisioned her trying to get the window open to escape. The fear she must've felt. Thinking about it more, he was beginning to believe this wasn't her blood at all. The break-in...She punched one of them in the face hard. He looked at the floor and saw SoonYee's little wool throw rug in shambles. Stuff on top of her dresser was on the floor. He envisioned a figure grabbing her and her shoving him back into the dresser. He nodded, knowing exactly what happened.

"Is there a back door?" Donghae asked. Kyuhyun nodded and led him to it. It was through the kitchen. It was shut, but there was one minor detail they almost overlooked. Donghae lightly dragged his fingers down the door and onto the floor. There were fresh dirt marks from the perpetrator's shoes. He opened the door and saw faded footprints leading to only one place.

"I know where they took her," Donghae said.

"What should we do?" Eunhyuk asked, "This is Sungah's little sister we're talking about here."

Kyuhyun was about to make some snide comment at Eunhyuk once again but then noticed that they were missing someone. Someone very, very important.

"Where's Sungah?" He asked, but everyone just shrugged.

"We haven't seen her since earlier today when we split up to look for the chest," Sungmin answered. "I don't know where she is now."

"You think they took her, too?" Eunhyuk asked, "Or maybe they took her by mistake?"

"No, they know who both Sungah and SoonYee are," Kyuhyun replied.

"She could've gone after them herself," MinJi offered. "That is her sister after all. If she saw them take her, she wouldn't know what was going on. All she knows is that she was kidnapped."

"That is definitely something she would do," Kyuhyun said, his frustration growing. He ran to Sungah's bedroom. "Her weapons are gone. Her gun, knife, they're gone."

"So?" said Donghae, "They could've taken those when they took SoonYee."

"Oh yeah? Then explain this," Kyuhyun opened Sungah's wardrobe. "Her uniform is gone, too. She went after them. Damn it, she's so stupid sometimes! Why didn't she wait? We could've made a better plan!"

"What are you going to do?" MinJi asked. She knew Sungah meant a lot to him. He had to help her, right? Kyuhyun chewed on his tongue nervously, thinking of a new plan. 

"I can't do anything," said Kyuhyun. MinJi could tell it caused him physical pain to say that, "If I show up there and interfere with this plan in any way, my cover is blown and everything will go to hell. Siwon and I need more information before I can do anything. Donghae, it's better if you go track them and save SoonYee. They are expecting you to go anyway. They know you'll successfully track and find them, but be careful. If Sungah followed them, she will be able to help you. I'll take MinJi with me to Shindong's shop cellar to see if the chest is being held there, now is as good a time as any to check. If it's there, then I can steal it and get it back to Sungmin before things get worse and end all of this."

"Eunhyuk and I will wait in the hideout for you. Let us know if you need help." Sungmin spoke up, "If anything goes wrong, I can fix a wound without hesitation or be backup."

"Yeah," Eunhyuk said, "Anything you need."

"Okay, let's go," Kyuhyun commanded and everyone split up.

Unknown to them, Ryeowook had followed them and overheard the conversation. He wanted to tell Kyuhyun that he was accepting the offer to join, but as soon as he heard Sungah was