Without a Trace

Chapter 7

"Seriously?" You looked back at Changbin. "I'd appreciate that, thanks. Listen, you've gotta keep this between us though, alright? It's top secret stuff."

"Yeah, of course! Who is it?"

"Changbin."

"He's alive?! Oh, shoot, sorry, nurse manager's walking by," Sana starts to whisper. "Yeah, I'll keep it between us. I'll keep you updated on what happens. Who's dropping him off?"

"Uh..." You looked around the room. Wooyoung exits Changbin's room. "Wooyoung will."

"Huh?"

"Got it, tell him to go around the back."

"For sure, thanks, Sana. Tell Jisung I said so too."

"Got it!" Sana hangs up the phone.

"Woo, you're taking Changbin to City General," you tell him.

"The hospital?! Isn't that dangerous?" He asks.

"Nah, remember ICON?"

"The... Was it the one who stopped the fire at Seonghwa's old place?"

"Yup, she's a nurse now at City General Hospital. Jisung called in a favor for Changbin. Go around the back and she'll pick him up, she promised to keep what happens between us, and they'll take better care of him there than here," you finished. Wooyoung only nods.

"Sure, yeah, okay, I'll be right back then," Wooyoung grabs his keys. "Uh... can one of you help me out?"

"Yeah, I've got it," Mingi finishes up his snack and heads over to Changbin's room, Wooyoung close in tow.

~

"Something tells me that he isn't going to be coming back," Jongho sighs. "Let's just let him check up on his friend," he says. Wooyoung had taken off as soon as you called him, not so much as a word or a 'I'll be right back!' just up and left, and literally running back. Hongjoong had opted to wait for the member originally, but after nearly forty-five minutes of no contact, it would probably be best to continue on with the mission.

"Yeah, we'll just fill him in later," Hongjoong kicks off the wall and follows Jongho to the side of the building.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Jongho asks. The modest looking apartment complex seemed too normal to be the sight of anything, then again, that's exactly what anyone would want right around now. It was rather close in distance from the Warehouse, something Yeosang revealed when he sent the addresses of the two co-hosts to the others. It was a quiet neighborhood in comparison to the rest of the city. He adjusts his mask. "This mask is so comfortable... what's it made of?"

"Carbon fiber, I think."

"Ah, fancy," Jongho plays around with his new arm. "Probably what this is too, huh? It's so receptive... I can feel things now."

"That's weird."

"I know. I kinda hate it," Jongho crosses his arms. "Well, let's go in then." Jongho jumps up and pulls down the ladder of the fire escape, allowing Hongjoong to climb up first before following him. They stop after climbing five floors, each standing on either side of a window. They glance inside, seeing Mark walk around his kitchen.

"On the count of—" Jongho breaks the window and walks in, completely oblivious to Mark's screams. "For fuck's sake... do you even have a plan? It doesn't matter because no one ever listens to the plan," Hongjoong mutters. "Huh? Where'd he go?" Hongjoong enters. He could've sworn that kid was right there.

"No clue, I just walked in and he was gone," Jongho looks around. The apartment was basically empty save for him and Hongjoong.

"That's impossible, he was right there," Hongjoong pointed at the kitchen.