Prime Suspect

{25}

Jungkook sat in a wooden pew. His tearful wife against his chest. They watched as many people stood beside a small closed casket. Many delivered their white flowers atop the deep Cherrywood. They spoke fondly of the young girl who lay inside. Memories of her beautiful smile and kind nature were shared.

Saddened and apologetic glances were given to them as those who attended walked back to their seats. Their heads hung as they choked up on the words they had just spoken.

Jungkook squeezed Yesenia's shoulder lightly. He looked down to her attempting to gain her attention. His chest clenched tighter seeing her tearstained cheeks. He rested the palm of his free hand against the tears.

His smile was broken as tears poured from his own eyes. He gave her alight kiss on her forehead before speaking to her softly

"It's our turn Senia."

Yesenia nodded and the two stood walking to the front of the room hand in hand. They like so many other's laid their flowers down. They stood at the podium ready to say their piece. Their words lost in grief. One glance at the beautiful flower rimmed portrait was all it took. The young woman once so strong and bold burst into more tears. The pain agonizing. The hurt was so deep and so strong it was nearly physical.

~*~

TOP sat at his large wooden desk. He fiddled mindlessly with an empty tin of mints while doing his best to stay focused. He had a few reports to go over. His mind however continued to drift off.

It had been several weeks since he really had contact with him. He hadn't seen or even spoke with the man at all for that matter.

Normally things didn't plague his mind the way recent events were starting to. Something in him seemed to be changing and he couldn't exactly pinpoint what that would be.

He had tried to distance himself due to these changes. It was one thing to worry but to become soft? That was out of the question. In an attempt to maintain his persona he took a business trip to Daegu. This was around the same time the contact with him ended. He had a few deals to attend to and other arrangements to make in response to what activities he had been coerced into taking part in.

In TOP's line of work morality was never a dilemma for him. He had done many awful, and some unspeakable things. He never once bat an eyelash to any of this. However, harming and torturing innocent children was never something that he set out to do. Neither Vernon nor Mina were ever part of the deal he had made. What was he to do though when his newest partner in crime could send him to prison for the rest of his life and no one would question it?

That was one thing he wasn't willing to risk. So here he was helping a serial killer get away with anything he wanted.

He had heard of the young girl's dead body in the midst of scheming to somehow protect Mina from her fairly eminent fate. Shortly thereafter he heard of Vernon's arrest. The devilish man had put his plan into action while he was away.

TOP hid himself away refusing to look further into the situation after hearing the news. If she was really dead then he couldn't afford to be anywhere near this. His part in this twisted game was over. There would be nothing he could do to change any of it.

He thought that maybe he could be like he once was. He could fully detach from the situation and still get a full nights rest. The old him wouldn't be fidgeting relentlessly and growing grey hairs due to stress. The old TOP wouldn't wake with nightmares of a bloody massacre he had solicited. Here he was, those thoughts disturbing him to the bone even as he tried to work. It was the only thing he could seem to think about. Mindlessly he snapped the tin in his hands in half.

That snap of two metal pieces was all it took to finally send him over the edge. He couldn't hide anymore. He had to know the truth no matter what that truth was. He stood abruptly nearly knocking down the chair he had been sitting in. He sent out a brief message before swiftly marching down the dull concrete hallway. His driver sat patiently just outside of the adjoined noodle shop.

TOP made rounds by the precinct just to be sure that he wouldn't have a chance run in with the man he had been avoiding for so long. Lucky for him it seemed he actually was doing his job for once.

He then drove closer to the outskirts of town. The busy streets slowly dissipated as he neared the compound. That place was actually a restored insane asylum. TOP used it to store firearms and various other activities. He loaned one of the many wings to that deranged psychopath. How fitting it seemed now to him.

It was a rather large facility. Easy to get lost inside if one didn't know the way. TOP however knew the whole layout like the back of his hand. He could navigate every corridor and every hidden room like it was nothing. None else knew of what secrets that place could hide.

Once stopped he made his way into the building. He greeted the few guards they had spread throughout the building. He weaved through large hallways until he found exactly what he was looking for. At one point this was solitary confinement for some of the asylum's more violent residents. He took a ragged breath before continuing on. Beyond these doors he would find the answer to this burning question.

Was Jeon Mina still alive?

He pushed through his nerves. This was something he hadn't had to do for years. It was always something so strange for him.

Once inside there were a line of metal doors, each with a single window. Nothing but sheer darkness filled each room. The glass on the windows were so thick it was nearly impossible to break. No scream or cry for help would ever be heard through it.

His breath caught in his throat as he searched the rooms looking for one in particular. Then he found it. In the deepest section of the hallway. He fished an old key from his pocket unlocking the door. He carefully pushed the door all the way open. Darkness swallowed the room.

TOP stepped back out to turn on the bright florescent lights on. When he looked back the first thing he saw was blood splattered on the floor. There was much more than there had been since he had last been here. In the corner of the room there was a clump of cloth and hair. Someone was here with him.

He neared the body slowly as he stepped through the mostly dried blood. Is footsteps echoed throughout the room. He stopped now crouching low to the ground.

"Mina?" his voice wavered has he spoke.

His large hand rested on the small child turning them to their back. Beaten and swollen with thick curls matted and greasy. The once sweet and loving face had been destroyed near the point of no recognition.

TOP pressed two fingers against her throat desperate to feel the blood pump through.

There it was. Dangerously faint but still there. He breathed deeply with relief. He carefully picked up the small girl and pulled her into his chest.

"I'm going to save you Jeon Mina. I promise."

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I'm back my dudes!! yes this has been 1 million years in the works but i had a feverish urge to write and here you have it! huge cliffhanger for so long but now you have it the truth. still I'm sure not what you were hoping for. Until next time my babies! 💜