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"I never realized how shit it is just to sit still." Hyungwon huffed out, glancing in the other leader's direction. Wonho let out a hum of agreement rustling through some papers. "Whining about it won't help much." the older spoke calmly, making him roll his eyes.
Hyungwon shook his head, diverting his attention back to his computer screen. He had been scouring the depths of the internet for anything they could catch onto without much luck. "I'm not whining, just stating what's going on in my mind. I'm sure you don't like the silence much," he replied eventually, maybe a bit needlessly snarky.
There was no reply from the other desk so he just pulled his lips into a line. Guess they would work in complete silence, then. Not that he minded that, but since they were there, might as well try to get along. Wonho had been a bit, how could Hyungwon put it nicely? The older had been a bit bitchy since he devised the plan they decided on. Maybe there was no nice way to say it.
A few minutes later there was sudden furious clicking from the older's desk and a low "what the fuck?" which immediately drew Hyungwon's attention. "What is it?" He asked, watching as the other man slumped in his chair. "The whole thing froze and isn't allowing me to reboot," he muttered, pointing at his screen before bringing one hand to his forehead.
Hyungwon stood up, smoothly walking over to the other and leaning down a bit to see what could've been wrong. "I know a bit about computers but usually a simple restart helps in this case," Wonho spoke, but Hyungwon mostly ignored it, clicking with the mouse without any results as it, too, was frozen in its place.
Hyungwon removed his hands from the mouse and keyboard, nodding a little. "I'll call someone from the tech team." he then said, turning on his heels but before he could move too far, Wonho suddenly grabbed him by his sleeve. He was about to just rip himself free but wasn't allowed the chance before the other spoke up. "Look."
He turned back around, eyebrows furrowing when he saw the cursor moving on the screen without Wonho touching the mouse. "If you happen to have any knowledge of hacking, see if you can counter it. Even better, trace it." Hyungwon said, then finally pulling his hand free. "Sure. Be quick."
Hyungwon rolled his eyes again, dashing his desk to get his phone. As if he would stall in this situation on purpose. He dialed the tech team manager's number, bringing the phone to his ear as he walked back over to Wonho's desk. The man was furiously clicking on the keyboard seemingly trying to delay the hacker's attempts of accessing their files.
"I need someone up here, now. Shin's computer's been hacked." He simply said before just ending the call. They would know it was severe and wouldn't take more than a few minutes to get there.
"Anything?" He asked the other, earning a small shake of the head. "I can't say for sure, but it seems like they are delaying on purpose." Wonho sighed eyebrows twitching a bit as he kept his eyes glued to the bright screen.
"Or they're just bad," Hyungwon mumbled back, not getting a response from the other as the door to his office was opened swiftly. Hyungwon turned around nodding at the tech team member who had been sent, tapping Wonho on the shoulder as a sign for him to get up. The two of them moved out of the way without exchanging words as the man got to work.
Hyungwon walked over to his desk, checking that his computer was fine before turning it off just in case. "Do you think it's traceable? I tried but my attempts were blocked." he heard Wonho ask. "I think I could manage. It might take a little bit and fail if they realize we're breaking through."
"The general location is fine. We don't need exact coordinates." Hyungwon stated, brushing his hair back a little before leaning down to open a drawer on his desk. He pulled out a pistol checking if it was loaded before placing it in the waistline of his pants.
"What are you doing?" Wonho must have noticed his antics. Hyungwon glanced in his direction shrugging with a small grin. "Preparing," he replied simply, kicking the drawer shut. "I don't want to be cooped up so if we're going to catch this bastard, I'm going to get him myself." He then added calmly, before moving back over to the pair at the other desk.
"We shouldn't go outside," Wonho replied, making the younger roll his eyes. He didn't need the other to nag him. Changkyun did that already. "You can stay," he then stated, leaning down a little bit to be at eye level with the older man. "I'm only risking my own life by going." The other clearly wasn't impressed by this and just shook his head a little bit.
"Well. I'm not going to be the one ripping you a new one if and when you return." Wonho smirked a little, poking a finger at his chest and pushing him back slightly. Hyungwon let out a small scoff, nodding his head as he straightened out his shirt. "Not like you even could, considering you're wounded and all." he spat back, ignoring the glare he received right after, and turned to the tech man.
"Anything?" he got a low hum as a response, right as his phone dinged. "I sent the location, Mr. Chae." Hyungwon glanced at Wonho, who seemed visibly impressed at the fast pace. "I'll be off, then," he spoke, pulling the device out in order to message Jooheon to meet him in the garage.
He would've dragged Changkyun along but he was also still healing up. And he wasn't going to go with either of Wonho's men either. So even if he was a tad miffed at Jooheons still, he'd take the man over anyone else.
"Hey, Chae." Hyungwon stopped when the older called out for him. He glanced over his shoulder as a sign he was listening. "If you need backup, call," Wonho stated, arms crossed. He just nodded a little followed by a small chuckle. "It's probably some child with a laptop who's in over his head."
Hyungwon then exited his office, swiftly moving to the elevator.
When he got out of the elevator, Jooheon was standing right outside it. "I'll scold you later. Where are we headed?" The other asked, extending out his hand. Hyungwon reluctantly gave his car keys to the younger man, voicing out the address.
"That's... Concerningly close by." Jooheon muttered, leading the way to the right vehicle. The leader didn't get to comment anything before the other got into the driver's seat. Against his wants, Hyungwon climbed into the passenger seat, putting on his seatbelt before crossing his arms.
"Who do you think it is?" The other asked. Hyungwon tilted his head to the side a little bit. "One of Ilsang's men or just a red haring." He replied, clearing his throat a little bit before glancing out of the window. "Do you think the two of us can handle it?" "What can't we?"
"Just... Taking into account it could also be a trap." Hyungwon waved the other off immediately after he had spoken the words. "He wouldn't bother with such hassle right now. He literally blew up Shin's building. Anything more would put the spotlight on him." he reasoned, shaking his head a tad. Of course, there was a chance that it was a trap, there always was, but Hyungwon wanted to remain optimistic.
"Whatever you say, boss." The driver sighed, clearly not exactly happy about the situation. Hyungwon couldn't blame him, really. After all, they had agreed that the two leaders should stay inside for safety reasons yet here he was, waltzing out like he didn't give a damn. Well, he didn't, but that wasn't the point.
Jooheon eventually stopped the car in front of a run-down building. It was either an old apartment block or an office building. Either or, their perpetrator was, hopefully, inside. Any sign of life had died maybe ten kilometers back, so the two of them were skeptical even if neither said it out loud.
"Let's go," Hyungwon said, clicking open his seatbelt and getting out. Jooheon was swift to follow him and they made their way to the door. "What if we catch him?" his companion man questioned and Hyungwon thought about it for a few seconds. "We'll take him in," he said, glancing toward the car. It wasn't really appropriate for taking any prisoners but if one of them sat in the back with the bastard it should be fine.
"Alright. Are you ready?" The leader nodded his head in response, heading into the building first though Jooheon quickly made his way ahead of him as if he needed protection. "Did you get any exact info?" the man asked in a low voice, but it echoed off the walls of the empty building. "No. Let's just use the stairs and find the right floor."
The option wasn't inviting but going into the elevator had its dangers. Like getting stuck. They didn't even know if it worked due to the condition of the building itself
Multiple sets of stairs later, the two arrived at a lobby-like area once again. Jooheon pointed toward some plastic curtains, probably left behind by construction workers. The leader just nodded his head, taking a few wary steps forward while pulling out his gun.
"How are we going to do this?" The other man mouthed at him, letting out as little sound as possible. Hyungwon sucked his lips into his mouth, thinking for a little bit. "Go in and shoot. Only to injure, though. We need this fucker alive." he replied back, swallowing a little bit. Chances were that they were already too late, but it was worth the trip if there was at least something left behind.
Jooheon just nodded his head, letting out a small huff before moving first, walking beyond the plastic curtains. Immediate gunshots followed and not before long, one flew straight through the plastic, barely missing Hyungwon himself. The tall man let out a low swear, walking in himself, gun pointed in the air.
"The gig is over." he hissed, eyes focusing on a man standing behind a desk with a simple desktop computer. The setup wasn't complex, which came as a sort of surprise. To his shock, the enemy raised his hands in the air, one still grasping his pistol. Maybe he knew he couldn't take the two of them.
Hyungwon shared a small glance with Jooheon, the younger of them nodding at him as on OK to move. The leader wasted no time, striding across the room toward the culprit. "Who the hell are you?" He asked but as he tried to grab the fucker, he suddenly got thrown against the desk, gun pressed to his chin.
The action made Hyungwon freeze, chills running down his back. It feels slightly too familiar but he had to push the feeling away
"You didn't think I would make it that easy?" The man chuckled, causing Hyungwon to furrow his brows a little bit. That voice was familiar from somewhere. "I was hoping." He then replied with a rough breath, kicking the stranger in his guts, and forcing him to stumble back. He pushed himself off of the hard surface, immediately throwing a punch the bastard's way only to have his wrist caught and twisted.
He let out a pained cry, trying to rip himself free without success. The opponent was stronger than the baggy outfit he wore led one to believe. Hyungwon felt himself being pushed aside as the other tried to flee. He only took a few moments to recover but once he did he immediately froze.
His gaze panned on the enemy holding Jooheon at gunpoint while backing off. "Let him go," Hyungwon demanded, taking a short step forward but stopping right after the other pulled the slider on his pistol. This was no joke. Shit, shit, shit. "One more step, Chae." The said man swallowed, staying still. He made eye contact with the younger who just nodded at him wordlessly as if to reassure him. Like that would work. He was clearly just as freaked if not even more. If he just stayed still, the other would survive.
There were only a few people he couldn't bare to lose. His father had been one of them, but the old man was long gone. Jooheon was on the list too, despite them often clashing at times. They'd seen many dangerous moments together but managed to stick by each other just so nothing like this ever had the chance to occur.
And there was no chance in hell he'd let Jooheon get shot on his watch.
The sight and thought were enough to make the leader's guts twist with discomfort. The thought that one move from him would have Jooheon's brain painting the wall was even worse.
The pair reached the curtains and before Hyungwon could even blink, Joo got shoved forward and the son of a bitch escaped the area. "Are you alright?" Hyungwon rushed over to the younger man inspecting him. He didn't seem to be injured at all outwardly. He just cleared his throat, straightening his body and just swatting the leader's hands away. "No matter. Fucking follow him, I'll check the computer."
He could check the man's condition in depth later so he just nodded his head just a little before rushing past the shorter. Right as he made it out of the curtained area, there was a loud clank followed by a heavy set of thuds.
Hyungwon ran to the stairs, making it down a few steps before stopping. "You almost let him get away, jeez, Chae." the leader held back a frown as he crossed his arms. There stood Yoo Kihyun, a proud grin on his features as he held a crowbar in his hands.
"Shut up." He spat then, making it down the last few stairs to reach the run-away culprit who was now unconscious. He squatted down before bringing a few of his fingers to the man's neck to check his pulse. "Surprised you didn't kill him." Hyungwon rolled his eyes, next removing the bastard's mask.
Wait.
"You recognize him?" Yoo asked, squatting down beside him. Was his expression that obvious? Hyungwon let out a slight hum as a response before scoffing. They really shouldn't take one of Son's closest men but they needed answers and this guy could give those.
"He introduced himself as Show-something. I don't remember, he wasn't important when we first talked," he replied, tossing the mask aside. He grabbed the guy's shirt collar, pulling him up as he stood up. "Why are you here?" he then asked, sounding slightly harsh even though he secretly appreciated the help.
"Wonho told me to follow you. Just in case." Kihyun replied, pulling the man up with him. "Where's Jooheon-ssi?" the other then asked, and in perfect timing, the said man walked down the stairs carrying the whole computer.
"I couldn't look through all of it in just a few minutes but there seemed to be a lot on it..." The youngest spoke calmly. Hyungwon nodded his head approvingly. They could get the tech team on it once they were back at the HQ.
Hyungwon cleared his throat a little bit. "Let's go. We don't know who is coming here next. I don't want to be caught basically kidnapping one of Son's men."
"Wow, you're back in one piece." Was the first thing Wonho let put when he entered the interrogation room. Hyungwon rolled his eyes, rubbing his wrist gently. He wasn't going to mention how he was pretty much thrown around during the encounter. "You out of everyone should know I'm not an easy target," he muttered back, holding the urge to roll his eyes.
Wonho let out a small breath that resembled a chuckle but his face stayed neutral. "Anywho, I heard you caught him?" And the other leader nodded toward the man handcuffed to the table. "It's the guy who was with Ilsang at the event." he then explained, watching as Wonho walked over to the unconscious man.
Kihyun's blow to the head must have done a number on the fucker.
"How long 'til he wakes up?" the older asked, drawing a simple shrug from Hyungwon. "He doesn't seem to have a skull fracture from getting hit but I can't confirm whether or not he has internal damage like this. I don't trust him enough to take him to the medical wing for examination. So I can't say for sure." he paused, tilting his head a little bit. He really should have assessed the man's condition; he didn't want him dying in their hands. The situation was bad enough as it was. "Don't be too harsh with him though."
"There you go with the doctor talk." Wonho huffed, grabbing the man's head by his hair and pulling it up a little. He seemed to think for a moment before harshly slapping the unconscious man on the cheek. Hyungwon probably should have reminded him to be careful with his hurt arm, but somehow he doubted that the other would actually listen to him.
The hit the older served, to Hyungwon's surprise, drew a groan out of the victim. He raised his eyebrows a little, only observing quietly as their hostage came back to his senses.
"There, problem solved," Wonho stated, letting go and clapping his hands together, wiping them a little. He seemed to be proud of this achievement. Hyungwon on the other hand wasn't sure how much beating up the already hurt man was such a great idea. He was considering letting him go and giving him brain damage wouldn't be the ideal situation.
"Where am I?" The man croakily let out making the pair scoff almost simultaneously. They shared a short glance and Hyungwon scrunched his nose a little. "Figure it out, Sherlock," Wonho stated glancing over at him. Hyungwon huffed softly, waving him off. He'd just stand to the side and speak if needed.
"Well. This sure is an interesting sight. You two in the same room without a blood bath." the cuffed gave a crooked smile before drawing in a deep breath and cursing quietly. They both had manners to an extent. And there was a contract at play. Disappointing as it was, one of the clauses was to not harm each other or team members.
"That is none of your business as of now. What were you trying to accomplish by hacking us? What's that boss of yours got up his sleeve now, huh?" Hyungwon shook his head slightly as he followed the situation. "We'll let you go unharmed if you talk." He added afterward causing Wonho to look at him.
'You said to be gentle!' he mouthed and the younger just shrugged his shoulders, moving closer.
"Sure." their prisoner agreed, nodding his head. The answer made Hyungwon freeze. "What?" he blanked, furrowing his eyebrows a little bit. This wasn't going according to whatever imaginary plan there was.
"My computer. It's got most of what you need and if not more." the two leaders glanced at each other and Wonho nodded his head a little bit. He must have been willing to listen to the prisoner so Hyungwon hummed softly as an agreement.
The younger returned his attention to the third man. "You are awfully compliant. How are we supposed to trust you?" he started, leaning one hand on the table. "You held one of my men at gunpoint. And weren't completely willing to come along." Or at least that had been how Hyungwon had read the situation.
"You were attacking first." The Show-something person stated making Hyungwon roll his eyes once again. "You think we can risk our chances with the likes of you? God. Do you take me for an idiot?" he scoffed. As if he would now go anywhere that had Son Ilsang written over it without being armed.
"Likes of me?" the other asked, jaw clenching as he scoffed. The sound echoed a little in the room. "I've been helping you, you morons." he then added leaning forward as much as he could while being handcuffed. The two leaders shared another look. Wonho mouthed at him to ask how getting into the enemy's computer was going and the younger nodded immediately, pulling out his phone.
"You're mixing me up with those guys. It's not hard to put on a facade if it helps me out in the end." Hyungwon listened half-heartedly to the man ranting while texting Jooheon. He was getting quick replies with photos of the situation. Most files were encrypted apparently so that only the owner could decrypt them.
"How are we supposed to get anything out of the computer if nothing can be accessed without being destroyed in the process if hacked?" Hyungwon huffed, throwing his phone onto the desk before the prisoner. "Passwords. Give them," he demanded, glaring down at the other man. The dim light in the room cascaded his shadow over the bastard.
Sure, he didn't look like the most threatening person but he could see the other hesitate to speak. Hyungwon wasn't going to negotiate about this. "If you uncuff me and take me to it, I'll help."
"Fuck that." Wonho laughed, eating up Hyungwon's words. He was about to give the exact same reaction. "Then we're stuck here. You won't give me the trust I want so I will do the same." Hyungwon snarled at this, grabbing the man's shirt collar. "What do you want? Money? We can give your pathetic rat pack that."
"I'm after the same exact thing you are. Get that into that thick head of yours, Chae." This fucker was about to get on Hyungwon's nerves for sure. "You've not given me a reason to believe you." he then spat, letting go and taking his phone back.
"And Mr. Shin here has?" The oblivion member asked, tilting his head. Hyungwon glanced toward Wonho, frowning a little bit. "We're in the same ditch caused by your boss. Go figure." Wonho stepped in making the other scoff.
"Ilsang's not my boss. I have free reign over my own missions and section of the group. That comes with acting like an obedient son. I wouldn't be here if he knew all the shit I've done." Hyungwon brought a hand to pinch his nose bridge.
This guy was Ilsang's son? Hyungwon furrowed his brows a little bit and started going through some of the files he had saved on the device; mostly Son Ilsang's death certificate and family records. Heureka. "Just say it straight! For fucks sake. You're wasting time here, Hyunwoo."
The man let out a deep sigh, shaking his head a little. "Fine. I'll start from the top. I sent Shin here the warning of a group moving from Busan. I left anonymous tips that you clearly bit down on..." As the man spoke Hyungwon glanced at Wonho as if to ask if this was true. The older shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"How do you think I.M lived through that first encounter at the faux HQ? Or how the explosion of Shin's building conveniently exploded when he was almost out of the building, allowing him to live?"
"You did that? As fucking if." Wonho stated but he didn't sound as tense as just a few minutes before. Seemed like he was actually willing to hear the other out. Hyungwon though was still skeptical. "Look. Let me to the computer and I'll show you everything I have on there. I have a whole division ready to betray that man."
Hyungwon drew in a deep inhale, turning his attention to Wonho. "Can we talk outside?" he asked, earning a slightly hesitant nod from the older. Hyungwon took the initiative and moved to the door, unlocking it and stepping outside the interrogation room.
Wonho didn't take too long to follow him, closing the door behind him as he came out. The older leaned up against the metal door, crossing his arms. "How will we go about this?" Hyungwon asked, roughing up his hair a little bit.
"I don't think he's completely lying," Wonho admitted, biting his lips gently before sighing. "We need him to decrypt everything, I think we should do that now. I doubt he'll try anything funny knowing you and I will be surveilling him." the dark-haired man spoke and as much as Hyungwon wanted to disagree, he was right.
Hyungwon stayed quiet for a moment before snapping his fingers. "If he really is all about going against Son, we can keep using him after he decrypts the files... We did need an inside man after all," he spoke, seeing Wonho's eyes lighten up at his suggestion. It was almost endearing. "I hate how smart you are. We'll test his loyalty with that." the man nodded as he let out the lowkey insult and the younger let out a low hum.
This way they didn't need to risk their own men's lives.
"Let's get this done before we move on with our plan. We need to let him go before Ilsang notices."
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the only thing that got me to push myself to write in the midst of this writer's block is the twists i have in mind for this plot.
hi there! been a while
how's everyone doing? idk about the rest of the world but to those in my country (finland) i know school has started and i hope you had a great start to the school year (if you returned to school). i've been working a lot which fueled my lack of updates but i got this out which: yay!
i'm very happy with this chapter (even if it could better but anywho) so i hope you guys enjoyed it too :))
thank you for reading!
'til next time.