“I want all the armored cars, full weapon arsenal, bring in the SWAT team to Warehouse 12 but do not fire, do you hear me? Do not fire without my command!” Suho barked orders into the phone as he raced around WOAHT, with Taemin in tow. Minho and Sungyeol were in the lab, getting all their equipment ready.
“Stay out of sight. I want the armored cars within 5 miles of the perimeter and send in your best men only under my command. No one is allowed near Warehouse 12 until I say so.” Suho’s shoe soles were wearing thin as he marched as fast as he could. He walked down a long corridor and saw Nina Watson’s troops. He stopped them immediately.
“Where is Nina Watson?”
“Last I heard she was heading to meet you in your office sir.” One of the burly male assistants answered.
“I need all the troops that she has on hand.”
“We are not allowed to act without her orders, sir.”
“God damn it.” Suho growled, tossing his phone to Taemin who caught it in one smooth move. “This is my jurisdiction. Follow Taemin to the ground floor where he’ll brief you. I’ll go find Nina.”
Suho his heels and ran back. He pressed the buttons on the elevator so furiously the buttons could have fallen off. The elevator was empty and he ran in, immediately gripping the handrails as he breathed. Finally, the first breath in a whole day.
This day had been a disaster. His niece was kidnapped, his only lead to Mr. X was found and kidnapped and just 20 minutes ago, a ransom note came in. The plan was made and put into action. The Kim family had taken Baekhyun into hiding while the three boys were made to go to Warehouse 12, claiming that Baekhyun had disappeared as well. All to stall time as they moved in and capture Mr. X’s gang, and hopefully the son of as well.
Suho was good at handling pressure, but when a case like this hits so close to home, it’s hard to keep your sanity. The elevator finally arrived at the designated floor and he rushed to his office. He opened the door to find Nina sitting at his place, looking at some documents. And at a rather calm state too.
“Nina!” Suho panted. “I need your troops on my side, I sent your men downstairs, and what the hell are you doing?”
“Your place is a mess.” She answered calmly. “I was just tidying stuff up.”
“If I wanted a maid, I would have called old lady Rivers downstairs and she even cleans my windows.” Suho rolled his eyes sarcastically. “I need your help!”
“Certainly.” She stood up, straightened her skirt and walked out. But before she could disappear, she looked at Suho softly. “I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry about what happened to your niece.”
“How did you…” Suho didn’t want to know how she found out. Perhaps he didn’t need to. Nina gave him a soft look of compassion and Suho faltered, dropping his guard a little. She was the first to show any comfort at all.
“You’ll find her.”
“How?”
“Step back and think.” She said. “Look at the big picture. Perhaps you’re missing something.”
“I don’t have time!”
“Make some. You’ll need it.” With a final lift of her lips, she dashed off, running in her 5 inch platforms. Suho wanted to chase after her, but something told him to stop. He turned back to his seat and made his way over. He sat back down in his chair and looked at his surroundings. His family picture was there, there was the glass dolphin Yixing bought for him, a colourful Rubik’s cube that Kris got for him and of course his laptop. Sheets of paper were spread out in front of him. Suho recognized them; many of them were from the pile that Yixing had stolen months ago.
Nina was looking at this? Why? Has she found something? Why would she spread it out in this manner? Suho looked at the arrangement and picked up something he had never seen before. It was a cheque written by his uncle.
2 minutes passed.
5 minutes passed.
10 minutes passed.
Bingo.
He knew who Mr. X was.
*****************
Warehouse 12 was dark, foreboding and clearly empty. Sehun, Chanyeol and Kai made their way inside after hailing a taxi from their place all the way here. The numbers 12 was pasted on the façade of the building in such a manner that people from miles around could see it. The number 1 looked like it was going to fall off at any moment.
“This is the place.” Sehun muttered quietly.
“Yep.’ Chanyeol nodded. The three of them made their way into the empty compound. The area was quiet, and for miles on end, they couldn’t see anyone around. Kai made slow and careful steps, his heart pounding in his rib cage.
“Hello?” he tried calling.
Suddenly, the lights came on, but only one particular row. A white figure appeared at the very end of the long corridor. The figure had pale skin and no eyes, but one thing gave it away. That strawberry blonde colour.
“Lu…Luhan?”
“Sehunnie…” the figure called.
“Luhan!” Sehun ran down the corridor to reach for the figure, but the light went off and Sehun fell into the darkness.
“Sehun!!!” his friends shouted.
“Luhan!! Where are you?! Luhan!!”
The lights came back on, blinding Sehun’s sensitive eyes. He looked up and retreated in shock. Kyungsoo’s face was staring back at him. He stood before the college student, his eyes were glassy and terrified as he was gagged and tied.
“Kyungsoo!!”
“I’m coming!!” Kai rushed forward to his lover’s side but before he could even touch the boy, a knife-holding hand appeared by the Doll’s throat and Kyungsoo started shaking in fear.
“Now you know what it’s like.” Yongguk appeared, his knife still casually leaning against Kyungsoo’s skin. The younger was terrified as tears spilled out from his eyes, looking at Kai in a mix of plead and sorrow.
“How does it feel, to be so close to something, yet have it taken away at the last moment?”
“You monster!” Kai growled, trying to lunge forward but he was instantly held back by Youngjae and Himchan. He turned to see his friends already apprehended, with their knees scraping against the rough cement floor.
“Where is Baekhyun?”
“He disappeared.” Chanyeol answered, his head held down by a gun.
“What?” Yongguk repeated, looking to his side. One of his cronies was holding onto Luhan, who’s trying his best to not sob into his gag.
“He disappeared in the fake fire drill as well.”
“Liar.” Yongguk casually said, taking a drag out of his cigarette. “I know you took Baekhyun to a wedding the day we took Luhan and Kyungsoo, that’s why he wasn’t there. Don’t try and lie to me tard!”
“Don’t call him that!” Sehun retorted.
“I will call him whatever I want until he brings Baekhyun back.”
“I don’t know where he is!! I swear!!”
“Liar liar,” Yongguk sang, releasing Kyungsoo from his grip and handing him to someone else. “Pants on fire.” He raised his gun and cocked it, pointing it’s barrel straight at Chanyeol’s head.
“You know where he is. You love him, don’t you?” he scoffed. “I saw everything. I know. How you kissed him at the wedding, how happy you guys were. I know you will do anything for the little boy. Even,” he bent down to match his eye level with Chanyeol’s. “Sacrificing your own life?”
“You will never get to him.” Chanyeol growled through broken breaths.
“Even when your own friend’s lives are on the line?” Yongguk asked. “If I told you that if you don’t bring Baekhyun, I will not only kill you, but your friends too, would you say the same?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“What do you mean I wouldn’t?” Yongguk pulled Chanyeol’s locks harshly. “You saw the flowers. You saw how they exploded in flames. That is the least I can and will do.” Yongguk pushed his head down and walked back a few steps, twirling his gun.
“You underestimate me. You should never do that.”
“You don’t have to harm my friends! If you want to kill anyone, it’s me! Kill me!”
“Chanyeol no!!!” Kai yelled only to be slapped with the gun barrel so hard, he almost fell over.
“Chanyeol don’t be stupid!”
“Au contraire,” Yongguk smiled. “He’s not being stupid. He’s finally admitting he has no way around this problem.” Yongguk smoked once again, letting himself savour the wisps of cigarette smoke. He bought his gun up and raised it to Chanyeol’s head.
1,2…
“On second thought…”
Oh .
“Killing you like this is no fun.” He said. “I wouldn’t even be able to make use of my new toy.”
“T…toy?” before Kai could even finish his sentence, he felt the floor beneath him move as he fell straight into a carved out pool full of water. Before the boys could even raise their heads to breathe, a glass cover was placed over the ditch, trapping them inside a giant underground tank.
“Kai!!! Chanyeol!!!” Sehun called, reaching for his friends. He tilted his head to try and breathe, the crown bumping hard against the glass. His arms reached out for Kai’s but when they pulled each other, Sehun would be forced under the water. It’s no use. They were stuck and quite possibly, drowning.
“Yongguk.”
“Ah.” Yongguk looked up at the source of the voice calling his name. His lips curved into a smile when he saw who it was.
“Baekhyun, here to join the party?”
“You want me, right?” Baekhyun strode over, his eyes heavy with dark circles and his lips a bloody red, as he had been chewing them before he left.
“Yes I do.”
“So take me. Take me and release them.”
“Fine.” Yongguk put out his hand, expecting Baekhyun to walk towards him. Unfortunately, the Porcelain Doll did not heed his orders.
“Release them and I’ll walk towards you.”
“How can I be sure you will? How can I be sure that you won’t run when I let them go?”
“I don’t break promises.”
Yongguk’s eyes narrowed into a fine slit as he looked at Baekhyun. The boy stood his ground, even though his fingers were shaking. He looked down at the glass tank and saw Chanyeol’s petrified face. He tried to say something but the words dies before he could speak. He mustn’t break down now. He knows that if he did, Yongguk will destroy them all.
With a quick motion of his fingers, the glass cover opened at both ends and Kai and Sehun were fished out. Baekhyun wanted to go and reach for Chanyeol, but the cover was slammed shut before he could make it.
“You said you would let them go!” he yelled, kneeling down on the glass cover, reaching and stroking at Chanyeol’s face through the thick glass.
“I didn’t say how many.” Yongguk corrected. “Come here or the deal is off.”
“I am not making a move until you set him free.”
“I will kill him then.” Yongguk stated. “It won’t be hard. And once he dies, who else do you have to live for?”
“You…you…” Baekhyun pointed at him in tears, choking on his words.
“Don’t you see? If you want your precious boyfriend alive, you come here.”
“Baekhyun!!! Don’t go!!! Don’t walk to him!!! He’ll kill you! Let him kill me!! Don’t go!!!” Chanyeol screamed through the glass. Baekhyun looked down at Chanyeol, whose limbs are flailing in order to try and stay afloat His mouth kept getting filled with water and his eyes are wide and red from the water.
I can’t… Baekhyun stood up. And then he walked.
No, Baekhyun. What are you doing? No!!!!No one could hear Chanyeol scream anymore. Baekhyun walked towards Yongguk, who simply dusted the ashes off his shirt.
“Welcome back, princess.” The smoke from his mouth breathed directly into Baekhyun’s face. He stood still, unfaltered by the pungent smell. He was trained for this. He was used to this.
“Let him go. You promise.”
“Yes I did.” Yongguk took out his phone and stared at it for a while. He pocketed the phone back and blew another wisp of the terrible smoke into his face. “But unlike you, I don’t keep them.”
“Wait, what are you…”
“Fill the tank.” Yongguk ordered.
“No…NO!!!!!” Baekhyun screamed. He lashed and tried to push away from his captors. He freed himself by kicking them and he ran back to the tank. He knelt on the glass cover, running his fingers around the edges to try and find an opening. Chanyeol was below, struggling with the rising water levels. He held his breath, his body riddled with fear and panicked as he fought against the current. He couldn’t hear Baekhyun screaming from above.
“You liar!!! You cheater!!! You son of a !!!” Baekhyun cursed at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his face as he pounded on the glass in a feeble attempt to break it open.
“Now it’s time for my biggest production,” Yongguk said over Baekhyun’s screaming voice. Kai and Sehun were lying limply on the ground, barely breathing as they coughed out water, watching their friend drown in the tank with guns pointing at their heads. Luhan was crying uncontrollably and Kyungsoo was nearing to having a heart attack.
“I want you to be there when he suffers. I want you to stand there,” he walked over and forced Baekhyun’s head down by pulling on his hair.
“Watch. Him. Die.”
“Chanyeol!!!!” Baekhyun cried, hands clawing at the glass.
Carbon dioxide piled inside Chanyeol’s blood stream, urging him to inhale. But he couldn’t, because if he did, he would surely drown. His eyes were heavy and red with the water, his flailing limbs slowing down.
He could see his life, flashing before his eyes. His parents, friends, family, the Kim family, Lucy, Mike… his breath-hold point was reaching. He couldn’t take it.
He opened his mouth.
Water poured into his lungs, a pain so excruciating it was unimaginable. It burned his body and his head felt like an atom bomb on the brink of exploding. He saw Baekhyun’s face above him.
Crying, but beautiful nonetheless.
And then…blackness.
He faded away into blackness.
Chanyeol was gone.