'her emotions are the loudest when she's silent.'
— r.h. Sin
FINDING A PHONE WAS suddenly very, very low on the priority list. Ri and Minhyuk took exactly a single minute to panic and Ri knew it would've been longer if Monday hadn't asked, "Does the place have a garage or a car?" And then they'd dashed to where Minhyuk was sure he saw a door in the kitchen that might lead out to one.
He was right, much to Ri's relief. Ingrid wasn't kidding when she called this place a safe one. It wasn't the coziest or well stocked food-wise, but one look at the sleek getaway car and all of the safe house's shortcomings are forgotten.
Minhyuk jumped into the driver's seat and muttered, "keys, keys, keys," urgently until he found them with a little "aha!". Ri rushed into the passenger seat and buckled herself in. There was a bag in the back that she hadn't noticed, so she reached over and pulled it onto her lap. Minhyuk started up the engine at the same time Ri unzipped the large duffel bag.
Ri gasped and quickly closed the damn thing. Oh god, oh god, oh god, this is-
"What's wrong?" Minhyuk asked but he didn't take his eyes away from the garage doors. There was no time to answer. As soon as the doors opened fully, a gunshot rang out and hit the windshield with a deafening crack!
Ri's heart dropped to her shoes and she snapped her head to Minhyuk, expecting a hole in his forehead or something. But no. He was in once piece. Very, very pale, but unharmed. "It's bulletproof," she breathed.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Minhyuk slammed his foot down on the gas and they shot into the darkness. As soon as they were out of the relative safety of the garage, a hail of bullets rained over them, cutting into the metal and glass of the car doors.
Ri screamed, curling into a ball as the car swerved past the jeeps and shadowy figures. All she could see were flashes of gunfire and the blinding glare of the cars' lights. Minhyuk flinched every time a bullet hit, digging into the bulletproof exterior and leaving webs of broken glass.
Then, they were out. Out of the forest, out of the line of fire. The gunmen shouted to each other and Ri could hear them getting into their cars. She felt like she was getting ripped apart by her own panic. Words lodged themselves in her throat and no matter how hard she pushed and pushed, the only sounds Ri could make were gasps of abject horror.
Minhyuk's lips were set in a grim line and his eyes were wide. The road ahead of them was empty and dark, not a single streetlamp in sight. He quickly switched off the headlights and then, they were completely engulfed by the blackness. What little moonlight they would've had was blocked out by the thick canopy of branches reaching overhead.
Ri waited a moment, her nails digging crescent shaped grooves onto the leather armrests. She expected to hear the squeal of tires and maybe another fresh round of bullets. When none came, she shakily turned to Minhyuk and asked, "Can you- are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," he was also shaking, tremors running through hands that barely held onto the wheel. "Are you okay?"
Ri squeezed her eyes shut and tried to hold back the impending meltdown. She had to be calm. Had to try and forget the flashing lights and the deafening cracks and the ice cold fear. But it was impossible to squash it down once she started and god, were those tears?
Wiping at her wet eyes, Ri let out a shaky exhale and said, "Yeah, just a bit shaken." The tears and the shivers probably wouldn't stop for a good few minutes. Ri bit her lip and pulled one of her legs under her to sit in a half cross legged position. The pressure on her foot felt grounding but it wasn't enough.
"What's in the bag?" Minhyuk asked and she mentally thanked him for not getting in her face about her crying. Ri hated the extra attention.
"Guns, cash and," Ri gingerly opened it again to check, "passports with false identities for Ingrid. Oh, and a phone." She pulled out the smartphone. The metal glinted in what little light they had around them.
Minhyuk was unnaturally quiet for a good few seconds before he said, "It makes no sense, Ri."
"No, it doesn't," she agreed immediately. Her voice came out gravelly and wet. "No one was supposed to know where we were."
"That too, but why would Syndicate End go to their boss' safe house and try to kill us? Why couldn't she have us killed at the barn?"
"Because it's easier to clean up a murder if it's in your own backyard?" Ri sniffed, blinking rapidly in a futile attempt to try and dry her eyes. She debated turning the phone on and decided that Ingrid would've been smart enough to make sure all location trackers were disabled. Ri pressed her thumb into the thin power button and the screen lit up.
"But Oliver wouldn't-" Minhyuk went quiet. "I don't know what to think, Ri. I want him to be completely in the dark about this but I know Ollie, he's smart. That guy stops at nothing to get what he wants. I just wish I knew what that was."
That was concerning, Ri thought. The phone turned on and she went straight to checking it. Once she'd quadruple checked for bugs and viruses, she started trying to figure out how to get Monday online. "What would he have to gain by killing us? Maybe we were meant to die at LuNa so when we survived...?"
Minhyuk was quiet as he mulled it over. The hurt and confusion expression he wore was highlighted by the bright glow of the phone screen. "Money? He's not on the family register so even if I die- I don't know."
Oliver wanted something desperately enough team up with criminals to attack his family's company. Wanted whatever it was enough to attempt to kill them twice.
Ri's fingers flew over the touchscreen. Thank god Ingrid kept her phone stocked up with data. No internet equalled no Monday and she was dying to have something else to talk about.
Just then, a crisp British voice rang out in the tense silence of the car, "Miss Ri? Are you safe? Should I call the-"
"No, don't call anyone. We're safe, M. Check for bugs, just to be sure?"
Minhyuk let out a whispered, "Thank god, the robot's back."
"Right away, Miss." Monday went quiet for a bit, then said, "Everything looks clean, but I'll keep my guard up. Where are you going?"
Now wasn't that the question? Ri looked over at Minhyuk but he was focused on the road and the side mirrors. He must've noticed her looking because he finally replied, "I think our safest bet is Harrows."
Ri hadn't even thought of Harrows. She personally wanted to go back to LuNa and haul James out of danger. Coming back home without him felt wrong. What would she tell Pepper? Of course, her friend was too good to blame her but Ri felt responsible regardless. She was right there and she didn't think of him.
The car screeched to a halt, the sudden stop making her lurch forward. The seatbelt dug painfully into her collarbone and Ri winced. "What's wrong?"
"Ingrid," Minhyuk's eyes were wide. They stared right ahead and Ri followed his gaze to the road. And there stood Ingrid Singh in all her glory. Ri didn't think anyone could look so threatening in all leather and fur without looking a little cartoonish, but the woman managed it. She tossed her long silky black hair over her shoulder and sauntered over, confidently closing the distance between them.
God, she looks like a Bond villain, Ri thought.
"Are we gonna run?" She opened the bag and pulled out a handgun, "Or are we going to demand answers?"
"I suggest demanding answers," Monday chirped with a little more enthusiasm than appropriate.
Minhyuk reached over and put a hand over the gun in Ri's hand. She pressed it into his palm and said, "She looks unarmed, sure, but we can't be too safe." He nodded and took it reluctantly.
Ingrid stopped outside Ri's window and knocked on the glass. Hah. As if they were going to open it for her. Ri glared at her and shook her head vehemently. "No way," she hissed. Shaking Minhyuk's hand off, Ri lifted the gun up to show Ingrid. Threatening a mafia boss hadn't been on her to do list this morning but hey, desperate measures and all that.
"What do you want?" Minhyuk snapped at the woman.
"Don't play around with that, darling. You could hurt yourself and then where will we be?" Ingrid's voice was thick with irritation. "Listen, I don't need you to trust me but you're going to get yourselves killed at this rate. What are you doing out here?"
Ri scowled at her and said, "Trying to escape your men."
"My what?" Ingrid blinked at her.