'Maybe the most interesting thing about you is the thing you're most afraid of sharing.'
— unknown
THE LIFT STILL HAD the bloodstains from when Hari had been in it. Ri shifted away from them. It was strange how it long ago it felt, that day when everything went straight to shit. But looking at the barely dry pools of blood, it drove home the fact that it hadn't even been twenty four hours.
By Monday's suggestion, they were taking the lift up to the floor below the servers to escape the risk of running into armed guards. Just the thought of guns was enough to make her shiver. It didn't help that she had one stuffed into the back of her trousers, covered by the back of her jacket.
Minhyuk took a deep breath next to her and let it out in one big whoosh of air. His lips were quirked down into a worried pout. Warm brown eyes met hers and he looked like he wanted to say something but just then, the smartphone in Ri's pocket went off.
"Who is it?" Minhyuk moved to look at the screen. "Ingrid?"
"Yeah," she swiped her thumb across the screen to answer the call and brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"
"Are you at the server room yet?" Ingrid sounded winded. Concern spiked in Ri's gut. She pressed the speaker button so Minhyuk could hear.
"No, we're on our way. What's-"
"Those sons of bitches planted a cyber bomb in the systems. If you try to activate the protection protocols or take back control of the building, it'll trigger a data dump."
"What kind of dump?" Minhyuk asked.
"The government-secrets-on-the-internet kind," Ingrid huffed, her voice coming out distorted.
Ri cursed. Loudly. That was a bloody mess and a half. "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"
"Heck if I know, I'm not the tech whiz here. Look, I've gotta run so good luck and hurry up," Ingrid grunted and then the line went dead.
She turned to look to Minhyuk, "Have you ever disabled a cyber bomb?"
"No," he grimaced. "Kinda wishing I paid more attention to Professor Hart's Viruses lecture."
"Miss, if I may add, Miss Pepper is very well versed in the defusal of malware bombs. In fact, she had me help her write an essay on it just last week." Monday chimed in. "Shall I give her a call?"
Ri and Minhyuk shared a look. How the heck would they explain it to Pepper? Ri couldn't just ring her up and say 'Hey, bit of a situation. Please help defusing this or risk the country falling into chaos." and expect Pep to take it well.
"We'll call her as a last resort, M," Ri said.
The following silence told her exactly what Monday thought of that decision. Then, the AI said,"You are quickly approaching the 80th floor, please be on your guard. No armed men detected."
The phone beeped in her hand and a map of the floor appeared on the screen. Little red dots blinked at different points, mostly congregated around the main exits and escapeways.
"I've sent a map to you for your ease, Miss Ri. Also, Miss Pepper wants to know where you are. She is very worried about your health since you haven't spoken to her in almost seventeen hours."
Ri cringed. "Not a good time, baby girl."
"I'll let her know you're...alive."
"Thanks, M." Ri huffed an exasperated laugh and rolled her eyes. "That's going to be very reassuring."
"Telling her you are safe or okay would be a blatant lie, Miss. It's against my Pinocchio Protocol."
"...you don't have a Pinocchio protocol."
"I do now," the AI sounded strangely proud. "Miss Pepper is working on it as we speak."
"Have you- you lied to Pepper?"
"Well...she asked where you were and I might've picked a random point on the map in my rush."
Ri snorted, "where did you say I was?"
"Glasgow," Monday said. "She was very irritated."
"Oh god, I can only imagine," she turned to Minhyuk and he smiled widely at her. Monday stopped speaking after that and moments later, the lift doors opened to reveal a brightly lit lobby. The electricity was still on.
They'd agreed on having Oliver help the Special Ops. units into the building and turn off the power to help them gain the upper hand. Ri and Minhyuk had twenty minutes to turn on the protection protocols and disable the cyber bomb. The sheer impossibility of which Ri was firmly ignoring for now.
Ingrid had taken on the burden of acting as a distraction to the men, especially their leader. Ri didn't catch his name and honestly, at this point, she cared less. The guy could die in a ditch and she wouldn't blink.
They crept through the lobby, sticking to the darker corners. Minhyuk lead the way carefully, stopping before each turn to check for guards. For a good while, there was no one. Not a single armed man jumping out from behind the walls to shoot them down. But then, their luck came crashing down. Her phone buzzed but before she could check to see what the danger was, she heard it.
The heavy sounds of military grade boots on polished floors echoed through the hallway they were in. Ri's heart dropped to her shoes. There was nowhere to run. And even if there was, they'd attract more attention to themselves.
Then, long warm fingers wrapped around her wrist and tugged urgently. Ri frowned up at Minhyuk as he pulled her quickly towards where the sounds were coming from. For a terrifying second, she honestly believed they were going to be found out. But then, she saw the caretaker's closet and understood what he was trying to do.
Walking as quietly and quickly as the squeaky floors under their feet would allow, Ri and Minhyuk rushed to the door. They slipped into the dark, cramped room and closed the door behind them. Minhyuk kept his hands around the knob just in case, waiting with bated breath as the footfalls slowly faded.
He let out a breath of relief and turned around. Only for Ri to realize that there wasn't enough space. Normally, she felt out of breath and restless in closed spaced because of her claustrophobia, but Ri had a feeling that her breathlessness right now had nothing to do with that and more to do with the man standing in front of her.
In the dim light coming through the window fan, Minhyuk looked indescribable. He smiled reassuringly at her and said, "Just wait a bit, we're nearly there."
The more she stood there, the more she thought. It was the first quiet lull that hadn't wasn't fuelled by an undercurrent of adrenaline. Sure, she felt nervous but it wasn't enough to keep her mind from straying and replaying every moment that could cause her possible regret.
Like that time in the car. Ri felt like she wanted to claw out of her skin in embarrassment. She felt her cheeks heat up unbearably. What had she been thinking? Sure, there was no way the two of them could fit side by side. But she'd flirted with him.
And okay, to anyone else - especially to Pepper - she'd look like she was making a mountain out of a molehill. But this was Ri. She didn't do boys, or dating, or relationships in general that were not strictly platonic. For the longest time, she'd thought that was just how she was. Friends would always be enough for her.
But Minhyuk. Ri could tell he liked her and maybe that was why she'd even tried. She was terrified of rejection and he was the safe bet. But was he the right choice? Did she want a relationship with him?
Why not? The voice in her head - her desires - asked. There's nothing wrong with him. I mean, who'd learn a whole goddamn language for just anyone?
You like him. He likes you. Confess, already.
"Minhyuk, I need to tell you something." Ri mumbled in Xhosa into the dark.
"What is it? Something wrong?" The immediate response made her smile fondly.
Her phone buzzed again, effectively breaking the moment and making Ri jump out of her skin. Minhyuk's lips pulled into a smile that hurt her heart to look at.
"I'll tell you later," she averted her eyes and looked at the glaring screen.
'Danger!' The first notification from Monday read. It was followed by many of the same message in varying tones of panic and urgency.
'Guards have moved positions. New markers have been added to the map, Miss. Please be careful out there,' read the last one.
Ri angled the phone so Minhyuk could see too. "How much farther is the server room?"
"Just a hop and a skip away, we've got to take another elevator and we'll be there."
"Monday?"
"Yes. miss?"
"Where's James right now?"
"Mister James has moved from the 49th floor down to the 37th in an attempt to help some employees escape. They're currently hiding in an empty kitchen." Monday said. "Miss Ingrid is distracting the men on the 30th and Mister Oliver is nowhere to be found. I cannot see him."
"James, oh god." Ri screwed her eyes shut and prayed he wouldn't get himself killed with his heroics. She didn't want to escape without him. "Okay, Monday, keep an eye on them. Tell me when you see Oliver."
"On it, Miss." Then, after a beat, she added, "the hallway is clear."
They slipped out carefully and were more careful to watch out for possible attackers. Minhyuk lead them swiftly through the halls and then stopped at a large door. The sign read 'CONFERENCE ROOM #581'. They slipped into the empty room without a sound.
"Stay close to me," Minhyuk murmured, his hand brushing hers as he walked to the far corner. The slight touch was- Ri wasn't about to describe it as 'electrifying' like some damn teen fiction heroine, but it was a close thing. God, she needed to get this weird attraction under wraps until they got out of this mess.
"Mhm," at least her voice wasn't affected.
Minhyuk made quick work of the secret panel and soon enough, the white walls were peeling back to reveal another lift. He motioned for her to enter. Just as Ri moved to obey, everything went to shit. In the blink of an eye, her phone buzzed frantically in her hand, the door slammed open and a group of armed guards filled the room.
That moment would forever be seared into Ri's memory. The terror- first ice cold, then completely numbing -was maddening. The way the muzzles of their guns gleamed in the gloomy morning light coming from the windows. Their all-black clothes. The hard, ruthless set of their eyes.
Then, a hand wrapped around her wrist and Ri was pulled into the lift. Minhyuk's arms caged her to the back wall. The doors started to close. The men raised their firearms. Everything went into overdrive as a million emotions passed over the dark brown eyes holding her gaze. Realization. Relief.
Then, fear...as the first shot rang out.