Chapter 11: Sasha
Yi Jung slammed his forehead onto the steering wheel and grunted. I should had done this mission. I should had dressed as a woman and gone to the party instead of Ga Eul, he fluster. Ga Eul should be sitting where I'm at, safe and unharmed. It was my job to protect her, yet she's alone with some jerk and probably having the best time of her life right now.
He called Ga Eul again through his earpiece, yet the second, third, and fourth time, Ga Eul still didn't responded. Only her giggles and moan continued to grow, and soon thereafter, static was heard on and off. Feeling anxious and on the verge of going mad, Yi Jung got out of his car and ran across the street to Dr. Lawlor's front door. He pulled and shoved on the door knob, but the door was locked in as solid as a rock.
"Aish!" he cried. He took out his pistol from his belt and shot the door knob twice. The door cracked open and he rushed inside the house, but it was dark with only the glow of the moon shining through. The place was small with nothing inside except a colorful rug on the floor and a pot of cactus on a table by the corner of the room.
Basement. Ga Eul told me she was in the basement, Yi Jung remember. He scanned the room, trying to find a door which may lead to the basement, but there was no door beside the door he had just came in from. He glanced down at the rug by his feet and began kicking the rug into a roll. The rug was heavier than he thought and he found himself sweating and huffing as he kicked. Halfway through and underneath the rug was a flat wooden door with some bright lights beaming through the cracks.
Yi Jung wiped the sweats off his forehead and lifted the door up. The bright light escalated as the door open and the room became as bright as below. There was a narrow spiral stairs leading down to the basement and he didn't hesitate and took the stairs. The lower he climbed down, the more he heard the Wonder Girls. When he reached the bottom, there was a short hall leading to a door. He approached the door and leaned his ear near it. The music was still as loud as he remembered and when he heard Ga Eul giggling, his face sizzled in anger and he lifted his pistol to his chest. If Ga Eul and Dr. Lawlor was naked on the other side of the wall, he was ready to skin Dr. Lawlor alive.
He faced the door again and kicked it with every muscle in his leg. The door flew open and he storm inside, fuming with expectation of seeing Ga Eul and Dr. Lawlor getting it on. "Miss Ga Eul!" he cried.
To his surprise, he found Ga Eul and Dr. Lawlor fully clothed, sitting on a sofa with a video game controller in their hands and a Super Mario Kart game displayed on the flat screen TV. They both turned their heads towards Yi Jung at the same time and Ga Eul instantly stood up in shock while Dr. Lawlor had a puzzled look.
Yi Jung froze in the middle of the room, dazed and confused that he was seeing was nothing like he pictured a moment ago. He lower his eyes in embarrassment and realized this was worst raid he has ever done. He pretty much sabotaged Ga Eul's mission.
After a long moment of silence, Dr. Lawlor turned the Wonder Girls song off his stereo with his remote and slowly got on off the sofa. "I'm sorry, sir. But who are you? And who's 'Miss Ga Eul'?" he asked Yi Jung.
Yi Jung glared at Dr. Lawlor and wanted to yell out 'none of your business', or even better, 'back off on Ga Eul', but instead he took off his blazer and rushed to Ga Eul. "Are you okay?" he asked Ga Eul. "Here, wear this. You must be cold."
Ga Eul wasn't cold and didn't want to wear his blazer, yet she also didn't want to make a scene in front of Dr. Lawlor. She uncomfortable wore the blazer which was big and made her look small in it. "Yi Jung, what are you doing here?" she whispered in frustration.
"You weren't answering me, so I got worried," he replied.
Ga Eul touched her ear and realize her earpiece was missing. It had fallen on the seat of the sofa. "Well, I didn't say 'sunbae', did I? So I was perfectly fine."
"How do I know for sure when all I heard was you giggling and moaning?"
Ga Eul scoffed. "Dr. Lawlor and I was playing Mario Kart and he kept on beating me. It was making me upset."
"Hmm. Rose, do you know him?" Dr. Lawlor asked, leaning into Ga Eul to distract her conversation with Yi Jung.
Ga Eul open her mouth and was about to answer, but a thunderous noise shook the room. "What is that?" she cried, covering her ears with her hands.
"I'm not sure," Dr. Lawlor holler through the noise. He glanced at Yi Jung. "What did you do?"
Yi Jung titled his head and narrow his eyebrows. He was just as lost as Dr. Lawlor and Ga Eul.
"Ahh! Yi Jung!" Ga Eul cried again, pointing at the door.
Four men dressed in gray suits with military haircuts came marching in with their guns drawn. Yi Jung aimed his pistol at them but he was a half second late. The gray suited men had already aimed their guns at him. "Drop your gun!" one of them shouted in a Russian accent.
Yi Jung had no choice but to drop his pistol on the floor. He was outnumbered and out powered, so it was pointless for a shootout now. The gray suited men quickly confiscated his pistol, then patted his body down and found a pocket knife in his pants. They took the knife, stomped and crushed his cell phone into pieces on the floor, but gave his wallet back to him after inspecting it. "You may need it, so people can identify your body later," one of men said with a chuckle.
"Hey. What's going on?! Who are you guys?!" Dr. Lawlor cried when the gray suited men patted him down as well.
"Shut up!" they screamed at Dr. Lawlor. They aimed their guns at Dr. Lawlor's face causing Dr. Lawlor to raised both of his hands high up to the ceiling.
They found nothing on Dr. Lawlor and went to Ga Eul next. Ga Eul squirm back and forth, and her eyes followed every touch they landed their hands on her body.
"Hey! Be careful where you touch her," Yi Jung said. He hover closer to Ga Eul, but one of the men shoved him back.
The gray suited men pulled Ga Eul's purse from her and tossed everything she had inside of it onto the floor. Her wallet, a lipstick, a miniature mirror, and a cell phone fell out. Ga Eul whimper when they broke her cell phone up.
When they were done, they stood in an orderly line in front of their captives and continued to aim their guns high. Suddenly, in between them, a tall man with a scar of his right cheek appeared. Ga Eul immediately recognize him as the same man she saw at Dr. Lawlor's seminar. She quietly gasp and lower her head. He still gave her the goosebumps and was more scary than anything she had ever seen. Even the paranormal doll and skeleton couldn't compete with him.
The scar face man moved to his side and right behind him stood a tall Russian woman. Her red cherry hair was long and curvy, and her attire was a black knit jacket and pants. She looked like a sophisticated woman who recently came back from an important business meeting and was only dropping by because she was bored.
She took a few steps forward and studied the three people in front of her. The right side of her mouth slowly crept up and she strolled towards Yi Jung. "Why, we meet again, Mr. So Yi Jung," she said in an alluring deep voice. "With Ryuu's help, we knew you'll follow Dr. Lawlor to Las Vegas. Thanks for leading us the way to his hideout."
Yi Jung gave an intense glare at her, but didn't say a word.
She gazed at Ga Eul, then back at Yi Jung. "I'm surprised to see you working with a...woman?" She chuckled as Yi Jung pursed his lips and looked down.
The red hair woman walked towards Ga Eul. "Hello. I'm Sasha. And you must be Ga Eul?"
Ga Eul glanced at Yi Jung, unsure if she should be answering this Sasha girl. But with no hint of help from Yi Jung, she stood up straight and answer. "I don't know any Ga Eul."
Sasha smirked. "Pull off her gloves, men."
Two of the gray suited men grabbed Ga Eul's arms from her back and Ga Eul helpless whimper, trying to fight back. "Let go me," she cried.
Yi Jung tensed his body and was about to lunge at the two men who were holding Ga Eul, but their other two companions manhandled him to the floor and held their guns at his head.
Dr. Lawlor took a step and lower his hands. "She didn't do anything wrong. This is my place, so if you have any questions-"
Sasha pointed her gun directly at Dr. Lawlor's forehead and he quickly threw his hands up again and swallowed. "You only speak when ask a question," Sasha said. She gazed at the scar face man. "Igor, pull off her gloves."
Igor stood in front Ga Eul and his large shadow covered her small body. She cried in horror and pressed her eyes together as he pulled the glove off her left hand. The four gray suited men groaned at not seeing The Pink Sparkle.
"Her other hand," Sasha shouted in frustration.
Ga Eul fidgeted and the men holding her forced her to stop from wiggling. Igor yanked the glove off and held her right hand up. The Pink Sparkle glittered throughout the room.
"Hey! Rose, how did you-" Dr. Lawlor cried.
"Shut up!" Sasha said, shoving her gun deeper into Dr. Lawlor's forehead. She smirked at Ga Eul. "It's unfortunately a pretty girl like you has The Pink Sparkle stuck on her."
Ga Eul looked down to her feet and a tear dripped from her eye to the floor. She felt doomed at knowing that Sasha and her men had her in their hold with the ring.
"Where's the love potion?" Sasha asked Dr. Lawlor.
Dr. Lawlor closed his eyes and a drop of his perspiration fell off his eyelids. "I don't-,"
"Igor!" Sasha yelled.
Igor faced Dr. Lawlor and threw a hard punch into Dr. Lawlor's stomach. Dr. Lawlor groan in agony and fell to his knees.
"Tell me!" Sasha yelled again. But Dr. Lawlor only continued to groan. "Igor!"
Igor pulled Dr. Lawlor back to his feet and swung a punch to his face. Dr. Lawlor flipped to his side and plummeted to the floor. He can feel Igor pulling him back up and he groan and spit some drool of blood from his mouth. "I have it!" he confessed at seeing Igor's huge fist. "The love potion. I have it."
"Where?" Sasha asked.
Dr. Lawlor's right eye was beginning to swell up. He nodded to a desk by the corner. "In my top draw, in a box," he replied through his heavy breathing.
"Igor, take him there," Sasha demanded.
Igor shoved and dragged Dr. Lawlor to the desk, then forced Dr. Lawlor to get the box out of the draw. Dr. Lawlor obeyed and placed a metal box on the desk. Igor lifted the lid off the box and pulled out a small glass bottle filled with pink simmering gel. The bottle was so small, it was half the size of Igor's pinky finger. He pushed Dr. Lawlor back to where he previously stood and handed the bottle to Sasha.
Sasha inspected the bottle and almost laugh. "This is barely a drop of gel," she said. Her face instantly became serious and she glared at Ga Eul. "Her hand," she ordered her men.
But Ga Eul had already lifted her right hand up before Sasha's men forced her to. Sasha smirked and grabbed Ga Eul's wrist. "You really want The Pink Sparkle off, don't you?"
Ga Eul bit her lower lip and nodded once. She remembered what Ji Hoo had said when they were at her father's garage. The earlier she gets The Pink Sparkle off, the earlier she won't be in harm's way. All she wanted right now was to no longer see Sasha and her men.
Sasha twisted the cap off the bottle and poured all the gel on Ga Eul's ring finger. The gel was like nail polish and gushed in between her finger and the ring. "Pull The Pink Sparkle off and give it to me," Sasha commanded Ga Eul.
Everyone watched attentively, even Yi Jung from the floor, as Ga Eul rubbed her ring finger and The Pink Sparkle together to gain friction. She tilted the ring back and forth and her fingers were getting muddy with the gel. For a second, The Pink Sparkle felt loose and seem to almost glide out. Ga Eul smile and tried tugging at it, but it must had been her imagination because no matter how hard she tried, The Pink Sparkle wouldn't budge.
Sasha was growing impatient and frustrated. She shoved Ga Eul's left hand away and tried pulling The Pink Sparkle off herself. After awhile, she realized the love potion wasn't working. "Is there a certain way we're suppose to use the gel?" she asked Dr. Lawlor.
Dr. Lawlor shook his head. "I don't think there's a special way to take off the ring. It should automatically come off with the gel."
"Men, find a knife. We're going to have to cut her hand off," Sasha said.
"No!" Ga Eul cried. "Maybe the gel takes time?"
"Sorry, but I don't have time to be sitting and waiting. We need to do this the quickest way."
Ga Eul glanced down at Yi Jung for help. "Yi Jung! Please!" she cried. But Yi Jung looked away. She faced Dr. Lawlor. "Dr. Lawlor, please tell Sasha that there's another way. Please!"
Dr. Lawlor's lips trembled and he opened his mouth, but no words came out. The men forced Ga Eul's right arm to stay still when she refused to follow their orders. Igor was able to find a butcher knife in the kitchen and headed back to Ga Eul.
"No! Please," Ga Eul cried at the sight of the knife.
"Do it, Igor!" Sasha said, ignoring Ga Eul's request.
Igor held up the knife high above his head. His blank and scary stare said it all. He was ready to butcher Ga Eul's hand off without a flinch. Ga Eul sobbed louder than the thunderous noise still booming in the room. She realized this may be the last time she will have a right hand.
"Stop!" Dr. Lawlor shouted. "There is another way to get The Pink Sparkle off."
Sasha pointed her gun at Dr. Lawlor's forehead again and with her other hand, gesture at Igor to halt. Igor obeyed and lower the knife. "What other way is there?" she asked.
"In Honduras," Dr. Lawlor replied.
"In Honduras? What's in Honduras?"
"Peter!" Dr. Lawlor shouted. "Peter will know of a better way to get The Pink Sparkle off her."
"And who is this Peter?"
"He's the man who helped me find The Pink Sparkle. He has all the answers for The Pink Sparkle. Please, trust me on this."
"I don't have time going to Honduras and finding this Peter." She glared at Igor. "Do it."
Igor held up the knife again and Ga Eul began to frantically sob and beg.
"The Pink Sparkle will be worth less with a chopped off hand," Yi Jung quipped. "Or do you plan to be carrying around a stinky, decompose hand?"
Yi Jung's remark surprised Sasha and Igor and they stood still, gazing at Yi Jung. Sasha smiled and commanded her men to lift Yi Jung to his feet. She leaned into Yi Jung's face and Yi Jung can smell her sweet perfume.
"And the man only speaks when he has something silly to say," she scoffed.
Yi Jung smirked and eye contacted her. "Take her Honduras and get the ring off her. You know you only want The Pink Sparkle, not her hand."
Sasha thought for a while, gazing around the room and at everyone. She smiled again and fixed her eyes on Yi Jung. "Looks like your little friend's hand is safe for the time being. But remember, Mr. So Yi Jung, you'll never get the ring over me."
She took a step back and faced everyone. "We're going to Honduras and if any of you three tries to escape or pull any silly tricks against me, expect to not see the following day. Dr. Lawlor, you're leading us the way to Peter." She pointed at the ceiling. "Take Dr. Lawlor up," she holler at her men.
The two men holding Ga Eul released Ga Eul and shoved Dr. Lawlor out the front door. Sasha turned to Ga Eul and saw Ga Eul sobbing in fear. "Miss, how close are you with Mr. So Yi Jung?"
Ga Eul wiped some tears off her eyes and cupped her left cheek. "Not that close," she said, confused.
"Do you know what kind of man he is?"
Ga Eul eyeballed Yi Jung and saw him looking away.
"He's a selfish, rich, casanova who sleeps with sexy women, then leaves them at the crack of dawn. He only cares for his needs and nothing else," Sasha said. "Don't believe that he'll save you because the very minute the ring leaves your hand, it's the only thing he'll be after. Not some girl like you. I know this not from personal experience, but from many girls who had."
Yi Jung scoffed and Sasha grinned at him. "Knowing Mr. So Yi Jung, he probably haven't told you about our relationship?" Yi Jung furiously glared at Sasha and she chuckled and glanced at Ga Eul. "I will let you ask him about it."
Ga Eul didn't know this other side of Yi Jung. She knew he enjoyed flirting with women and was charming, but to use women for pleasure and be materialized? What about this revelating relationship of his with Sasha? Wasn't Sasha the villain? Or is he helping Sasha like Ryuu? Her mind was spinning and she couldn't think straight.
Sasha gazed up and down on Ga Eul. "Do you like him?" she asked.
Ga Eul winced, confused on why Sasha would ask such a question. "No," she responded. At least, not anymore, she told herself.
"Do you trust him?"
Ga Eul shook her head. "No," she repeated in a whisper.
"Good. Men, handcuff the girl with Mr. So Yi Jung!"
"What!?" Ga Eul cried.
Igor pulled out a pair of handcuff from under his blazer and the men locked Ga Eul's left hand with Yi Jung's right hand. They shoved Yi Jung and a frighten Ga Eul out of the door and up towards a loud helicopter outside. The helicopter's blade swung so fast that it blew dirt everywhere and caused a dust storm. Ga Eul covered her mouth and tripped when some of the sand blinded her eyes.
"Move, girl!" Sasha's men yelled at her.
Yi Jung tried helping Ga Eul back on her feet, but she slapped his hands away and got up on her own. They approach the helicopter and saw Dr. Lawlor handcuffed near the front. Sasha's men pushed Ga Eul and Yi Jung towards the back and everyone got in and watched the helicopter lift off into the sky.
"Get away from me," Ga Eul said, shoving and kicking at Yi Jung. She began to sob on her knees, confused if she was more hurt or disgusted with Yi Jung. There was one thing she knew for sure though, she didn't want to be near him anymore.
"Don't tell me you believe her?" Yi Jung asked.
Ga Eul held up a fist. "Don't talk to me." She punched his shoulder at each word. "Don't. Talk. To. Me. You. Jerk!"
The last word left a bruise on Yi Jung and had some of Sasha's men laughing. Yi Jung accepted her hits and allowed her to continued until she got worn out. She slumped away from Yi Jung and weeped on her knees again. The long, horrendous day was too much for her. She had never been this afraid and alone before. All she wanted to do was go home and be with her mother and sister. But even then, she wasn't certain if that may ever happen again.
