The Chase II (Hae-Ri)
Hae-Ri couldn't say that she was particularly surprised. She knew she was playing with fire from the day she accepted Jessica's offer, maybe even before that. The moment she chose vengeance, she knew the danger was inevitable, but she couldn't care less.
In the past year she gave up everything. Her family, her friends, her job and the life she used to lead. She focused solely on getting revenge, on taking Edward Park down. Nothing else mattered. Even though she was aware of the danger, she still couldn't allow herself to die before fulfilling her goal. She had to stay alive, no matter what, until she punished those who so cruelly took him away and tarnished his name, those who controlled the fate of others from the shadows for their own benefit.
To begin with, she only arrived at Kiria to jab a stick in Edward's wheels and sabotage his deal. Retaliation was no surprise, especially when it came to this guy. She knew he could do anything, that he was the epitome of evil. It wasn't her first time in Kiria, and up to that moment she didn't face any real danger, but now that the deal was almost sealed, Edward was probably feeling the heat. Someone surely reported to him, just as she expected. His lines were filled with key figures in government, military, intelligence, police and business from all over the world. She'd be naïve to think things would go smoothly while being aware to the true nature of this reality. She would have been worried if things did go smoothly for too long. In fact, it was a surprise that she wasn't attacked until now.
Her current situation, though, was rather hard to understand. There has been an attempt on her life where she parted with the Sheikh's limo. She was positive that she was the target, and pretty damn sure that Samael was behind it. This wasn't strange, she almost expected it to happen. The strange part came after that, when this thoroughly dangerous looking guy came after her, and did a bizarre array of things before taking off with her in his car.
Fortunately, for now he didn't seem to be interested in hurting her. It looked like he tried to create a scene of deadly confrontation by wounding himself, though she had no idea who were the people he was trying to fool, or why. She has been trying to communicate with him, to get some sort of answer regarding the odd situation she found herself in. First she tried in Arabic and then in English, but received no answer and was thoroughly ignore, left with no notion of what was going on.
Was she taken for ransom? Or was he hired to protect her? She wondered. The second option didn't seem too likely, the Sheikh's people didn't operate like this guy did. His clothes, car and equipment… he had "mercenary" written all over him. Who would hire the services of a private army man for her sake? It couldn't be Jessica, she assumed, thinking she would have said something about it. It has been a long time since she cut off all ties with the NIS, though it wasn't impossible that they knew she was there, given the nature of the organization. As for Samael's doing… it was more than just likely that they didn't know. Someone was covering his tracks for sure. She wouldn't be surprised if no one other than Jessica had even the slightest reason to believe she might be in any kind of danger.
Ransom seemed to be the front runner, but even that wasn't so plausible. Hiring a mercenary couldn't be cheap, so that particular person wouldn't be in a need of money, being able to afford this service. Maybe it wasn't for ransom, but for leverage? More reasonable, but she couldn't think of anyone who cared enough to keep her alive. Money spoke louder to the people she dealt with now. To them, humanity was practically inaudible, everyone was dispensable, there wasn't a single person who was irreplaceable, when money was involved. Maybe this guy was working solo? He happened upon a girl in fancy clothes in the Sheikh's car, accompanied by his guards, and assumed he had hit the jackpot? So far, that theory made the most sense to her. But where did he come from? Was he a just a common highwayman? Or maybe he was with the party that targeted her, and decided to go rogue and do his own thing? Seemed a little risky to her, but most people tended to be blinded by money, it wouldn't be surprising if he didn't think ahead. People rarely did whenever money was involved. Even so, mercenaries were paid very, very handsomely, which shouldn't make money an issue. But who was she to assume this and that about another's life situation?
Her captor didn't seem very cooperative, not responding even once. He was blatantly ignoring her, in fact. She was pretty sure he wasn't going to hurt her at this very moment, other than mutilating her wrists with the damn zip ties, seeing as he seemed unwilling to acknowledge the fact that she was there at all. If he wanted her dead, he would have killed her already, he could have shot her dozens of times in the short amount of time that passed since their rather inexplicable encounter.
A little alarm went off in her head as another theory presented itself. The only thing that could be worse under these circumstances was if this guy was not in it for the money, but for something else. Her heart started to beat faster, an uncomfortable shiver going down her spine. She swallowed hard and raised her eyes to look at her captor through the rearview mirror. He seemed almost panicked, looking around as if he was anticipating something, driving at a crazy speed that was way beyond any speed limit she was familiar with. He didn't seem that interested in her. He had a chance to act inappropriately when he held her at gunpoint in the Sheikh's car, but he was very careful not to, covering her up immediately after confiscating her gun, not touching her more than was strictly necessary for his purpose, it seemed. She tried to ignore the possibility that she was sharing a cramped space with a sexual predator that was targeting her as his prey, reasoning it as being too much trouble for anyone to get on with a girl. Though she tried to control her mind and stay collected, a little voice at the back of her head reminded her that there were all sorts of crazy, unreasonable people in this world. She allowed ransom to reclaim the status of "the most plausible theory", deciding to trust her captor for now, mentally willing him to stay on his best behavior until she managed to somehow get away from him.
She was already coming up with various plans for various scenarios. The end goal of any plain was to somehow get the phone that was in her clutch at the back of the car. For that, she needed him to free her hands for a short while. She didn't need to leave the car to reach it, just turn around and dive for it, then punch a few keys to let Jessica know what was going on in a text consisting two words, and share her location. That was all she needed. If she asked for help, she believed Jessica will send someone for her. At least she hoped she will.
It was quite a straightforward plan, but it heavily relied on her captor's willingness to untie her. Maybe she could ask to go to the bathroom, she could complain about the pain, which was by no means a lie – her wrists were already starting to get raw. And yet, to say that relying on the kindness of this guy was a long shot would be an understatement.
Another option was to find something that she could use to cut her bindings. It could be done if she took off her shoes and picked up something with her toes. That is, if there was anything to pick up at all. There was a large backpack on the floor behind the driver's seat. She could try to reach it, though rummaging through it could take a while in which she could be noticed, and even then, she might not find anything useful inside. She decided to name it as plan B and looked for an easier and more certain plan.
She looked around, trying to find anything she could use to cut the ties, but other than the bag there was nothing that could be of much help, save a pack of cigarettes jammed in the handle of the door opposite to her. The good news was that where cigarettes were, surely there was also a lighter. The safest bet was to first check inside the box. Getting a hold of it might be a little tricky, but she thought it could be done with a little effort when her captor wasn't paying attention.
As she formed her plan, she was brought her out of her reverie, noticing something was off. Her erratic captor was looking here and there even more frantically. She quickly looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary, and faced the front just in time to see him letting go of the wheel entirely. Her eyes flew open in astonishment. They might die here together before she got a chance to even try and escape.
[English] "What the hell are you doing?!", she screamed at him. Not knowing what language this bastard spoke, she thought English was the most likely, though she might have said nothing just the same, seeing the lack of reaction she got from him. He turned around, looking past her while ignoring her presence and the fact the she just spoke up, and just stared through the rear windshield.
[English] "Get down", he ordered her in a low voice that was almost completely drowned by the sound of the engine that she assumes was nearing 200kph, if not more. What the hell was going on? Seeing him focused on whatever was happening behind them, she turned around to take a look, when suddenly something hit the car, which started to dance momentarily on the straight road.
[Korean] "Down!" he commanded again, screaming. This time, she automatically complied, turning her back to him and getting down on her knees, she squeezed between her seat and the passenger's back, tucking her head under her arms, as low as her cuffs allowed. Her wrists burnt, she felt the skin break, but the urgency in his voice made it beyond clear that whatever he was seeing, it wasn't good.
And then it hit her. This guy just spoke Korean. It was so natural to her ears that she didn't even notice at first. It was a complete surprise. His face was covered by a mask, his eyes shadowed by a hat, she didn't even catch a glimpse of him. There was nothing that made her suspect this guy was even Asian. Was he Korean or did he just speak the language? Is it possible that Jessica really did send someone to protect her? She didn't think it was likely that this was just a coincidence.
Her mind was swirling as a sudden gush of wind from above blew her hair around her, when not long after the sound of a gunshot reached her ears. Even with the engine roaring the shot that came from over her head was loudly heard. Seeing what the situation had turned into, she assumed that it was probably a bullet that hit the car moments ago. Her captor knew they were going to be chased, that's why he was frantic and nervous, driving at a crazy speed.
Seeing as the car was shot, there was no way that this was a rescue party. The Sheikh's guards wouldn't put an esteemed guest in danger. She found it more likely that the party that had missed their chance earlier was coming to finish the job. She felt uneasy, not able to move and do anything to protect herself. Her life was completely in the hands of a stranger who was currently in the middle of kidnapping her. She closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing, and prayed to be allowed to finish what she started before dying miserably while tied to a door. Panicking wouldn't do any good, it wouldn't change her situation, it'll only make it harder to bear with.
She heard several faint gunshots from farther away, and immediately felt the car taking the hit, two or maybe three times, almost simultaneous. She didn't feel the car sway much, and wondered if her captor was back on the wheel. The next three shots that again came from above answered her unvoiced question.
After a momentary pause her captor fired several more shots, and then everything turned quiet for a few seconds that felt like they would never end, when an ear deafening explosion came from behind. She felt it through the floor of the car, making her bones rattle and her heart start in surprise. It was unbearable, not seeing what was going on, not knowing what was happening, to experience every sound as something unexpected that came out of the blue, not knowing if and when it would be over. It was so much more frightening, it made her feel even more helpless.
Keeping her eyes shut, she put all her faith in her captor. Though it wouldn't be her first choice to trust him with her life, this was all she was going to get. He was it. Seeing as she was still alive, she admitted that trusting him to finish the task might not be the worst thing, at the moment. Not that she had another choice...
As things quieted down after the explosion, just as she was about to raise her head, another shot came from outside, this tie hitting the window behind her. She felt rather than heard it hit the passenger's seat. She wanted to look up and see for herself, but thought better of it and kept her head down, trying to tame the waves of adrenaline with controlled breathing. It wasn't working, she was feeling giddy.
A sound of a very loud motor, probably one of a large motorcycle, was getting closer to them, when suddenly she felt the car slow down abruptly, and fell against the passenger's seat. Her left ankle, still in those damned high heeled torture devices, twisted painfully under her. She sucked in a breath in pain and bit her lip.
The car was hit several more times, this time she heard it to her left, and at the same time, from above. She tried to make herself smaller, curling into herself as she felt their end was nearing.
This can't be it, was all she could think. It was so unfair to end it here, before she could complete her mission. How could she face Dal-Geon in the afterlife when she failed so miserably?
The car suddenly sped up, making her fall against the back seat. Her twisted ankle felt like it was on fire from the sudden movement. She couldn't feel her hands anymore, the cable ties cutting off the circulation while also cutting into her skin.
She jumped in surprise when the sound of what seemed to be a machine gun came from behind. He's still fighting back, she though approvingly. Though she didn't know how many were after them and how capable her captor was to deal with whatever he was facing right now, he seemed to be holding up. of course, that didn't mean he wasn't injured.
The machine gun went on for several long seconds, the car moving sharply from left to right, throwing her around in her narrow hiding place, torturing her injured ankle, when it suddenly stopped. It was quiet for a moment, and she couldn't resist the urge to raise her head and sneak a peek. She was shocked to find her captor's torso almost completely out of the driver's window, leaving the wheel unattended, again. She turned back around and lowered her head, feeling her end was inevitable. If she wouldn't be shot to death, she'll die in a car crash for sure.
Not a second after she tucked her head back, she heard another shot, and almost immediately - another explosion. This time, it was so close that, for a second, she thought it came from the car. She didn't need to wonder for long, as soon after her shoulder was tapped lightly. She raised her head, heart still thumping out of control, and quickly landed herself on the seat, grateful to get the weight off her ankle and lessen the strain she was putting on her bound wrists while crouching.
Though she didn't know the extent of what just happened, it was undeniable that it was thanks to him that she was still alive. Whether those people went after him for taking her, or went after her for surviving what she though was an assassination attempt, she would probably be dead if it weren't for him. If Edward sent people to eliminate her, he wouldn't give up so easily. Hell, he wouldn't give up at all. Not even the Sheikh would be able to protect her, Edward was much more powerful than him. If she was left with the royal guards, he would have met her end.
Though he was definitely a questionable person, undoubtedly a criminal, she was grateful that he managed to fight off whoever that was. She tried to assess his state from her seat, and surprisingly, was relieved when he didn't seem to be hurt. Whatever it was that was coming, whatever his plan was for her, for now he was her ally.
Still with his hat and mask on, she tried to see just any feature of his face. She could see his black hair peaking out from under the hat, straight in texture. His neck was tanned to a deep bronze, probably from long hours under the sun. But those things meant nothing, many people had black hair and a tan. Another thing she could see was his ears, but that also didn't give her much information, though she couldn't help but feel that the shape of his head and the arch of his neck seemed familiar. Maybe he really was Korean?
She looked at him through the rearview mirror, trying to see his eyes, but his hat was hanging so low, she was surprised he could see the road ahead. She kept her eyes on him, waiting for a chance. It's not like there was something better to do other than counting camels, and this guy had proved himself to be not much of a conversation.
The seconds went by as suddenly their eyes met briefly. Caught in the act, he seemed bashful and looked away quickly, but not before she caught a glimpse of his eyes, which also felt rather familiar.
[Korean] "You're Korean?", she tried her luck again, not expecting much. This guy was definitely Asian, which made it more likely that he was hired by Jessica. Even so, it was odd for Jessica not to tell her about it beforehand, and even weirder for the guy not to say so. She waited for a moment, and decided to try again.
[Korean] "Who are you working for?" she asked, and was answered with a roar from the engine as her captor took an exit off the highway. Realizing again what she already knew – that he had no intention to talk to her - she gave up, knowing it wouldn't make much of a difference even if he did. For now, she was safe, and unless he confirmed his relations to Jessica, when an opportunity presented itself - she would make her escape.