Ditching their cars, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo headed toward the billowing cloud simmering in the distance. They had no use for a tracker now with the blast that had rent the heavens, sending its pillar of smoke towering into the sky like a signal and effectively pinpointing the exact location Ga Eul was sure to be found. It was no longer a question of whether or not they could find her; but whether or not they were too late.
Running with hasty, stumbling steps, the two soon came upon the little farmland clearing now littered with burnt debris, the desecrated remains of what had once been a house sitting in its center. As they drew closer, the world was a monotone of grays and whites, even the grass seemed to take on an other worldly hue as ashy cinders fell, blanketing the world like dirty snow. The only color to be seen was the faint blue of Yi Jeong's coat, now draped across Woo Bin's shoulders as he struggled to heave the ruble out of his way in some desperate but futile attempt to make a clearing into the crumbling walls of the house. Seeing his friend, Jun Pyo rushed to Woo Bin's side, helping him displace some of the wreckage while Ji Hoo ran to the other side in search of any sign of Ga Eul or Yi Jeong. No one said what they all were thinking…There was no way anyone could have survived the blast.
Blindfolded and gagged, all Ga Eul could do was stumble along obediently as her captors dragged her away. For a moment she thought of running for it, she was outside—she could tell from the light mist wetting her arms—so, what did she have to lose? It was only a matter of time before her kidnappers grew tired of their game…
Yet, even as the tempting thought raced through her brain, Ga Eul knew it was no use. She couldn't wrestle herself away from the strong grip on her arm or outrun the bullet that would find her if she did. Her best chance was to wait—as horribly unbearable as it was.
Somewhere in the back of her brain, a nagging voice reminded her how slim her chances of being found were if taken to a second location. Pushing the unwelcomed thought aside, Ga Eul forced herself to focus instead on her steps which were growing more and more unsteady as the bare skin of her feet found sticks and all manner of stones, twigs, and splintering undergrowth.
"Move it," the guard leading her hissed impatiently as he attempted to drag her along faster. Her steps fumbled and the gag stifled a shriek of pain as Ga Eul's foot came in contact with a sharp stick right where the glass shard had ripped her skin open a few nights ago.
"Shut it!" The voice hissed again as a ruff jab found her ribs.
She hated this. Feeling weak, vulnerable, at the mercy of her kidnappers. But the cold steel barrel against her back permitted no arguing—she had to move whether she liked it or not.
Blinking through the folds of plastic covering her eyes, Ga Eul struggled to make out shapes, light, anything that could give her the slightest idea of where she was being taken but it was as useless as struggling against the strong arm steering her forward. Once again she forced herself to keep walking and not think about the terrible things that might await her. It was no secret kidnapped victims often met horrible ends but Ga Eul wasn't about to give up hope, if she could only see where they were taking her, maybe she could form some sort of plan...
Feet burning with a million cuts and wrists aching terribly from being dragged so roughly out of the house, Ga Eul didn't know whether to be relieved or panicked when they suddenly stopped their forward trek.
Was this it?
Were they going to shoot her outside?
She strained her ears for the cock of a gun but all was quiet except for the pitter patter of raindrops hitting the dirt, then Ga Eul heard the squeak of some rusty hinge and felt herself yanked forward once more.
With one harsh jerk, the soft crunch of grass changed suddenly beneath her feet and Ga Eul found herself stumbling over a threshold into a warm, musty interior, the door slamming shut with a deafening thud. Ga Eul had been through many things during her hours of confinement and could have sobbed at being dragged out of the fresh crisp air, back into a dingy, close room that smelled of manure and hay, but she didn't have time to lament, her arm was once more being tugged forward and she was forced to concentrate on her steps least she plunge towards the ground.
"Put her over there" came the gruff voice Ga Eul had learned to associate with Moon Geok and the goon leading her, In Jwa, lead her to an old rotten pole in the center of the room where she was tied up once again and the gag and blindfold suddenly ripped from her head.
Her breath caught in her throat with the sudden reveal and rush of pungent, animal scents. What was damp and musty under a plastic bag was suddenly one thousand times worse in the "fresh" air of the barn-y shack. For, she discovered, she was indeed in a barn, and a dingy half rotten barn at that.
Long forgotten bunches of hay lay here and there and, while there were no animals in sight, the fact they had once lived here was evident by the smell and decaying feed littering the floor. Holes in the roof completed the interior, allowing beams of sunlight to waft down, crisscrossing among the eaves and nearly blinding Ga Eul's eyes after the long minutes of darkness. Somewhere near the large double doors a dog yelped as the three familiar figures of the men who had guarded her were joined by a fourth and fifth. Great, more guards. They must have been patrolling outside this whole time…
-but why were they all coming inside now and, even more confusing, why did they move her to the barn where it could be so easy to escape-they could kill her just as easily in the house…
Before Ga Eul had any time to dwell on these thoughts, she noticed the fifth guard entering was pulling something, or rather, someone, behind him.
"Put that un over there" came Jwa In's nasty voice around a cheekfull of tabaco.
The man complied, pushing the small, cowering figure in front of him roughly then laughing when she tripped and fell—the monsters, the girl looked even younger than her. With horror Ga Eul realized this frail girl must have been the person she had heard whimpering on the other side of the wall. The one the guards had beat so ruthlessly that night…
Though she had spent countless hours wondering who the other prisoner might be, nothing could have prepared her for the revelation that came next. In a matter of seconds, Ga Eul went from curious and enraged, to horrified. As she stumbled back to her feet with no help from the laughing beast that led her, the girl turned and in the slight light streaming towards the floor, Ga Eul caught sight of her face.
It couldn't be!
Unconscious of the bonds digging painfully into her flesh, Ga Eul found herself lunging forward in desperation as she screamed around the tears choking her throat, "Na Ri! What did they do to you?!"
The girl raised her wide eyes in shock and gasped. "Ga Eul? How did you..are you ok—"
Na Ri never finished her sentence. The man dragging her let her go roughly, kicking her knees out from beneath her so that she crumbled immediately to the floor.
"Shut it! didn't I tell ya not to talk?"
The brute raised his hand as if to slap her across the face but only managed to cuff the back of her head "Aishh, nothin but trouble" he spat in the dirt and looked ready to slap her again but the scrawny guard Teok tossed him a beer and the man thankfully shuffled away leaving the two girls a few feet from each other, Ga Eul tied to the pole, Na Ri left in the dirt.
"Na Ri," Ga Eul whispered through her teeth as their captors converged towards the barn doors, "what happened?"
The girl, her college friend and for a while the only true friend Ga Eul ever had, bit her lip anxiously and looked down.
"I don't know, I really don't. I thought they were holding me for ransom, but they haven't even tried to call my family. My grandfather would pay anything they asked but…"
Na Ri looked back at Ga Eul, the tears streaking her face, "what if they don't want a ransom…what if they.." she left the words unfinished.
What if they kill us?
The unspoken fear hung between the two.
"Its going to be ok, really. We'll get out of here…somehow" Ga Eul finished weakly, seeing Moon Geok watching out of the corner of her eye and lowering her voice in a hurried whisper "I called Yi Jeong, I think he knows where we are, we just have to wait." Na Ri looked at her hopefully but the flicker of fear still hung in her eyes.
Ga Eul didn't mention the fact that she had called him in the house before they'd been moved. She saw no need to worry Na Ri further…Yi Jeong's tracker would be off, but they couldn't have been moved more than a couple hundred meters away…
"But, your family. Wont they search for you?" While Na Ri rarely spoke of her family, Ga Eul knew enough to know they were very well off and her grandfather had established many lucrative businesses—surely they would be looking for her too? Na Ri's face fell as she twisted her head away from view of the men chugging beers and whispered despairingly, "They grabbed me on my way to the airport. My family thinks I'm in Paris right now. They won't even expect me to call them for a few more days." Her voice choked and Ga Eul had the feeling if not for the bonds tying her hands, the girl would have buried them in her face and cried.
"Its going to be ok, we just have to wai—"
"Shut it!" the voice roared over the half-drunk laughter coming from the corner where their captors were draining beers like water, it was followed by something too low to be heard but the laughter and wolf whistles that followed made both girls' skin crawl. Neither said a word as they glanced fearfully towards each other, another bout of hushed laughter cutting the musty air.
Moon Geok, the man who'd given Ga Eul water and the most intimidating of the five thugs, watched the prisoners with callous eyes. The job would soon be over, all loose ends tied, but he didn't like the way they were whispering together or how the one standing kept him in the corner of her eyes. Watching him, sizing them up. She'd been spunky earlier too, even managing to break loose once—injuring the two fools charged with watching her, In Jwa and Teok. It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on her.
Kicking one of the two men who'd just joined me the group, Geok motioned towards the girls and said something Ga Eul couldn't quite hear. The man rose with a grunt and sauntered over towards Na Ri, dragging her up by tied arms and then plunking her down further away from her friend. Then he turned towards Ga Eul with a leering smirk.
"Pity such a pretty thing's mixed up in all this," Ga Eul froze as the man's putrid breath neared her face.
"Get away from me!"
"I tell ya what," ignoring her words the man slithered his hands down her waist, "play nice and I'll put in a good word with the boss." Panic fled as his greasy lips grazed her ear. Ga Eul's arms wrenched wildly against their bonds and the beastly man laughed "struggling wont do much good girlie, good luck freeing your arms." Her arms might be tied but her feet were free. With a hard kick Ga Eul felt the satisfying thud of her foot meeting his shin. His hands dropped instantly with a screech,
"Why you little!" he slapped her, hard, across the face but Ga Eul smiled—shoeless or not she'd break the man's shin before he laid another hand on her.
"Leave it," Geok's gruff voice growled, angry someone'd stepped out of line again, "just do what I said."
"Did you see what she—"
"Did I ask for an opinion?"
The man cursed but obeyed, moving behind Ga Eul and adjusting the ropes tying her hands.
"I'm fine," Ga Eul mouthed across the room, seeing Na Ri watching her fearfully from her corner. She realized she didn't look all that hot right now but attempted to smile around her cracked, bleeding lips just the same. Her friend shook her head in defeat.
Seeing Na Ri's hopeless face caused a mad rush of anger to course through Ga Eul's veins. She'd never seen her friend afraid or scared, the girl had always been a bubbly ball of confidence and enthusiasm so to see her like this…
"What? Thought you'd be happy to see your little friend." the greasy guard tightening her bonds taunted, lifting her chin up mockingly as he turned to go. She jerked it away, spitting at him in disgust as he retaliated with another hard slap across her face.
"Why you little brat!"
Ga Eul braced for another hit but before the blow landed a noise at the door alerted them of another presence.
"Leave her be," Moon Geok huffed moodily from the side, "Simon's here."
To Ga Eul's surprise, the man stepped back, glaring at her, but stepping back none the less. "Don't be so happy, he won't take it so easy on you." the guard sneered before going silent as the barn's rickety door swung open.
Who could have such an effect? Ga Eul didn't have to wait long to find out. A tall stocky figure seemed to morph from the shadows the eaves of the barn were casting like a kaleidoscope of shadow and light. It would almost be beautiful if not for the circumstances and the eerie feeling creeping in the pit of Ga Eul's stomach as the man, Simon, advanced towards her.
There was something familiar about him.
Squinting up her eyes, Ga Eul caught the faint glow of a cigarette butt floating in the shadows—It was him, the man who'd watched her that night.
Only, as he stepped closer into the light of day, he didn't seem half as intimidating as he had all alone in the dark of night. Nothing about his old clothes or worn demeanor signaled danger and had it not been for the circumstances, Ga Eul might have mistaken him for any other average built, middle-aged man.
Yet…
...there was something…
...off, about the man as he stalked closer, shoulders slumped, eyes aglow with a crazy light. Part of Ga Eul's brain wondered if this was how a mouse felt, waiting for a cat to pounce...Sweat dripped down her back as the black clad man drew closer...
Was this the man who'd imprisoned her?
A roll of thunder crashed through the sky as the storm picked up outside and Ga Eul found herself facing her tormentor as he stooped mere inches from her face, the blaze of a lighting flash illuminating his papery skin.
"w-who are you?" she heard her voice utter evenly despite the way she was shaking. "Why did you bring us here? If it's for ransom—" the words died in her throat as the man leaned in darkly, staring at her with dead, unblinking eyes.
"You'll wish it was for ransom before the day's out."
The words chilled her to the bone as they echoed in the small space despite the low tone in which they were spoken.
Struggling to maintain the appearance of bravery Ga Eul raised her chin defiantly as Simon leaned back and flicked his cigarette nonchalantly, "For now its best you keep your mouth shut and don't anger me further. At least your little interference will make for quite the show."
The man's stoic face took on a lazy boredom and he turned to walk away.
Ga Eul couldn't help shouting after him, this was her one chance to finally get some answers
"What do you mean? I don't even know who you are, how could I have angered you—." He couldn't know about the phone call…could he?
The kidnapper laughed incredulously, circling back on her. His face breaking from its blank expression into a twisted sneer. "You took everything from me and yet you don't even know me?"
"What are you talking about—" Ga Eul wrenched her neck trying to meet his eyes as he passed behind her, "—I've never met you before."
"Ah but you don't have to meet someone to ruin their life, now do you?" his face was suddenly right next to hers as he leaned in from behind, resting heavy gloved hands on her shoulders for one terrible moment before releasing her with another crazed laugh, the rage in his face only equaled to the confusion on hers.
"wh-what do you mean?"
"Guess I can't expect you to understand," Simon cut her off, his anger apparently forgotten as he strolled casually in front of her eyeing her like a child to be pitied, "you would have been nothing but a kid when it happened."
What kind of game was he playing? She hadn't even gown up in South Korea, she'd spent most of her childhood in the States with her uncle…he couldn't mean the time before that…could he?
"Your father and I go way back."
Her father?
"Don't look so surprised, I'm sure you are well aware of his little…accident, but perhaps you're not so well aware of my role in it."
"Accident?" Ga Eul faltered, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Her father had left her. That she knew. The man she had once idolized had abandoned her, leaving her to be raised by relatives who didn't want her. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what this killer had to say…had he known her father? The father who only lived in memories she couldn't even begin to untangle?
"Is it possible you don't know?" Reading the confusion in Ga Eul's face, Simon whistled disappointedly, "what a shame, we were going to have so much fun, but you don't even know the story—"
"What story? What do you mean?" desperation tinted the words and the killer chuckled, "Quite simple actually, father murdered. Murderer getting his revenge. Though," he faced the girl chidingly, "it would be more fun if you played your role as the distraught daughter, hopelessly trying to avenge her father's death only to be outwitted by his killer. Guess it can't be helped." He whispered the last part almost to himself and checked his watch absentmindedly while Ga Eul's quick mind reviewed what she had just learned. Was it possible this man was connected with her father…was it possible her father had been…murdered?
Was that why…
A bitter pain wrapped around Ga Eul's heart and sunk its teeth in. She had been only seven when her uncle whisked her away to the States. Away from everything she knew. Away from everything she loved.
Could this be the reason?
Was her father
Dead?
Ga Eul turned least Simon see the treacherous tear streaking down her cheek. Her father hadn't left her—he had been taken.
"Why did you kill him."
Simon glanced at the girl steadying herself against the wooden beam to which she was bound, her distress fueling his high, "Curious?—"
"Why did you kill him?!"
Instead of answering, Simon stared at her strangely, as if contemplating this new boldness Ga Eul had discovered within her grief. He lit up another cigarette and breathed out a wisp of smoke lazily before answering.
"He got in the way."
He got in the way-he said the words as simply as if he was relaying the weather. Ga Eul gripped her hands tightly, feeling her nails sink into flesh, desperately trying to steady herself as bitter hatred consumed her and Simon continued—all the rage from before now replaced by the same bored, cool tones of earlier, as if he rather enjoyed the story.
"He got in the way, I was even willing to split the money with him, but no," Simon tossed his cigarettes peevishly, "He had to go and be all 'righteous,' threatening me he'd tell. The fool. There was no way of getting anywhere with him. He had to be silenced."
"My father…you killed him because he was going to expose you for stealing? Just like that…You killed him for money?" Ga Eul hardly contained her anger as she spat out the words only wishing they were acid and could burn Simon's face.
The killer turned on her, fire raging in his lifeless eyes, "You're one to talk. You also did anything to get your hands on money," He grabbed her chin roughly and sneered "Only I couldn't rely on my face to get it. I had to be smart."
Ga Eul recoiled at the insinuation as he let go and laughed in a deranged, emotionless voice, all semblance of sanity gone in an instant.
"My grandfather…the body at the digging site…" Na Ri uttered slowly from her corner, new realization dawning on her. "That was…Ga Eul's father?"
Up till now it made no sense why both Na Ri and Ga Eul had been taken. Like Ga Eul, the questions she thought would be answered only led to more confusion when Simon entered and Na Ri discovered she didn't recognize him either. Just who could have plotted such a scheme? If the kidnapper wanted a ransom from her grandfather or one of the famously wealthy F4, why take them both? Why take such a high risk if the reward from one kidnapping would more than suffice?
Unless...
...The girls were both related by some unknown connection...
Na Ri racked her brain, trying to place her finger on it, zeroing in on every word the man was saying: in between fits of delusion, Simon talked about money. About needing to silence Ga Eul's father.
And then, it clicked-the pieces were finally starting to fit together. Why Na Ri's parents had been telling her to be careful, why they had suddenly been so keen to send her off to Paris, why her grandfather had scheduled the extra guard round her day and night. The embezzler from before had turned up again and, much worse, he wasn't just an old, disgruntled employee her grandfather had been forced to fire…he was a murderer.
Ga Eul looked on in stunned silence as Simon clapped his hands sarcastically and moved towards Na Ri, "Bra-vo, girlie, you're smarter than your friend" one gloved hand lifted her chin but Na Ri tugged it away.
"Rude, just like your grandfather."
"What did you do to him?!" Na Ri screamed, a new fear filling her mind "he's not dea—"
"Of course not," Simon practically cooed, the rage once more leaving his eyes as his face spread with a maniacal smile "why would I do that? He's an old man, what good would it do to snuff his life out? No, no, I'll let him live—just long enough to realize his actions caused his precious granddaughter to die."
Na Ri's face fell in terror as the man drew something out of his pocket with the last words.
A knife.
"They're going to know what it feels like to lose everything, starting with you. Its a pity they couldn't be here to see it though" he moved towards Na Ri, menacing her with the switchblade now mere inches from her face, "Now, why don't you smile for the camera? There's a good girl, don't look so afraid, you wouldn't want your grandfather's last picture of you to be sad now, would you?"
Na Ri shuddered away as the knife came closer and closer to her throat. Too frightened to make sense of much other than the terror she had found herself in, she began writhing and shrieking away, blinding fear encompassing her mind. Enraged Simon grabbed her hair roughly and forced her head up, a flash of light capturing her bruised face while the steely metal of the blade pricked her skin.
"Don't touch her!" Ga Eul shrieked, seeing the streaks of red now dripping from her friend's neck. Na Ri hadn't made a sound, hand clamped down over her neck she looked at Ga Eul with wide-frightened eyes as the man loosed his hold slightly.
Ga Eul had no plan, she just had to get him away from her friend. "It's me you're after, you said it yourself! You don't have to do this"
Hoping to buy some time, Ga Eul decided to play into his warped imaginations, but what could she say? What would stop him?
"You were never supposed to be a killer"—Simon turned to stare at her blankly.
"My father made you a murderer"—he let Na Ri go
"—he drove you too it." A crazed hoped shined in the murderer's eyes as he drew closer, hanging on Ga Eul's words like a man desperate for water.
The tears choked her at the back of her throat, but Ga Eul continued on. "So it's me who owes you something."
"No, Ga Eul no!" but Na Ri's pleading was lost on Ga Eul and the killer circling her like a vulture to prey.
"You don't have to kill anymore," Ga Eul looked at her friend sorrowfully, sorry she'd have to witness this brutal display but hoping her words could save her friend, "just end it with me."
"You're right," Simon lowered the knife slowly, backing away from Na Ri.
"You're right. None of this had to happen-" he shook his head, agreeing with himself in a daze of weak confusion and for one fleeting moment Ga Eul allowed a small hope to grow as the man looked down, the mad light leaving his eyes for an instant
-It is your fault!"The knife came back up—this time at Ga Eul's throat, his lips next to her ear as he growled angrily. "You did this to me! If not for you, my life would be perfect! He made me this—he made me a murderer!" Simon's eyes rolled back in furious insanity as he let Ga Eul go with a jerk "—Labeled a con. Treated less than the dirt under your feet," He spat in anger and threw the knife tip down in the dirt, narrowly missing Ga Eul's feet as he continued his tirade, "Your father did this to me. No one had to die if he hadn't showed up. None of this would have happened if he had just minded his own business!"
The madman left Ga Eul shaking where she was bound and began pacing in front of her, turning back and forth to argue with himself—one moment rational and understanding, the other filled with rage while the three goons left in the room stood quietly to the side, the one who had hit Ga Eul looking on with a smug smirk of satisfaction.
She didn't know what to do, although he was distracted for now, there was no guarantee the demented man wouldn't attack again and no guarantee the next attack wouldn't end with both her and Na Ri dead. Where was Yi Jeong? It felt like she'd called him ages ago and every minute the bulky object in her waistband reminded her of her call, her hope grew a little less...
She had to think of something, she needed to save Na Ri even if she couldn't save herself...
"He was going to report me." Simon raged on from the other side of the room, "I couldn't just sit still. I had to do something. I had to..th-the little girl just got in the way. I didn't mean to kill her, I never meant—" his face broke with a deranged sob and Ga Eul's blood ran cold as she realized what he'd just confessed too.
Forget about being a noble idiot.
Forget about placating the murderer.
Forget about distraction.
The words left her mouth before Ga Eul could stop herself, "You just killed innocent people because you didn't want to be caught?! You ruined others' lives because they wanted to expose you for the thief you were?! You killed a little girl?!"
Simon turned venomously towards her, pulling out the pistol from his waist as he did so. "Why would you understand? None of this would have happened if your father hadn't stuck his nose where it didn't belong! What was I supposed to do after he forced my hand?"
"You keep saying its not your fault," her hatred emboldened her, "But here you are, killing people! You are a monster."
Suddenly, among the lightning and thunder rattling the heavens, a huge blast wrenched the air, shaking the windows and throwing the barn door wide. Ga Eul had never heard anything like it, she had no idea what had just happened but the pit in her stomach and smiles on the faces around her told her it was something bad. Very bad.
In the back of her mind she could faintly hear the hysterical laugh of her tormentor ripping through the quiet but all her attention was focused towards the door of the barn where a cloud of fleecy ash was now flittering through, whirling around and around till a thin film clung to anything and everything it touched.
The rattle of fallen debris racked against the thin barn roof and she suddenly understood why they had moved her. But nothing made sense. Why would they drag her here just to blow up the house?
"Ah, where are my manners?" Simon's voice was suddenly right next to her—evil and elated. "It'd be rude of me not to give you a closer look." With that, Ga Eli's bonds were cut and she found herself being hoisted roughly up by the shoulder and dragged towards the swinging door through which she could just make out the jagged shape of brick and wood in the swirling grey soot.
"How do you like my little surprise welcome for our guest?" The evil voice came again.
Our guest?
It couldn't be…
"I must thank you for your contribution," Simon mocked next to her ear but Ga Eul had ceased to listen, her face going white with understanding as he leaned forward and took the phone out from behind her, "your little escapade was very helpful." No no no no!
"Yi Jeong!"
"Afraid so girlie, you know, it wasn't easy finding you with all the guards he had surrounding you day and night, he was a thorn in my side long enough-"
"You killed him! You-" Ga Eul cried struggling to free herself from him but Simon dropped her before she could, flinging her to the side.
"Woah, woah," He held up his hands in mock surrender, "might I remind you this wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gotten smart. You called him here my dear."
"No." Ga Eul breathed out hoarsely, gripping dirty straw between shaking fingers from where she fell.
No.
He could have just killed her. He could have left her to die in the explosion with Yi Jeong.
But, no.
He wanted her to suffer with the knowledge that she had called him here-that she had brought Yi Jeong to his death. An overwhelming numbness began to spread itself over her entire being as bitter tears stung her cheeks no longer hindered by any form of willpower.
She wanted to scream...but she couldn't speak a word. Yi Jeong was gone.
And
It
Was
All
Her
Fault
If only she hadn't called! She had been so stupid.
Stupid!
"Oh cheer up, I'm sure he didn't feel a thing, besides" Simon sneered, a smile of satisfaction spreading his face, "You'll be joining him very soon." Simon's gun clicked as he pulled back the trigger and aimed it at Ga Eul's head. This time, he had no reason to hesitate.
Ga Eul stared up weakly from where she sat. He'd broken her as wholly as someone possibly could and now she didn't care what he did to her. She had no strength left. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to be strong. She wouldn't play this monster's game. She had nothing to stay alive for anymore…
The clinch of the trigger joined the steady rumble of falling debris. Waiting for the end, it was as if everything dragged by in slow motion; Ga Eul could smell the scent of wood burning in the distance, feel the icy rain hitting her skin from holes up above. She imagined she heard Yi Jeong's voice calling out to her.
Yi Jeong
It would be nice to see him again.
She braced for the hit-
-It never came.
A dark, heavy object seemed to flash right in front of her, falling from somewhere high up above right as the bullet flew from its barrel. It landed directly in the line of fire, momentarily shielding her body, before crashing into a heap. Ga Eul crawled closer where the crumbled form lay, her blinding tears dropping on his face as she stifled the scream that came to her lips.
"Yi Jeong!"
Stunned Ga Eul cradled Yi Jeong's head in her lap, rocking back and forth "It's ok" she whispered numbly, "it's ok."
But it wasn't ok.
Somehow, Yi Jeong had survived the bomb, had made it to her side through some miracle, and then, without hesitation, thrown it away in one instant—choosing to sacrifice himself for her. Falling directly into the line of fire. Taking the bullet meant for her.
Ga Eul broke down as she held his face cold as ice in her hands, the warm smile that had always been there-gone. The gentle eyes that could see into her very soul—closed.
Through her sobs she hardly registered the criminal who'd shaken himself from his momentary stupor and was already reloading his gun—This time, he wouldn't miss.
Simon never got the chance. Before his finger even touched the trigger a blinding pain shot through his head. He had only time for one crazed look of confusion before all went black with the bullet that went through his skull-his body slumping forward, his partially open eyes the only indication there had once been life.
Moments before
Ji Hoo was the first to hear it. A gunshot followed by a stifled scream.
It was close. Very close.
Hardly registering Jun Pyo and Woo Bin's steps behind him, Ji Hoo rushed towards the sound, breaking through weeds and matted haystacks recklessly as he left the farmland clearing and headed into the grounds beyond, the other two close on his heels.
There wasn't a moment to lose, she had to be close, the gunshot and the scream had sounded like it was right next to his ear. And that scream...
It sounded like Ga Eul.
The pounding steps of Jun Pyo and Woo Bin muffled as the two branched off to the right and left, leaving Ji Hoo to search ahead. He tore ahead unconscious of the nettles and branches scrapping their sharp claws into his skin, the sound of her scream echoing in his brain, the image of her bleeding and hurt before his eyes.
He hadn't traveled far past the edge of the small wood embankment on the edge of the clearing when he suddenly stopped short—just beyond, its weathered walls almost blending in with the trees, was a partially hidden, old shack of a barn. Flanked on either side by dense forest trees that seemed to melt over it in their decrepit state, its tattered roof an odd mixture of browns, greens and white where ashy cinders fell, it was a wonder he'd spotted it at all.
This had to be it, there were no other buildings remotely close and, as Ji Hoo crept closer, the faint sound of a woman's voice seemed to drift towards him on the thick cloudy ash blanketing the world like a fog.
Drawing nearer, heart beating in his ears, Ji Hoo almost missed the slight rustling to his left.
Almost.
In movements too quick to follow, Ji Hoo found himself dodging a blow that whistled past his ear while whoever had swung it stumbled awkwardly to regain his balance, nearly missing the ground in his desperate attempt to regroup. Righting himself the man towered to his full stature. He was a beast of a man—stocky and barrel chested, the very ground seemed to shake as Jwa In stumbled slightly, eyeing Ji Hoo with a partially swelled shut eye.
"You're fast," the man laughed a nasty wheeze and threw something to the ground—a gun.
"This'll be fun."
"Perhaps" was the cool reply. Conscious that any second wasted was a second they didn't have, Ji Hoo raised his arms slightly, he'd have to end this quick.
Balling his boulder-like fists, Jwa In swung at Ji Hoo's head then crashed a fist towards his side. Missing both, he tried to ram his body against his agile opponent, but a quick side-step left him reeling in the dirt. Angrily he grabbed a fistful of muddying earth and flung it at his assailant's face, hoping to blind him with the gritty soil, but to no avail. He was too fast.
"Quit dodging!" Strong and built like a rock, Jwa In hardly ever had need for anything other than brute strength, one hit and he could knock a man out cold, yet he found with frustrating speed he was no match for the tall man who seemed always out of reach—maybe he shouldn't have thrown his gun away so soon…
Scrambling up, humiliated and enraged, Jwa In grabbed a fallen oak branch and began swinging it madly above his head hoping to land a hit but Ji Hoo dodged them with ease, twisting here and turning there, hardly breaking a sweat as the big man grew more and more desperate with each attempt to subdue him. "The fuck—quit moving!"
"Don't think I will" Ji Hoo taunted, he just needed a few more minutes and the thug would wear himself out, then Ji Hoo just had to wait for an opening.
Jwa In swept low and hard this time, hoping to take Ji Hoo to the ground where he couldn't avoid the attack. Using his enemy's speed against him, Ji Hoo made his move, dodging the blow and cracking his knee into Jwa In's ribs in one fell swoop. Stunned, the brute coughed for breath right as a searing pain split through his knee where Ji Hoo had crushed a fist—dislocating it with an angry pop. Groaning in agony, Jwa In thrashed about the ground as he grasped at his knee hanging awkwardly to the side—he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
"Who are you?" he hissed around gritted teeth, but the tall man didn't answer, turning instead to confront Moon Geok who, hearing the screams of his comrade, had finally rounded the corner.
Ha, he wouldn't have such an easy time with him, Jwa In thought smugly, the man was a trained fighter and didn't waste time with games. As if on cue, Moon Geok cocked his gun with an evil smirk, but Ji Hoo was ready, a well-aimed rock thudded off the metal before Geok dropped it in stunned surprise. Grasping his injured hand, the leather clad man circled Ji Hoo just as three more thugs poured out of the barn to see what the commotion was about.
"Good luck fighting us all, you're dead meat" one of the three sneered.
"Not likely" with a smooth kick from behind, the mouthy thug found himself sprawling on the ground while the other two met the brunt of Jun Pyo's fierce attack who'd just rounded the other corner.
"About time"
"Cant let you have all the fun" Jun Pyo flashed Ji Hoo a smirk before rounding back on the two attempting to ambush him, the one grabbing for his arms from behind, the other preparing to punch, but Jun Pyo was far too quick and, frankly, far too prideful to be taken in by such a paltry attack. Knocking the first in the sternum the man instantly doubled over in pain while the other tried to hit from behind but found an elbow in his face the moment he moved.
Jwa In watched in dismay as the three other men were beaten back by the strange man with curly hair. A hooligan, clothed in the hauteur of a lord, but a hooligan just the same. If he could just reach his gun…at least Geok seemed to be having more luck.
He did have more luck, seeing Jun Pyo jump into the fray, easily subduing his three coherts, Moon Geok knew it was imperative he reach his gun and even the odds. (That idiot Jwa In had made sure to lose his, so now there were two guns somewhere in the mud.) But he couldn't do that with Ji Hoo quickly closing the distance between them. The man was a better fighter than Jwa In, he'd give him that, likely trained in martial arts too, the type whose parents would ensure their children were well versed in all manner of defensive sports, but that couldn't beat real world experience of which Moon Geok had plenty.
Feigning a move to his left, Geok followed with a quick slice upward, evading his defense and cutting a blow to Ji Hoo's jaw. Spitting out the bitter metallic blood filling his mouth, Ji Hoo turned on the man, a faint smile on his lips.
"Not so proud now are w—" he never finished the words. With one staggering hit Moon Geok found himself straggling on the ground next to Jwa In, grasping at his shattered jaw in shock.
Rid of the two miscreants, Ji Hoo turned to help Jun Pyo, unconscious of Jwa In's straying hand that was inching closer and closer to his gun…
He almost had it
"Yah! just couldn't leave one for me?" With the words, Jwa In found his hand crushed with a sickening weight right as his fingers found his gun. He looked up at the ruddy headed, dangerous looking man who'd picked up the pistol, emptying the cylinder's contents with a flip. "Why you motherfu-" he tried to get up, screeching in pain and anger but catching sight of the mafia insignia on Woo Bin's jacket, he wisely sat back down. This wasn't a fight they could win.
Seeing Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo had the three other thugs covered, Woo Bin wasted no time heading towards the barn, the door swinging wildly as gusts of wind whipped it open and shut. Mere feet away now, Woo Bin's blood froze at the scene appearing and disappearing with each swing of the door. Deftly drawing out his revolver, Woo Bin let a round fly in a single, well practice motion, hitting his target without a moment to spare, the deafening thud of a body attesting to the fact it'd found its mark.
Ga Eul shuddered as Simon's body fell, dead, mere inches from where she sat over Yi Jeong. Whoever had shot him had done so through the barn door. She leaned over Yi Jeong's body, as if in some desperate attempt to protect him in some way. Never had she been so relieved and devastated in one moment as she looked from her kidnapper's lifeless face to that of Yi Jeong.
In the corner where she'd been attacked, Na Ri watched it all in stunned silence, finally sliding to the floor as Simon's body fell. Desperately needing to steady herself against something, she took to the dirty floor hands and knees and crawled towards the barn's doors. There was some sort of scuffle going on outside, the other three guards had rushed out to check things out but hadn't returned. Then there was the gunshot. Maybe help had come? Her fingers shook with weakness as she inched closer, loss of blood slowing her movements. She had to get help…
"Get away!" Ga Eul sobbed over the bloodied body of Yi Jeong, vaguely aware of the figure entering, its shadow silhouetted against the flashing lightening outside—another thug to finish the job no doubt. "Leave him alone! You've already killed him!" she shrieked looking up with murder in her eyes only for them to fall in relief and then pain as she recognized who'd placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
"Woo Bin" she looked at him with horror, "he's dead…he's-I called him-I"
"Shhhh" Woo bin shrank towards the ground folding the shivering girl up in his arms as an experienced eye took in the bloodied clothes and deathly pale face of his friend—they'd come too late.
The relief washing over him to finally have her safe mixed with the bitter realization at what that had cost. He glanced up towards Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo who'd just entered, exchanging a grim look with the two. Jun Pyo turned away, slamming his fist into the barn door while Ji Hoo crouched down numbly next to Na Ri who lay half sitting, half passed out next to the door—there was nothing he could do for Yi Jeong no-Na Ri mumbled incoherently as the stranger applied pressure to the gash on her neck. She had managed to reach the door hoping against hope the person who had killed Simon was here to help, finding new strength when at last they came in, and then, finally succumbing to the loss of blood in sweet, black, unconsciousness.
"I think she'll be ok, the cut doesn't look deep" Ji Hoo murmured into the silence, tying a type of tourniquet around the wound in such a way as to stench the flow without impeding blood flow to her head.
"I'll get her in the car" Jun Pyo echoed mechanically moving to help lift the unconscious girl, needing something, anything to keep them busy.
"You should go too" Woo Bin made as if to lead Ga Eul away—his men would be here soon with backup to take care of the men outside and bring Yi Jeong's body…he didn't want her here for that. She didn't budge.
"Ga eul we need to go."
"No"
"we—"
"I'm not leaving him"
"But"
"No!" Ga Eul threw herself over Yi Jeong's body, refusing to move. All three remaining members of the F4 looked on, biting back their emotions as best they could. Woo Bin rose to talk to the other two, thinking it best to let Ga Eul have a moment to grieve.
"I'll see if I can get an ambulance here for the girl, and one to take Yi Jeong's body-to take Yi Jeong." Jun Pyo finished weakly.
"then, you Ji Hoo, should go back to the hospital with her, try and organize for Ga Eul's coming."
"I'll stay with her until you do-"
"Ji Hoo" all three turned, stunned by the elated panic in Ga Eul's voice, "Ji hoo get over here quick!"
Ga Eul leaned over Yi Jeong's body-she wasn't sure-she had hardly felt it…but she had felt something…There it was again! So faint and shallow she might have imagined it, but it was there! "He's breathing!"
In seconds Ji Hoo was by her side, hastily checking for a pulse while Ga Eul began tearing away the wet fabric where the bullet wound was seeping blood. It revealed what the young doctor expected, a wound, deep and dangerously located just above his heart. But he had a pulse, weak though it was.
"Jun Pyo run out and see if you can get a signal to call an ambulance. Woo Bin get your men here quick—" Ji Hoo began barking orders like the doctor he was while Ga Eul sat over Yi Jeong applying pressure to his wound.
He was alive.
Yi Jeong was alive.
Somewhere in the inky blackness a light flickered. At first it was so small and faint it took all Yi Jeong's strength to see it, then suddenly, as if it were alive, the light began bubbling out spreading its fingers like a flood fed by a thousand streams until all of Yi Jeong's consciousness was consumed by the dazzling white. He squeezed his eyes shut as the brightness swelled into a blinding explosion and then, suddenly, there were colors everywhere, erupting as if from the very ground itself. As if from the sun, an angelic form materialized in the distant haze, walking towards him like a phantom of white. She saw him and laughed, throwing her head back with the crystal sound. Sweet smelling flowers wafted their intoxicating scent throughout the air and fuzzy images hazy in the sunshine gradually came to view but all Yi Jeong could see was the fairy floating towards him, almost dancing on the wind in her excited to reach him.
"Ga Eul, I found you."
"Ga Eul"
The words were low and uneasy, Ga Eul pulled back with a start, searching Yi Jeong's face as his eyes fluttered open slightly. A warm smile creased his face. "Ga Eul." He murmured again, this time content and his eyes closed over once more. He was still, but he was breathing.
"Its ok, the ambulance will be here soon" Ji Hoo whispered reassuringly as he attempted to tie a makeshift tourniquet using part of the shirt Ga Eul had ripped from Yi Jeong's chest. It was wet and sticky with blood, but they'd managed to stop the worst of the bleeding wrapping it as tightly as they could manage.
As Ga eul removed the rest of the shirt still clinging at his shoulders, something small and rectangular fell away from the shirt pocket. Reaching between the folds, her fingers brushed against something that was most definitely not fabric. Bloodstained and torn, Ga Eul pulled out the little leatherbound book with a raggedly ripped hole directly through its center.
It must have slowed the bullet! She prayed whatever resistance it had given would be enough to save him.
It was familiar though...She turned the little book over curiously in her hands. On its back were the initials:
G. E.
