Hoseok was about to run by Jungkook but stopped when he recognized the youngest’s usual white attire.

         “Hyung!” Jungkook said in surprise when the other hit him on the arm, “What are you doing here? Isn’t your area all the way down at the other end of the pier?”

         Hoseok panted. He couldn’t waste a minute but he had also promised that he would be careful. At this point, he wasn’t sure what to expect. “I’ve found Daeun. I’ve got the address right here. Come, we’re going to get her together.”

         Jungkook was dragged along with Hoseok but he was still bewildered at what was going on. “Hyung, hyung, HYUNG!” The urgency in his voice caused Hoseok to actually stop. “Hoseok-hyung, don’t you think we should tell the others? I mean, we don’t know who we’re dealing with.”

         Hoseok had to calm himself before speaking, in worries that he may end up screaming in frustration. “I’ve already told Seokjin and he’s probably informing everybody to come here right now, so we’ll have back up. We’ll just have to meet them at the building. Jungkook,” a serious look overcame Hoseok’s face, “the more time we spend out here, the more time Daeun is with that creep. She’s already dealt with enough and I won’t let her suffer anymore.”

         The younger slightly bit his lip but he had understood Hoseok’s words. He nodded and followed after Hoseok as they ran off to the old warehouse.

         Namjoon gripped the gun tightly in his hands. This was the weapon Seokjin had given him the first day he arrived at their house. He was glad to have kept it by his side such that he could use it at a time like this. The year of training he had at the police academy kicked into gear as he stealthily entered the empty building.

         Seeing the area, he started recognizing certain features that had been captured in Daeun’s brief video. The property was massive. There were two large buildings that were side to side, and a giant empty lot. The two buildings differed in the colour of their exterior. He remembered that the walls of the building were a brown so he started making his way over one closer to him.

         He did not need to walk far before he saw two men posted on each side of a door. It was strange that they would be there in a place that was being renovated to a movie set. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the two of them were quite young and he doubted that any of them had experience. He sheathed his gun.

         “Hey,” Namjoon called out, walking towards them. The two men turned to face him. By the fact that the two jumped into a defensive pose instead of reaching for their pockets told him that they were not carrying any weapons. Namjoon held his hands in front of him to show that he was of no harm. “Our boss hired me earlier today. Said for me to relieve the guys inside.”

         “Guys?” one of them repeated.

         “I was only told to look after the girl,” Namjoon quoted.

         The two looked at each other before the one on the left lowered his arms. The man on the right was more cautious than his friend and still had his guard up. “It’s routine for us to do a pat down.”

         They brought Namjoon over and while one of them held him steady with his gaze, the other started running his hands around his shirt and pants. The one that was searching him paused when he found the gun that Namjoon had put into his pocket.

         “Boss says no weapons beyond this point,” he said while twirling the gun. There was a smirk on his face that made Namjoon cautious.

         Namjoon continued to play out his story. “Fine, you can take it. Can I go in now?”

         “Password,” the same man said.

         He was starting to get on Namjoon’s nerves. “Password. Right. Um,” he waved his finger to tell the man who took his gun to come in closer so he could whisper it.

         Stepping forward, there was still suspicion in his eyes. Namjoon leaned close and then rammed his fist into the man’s Adams apple. The man immediately fell and with another swift blow, Namjoon knocked him unconscious. He spun around and met the more timid lackey.

         Unfortunately, he had underestimated the timid one. Spinning, he was met with a similar kick to his own stomach from the guard.               

         “Seriously?” Namjoon muttered as he staggered back. He looked up and saw that Not-So-Timid Guy was now pointing his own gun at him. His eyes scanned the unconscious one and saw that another gun was lying by the body.

         At the same time, his opponent noticed what he had seen. They both lunged for the weapon. Being a little closer, Namjoon reached it first and rolled out of the way as the larger man crashed on the ground where he had just been. They both leapt to their feet.

         Upon sizing up his opponent, he saw that the man was holding the gun with one hand. That and the fact that he had not shot Namjoon at first sight told Namjoon that his opponent had no training on shooting which gave him an advantage.

         “Put the gun down. All I want is the girl. I don’t want to hurt you,” Namjoon calmly said.

         The man’s eyes darted around. “Who says you can hurt me?” he said. With that, he pulled the trigger. The bullet skimmed Namjoon’s arm and struck the ground behind him.

         Namjoon’s instincts flamed and he fired from his weapon. The bullet hit its target and implanted into the upper shoulder of his enemy’s firing arm. That caused him to drop his weapon and press a hand onto the open wound.

         “Sorry,” Namjoon said before kicking him to the ground and using a similar technique to render him into the same state as his friend.

         Once he was completely sure that the men were knocked out, Namjoon entered the building. Once again, he had the gun offensively pointed in front of him. Although the two were gone, there definitely still had to be someone who was guarding Daeun and he was prepared for that.

         The only light into the hallways were from the sunlight through the windows. He carefully walked down it, making sure to not make any sounds to betray his presence. The hallway finally stopped and a single closed door stood as an obstacle. He wasn’t planning on busting through the doors, guns blazing. He had no idea how many people were inside. Additionally, he didn’t want Daeun to be shot if a shoot off was required. Instead, he took a risk and climbed out of a window.

         As the architect of the buildings seemed to have a love for the use of natural lighting, he had guessed right that more windows would be beyond the door. He tiptoed his way around until he could peek inside the room.

         Daeun enjoyed the peace silence brought with it. She had been listening to Jay talk about his girlfriend and their arguments for so long she mused whether the fork at was the real torture. A low squeaking nose brought Jay to his feet.

         “Did you hear that?” Jay asked. His hand went automatically to the gun at his side. He was the only person that was allowed a weapon within the vicinity and although he had never used it before, he knew the mechanics of it.

         Only the breathing of the two could be heard. Jay stood for a couple of seconds longer, scanning the room. They were in a storage space and there were mountains of paper boxes. He knew that there were probably mice scampering in the vicinity so he concluded that the squeaking must have been for that. He rotated his body to check behind him but none of the boxes there had been moved either, although he swore that all the windows in the area had been closed. He slowly walked back to his seat.

         He sat down on it and put the gun back into his pocket. Sitting in this silence was getting to him – it was starting to make him hear things that didn’t exist. Bending down, he took the last orange out of the bag and started peeling it. The hole of a cylindrical shaft suddenly made the back of his head feel ice cold.

         “Throw your gun on the floor.”

         The new voice made Daeun’s ears perk up. She wanted to turn her body to see if it belonged to the person who she thought it could be. A flame spread through her body.

         “I said, throw your gun on the floor,” Namjoon repeated. His hands were steady with the gun pointing at the other man’s head. He had been lucky. All of the windows were unlocked and with the storage boxes laden around the room, they had served for cover until he could ambush the single guard.

         Jay listened. He slowly took the gun out of his pocket and put it on the floor like how Namjoon had asked. Namjoon kicked the gun as far away as possible. Taking a look to the side, he saw Daeun strapped to a chair. Another deadly contraption had been strapped to her and his blood become cold when he saw the pool of blood around her.

         “Do you have the key to take that thing off of her?” Namjoon asked.

         “I don’t have the key,” Jay squeaked. He felt the gun being pressed harder onto the back of his head. “There is no key. It’s just a clasp at the back of her neck. Unhook it and the thing goes off. Dude, I don’t want to die.”

         “Get up,” Namjoon ordered. Jay complied. The gun did not move as Namjoon lead Jay so that he could be behind Daeun. “Take it off her like you said you could. Then maybe I’ll let you go.”

         Jay’s fingers fumbled but he was not lying. The Heretic’s Fork came undone and clattered to the floor. Daeun gasped for air when the weight was lifted off her body. She finally lowered her head and swallowed without the pain of her stretched body. The small movement caused a searing pain to extend all around her head and the cut at burned but she was glad that the thing was off her. She coughed and phlegm lodged in .

         The moment the device clattered to the ground, Namjoon took the gun away from the guard’s head. “Leave. Don’t bother getting help and don’t talk to anyone on your way out. I already disposed of your friends outside anyways.”

         Jay’s eyes turned wide with fear. He ran out the door before Namjoon could even finish what he was about to say.

         At last, Namjoon could take Daeun safely into his arms. She was still coughing when he undid the ropes that were tying her arms back. She collapsed into his body as she was too weak to hold herself up. His knees hit the ground at the impact and he carefully lowered her until she rested her head on his shoulder.  The t-shirt that Robert had thrown on her offered little protection. There were still the sores on her back and they were raw with burnt skin. Her fingers were ice cold as he held them in his hands. There was barely any colour to her face except the dark bruising that appeared in patches. He was amazed yet abhorred at how she was still alive after all the blood loss.

         “How did you find me?” she whispered. The sound was hoarse and the words could barely be heard.

         “Your video. And a little help from somebody,” he held her tight. Her body seemed so much more fragile than he remembered. He kissed the top of her head despite the dirt that was embedded in it. She felt cold beneath his touch. “You’ve lost a lot of blood,” he said.

         She muttered something but he couldn’t decipher it. Slowly lifting her head, she said again, “My period came.”

         His laughter came out of relief and the absurdity of the situation. She offered him a slight smile but it quickly turned into a grimace. He watched as her eyes slowly closed and her body finally allowed to rest in his arms.

         “Hyung!” Jungkook called out. His sharp eyes had picked out the four members of their team that were already waiting outside the building. They jogged over to where they were waiting.

         “Hoseok, are you sure about this?” Seokjin asked when they arrived.

         Hoseok took a glance around his surroundings. Everything was quiet and there was nobody in sight. He took a deep inhale and said, “I’m positive. And there’s only one way we can confirm it.” He walked in the direction of one of the buildings.

         “Where’s Namjoon? Shouldn’t we tell him?” Jimin asked.

         Seokjin scratched his head as he followed after Hoseok. “I can’t contact him but I’ve left him a message. Hopefully he’ll join us soon. Let’s go. Eyes alert and weapons ready to be drawn,” he commanded.

         The members carefully walked as a group towards the buildings. They were still unsure of which direction to go until Taehyung noticed a dark pool of liquid outside one of the buildings. He waved everybody over. Seokjin walked ahead and bent down to inspect the unknown liquid. His fingers came up bright red.

         “Careful guys,” he reminded again, bringing his weapon out from its holder.

         There was not a sound to be heard within the vicinity. Hoseok could feel himself holding back his breath as they shuffled forward together. Out of the blue, a man ran past them. He bumped into Yoongi and crashed onto the floor. When he looked up, he found six guns pointed at his face.

         “Please, let me go. I’ve already given the girl over to your friend,” he held his hands out. There was fear in his eyes looking down at the multiple gun barrels.

         “Our friend?” Seokjin asked.

         “The tall one. He came in by himself first,” he babbled.

         Hoseok furrowed his brows. Who besides him could figure out the anagram? He ran towards the direction had come from.

         “Hoseok!” Seokjin called after him.

         Hoseok ran until he hit the open doors at the end of the hallway. He stumbled into the room and found that Daeun was already being cradled in another person’s arm. His ears picked up the sounds of someone else approaching his side.

         “There was a pool of blood at her feet when I found her,” Namjoon’s deep soft voice echoed throughout the room, “But she’s okay now. She’s asleep, I think.”

         Hoseok continued to stand there as the other members ran towards them. Jimin had always been their unspoken medic and so he reached her first. He took in her state with his eyes and then gently lifted her eyelids.

         “Besides the physical strain on her body, she seems to be okay. We need to get her to a hospital for a full checkup,” Jimin announced.

         “Daeun, we’re here now. You’re going to be safe,” Taehyung whispered by his side. He had a hand extended and resting on Daeun’s.

         Together, they carefully lifted Daeun such that she was held bridal style in Namjoon’s arms. Everybody surrounded him as he walked out of the building with her. Still lagging behind, Hoseok had not moved from his spot.

         “Why do you still look so grim? She’s safe, isn’t she?” Seokjin spoke from Hoseok’s side.

         “Yeah. I’m… I don’t know. Relieved, I guess,” Hoseok muttered.

         He felt Seokjin place a hand on his shoulder and slightly squeeze it. He didn’t say anything more and then followed the rest of the group out.

         There was turmoil within his body. He was happy to see that she was safe. However, he felt disappointed in the fact that he wasn’t the first person to come save her. He sighed, took one last look around the room, and then left.

         Nobody noticed the pair of eyes that watched them from afar.

         Her body groaned as she tip toed across the hallway into the kitchen. She poured a glass of water for herself and let the cool liquid run down into her body. Even the mundane act of drinking water was something she wanted never to take for granted.

         With her eyes closed and tilted back, she suddenly smelt the burning of flesh in her nose and a painful cut seared . She gasped and the cup fell from her hand. It fell harmlessly to the ground and the plastic cup bounced, spilling all of its contents onto the floor.

         “,” she whispered, grasping the countertop with one hand and massaging her temple with the other. Even as she was awake, the scenes from that night would not leave her. Her heart was gripped with terror and each breath she took shook her body.

          A quiet shuffle behind her caused her to spin in alarm. Everything in her body was snapped into motion, ready for attack against the unknown.

          “I thought you were asleep,” the comment wisped past her lips into the air. The relief was immediate when she saw who it was.

          Namjoon walked up to her and took her hands in his. He caressed them softly. The overwhelming feeling of protection and love he felt towards her caused tears to well up in his eyes. Blinking quickly, he brushed them away and focused his attention on her again.

          The eye bags under her eyes were no lighter than when he had first found her. There were still scratches across her face and a layer of gauze had been wrapped around her neck. If he hadn’t known the origin of the marring, he would have made a joke about her bandage choker. Now, all he could do was clutch her closer to him with the promise of never letting her go.

         “I could say the same,” he finally responded to her comment.

         She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. “I was thirsty.”

         He watched as she took her hands away from his. She bent down to grab the cup but he noticed how she trembled as she set it on the countertop. She gripped her own hands after the action.

         “I’m going to grab the mop. The floor’s all wet.”

         She proceeded to leave the kitchen until he reached out for her. He felt her stiffen under his touch.

         “Daeun, do you want to talk about it?”

         “No,” her answer was immediate. It bordered on hostility and it took him aback.

         She read the surprise in his face and stuttered, “I’m sorry. I just… I…”

         She was pulled forward by him until he could wrap his arms safely around her body. His familiar scent overcame her. Her senses told her she was far from danger but her mind refused to believe her body. There was nothing she could do to step the scenes from flashing before her eyes.

         She didn’t want to talk about it. He completely understood her reason, but it pained him to see her still so afraid. He could see just how fragile and broken she currently was.

         “Whenever you’re ready, I’m here for you, okay?” he whispered into her hair.

         He felt her bury her face closer into his body and nod.

         She gripped his shirt tighter. “You’re safe now,” she told herself, “He’s here with you. He’s here to protect you.”

         There were words he wanted to say, but all that came out was air. He placed a gentle kiss on her head and closed his eyes.

         “I love you, Chae Daeun.”

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