Doubler || NCT || Completed

55

From: Yujin
To: Taeil
Don't answer! SERF Group. Cellar. Trap.

The message had been ingrained into Jeno's brain and he couldn't think about anything else as he stood inside the elevator with the others. A quick online search of the SERF Group had given them an address, and a brief discussion - and a fight when Chenle had announced that he wouldn't be left behind - had ended up in everyone deciding to go.

Taeyong was writing an explanation to the group chat while the elevator went down towards the garage, and in any other situation Jeno would've been curious to know how worried the others would be when they'd hear about the sudden plan to save Yujin.

"Don't transform unless you have to. We don't want to risk expanding their knowledge of us", the leader told them after pocketing his phone. "I have some face masks in my car, everyone should try to cover up to make it more difficult for them to identify us."

"Should we go in two groups?" Jaehyun asked when the elevator stopped and everyone got out.

Renjun nodded. "That way one team could check the cellar while the other one goes through the office floors."

They'd found out that the SERF Group rented three floors in an old office building. The information they'd attained didn't speak of the cellar mentioned in the message Taeil had received from Yujin's phone. It was impossible to know whether the sender was actually warning them or trying to lure them into the very trap mentioned in the message.

"Everyone should leave their phones, IDs and things like that to the car", Taeyong continued after the group had divided and they were walking towards the cars parked in the garage. "The driver should remain in the car to make sure that the escape route or the car isn't compromised. Each group should check out the assigned area and then come back here, of course after taking care of that they aren't being followed by anyone. We have to decide how long the group will be waited to return before we start assuming that something has gone wrong."

"Two hours?" Jeno suggested when everyone else remained quiet. "Wouldn't it feel like an appropriate estimation including some extra time in case everything doesn't go smoothly?"

The others accepted his suggestion.

"And if someone starts to feel like they aren't up for it, they have to make that decision before we get to the location", Taeyong pointed out while distributing black face masks to everyone from his van. "We have to be able to trust in each other once we get there."

The complying silence was deafening.

***

"Why are you helping me?" Yujin whispered while Jisung was cutting the zip ties open. It was too good to be true, she couldn't believe that the tracker was going against Park Sunyoug's wishes.

"You told me that I owed you one", Jisung answered quietly while trying not to cut her wrists instead of the zip ties. His hands were shaking.

Yujin didn't understand what he was talking about.

"You said so when you were drunk", he clarified, sensing her confusion.

"Oh", Yujin mumbled, finally being able to move her hands again after Jisung had freed them. "I don't remember that."

When her legs were free, Yujin stood up shakily only to almost fall over before stabilizing herself against the cold, moist wall.

"Are you hurt?" Jisung asked, his hands hovering as if he was trying to decide whether he should offer her some support or not.

Yujin's legs felt heavy but she was pretty sure that she could walk. "A bit woozy, that's all", she answered, trying to clear her head by shaking it. Based on the stars that danced in her field of vision and the loud sound of blood rushing in her ears, her blood pressure was low but that should get better eventually.