Mine

Chapter 39

..o0O0o..

The cab came to a sudden halt. Her eyes lifted from her phone as the vehicle rolled to the side of an empty, dimly lit road. The amber streetlights flickered overhead like they weren't sure if they should stay on or give in to the darkness.

"We're not there yet..." she said, peering out the window. "This doesn't look like the address."

The cabbie turned in his seat, wiping his brow with a cloth. "Sorry, miss. The car's acting up. Engine's stalling on me. But the place you're headed to? Just a few feet down. You'll see the signs. It's near enough, you can still reach by time, I am so sorry for the inconvenience."

Cherry peered outside taking in eerily quiet surroundings. "This is too quiet to be a public place"

"Oh, its just the parallel road to the busy one. GPS rerouted last minute. Must've been traffic blocks." He gave her an apologetic smile, too casual to raise alarms. "You'll make it there faster on foot anyway."

Still confused, Cherry glanced down the road. It looked... empty. Deserted. And silent.

The soft rustle of waves lapping against something metal echoed faintly in the distance.

She bit her bottom lip. "Alright, I guess I'll just walk my way there" she said hesitantly. "Thanks."

Grabbing her clutch and wrapping her arms around herself, she stepped out, the hem of her ruby-studded dress brushing against her thighs with every step. The heels clicked against the uneven path as she sauntered toward the darkened stretch of the docks.

Behind her, the cabbie watched.

He didn't drive off.

He didn't try to fix the engine.

Instead, he reached into his jacket, pulled out a battered burner phone, and put it to his ear. "She's walking" he said in a hushed voice. "Red dress. Just like you said. I dropped her near the docks"

"Good."

The cabbie cleared his throat. "So, uh, we're good?"

"Check your balance. The money's been transferred."

The line went dead.

Her silhouette grew smaller in the cabbie's rearview mirror as she walked deeper into the foggy stretch of the docks with her back straight and her face unsure.

Dropping the call, Taehyung turned around to face the six figures seated before him. Shadows painted the room in jagged lines, broken only by the sharp glow of the single hanging bulb above the table.

Jungkook lit the cigarette pressed between his lips, eyes half-lidded, a small twitch of anticipation in his jaw. He took a long drag before passing it to Jimin, who wordlessly accepted it.

The ember burned red as Jimin inhaled deeply, letting the bitter smoke fill his lungs, but his gaze remained locked on Taehyung.

The silence was tense. Heavy. Like something was about to snap. "So what now?" he asked, not blinking.

Taehyung turned, facing the wall behind him, a live monitor flickered there, casting static and grainy video from the surveillance hidden along the docks. Cherry's figure was small but unmistakable, the red dress clinging to her like danger incarnate.

"There is our bait, if my calculations are right..." Taehyung said. "Raven won't be able to resist once she gets wind of where Cherry is. We'll smoke her out tonight. And end this."

Seokjin crossed his arms "If Raven doesn't show up, you are aware that we are risking a civilian life here, and she has no idea of what she stepped in to, her life is at a great risk here"