MAVERICK: Back in the Game (TBZ)

Chapter Nine

"IT'S CHANGMIN!" Haknyeon howls out. "I say we chase the bastard down and kill him, NOW! Before he kills us!"

Sangyeon and Eric nod in agreement.

Together the three of them race toward the hallway, Haknyeon leading them toward the room where Younghoon had been killed.

They halt and Haknyeon gasps. He hadn't remembered to check the lobby for New and Jacob's bodies, but he notices the absence of Younghoon's body, the chair and the tape. As well as the creepy horror-loving Q.

"Where is he?" Haknyeon growls, his eyes scanning the room.

Sangyeon and Eric shrug and follow Haknyeon to the secret door that leads from the strange room to another hallway that leads into the dome-shaped room, where Haknyeon had first discovered Sunwoo.

Haknyeon's heart skips a beat at the raw memory. He finds Sunwoo's body missing as well. He draws in a staggered breath and motions for Eric and Sangyeon to follow him into the dome room.

"Ji Changmin, where are you?" Haknyeon calls out, keeping his fingers tight around the pencil.

Sangyeon pulls out his dagger and also the gun from the black bag, while Eric lifts up New's bow and arrow that he'd confiscated from him. They walk into the room and stand in a cluster in the center, gazing around.

"Looking for me?" a voice sneers, causing them all to jump in the direction. They find themselves looking at the doorway, where the tall dark figure of Ji Changmin is standing, a creepy grin on his face.

"You're the helper!" Eric spits out.

"Is this some kind of game to you?" Sangyeon scolds, aiming the gun right at Q.

Q lifts his hands up. He has black gloves on and no weapons. "I seem to call it hiding and survival, Sangyeon."

"You killed Jacob, New, Sunwoo and Kevin!" Haknyeon growls.

Q walks around the perimeter of the room like a predator stalking prey. "Is that what you think? What proof do you have, Jeju Boy?"

Haknyeon follows him with his eyes. "For one, you were standing near Jacob at the time. The knife was a distraction, you had a gun in your vest. With New, you had to take out the brains before he could target you. You were with me and you killed Younghoon, so what's to stop you from doing the same to Sunwoo and frame me? And Lord only knows where you've been while I found Sangyeon after running away from you."

"Not to mention, there was the knife wound on Kevin, a bag over his head and a grenade next to him. Pretty sure you own those items," Eric adds on.

Q chuckles and begins to clap. "You have it all figured out. And, here I am, no weapons. So, kill me." He pauses in his pacing and stands with his arms wide open to either side and a sinister grin on his face.

"Gladly," Haknyeon growls and starts for Q.

Sangyeon tosses aside his dagger, keeping the gun in his other hand and grabs Haknyeon by the collar of his shirt and vest to hold him back. He glares at Q. "What are you planning? You knew Haknyeon would react. You want him to because he's got a pencil. He's the next victim, right?"

The door suddenly slams shut, trapping them inside.

Eric jumps in place, startled by the noise.

Q cackles and throws his head back. Then he relaxes and his evil laugh becomes one of an amused child laughing at a joke. "No, no, no. Hak's not the next victim. But you are right, in that I am the murderer helper. Hwall contacted me and said, 'let's play a game. You in?' and I was like, hell yes!"

Eric looks at Sangyeon, who is equally confused.

Haknyeon is glaring at Q. If he wanted to, he could produce fire from the pits of his eyes and burn Q down in his place.

"But you won't kill anyone, so the game is over. Right? Geez, this was almost too easy," Q chuckles. "Gullible Leader, Scaredy Kiss Ass and Jeju Boy, who knew it'd come down to you three?"

Haknyeon looks at Sangyeon. "Please, let's kill him."

"Fine. He's had enough villainous speech time. And the taunts are getting old," Sangyeon says and releases Haknyeon.

Haknyeon tackles Q, slamming him to the ground.

Eric unleashes an arrow from the bow, aiming at Q. The arrow sticks into his chest.

Sangyeon then aims the gun and fires, the bullet sailing into Q's head.

Haknyeon jams his pencil into Q's chest.

Q's laughter dies away, becoming sputtering and then choking and finally an eerie silence. Blood pools under Q's body, gushing from his mouth and from all his wounds. His face pales over and a smirk remains etched on his face.

Haknyeon scrambles backward, freaked out by the sight.

Sangyeon shakes his head. "And he was such a good dancer for us too."

Eric notches another arrow into his bow. "So, that's it...?"

Haknyeon frowns, staring at the bloody dead corpse. He cocks his head to one side. "Something doesn't add up."

Sangyeon suddenly gasps. "Wait! You weren't the next victim, Hak! He was! This was planned! He wanted us to kill him, because he knew he was next!"

Loud clapping echoes around the room and a voice booms out from the ceiling, "Congratulations on becoming the final three still standing in Maverick, Lee Sangyeon, Eric Sohn and Ju Haknyeon."