Love of a Sinner

Ch 33 - Change of plans

Trigger: graphic violence

Taemin had the impulse to scream, so terrifying and horrendous was what he just witnessed that he still mistrusted his eyes, yet the heavy shock made his body froze in place and it wasn't only him.

Woojin, beside the table sprung to his feet, his expression even more startled, as he missed half of the scene with his eyes on the screen instead.

The leader of the group, for the first time, started to shiver in panic, mentally incapable to process what just happened. "That shouldn't be happen." Who would have thought, that a mere boy, who didn't look to reach his mid-twenties even, would strangle and hit a man heavier and with a bigger built than him, with only one hand. All the man's escape scenarios vanished in front of the death in human form with the blood-splashed, emotionless face right before him.

The other man, opposite to him, though barely breathing in the aftermath of his own injures, he wasn't shocked as much. He felt it, when the younger stepped on his face, on top of being a psychopath or looking insane, he was fucking furious. And now it seemed he couldn't control his fury anymore.

They are dead.

And they will not meet an easy end.

Panic was the last thing left for the both of them. Because hope wasn't even realistic in their case.

- Shit.

Woojin looked like he recovered partially from his shock and carefully came to check the bleeding body on the ground, that still Thanks God, was breathing. He inspected the wound on his head closely and damn, it looked critical.

- Shit. Shit! He needs help. NOW!

Joohoon looked down at them unbothered, no changes in his impassive expression, it wasn't clear if he got the message that the man could die at any moment or not.

Joohoon said nothing, he didn't even bat.

- Fuck!

Woojin rushed to the table and took his phone, dealing the only person that could take them out of that mess.

- Taemin look in the gray bag, there should be bandages. We have to stop his bleeding right away.

Taemin snapped out of his trance and rushed to do what Woojin just said, bringing bandages and clean hand towels he found and covered carefully the bleeding wound, the white fabric instantly getting dark red and damp.

- We need help asap. One is in critical state. He's breathing but he's bleeding severely. Unconscious. Looks like he has a seizure... Yes... His head...

Woojin came to Taemin quickly and seemed to follow the hacker's instructions. He tapped on his smartphone's flashlight and checked the unconscious man's eyes, then pinched his ear lobe.

- Taemin put another cloth and press firmly. Tilt his head back... What's his name?, he asked the leader of the group loudly without looking at him.

- D-dongsik. Choi Dongsik.

- Dong-sik do you hear me? Answer me. Can you hear me? Choi Dong-sik? Answer if you can hear me.

The man mumbled something indistinctly back.

Woojin then replied back to his phone.

- He's responsive, has physical reaction too. Ears don't bleed. The convulsions ceased... Yes. I got it, he looked at Joohoon - Yes.

Woojin stood up and turned to Joohoon, handing him the phone, his eyes stern and heavy on the taller.

- He wants to speak to you.

Joohoon said nothing and took the phone. He stepped away from them by coming closer to the leader of the group, his look piercing the other, like telling him that he was the next and last target.

- I received the footage. His picture, though unclear, is enough for me to find him among the names in the list. When I'll finish to check all the numbers and get the list of clients of the workshop, I'll have him.

- When?, Joohoon asked with a low flat voice.

- The list is expected soonest three days from now.

- ...

- I mean, we don't need them anymore. Nor do they cooperate, so leave that place. As soon as possible. I'll send someone to clean there.

Joohoon's eyes narrowed, still fixed unnervingly on that man.

- I'm not finished.

The man before him gulped frightened, sticking to the wall, watching Joohoon without a bat, afraid to lose him from his sight, as though that would be his only means of staying alive.

The hacker sighed in the phone.

- The man with concussion needs urgent aid or he could die before you menage to leave that place. Are you ready to become a murderer?

Strangely but maybe not that surprising, the word brought no reaction from Joohoon.

The hacker tried further.

- If you'll get tangled in it now, you may miss the chance to get that person.

- ...I got it.

- We have to let the police take them over. Follow the plan.

The leader of the group roughly had some ideas in mind about what they could talk about. He bet they thought if his group was staying illegally in Korea, they were powerless and couldn't report to the police, moreover not even going to the hospital was an option. But that all was useless. It was enough for him to reach his case box and contact the right persons, he will get back to those kids and make them pay for everything. Twofold. No, he'll just kill them all. Cut their limbs and bury them, where no one would find them.

The man seemed to forget that Joohoon also watched him sharply back and the younger dropped a smirk, as if he could read that man's thoughts.

- No, change of plans.

The hacker was dumfounded for a moment.

The man before Joohoon more so, broke in cold sweat, alarmed of the sudden smirk on the younger's until then cold-blooded face.

- They will gladly cooperate, said Joohoon with a smiling expression, his voice suddenly bright.

- Ok. But make it quick. You have half an hour at most.

Joohoon hung up. Woojin was next to him, so he threw it for him to catch, the last had questioning eyes as he couldn't follow what "changes" Joohoon was talking about.

- Wrap things up. In 10 minutes we're leaving.

- What about... them?

- Oh, don't worry, we should bring them back home, shouldn't we?

- What? But...

Woojin hesitated to reveal anything from their plan.

- Hahahaha!

The man before them burst suddenly out loud in laughter, he seemed to catch on that the mess, which the tall one did, was the main reason they changed their so-called plan and that might be as well his chance.

- So you're not dumb after all. Afraid the police will come after you, aren't you? Sure you are. You have no other way than to let us free or go down with us.

And he was so damn proud of himself at that realization.

Joohoon's smile didn't falter, quite the opposite, he even closed his eyes and his smile deepened.

For a second only, because the next he had the knife in his right hand and pierced the wall with it in a move so fast and swift, the man blinked and missed it, the sharp blade ended right above his ear, a thin cut was left on the edge of its now bleeding lobe.

The man paled, his eyes wide popping out from the momentary shock.

Joohoon's smirk was now some inches away from his face, the younger slowly moved above his head and spoke quietly, his voice so low and cold that the other couldn't even breathe properly.

- You're right, there's no other way for you... if you want to live.

Joohoon spun the dagger to the other side, yet pressing it deeper in the surface of the wall, cracking it and its sound was enough for his prey to lose all ground underneath them.

The man instinctively tried to move away, but Joohoon grabbed his neck and smacked his head hard against the wall.

- Honestly, I don't like it either. If it was up to me, I'd have fun with you guys for a few weeks more. You see I like to do things slowly, to enjoy each moment. Too bad your friend is leaving us first, I wanted to play some more. Lucky, isn't he?

- S-sick bastard!

Joohoon was satisfied with his answer though.

- Let me tell you what is my plan. I leave you two with your friend's body here and come visit once 2 or 3 days to continue our nice chat. If I'm in a good mood you could even get water or food from me. How does that sound?

- W-why are you doing this? I told you all I know about him. You have the picture, my phone. There's nothing more.

Joohoon slid his eyes back to that man's face and the leader felt like a poisonous snake was slithering around his neck, ready to strike him at any moment.

- D-do you think we have something on him? No, we get nothing other than the date, place and the instructions for the job. The number is disposable, every day it's a new number and it's the client that contacts first. If there wouldn't be privacy and guaranty, do you think they'd want to involve in this kind of thing?... That day, the results...*cough he wasn't satisfied, so he decided to come personally. The camera was hidden, he isn't aware of it or we'd have been since long dead. It's a backup for us.

- Hmm, yet you had the camera before you even knew what the "results" would be.

- We always do that. Of course, then there's nothing, we delete it. You can check yourself, there's more videos saved on the card.

- How do you get the money?

The man was taken aback by the sudden question.

- W-we give them a random public safe box and after the job is done, we get the money.

- What happens then you don't get it?

- It doesn't happen. The clients are-

- I said...what if.

Joohoon was visibly annoyed with all their story, still he got a rough idea what that business was like and got some worthy details.

- We call the informant.

Perfect.

- Ah, now I got it...

Joohoon took the knife out of the wall and then pressed it on the artery on the man's neck, any deeper and it would cut it clean and accurate.

- Listen. Like I said you're welcome to stay some more to my humble place. Or... you'll get back to your sweet home and wait like good kids for the police to visit you.

- WHAT? You're crazy if you think-

Joohoon moved the knife abruptly and the other snapped his mouth shut.

- Why? I'll tell you. We have all the numbers, old and new, and your videos that you cherish so much. Guess what will happen if all of the sudden, all your busy clients would get bothered and had detectives rumbling their rich offices? Oh, and rest assured, the first thing they'll find out is who leaked the information to the hard-working detectives.

The man was horrified at that kind of prospect and couldn't believe that a mere 20-years boy could think of that and threaten them with it.

And that was quite the threat.

- And if it's not satisfying yet, we call your dear informant then and make some nice deals with him. After all he's not your client and his number stays the same, isn't it?

- What? How? NO! No! Please anything but that.

What a scary kid.

Between the both gruesome scenarios Joohoon presented, the police seemed almost a kindergarten for them. The man would rather play with the detectives than be hunted down and slayed by one mad dog or torn apart by dozens of other angry dogs.

The answer was obvious.

- I got it. We'll do like you say. We'll cooperate with the police... But we can't tell them anything about the job, or he'll get to us earlier than we'd even realize.

- Yeah, yeah, you're right of course, Joohoon moved the knife along the other's cheek only to startle him with a few slaps on his face. - You're such a smart guy. I'm sure you'll think of something.

Joohoon smiled innocently and in the most irritatingly way possible for the other.

- Then, we're all good now, right?

- Y-yes.

- Lovely. We'll be kind enough to take you home... and remember, Joohoon let the man off, but the next moment nearly stabbed him with his glare, poorly disguised with his cold smile. - You try something funny, and I'll do what I want then. Like I said, Joohoon bend a little to whisper closer in the other's ear, - we can always continue our little fun.

The man gulped in visible discomfort, as though only imagining that, was enough to twist his insides.

Woojin and Taemin were watching bewildered the scene that the taller solely owned, already finished with their preparations and ready to leave at any next moment.

In a sleek and quick movement Joohoon cut the ties on that man's hands and throw the knife in his hands for him to do the same with the ties on his feet, not once loosing his stare on him, watching what he would choose now that he was free and even had means to attack them.

The man freed himself, stood up returning the same unperturbed look back at the younger in sign of accepting the other's conditions and showing his will to cooperate. The leader had already confirmed what could happen if you dare mess and joke with that kind of person.

He gave Joohoon his knife back, which he took with a wry smirk hung on his face.

- Good choice. Now go help your friend - and the leader went to the lying man, which had the bleeding somewhat stopped, but still looked miserable.

- Are you sure?, Woojin asked the taller.

- Yes. We have to move now.

Woojin sighed and went to help the last move the injured man to the car.

Taemin who took previously the remaining bags outside, stopped in front of Joohoon looking at him with blue concerned eyes, which the other couldn't really digest. Sometimes he was forgetting that they were twins... his body was at least. Perhaps that was the main reason he avoided to look at his eyes. He could lose himself and take him for Han Jiwook.

Now was just the same.

- Are you alright?

Taemin asked nevertheless and Joohoon hid his eyes. They weren't finished yet. He would wreck his soul and mind later. Not now. Not yet.

He cut the ties on the feet of the last man on the ground and freed him from the chains, that person was looking half disorientated and unable to stand for himself nor to walk as it seemed. Joohoon pulled him up by his jacket and Taemin took his other's arm to help move him outside.

They reached the car and Woojin hurried to take the man himself and let Taemin away from that scumbag as soon as possible. Joohoon turned and stepped away as well, heading to the front seat.

Right before to be pushed in the car, the third man, who faked to some degree his weak and groggy state, noticed their bag and reached it inconspicuously. In less than two seconds he found what he looked for. He shoved Woojin to the ground next and charged with all his weight and momentum to strike Joohoon from the back with his acquired dagger.

- NO!

- WATCH OUT!

- JOOHOON!

...

At the same time in the dim and almost dead-quiet room of the hospital, where the bipping devices were the only moving things in that paralyzed silence, something shifted. A light and barely visible tremor throbbed from the numb fingers and dark eyelashes had short gentle flutters.

For the first time in close to a month, which seeped so painfully slow for the rest of the world and the people around him, Han Jiwook moved and finally his own time resumed its destined flow.