The car ride was suffocatingly silent. No one dared to speak a word; only their heavy breathing filled the air.
One of them sat hunched in the back of the van, guilt written all over his face. His hands were clenched nto fists on his knees, but they trembled slightly. Besides him, another boy stole catious glances his way, worried but too afraid to say anything.
Up front, the leader sat rigit in the passenger seat. His jaw was so tight it looked like it might crack, his fingers drummed against his thigh in an attempt to contain his fury. Next to him, his best friend kept sneaking glances, trying in vain to calm him with quiet reassurances.
The rest of the group sat in silence between them, split in two- not only by the rows of the seats but also their own conflicted thoughts. Some of them wanted to be furious at the boy who acted without orders, but they knew he felt guilty already. The others decided to stay quiet and supportive even. But none of them had an explanation why the mission had spiraled so far out of control and had the leaders reaction that intense.
When they arrived back home, everyone got out of the car, relief swept through them- though no one dared show it. The members dragged the unconscious man out, while others carefully lifted the limp body of the girl.
"Bring them down, to the base." He commanded, his voice cold and sharp. "Both? The girl too?" One asked, a little confused and in disbelief. The girl was an innocent after all, while the man was their ex-member who betrayed them. "For now yes. I decide later what I will do with her..." He starred at the girl with an annoyed and somehow disgusted look, before he turned around to enter the mansion.
The second youngest of them parted his lips, wanting to speak, but the sheer bad mood of the leader shut him down before he could make a sound, deciding it was safer to stay quiet.
One of them carried the girl, being surprised how light she was, while two others dragged the man to a hidden door that led down into an underground basement.
The tallest of the boys sighed heavily, shoulders slumping as if the weight of the failed job had settled on him. His best friend patted his shoulder and gave him a faint smile, but the attempt was futile; the gesture did nothing to ease the gnawing guilt inside him.
When he looked back again, his stomach twisted. He watched his hyungs carrying the girl and dragging the man away, disappearing into the dark of the base.
His best friend nudged him lightly towards the door. But as soon as he stepped inside, he was slammed against the wall next to the door so hard that the frame of a picture rattled. The sound echoed through the house like a gunshot.
Everyone flinched at the sudden sound and the sharp gasp of the young boy being chocked by his leader. His eyes were wide with shock as his leader's hand clamped around his throat. His back scraped against the wall, and the pressure on his windpipe made it impossible to breathe. His legs kicked weakly, searching for ground, which was barely imaginable, since the leader was much smaller than the boy.
"HYUNG!" yelled the boy, who had been sick earlier, rushing in from the kitchen.
The leader's eyes were black with rage, no trace of the warmth they usually held. They bored into the younger boy's terrified gaze with a fury that seemed unending.
"WHY DID YOU SHOOT?!" He roared at him. The young boy clawed at the older boy's wrist, desperate for air. His face turned red from the lack of oxygyn, his nails dug in, but the grip only tightened, unrelenting.
