COLD ᝰ.ᐟ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐗

[ 16 ]

Felix woke to the sound of banging on their motel room's door. Before he could pull himself out of bed, Minho was already up and turning the handle. Outside the door was the man from the front office.

"Hello?" Minho eyed him through a crack in the door, hesitant.

"It's not ten yet, aye babe?" he said directed at Jisung, who was just waking up. Jisung shook his head, and he turned back to the motel owner. Minho must've thought they'd overstayed their welcome.

"How can I help then?"

"There's a bloke just rung me asking if you were 'ere," the man spoke, "he told me not to tell you. You's out here causing trouble, coming in late at night, eh?"

This time Minho looked back at Felix who was trying to wake Chan, who lay snuggled up next to him.

"No sir," Minho assured the man.

"What 'as you doing then?" he continued to pester.

"They were the others from our party, we're... ah... travelling together." The younger struggled to come up with an excuse. "We're coming in from Seongnam."

Felix flashed him a reassuring grin as he continued to deal with the intrusive man.

"Right," he said, skeptical as he pulled a cigarette and lighter from his pocket.

"Fine," he reluctantly accepted the excuse, spun on his heels and left. So quickly Minho didn't get a chance to ask him if he had told whoever it was that they were staying at his motel.

"Sir-" he tried calling down the corridor, but Felix stopped him.

"It's fine Min, just get the others. I think Black Shag found us."

A few minutes later, the other four boys came crashing in, throwing their overnight bags on the bed. "So did that dick tell them we're here?" Hyunjin said, anger flaring in his voice.

"Dunno," Minho mumbled, preoccupied as he pulled guns from his bag.

Their leader briefed them on the situation, whilst Minho and Jisung tossed the guns round to each member. Jisung stopped at Chan, who was staring at the weapon. Felix watched a look of indignation crossing his face.

"No thanks," he deadpanned. Felix felt a pang of hurt in his chest from the way he spoke. Jisung just shrugged and tucked it in the waistband of his ripped jeans instead.

"They're here already!" Seungmin called out from where he was standing by the window, panic in his voice.

They needed to get out of there.

He pulled the curtain shut and looked back at Felix.

"Get your shit together. We cannot be tailed."

As soon as the words left the boss's mouth, everyone stood up and collected their stuff, slinging their bags over their shoulders. Chan stood up, looking for his shirt to put on. Jisung mumbled something to Minho, to which Minho scowled and rolled his eyes. Hyunjin's mouth was agape, and the rest were quiet.

"Dude he's ripped."

"Shut up, I'm your boyfriend."

"Damn-"

Felix could see the blush flourishing on his face as he hurried to cover his bare torso.

"Let's go," Felix said, drawing their attention away from his flustered boyfriend who'd finally found his shirt.

As everyone rushed out of the motel room, Felix quickly pulled out a wad of cash and placed it on the bedside table. He couldn't go to the front office now. They followed the emergency exit signs to find a back way out leading straight into the carpark, the two vans in direct sight.

The members briefly stopped. "Sniper and driver in each, Jeongin with me and Changbin, Seungmin, you're with the others."

Felix had Chan, Jeongin and Jisung. Hyunjin had the rest. Minho and Jisung were always good with guns, Changbin knew a lot about them, but that didn't mean he could shoot one.

They pulled out onto the road and Felix shifted the gear up, pushing his foot hard on the accelerator as they drove past the vehicles Crow's men had arrived in. His heart was racing, the sound of the engine roaring in his ears. He glanced at the rear view mirror and saw them following behind Hyunjin.

The ginger cursed under his breath and grabbed his phone, quickly dialing him. He picked up right away, as if he had been waiting for the call.

"Safe house?" he asked immediately.

"Nah," Felix responded. "We needa lose them first."

He heard Hyunjin curse on the other end, and then he went dead silent. He was thinking of a plan.

"Okay," he finally said. "Where are we going?"

Felix left him hanging briefly, and asked Jeongin. The tech guy who, with help from Seungmin, orchestrated most of SKZ's plans.

"I suggest you go right into the slums near where our safe house is," he replied. "We can go on foot from there."

Felix passed the information onto Hyunjin.

"Got it," he said and hung up.

Felix turned the wheel hard, taking the van off the main road and into a suburban street. It sped through the narrow streets, zig-zagging through the poorer part of town. He kept an eye on the rear view mirror, making sure the other half were keeping up. 

Crow's men held tight.

The slums were nasty places. Buildings crumbling all over the place and people everywhere. It was a far cry from the luxury Felix had grown used to. Finally, he spotted a rundown shopping center and he gunned it, hoping to get out of sight. A familiar tightness settled in his chest as he waited for Hyunjin to pull in behind him, but he wasn't showing up. He tried ringing him, but the reception was shit in a crumbling underground shopping center carpark.

"Jeongin, where the fuck is he?" Felix asked, beginning to panic.

Jeongin looked just as worried, he whipped out his computer. Felix looked at Changbin and Chan. "I swear he was right behind us."

"He could just be tryna lose them around a few blocks," Chan shrugged his shoulders. His boyfriend nodded, but the tight feeling in his chest remained.

"Chan-hyung's right, he hasn't left the area. The car is still moving too."

Felix let out a sigh of relief.

He managed a small grin for the youngest. "Thanks."

"He's coming back now, he must've lost 'em."

It was only a matter of seconds, and Hyunjin pulled in. Another sigh escaped the leader's lips, as he ran his hands through his faded hair. The boys filed out the van.

"They're gone now," Seungmin said, walking over.

"Good job," Felix directed the compliment at all of them.

"The safe house is less than five kilometres away. We don't have to move right now." Jeongin closed his laptop and climbed out the van. "But for now, I'm hungry."

"Same, can we eat?" Changbin agreed, clapping his hands together. 

"You're always hungry." Hyunjin rolled his eyes. 

"There's food in the back of your van," Felix offered, before turning his attention to Chan, who was still in the van, looking scared.

He walked over and opened the door. "Chan, we need to talk."

"What?" he replied, climbing out.

"You have to start training."