The Aged | Gyuhao (Sequel to Youth)

- 15

| Chapter Fifteen — Sacrifice (Eat me up) |

"Riki, I need you!" Seokmin's voice is shrill through the earpiece, "19B! Read the signs— One of these fuckers spilled gas everywhere and knocked over a lamp! I'm surrounded, hurry!"

Riki swallows, glancing down at a delirious Eunchae before responding, "I'm on my way!" He lightly pushes the girl's head off his shoulder, maneuvering her until she's sprawled out on the floor, head resting on the concrete.

It didn't look comfortable, but it would have to do for now.

"What's going on?" Eunchae blinks, slumping against the cold floor anyways.

"Seokmin hyung just needs a little help from me, okay?" He tells her, patting her shoulder before rising to his feet, "I'll be back before you know it." He glances back at her one last time before pushing the door open, booking it down the hallway.

He reads the signs like Seokmin told him, slipping out his gun when 19B comes into view, rusted and in bold for him to make his way down.

He can see the fight from a distance, just like he can see the flames that Seokmin was talking about. Riki gasps when he sees one bite at Seokmin's side, the older falling to the ground, soon accompanied by a Carmine member who's quick to raise their very sharp blade.

"Hyung!" Riki aims, shooting the guy dead in seconds. He helps Seokmin up, the older hissing at the burn in his side, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Seokmin groans as he watches the remaining Carmine members run away, as if a death of their own finally scared them off, "Jesus, we lost them." Seokmin tells the duo toned haired, hair matted to his sweaty forehead.

"Let's take care of you first. How bad is it?" Riki unhooks his gun, tossing it aside to examine Seokmin's wound. He lifts the older's shirt up, clacking his teeth and hissing at the long, red, and wrinkled patch of his skin.

"I'll live." Seokmin pushes the kid off, "How was Eunchae? Any better?"

"Just tired. Pale and shaky." Riki sighs, "What the hell did they do to her?"

"Nothing, it seems like." Seokmin responds, "How was she?" He asks, "With the way you describe her, I can only assume she's been starved and rid of any water."

Riki picks up his gun again, "Fuckers."

"This is the only time I'll allow your language."

Riki rolls his eyes, turning his head. He gasps, pushing them both out of the way when a stray piece of drywall suddenly slams down right in front of them, the flames 10 times larger.

"The fire." Riki's breath hitches in his throat, "It's getting bigger."

"This place will rise up in flames in minutes. We have no time." Seokmin says, placing a hand on Riki's shoulder in all seriousness, "We gotta get Eunchae and get out of here."

"So, that's her name."

Both Riki and Seokmin's heads whip around at the sudden voice.

There Wonwoo and Jihoon stood, with Eunchae struggling to stand upright in Wonwoo's hold, and Jihoon playing with the muzzle of his gun, there they both stood in all their glory.

The 2 men and Eunchae were just on the other side of the fallen wall, the bright red and orange flames blocking them from reaching her.

Riki and Seokmin didn't know them, but they didn't care that they didn't. Any member of Carmine deserved to rot in hell, "Let her go." Riki points the end of his gun to the floor, holding out a hand, "Just give her to us and we'll leave."

"Are you serious?" Jihoon chuckles, nodding his head towards Wonwoo— and both Seokmin and Riki watch in real time how what seems to be a pocket knife is suddenly pressed to her throat, threatening to apply pressure.

"Stop!" Seokmin calls out, "Don't hurt her. She did nothing wrong."

"She's a Cerise member, is she not?" Jihoon sighs, "Although, I can't tell. Considering you all don't have the balls to have a signature tat like us."

"Just go," Eunchae blinks, shaking her head like she's trying to wake herself up.

"Shut up," Riki responds.

Jihoon looks back and forth between the 2, "Ahh, I read a book like this once," He chuckles, "Let's see, let me try and pinpoint the plot," He hums, "Ah! Unrequited love, I think it was. One sided? She only thinks of you as a brother? A friend?"

Riki pales, glancing at an exhausted Eunchae before returning his attention back to Jihoon and Wonwoo. He didn't like her like that, "Let her go." He swallows, "T-Take me instead."

"Now what will that do? It's not the hostage who matters, kid. It's the leverage." Jihoon chuckles, nudging Wonwoo's shoulder as if it were an inside joke, "The girl for your leader."

"Our leader?" Seokmin repeats.

"Minghao, isn't it?" Wonwoo speaks up, "If you want her, we need him."

"Why?"

Jihoon sighs, "Must you ask so many questions?" He elbows Wonwoo's arm, which in a domino, forces the knife to slice a small space of Eunchae's skin. Riki and Seokmin flinch with gasps as they watch the blood paint her throat.

"Stop!" Seokmin pleads.

And Jihoon actually does, surprisingly.

But Riki and Seokmin only realize the reason when Jihoon holds the pads of his fingers to his ear, as if Carmine had stolen Cerise's idea to have earpieces, "You what?" There's a short pause, "Really?"

It's okay— Riki mouthes to Eunchae, the girl giving him a tired smile.

Jihoon chuckles, tossing Eunchae to the side so fast it gives both Seokmin and Riki whiplash.

"No!" Riki gasps, tipping forward only to hiss as the fire nips at his skin. Eunchae hits the ground with with cry, face twisting into a look of pain as her head slams against the concrete.

She passes out immediately.

"You asshole!" Seokmin clenches his jaw.

"My apologies. We have everything we need, you see?" Jihoon salutes, Wonwoo already halfway down the hall in a full on sprint. It's not long before Jihoon follows him, "See you soon, boys."

"Put it out!" Riki screams, "How do we put it out?!" He hisses.

"I don't know— But stepping into the damn fire won't do anything!" Seokmin pulls Riki back, brows furrowing in concern at the tears in the younger boy's eyes. He had no idea how much Eunchae meant to him, "We have to go around!"

A bead of sweat rolls down Riki's forehead from the heat, "That'll take too long!"

"It's our only option! And we're wasting time talking— Come on!" Seokmin drags him by the arm.

Running around the Carmine hallways was always scary, with random members popping out every once and a while, as well as stumbling upon blood covered walls and crimson coated floors.

They reach Eunchae in exactly 2 minutes.

Riki falls to his knees, cupping her head, "Eunchae," He shakes her lightly, hissing through his teeth when all he gets back is silence. He looks up at Seokmin, "Help me get her!" And Seokmin does, taking one of Eunchae's arms as Riki throws her other around his shoulder.

"Oh shit," Seokmin's fingers feel wet. It only takes him a moment longer to realize Eunchae's head is bleeding, "Fuck, we gotta hurry."

"And leave Hao hyung?"

Seokmin hesitates, "She's dying." He swallows, "We're good at our job. We'll back back before he can blink." He says, "We'll send our best troops, too. I'm sure he'll be fine if he was telling the truth about Mingyu."

Riki nods, "Okay. Yeah, okay— Let's go."