Trapped : The Island of Torment

Chapter 24 : Woo Dae

The Crows Headquarters, Gotham City

Night descended upon the city a few hours ago, shrouding the city in darkness, leaving only the building lights as light sources, as well as the street lights. After President Reagan's attempt to help Gotham was proven to be a success Jacob Kane also doubled down in his efforts to help Gotham through The Crows. His social profile was also raised when his nephew Bruce Wayne married his childhood friend Isabella, who was both Vice President of the United States and President Reagan's adopted daughter. Work opportunities poured in soon enough as the company provided security for major events not just in Gotham, but across the United States. 

Standing at the open-air balcony of the building Jacob took in a breath of the cold air as he leaned against the railing in silence. The Secret Service had now reported both his nephew and his wife had been abducted. The news is now under wraps but the Secret Service is worried that it might soon leak to the public, Jacob had more than just his nephew and niece-by-marriage to worry about, as his daughter Kate is also reported missing. His second wife and stepdaughter are unharmed, a source of relief, but Kate's whereabouts is the urgent question burning in his head now. But if his daughter, his nephew and niece-by-marriage ended up in the same location Jacob had no doubt that all three would survive. 

The door to the open-air balcony was opened and his second-in-command appeared, carrying a tablet in his hands. Woo Dae has been serving alongside him for years, following his retirement from the Republic of Korea Army. Hiring him though, wasn't smooth sailing at all, as a former general who led the land branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Woo Dae had a glowing resume to boot, which the major South Korean companies that specialized in national defence intended to hire him for the same reason. But Woo Dae had his reason for coming here to work, he preferred a role as commander compared to the consultant positions the companies offered him back in South Korea. His children, which is his only boy, are now grown up and had recently started his own family in South Korea, with his wife now expecting their first child, Woo Dae's first grandchild. 

He was a bit jealous when his two in-laws became grandparents when they welcomed grandchildren into their family. Woo Dae was concerned when news reached him that his niece-by-marriage had been kidnapped, but he could do little to help in the search, as the Secret Service was on the trail. Even though Isabella is his niece-by-marriage Woo Dae had nonetheless, treated her like a daughter, raising her following the death of her mother when she was fifteen years old. Isabella was mostly raised by her aunts and uncle after her mother died, while her father, a notorious philanderer who destroyed his marriage because of his lifestyle, rarely took part in his daughter's life after his ex-wife's death. 

"What are you doing here?" Jacob asked. "You would've been spending time in the command centre." 

"Thought I come up here for some air." Woo Dae said. "Even though I enjoy the role of commander, I do enjoy some quality time to myself." 

"Fair enough." Jacob said. 

"We'll find them Jacob." Woo Dae said. 

"You seemed to care a great deal about your niece-by-marriage."

"I...my wife and I... we both had a hand in raising her." he explained. "She was like a daughter to me, even if she is not my own." 

"I see." Jacob said. Woo Dae puts his tablet away as his phone buzzes in his pocket. 

"Evening Alice." he greeted, while Jacob listened in the background, his brows raised. "Anything so far?" He had heard stories about Isabella's mother and after meeting the woman himself Jacob couldn't help but give Isabella's mother the due respect, which she had reminded Jacob of his late first wife Gabrielle Kane. "Wait a minute Alice, so you're telling me that your son-in-law had found Isabella? And he's already there with her?" this sentence however, piqued Jacob's intrigue. "So you're coming here to explain it all? Along with... the boys who broke Isabella's trust?" Woo Dae's expression turned into a grimace as he nodded and spoke with his sister-in-law in their shared native tongue. 

Hours later

Woo Dae sat alone in the briefing room, clutching his tablet in silence. He had long known about Selina Kyle, the notorious cat burglar with whom his nephew-by-marriage was romantically involved before he ended the relationship. While it is true that he is romantically involved with her, the murder she committed while in Sweden with Bruce, was the straw that broke the camel's back. She rarely faced justice as he constantly let her go, which was concerning, to say the least. According to the man and his niece-by-marriage, Bruce fell for her after he broke up with Selina Kyle for good. Isabella, long aware that he is a playboy and currently involved with Selina Kyle, did not return his feelings and focused on her career with the FBI. 

But she was attacked while working alongside Bruce in a case, nearly dying when Selina Kyle crashed a sports car deliberately into Isabella's motorcycle. And now, Isabella finds herself being distrusted by most of Bruce's adopted children for three years following Selina Kyle's presence at a party held by Wayne Enterprises following her release on good behaviour, in which she manipulated them into believing that Isabella broke up her relationship with Bruce because she loved him. Woo Dae was livid when he found out, but Isabella, in a weakened state following the miscarriage she suffered after receiving the news while also grieving for the death of her biological father, begged him to not say anything. She somehow knew and felt that it was coming, but she didn't expect that it would arrive at this stage as she had been married to Bruce for more than ten years when this happened. 

Even Bruce himself had sworn to Woo Dae's father-in-law that he had indeed ended his relationship with Selina Kyle before dating his granddaughter. Isabella's family had accepted Bruce as their own but this issue of distrust... did not change their stance on him, but their stance on his family had changed. But not all of them deserved this, as some did not believe in this. Bruce had earned his acceptance in the family but his adopted children had torpedoed their chance by trusting Selina Kyle's words, even though Isabella was present at the party in Bruce's place, as she could debunk what she said. Woo Dae sighed to himself, as he recalled the many times Isabella had to step in so that her grandfather would not do anything rash.