THE KIMS

Saving the birdie

The room was tense as they gathered around in their makeshift command center—Seungkwan in front of his laptop, frantically tapping away to track Jimin's phone, while Seokmin was analyzing security footage on another screen. Soonyoung paced back and forth, mentally preparing himself for the confrontation.

"There," Seungkwan said, pointing at his screen. "I've locked in on Jimin's phone. It hasn't moved much, which is strange. But... there's a signal. He's in the mansion, no doubt about it."

Seokmin furrowed his brow, focusing on the footage in front of him. "Got something," he said, gesturing to the screen. "Here, look—Jimin's car near the airport. He was dragged out by a group of guys. They didn't even bother changing cars, which makes it easier for us to track them."

Seungkwan quickly hacked into the security cameras in the area. "Got it. There's the car, heading into the woods. And... bingo, the mansion. We've got them."

The team didn't waste any time. As soon as the location was pinpointed, they coordinated their approach. Seungkwan would remain in the car, controlling the cameras and ensuring there were no surprises. Seokmin and Soonyoung would lead the Park family's security team to surround the mansion. They had already informed Mr. Park, who was on his way to Purple City with top security personnel.

Soonyoung took command of the north and east perimeter of the woods, while Seokmin managed the south and west. They were all in position, keeping a careful distance from the mansion to avoid suspicion.

Minghao, on the other hand, had a different role. Armed with stealth, he scaled the walls of the mansion, with Seungkwan's hacking clearing the cameras for him. He moved swiftly, silently, and efficiently, navigating the mansion with precision. He knew Jimin was somewhere on the first floor—his phone's signal had been locked there.

As he reached the first floor, a small buzz came through Minghao's earpiece. Seungkwan's voice crackled in his ear. "We've got a clear signal. Mr. Park is calling Jimin now—be ready."

Minghao felt his heart race as he crouched behind a wall, listening to the call. He heard Jimin's voice, weak, strained, and broken.

"Hello... Father..." Jimin's voice was barely above a whisper.

Mr. Park, on the other end, kept his composure. "Jimin, are you alright? I haven't heard from you since you left for Dream City."

"Yes... everything's fine..." Jimin's tone was shaky, controlled, as if he were struggling to speak. Minghao's grip tightened around the small blade he kept for self-defense. Something wasn't right.

Seungkwan's voice cut through again. "Hao, the signal's not good. Jimin sounds off, and—wait—someone's with him."

Minghao peeked through a crack in the door, his heart sinking as he saw the scene unfold. Jeon Junghyun, the man responsible for all of this, was holding Jimin's face in his hand, forcing him to speak. But what terrified Minghao more was the cold glint of a gun pressed against Jimin's stomach.

"Say the right things, Jimin," Junghyun whispered harshly, his grip tightening on Jimin's jaw. Jimin winced but nodded weakly, his voice barely audible through the pressure.

Mr. Park, sensing something was wrong, didn't ask too many questions. "Alright, I'll speak to you later, son."

As soon as the call ended, Minghao watched as Junghyun slapped Jimin across the face, sending him tumbling to the floor. "Useless," Junghyun spat, turning to leave the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

Minghao's blood boiled. His restraint, carefully held together for the sake of the mission, shattered. Without thinking, he pushed the door open, stepping inside the room. There, on the floor, was Jimin, his hands still bound to the bed, a faint mark on his face from where he had been struck.