Blaze

Team Victoria

~_____~

Victoria's unit arrived in Yeongwol shortly after setting out. As instructed, Lay left their car by a convenient store in one of the shopping districts. The car would be safer there, Victoria strategized. Besides, they couldn't take the risk getting tracked by anyone who was onto them.

"Where do we go from here?" Lay questioned as they walked away from the car.

"We hitch a cab," Victoria inquired.

"Where exactly are we going?" Chorong wondered.

"There's an inn behind the brothel," Victoria explained, observing their surroundings cautiously.

There were men and women cruising around, others filling the street up as the lights gave way for them. Pop music churned out from inside a store as the doors opened for those exiting and entering. Everyone was tending their own business on this late morning.

"Hyukjae may go by two names," Victoria went on, "Lee Hyun and Jae."

"Really?" Lay seemed astounded by the news.

"There can't be that many persons involved," Victoria thought out, "Eunhyuk has been dealing with debt, none of which belong to him. Hyukjae runs human trafficking circles, may even need money to keep those girls alive or build his own factories to accumulate drugs. Where would he get that money? Loansharks if he doesn't want a record written on him by the bank. How would he keep his identity safe from getting run down by those sharks, you tell me."

"By coming up with an alias," Chorong finished.

"Exactly," Victoria stared straight ahead in the direction of the brothel.

A long street of busy cars coming back and forth extended beyond sight. She could feel her nerves stand on end as she thought about Hyukjae.

"That would make sense," Lay agreed, "but what about Eunhyuk? How could he be linked to Hyukjae?"

"I don't know," Victoria hated admitting it. "Donghae has never shown me what Eunhyuk looks like. Now don't you think there's something hidden there?"

Lay and Chorong glanced at each other as if surprised they'd never thought of the subjective possibility.

"Then Suho and Namjoo..." Lay hesitantly began, "is that why you don't trust them?"

"Keep in mind," Victoria reminded, "in this kind of work, you should always watch your back."

She stuck her arm out for an oncoming cab which slowly pulled up to the curb.

"Talk later," Victoria instructed and pulled the passenger door open to get in.

Lay and Chorong followed suit into the backseat.

~_____~

Lay recalled everything being calm, going just as planned. Victoria seemed uptight in the seat in front of him, but she had been uptight ever since clashing with Donghae. Everything she'd said made sense and was logical. However much he wanted to deny Suho and Namjoo hiding anything from them, he had to admit that Victoria had made very good points.

Lay was now perpetuated and more worried than ever. If they all were supposed to be united as a team, how were they to confront Suho and Namjoo without making them out to be the evil ones?

He could still clearly recall how Victoria had pointed her finger at both Suho and Namjoo, labeling them traitors. If Victoria harbored such contempt toward them...how was all this supposed to fix out?

His thougths flew out of line when he jerked forward in his seat. His eyes clamped shut intstinctively as he hit Victoria's head cushion and Chorong slid into him. Just within a few seconds he could make out sounds of the windows shattering. Throwing his arms up to shield himself he felt his body heavily shake from the spinning car as screams outside infiltrated the car. Within another split second Lay felt something pound into his side; his head leaning in toward the window fast and he literally felt his organs make movement. Everything became a quick blur again before another loud crash echoed as the driver's side clashed into a long electric pole.