Blaze

A Life for A Life

~_____~

It was raining now. The rain splattered them, soaking them all the way down to the bones. The cold downpour reminded him of the freezing winter, the time when skin grew numb and senses recoiled merely because it was so cold. Streets were emptying and tremendous amounts of water crashed up onto the sidewalk whenever a car drove by. Not that Kris wouldn't get any more wet than he was already.

"Search every black car! Stop everyone you see! Don't miss anyone!" Donghae earlier barked orders at them. "We have to find Suho!"

In the end, nothing was going the way they wanted yet again. Being with Donghae's team sent them rolling through bizarre events. Something was always happening. It didn't seem like his private life was all that calm either.

Suho's earlier fight with Lay still stung his mind, like a score of arrows. So were the words he'd very apologetically given him before disappearing. What did it all mean? Why would he feel used? What lies? What secrets did Suho have with Namjoo exactly?

Kris struggled to remain on task. His mind kept trailing off. He wanted to talk with Namjoo, because he didn't believe for a moment that she would lie to him. She wasn't like that. She wasn't. Not the person he knew she was.

But did he...really know her?

"Detective," he flashed his I.D. after pulling over a black vehicle, had the driver scroll the window down. "I need to check your car. Please open your trunk and give me your I.D."

Dedicated to her job and willing to put her life on the line to get the job finished. That was Namjoo. A person who didn't love, didn't know how to give love or receive it. She was a wounded sheep in wolves' clothing. Her pride outweighed everything else in her life.

What would Namjoo have lied to him about?

Kris couldn't imagine any situation that would have inclined her to do so, not in his memory. Namjoo wouldn't have used him for anything...she wasn't like that...

"I feel a bit sorry for you, Kris. I think you've been fooled. Not just by a team of liars, but even by the woman who lost your child."

A sense of dread filled him.

"Hey, excuse me," the man tapped the side of his car impatiently. "What exactly are you doing? Is this some kind of trick?"

Returning to reality Kris felt the cold rain senselessly trickle down the side of his face, into his clothes, and beyond. The man groaned as Kris stepped back onto the curb dazed, rolled his window back up, and drove away splashing water against his legs as it disappeared down the road. Kris watched the vehicle go, his mind pleading for confirmation that Lay was wrong.

He hadn't been used. He wasn't a fool.

~_____~

Tension was high in the air, the true obstruction of their peace. Victoria ran along the streets, keeping in mind to keep Donghae in sight. He was nearly a block ahead on the opposite side of the street, swiftly stopping to peer into each parked vehicle the shade of black. Victoria had never known for so many people to own so many cars.

Right after the game started they immediately split up after catching up to Kris and Lay. They were all now farther from their starting point than ever. She and Donghae would continue going straight until they reached a dead end. Kris and Lay had split, each going right and left. All they were hoping for now, was some kind of news about Suho. If he was dead – worst case scenario – Donghae would ultimately kill whoever had started the game. Then he'd go after whoever let him split from the group, Lay or Kris.

Suho was the core part of that team. He was likeable, although destructive. Right now there was no other way, but to get to him before he would hemorrhage and die. They were, once again, on time constraint.