Elixir

Chapter 15

           

31st October 2017

8:00 am KST

"We'll be shooting RUN episode 25 and 27 during the day and 26 at night. Brace yourself boys, it's going to be rough today. We shoot fast and pack up as soon as we can so that your further schedule won't be hampered." The manager said

The boys nodded. The shooting started in a PC studio for episode 25.

"Are these PC's security-encrypted?" Helena asked Dae Hyun in a low voice.

"Of course, they are" he looked at her, "These are things that are assumed to be taken care of."

"Sure."

She looked at Taehyung, he looked dizzy at the start of the episode, he hadn't slept. She recalled the previous night- both of them were talking for hours in his room, unaware of the time.

"So, then you agreed and the man took you to the organization?" Taehyung asked her with curious eyes

"Yes" she was sitting on the carpet beside him, "They chose me like that." She didn't tell him about the tough obsession she's been through before that. She narrated a dry, shallow story of her being recruited. No details, no adjoining emotions. She didn't want him to know about her madness that hit her four years ago.

"Wow, I wish I was one too."

"Umm, it's not that simple Tae, you have to undergo a lot of training. There is no guarantee that you will be safe on your mission. I abandoned my plain sweet life and joined this edgy job. There's tremendous risk."

"That's a hard statement. Does anyone of the spies lose their lives?"

Helena paused and Cory's face showed up. She shook her head and replied, "no... no."

"Now that relaxed me a bit. You take care of yourself ok?" he said and placed a hand on her knee. She nodded.

"so now that you talk to us in Korean, how many languages can you speak in?" he asked

"Seven. I'll keep on learning more when I'll have to protect stars from other countries."

"What all languages?"

"English, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Spanish, French and Hindi"

"Wow, that's too many! It's enough to converse anywhere around the earth!"

"Haha yes."

"So, tell me, when did you know about BTS?"

The questions kept on stacking layer by layer and the talk went 4-hour long. It was until she realised Tae's accent turn to slumber-drunk and she freaked out at the clock. It was 2:30 am. She looked around for her phone and got up, Taehyung's eyes were closed. She carefully pulled him on her right shoulder and laid him on his bed. Her wound didn't ache this time. She covered him with his blanket and slowly closed the door.

"And cut!" the episode shooting ended and she snapped back to her senses.

"Alright boys, dress up, we're going out for episode 27"

It was indeed a hectic day. The October heat sucked up the energies out of everyone. At the end of episode 26, all of them collapsed in the dressing rooms.

"Three shoots in a day! This is tiring" Suga turned his neck and said grumpily.

"There's no option, we'll be too busy in November, you know right?" Namjoon replied

"America... we'll be hitting America" Jhope said from behind.

"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it."

The next day, the boys went on to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics concert. The spy watched out more intensely- I won't be happy to see any shadows sneaking in now. The attacker she had caught in the Japan concert was in coma, she always was on alert, the moment he would wake up, she'll have to go. She carried a high frequency detector gadget on her waist and an enhanced shockwave musket. The venue was smaller, it could be easy to spot any suspicious movement.

The stage lit up and the crowds went wild. The boys casted their usual charm on the audience and the songs hypnotised everyone. Helena camouflaged in the ramp above the stage that went around the sides of the audience. She hustled on the ramp towards the audience, eyeing everyone. Her gadget suddenly started beeping. A small LED red light shone in the darkness. She flipped on the gadget and observed its screen. The detector pointed at the far end of the audience. She briskly ran towards it, jumping off the ramp to a metal staircase. She swished through the last of the audience to a dark corner and saw a digital countdown plate- it was a bomb. She shuddered. The time was descending from 2 minutes, 45 seconds. She looked around, it has to be taken away from here. Another song played behind from her, the beats changed the lights and the outline of the heavy box was visible now. The armys were dancing right next to it. She bent down, cutting through the crowd and carefully picked up the box. She found a way from the emergency exit towards the backstage. It was only a minute and a half left now. She bumped into Dae Hyun in the corridor.

"What is that you're carrying in the paper bag? What happened?" he asked looking at her serious expressions.

"It's something I was afraid of" she spluttered, "Where's the backstage open exit?"

"Turn right from the third corridor from here"

Helena raced towards the exit. She was now on the backside of the venue. The beats of 'Fire' backgrounded her pace as her eyes hovered across the parking lot. there were cars all over- not a single piece of barren area. Dang it! Only 35 seconds were left now.

There was only one way- letting the blast happen. Her eyes fell on a metal ladder that led to the top of the set. She climbed up with the box in her hand and stopped at the topmost step. The concert was beaming behind her. "Fireeeeee" the song was on its last phase. Only ten seconds were left.

She clinged onto the rails of the ladder, leaning outside. 5...4...3...2... she braced herself and threw the box high up with full force. The paper bag burst into shreds and the blast was overlapped with the fireworks that boomed over her. She covered her face, her arm was nearly roasted with the toxic heat the box emitted.

"Thank you, army! we love you!" Namjoon's voice spread through. There was a small on-stage break. The spy climbed down, panting and went inside searching for the manager.

She spotted Dae Hyun at the far end of the same corridor. His pace sped up just as he saw her.

"Is everything alright?" he asked

"Don't all the audience entrances have metal detectors?" she snapped at him

"They do"

"Then is there any other possible entrance to this venue?"

The man thought for a moment and replied, "I don't think so. We don't take chances with safety of the boys."

"Of course, I know that!" she controlled her anger and marched through the backstage door. The boys were still on the stage, taking positions for the next song. How did the bomb get in?' she strolled across the stage wings and tried to look for blind spots.

'Wait', something clicked to her what if the bomb was set up inside before the detectors were? It is an undeniable possibility. The bomb has been inside since the setting up of the venue?

A dark truth surfaced and her eyes widened... this can't be...