Hostage | 전정국

Nine

It had been a while since Victoria and Jungkook heard footsteps passing the bathroom. They still hadn't said a word, only continuing to hold hands in an attempt to comfort each other. But Jungkook thought that they would be discovered for sure if they stayed there. The train trembled as it sped along the tracks.

"Maybe we should go look," he pitched suddenly. Victoria turned her head slowly to look at him but said nothing. Jungkook took that as an unbiased reaction and stood up to unlock the door.

She tugged on his hand to pull him back, though it did little as she wasn't nearly as strong as him. "No. They know who I am and don't want me dead. It would be safer if I went."

He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked back at her in confusion. He was clearly bigger and stronger than her. "Noona—"

"I'm older than you and it's my job to protect you," she insisted. "Stay here."

Victoria couldn't protect Jin, but maybe she could protect Jungkook. She loosened her grip on his hand, but he still held tightly onto hers, a worried look overtaking his handsome features. She gave him a tight-lipped smile and tugged her hand away. He let go reluctantly and stepped back, watching her carefully.

She unlocked the door and took in a deep breath before stepping out into the hallway. It occurred to her that Nine, Four, or any other masked person could be out there waiting. Fortunately, the hallway was dead silent. She peered into the next car over to find everyone on the floor covered in blood. A choked sob burst forward at the sight of the US Army Soldier, the child, the mother, the old man, the teenager and others—all slaughtered.

Jungkook peeked his head out of the bathroom. "Noona, are you okay?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the horrible scene. "Fine." Her voice shook considerably and he knew she was lying.

He stepped out into the hallway and wrapped a reassuring hand around her shoulder. Then he saw it, too. His eyes widened in horror, but he couldn't afford to be traumatized. He gave his head a quick shake as he looked away and directed her the other way toward the food car.

Nobody was inside. Just the dead old woman and the clerk, who was still behind the counter, though upon further inspection, had his throat slit. Jungkook quickly tried his hardest to desensitize himself to the blood and death. If he didn't they wouldn't get very far. Victoria's eyes were still closed as she remembered something.

"The gun," she piped up, eyes opening as she looked up at Jungkook. "It's in the other car. The woman said her bag was purple."

He said nothing as he took his arm off of her shoulder, instead leading her by the hand to the car neither of them wanted to be near. "You should probably close your eyes again," he suggested before they entered. She did as told and he helped her sit in one of the seats by the door. "I'll only be a second."

Finding a purple bag should have been the easiest thing in the world, but with all the blood and dead bodies, Jungkook wasn't sure that he even knew his ass from a hole in the ground. He kept searching for purple, but all he could see was death. It was beginning to mess with him. His vision blurred slightly, his sweater feeling abnormally hot and tight, and he almost tripped over the body of the little boy. He plopped down in a blood-stained seat and covered his face with his hands. "Fuck," he repeated quietly to himself.

He always thought he was indestructible. The golden boy who could do anything. Turns out that even the most capable soldier breaks down in battle when the death toll becomes too much. He continued muttering to himself, trying to calm down so he wouldn't cry.

Victoria heard him and opened her eyes, worried at the fast whispers coming from his mouth. "Jungkook?" The dead bodies weren't nearly as disturbing when she was trying to get to him and make sure he was okay. She found him sitting in his distressed state and instinctively smoothed a hand over his hair. "Jungkook," she repeated gently.