The Bandits of Sawtooth Mountain

10. Mines

Smut/Dubious Consent warning in the second half of the chapter

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Hongjoong's new ally seemed to keep his promise at least and brought him closer to the mountains in a quicker speed than before. Hongjoong kept watching their surroundings, trying to spot a dark man on an even darker horse with some kicking bundle on his lap.

He wondered if that bandit had already grown fed up with Wooyoung, of how good of a condition he would be in when Hongjoong finally found him. He for sure hoped it would not be that horrible.

Bastard, as Hongjoong kept calling him, was mostly silent spare for the few glances he gave Hongjoong when he was sure he was not looking and that made Hongjoong constantly watch him suspicious from the sidelines. He was waiting to have his own gun directed at his head every passing moment and the tension made his muscles ache.

They scaled the mountain on that day, having left Wave hidden behind some scrubs and by now quite sweaty as they grew closer and closer to where Bastard promised Wooyoung to be. They took some secret passage hidden on the west side of the ragged rocks that were not used that frequently and would gain them access more easily.

Bastard did give no information on how many bandits there were, especially at that moment and how much trouble Hongjoong would run into when he was inside already but Hongjoong also felt way too prideful to ask. He would manage, no matter how much of a predicament he had to get Wooyoung out of.

"What even do you guys want with Wooyoung? He's such an annoying fellow.", Hongjoong asked once they had scaled the worst part, catching his breath before venturing further inside. At his side Bastard was dusting off his sleek gloves, catching Hongjoong's gaze unwillingly.

"Maybe whoever took him wanted them for themselves. Or they saw potential in turning him into one of us. Is he prone to betrayal?" He had smirked under that mask, his cruel eyes mocking Hongjoong again and he really wanted to take his shotgun already and let the other's brains splatter against the walls.

Hongjoong inwardly thanked his parents for his patience as he just sighed, refraining from a bloodbath another time.

"How many of the citizens are involved? Do you even let them a choice or will they be killed then?" He remembered what the man had said about Seonghwa. His goal was the railroad operator just how Wooyoung could be another bandit's. He wondered if they all had certain people they went after.

"Will me telling you reassure you or make you lose all your trust, I wonder? I know no details of course, but I can tell you at least that there are indeed still people worth fighting for. Had you just come here in vain that would be much too pitiful. I will see how many people you lose trying."

"Are you their leader?" It slipped out of Hongjoong without him wanting to but the arrogance the other carried, his obvious superiority complex made him wonder.

He received a loud laugh in return.

"You think so? I really appreciate that." He let one hand come down to tangle in Hongjoong's hair, pulling his head back not to softly. Hongjoong swallowed down his anger, his hands forming fists where they were hanging limply in between his legs.

"Fuck off. Your constant avoidance of my questions is annoying as hell. What are we, five?", he growled back, gritting his teeth when the grip tightened warningly.

"What, you are claiming to not be some dirty kid that came to play hero? Because that is exactly what you look like in my eyes." The man squatted next to him, sitting so close that Hongjoong could smell the leather of his clothes. Stubbornly he stared out over the plains in front, into the prettily couloured sky.