"Jennie, Jen, please talk to me", Taehyung called, shaking Jennie firmly on the arm in an attempt to snap her out of her traumatised stupor. Jennie sniffed obnoxiously, face puffy from sobbing. Taehyung crouched beside her, begging her to look at him, to speak, to say anything about what happened and whether she knew the identity of the assailant or not.
"Please look at me, Jen" Taehyung pushed, voice raspy as his own resolve waned slightly as a result of the stressful circumstances. Pushing her greasy hair out of her face, Jennie faced him, eyes glassy and unseeing. The last time she was this out of it she was fucked up on a savage three day cocaine bender, and that intrusive thought only forced her to recede further into her own being. Taehyung embraced her in a tight hug, resorting to a physical tactic since words were proving useless. Jennie let him hug her, sinking into the warmth his embrace brought her, and with shaky hands she reached up and gripped at his hoodie with rigid fingers, digging her nails into the fabric for dear life, afraid he would disappear from view again.
"It's okay, Jen", Taehyung whispered, stroking her head. "I promise".
Swallowing the weighted bolus of suppressed emotion that had settled in her throat, she found the strength to say, "I know who did this".
Taehyung pulled back to look at her with wide eyes at her confession, but Jennie kept her own gaze glued to the tarmac and the handle of the baseball bat that had rolled beneath the car. The harsh neon lights of the garage made the broken glass sparkle with nauseating colours, and she dragged her tired eyes up to Taehyung's face to avoid the sickening glow. There was something about Taehyung's deep brown irises that instilled a sense of comfort within Jennie.
"What did you say?" he pushed.
"I saw their face".
"Who is it?"
"Chen"
"Who?"
"He abused me in that house, along with Lisa".
"The house you burned down?"
Jennie nodded slowly.
"I thought they all died in the fire?"
Jennie shrugged. "Or so we thought".
Taehyung sighed exasperatedly. "The police fucking confirmed it", he spat. "I don't understand..".
"They're back for revenge".
Taehyung got to his feet. "Not this time".
*
"Just place the tape over the board like that", Taehyung instructed, holding the piece of cardboard in place as Jennie layered up on duct tape to ensure the cardboard didn't shift whilst the car was in motion. Taehyung took the tape from her hands and added the adhesive to areas around the base of the window and near the rear view mirror for good measure.
"You think it'll hold?" Jennie asked.
"Hopefully", Taehyung replied. "I can't afford to get the window replaced just yet".
Jennie climbed into the car and slammed the door, assessing the makeshift window from the inside. It appeared steady enough but she knew better than anyone that appearances can be deceiving. Taehyung sat in next to her and planted a hand on her knees. "You ready?"
Jennie nodded, gnawing on her bottom lip as the anxiety took hold. Sitting in Taehyung's car made her feel uneasy. Flashbacks from the night before made her zone out, and it took Taehyung a few attempts to get her back on track. She snapped out of her stupor when she felt the vehicle lurch forward. Taehyung steered out onto the busy road, and with the radio on to drown out the need for uncomfortable conversation, they merged into the flow.
Jungkook's house was located in a neat suburb off the main road. Taehyung put the headlights on full beam as he navigated his way around the enclosed estate, looking out for house number five. Jennie noticed a large green area smack in the middle of the estate, and a ring of elaborately designed houses surrounded it. A sharp lurch to the right made her grip the door out of a reflex and she glanced at Taehyung with wide eyes. He looked back at her apologetically.
"Sorry, Jen, I just noticed a parking space".
He pulled up to the kerb with ease and honked. Jungkook came jogging out of a side door down to meet them, just as Jennie stepped out of the car onto the road, clutching at her arms as a wind only she could feel chilled her to the bone.
"This way". Jungkook aaid, beckoning with a jerk of his chin in the direction of the back of the house. Jennie followed behind Taehyung, catching a strange look from Jungkook as they rounded the side of the house and into an open shed filled with boxes and some old wooden cabinets. A mere lightbulb swung back and forth above their heads, casting a haunting glow above the equipment as it did so. Jungkook approached a makeshift table in the centre of the shed, and he hauled a box up onto the surface in one go, letting the rusty metal container fall with a casual bang. Jennie and Taehyung joined his side, eager to see what the fuss was all about. Jungkook took centre stage.
"My dad served one of the highest rankings you can achieve in the military when he did his service and as a reward for all his hard work he was awarded all these personalised weapons which he's collected ever since", he explained as he opened the box to reveal dismantled parts of a Glock 9mm model, encased in red velvet to keep the pieces in top condition. Jennie eyed the weapon warily. Jungkook met her worried expression and much to her discomfort he let his gaze linger on hers for a bit too long. Taehyung moved to one of the cabinets behind the table and threw the doors wide.
"What about knives?" he asked.
Jungkook tore his eyes from Jennie's long enough to join Taehyung's side, and Jennie watched them become immersed in a conversation about the military and what weapons they were savvy in and which ones they weren't. Jennie grimaced at the amount of testosterone that seemed to permeate the tiny space as the conversation escalated to her right. There was something about the way that Jungkook's intense stare that made her heart flip inside her chest several times. The boys scuffled to the next cabinet.
"My dad keeps his collection of engraved daggers in this drawer", Jennie heard Jungkook say. Taehyung pulled two out of the drawer, running his fingertips over the hilt of the largest one in awe. Jennie tuned out of the conversation at that moment, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of weaponrt at her mere disposal, and despite her best efforts she let a montage of memories of Kai flood her mind. Her heart leaped into her throat as the emotion heaved in her gut. Taehyung cut a glimpse in her direction and his mouth dropped open when he noticed the fully assembled 9mm glock that hung down by Jennie's side like a miniature cannon.
"Jen" he called sharply.
Jungkook shot her a look. Jennie blinked slowly before turning to face them both, an expression of ignorance masking her flushed visage.
"What?" she asked, pupils darting between the two men as she awaited an answer. Jungkook's hand flew to his mouth when he caught sight of the gun in her hand.
"How did you do that?" he asked. Jennie raised the gun slowly, frowning when she couldn't for the life of her recall how or when she took the pieces out of the box and assembled it with such ease.
"I.. I don't know".
Taehyung was at her side in a flash. Jennie's knuckles were white around the butt of the gun, fingers locked in a rigid grip. Jungkook stepped closer to her, hand outstretched towards her, motioning for her to hand the weapon over before anyone got hurt.
"What do you mean you don't know, Jen?" Taehyung inquired.
"I must have done it out of reflex?," she relayed.
Jungkook snatched it out of her grip, wiping down the metal with the hem of his shirt in fervent motions.
Taehyung scowered Jennie's face for any signs of instability. He found none.
"We'll take it", Jennie said, nodding at the gun in Jungkook's hand. Jungkook scoffed.
"ThIs one is my dad's", he said. "But I can offer you mine if you want?".
"Sure".
Jungkook slid a smaller box out from a compartment underneath the table and pushed it towards Taehyung.
"There's a round of bullets in there too".
Taehyung tucked the box under his arm.
Jungkook fist bumped him amicably before leading the way around the side of the house, halting when Taehyung's car and the vacant street came into view.
"Thanks again, man" Taehyung said.
"Anytime".
