Hostage {ℍ𝕐𝕌ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾} -- DISCONTINUED

Chapter Three

It had been more than a week since he'd last seen his father; right at that moment, he was sure that if he saw so much as a trace of him he wouldn't be able to suppress the urge to clobber his face in. Now that would have left him in a bit of a tricky situation.

Jeongin had gone quiet over that period of time, too – his face constantly pale, eyes always unfocused. It was almost as though he had lost himself in the thought of going behind enemy lines and being nothing but a sitting duck, waiting to be killed at a moment's notice.

He wasn't particularly brave, and Jisung knew, deep down, that he'd always felt useless. Maybe that was why he was going along with it so easily, not talking to his brother about his worries anymore, ready to stare death right in the face to prove his worth. It made Jisung grit his teeth so hard his jaw hurt – he wanted to tell him that outer strength wasn't the only thing that mattered, that knowing how to kill a man wasn't the most important skill he'd ever need.

His deep loathing for his father only increased with each passing day – for making Jeongin feel that way when all he'd ever done wrong was fail to learn how to fight. If Jeongin went in there, there was a high chance he'd never come back out. If things went sideways... there was no way Jeongin would be able to think clearly enough to get out of it without getting himself killed.

He also knew that Hwang Hyunjin would expect his father to send out the weak-link, not compromise the safety of his more valuable son. God, how he hated this damned world he lived in.

One day, when his father was officially six feet under the ground and he became the new head of the Han family, he'd give Jeongin a new life, a fresh start, to do whatever it was he wanted to do. He'd once said in passing that he would've liked to become a teacher, or a veterinarian – that was the life he wanted his little brother to live, not this one, full of nothing but death and crime.

One day, he'd make it happen.

With a sigh he plopped down on his bed, eyeing the clock. Today was the day of the exchange. Of course, nobody told him that – probably for fear that he'd do something stupid – but Jisung wasn't a prodigy for nothing. And, yes, he was most definitely going to do something stupid. Sucked for them.

He yanked out the black duffel bag from under his bed, peering down into it, a number of different weapons inside. Pulling out a sleek black handgun, he popped open the magazine, full. Perfect. He slipped it into the waistband of his dark pants, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

With another quick look at the clock, it struck 11:25 PM; go time. He slipped through his door and into the empty halls. He knew his father would have stationed more guards around the perimeter and around all entrances to prevent him from intervening – his father knew at least that much about him – and his prediction was right when he spotted a few heavily armed men walking along the hall, towards him.

They hadn't seen him yet and he ducked into another hall, pressing his back up against the wall as he waited, eyes sharp and observing. They passed by him, eyes skimming over the shadows he hid in, and once they were far enough away, he slid back around the corner, footsteps light and soundless as he jogged through hall after hall.

Really, this was too easy – his father was definitely underestimating him; he was almost offended. His gun remained poised in his hands, tucked close to his waist, eyes and ears peeled for any trace of more guards.

He made it down to the first floor of the manor without incident, managing to avoid everyone heading his way. He pulled open a window, dropping down as quickly as he could, ending up in a crouch. His eyes snapped around his surroundings, scanning it quickly, and then he was running across the yards of the Han family manor.

A strange sort of dread curled in his stomach as the car he knew Jeongin would be in came into view, blending in with the darkness of the night around them. It felt too easy. He was missing something, but... what?

His pace accelerated as he tucked his gun away, dark clothes keeping him well-hidden under the cover of the night. There was only one guard parked outside the black car; he'd have to get to him before they had the time to warn anybody.

He crept up behind the first guard, whose eyes widened in alarm the moment he spotted him, though he didn't have enough time to do anything; the next moment, he was down with a hard, precise jab to the neck, eyes fluttering closed.

Slipping a Taser from the bag looped around his back, he crept towards the passenger side – according to his calculations, there should only be two more to deal with; one in the passenger seat and one driving.

Muffled voices erupted from the car. "Did you hear something?" He held his breath, widening his stance, preparing for the guard on the passenger side to come out so he could launch into his attack.

Eventually, he did in order to investigate the "strange sound" of a body hitting the pavement dully. Jisung sprang into action, then, knocking him upside the head with the blunt end of his Taser, barely making sure he'd been properly knocked out before he lunged into the car, activating his Taser to stun the last guard before he had the time to so much as radio in.

He slumped in his seat and Jisung quickly pulled back to check on the second guard, hitting him once again for good measure. He exhaled heavily and swung open the door to the back of the car, where a terrified-looking Jeongin sat, looking as though he was seconds away from crying.

Jisung softened, his heart aching at the side as he crawled into the car. "Sorry I scared you, Jeonginnie." He tried his best to smile despite the circumstances, despite the grim realization that this might very well be the last time he saw his baby brother.

With closed eyes, the scared look on Jeongin's face vanished as he breathed deeply, letting the hand that had been pressed to his heart fall back to his side. "Jisung, what... what are you doing here?" he questioned, his voice weak, barely above even a whisper, but his eyes still watered. Jisung realized with a pang that he was relieved.

To that, it was impossible to keep the cheery smile on his face. He decided to disregard the question. "You know I love you, right?" he said, voice as soft as he could make it – softer than he'd ever spoken to anyone, ever.

Jeongin's eyebrows drew together as he was pulled into a hug. "Jisung, what—" He never got to finish his words, body slumping forward, head coming to rest on his brother's shoulder, unconscious. Jisung allowed his hand to fall away from the pressure point on his neck, then, and he bit back the tears that threatened to flow.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he pulled back and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "But I can't let them hurt you." Gently, he laid Jeongin down as comfortably as he could in the backseat, brushing hair away from his face.

He locked the car doors and walked away without looking back, climbing into a vacant black car, exhaling heavily, clearing his emotions. "Time to do something stupid," he mumbled to himself.

A/N: Yes. (I lack creativity sometimes okay shhhh)

Lots of love,

~Emilie