Fanfic: Walk with Me in Hell - 10
Title: Walk with Me in Hell (Part 10)
Fandom: Super Junior RPF
Pairing: Siwon/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mostly for language
Word Count: ~3600
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10. sundown (part 1)
Among so many problems competing for his attention at the moment, the birthday cards were foremost in Siwon’s mind.
More precisely, the amount of birthday cards he was receiving this year. Being the chairman and CEO of one of Asia’s largest electronics company, birthdays for him meant an avalanche of formal birthday cards bearing impersonal messages and unfamiliar signatures, followed by a lavish birthday party arranged by his worthy secretary in which he would stay for an hour or two exchanging smiles and accepting congratulations.
Last year, Zhou Mi’s desk had practically been invisible under the pile of such cards, each catalogued and cross-checked against the list of their business partners and acquaintances.
This year, the amount barely covered half of the desk.
It was a seemingly trivial problem, but Siwon’s mind insisted on dwelling on it. There were always portents to read from the simplest aberrations and the eternally critical part of his brain never hesitated in pointing them out.
The decreasing number of birthday cards could only mean one thing.
“Siwon?”
The gentle, inquiring voice pulled him out of his reverie. Siwon raised his eyes and met the mildly curious gaze of Park Jungsoo, his Vice Chairman. The older man had been in the middle of an argument with his eccentric Chief Designer Kim Heechul, the third person in the room, when Siwon’s attention had drifted elsewhere.
“My apologies.” He forced a smile to his lips. “You were saying that to release a new luxury design in the near future was an unwise move?”
“Yes,” Jungsoo picked up without missing a beat. “The luxury phones are just that-a luxury. It’s a statement, nothing more. Considering our present circumstances, I think it’s better if we put more effort into the ones for general public.”
“It’s precisely because of our present circumstances,” Heechul had cut in before Siwon could respond. “When you’re down, do you hang your head low? No. You hold you head high and stare down the world as best as you can. And that’s why we need, as you called it, a statement.”
Jungsoo frowned. “It might work in theory, but when you take the production cost into calculation-”
“I bring some examples of the new models,” Heechul interrupted, hands already reaching into the leather bag at his feet. “Look at them first, and then tell me that we don’t need this sort of statement.”
Whatever his personal opinion of Kim Heechul, Siwon knew that there was virtually no expectation he could make which Heechul wouldn’t be able to meet-or, as often to be the case, even surpass. For this reason, he was barely surprised when two fully functional prototypes were deposited on the conference table. They were identical, all smooth curves and sleek surface with delicate, almost invisible lines forming a beautiful, elaborate design on the back. One had a single diamond embedded in its fine, elegant blackness. Another was of the colour of deep burgundy, with an octagonal pink diamond as its centrepiece.
“I’ve made about four each,” Heechul spoke again, satisfaction clear in his voice. “They have all of our new improvements and they work perfectly-already test drive them for a month myself. Now my idea is this: choose one you like better and bring it to your party tonight and let every single guest who comes to congratulate you stare and salivate over it. You’re our best walking advertisement anyway.”
“Under normal circumstances,” Siwon replied with a faint smile.
Heechul shrugged. The plight of their company, from his point of view, was nothing compared to the genius of an exquisite design. “I still think it’ll work. You can use the phone for several days as you go to meetings and parties. Just let people ogle at it. Then we’ll announce the limited sale in the next three weeks, just a month before the release our next generation of smartphones. That way we can come back with a bang.”
Siwon did not reply immediately. True, it could be an opportunity. It could also be a useless step. Either way, the decreasing number of his birthday cards-always his mind would return to this-could only mean that less and less people cared to maintain a good relationship with him. Even if he tried to ignore the hint, a clearer and far more obvious proof was present in their sales report, which had been steadily declining in the last two months.
Notoriety was a powerful poison. Siwon smiled grimly. Clearly he had made a miscalculation as to how much his reputation could affect the stability of his company.
Still, to lead and to succeed was what he had been groomed for. It would take a lot more than one misstep to break him.
“Four each, did you say?” Siwon finally said, his fingers scrolling through pages of applications. “And they’re all ready and functional?”
“As I live and breathe,” Heechul answered solemnly.
“Then,” Siwon put the phone back on the table and held the other man’s gaze, “if I were to say that I want six out of those eight tonight, complete with manuals and different initials each, would you be able to deliver?”
“Of course.” Heechul’s smirk was sharply victorious. “Each in a velvet box with gold trimmings even.”
Siwon nodded. “Have them delivered to Zhou Mi’s desk before five.”
“I’ll get down to it immediately.” The Chief Designer rose and left the meeting room without so much as a backward glance. Now left alone only with Jungsoo, Siwon had no choice but to acknowledge the older man’s raised eyebrows.
“What do you have in mind?”
Siwon shrugged and leaned back into his seat. “Just a little idea of mine. How to make a statement and look good doing it-that sort of thing. And since those phones are ready, we might as well use them,”
There were many reasons why Park Jungsoo was the Vice Chairman of the company, and one of them was his professional ability to pick up Siwon’s thread of thought faster than anyone else in the business. Right now was no exception.
“You want to give them as gifts,” he concluded, a note of wonder creeping into his voice.
“We’ll choose six names from our list of business partners who will come to the party tonight-six most useful and most valuable-and give them a phone each,” Siwon explained further. “But it must be done discreetly and carefully, so I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to do it. The statement cannot come from me, and among the rest, you know best what to say to make them feel flattered without sacrificing our position, especially during delicate times like these.”
“It could be for nothing, you know,” Jungsoo warned, a frown still marring his forehead.
“I know, but there is no harm in trying. We’ll gauge the reaction from tonight’s party and if it’s favourable enough, we’ll go on with the limited release as Heechul said.”
“And the production cost?”
“I’ll handle it,” Siwon answered steadily. At this point, he had used nearly half of his own private savings to keep the company afloat and maintain its appearance. A little more wouldn’t hurt much. He had inherited this powerful empire, so carefully built and nurtured by his grandfather and parents. With nearly ten thousand employees depending on him, it was his responsibility to see that the company would survive-especially now that he had put it all in jeopardy for a reason as foolish as one boy.
The thought weighed heavily in his mind. Sometimes Siwon did wonder-if, what if, what if not. For there was a limit on how much a person could take before he turned against the very reason he was fighting for.
His limit could be close, or it could be far away still. He did not particularly want to find out.
“So which six of them?” Jungsoo spoke again, his tone resigned.
Siwon was about to reply when a knock came to the door and Zhou Mi peeked in, his expression troubled.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said cautiously, eyes fixed on Siwon, “but there’s a phone call for you.”
Siwon frowned at his secretary. “I’ve told you to field every call until I’m done with this meeting.”
“Yes, but,” Zhou Mi took a deep breath, “it’s the Metropolitan Police. Something’s happened to Kyuhyun.”
-
The boy looked like he had been running through hell.
He was sitting in a plastic chair like so many other plastic chairs in the police headquarters. His hair was in total disarray and his school uniform was rumpled and stained with dirt and mud-splatters. Siwon’s eyes were fixed on him as soon as he walked into the cluttered office.
This was the first time he had met Shim Changmin face-to-face.
Kyuhyun had mentioned his name many, many times. After the fourth time ‘Changmin’ had appeared in their conversation, Siwon had decided to have Han Geng find out everything he could about this supposed best-friend of his charge.
The results were mostly acceptable. Shim Changmin came from a good, ordinary family. His father worked in a large publishing company while his mother was an elementary school teacher. He had two younger sisters and seemed to be just as addicted to online games as Kyuhyun was. The two had been friends since junior high, and halfway into reading the minute details of their history (served in bullet points by the neat, meticulous Han Geng), Siwon realised that Changmin was the reason Kyuhyun hadn’t wandered off to worse paths of life in the last few years.
The exact same boy now jumped to his feet, exposing his startling height, and pointed a finger at Siwon.
“You.” There was so much hostility in his voice and expression that Siwon was taken aback for a moment. “I knew it had something to do with you. Now you’ll fucking get him back. I don’t care what you do, just GET HIM BACK.”
The police officer who had been sitting across the cluttered desk stood up and grabbed the boy’s shoulder, sternly ordering him to sit down. Walking round the desk, he approached Siwon and introduced himself as Inspector Jung Yunho.
Siwon sat himself in the remaining empty chair, ignoring Changmin’s vicious glares. He listened numbly as Inspector Jung gave him a brief overview of the situation. The abduction, as he called it, took place about an hour ago and now his team was running point for the investigation.
“Mr Shim here,” he nodded at Changmin, “witnessed the event. According to his account, they were stopping at a convenience store on their way to a hagwon when a car pulled over just in front of the store. Mr Shim was still inside and the young man whom I understand was assigned by you to guard Mr Cho was incapacitated by a gunshot-I’m sorry, two shots-and then Mr Cho was wrestled into the car.”
“I see,” Siwon heard himself say. A distant part of his mind briefly wondered why Kyuhyun had never told him about going to a hagwon. Another part vaguely registered Han Geng’s stepping out of the room for a moment, most likely to obtain some information about Sungmin’s condition-but the rest, those which hadn’t been numbed the explanation, were busy sorting through a list of possible suspects.
Kyuhyun’s family was out of the question. They were perfectly happy to pretend that the boy didn’t exist. And Kyuhyun was only a high school boy. It was impossible for any sort of teenage rivalry or adolescent quarrel to end in an abduction.
Which only left his list of enemies.
“I wasn’t quick enough,” Changmin suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling with too much emotion. “They took him. Just like that. I didn’t even remember the plate. Just an old, dirty, black Hyundai sedan.”
“We have spread the information out to every officer on duty,” Inspector Jung said. “We are doing everything we can, but there is another reason why we've asked you to come in, Mr Choi.”
Then he pushed the evidence bag which had been lying on top of several stacked folders toward Siwon. Inside the bag were a white envelope and a birthday card with a large smiley face and a splash of red HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Siwon’s heart stopped.
“This was left on the crime scene,” the inspector spoke again. “As you can see from the envelope, it’s addressed to you.”
Putting on a pair of latex gloves, he reached into the bag to retrieve card. Then he unfolded it, displaying the inside of the card. In the very middle of the empty white page was a malicious scrawl in blue pen.
Enjoy your birthday gift. I’ll enjoy the boy.
-
“Are you okay?”
Siwon turned, startled. He hadn’t even heard Zhou Mi’s approach. The other man stepped to his side, concern written all over his face.
Siwon didn’t answer. Instead, he let his gaze drift back beyond the glass into the hospital room, at the figure lying unconscious in the bed.
“Look at him,” he said quietly, his voice sounding strange even to his ears. “Two bullets to the chest and he was still hanging on to the car’s door, trying to hold them back. Then they kicked him in the face and broke his leg and stepped on him like trash. Wouldn’t have let them go if he hadn’t passed out from the pain.”
Zhou Mi’s hand reached for his shoulder, offering small comfort. “Any news yet?”
“None,” Siwon said dully, eyes still fixed on Sungmin’s half-curled hand. This wasn’t the first time that a member of Han Geng’s team had got hurt while doing their job. Han Geng himself had more than a few scars to attest to it.
This was, however, the first time that it had been this bad. The wounds were not lethal, the doctor had explained. The patient would recover in due time-but he would never run again.
Siwon wondered if any amount of money could ever compensate for that loss.
“Should we cancel the party?” Zhou Mi asked gently.
Siwon closed his eyes, the pounding in his head worsening. He needed to focus. There were too many problems demanding his attention, but the dull throb in his chest just wouldn’t stop. Constantly reminding him.
A psychological campaign, Inspector Jung had called it. The card was clearly a taunt. Whoever did this wanted him to suffer, so much until he went mad with worry. The not knowing was certainly part of the plan.
“No,” he replied after a deep breath. “We’ll go with it as planned.”
Zhou Mi nodded and departed again after a squeeze to his shoulder. Then Siwon turned toward Han Geng.
“Find him,” he said grimly. “That is your order now. Use every manpower you have. Use every resource in the company because I’m putting everything at your disposal. Use that tracking program they’re developing in the Research Department. Tell every programmer and hacker working there to work for you. Cooperate with the police if you must. I don’t care what you do. Just find him.”
“Yes, sir,” was Han Geng’s solemn, quiet reply. He didn’t question the order, for which Siwon was grateful. At this point, he no longer cared if none of his friends or subordinates understood why he would go to such great lengths for a boy who, for all intent and purposes, was neither related nor useful to him.
Kyuhyun was important. For whatever reason, he was important for him.
-
The party was a glorious affair, as usual.
Colourful dresses and smart tuxedoes and glittering jewelleries crowded the ballroom of the five-star hotel. A chamber orchestra supplied the music as drinks and a hundred choices of delicacies shifted from silver dishes and serving trays to available plates and glasses before finally ending in many eagerly waiting mouths. The guests were duly impressed, at both the celebration and the ‘new’ phone carried around by the man of the day (now with his initial flaunted on the back in small, delicate letters).
Siwon endured hours of smiling and making small talks, all too aware that he had to put more effort than usual and be nice to his associates. He usually found the process mind-numbing, but right now, it was downright excruciating. His worry kept gnawing on him, like sharp nails on raw flesh, and he couldn’t help but wonder if one of these politely smiling guests was actually responsible for the abduction-and they were now inwardly laughing at him, enjoying his misery under the mask of an honoured guest.
It was this thought which in the end kept the smile on his face. Siwon made sure to greet everyone (Zhou Mi at his side with a ready repertoire of names and details) and mention a few appropriate words at an appropriate time. Jungsoo, he noticed every now and then, performed a similar function at a different part of the room. If the Vice Chairman had noticed anything amiss, then so far he still kept it to himself. Jungsoo played his role to perfection as usual, making rounds among notable guests and filling every gap which Siwon had, intentionally or unintentionally, left open.
Two hours into the party-and still there was no news. Siwon checked his phone every ten minutes or so. Three times he had sent Han Geng a message and the answer never once differed. Nothing so far.
Halfway into the third hour, Zhou Mi finally laid a hand on his shoulder and said, “You should go back.”
Siwon immediately turned, heart pounding in his chest. “You have news?” he asked quickly.
Zhou Mi’s expression was caught somewhere between pained and sympathetic. “No, but you need rest. There’s no use staying here. Most of the important guests have already left.”
Siwon frowned, ready to argue when exhaustion suddenly ambushed him out of nowhere. Only then did he remember that he had been standing for more than three hours with very little food going into his system.
“Come on.” Zhou Mi’s hand was steady on his shoulder. “We’ll take your car and I’ll drive you home”
“You don’t have to,” Siwon said automatically.
Zhou Mi shot him a look. “I’m not going to crash your Ferrari,” he deadpanned, firmly guiding him out of the ballroom. “And I can easily take a cab back home, so don’t worry. I’ll claim the expense too.
That, at least, pricked a smile on Siwon’s lips. He let the other man do everything he said, silently grateful to have someone who had known him as long as Zhou Mi had. Three hours of pretending to be fine and happy while he had been anything but had left him beyond exhausted.
In the car, he sent another message to Han Geng-only to receive the exact same answer twenty seconds later.
Siwon made the quick calculation in his head. It was now ten hours since the abduction. He didn’t have to be Inspector Jung to know what the odds were.
“I gave Geng a list of your business associates,” Zhou Mi suddenly said, “and basically everyone you might have dealt with, either personally or professionally. The one who did this must be someone you know, so I don't know, it might just help.”
“Good,” Siwon murmured, staring listlessly at the speeding light outside his window. He couldn’t stop thinking about statistics-how most abduction cases didn’t end well, often with the victims dead, if found at all. But the idea of Kyuhyun’s death was so abhorrent that his mind simply refused to even consider it. It was foolish to entertain these morbid thoughts, he scolded himself. Besides, this was no ordinary abduction case; Kyuhyun wasn’t even the real target.
Neither of them spoke again until they arrived at Siwon’s apartment building.
“Try to get some sleep,” Zhou Mi finally broke his silence, just before Siwon left the car. “Geng already promised that he’d call you as soon as he had something, so let him do his job and don’t worry about it too much.”
Siwon shot the other man a wan smile, along with a small muttered thank you. He genuinely appreciated the advice, but like any other advice, it was easier said than done.
Because as soon as he stepped into the penthouse, Siwon knew that he was in for a long, horrible night. The emptiness struck him as sharply as a blade. Worst of all, he knew that there was nothing but silence and darkness waiting for him beyond the door.
Kyuhyun didn’t always greet him home, especially if the hour was late, but it wasn’t until now that Siwon realised, it was the knowledge that mattered the most. There were days when he did not quite realise that Kyuhyun was there-but the knowledge, the barely-there awareness that the boy was sleeping in the second bedroom, brought him a kind of peace which he had always taken for granted.
Simply the fact that he was there had made such a world of difference.
Siwon didn’t know how long he sat in the couch staring at nothing, mind drifting aimlessly to every spectrum of what-if's (what if they did something to Kyuhyun, what if Kyuhyun got badly hurt because of him, what if Kyuhyun ended up dead, what if what if what if).
He only stirred when his phone beeped once, signalling an incoming message. Siwon quickly fished it out of his pocket. The message came from an unknown number-and there was an image attached to it.
Even before the image had finished loading, Siwon already knew what he would find.
What he didn’t expect was the awful mix of horror and agony gripping his heart when the picture of Kyuhyun’s face, all bruised and blotted with dirt and blood and tears, stared back at him from his phone screen.
tbc
/runs fast
Fandom: Super Junior RPF
Pairing: Siwon/Kyuhyun
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mostly for language
Word Count: ~3600
previous
all chapters
10. sundown (part 1)
Among so many problems competing for his attention at the moment, the birthday cards were foremost in Siwon’s mind.
More precisely, the amount of birthday cards he was receiving this year. Being the chairman and CEO of one of Asia’s largest electronics company, birthdays for him meant an avalanche of formal birthday cards bearing impersonal messages and unfamiliar signatures, followed by a lavish birthday party arranged by his worthy secretary in which he would stay for an hour or two exchanging smiles and accepting congratulations.
Last year, Zhou Mi’s desk had practically been invisible under the pile of such cards, each catalogued and cross-checked against the list of their business partners and acquaintances.
This year, the amount barely covered half of the desk.
It was a seemingly trivial problem, but Siwon’s mind insisted on dwelling on it. There were always portents to read from the simplest aberrations and the eternally critical part of his brain never hesitated in pointing them out.
The decreasing number of birthday cards could only mean one thing.
“Siwon?”
The gentle, inquiring voice pulled him out of his reverie. Siwon raised his eyes and met the mildly curious gaze of Park Jungsoo, his Vice Chairman. The older man had been in the middle of an argument with his eccentric Chief Designer Kim Heechul, the third person in the room, when Siwon’s attention had drifted elsewhere.
“My apologies.” He forced a smile to his lips. “You were saying that to release a new luxury design in the near future was an unwise move?”
“Yes,” Jungsoo picked up without missing a beat. “The luxury phones are just that-a luxury. It’s a statement, nothing more. Considering our present circumstances, I think it’s better if we put more effort into the ones for general public.”
“It’s precisely because of our present circumstances,” Heechul had cut in before Siwon could respond. “When you’re down, do you hang your head low? No. You hold you head high and stare down the world as best as you can. And that’s why we need, as you called it, a statement.”
Jungsoo frowned. “It might work in theory, but when you take the production cost into calculation-”
“I bring some examples of the new models,” Heechul interrupted, hands already reaching into the leather bag at his feet. “Look at them first, and then tell me that we don’t need this sort of statement.”
Whatever his personal opinion of Kim Heechul, Siwon knew that there was virtually no expectation he could make which Heechul wouldn’t be able to meet-or, as often to be the case, even surpass. For this reason, he was barely surprised when two fully functional prototypes were deposited on the conference table. They were identical, all smooth curves and sleek surface with delicate, almost invisible lines forming a beautiful, elaborate design on the back. One had a single diamond embedded in its fine, elegant blackness. Another was of the colour of deep burgundy, with an octagonal pink diamond as its centrepiece.
“I’ve made about four each,” Heechul spoke again, satisfaction clear in his voice. “They have all of our new improvements and they work perfectly-already test drive them for a month myself. Now my idea is this: choose one you like better and bring it to your party tonight and let every single guest who comes to congratulate you stare and salivate over it. You’re our best walking advertisement anyway.”
“Under normal circumstances,” Siwon replied with a faint smile.
Heechul shrugged. The plight of their company, from his point of view, was nothing compared to the genius of an exquisite design. “I still think it’ll work. You can use the phone for several days as you go to meetings and parties. Just let people ogle at it. Then we’ll announce the limited sale in the next three weeks, just a month before the release our next generation of smartphones. That way we can come back with a bang.”
Siwon did not reply immediately. True, it could be an opportunity. It could also be a useless step. Either way, the decreasing number of his birthday cards-always his mind would return to this-could only mean that less and less people cared to maintain a good relationship with him. Even if he tried to ignore the hint, a clearer and far more obvious proof was present in their sales report, which had been steadily declining in the last two months.
Notoriety was a powerful poison. Siwon smiled grimly. Clearly he had made a miscalculation as to how much his reputation could affect the stability of his company.
Still, to lead and to succeed was what he had been groomed for. It would take a lot more than one misstep to break him.
“Four each, did you say?” Siwon finally said, his fingers scrolling through pages of applications. “And they’re all ready and functional?”
“As I live and breathe,” Heechul answered solemnly.
“Then,” Siwon put the phone back on the table and held the other man’s gaze, “if I were to say that I want six out of those eight tonight, complete with manuals and different initials each, would you be able to deliver?”
“Of course.” Heechul’s smirk was sharply victorious. “Each in a velvet box with gold trimmings even.”
Siwon nodded. “Have them delivered to Zhou Mi’s desk before five.”
“I’ll get down to it immediately.” The Chief Designer rose and left the meeting room without so much as a backward glance. Now left alone only with Jungsoo, Siwon had no choice but to acknowledge the older man’s raised eyebrows.
“What do you have in mind?”
Siwon shrugged and leaned back into his seat. “Just a little idea of mine. How to make a statement and look good doing it-that sort of thing. And since those phones are ready, we might as well use them,”
There were many reasons why Park Jungsoo was the Vice Chairman of the company, and one of them was his professional ability to pick up Siwon’s thread of thought faster than anyone else in the business. Right now was no exception.
“You want to give them as gifts,” he concluded, a note of wonder creeping into his voice.
“We’ll choose six names from our list of business partners who will come to the party tonight-six most useful and most valuable-and give them a phone each,” Siwon explained further. “But it must be done discreetly and carefully, so I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to do it. The statement cannot come from me, and among the rest, you know best what to say to make them feel flattered without sacrificing our position, especially during delicate times like these.”
“It could be for nothing, you know,” Jungsoo warned, a frown still marring his forehead.
“I know, but there is no harm in trying. We’ll gauge the reaction from tonight’s party and if it’s favourable enough, we’ll go on with the limited release as Heechul said.”
“And the production cost?”
“I’ll handle it,” Siwon answered steadily. At this point, he had used nearly half of his own private savings to keep the company afloat and maintain its appearance. A little more wouldn’t hurt much. He had inherited this powerful empire, so carefully built and nurtured by his grandfather and parents. With nearly ten thousand employees depending on him, it was his responsibility to see that the company would survive-especially now that he had put it all in jeopardy for a reason as foolish as one boy.
The thought weighed heavily in his mind. Sometimes Siwon did wonder-if, what if, what if not. For there was a limit on how much a person could take before he turned against the very reason he was fighting for.
His limit could be close, or it could be far away still. He did not particularly want to find out.
“So which six of them?” Jungsoo spoke again, his tone resigned.
Siwon was about to reply when a knock came to the door and Zhou Mi peeked in, his expression troubled.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said cautiously, eyes fixed on Siwon, “but there’s a phone call for you.”
Siwon frowned at his secretary. “I’ve told you to field every call until I’m done with this meeting.”
“Yes, but,” Zhou Mi took a deep breath, “it’s the Metropolitan Police. Something’s happened to Kyuhyun.”
-
The boy looked like he had been running through hell.
He was sitting in a plastic chair like so many other plastic chairs in the police headquarters. His hair was in total disarray and his school uniform was rumpled and stained with dirt and mud-splatters. Siwon’s eyes were fixed on him as soon as he walked into the cluttered office.
This was the first time he had met Shim Changmin face-to-face.
Kyuhyun had mentioned his name many, many times. After the fourth time ‘Changmin’ had appeared in their conversation, Siwon had decided to have Han Geng find out everything he could about this supposed best-friend of his charge.
The results were mostly acceptable. Shim Changmin came from a good, ordinary family. His father worked in a large publishing company while his mother was an elementary school teacher. He had two younger sisters and seemed to be just as addicted to online games as Kyuhyun was. The two had been friends since junior high, and halfway into reading the minute details of their history (served in bullet points by the neat, meticulous Han Geng), Siwon realised that Changmin was the reason Kyuhyun hadn’t wandered off to worse paths of life in the last few years.
The exact same boy now jumped to his feet, exposing his startling height, and pointed a finger at Siwon.
“You.” There was so much hostility in his voice and expression that Siwon was taken aback for a moment. “I knew it had something to do with you. Now you’ll fucking get him back. I don’t care what you do, just GET HIM BACK.”
The police officer who had been sitting across the cluttered desk stood up and grabbed the boy’s shoulder, sternly ordering him to sit down. Walking round the desk, he approached Siwon and introduced himself as Inspector Jung Yunho.
Siwon sat himself in the remaining empty chair, ignoring Changmin’s vicious glares. He listened numbly as Inspector Jung gave him a brief overview of the situation. The abduction, as he called it, took place about an hour ago and now his team was running point for the investigation.
“Mr Shim here,” he nodded at Changmin, “witnessed the event. According to his account, they were stopping at a convenience store on their way to a hagwon when a car pulled over just in front of the store. Mr Shim was still inside and the young man whom I understand was assigned by you to guard Mr Cho was incapacitated by a gunshot-I’m sorry, two shots-and then Mr Cho was wrestled into the car.”
“I see,” Siwon heard himself say. A distant part of his mind briefly wondered why Kyuhyun had never told him about going to a hagwon. Another part vaguely registered Han Geng’s stepping out of the room for a moment, most likely to obtain some information about Sungmin’s condition-but the rest, those which hadn’t been numbed the explanation, were busy sorting through a list of possible suspects.
Kyuhyun’s family was out of the question. They were perfectly happy to pretend that the boy didn’t exist. And Kyuhyun was only a high school boy. It was impossible for any sort of teenage rivalry or adolescent quarrel to end in an abduction.
Which only left his list of enemies.
“I wasn’t quick enough,” Changmin suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling with too much emotion. “They took him. Just like that. I didn’t even remember the plate. Just an old, dirty, black Hyundai sedan.”
“We have spread the information out to every officer on duty,” Inspector Jung said. “We are doing everything we can, but there is another reason why we've asked you to come in, Mr Choi.”
Then he pushed the evidence bag which had been lying on top of several stacked folders toward Siwon. Inside the bag were a white envelope and a birthday card with a large smiley face and a splash of red HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Siwon’s heart stopped.
“This was left on the crime scene,” the inspector spoke again. “As you can see from the envelope, it’s addressed to you.”
Putting on a pair of latex gloves, he reached into the bag to retrieve card. Then he unfolded it, displaying the inside of the card. In the very middle of the empty white page was a malicious scrawl in blue pen.
Enjoy your birthday gift. I’ll enjoy the boy.
-
“Are you okay?”
Siwon turned, startled. He hadn’t even heard Zhou Mi’s approach. The other man stepped to his side, concern written all over his face.
Siwon didn’t answer. Instead, he let his gaze drift back beyond the glass into the hospital room, at the figure lying unconscious in the bed.
“Look at him,” he said quietly, his voice sounding strange even to his ears. “Two bullets to the chest and he was still hanging on to the car’s door, trying to hold them back. Then they kicked him in the face and broke his leg and stepped on him like trash. Wouldn’t have let them go if he hadn’t passed out from the pain.”
Zhou Mi’s hand reached for his shoulder, offering small comfort. “Any news yet?”
“None,” Siwon said dully, eyes still fixed on Sungmin’s half-curled hand. This wasn’t the first time that a member of Han Geng’s team had got hurt while doing their job. Han Geng himself had more than a few scars to attest to it.
This was, however, the first time that it had been this bad. The wounds were not lethal, the doctor had explained. The patient would recover in due time-but he would never run again.
Siwon wondered if any amount of money could ever compensate for that loss.
“Should we cancel the party?” Zhou Mi asked gently.
Siwon closed his eyes, the pounding in his head worsening. He needed to focus. There were too many problems demanding his attention, but the dull throb in his chest just wouldn’t stop. Constantly reminding him.
A psychological campaign, Inspector Jung had called it. The card was clearly a taunt. Whoever did this wanted him to suffer, so much until he went mad with worry. The not knowing was certainly part of the plan.
“No,” he replied after a deep breath. “We’ll go with it as planned.”
Zhou Mi nodded and departed again after a squeeze to his shoulder. Then Siwon turned toward Han Geng.
“Find him,” he said grimly. “That is your order now. Use every manpower you have. Use every resource in the company because I’m putting everything at your disposal. Use that tracking program they’re developing in the Research Department. Tell every programmer and hacker working there to work for you. Cooperate with the police if you must. I don’t care what you do. Just find him.”
“Yes, sir,” was Han Geng’s solemn, quiet reply. He didn’t question the order, for which Siwon was grateful. At this point, he no longer cared if none of his friends or subordinates understood why he would go to such great lengths for a boy who, for all intent and purposes, was neither related nor useful to him.
Kyuhyun was important. For whatever reason, he was important for him.
-
The party was a glorious affair, as usual.
Colourful dresses and smart tuxedoes and glittering jewelleries crowded the ballroom of the five-star hotel. A chamber orchestra supplied the music as drinks and a hundred choices of delicacies shifted from silver dishes and serving trays to available plates and glasses before finally ending in many eagerly waiting mouths. The guests were duly impressed, at both the celebration and the ‘new’ phone carried around by the man of the day (now with his initial flaunted on the back in small, delicate letters).
Siwon endured hours of smiling and making small talks, all too aware that he had to put more effort than usual and be nice to his associates. He usually found the process mind-numbing, but right now, it was downright excruciating. His worry kept gnawing on him, like sharp nails on raw flesh, and he couldn’t help but wonder if one of these politely smiling guests was actually responsible for the abduction-and they were now inwardly laughing at him, enjoying his misery under the mask of an honoured guest.
It was this thought which in the end kept the smile on his face. Siwon made sure to greet everyone (Zhou Mi at his side with a ready repertoire of names and details) and mention a few appropriate words at an appropriate time. Jungsoo, he noticed every now and then, performed a similar function at a different part of the room. If the Vice Chairman had noticed anything amiss, then so far he still kept it to himself. Jungsoo played his role to perfection as usual, making rounds among notable guests and filling every gap which Siwon had, intentionally or unintentionally, left open.
Two hours into the party-and still there was no news. Siwon checked his phone every ten minutes or so. Three times he had sent Han Geng a message and the answer never once differed. Nothing so far.
Halfway into the third hour, Zhou Mi finally laid a hand on his shoulder and said, “You should go back.”
Siwon immediately turned, heart pounding in his chest. “You have news?” he asked quickly.
Zhou Mi’s expression was caught somewhere between pained and sympathetic. “No, but you need rest. There’s no use staying here. Most of the important guests have already left.”
Siwon frowned, ready to argue when exhaustion suddenly ambushed him out of nowhere. Only then did he remember that he had been standing for more than three hours with very little food going into his system.
“Come on.” Zhou Mi’s hand was steady on his shoulder. “We’ll take your car and I’ll drive you home”
“You don’t have to,” Siwon said automatically.
Zhou Mi shot him a look. “I’m not going to crash your Ferrari,” he deadpanned, firmly guiding him out of the ballroom. “And I can easily take a cab back home, so don’t worry. I’ll claim the expense too.
That, at least, pricked a smile on Siwon’s lips. He let the other man do everything he said, silently grateful to have someone who had known him as long as Zhou Mi had. Three hours of pretending to be fine and happy while he had been anything but had left him beyond exhausted.
In the car, he sent another message to Han Geng-only to receive the exact same answer twenty seconds later.
Siwon made the quick calculation in his head. It was now ten hours since the abduction. He didn’t have to be Inspector Jung to know what the odds were.
“I gave Geng a list of your business associates,” Zhou Mi suddenly said, “and basically everyone you might have dealt with, either personally or professionally. The one who did this must be someone you know, so I don't know, it might just help.”
“Good,” Siwon murmured, staring listlessly at the speeding light outside his window. He couldn’t stop thinking about statistics-how most abduction cases didn’t end well, often with the victims dead, if found at all. But the idea of Kyuhyun’s death was so abhorrent that his mind simply refused to even consider it. It was foolish to entertain these morbid thoughts, he scolded himself. Besides, this was no ordinary abduction case; Kyuhyun wasn’t even the real target.
Neither of them spoke again until they arrived at Siwon’s apartment building.
“Try to get some sleep,” Zhou Mi finally broke his silence, just before Siwon left the car. “Geng already promised that he’d call you as soon as he had something, so let him do his job and don’t worry about it too much.”
Siwon shot the other man a wan smile, along with a small muttered thank you. He genuinely appreciated the advice, but like any other advice, it was easier said than done.
Because as soon as he stepped into the penthouse, Siwon knew that he was in for a long, horrible night. The emptiness struck him as sharply as a blade. Worst of all, he knew that there was nothing but silence and darkness waiting for him beyond the door.
Kyuhyun didn’t always greet him home, especially if the hour was late, but it wasn’t until now that Siwon realised, it was the knowledge that mattered the most. There were days when he did not quite realise that Kyuhyun was there-but the knowledge, the barely-there awareness that the boy was sleeping in the second bedroom, brought him a kind of peace which he had always taken for granted.
Simply the fact that he was there had made such a world of difference.
Siwon didn’t know how long he sat in the couch staring at nothing, mind drifting aimlessly to every spectrum of what-if's (what if they did something to Kyuhyun, what if Kyuhyun got badly hurt because of him, what if Kyuhyun ended up dead, what if what if what if).
He only stirred when his phone beeped once, signalling an incoming message. Siwon quickly fished it out of his pocket. The message came from an unknown number-and there was an image attached to it.
Even before the image had finished loading, Siwon already knew what he would find.
What he didn’t expect was the awful mix of horror and agony gripping his heart when the picture of Kyuhyun’s face, all bruised and blotted with dirt and blood and tears, stared back at him from his phone screen.
tbc
/runs fast