14 years ago

Lee Do Sik, the name shone in silver on the black nameplate. He picked up the phone after two rings. The girl spoke after a five second pause.

"Neway Road, 11 pm. Or I'll expose everything you did to Officer Han", the voice said hanging up the call right after. He put down the landline and ran his fingers across his forehead. He looked at the photo on his table of him and Han. He clenched his fist and got up, grabbing his coat and walking out of the office.

***

She watched as he hurried through the streets to the end of the road. She tightened her grip on the iron rod in her hand, as she watched him walking past the narrow alleys she was hiding in. She pulled back the rod, gathering every strength she could, pushing it forward aiming for his head. She watched as he collapsed and clenched her fists, throwing it against his face. He pushed her with his leg and got up on his knees, his palm fixed on the ground; he pulled out his gun with the other hand. She fell to the ground as the bullet whizzed past her. She grabbed the shovel on the ground next to her, knocking the gun away from him.

"Se Eun, what you're doing is a crime. Stop it", he cried as he laid down and stretched his hands to reach the gun. She took the shovel, walking over to where the gun was and holding it over his hand.

"What about what you did to my father?" she asked as she lowered the shovel, the sharp edges cutting into his wrists. She watched as he winced in pain.

"My family died because of you", she said as she threw the shovel aside, picking up his gun. He crawled backwards on his elbows until his back hit the mesh net behind. She aimed the gun at him.

"I did wrong, I'll surrender and clear your dad's name. Let me go", he cried. She had imagined this moment, all the while but when it came to actually doing it, she felt her hands shiver. He grasped her hands, keeping them firm. She looked at him; a well built man in a black tuxedo, another man stood behind him in a white shirt and black pants.

"If you wanted revenge, you should have thought this part through", he said taking off his hands and stepping back. She looked at the officer, she clenched her jaws, and she stopped thinking and looked at him. The man who had taken everything from her. He stood beside her, his eyes fixed on the trigger of the gun. She pulled the trigger, she watched as the officer stopped moving and his head weighed down. She took a few steps back. The man looked back at the other man behind him.

"Did you get it?" the man asked. Se Eun looked up to see the other man stop recording on his camera. "Akin", he introduced himself, offering her a handshake while taking her gun with the other hand. She got herself together, "Why did you record it? Are you going to give it to the police?" she said looking at the phone in the other man's hand.

"I hadn't taken you for a fool. My bad", he said gesturing something to the camera guy. She looked at him puzzled, awaiting an explanation which wasn't happening.

"For now, you will work for me", Akin declared.

"What if I refuse?" He walked towards her, throwing his fists against her nose. She fell back landing on her hand. She covered her bleeding nose, wincing.

"Try your best. Oh, Max is here, let's go", he said walking to the back of the car, getting in.

Max got out, grabbing her hand, forcing her into the back of the car. As they reversed, she took one last look at the officer lying in a pool of blood.

He looked beside him, at the young girl who seemed to have strength more than fear within her.

"Don't feel sorry for him. If you hadn't, we would have. He was too demanding for his own good", Akin said with a sly smile on his face.

2 years later

She watched as Akin exit the room. A high level meeting was scheduled in his bid to enter legal businesses. She watched from behind the curtains as the three Mercedes drove out of the mansion.

It was a lighter, with a USB slot at the bottom. The only evidence that could incriminate her; she had to take it before disappearing. She took out the key she had managed to make a duplicate of and walked out the room. She was safe as long as no one got a wind of what she was up to.
She used the key to open the library and rushed to the cupboard. Nothing. She rushed to the study table. Nothing. She slid open the door of the bedside table to reveal an empty safe. It was open and the lighter, if it was there, was gone.

"Looking for this?" She watched as the hazy silhouette in the corner of the room got closer. Max walked out with the USB in his hand. She immediately pulled out what she had kept for the worst case scenario, a blade, S shaped and beautifully welded, the smooth edge reflected the yellow light at the study table. He moved closer, while she positioned herself for an offensive strike. As he reached a few steps away, he threw the lighter on the bed and took a step back. She stood puzzled for a while before reaching out to take the lighter. She opened it, checking if the pen drive was still in. It was!

"Where ever you plan to go, make sure he never finds you", Max said before turning to leave. She didn't stay to make out what he meant, so put the pen drive in her pocket when they both halted in their paths.

"So this is what you had in mind", the voice startled the both of them. Samairah took a few steps back until she stood an inch away from the fluttering curtains before an open window; the knife still aimed forward. Before both of them could act, Akin pulled out a gun, shooting it, aimed at her. She fell backward as the bullet pierced her shoulders. Before she could think about what was happening, she found herself losing balance. As though it was all slowed down, she watched as Max tried to take the gun off Akin in the distance. It felt like zooming out of a picture, as the scene grew farther and she took a fall. Thanks to the gardeners not so polished gardening skills, the bushes were overgrown. Along with the mind numbing pain of the wound, she felt like a falling on a bed of a thousand pins. She turned around, finally making it out of the bush.

She felt the warmth of the blood as it made its way down her chest and arms. The sand on the floor stuck to her palms as she put her hands on the floor trying to regain balance. She shook her head, and got up letting the wounded left arm loose and stressing on the right arm. She groaned as every slight movement of her arm brought along with it a sting deep within the flesh. She dug through her cargo pants, fishing out the car keys as fast as possible. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was and where the car was. She wearily walked to the parking spot when another shot echoed through the air.