"One-chan? Where are you?" Shane asked, her voice went unsually thin.
"I can see you already," the woman, from on other line, answered.
Shane looked around to search for her elder sister, Kristine Marlan and a smile formed on her lips when she saw her walking towards her way with her luggage.
"Help her," she said in her authorative tone and two of her guards stepped forward to take her suitcases.
"I missed you, Amby," Kristine said and gave her little sister a hug.
"Yamite, one-chan!" Shane whined. "I'm not a kid anymore."
"Pff! Says who?" Marlan asked and ruffled her hair. "You're still my baby Amber."
"Whatever, sis! Let's just go now, shall we? I still have to take care of my boy," she said and they started walking.
"What did really happen?" Marlan asked. "I mean, that was so sudden!"
"I still don't know. I'm still picking up every piece of the details," she whispered. "Just please stay out of this case, okay? I don't want you to get involved."
Marlan nodded. Shane thought that her sister's arrival was never on the right timing. She's pretty aware that once she happens to know something then she will also have to be protected like the others.
Their four body guards were following them but there is still bothering her. She just have this feeling that they've been watched. By who? No one knows.
She held her sister's hand and stopped at the exit of the airport.
"Is there any problem?" Marlan asked, but she didn't bother answering her since she's too busy eyeing every person around them.
"Sebastian?" She called.
"Yes, my lady?"
"Please tell the others to check the car."
Sebastian nodded and followed what his lady asked and did what was told by checking the car for any malicious acts.
"You must be thinking that the car was implanted with bombs, aren't you?" Marlan chuckled. Sahne was only watching her guards while checking the car.
"All clear, my lady," Sebastian raised his thumbs up and she nodded.
"Always keep your shape up, sis. No one knows who's who," she whispered before dragging her sister inside the car.
They're not worried about the bullets that might rain ahead as the car is also bullet-proofed. Beside, the culprit loves huntings and games, she doubt she would take her down first.
Sebastian sat in front of the car beside the driver and the three other guards sat at the back while Shane and Marlan was on the middle.
Shane tapped her watch to check the boys. Ten blinking blue lights were still on which means everyone is safe, but her forehead creased the moment she swiped the screen to check her guards. Two green lights turned black which only means, unwanted guests were able to blend with them.
Shane glanced at Marlan.
"She had her earphones on," she thought and tapped Sebastian's light to send him signal.
His watch vibrated and he nodded without looking at her. He already knew what's up and was only waiting for her signal.
Shane leaned towards her sister and increased the music's volume. She then tapped her nose when Marlan looked at her in confusion. That was their sisterly signal for danger. Good thing Marlan still remembered and got the message.
Sebastian wore his earphones secretly and Shane did the same thing. Her eyes traveled towards the rear mirror to take a look of those three guards behind them. The middle one probably is the impostor and the other one... she smirked when she caught the driver's eyes looking at her through the rear mirror.
"I'm sorry but today's trip is on my terms," she mouthed.
She tapped a random button on her watch and a painful, thin sound blazoned inside the car. The driver immediately covered his ears in unbearable pain and lost control of the car.
Sebastian took the chance to step on the brake and slam the driver's head against the windshield for several times until he loss consciousness. He immediately pulled the man towards him, exchanging their positions.
The place they were heading to is quite dark so he had to drive away from that place before the enemy could even realize their plan has failed.
The painful noise stopped and the impostor in the middle took the chance to pull his gun but he's way too late when a cold metal came in contact with his forehead.
"One false move, darling," Shane warned with her deep voice.
The man immediately raised both of his hands in defeat. The two guards beside him are still gaining back their composures since they haven't had any idea that something like that would happen.
"Are you, guys, okay?" Marlan worriedly asked as she handed both of them tissues to wipe the blood on their ears.
Even she felt nauseous. The sound was so loud, even though she had her earphones on, it still went through.
"We're okay," the two answered sheepishly.
They sure are mesmerized by Marlan's beauty.
"Are you okay, my lady?" Sebastian asked.
"Yeah, but boy that was close," Shane answered and looked at the guard on the right. "Give my sister your handcuff, now!"
"What am I going to do with this?" Marlan asked when the guard handed it to her.
"Let that driver wear that," Shane pointed the unconscious man with her lips. Marlan nodded and did what she wanted.
"And you…" she looked at the other guard. "Let this man wear yours."
"Yes, milady," he nodded and handcuffed the impostor.
"Watch him carefully," she added. "Put his hands to where you could see it so he couldn't do anything."
Shane put her gun down and took a duck tape under the chair. She then stood up properly and cut a piece of it and stuck it on the imposter's mouth.
"Here…" she handed it to the guard on the left. "Wraap his hands with that as well as his feet," she leaned forward and gave him a smug look. "I bet those hands of yours had something to do with Taesoo's death, am I right?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What about beating my poor Suho oppa?" Shane held her gun again and caress it against the man's face.
Fear is evident on his face. Even those two other guards beside him are tremling. This might probably the first time they saw that side of her.
"Shane, stop that!" Marlan pulled her down, so she ended up sitting. "You're scaring him."
"That's the point!" She hissed. "They're doing everything by hook and crook which can't be countered with kindness."
"Let's just turn them over to the police, arasseo?"
Shane didn't answer, but that grin on her face is just something the impostors should worry about.
"So how's the meeting?" Shane asked when they arrived at the mansion.
"Nothing so important," Yi answered and she nodded. The manager just left right before they arrived.
Marlan was only talking with Cheon and Chan and it seems like they were already close to each other.
Shane eyed all of them. No one was harmed. No one got hurt. Everybody's safe.
She heaved a sigh and walked towards Seiji.
"Se?" She called and Seiji looked at her.
"Yes?" He asked.
She didn't bother answering him and immediately held his hand and pulled him towards nowhere. The others looked at them and Eun.
"What?!" He asked, sternly.
"I think she's finally moved on," Zen teased.
"That's a relief. Good for her," he intoned. "She's finally seen things the way I see them."
The others shrugged and continued what they were doing but then there's Eun who looked back at Seiji and Shane who entered a room.
"Whatever!" He hissed and looked back at the TV.
"Shane? Where are we going?" Seiji confusedly asked when Shane pulled him inside a room.
She still didn't answer him and stopped in front of a fireplace connected to the chimney and so did he. Seiji was only observing her just then, she pressed one brick beside and shockingly, it moved backwards.
"Ai~kkamtchagya!" Seiji shrieked and immediately moved aside when the floor suddenly split into two, revealing a secret passageway underneath.
"W-what the mother-hecking is this?!" He asked, nudging his chest in shock.
"It's a passageway, silly. Come!" She hissed and pulled him down that "passageway".
She pressed another brick it slowly closed. The place was quite dim, but it's still obvious that it's painted all white.
It's a narrow and long passageway with a red door at the end part. Seiji's heart beat ticks faster than normal since it's only the two of them together and Shane was still holding his hands.
"Urajil!" He muttered. "Keep your composure, Oh Seiji!"
"Daekbak!" He applauded when the lights turned on with Shane's single snap. "You're really amazing, manager-nim."
"Oh, shut up!" She snorted. "I didn't pull you down here for impression."
"Then what are we gonna do then?"
Shane let go of his hand and gave him a joker mask and a black hooded cape which hangs on the hooks beside her.
"What is this for?"
"Wear that to hide your identity and please don't speak when we get there."
"Why?"
"Just don't!" She yelled. "You're the only one I can trust with this since I know who the real you."
Seiji remained looking at her. He's actually Marlan and Shane's childhood friend.
"Are you that certain that I won't betray you?" Seiji asked.
"Yeah. I trust you, Se, so please trust me."
He sighed and wore the mask and the cape.
"Don't talk, okay?"
He nodded and she held his hand once again, pulling him towards that red door.
"And don't freak out, got that?" She added and opened the door.
Sehun's eyes widened when he heard groans from a helpless man beaten by one of Shane's trusted guards. Sebastian was also there but he's only standing at one corner while watching.
Seiji swilled when he saw another man tied on a chair. He's also been beaten.
"Don't talk!" Shane reminded and pulled him inside a room in the middle.
The widows are coated with tainted glass, so it would be safe for him to stay inside. Seiji cursed the very moment he took his mask off.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" He yelled. Horror filled his voice as he turned to look at Shane who already had her mask on one hand.
"I don't have a choice. I had to squeeze every information out of them before it's too late," Shane scrubbed a hand across her face. "I have to find Sunho before they—"
"But these are only people working to live—"
"Then does that justify the crimes they've done?!" Shane raised her voice. "These could be the people that killed Taesoo and the same people that could potentially hurt you and the people you care about. I am not letting that happen and I know you won't either."
Seiji wasn't able to speak. He knows for a fact that Shane was right. If he was on her position, she might also do the same to protect those that can.
"We almost got kidnapped a while ago when we were heading back home with my sister," Shane added. "Those men…" she pointed outside. "They pretended to be one of my guards and, luckily, I immediately found out and was able to fight back before they could even catch us."
"And," she took a book of the hidden pocket on her cape. "You might wanna look at this."
Sehun took it. He then opened the book into a wide spread and to his surprise, he saw EcZo's photos and Soo was already crossed out in red ink. He flipped to another page and bit his lip when he saw Soo's photos. He's still alive when it was taken—the day he was murdered.
Seiji's hands were already trembling as he turn to another page. This time, a chart was shown. It was something like an organizational chart with twelve positions, showing each person's rank.
Sunho was written on the topmost part followed by Taesoo and Seiji but Seiji's name is been crashed out probably because they have failed to kill him back at the lot and nothing follows afterwards except for Shane's name that's been written on the lowest subpart of the chart.
"Y-you?" Seiji looked at her. "Your name's written here."
"Because I'm supposed to be the next after you. They just didn't have the time to crash my name out, because they're already here" she whispered. "Do you remember the riddle?"
Seiji nodded.
"Blood on road…" she looked outside. "Is supposed to be me."
"B-But you have nothing to do with us," Seijia muttered between his short breaths.
"I do, Se," Shane insisted and looked back at him. "I have something to do with you since I'm your manager and it's my job to keep you, guys, safe."
"Just what the hell is going on?! What have we done to be punished this way?" Seiji finally broke into tears.
"I don't know," Shane whimpered.