Chapter 2 (1/1)

The door of the storage room opened forcefully and slammed on the wall making the plaster fall. Two men with pointing guns entered slowly making sure that the coast was clear. Once in the room, they split up and began to search the room. It didn't take them long to find the dead bodies of their enemies, and they both had a strange sensation running down their bodies as they noticed the way they had been killed. They didn’t stop their search though; they had to find out if the boy they had tried to protect was still alive. They met again in the middle of the room since the shelves were arranged like a barrier letting only a small space as a passage.“Are you ready?” Junsu whispered looking at the long haired brunet. Jaejoong, who hadn’t had the time to remove his wig, nodded making the long strands of hair slid over his shoulders and cover his chest. Holding their breaths, both men moved pass the shelves. They walked slowly back to back making sure that no one could ambush them. The place was filled with boxes and materials that could provide a wonderful hiding place for their enemies so they took one step at a time looking carefully for possible threats. They both sigh in relief when they reached the back of the room and realized that the men who had taken Karam were all dead.“Junsu, look… bloody footsteps.” Jaejoong followed the trail and walked pass some boxes and gasped loudly. Junsu was behind him in a blink of an eye, and looked over the other man’s shoulder.“I’ll be damned.” Junsu pushed pass Jaejoong and carefully jumped over Jay’s lifeless body and walked to where Karam was. He smiled softly when he realized that the boy was still asleep, but frowned immediately realizing that someone else had been in that room before them and saved him. Don’t get him wrong, he was glad that Karam was unharmed, but what worried him was the fact that he didn’t know the man’s intentions after saving the boy.“How is he?” Jaejoong made Junsu snap out of his thoughts. The man took Karam in his arms and walked carefully towards Jaejoong. He knew that he had to be careful not to let traces that could connect him to that place so he tried not to step in the blood on the floor.“We should hurry, we are not safe here. Plus we have to go and see what Yunho and Yoochun had managed to find out.” Jaejoong said and helped Junsu with Karam. When they turned to walk away, they saw Yoochun and Yunho approaching them.“Yunho managed to unlock a car so we can get out of here. Bloody hell! What happened here?” Yoochun looked with wide eyes at the blood on the floor. Yunho looked interested too, but he didn’t say a word.“Someone got here before us. He killed them all, including Jay.” Junsu’s explanation made the other men frown, but none of them said anything. They all looked carefully at their surroundings almost waiting for someone to pop out and kill them all.“We should go.” Jaejoong said after a while. He felt really uncomfortable in that place. He didn't feel threatened, but the sensation he had was not pleasant. He took a few steps forward, but stopped when he noticed that no one was following him.“Are you coming or what?” The man asked annoyed looking at the other three men who were standing there like statues. Not getting an answer, Jaejoong walked to them and followed their gaze. He frowned when he noticed something between Jay’s lips, something he hadn’t noticed before.“What is that?” Jaejoong wanted to lean over and take the object, but Yunho grabbed his hand and pulled him away from there. The other followed them at once and in no time they were in the car driving away.After they were gone, Changmin got down from the ventilation system holding a pair of bloody boots in his hands. He looked coldly at the scene before him, and then began to cover his traces. He made it look like one of the already dead men had killed the others and then committed suicide. Once all was in place he walked away from there.Jaejoong hadn’t protested when Yunho had dragged him from the airport basement, but he was getting annoyed since no one was having the decency of explaining to him what was going on. Yoochun sensed the man’s anger and looked at Junsu through the car mirror. Once their eyes met a silent connection was established between them. They didn’t need to speak to understand each other so when Junsu nodded his head, Yoochun knew that the man had given him permission to explain to Jaejoong why they had behaved so strangely once they saw Jay’s body.“Jaejoong, have you ever heard the true story about the massacre of the Daigo-kai gang?” Jaejoong turned towards Yoochun frowning. He couldn’t understand what an event that had happened more than 25 years ago had to do with the strange object between Jay’s lips, still he decided to hear what the other man had to say. “There is a true story?” Jaejoong was discreetly mocking Yoochun, but the man didn’t let it bother him.“Yes, there is. The official report of the police said that there had been a gang fight in which they all died, but they only said this so the population wouldn’t panic. In true a single man killed them all. I know it sounds impossible, but it’s the truth. I saw the real reports and I can tell you that whoever had killed them was a really cold blooded bastard. A single gunshot to the head, they all only had a single gunshot to the head. No other wounds.” Jaejoong was now very interested in the subject. He had heard rumors about the event that had changed the underground world, but he chose not to believe them since they sound like fiction to him. But now, now was different since he knew he could trust Yoochun to tell him the truth.“And how is this related to what happened today?” Yoochun was about to answer when Yunho chimed into their conversation.“The way they were killed was exactly the same, and just like then, the killer left behind a little souvenir. A cross between his victim's lips. His signature. Jay had it and I’m sure the others had it too.” Jaejoong widened his eyes and fell deep in thought. If what his companions had told him was true then someone extremely powerful was after Karam. Jaejoong let out a deep sigh and looked at the sleeping boy in the back of the car.“Don’t worry too much, we don’t know what his intentions are. Let’s learn more about him before jumping into conclusions. I’ll ask the boss to tell us all he knows about this man, he had lived those times so I’m sure he knows more than anyone.” Junsu was worried too, in fact he could tell that they were all worried about the boy. It almost seemed as Karam was surrounded by bad luck, first his lover had died and now this. Junsu knew that it was too much for a fragile person like Karam, but what could he do…?“Oh my God!” Jaejoong turned abruptly towards Yoochun and grabbed the man’s hand tightly. The others looked at him questioning, and he decided it was time to tell them something that he had kept for himself until then.“There had been another kill like this. Same pattern, same signature.” Junsu frowned and so did the others.“What do you mean?” Yunho asked not liking how slowly Jaejoong explained. Jaejoong let go of Yoochun’s hand and took from his wallet a folded piece of paper. He gave it to Yunho who was next to Junsu who was driving. The man opened it and let out a small gasp of shock.“Where did you get this?” Yunho showed Junsu a little silver cross that looked identical to the one Jay had between his lips.“You know that Karam wasn’t at Changmin’s funeral since we thought it was best for him not to… well I let him go three days after. He had begged me on his knees and I couldn’t say no to him. I went with him for protection, but at some point he asked me to give him a moment so I did. I was away only a few minutes and when I came back I chose to walk between the graves so I discovered a dead body. That man had just been killed, I could tell since his body was still warm. He was close to the place where Karam was so I approached the body and saw the cross. I took it, I don’t know why, but I did. I was careful to cover my tracks so no one would tie me to that crime scene. I didn’t think it was important since the man had no gun, at least I saw no gun near him.” The moment Jaejoong finished talking he received a slap in the head from Yoochun.“It was winter, there was snow, and the gun could have easily been covered by it. God, Jaejoong. We agreed we wouldn’t keep things related to Karam from each other.” Jaejoong pouted rubbing the sore spot on his head.“I didn’t know it was important until now. I thought it was a coincidence, you know that the gangs have the habit of killing the unfaithful members in the graveyards.” The other three men nodded in agreement. They all knew that they would have probably done the same in Jaejoong situation.Junsu drove the car to center Seoul and stopped before a beautiful apartment building. Junsu told the others to wait in the car and he went inside. He came out a few minutes after and took Karam from the car and asked them to follow. Yunho noticed that a man had come with him, and he took off with the car after they were all out.They walked inside in silence and took the elevator to the 7th floor. Once the doors of the elevator opened they walked inside the most luxurious apartment they had ever seen.“Welcome to my home gentlemen.” A middle age man bowed before them and they all bowed back. The man looked strong and extremely calm so it took them only a moment to acknowledge him as the big boss.“Junsu, you can take my son to his room, it’s the forth on the right.” Junsu followed the man’s instructions at once and took the boy he was holding to his room. He placed Karam on the bed and covered him with a blanket before returning to the living room. Meanwhile, the others were invited to sit on a huge couch and they all waited for Junsu to return so they could start talking.Once Junsu was back, the man walked to him and gave him a tight hug. The others were surprised by the man’s gesture since they had never seen a mafia boss act so emotional. The man let go of Junsu after a minute and the man took his seat on the couch next to the others.“Thank you my boy for bringing my son back to me. You’ll be rewarded for your actions so if you have something that you want, don’t hesitate to say.” Junsu knew that the man would give him anything he wanted no matter how impossible his wish may sound, but he had no desires. He had no family, or anyone close, his home was with the gang so he didn’t know what to ask for. In his opinion he had everything he needed. The others listened to them in silence, not daring to barge in their conversation.“Thank you for such an opportunity, but I already have everything I need.” The boss frowned a little at Junsu’s words.“I’m sure there must be something you want. A promotion or maybe a host club that you want for yourself…” Junsu thought for a few moments, the man’s words were tempting, but he knew what they implied. A new position in the gang would attract too much attention to himself and he didn’t want that since he knew how dangerous it could be, and the club was defiantly not for him since he wasn’t a party person.“Like I said before, thank you, but all I wish for is to be permitted to be Karam’s bodyguard.” The man smiled at Junsu’s words and nodded in agreement. Junsu was happy that his boss wasn’t offended since he knew what could happen if he was.“You said his name was Karam not Hyunchul, why?” Junsu noticed the frown on the man’s face and understood that the man was hurting really badly. He would be hurting too if he realized that he knew nothing about his child, not even his name.“Sir, Karam grew in an orphanage. He was abandoned there as a baby. He had no note or something with a name on it so the volunteers who worked there gave him one. In his legal papers his name is Yamamoto Karam.” Jaejoong didn’t want to chime in the conversation, but he knew the story form Karam so he thought it was best to tell the man all the facts.“And who may you be young lady?” At the man’s words Junsu, Yunho and Yoochun burst into laughter. They couldn’t refrain themselves since it was too funny. Jaejoong gave them a murderous glare and then removed his wig.“I am Kim Jaejoong, sir. I lived with Karam for the last six months. He was my apprentice.” The other stopped laughing once they saw the serious expression on the old man’s face.“I heard of you. You were Chameleon’s last apprentice. He always prized you for your talent and skills, he said you were his best student by far. He also said that you could easily surpass him if you wanted to.” Jaejoong felt extremely proud. It was not every day that a mafia boss recognized you as a talented person.“Boss, Karam may need some time to get used to you and his position. He suffered a lot and to tell you the truth, he didn’t want to come here.” The old man frowned at Junsu’s words. He knew that his son may have suffered a lot while he was away, but he always hoped that somehow he would find his way back.“I’d like to hear all you know about him.” The four men looked at each other and they all agreed that they would not hide anything from the man.Yunho was the first to speak since he knew Karam the longest. He told the man how the boy got into his gang and how his friends had framed him. Yoochun and Jaejoong told him about the time the boy had stayed with them and about what they had taught him, and they also told him about the boy’s relationship with Changmin. Junsu told the man about Ota and about the mysterious man that had helped them at the airport. The old man listened to their story without interrupting them and when they finished he finally spoke.“The man who killed the Daigo-kai gang and the one who is after my son are not the same person.” The man looked at Junsu with an unreadable face. The atmosphere in the room changed suddenly into an unpleasant one and the men tried their best to mask their discomfort.“With all due respect sir, how can you be so sure?” Junsu asked after a while. He couldn’t take the silence anymore and he really wanted to know why his boss thought that there were two men who used the same pattern and signature to kill.“Because the man who killed Daigo-kai gang died inside my arms.” A heavy silence followed. None of the men dared to say anything. Junsu had never expected something like this, and now he was more worried for Karam than ever. The old man took a deep breath and continued:“I highly doubt that there is someone out there who can copy Eric Moon. The man was a killing machine and he got worse after the Daigo-kai murdered his wife and child. I’ll never forget the day he changed. We were at a meeting and when we got back to his house we found the guards dead. His wife… she had been raped till she had an internal bleeding and the four months baby boy’s body was never found. He lost it and I understand why. The cross he left behind is a replica of the cross on the rosary his wife was holding that day. I’ll never forget his last words, ‘Finally I can be with my family’. ” The old man seemed really sad, but at the same time he looked worried. Yunho took the cross Jaejoong had given him and gave it to the man.“It was like this?” The old man examined the cross carefully. The others waited for his verdict in silence, but had their answer when they saw the look on the man’s face.“It is impossible. Where did you get this?” Jaejoong rushed to answer the man's question.“I found in between the lips of a dead body in the cemetery where Changmin was buried. I was there with Karam and at that time I didn't think it was important, but after the events from today I think the dead man was trying to kill Karam and someone got to him before he could.” The old man frowned and got up from his chair. He walked to the phone and called someone. In a few minutes a man entered the room, he bowed and waited for instructions.“Kangin, I want you to find out all you can about the dead bodies at the airport. I’m particularly interested in the gun that was used. I want the information by tomorrow night.” The man bowed again and he was gone. The mafia boss turned to the four men on his couch and gave them a gentle smile.“I’d like to recruit you all in my gang. If you agree you can assist Junsu, I’m sure he was planning on recruiting a team. So what do you say?” Yunho, Jaejoong and Yoochun nodded in agreement. They all knew that they could never have normal lives so this was a huge opportunity for them.“Very well then, Junsu will take…” The man stopped when he saw Karam walking unsteadily towards them.“Son…?” The man got up and so did the others. They all saw how Karam was wiping his tears as he walked with difficulty.“You drugged me and took me away. I said I didn’t want to go. I said I wanted to stay with Changmin.” The old man moved closer to Karam wanting to comfort his son, but the boy moved away.“Stay away from me, all of you. All I wanted was to be with him, why won’t you let me? Why?”Karam broke into tears crying like they never saw him before. The old man felt his heart break as he listened to the breathless sobs. Jaejoong, who was the closest to Karam, walked to the boy and hugged him softly. To everyone’s surprise, Karam didn’t reject him so the man held him tightly.With all the drama none of them saw the man who had entered the room. He was moving fast towards the boss holding in his right hand a remote. Between his sobs, Karam saw the man and he also saw the bomb attached to his chest. He pushed Jaejoong away and ran towards the man. They fought and Karam managed to push him towards the huge glass window. Everything happened so fast that no one had time to react.The explosion was not very powerful since Karam had managed to push the man out through the glass window so no one was hurt except for him. The explosion blast had sent him flying into the nearest wall and all he did was smile as darkness took over.TBC...