You Call Me Monster

Suho waited outside the hideout, blowing on his hands. The sun had set hours ago and Sehun still hadn't returned. Suho glanced at his watch. We have to leave soon if we're going to rescue the others, he thought grimly.

A motorcycle pulled into the lot and Suho breathed a sigh of relief. “I've been waiting for hours,” he called, sticking his cold hands into his jacket. “What happened to you?”

Sehun pulled off his helmet. “I don't want to talk about it.” Suho opened his mouth to protest, but he saw the haggardness on Sehun's face and remained silent. “Is everything ready?” Sehun asked, entering the hideout. “Yes sir,” Suho replied, following him. “We're awaiting your orders.”

Everyone was in the main room, coming to attention when their leader came in. Sehun looked around the room. “This is our last chance to get the others out,” he said. “Everything must go exactly according to plan, or we will fail. Hear me well,” he commanded, his voice booming. “Do not deviate from the plan, no matter what happens. Am I understood?”

“Yes sir,” the others said in unison. Sehun nodded. “Lay, you'll drive Nari, Suho and Xiumin. Baekhyun, D.O and I will take the bikes. We'll rendezvous at the old hideout across town. Let's go.”

Everyone began moving, grabbing jackets and bags of equipment from around the room. Xiumin put Lay’s arm around his shoulder and helped him out to the car. Suho made to follow when Sehun stopped him. “Make sure they stick to the plan,” he said quietly. Suho nodded. “Of course, sir,” he said. Sehun put a hand on his shoulder, then turned away. Suho went out to the car, frowning. Why did he tell me that? he wondered.


******


D.O checked his watch again. Almost seven. The riot should start soon. He and Baekhyun stood on a shadowy corner near the police station, waiting for Gyeong's men to show themselves. They couldn't attempt climbing the roof until Nari shut down the cameras, but D.O’s nerves were uncharacteristically raw as they waited. He glanced over at Baekhyun. He seemed unaffected, staying perfectly still as he leaned against a street lamp. At least he seems sober, D.O thought, rubbing his hands together rapidly.


******


Xiumin scanned the street for the thousandth time, looking for any sign of Gyeong’s men. This had better work, he thought to himself. Lay shifted in the seat next to him, sighing quietly. “Is your leg hurting?” Xiumin asked. “No,” Lay said immediately.

“Did you take any pain medicine before we left?” Nari asked, tucking her hair under a black cap. Lay shook his head. “It makes me groggy.”

“Just don’t try to get out of the car,” Nari said, zipping up her jacket. “You might tear your stitches open and start bleeding again.”

“Yes sir,” Lay replied. He made eye contact with her in the rearview mirror and smiled. She smiled back before opening the door. “We’ve only got a few minutes, so I’d better get in position.”

“Nari!” Suho said suddenly, putting a hand on her arm. She paused, looking at each of them. “Just...be safe,” he said, releasing her reluctantly. She smiled. “I can handle myself, guys. I’ll see you on the other side.” She got out of the car, shutting the door behind her. Xiumin watched her in the rearview mirror until she darted around a corner and was gone. Good luck.


******


Sehun crouched on the coffee shop roof, his eyes fixed on the police station. He saw Nari come into view, strolling casually down the sidewalk in front of the station. It hadn’t been easy to get a police uniform for her, but his network was vast and suitably frightened of him.
The street below was fairly busy, the shops all lit and the sidewalks bustling with people. Gyeong’s men should be in position by now, Sehun thought, watching the pedestrians thoughtfully. He took a deep breath. Let’s hope this works.


******


Kai sat alone in his dark cell, shivering violently. The blanket provided by the guards was thin and threadbare, providing little warmth in the frigid cell, but he pulled it around himself anyway. Better than nothing, he thought, trying to stop shaking. He tried to think of hot things - fireplaces, soup, the beach - but this only made him feel colder and he gave up. If this is just the police station, what will actual prison be like? he wondered. He knew he could survive prison, maybe even gain some influence among the other inmates, but that wouldn’t matter if he stayed there for the rest of his life. These people and their self-righteous attitude, he thought angrily. They think they’re so much better than us, with their laws and regulations. He blew on his frozen fingers, his breath coming out in short bursts. What do they know of honor?

He stood up suddenly, letting the blanket fall to the floor. “You scum!” he shouted, grabbing the bars and shaking them. “Cowards! You’re all cowards!” His legs suddenly became weak and he collapsed, catching himself on his hands. “Do you hate me so much that you won’t even feed me?” he mumbled, his head spinning. He felt around for the blanket again and sighed. Maybe Sehun decided not to risk freeing me, he thought dully. I don’t blame him. Getting out of here is impossible.

An alarm sounded and Kai’s head snapped up, instantly on alert. Sirens? Inside the actual station? He stood up again, listening intently. He could hear urgent voices and rapid footsteps, the alarm becoming more insistent. Something’s happening, he thought, stumbling to his feet. There was a faint noise under the cacophony above him, a distant yelling. Kai went over to the wall and put his ear to it, trying to listen. It sounds like it’s coming from the street, he thought, pulling away. What is going on?


******


“Come on!” D.O hissed, breaking into a run. They sped across the street, staying clear of the rioting in front of the station. Sirens were blaring as police officers began pouring out of the station. They stopped just outside the camera’s view and D.O looked up. “It’s still active,” he whispered.

“Nari should be there any second now,” Baekhyun replied.


******


Nari ran toward the station, slipping in between dozens of yelling officers. She kept her head down, following her route to the security room. She found the door cracked, left opened by a distracted guard. She smirked and went in, locking the door behind her. The camera monitoring system was simpler than she might have guessed, but that only made her job easier. She turned the main monitor on and a password box popped up. She plugged in a small decrypting device and it winked on, its red lights pulsating busily. It whirred as it worked, each light quickly going from red to green until it beeped and she was in.
The footage from the front of the station was total chaos, the police trying to bring order to the madness. She didn’t stop to watch, but began typing commands into the computer. As soon as she finished the cameras went dark, their corresponding screens showing total blackness. Come on, boys, she thought, checking her watch.


******


The camera powered down, its tiny light winking off. “Let’s go!” D.O said, darting around the corner. They found the fire escape Suho had mentioned and climbed it quickly, staying low as they did. “Do you see the skylight?” D.O asked.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun called, climbing over the side of the roof. There were three skylights, something they hadn't accounted for. “Which one?” Baekhyun asked. D.O closed his eyes, summoning an image of the station's schematic. “This one,” he said,opening his eyes and pointing at the nearest one. They went over to it and peered down. The station was manic, officers running outside to the fight. “Ten seconds,” Baekhyun said, looking at his watch. “Four… three… two… one… ”
Suddenly the power died inside the station, plunging them into darkness. Baekhyun broke the lock on the skylight with a pair of bolt cutters while D.O pulled two cables out of their bag. He attached two anchors to the concrete surface and expertly tied the cables. He handed one to Baekhyun and clipped the other onto his belt. “Ready?” he asked.

Baekhyun clipped his cable on, slid the bag onto his shoulder and nodded. “Ready.”

They leapt through the open skylight, descending into the station swiftly. They were in a smaller room just outside the main lobby, at least from what they could see. They unhooked themselves and the cables retracted silently. After a quick peek outside the room they ran toward the security office, heads down. Several people brushed by them in the dark, oblivious to their real identity. So far so good, D.O thought as they arrived at the office. Baekhyun knocked twice, then three times, and the door opened. “Get in!” Nari hissed. She closed the door behind them, locking it quickly. “The lights come back on in four minutes,” she said breathlessly.

The boys stripped off their jackets, replacing them with official police windbreakers from their bag. They strapped guns to their sides, pulling the windbreakers over them. “Come on,” Nari hissed, keeping an eye on her watch. “Two minutes.”

Baekhyun jammed a ski hat onto his head and pulled his gear out of the bag. He had already prepared several tiny explosives, each wrapped in black tape and with an attached fuse. “Light,” he barked, pulling out a tube of superglue. D.O clicked on his flashlight and held it over Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Hurry,” he whispered. “Not helping,” Baekhyun murmured, squeezing glue onto the explosives. He set them in several places around the office, the last one going directly inside the electrical box. “Done,” he said, tossing the superglue back into the bag before zipping it up.

“Ten seconds,” Nari whispered. D.O grabbed the bag and they left the office just as the lights came back on, flickering rapidly. “The holding cells are this way,” he said, leading the way.


******


Chen craned his neck, trying to see what was happening. “Hey, somebody! What’s going on?” he shouted, pressing his face against the bars. No one paid him any attention and he sighed, looking at Chanyeol across the hall. Chanyeol raised his eyebrows, hope glimmering on his face. Chen shrugged, trying to stay rational. If this is a rescue attempt, they’re just as likely to be arrested before they get to us, he thought grimly. A group of guards came running around the corner and Chen perked up again. “Hey! What’s going on?” he yelled. “No one’s told us… ”

“Chen!” one of them yelled, picking up speed. “Suho?” Chen asked, hardly daring to believe it. Suho skidded to a stop in front of his cell. “You sure picked a funny vacation spot,” he said wryly.

“Shut up and get us out of here,” Chen said, sounding more stern than he felt.

“We’ve got to wait for… ”

“Baekhyun!” Chanyeol yelled happily. Chen looked and saw another group of guards come from the opposite direction. “Chanyeol!” he heard Baekhyun shout. He pulled out a small bottle and poured something onto the lock before coming over to Chen. “I’m glad to see you, Baek,” Chen whispered. “You didn’t think we’d leave you here to rot, did you?” Baekhyun teased, dousing Chen’s lock. There was a faint hissing noise, then the door suddenly swung inwards. “Never doubt a good acid,” Baekhyun said, giving a satisfied smile.


******


Sehun watched the riot with a small sense of satisfaction. They should be out any minute now, he thought. He heard the terrified screams of the shop owners below and his lips tightened. I’m sorry. I wish there was another way.

Suddenly there was a new sound: sirens in the distance. Sehun frowned. That’s odd. Backup shouldn’t arrive for a few more minutes. Unless…

His blood ran cold and he pulled out his phone, dialing quickly. “Lay, get to the back of the station. This is a set-up!”


******


Lay threw the phone down and peeled out of the parking lot, whipping around the corner toward the station. A set-up? How? he thought desperately. I’ve got to get the others out of there!

He pulled up by the curb and waited, looking around anxiously. They’re supposed to be here in a minute, he thought, clenching the steering wheel. Come on, come on!


******


Baekhyun wrapped Chanyeol in a giant hug. “It’s good to see you,” he said thickly. Chanyeol hugged him back, bending down slightly.

“We can have a reunion later,” Chen said, already taking command of the situation. “We still have to get to Kai.”

Chanyeol straightened up. “Yes sir.” He looked back at Baekhyun. “How much time do we have?”

“Minutes,” Baekhyun replied, checking his watch. “Lay’s going to be waiting for us around back with the car. We’ve got to hurry.”

“Weapons?” Chen asked, tucking his shirt in. D.O unzipped the bag and pulled out two Berettas, handing one to Chen and the other to Chanyeol. “It’s not a Glock, but it’ll do,” Chen joked, shoving the gun into his pants.

“Don’t let Lay hear you say that,” Suho said, leaning on his trusted baseball bat. “He loves his Berettas.”

“Which way?” Xiumin asked, grabbing the bag. “This way,” Nari pronounced, pointing down the hallway. The lights were still flickering, providing some measure of protection as they ran. They all followed her to the end of the hallway, pausing as a couple of guards ran by. Nari poked her head out, then waved for them to follow.


******


Kai paced his little cell rapidly, trying to piece together what was going on. Maybe it’s a political protest? he guessed. But then why would it be so close to the police station? That doesn’t make sense, he thought, discarding the idea. He heard a door open with a bang and hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. “Who’s there?” he challenged.

“Kai?” someone said, a woman’s voice. A group of guards came around the corner, pausing briefly on the stairs. Kai could hardly believe his ears. “Nari?” he said incredulously.

“Kai!” a male voice shouted, the group coming down the stairs. “D.O!” Kai shouted, clutching the bars. “I’m here! I’m over here!”

The light from the stairs cast all of their faces in shadow, but Kai could just make out Chanyeol’s red hair and Suho’s bat. “How did… ”

“Later,” Nari hissed, beckoning Baekhyun over. Kai felt an overwhelming rush of relief. “You got out!” he exclaimed. “That won't matter if we don't get out of here soon,” she said crisply, but Kai could detect a smile on her face.

“Move back,” Baekhyun said, dousing the lock with acid. It melted quickly and the door swung inward. “I'm so glad to see you,” Kai said, grabbing Baekhyun and embracing him.

“We need to move!” Chen barked, glancing at the stairs. “What's the plan?”


******


Sehun hung up the phone after the third failed call. They're too deep below the station, he surmised. I've got to give them more time.

Police cars came from all directions and blocked off the street, lights whirling. S.W.A.T. teams flooded the streets, beating back the rioters. Sehun's mind churned. If the side streets aren't blocked, they might have a chance, he thought. He pulled out his gun, pointed it to the sky and fired multiple times. The street quieted a little and a bright searchlight was trained onto him.

“It's the gang leader Oh Sehun!” someone shouted. Sehun lowered his gun, squinting in the brightness.

“Come now, gentlemen, is that really necessary? You're blinding the poor man.”

The searchlight was shut off and Sehun blinked rapidly, trying to readjust. He looked down into the crowd to find the speaker. “Who's there?” he demanded.

The crowd parted, leaving a large swathe of open road. A lone man walked into the middle and looked up at Sehun, pulling off his designer sunglasses. “I wasn't expecting the pleasure of your company this evening,” he said, bowing.

Sehun's eyes widened. “Chul?”


******


Lay drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, constantly looking back at the station. It's been too long, he thought anxiously. He got out of the car, hissing when he put weight on his leg. It's not that bad, he consoled himself. He tried to run, but all he could manage was a fast walk to the maintenance entrance Xiumin and Suho had used. They had broken the lock and the door stood ajar, giving Lay free access. He entered the building, one hand on the gun in his side holster. The lights were flickering madly, disorienting him, but he gritted his teeth and headed for the lower levels.


******


Nari led the others back up the stairs, continuously sweeping the area with her eyes. They reentered the now-empty main lobby and she collided with someone.

“It's me, it's me!” the man shouted, holding his hands up. “Lay?” Nari asked, lowering her gun. “You were supposed to…”

“We've been set up!” Lay interrupted. “I don't know how or why, but Sehun's sure of it.”

Chen swore loudly. “We have to…”

A S.W.A.T. team burst in from the rear of the building, charging straight for them. “We're trapped!” Chanyeol yelled. Baekhyun reached into his jacket and pulled out a remote. “Not for long,” he whispered, pressing a button. The security office exploded, knocking both them and the S.W.A.T. team to the ground. “Have I ever told you how valuable you are to the team?” D.O coughed, clapping Baekhyun on the back. Baekhyun smiled. “You could stand to say it more,” he replied, getting to his feet.

“There's too much rubble blocking the hallway,” Xiumin said, peering through the dust. “We can't get out that way.”

“Then we go through the front doors,” Chen decided.

“Are you insane? There's a crazy mob out there!” Suho protested. “We'll never make it out!”

“We can try to use the mob as cover. No one will notice a few more people running away from a riot,” Kai interjected. He smiled rakishly. “We can make it.”

Chen sighed. “That's our only choice now. Let's go!”

They ran to the doors, still coughing from the clouds of dust. They made it to the front steps and a searchlight switched on, blinding them. “Freeze!” someone shouted. “Surrender your weapons and put your hands up!”

They all stood there, panting hard. Nari squinted and could just make out Sehun on the roof across the street. What’s he doing in the open? she wondered.

“Drop your weapons!” the voice reiterated. Nari glanced at Chen beside her. He was looking at Sehun, the same worry crossing his face, then he lowered his gun.

They heard someone give a slow clap, the sound piercing the tense silence. “Very good,” a voice said, drawing nearer to them. “Looks like the gang’s all here.”

Nari’s throat went dry and her hands trembled. I know that voice…

Chul came into view, sliding his sunglasses into his jacket. “Yes,” he said, smiling at her, “everyone’s here.”

Notes