The ocean shore opened up before the duo as a clock, one told in the song of daytime colors and the dreamscape of the approaching black heavens.

The last sun-rays of the day could be seen just over the horizon. Jun-ho gave one last heaving push as he reached the sandy surface of the shore. He pulled his partner up and the two of them began digging around for their phones. Their only methods of communication.

Y/n unlocked her phone only to find multiple missed calls from Ha-kun and her father. Y/n knew that she and Jun-ho had a matter of minutes before the Front Man reached this island. Maybe just maybe Ha-kun would find a way.

Y/n glanced at Jun-ho and he gave her a slight nod as he began his ascend towards a location with a signal.

Y/n did not climb. She remained at the base of the cliff until she found a very weak signal and dialed her brother's number.

It only took two rings until Ha-kun was present on the other side.

"Y/n! Are you okay? Where are you? We've been worried sick–" he began his voice slightly muffled. He was clearly relieved to hear from his sister.

"Listen, I don't have much time. I'm not this small island in the middle of nowhere. Maybe southwest of the mainland. Track my phone and get me emergency backup and rescue. Helicopter, boat, anything, just as quickly as you can."

"Wait but–"

"You're my only hope" whispered Y/n as she heard a gunshot not too far away.

.....

The Front Man and his team had reached the sandy island. They noticed the missing oxygen mask that the two had left behind.

"Bring the intruder to me alive" demanded the Front Man and he pointed his revolver straight at the oxygen tank. It hissed as the bullet penetrated through its metallic shell.

The multiple guards began to search the island.

....

Jun-ho had reached a relatively high spot. He had very little internet but he tried to send a few images of evidence. He called the chief of the police department.

The line rang but the chief picked up to Jun-ho immense relief.

"Jun-ho!" the chief exclaimed.

"It's me, Chief" muttered Jun-ho unnecessarily.

"Where the hell are you. Is A-Yeong with you as well? I haven't seen or heard from either of you in days!"

"Look, I'm somewhere southwest of the mainland. Can you try to locate my signal? Put a whole team together for this. A-Yeong and I need backup. You gotta get a whole squad. The police, coast guard, everyone."

"What did you say? I can't hear you!"

"I'll call you again soon"

Jun-ho began climbing upwards as he noticed more and more pink guards approaching his area. He hoped Y/n was alright. All he could do was hope.

.....

The second Y/n had heard the bullet hit the oxygen tank, she knew time was up. At the foundation of the cliff, Y/n knew it would take a grand total of about five minutes for the guards to find her and kill her.

There was no way she could climb fast enough. There were at least twenty guards. Her chances were absolutely horrendous.

Jumping back into the water wouldn't be practical either. Y/n could only hold her breath for three minutes and the Front Man had a boat, a luxury that Y/n did not possess.

Y/n quickly scanned her surroundings for anything that might be of use. She walked towards a relatively large crack in the rock of the island. It was hardly big enough for herself to crawl through but Y/n managed. She pushed some sand that was under her feet towards the entrance. She was sealed into this small area. In her crouched position, Y/n pulled out her gun. She still had two bullets left.

.....

"He's over there!" yelled one the guards spotting a black figure running through shrubs at the top of the cliff.

Jun-ho looked for any possible routes of safety but he found none. He was at the edge of the cliff. The only way was straight down.

He turned on his heel as a cluster of guards approached him.

"Police. Put down your weapons, you got that? I already know everything about you all. The coast guard will be here soon."

The Front Man stepped forward. "I don't know. Have the Korean police ever been quick to act? And besides, you barely get any signal around here. I don't know what you tried to send, but I doubt it went through. Come and turn yourself in. You'll get a plea bargain with that. If you drop your gun right now and hand over the phone, I might let you live. You wouldn't want your partner to be alone."

The Front Man stepped forward carefully to offer a hand.

"Stop right there" demanded Jun-ho.

"That gun of yours holds five bullets. But for police regulations, one chamber must remain empty, and one must be filled with a blank. That leaves three live rounds in your gun, but six live rounds combined for you and your partner."

"Now I know you've got a partner because otherwise that gun would be empty. You wouldn't be foolish enough to threaten me with an empty gun. Don't think I didn't notice the guard that went missing."

"Guard 063 was killed by one of you along with guard 028. You've used another bullet to break the lock of my room. That bring you down to three live rounds combined. Depending on how many of the actions you performed, you either have 1 or 2 bullets in the revolver. In any case not enough to take on twenty guards."

"One bullet is more than enough to kill you" replied Jun-ho.

"You just revealed that you only have one bullet. Give up" added the Front Man taking another cautious step toward the officer.

"I warned you. Take another step and..." He pulled the trigger and the bullet went straight through the Front Man's shoulder.

"This is over. Now come with me" said the Front Man in a tone which almost seemed pleading. He was breathing shakily but he still remained on his feet.

Jun-ho shook his head, but something in every fiber of his body was warning him.

"Do as I say. Or you die and A-Yeong will be alone. If you think she's safe at the main building, she isn't. I will find her and I will kill her."

Jun-ho could not hide his surprise.

The Front Man let out a chuckle. "The most famous detective pairing. Hwang Jun-ho and Shin A-Yeong. The minute I found your ID on the corpse of the the former Guard 029, I knew your female partner was the one and only Shin A-Yeong."

There was silence as Jun-ho processed the Front Man's words.

"You two never could stay very far from each other"

"Who the hell...are you?" asked Jun-ho quietly. He recognized that voice. This man knew too much. It surely couldn't be. But Jun-ho knew even before the mask was taken off. His older brother had just become his worst enemy.

The Front Man pulled off his mask. In-ho's chiseled face was clearly visible as moonlight reflected off of his feature.

"In-ho?" whispered the younger brother.

"Let's go, Jun-ho. Make this easy"

Jun-ho shook his head. He couldn't. He was his brother.

"In-ho why?" came Jun-ho last questions before In-ho raised his revolver and aimed for Jun-ho's shoulder. The impact of the bullet made Jun-ho stagger and he fell. Down into the depths of the dark water. His body rippled the calm surface of the ocean. 

{1282}