~𝟮𝟵~

As soon as the guard put Lee Know in the holding cell with us and locked the door behind him, I walked up to him. I gently took his wrist and led him to sit down on the bench in the cell. I bent down slightly and started examining his wounds. A few times he tried to pull away or swat my hands away. I just kept coming back. Until he grabbed my hands, making me look him in the eye.

"I'm fine. What's more important is, are you? That guy yanked you back pretty hard."

I pulled my hands away and turned my back on him. I heard him get up behind me.

"Why does this keep happening?" he asked, making me turn around. I gave him a confused look.

"Whenever we get hurt, you're always the first to check up on us and try to help. But whenever you are hurting, you close yourself off. You distance yourself. Why? Is it something we did?... Something I did?"

I looked up at him as he asked the question but looked back down again. I could feel all the eyes in the cell on me. I knew the answer, I just didn't know how to say it.

"I... It's..." I sighed. "I'm afraid."

"Afraid? Why?"

I stayed silent. He gently took my hands, bending down slightly to be at eye level with me.

"I'm afraid... That you'll see who I really am. And that you'll all leave. Underneath my confidence and my smiles, I hide a very different version of myself. I'm afraid that if I let my guard down and let you help me, you'll see who I really am, and you'll leave me. Like everyone always has."

I dropped my head again, wrapping my arms around myself. Then I felt Lee Know wrap his arms around my shoulders, pulling me against himself. I heard all the other boys gather around as well. They all joined in on the hug, enveloping me in warmth. We pulled away when someone cleared their throat.

"Good to see you are all safe. And you don't look as bad as I thought, Agent Noyes," the commander said. I furrowed my brows.

"What is that-"

"Anyway, you all probably want to get to bed. Let's get you all out of here. Officer."

The commander called over the guard who locked us in the cell. He opened it and the boys started walking out. I waited for them all to leave before stepping up to the door. The commander stopped me.

"Sorry, Agent Noyes. You have to stay here for the night."

"What for?" Chan asked.

"She assaulted an agent. You can't expect them to just let her go."

"But Sir-"

"Not another word about it. It's final. Now come on. You all must be tired."

The boys all ignored the commander, looking at me through the bars as the officer locked it again. My eyes locked with Hyunjin. He looked so sad.

"It's okay. I'll be fine. I'll see you all tomorrow. Go. Get some sleep."

The boys still wouldn't budge. Not even Chan who would usually see reason.

"If you all want to spend the night with her, you can keep disobeying me. Then you can all stay here for as long as you want."

That didn't seem to faze the boys at all. I looked at them with pleading eyes, clinging onto the bars.

"Please. Just go."

"Or you can all just give me your badges right now. Get it over with."

That snapped the boys out of it. They reluctantly started moving away from the bars. All of them besides Hyunjin and Lee Know.

"Guys come on. Please just go. I'll be fine, I promise. Please. Go."

They still wouldn't budge. Hyunjin gently took one of my hands that were grasping the bars, earning him a glare from Lee Know.

"We'll only leave if you promise that you'll send us a message on your comm if you get scared or lonely," Hyunjin said, squeezing my hand lightly.

"Speak for yourself, Pretty Boy," Lee Know said.

"I promise. Please, go now. I don't want you to lose your job."

He squeezed my hand once more before letting go, walking off after the others. Lee Know stood with his arms crossed, staring at me.

"If you don't leave in the next ten seconds, I'll kick your ass when I get out of here."

"Is that a threat?" he asked with a smirk, raising his eyebrow.

I glared at him. He came right up to the bars, still smirking. Then his gaze softened as he took my hand. His features dropped from playful to concerned.

"You'll be okay, right? If you feel scared I could-"

"No. Go home. Get some rest. You need it."

"You need it too."

"I can sleep here. I have the ability to sleep anywhere."

He nodded his head half-heartedly. Then he made eye contact with me again. I smiled at him, trying to reassure him. He gave my hand a squeeze.

"You can do this. I'll come check on you first thing in the morning. Then I'll get you out of here."

"Don't worry about me. You just focus on getting to sleep... I'll see you in the morning."

He finally pulled away after giving me one last smile, leaving. My hand suddenly felt cold. I went to sit on the bench in the corner of the cell. I pulled my legs up to my chest. I leaned against the cool wall, trying to calm my thoughts enough to sleep. But my demons were wide awake. And they replayed every detail of the night's events, with some added gory images. I only realised I had been asleep when I jolted awake, sweaty, and shivering. I tried to get back to sleep, but my mind wouldn't let me. It felt like a hand was wrapped around my throat, squeezing tighter and tighter. I clawed at my neck, but nothing worked. It wouldn't loosen up. I couldn't breathe. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. Then the invisible hand around my neck took shape. An arm formed that was connected to it, and then a body and head. Then the face formed, and I wanted to throw up. It was him. His hand was firmly wrapped around my throat as he spoke.

"You thought you could get away from me. Well, I'm here for you now. You can never escape again. We can live together. Forever."

I was ripped from my nightmare with a yell. I clutched my chest. I could still see his face in front of me. So vivid. So menacing. So real. I felt around my neck, and it stung when I touched it. There were small red smears on my fingers when I pulled them away. I had clawed my neck open in my sleep. I leaned my head back against the wall, feeling a lump rising in my throat. I looked at the comm on my wrist. They hadn't removed it when they put me in the cell. Apparently, it was for our commander to know where to bail us out from. I contemplated calling one of the boys, but I shook off the idea. You already got them all arrested and almost got them killed. More than once.

I looked out through the bars at the window on the other side of the hall. It was still dark out, but it seemed like the sun was just starting to rise outside. I leaned against the wall again, pulling my legs up to my chest. I didn't plan on sleeping again. I just sat there. Thinking. About Hyunjin and Lee Know still acting weird around each other. About Han in the hospital. I started thinking about how and when I would tell the boys my secret. I didn't think I was ready yet, but I knew I wanted to tell them. Sooner rather than later. Then I heard a sound outside the cell. I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. I heard someone knocking on the bars with some kind of metal object.

"Come on, Noyes. I know you're awake."

I snapped my eyes open, but I should have kept them closed. There stood my commander. The one who tried to kill me. Who went against everything I believed he stood for. I got up and went to stand in front of him, a bit away from the bars. He laughed.

"Oh, come on. I wouldn't hurt an innocent puppy like you. You are of no use to me when you're dead."

"And of what use am I to you if I'm alive?"

"In due time. You'll know in due time my dear. But first I must know. Do they know? Have you told them yet?"

"You should know that by now. Or haven't you been listening as closely as you have been letting on?"

"Just making sure. But there must be a reason why you haven't told them yet. Might it be... because you're afraid of rejection? Is it out of fear of losing them?"

I stayed quiet, indirectly giving him the answer he needed. He laughed again. I just glared at him. Somehow, he managed to get a hold of the shirt I was wearing, yanking me against the bars and holding me there. He harshly lifted my chin with two of his fingers.

"I have one job for you if you want to stay alive. For now, just lay low. When I contact you again, I want you to do exactly what I tell you to. Then I'll make sure you can get away and live a whole new life away from here."

"What if I don't want to? What if I don't do what you tell me to?"

He smirked at me, a horrible expression that would serve as nightmare fuel for a few weeks to come.

"Let's just say, your friend Han won't be the only one in hospital."

I pulled my face away from his fingers, backing away from the bars. He just gave me a smile, like he was the most innocent person in the world. He started walking away. Just as he reached the edge of my line of sight, I spoke again.

"I hear you're using your wife's name for your 'business'. Why is that? So that you don't get caught?"

"Don't mention her again. And I don't have to tell you anything. I own you, not the other way around."

At that he left. I walked up to the bars, grabbing them, and resting my head against them. I had to tell the boys. There was no other way. But I didn't know how much of my conversations he could hear. Or even how he did it. Then it was like a light went on in my brain. Of course. The comms. He probably hacked into them when he first attacked us, I thought. That must have been why they didn't take it off when they locked me up. He needed it on to be able to find me. He had them all wrapped around his little finger.

I took off the comm, swiping over the screen until I found the diagnostics option. I pressed on it, watching the screen as it loaded. Then when it was finished, the screen flashed red, indicating the comm had been infiltrated. I threw it down on the ground, crushing it under my heel. I heard the glass screen splinter. As I stepped off of it and got down on my haunches to examine the ruined machinery, a smirk crept onto my lips. I picked up the strap and what was still attached to it. Then I threw it against the cell wall as hard as I could, sending pieces flying. I stood up again, dusting my hands off.

Then I heard footsteps echo down the hall. I stood right by the bars, trying to see who it was. The sun hadn't risen fully yet, so it was still dark in the hall. But I could just make out three figures approaching me. Two of the figures stopped, the third coming closer. It was the guard who locked the door. He fumbled with his keys and finally got the right one, turning it in the lock and opening the door. I slightly bowed my head at him, a silent thank you. Then he flicked on the light switch next to my cell. I squinted as the artificial light practically shown into the back of my head.

When I got used to it, I almost burst out into a sprint. The two figures were Lee Know and Chan. I ran up to them, wrapping my arms around both their necks. They hugged me back, asking how I slept and if I was okay. I didn't answer, too happy at being out of the dreaded cage and back with people who I trusted. I let go of the hug, looking up at the two boys and smiling. They both smiled back at me. Until they noticed the scratches on my neck. Their gazes fell, and I could practically feel the tension rise in the room. They looked at each other before asking me in unison.

"Who did this to you?"