Part 5 Running out of time

Playlist

Make it rain > Ed Sheeran

Killing strangers > Marilyn Manson

I'm not okay > Citizen Soldier

Minho

Clink. The sound of melting ice brought me back to the present. Nights like these were very hard for me. I took a sip of my favourite bourbon, watching the thunderstorm raging outside. The darkness of my Penthouse did nothing to soothe my chaotic mind.

****************************

There was a storm just like now the night I had to walk away from Hanul. My heart broke into pieces with every step I took, tears running down my face. I would have been able to endure the pain until his anguished cries tore my soul apart, I wanted to run back to him, lift him into my arms hugging his warm body to my chest, smooth his beautiful dark hair from his face, wiping the tears from his blue eyes while I whispered comforting words in his ear, but I had to leave to keep him, and our unborn child safe from the golden clan. The moment I got into my car I called Aunt Mei from a pre-paid phone.

"He is at the house, he might still be outside in the rain, please hurry! He doesn't know that he is pregnant"

"Minho are you sure you want to follow this path? He might not forgive either of us the day he finds out the truth."

"I can always beg and work towards his forgiveness Aunt Mei, but I can't survive if he is dead. I tried to conceal him from the elders, but they are suspicious that he is only human and see him as a thread."

A heavy sigh can be heard through the phone. "Okay I'm leaving right now"

After disconnecting I took the sim card out and held it over the flame of my lighter, dropping it in the storm drain once it melted. I drove towards my father's office, located on the floor below the penthouse suites of the largest Hotel in the city.

I ignored the secretary that tried to stop me as I threw open the doors of my father's office, he was on a call.

He looked up and saw my face. "Mr. Kim, I have to call you back hopefully with good news" disconnecting the call.

"Is it done?" he asks with a greedy glint in his soulless eyes.

I placed the signed divorce papers on his desk. "Yes!" answering with a curt nod, not trusting my voice and emotions at that very moment.

"Good, good" my father said picking up the documents to read the settlement agreement. "You are rather generous with this offer are you not?" He looked up from the papers and saw my expression.

"Or not." he mumbles putting the papers in the top drawer of the desk. "All that matters is that you can file the papers first thing Monday morning" "I will call Mr. Kim now to set up the arrangement for your engagement to his daughter."

"NO!" I yelled at him getting half out of my chair "You said that I can have 6 months after the divorce to 'date' Miss Wang and that we can decide on the wedding date ourselves as long as it happens before my 35th birthday, correct?"

"You also promised that you will leave Hanul alone and not make trouble for him." "Give me this father" I pleaded, hanging my head in defeat "and I will not go against anything you have planned for me."

My father leaned back in his chair giving me a speculative look, but I could see the greed and gleeful expression in his eyes. "Agreed, you can go now, Penthouse suite number 2 has been prepared for you, here is the key card."

****************************

I took another sip, rubbed my eyes, and looked down at the tablet on my lap tapping on the play button on the touch screen.

"Higher Moddy, higher, I want to touch the sun." a joyful giggle erupted from the dark hair, pigtailed girl on the screen, mischief sparkling in her sea green eyes. I give a chuckle at the name our daughter gave Hanul.

"Okay Pumpkin, I'll push you higher, but don't you rather want to reach the stars? The sun will only burn you."

I paused the video as the camera zoomed in on Hanul, tracing the line of his smile, noting the sadness dulling his light blue eyes, knowing that he was talking about me at that moment. He used to call me 'naui taeyang' (My Sun). I blink my eyes rapidly as the image on the screen became blurry and wiped at the tear that ran down my face.

Sighing, I put the tablet on the coffee table, got up from the lounge chair, and walked towards the window wall. Resting my head against the rain-soaked glass wondering if he will survive the weeks to come.

Lightning struck the same time as the glass in my hand shattered against the opposite wall as I threw it, frustration boiling in my veins.

I feel a familiar nudging in my mind, letting the mental barriers down I feel the warmth of my daughter.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Pumpkin?"

"Why are you sad? Why are you not sleeping again?"

"I'm not sad Pumpkin, I just had some things to take care of before I go to bed," I told the white lie.

"Okay, I just got back from school"

"How are you holding out sweet pea?"

"It is getting harder daddy. I'm starting to get sicker trying to hold the shift back, Moddy is getting very worried."

"I know sweetheart, I will be there in two days, think you can hold out till then?"

"Yes" a soft whisper fills my mind.

"Pumpkin we have to do it this way, your Moddy has to shift and get stronger only then can all of us to be together."

"I know daddy. I have to go, Moddy is calling me for dinner"

"Okay sweet pea, sleep tight."

"Night daddy don't let the bed bugs bite." The sweetest giggle resonates in my mind before there is complete silence again. That tiny little voice was the only thing that kept me sane these past few years.

Picking up the tablet from the coffee table I walked towards my guest bathroom, pressing my left thumb on the bottom left-hand corners of the mirror above the wash basin. The secondary function of the mirror activates and scans my face. A soft hiss reveals the safe that is hidden behind the mirror cabinet.

I placed my left hand on the scanner panel of the door. The key is not just my biometrics but the encrypted sapphire in the ring on my left hand as well. The door clicked open, and I placed the tablet on the first shelf, taking the satellite phone out.

Cell phone signals can be traced, satellite is a bit more difficult. I turned the phone on and tapped in the code.

"Nightingale 4 Sir, awaiting orders!" a stoic voice answered immediately.

"Get the Nightshade team to move asap!"

"One moment Sir" the sound of a tapping keyboard can be heard in the silence.

"Location for extraction Sir?"

"Location code xxxx"

"Asset A or B Sir?"

Rubbing my hand over my face, uttering the words that will most probably destroy Hanul's life.

"Asset B. But be prepared to rush Asset A to the medical unit and let them keep sedation on hand"

"Confirmed," the stoic voice said through the static. "Nightshade team ready for deployment"

"Copy," I said. "To be mobile in one hour, extraction time and date xxxx"

More tapping can be heard. "Repeating orders please confirm execution of orders with verification code.

· Nightshade team mobile in T-60

· Location code xxxx

· Asset B

· Possible transfer of asset A to medical unit

· Keep sedation on hand for asset A

· Time and date xxxx

"If correct please type verification code using keypad now"

I type the 22-digit alphanumerical verification code into the phone's keypad.

"Orders confirmed, lift off in T -58 and counting." The line went dead.

I ran my hand over my face again. I'm sorry Hanul, we have run out of time. I put the phone back and closed the safe door. The hissing sound can be heard as the mirror moves back into place.

Going to my bedroom I noticed for the first time the generic look of the room. Walking out to the living room I see the same generic Hotel look throughout my home.

This was not home; this was the place that I came to when I needed to sleep and run the rebellion. No one other than me and my housekeeper has ever set foot inside since I started living here.

*******************************

The week I moved in I installed a biometric lock at the front door that works on the same principle as the hidden safe. I also made quite a few other modifications to the suit under the disguise of remodeling.

I found all the listening devices my father had installed on that first night. Removing the obvious ones, I stormed into his office the following day demanding that a sweep be done and all devices to be removed. My father looked like a child whose hand was found in the cookie jar.

Needless to say, not all the devices were removed. I let this slide as I needed them to keep my father's trust.

********************************

Turning the TV on I tapped the disconnect button on the customized app on my phone, and the pre-recorded soundtrack - of me cooking dinner and doing paperwork with the TV playing some K-drama in the background – that was routed to the listening devices stopped, switching to real-time.

Rustling some papers that were lying on the dining room table waiting for the prearranged phone call from my assistant.

Answering the phone only on the 5th ring I appeared to be distracted.

"Yes, Secretary Kang? Is there a reason for you to call me so late?" I try to sound irritated as I pretend to work by rustling the papers.

"I apologize for disturbing your rest President Lee, but I have just received word that there is a problem with the contract with Key Joy Group and that President Chen will only sign if you personally go to Musang country to meet with him and address his concerns."

Swearing under my breath – all for the listening pleasure of my father's lackeys – I slammed my open hand on the thick glass top of the 8-seater dining room table. "Can't you send team leader Choi?"

With a sigh, like a mother dealing with an un-ruling child having a tantrum, my assistant informed me that sending the team leader was not possible and that she had already informed the pilot to file a flight plan. The company's private Jet will leave in two hours and I better be on the plane.

Still fake mumbling under my breath I went to pack my travel bag. Picking up the in-house phone by my bed I called down to the night clerk at reception to arrange a driver to take me to the private airstrip.

Even though I took over the company from my father last year and haven't given him any reason to doubt my loyalty, I know that he still kept tabs on me. Little did he know that his "spies" were all in my employment.

Ten minutes later three short rings on the internal phone notified me that the driver was downstairs waiting.

The irritated scowl on my face had the night staff scurrying for safety as I was known for having a short fuse and to stay clear of if in a foul mood, slamming the car door for extra emphasis, making the driver yelp in fright. Giving a short bark-like command of 'drive', we sped off towards the airport.

Seeing my face, the pilot gave the driver a curt nod and eye roll as he took my bag from him.

"Please fasten your seatbelt Sir we are ready to taxi to the airstrip, we are cleared for take-of." The pilot said the moment I entered the Jet.

As soon as the door sealed, I looked at the pilot with a lopsided grin. "Was the eyeroll really necessary Jack?" Jack threw back his head and gave a belly laugh, that transformed my grin into a full smile.

"Minho, did you see that poor kid's face? He was scared shitless, you have one MoFo scary mean face my dude" slapping his knee trying to bring his laughter under control as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Stowing my bag in the overhead compartment he told me to grab a seat until we cleared the buildings, he will signal me with the seatbelt sign to come up to the cockpit, as he sure as hell was not going to fly tonight seeing as I so rudely interrupted his very HOT date.

I got into the cockpit right after the landing gear went up and took over from Jack. He gave me a slight pat on the shoulder as he walked out to the cabin to have a rest. "I'm coming Lilly please hold on for a bit more pumpkin."

"Okay daddy, will you be here tomorrow?" I was startled when Lilly answered my thoughts.

"Yes pumpkin, do you remember the plan?" After a long silence she softly answered that she did. We spoke for a while making final arrangements. "Go to sleep now pumpkin, I'll see you soon."