Chapter 4

The next morning, Yeong-hae woke up early to take her grandmother to the hospital for her monthly health check-up. She checked her mail while sipping at her coffee. The electricity bill was on due. She looked over to her grandmother’s room. “I will pay it after her check-up.”

The doctor at the hospital examined Granny Kim and the doctor commented that she was very healthy for her age. “Though you are in good condition, I will still advise you not to do anything that makes your heart-beat rate increase. Also, do not try to do heavy exercise again.” Granny Kim giggled and apologized for being a troublemaker. “Yeong-hae, take care of your grandma, okay?”

“Of course. She is my jewel.” Yeong-hae smiled and hugged her grandmother. Although Granny Kim was a heart patient, she was a woman with a steel heart. This was one of the reasons why Yeong-hae’s idol was her grandmother.

After exiting the hospital, they entered a restaurant to have their lunch together. Yeong-hae always look forward to this day every month so she could hang out with her grandmother. To her, Granny Kim was special more than her parents.

“Grandma, I will drop you first and go to work.”

“I can take the bus. I don’t want you to be late for your work.” Granny Kim tried to send Yeong-hae away, but she was one stubborn kid.

She dropped Granny Kim in front of the house and kissed her goodbye. “If I am late, don’t wait for me and sleep. Okay?” Granny Kim nodded and gestured to go back to her work.

When she arrived at the station, Hanbyeol walked out. She was in her biker’s suit and Yeong-hae assumed that she must be there to collect her money.

“Hi, detective.” Hanbyeol waved at her. Getting closer, she asked if they were allowed to be late at work.

Yeong-hae smirked and curiously asked whether Hanbyeol has got her settlement money or not.

Hanbyeol took out the envelope and wiggled it as she smiled. “I will see you at the café then, at coffee time.” Yeong-hae smiled while thinking to herself ‘As if I would.’ However, quite contradictory to her thought, she ended being at the café to get her regular coffee.

>>>

“Busan?” One of the subordinates repeated what Jia just said.

“Yes. I caught him at a store CCTV.” Jia showed Yeong-hae the footage of a wanted criminal.

“Tae-hyun, Jin. You two are coming with me.” Yeong-hae ordered and geared up to arrest the criminal. “Jia, guide us.”

It was a cat and mouse chase for the whole day. But with the help of Jia’s skill in tracking people, they finally caught the man. By the time they returned to the station, the sun has already set. They handed the man to the respective crime department.

Yeong-hae praised her group in successfully catching the criminal. She looked at her phone and there were three missed calls from her grandmother. Two missed calls were meant for ‘call me when you are free’ and three missed calls was for emergency. Yeong-hae immediately put on her coat without taking out her gear and the gun and hurried towards her car. On her way she called her grandmother. “Hello? Is everything okay?”

“Come home quick.” And with this, the grandmother cut the call.

Yeong-hae reached and rushed inside the house. “Grandma?” she froze seeing the person in bruises beside her grandmother. “Who?”

“It’s me. Ahn Leina.”

Yeong-hae gave an excuse to Granny Kim and dragged Hye-jin inside her room, making her sit on the bed. “How did you get here?”

“They are coming after me.” Leina sniffled.

“You should have contact me. You just can’t – “, Yeong-hae slicked back her hair in disbelief. “How much did you tell her?”

Leina replied with a squeaky voice, “Everything.”

Yeong-hae was ready to help anyone in need, yet she never involved her grandmother in any of her cases. “You are not safe here either. We need to get you out of here. Let’s talk in detail later.” Yeong-hae immediately called Jia and told her to meet them at their safe house.

“I know you are scared but you should not be here. You know in which condition you are in, don’t you? You are putting that old woman in danger. She is innocent.” Yeong-hae really regretted for doing the interview and how some people found out her address. She thought it would be no harm but now that she was tied with a serial murderer, she wanted to it back. Moreover, the unknown person was someone who does not leave single evidence.

Yeong-hae gave Leina a cap and a mask to cover herself. They quickly came down to the living room.

The sound of the hammer of a gun pulling near her head made Yeong-hae to stop moving. A man in black appeared from behind her holding two guns pointing at them. Yeong-hae put her hands up and glanced at the man. He was wearing black mask which covered his whole head except the eyes.

She slowly changed her sight to her grandmother’s room. It was very quiet but soon the room was filled with Leina weeping.

The door to Granny Kim’s room opened and she came out with a gun on her head by another man in mask. Seeing it, Yeong-hae became anxious and glared at the man holding her hostage. Granny Kim nodded to assured her it was alright.

The man pushed Granny Kim on the couch to make her sit. Yeong-hae clenched her fist in anger. The man still pointing the gun at her grandmother came to Yeong-hae and took off her gun under her coat. Yeong-hae breath heavily thinking of ways to save themselves. The phone in her coat buzzed. It was Jia.

The ring was still on but none of the two men tried to take the phone away. Yeong-hae observed their guns. The guns have silencers which meant they came to kill them. There was almost zero chance for her to take on two armed men.

Right that moment the light went out. Leina screamed out loud. Yeong-hae grabbed the arm of the man behind and kicked his leg to throw him on the ground but the man held his position. It was dark. The other man gave a signal and the man Yeong-hae got hold of, fired a few rounds of the gun. The sound of glass scattering startled Yeong-hae. The man broke free from her grip and both the men escaped the house.

“Grandma? Grandma?” Yeong-hae searched with her hands around and carefully walk towards the couch.

“Hae-i”, a weak voice called out.

“Grandma.” She exhaled in relief when her hands felt her grandmother’s body. “I am here. Grandma, I am here.” Leina was crying in a distant in the dark room.

“Are you alright, Grandma?” Yeong-hae checked her grandmother’s body.

Granny Kim stopped Yeong-hae’s hand and replied, “I am alright.”

Yeong-hae laughed a little over her trembling voice to hear it. Granny Kim chuckled, “Don’t worry. I will be fine.” And then she started to cough. Yeong-hae’s face quickly changed to a concern face and touch her grandmother in the dark. Her fingers fell on a wet surface on her grandmother’s cloth. “Grandma!!”

Realizing what it was, the sudden rush of emotion made Yeong-hae bawled out while keeping pressure on the area. Her whole body trembled as she shouted for help. In this frightening moment when Yeong-hae wished everything was a dream, the time was ticking away slowly. Everything around seemed to be disappeared and even her own voice was drowning. Her head stopped thinking and she forgot that her phone in her coat. Soon the couple leaving next dorr came running on hearing her scream with flashlight.

“Is everything okay?”

“Please call an ambulance. Please.” Yeong-hae cried. The light from the flashlight lit up part of the room and Yong-sun saw her grandmother’s cloth soaked in blood.

Right at the time, the power came back and the whole room lit up. The light has come but darkness has spread in Yeong-hae’s life. In her hands, the lifeless body laid there peacefully. One of the bullets has hit Granny Kim’s left chest. Yeong-hae felt her heart crushed and holding her grandmother in her embrace, she sobbed hard. She then cried out aloud. “Grandma.”