14

                                    

                                          

pride and lust. 
                          
the first victim had her nose sliced off. a bottle of tranquilisers glued to the palm of one hand and a phone to the other. she seemingly chose suicide over calling for help, because of her pride in her former appearance. the second victim is knifed to death by her client wearing some sort of lethal strap-on device, while a gun is pointed at his head.
                          
she watched the forensic team gather every used weapon and zip up the bodies in equal bags with a constricted chest. heartbeat thrumming against her ribcage and echoing inside her ears like a repetitive, vexing sound. and soon enough, she was sure everyone else could hear the sound of her heartbeat amidst the silent ambiance. but she hoped they wouldn't notice it at all for they'd flash her sympathetic glances and perceive her as weak considering the fact that she's pursuing a job that demands her not to spare any glimpse of weakness. 
                          
lalisa thought only frost made blood run cold, but revenge did too, and it could lead someone to execute ruthless murders without a tinge of regret. 
                          
"take them away." hyun-tae instructed and placed one hand over her shoulder. she breathed heavily, allowing the slightest of comfort to sear into her skin, and fluttered her eyes shut. the sympathetic stares were a frequent occurrence, but still, she would never quite get used to them.
                          
"i did what you said." she whispers after a long minute of silence. "catching the criminal by luring him in antic." 
                          
lalisa's words seemed to sink in because the older male halted his steps, stopping right beside her, and arched an eyebrow. she could sense and glimpse the conflict unfolding within him and smouldering in his orbs. "so?"
                          
"so?" she laughed. not the usual playful one she rewarded him with after the end of their work, but one that dripped with sarcasm. "we ended up with two corpses and no sign of him."
                          
it wasn't his fault, she knew, but it was all too frustrating. the fact that unlike their every other suspect, ji-tae was far more precise and cautious. leaving only a few traces behind and making sure everyone knew he was the one going on a killing spree. and they were hopeless, because this was his battle zone while they were but mere pieces moving along minefields. 
                          
"three steps ahead, manoban." hyun-tae grumbled, rubbing his face with both hands. "he's three steps ahead of us. always."
                          
silence sunk in, clinging to every inch of her, and lalisa could vaguely hear the metallic sound of gears rearing. trying to find a fault, a missed hint, but nothing came to mind. there was no misplaced piece and the picture was sent to the right address; her parent's house. she could send every officer there but it would be pointless as he could easily thread past them. 
                          
it wasn't about chasing the criminal, but about walking ahead of him.
                          
"if he really cares about his only daughter—" the eldest added, the genuine spark on his face rattling her bones. "—he'll come around soon enough."
                          
that's what she desperately hoped for too.
                          
----
                          
it was past 2am, while lalisa was still immersed in the stack of archives and scribbled boards, that jungkook stormed inside the room. eyes wide with panic, something she never witnessed before and had her scrambling up to her feet.
                          
"what?" her voice faltered, ceding space to confusion when the male before her slammed a paper against the table. 
                          
"he knows. ji-tae knows." she tensed at the mention of his name. 
                          
lalisa is blanketed with panic that seeps into her bones and rattles them, unable to grasp the entire situation. his voice is but a whisper ringing a hundred decibels overhead. syllables become dormant atop her tongue, refusing to slip past her parted lips, as she stares at him in silent disbelief.
                          
"meet me at the end of the world." his concise and clipped tone shattered terse silence and lalisa sucked in a sharp breath, trying to process each word. it slithered up her spine like silver coated fleshes and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. the end of the world?
                          
the end of the world. 
                          
she glimpsed the piece of paper, the erstwhile neat and intact edges becoming crimpled under his digging digits, and something clicked inside her mind. gangnam's rail track. a construction that was never finished, rising above the high valleys and disappearing into the ocean one can admire along the apricot dabbed horizon. of course, ji-tae was being vague, testing their proficiency to not let any detail slip past their sharp glares.
                          
and finally. after all the bloodshed, she'd be able to settle it. for all the sleepless nights, the countless corpses of innocent people and the sense of hopelessness. lalisa will avenge each of them and end the sacrifice ensued by religious and ruthless mindset, and will rest assured once ji-tae is behind the cell, rotting in hell. 
                          
"i know where he is, and you're coming with me."
                          


                          


                          


                          
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
                          
only one chapter left for detective jeon to end and i don't think y'all are ready for the plot twist (or maybe you are idk). anyway, this was my very first drama/investigation book and i can say there's a lot of space to improve even though i had fun writing it. writing a new genre is always challenging and i hope i did well, based on everyone's feedback. enjoy this book and please keep supporting my upcoming works. stay safe, ily all <3