Read the end note if you want to see my upcoming stories + their covers.

Remember to comment and vote if you want the next chapter to come sooner ^^

I actually updated this story 🤯🤯🤯

It's a juicy chapter. I hope the quality of this chapter and the teasers/covers for my upcoming works make up for how long I've been gone. It was finals season for a while there, so I didn't have much time to write.

☂ Chapter 10 ☂

Y/n had never felt like this before.

Nervousness attacked her ribs as she sprinted toward the open cargo bay of the ship. She had a bulletproof vest on and an earpiece in, but part of her knew it wouldn't matter. She was a rookie. Why was she on this mission? Was it because of her dedication and incredible performance so far? It couldn't be. She hadn't been there long enough to make an impact on 1PP.

However, the more Y/n thought about it, the more she realized she was only on the mission because 1PP was so thirsty for revenge, they were letting any officer with a pulse raid the ship.

Although she hadn't been a police officer long, she knew rage like this wasn't normal. Even the legendary Park Jimin seemed like he was barely containing himself. He was next to her with his uniform covered in moisture from the rain. His hair was damp, but he slicked it back to get it out of his face. She spotted a mole on his neck, but it was hard to see thanks to the collar of his dark outfit. He also had gloves on. Not quite the same thick leather as hers, but they were black and tight. He kept his grip on his sidearm, which he raised to eye level as soon as they stepped onboard.

"Cadet L/n," Jimin said. His voice was tense. Sharp. Tight. "Stay behind me. You shouldn't be on this mission, but we could use all the extra guns we got."

Y/n knew better than to speak. In that moment, they needed quiet and concentration. She made sure her safety was off but her finger didn't touch the trigger. As her training had taught her, she shouldn't put her hand on the trigger unless she was sure she wanted to shoot. Beyond that, she shouldn't ever aim a weapon at someone unless she had the intention of shooting. Loaded or unloaded, she made a vow never to hold a gun even in the relative direction of someone she had no plans of shooting.

She followed Officer Park onto the ship. It creaked as soon as her muddy boots made contact with the metal. No lights were present. Jimin flicked on his flashlight and held it with one hand above his pistol. The beam of light wavered as Jimin adjusted it, but soon enough, the empty, cramped hallway revealed itself to them.

Jimin pressed on his walkie-talkie. "No leftover cargo in my sights. Anyone got a visual on any goodies left behind?"

But he was met with static. Jimin mumbled a Korean word before releasing his device and crouching. He motioned for her to follow his lead, so she did. They were the only two in that sector, but she could hear the banging footsteps of other officers above her. The ship had multiple floors, and they were late to the party. They got to be the stragglers who walked into the chaos.

"Listen to me," Jimin said. He almost sounded like he was hyperventilating. "You're my responsibility now. No matter what, you listen to my orders. You don't shoot unless I shoot first or give an order. I know we're angry, but we're the keepers of the peace, not murderers. We give them a chance to surrender first, and if they don't comply, that's when we open fire. Have I made myself clear?"

Officer Park glanced at her. The flashlight illuminated his plump lips. They were cracked, almost as if he had been nibbling on them. She spotted a dot of blood on his lower lip, right where a front tooth could come down and chew. From her angle, he had soft lines on the corners of his mouth that looked like wrinkles. His eye bags were visible. His button nose seemed droopy. Even the mole on his forehead appeared sagged and weighed down by the mission.

Y/n found the strength in herself to nod. "Yes sir."

"Good. Don't talk unless it's important enough to risk giving up our locations."

Together, the two of them slinked down the side of the wall. About three people could fit side-by-side in the width of the corridor. The metal panels making up the walls were discolored. Some were gray, others were rusted enough to appear as brown as her boots that were contaminated by the outside ground.

Stray pennies and nickels were occasionally on the floor. She even found a single 9x19mm round on the ground. Jimin stepped over it. She did the same.

Twists and turns awaited them, and all she could hear was the creaking of the ship as it swayed back and forth on the water, the rain pitter-pattering on the exterior, and the footsteps and distant shouts from her co-workers. There was no gunfire. At least, not yet.

Jimin held her up and pointed with his flashlight to a metal door up ahead. It swung and made a loud 'shreee!' sound that made her wince and lean back on her heels. However, she didn't have time to dwell on the distant noises that came straight out of a horror movie; instead, she had to move with Jimin.

Y/n's boots squeaked as they approached the staircase inside the open door. Jimin led the way while putting his flashlight in his mouth to two-hand his pistol. His boots made the same vicious 'scrunch scrunch!' sound as hers as he stood and tip-tapped his way up the one flight of stairs. Y/n rushed to follow, but she kept her distance so Jimin could enter the next floor first. He was the one who suggested she stay behind him, after all.

All at once, thunder screamed and rain roared as the exterior revealed itself to her. Her eyes jumped to take in the scene, and she noticed there were officers marching and dumping over barrels and crates. There was nothing of note other than various fish and occasional supply boxes full of tools like pocket knives and nails.

"We're too late, aren't we? They already fled," Y/n said, and Jimin set his jaw.

He didn't bother looking at her as he popped the flashlight out of his mouth and turned it off. "I told you to shut up unless it's important."

Jimin lowered his weapon, tucked the flashlight back in his pocket, and joined the other officers. Y/n went after him and observed the deck of the ship. It was enormous and contained innocent crates with no evidence. Y/n guessed they traveled light when it came to the illegal stuff; any intelligent criminal wouldn't stock their ship full of incriminating evidence. To survive, they needed to travel lightly enough that they could dispose of any evidence before officers arrived. It was how (clever) drug dealers stayed afloat for so long: whenever a raid occurred, they flushed their supplies before the officers could even break down the door.

"You two," a female officer said. She had a mask on her face and a hat covering the front part of her blonde ponytail. She approached and pointed to the right corner. "Join task force A. They're understaffed."

Jimin dipped his head. "Yes ma'am."

Y/n followed Jimin to the corner, and that was where she noticed a small group of four were ravaging through the crates. Jimin froze on his way there. She peeked over his shoulder and spotted a tiny sock on the ground. It reminded her of the home that had a similar article of clothing. The last time she pried, he looked as though he would kill her. She chose not to open her mouth even as he knelt and picked it up.

"Evidence," he muttered. He snapped his gloved fingers as best he could. She could barely hear it over the rampant rain rushing down their skin. "Got any evidence bags?"

"We were in too much of a rush, I'm sorry."

Jimin cursed and decided to shove it in his pocket instead. He sucked in a breath before guiding her to the other four officers who were scavenging the pile of crates that were left untouched.

"We only arrested two," one of them, a male with one eye, said. He had a hooked thumb that he used to scratch his pointy nose. "The rest either left or are hiding somewhere we haven't found yet."

Y/n holstered her weapon, as did Jimin. While he spoke to his co-workers he definitely knew better than her, she peered around the corner. For a corner, it was quite spacious. It could fit at least seven officers if they were standing side-by-side. The railings were bent and had chips of white on the otherwise black surface. The crates themselves were thrown around. Almost like they were thrown in a panic. That could mean anything, though. It wasn't a clue. They could have been throwing the cargo overboard, or rushing to hide something, or rushing to leave when they bumped into the crates. That meant-

Wait.

Y/n stiffened and scanned her eyes over the floorboards. Seeing as she was just downstairs, she knew there was space between the deck and the center of the ship. That could mean there were compartments hidden in the floorboards. Maybe a ventilation shaft, or extra cargo space, or hiding spots modified for the group to squeeze into.

Before Y/n could report her findings to her ex-partner, time slowed, and shouts rang out. They were no match for the behemoth that was the thunderstorm.

Her theory was correct. Floorboards opened now that the officers had unknowingly moved the crates off of them. Gunfire joined the chaos, and in a flash, two officers were dead, and Jimin went crashing down with blood pouring out of his left bicep.

His uniform got torn along with the clothes he wore underneath. She saw his bare skin, but most of it was covered in a crimson liquid. Through the hole in his arm, she swore she could see a single rod of white half-covered by mangled flesh and nerves: his humerus.

Jimin knocked her down as several gang members sprung free from their cages and killed the other two officers who were on the scene. All at once, a firefight ensued, and Y/n couldn't breathe thanks to Officer Park's body remaining on top of hers. She gasped and clawed at him, but he was half-conscious and refusing to release her. His blood spewed on her, and it poured on her exposed neck and down her torso. It was sticky; it glued itself to any inch of skin she had. It was warm and slimy, and it brought a sense of twisted comfort to her to feel sudden heat in the pounding, freezing rain New York was known for.

The criminals overlooked Jimin and Y/n's presence, likely since they thought the officers were dead, and they had much larger problems. The living members of the NYPD fired away, and the suspects took down a few more of Y/n's co-workers before sprinting to the exit. It was the same stairway Jimin and Y/n had entered from. As soon as the final perp evaded her vision, adrenaline entered her organs and pumped its way to her mind. It was like taking a drug; it granted her temporary ecstasy that had her shoving Jimin off of her.

"Cadet," Jimin murmured as he reached for her.

She pulled out her pistol. "I can't let them get away."

I won't was the part she didn't add. She didn't add the fact that her parents' words were cycling through her head. All the times they had called her worthless; all the times her dreams had been squeezed out by their incessant insults toward her desire to protect and serve. Every second the criminals ran was another second her brain warped around each sentence her family had spat at her to keep her in her place like a dog.

"Wait," Jimin said in a croak.

The other officers deemed the chase a loss and were taking care of their injured. In the short time the suspects were firing, they managed to down at least eight officers, and there were only about twenty on the deck in total, including Y/n and Jimin. If no one else went after them, that left it to Y/n. She wouldn't give up. She wouldn't fail her mission.

She cleared her throat and made sure her safety was off. "I'll be back."

Jimin began to force himself to his feet, but she didn't stay to see it. She pranced into action and jumped down the stairs. Cheers and cackles echoed in the hallway she entered, and she followed the noises. Their heavy footsteps banged against the creaking metal floors. Mud slid off her boots and caused her to stumble, but she regained her footing once she saw they were heading to the front. There weren't many officers out front; they could overwhelm the unsuspecting officers.

Y/n attempted to warn them on her walkie-talkie, but it appeared broken, likely thanks to Jimin falling on her and causing them to slam their bodies on the rough ground. Not that it mattered. A few moments later, she was interrupted by the suspects.

"Awh, what's this? A lone officer coming after little old us?" a male voice said.

The darkness caused Y/n to panic. She slid into a crouching position and raised her weapon. The voice came from up ahead, but she had no visual. The blackness was too dominating. She couldn't spot the outlines of their bodies.

"NYPD!" she shouted. She forced as much confidence into her voice as she could. For once, she listened to Jimin and gave them a chance to surrender. "You're under arrest! Lay down your weapons or I will open fire!"

Laughter broke free, and a beat later, a gunshot came her way and skimmed by her ear. She could hear the whizz of the shot. Without thinking, she retaliated. One bullet later, she heard a man cry in pain and what she assumed was the sound of a body slumping to the ground.

"Johnson! Shit! You little bitch!" another male said before more attacks came her way.

There was no cover surrounding her. All she had was the corner of the wall on her left as she blindly fired. Minutes could have passed and she wouldn't have known nor cared. All that mattered was taking them down. Every shot felt like a middle finger to her old family. A smile slithered its way onto her face even when her pistol clicked. It clicked over and over until her hand whipped to her belt to find a new mag to put in its place; however, before she could grab it, she felt blood infect her lower half.

Thinking it was Jimin's, she shimmied her way behind the wall despite the awkward position it put her in, not to mention it took her longer than she would have liked. When a dull throb followed the action, she halted and forgot all about the magazine she required to continue her onslaught. The gunshots faded into the background as she tore open her uniform. Buttons popped off and clattered to the ground. Her bulletproof vest was strapped around her torso with a couple silver blobs on the centerpiece.

She counted the blobs as if she were counting sheep. One... two... three... and she stopped at eight. Her vest had prevented eight bullets from entering her, and the adrenaline had masked the deep bruising the impact probably caused. As she descended her eyes down the area, she observed a hole in the vest. It was tiny, but large enough to be noticeable. What replaced the black material was a squirting red liquid that began to infect to her thighs. Funny. It was warm.

Her body slumped against the wall, and her pistol made its way to the floor. Her vision felt as though it had been ripped away from her in the same way her parents had ripped away any dream she had ever had. She didn't regret her choice. It wasn't like she had anything to live for anyway.

"Y/n!" a male voice shouted. It didn't occur to her that the gunshots had ceased and what replaced them was a silence that reverberated across every surface in the vicinity. His voice was the only thing that broke it.

A soft hand made its way to her cheek, and her head got turned to see the one who intruded her brief serenity. Puppy eyes with dark hickory irises gazed back at her. Beads of sweat swam down his forehead. They passed by the mole near the top of his skin; it was what she fixated on. For a moment, it seemed as though the mole grinned at her. She couldn't comprehend why she couldn't stop staring at it.

"Y/n," Jimin whispered as his thumb stroked her cheek. He was wiping away her tears, tears she didn't realize she had.

"I'm okay." She coughed as she said it. "Just give me a minute."

"I know," Jimin said with a hitch in his tone. He was crying too, but she didn't understand why. "You have a Fast and Furious movie to see, right?"

She laughed. It sounded more like a whine.

"Will you see it with me?" she asked. Blood began to trail out of her mouth, and the bitter taste felt familiar. It tasted like fear.

Jimin's lower lip quivered as his free hand grabbed hers and gave it a squeeze. "I will."

Her voice became a hoarse whisper. "You promise?"

He brought her hand forward and pressed his lips against the back of her skin. It was warmer than anything she had felt that day. It was a good kind of warmth, not the blood she had been exposed to. For some reason, she craved to feel it again. She added 'find that warmth and hold it forever' to her list of dreams.

Jimin rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. He scooted himself closer and opened his mouth, but no words came out for a long second. A heavy breath left his throat, then, he chuckled. It was like a sob.

"I promise."

As soon as the two words kissed her ears, she shut her eyes and let herself slip away.

☂☂☂

A/N: I have some upcoming stories I thought I'd share with you.

1) Nyctophilia, a Kim Taehyung ff. It follows special forces agent Kim Taehyung (I stg I made this draft long before he signed up for the special forces irl) as he discovers a mysterious woman involved in a terrible crime only he can get to the bottom of. Angst level: 8/10.

2) The Sparrow's Will, an original dystopian. In a world where the citizens are oppressed by the government, the people divided into four factions called the Ravens, the Sparrows, the Crows, and the Cardinals. More details later. Angst level: 10/10.

3) Starfield, my FIRST space opera since the Adrift series (three years!). Starfield follows the known criminal, Park Jimin, as he is thrusted into a journey he never asked for. Suddenly, Jimin finds himself at the center of the galaxy fighting aliens, working with pirates, discovering the secrets of the universe, and more. It will be formatted like seasons of a TV show that build up to an exciting final season with a gigantic plot tackling heavy subject matter. Angst level: 10000/10.

I'll keep you updated with info about these stories, but for now, I'll give you a small teaser!

Here are the covers:

Theme song: Living Life, In The Night - Cheriimoya, Sierra Kidd

Theme song: Say Something - A Great Big World

Theme song: Half of My Heart (Orchestral Version) - Josh Makazo