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☂ Chapter 4 ☂

Misery.

It was what infected the vicinity. A bridge overlooked a bay where only one ship was. The low light made it so Jimin and her blended in. There were shadows cloaking the arena, with a little less than a dozen men crowding the small space.

Officer Park and her were watching as the men carried cargo onto a ship using vehicles and equipment she didn't recognize. It took an hour and a long talk with Captain Jeon for the new partners to get to where the coordinates were, but they made it. And they were laying low. Revealing themselves would jeopardize the mission. Y/n couldn't take that chance. Not on her first one.

Jimin and her stayed on the bridge, overlooking the dock full of men and only men. They were younger, too. Y/n wondered what they were loading, but there was no way to find out without approaching. Seeing as she was a woman, she knew she'd stand out.

There were containers and crates being loaded onto a massive ship. Thanks to the rain and cloudy sky, the late afternoon appeared as night instead. The windows on the ship had no light in them. The cargo bay had red lights active, likely to stay out of sight. There were no other ships there, just the dock and the water that splashed every time rain fell in it.

"We're going to have to work together," Jimin said. His voice sounded heavy as it passed his lips. "I'm going to get out of my uniform, I have clothes on underneath. We have earpieces, you can communicate to me what you're seeing, and you'll hear everything they say to me."

"Do we have a warrant?"

"Doing what's right isn't always what's legal. Besides, we don't need a warrant to snoop around. Pretend we're average citizens. You keep watch, I'll go in. Only speak if you have to. Let me know if someone's flanking me."

As much as Y/n hated following orders, she knew what she signed up for. Together, they returned to the cruiser parked out of eyesight, and she observed Jimin as he unbuttoned his uniform.

The navy blue fabric stretched as he tugged it. Underneath the top was a long-sleeved, skin tight black shirt that hugged his biceps and chest. It squeezed around his neck, and as he turned to grab the earpieces, she spotted black ink. It was just under his hair but high enough that the shirt didn't fully cover it. It almost looked like a moon. Maybe there was a sequence down his back.

"Here," Jimin said. The earpiece was tiny and white. He put one in his ear as he undid his belt. Hearing the 'clang' of the item reminded her that this was reality. She was on a mission that wasn't paperwork about a janitor stealing a mop.

Jimin rid himself of his uniform and showed off the all-black outfit he had on underneath. Y/n recognized it as cold weather gear. It was skin tight and thick, meant to keep him warm during the harsh seasons. Despite how it was the end of summer, Y/n couldn't blame him. New York got cold fast, and they had to be ready for anything.

"They should already be connected. Can you hear me?" he asked, and she heard him both in front of her and in the earpiece. When she nodded, he hummed. "Good. Keep watch and make sure I'm not about to get ambushed."

"What if they find out you don't belong?"

"Then they find out and probably kidnap me. Or worse."

"And you want me to do nothing?"

He grinned. "I would say shoot me, but I don't trust your aim. Relax, I'll handle this."

She didn't trust him, but she was in no position to argue. Her eyes followed his slim form as he got out of the vehicle. He grabbed his pistol and put it in his waistband, hiding it as best he could. There was a lump, but he covered it with his shirt. It didn't get rid of it completely, but it was enough that the dark would cloak it.

Jimin got up and stretched, which lifted his shirt just enough so she could see his handgun and the outline of his waist. Once again, she saw ink. It looked like another moon.

"Hey Cadet?"

She perked her head up. "Yes, Officer Park?"

He snorted. "Don't fuck up."

Without another word, Jimin left her. She followed him a minute later, going back to her spot on the bridge so she could overlook the area. He went down the staircase that led to the dock and slipped by the containers, keeping himself hidden. She clutched the metal railing and listened as best she could. All she heard was rustling and wind. Then, a moment later, Jimin popped into her view.

He was near the corner, a group of containers surrounding him. The low light of the dock allowed him to blend in, and the open hatch of the ship was fifty feet away.

"Unmarked containers. Could be illegal," Jimin said in a hushed tone. His soft voice sank inside her ears. It was a melody she found herself liking, but seeing as it came from Jimin, she forced herself to push the admiration away.

"Two men, nine o'clock. Looks like they're picking up more boxes."

Jimin moved but was careful to stay hidden. The closer he got to the two men, the more their voices became clear. He got close enough that she could make out what they were saying.

"The boy won't survive more than a day," one man said. His voice was light. It didn't carry any edges. It almost sounded pure.

"More like Tony won't," another replied. His voice was deeper and rougher, like it had been through a whole war. Then, the one who possessed the voice laughed. "You think the cops found his body yet?"

"I hope so. I'd love to see it on the news."

Y/n watched as Jimin casually strolled out by them. Even though she couldn't see his face from her position, she knew he was smiling.

"I'm willing to bet the boy is already a goner," Jimin said.

"Who the hell are you?" the light voiced one said.

Jimin did a small bow. "Jason. I'm a new recruit, straight from Korea. Our boss sent me to get rid of any and all evidence Tony might've left behind. Sorry I'm late, I just came from Tony's house in the outskirts. How about you two? Who are you?"

"Tyler," the deep voiced one said. "This is Marty. I didn't know our base in Korea was operational."

"It isn't, that's why I'm here."

Tyler snickered. "Fair enough. Help load up and get onboard, we have a long ride ahead."

"Did we find out the boy's name yet?" Jimin asked.

"Park Jaewon. You didn't know that already?"

"I came from Tony's house, I didn't exactly have time to go play the name game. Let's get moving, we don't have all day."

Before Jimin could move, Tyler stepped in front of him. Y/n placed her hand on her pistol, but she knew it'd be no use. If Jimin got caught, they had to deal with the consequences. But Y/n couldn't accept that. She couldn't fail her mission.

"Who hired you?" Tyler asked.

"The boss."

"Gee, thanks for being so specific."

Jimin shoved Tyler back. "Get out of my face. We're here to do a job. Do you think slowing down the process to question me is a good idea? I told you my story, I even gave a specific location for Tony's house. Do you want me to recite his address too, or can we get back to work?"

Jimin's tactic was to gaslight them, and much to her amazement, it worked. Tyler backed off, although Y/n didn't think he was convinced. Together, the trio brought another crate to the ship and helped load. It was uneventful, and the only voices were those barking orders. They were in a rush, which was likely the reason Tyler backed off.

Figuring they were going to load for a while, Y/n went back to the cruiser to get binoculars. She noticed the glove compartment seemed jammed. With her brows pushed together, she opened it to clear the clutter. A silver chain got stuck near the corner. She pulled it free and saw it wasn't just a chain; it was a locket. It was half-open, and Y/n drew the conclusion that it had been looked at recently.

Unable to help herself, she used her gloved fingers to open it. What awaited her was the face of Park Jimin. A smile rested on his plump lips, and in his arms was a bundle of blankets and a tiny face with equally tiny hands. A woman was by his side, posing for the camera. The background was a river, but she didn't recognize which one. It wasn't taken in New York; the skyline wasn't the same. Perhaps this was the Busan he had mentioned.

Officer Park warned her about prying. As much as she disliked him, she understood how it felt to be guarded about the past. Guilt stirred inside her, so she put the locket back and ensured it was closed before she grabbed the binoculars from their supply bag and left.

Y/n felt terrible for going through his belongings, but it was worth it. She wouldn't bring it up to him, but if they were dealing with a kid, she needed to keep Jimin away. She couldn't trust he wouldn't react rashly if he saw a kid in danger. After all, she didn't know his past with children. Based on that photo, she guessed he was a father who left Busan after the passing of his child. But that was just a guess. An educated one, but a guess nonetheless.

With the binoculars secured, she returned to her spot. Not much progress had been made. There were at least a dozen more containers that needed transportation. Jimin led the charge, much to her surprise. He was giving orders and helping them stay organized. Jimin said he was a prestigious officer back in Busan. Maybe his training was shining through in that moment.

They hadn't known each other long, but for the first time since then, Y/n saw his eyes in a different light. They weren't harsh. They weren't degrading her. His eyes were that of a leader's; he was passionate, maybe even caring. She wondered if she'd ever have the privilege of having him look at her like that.

Jimin backed away from the others to go to the back of the dock. He knelt and got out of view. Seconds later, his voice filled her ear.

"Cargo is marked for Long Island. Not sure how true that is, but it's worth investigating."

"Got it," she said. "Let's search every warehouse in the entirety of Long Island without a warrant. Sounds good."

"Okay wiseass, I get your point. I'm gonna try and open one to see what's inside. Maybe we can get something incriminating and earn that warrant- wait."

"What? What's wrong?"

"I just heard something move. It came from inside the container."

Jimin didn't elaborate, so she didn't ask. She waited and heard Jimin straining. After a few grunts and some creaks, all she heard was wind. Then, rustling. A few beats passed, and the silence clung to the sides of her face.

"Officer Park?"

"I'm okay, just..."

But before he could finish, she spotted two men coming toward the back of the dock. Panic jumped inside her chest as she used the binoculars to pinpoint which direction they were heading. They were going the same way Jimin did.

"Two men incoming. Twelve o'clock."

"Shit," Jimin said in a raspy, low tone.

She heard scurrying and Jimin repeating the phrase 'come on.' It sounded like there were two pairs of footsteps. Then, the stairs to the bridge shook, and Jimin hopped up a second later.

"Get to the car and start it, we don't have time," he said.

Not wanting to fail the mission, Y/n sprinted to the cruiser and did what she was told. Driving wasn't her favorite thing to do. She had learned illegally through street racing and watching the entire Fast and Furious saga. As much as she loved those movies, they were nothing like driving in real life. Y/n figured that out the hard way.

Once the police cruiser was ready, she heard the back door open. In came a head of black, fluffy hair and doe eyes that reminded her of Captain Jeon's. The little boy had chubby, small fingers and a frame too thin for comfort. His chapped and thin lower lip trembled as he met her eyes.

"Officer Park," she said before taking a moment to catch her breath. "Who the hell is this?"

"The kid Tony was supposed to get rid of. Guess he didn't have the heart. Jaewon."

"And we're taking him... where?"

"1PP."

Jimin buckled the boy in, shut the door, and went to the passenger's side. As soon as he was seated and ready, Y/n drove off. No men came after them, and silence filled the car. It felt like the boy was under arrest, but he had such innocent eyes that Y/n doubted he had ever done any wrong in his life. She had been like that once.

"Here bud," Jimin said, opening the glove compartment.

He brushed his hand by the locket. She noticed he shuddered as his fingers made contact with the metal. He lingered on the chain for a beat too long, then he grabbed what looked to be a tiny blanket. It couldn't cover more than the legs, but seeing Jaewon's size, it seemed perfect. When Jimin handed it to Jaewon, Y/n realized the blanket seemed more suited for a toddler than an adult.

Jaewon took it and cuddled in it. Jimin stared for a moment, then brought his eyes back to her as she stopped at a red light. Taking the kid jeopardized the mission. They didn't have much information to go on. Long Island was a massive place, and the clue he received didn't narrow it down. There weren't enough clues. Did they fail? Y/n wouldn't be able to live with herself if they failed.

"I opened three containers. They had a bunch of kids stuff in them. This goes deeper than we know, Y/n. I thought this might be the average gang, but this seems like the Underworld."

"What makes you say that?" she asked as the light turned green. She sped up more than she had to.

"The containers, they had tiny holes in them. Breathing holes. I don't think Jaewon is the only kid they took."

"You think it's a child trafficking ring?"

"I know it is. That's why Captain Jeon has been so stressed. There's been more kids disappearing without a trace, and he's in charge of finding them. Do you have any idea..." Jimin broke off, his hand tightening on his thigh. "Do you have any idea how important kids are?"

Through the rearview mirror, she kept her eyes on Jaewon. The kid's hair had gotten too long. It was past his ears, and depending on how he turned his head, strands of his frizzy locks fell in his face and covered his eyes.

"Jimin, this isn't a good idea," she said, dropping her voice to a mutter.

"Cadet L/n, that isn't your decision. Let me handle it."

"But the kid."

"I couldn't leave him behind," Jimin whispered while his knuckles went white. "Not again."

She didn't pry. He already disliked her, she didn't see why she should make it worse. She returned to the station, 1PP. Jimin got out right away and took the kid with him, likely to get him to someone who could help.

Y/n fled to the basement and met with Hoseok and Seulgi, who were on their computers. When they didn't see Jimin, they got up, and she sighed. It didn't occur to her how awful Jimin's discovery was. It didn't occur to her that she had gotten herself into something more intense than she could ever imagine. Gangs were one thing, but child trafficking was another. And she had a feeling she'd get assigned to the case.

"Jimin's fine, but we rescued a kid," she said. Before they could express their awe, she interjected. "We have a problem much bigger than we thought."

"What is it?" Hoseok and Seulgi asked at the same time, their eyes wide and their hands sweaty. Y/n slumped her shoulders and did her best to find the positives. Her mother used to tell her to do that. Just like all the other advice her mother had given her, it felt useless now.

"We're dealing with traffickers, and I think we're getting assigned to the case..."

☂☂☂

A/N: This chap is a lil longer than normal. Jimin's past is a bit clearer now. Any theories as to why he left Busan?

Or maybe theories on Y/n's past? I think hers is definitely clearer and more straightforward than Jimin's, but I'm still curious to see what everyone's interpretation of the text is so far.