A/N: I'm updating as fast as I can, it's just been difficult with college. Thank you for your patience!

Daily reminder: Jimin is attractive.

☂ Chapter 8 ☂

Hostage situations changed the way officers handled business.

Based on Y/n's experience (which she had a little over three weeks of), NYPD was less serious than she thought. They made jokes, many of them dark, to help alleviate the stress of being a cop. However, hostage situations changed them. Hoseok and Seulgi, who liked to flirt on the job, had any and all positive emotions drained from their faces. Their eyes were sagged and their shoulders slumped. It looked like Y/n had walked in on a funeral.

The basement was a sad enough sight, but Hoseok and Seulgi amplified the dread stirring inside Y/n's stomach. However, she couldn't perform her task if she let them dictate her emotions. She forced everything else aside and instead set her eyes on the pair.

"As much as I wish we did, we don't have time for a life crisis. Let's go before it's too late," she said. Her voice was louder than she was expecting. It projected around the room, and the two before her listened. Other than the old man she adored, no one had ever respected her. Not even her parents.

A long drive followed, but thanks to their sirens, they got past the NYC late-night traffic and made it to the ship with time to spare. There were countless patrol cars before them, blue and red lights flashing until her eyes burned. It smelled of seawater. There was smoke in the air, but Y/n couldn't identify if it was from a gun or a pack of cigarettes.

Hoseok and Seulgi followed Y/n's lead as she took out her pistol and crept closer to the scene. The ship she was so familiar with was anchored and next to the fishing dock. Rain pitter-pattered against the concrete leading up to the wooden boardwalk not too far away. Jimin and her had held a stakeout near the grass on the hill behind them. She had never imagined she'd get this close.

"Let the girl go!" a male officer shouted through a microphone. His deep voice echoed through the polluted air and infected Y/n's weak ears. She winced and spotted Jimin and Kasper in the crowd. How they got there before her was beyond her, but she jotted it down to them being more experienced and decided to approach.

"You know how to handle these situations?" Y/n asked as she stopped by Jimin's side.

Jimin had his gaze on the ship. The cargo bay doors were open, and in front of them was a man with a beard shaved on one side and bushy on the other. His eyes were wide, and Y/n didn't need binoculars to know there were red rims around the edges of them. Despite the locks on his chin, baldness took over the top of the man's head. A pistol was in his hand and shoved against the side of a little girl's neck. She trembled and cried, staining her pale face with moisture. Like the man, her hair was missing.

"I know the basics, but not enough to help now. We could be at this for hours. Hell, we got here late, they've already been at this for almost an hour," Jimin said.

"Why hasn't anyone shot or surrounded him?"

"We don't know his mental stability. One wrong move and that little girl dies. We'll save her, even if it takes days. He has to sleep eventually, right?"

She had to admit it wasn't a terrible plan, but not a great one either. There had to be more they could do. However, Y/n knew not to overstep. She was a rookie with much to learn, not to mention the risk of failing the mission had her insides shriveling inside themselves. The very thought made her mind hurl profanities at her.

"We got time to kill. Want to form a perimeter and see if you can find any new markings on the ship?" Jimin asked.

Y/n tilted her head. "Would that help?"

"Can't hurt. Just don't get too close and keep your gun holstered in case he spots you. You don't want to spook him. Get binoculars and take a look from the side, and if you find anything, report back to me."

Y/n didn't disagree. With the help of Hoseok and Seulgi, they took binoculars and went around the side with their weapons holstered. There were officers lingering near both sides of the ship, but they were only there to box the suspect in. The man hadn't budged in the few minutes Y/n had been there. No words came from the criminal's mouth. The shouts of the police officers filled the area, but nothing else. Not even the little girl who kept trembling in the man's arms.

"No markings," Y/n said as she glanced through the binoculars. "Nothing to identify them. We should have enough for a warrant now, right?"

Hoseok hummed. "Deputy Inspector Min is getting one as we speak. As soon as the hostage situation is handled, we'll storm the ship and look for evidence to use against them."

"I have so many questions," Seulgi said with a quiver in her tone. "Why act now? We've been watching them for weeks, so why all of a sudden? It doesn't make sense. And where did he get the kid? Where did he get the gun? Is it registered?"

Although the binoculars had limited range, Y/n could make out scratches on the side of his weapon. Thanks to her lack of experience, she couldn't tell what type of pistol it was.

"Looks custom-made. Scratches on the side, maybe tally marks for his victims? Burgundy handle with a skull painted on the back."

Y/n passed the binoculars off to Seulgi, and she clicked her tongue. Before Y/n could ask what she saw, the man lowered his weapon from the little girl's head. Almost like he had a sudden epiphany.

"I give up!" he shouted, and the officers moved in a bit closer. Much to Y/n's awe, Jimin and Kasper led the charge.

"Drop your weapon and let the girl go," Jimin said. His voice was even and smooth with not so much as a crack daring to touch the depths of his words. "Turn around and raise your hands where we can see them."

The man did as he was told.

"Walk backwards toward us and kneel."

Jimin repeated the instructions one more time, then the suspect backed up enough for Kasper to get cuffs on him. The other officers secured the little girl, and just like that, the hostage situation came to its conclusion. All that was left was waiting for Deputy Inspector Min to arrive with the warrant.

"Anything sharp in your pockets? Needles, knives...?" Jimin asked as Kasper handed him gloves.

"What?" the man asked in a pant.

Y/n approached and noticed how red the stranger's eyes were. She couldn't tell if that was thanks to drugs or alcohol or a mix of both.

"Your pockets. I'm going to search you, I need to know if anything's going to jab me when I do. Do you have anything sharp in your pockets, like needles or knives?"

"None."

Jimin placed the latex gloves on his hands and searched the man. When he found nothing other than a quarter and a penny, Jimin deemed him safe to detain. He took off the gloves and snapped his fingers above his head.

"I want drones in the sky, take as many aerial shots as you can. Inspector Min will be here any minute with our warrant, get a team ready to raid the ship, we have no idea what's waiting inside. I want a team watching our new friend, and for God's sake, someone get that girl a blanket," Jimin said, and all the officers in earshot did as they were told.

"You're not a supervisor," Y/n said as she stopped by his side. Kasper took the suspect away, and Jimin shook his head.

"Someone's gotta do the job. Hoseok and Seulgi told you I know how to handle these, didn't they?"

"That's right."

"Back in Busan, my partner and I used to handle these situations together." Jimin broke off to suck in a deep breath between his two front teeth. One of them was crooked and chipped. "Captain Jeon knows what I can do. If you don't trust me, trust his judgement."

"You're a good cop, I trust you on the field. But, Jimin..."

He turned toward her, and for the first time in what seemed like decades, the eyes of Park Jimin stared at her. They weren't hateful or judging; they were frail. She didn't know if it was rain or tears, but water stuck to his face and puffed up his eyelids. Like the suspect, Jimin had red rims clouding the white hiding inside. His pupils expanded and took in her form. For a moment, she felt vulnerable.

She rubbed her arms and backed away.

"Captain Jeon put me back on the case," Jimin said. His voice sounded like a broken whisper. "It looks like you have to get used to me again."

Y/n averted her gaze. "I don't know what to say-"

"Officer Park!"

Kasper's words shattered any consolation Y/n had. Kasper rushed over with his walkie-talkie in his grip. He almost shoved it in Jimin's hands.

"The department," Kasper said, out of breath. "NYPD."

Jimin almost jumped. "Let's go. Now. You too, Cadet L/n."

Y/n agreed and didn't bother saying her goodbyes to Seulgi and Hoseok before piling in the back of Jimin's cruiser. It felt odd, sitting in the back. At one point in her childhood, she thought she'd end up in the back of a police car. Now, she thought she wiggled her way out of it. But life found a way.

Kasper didn't explain the situation despite the long ride to the department. 1PP came into view a few minutes later, and Jimin got them there as fast as he could thanks to him using his lights and siren. He didn't ask questions. Y/n didn't either. Both of them departed the cruiser and rushed inside. There was yellow police tape out front and officers blocking the public from getting too close. Jimin approached the glass doors, but they were broken.

"What the hell happened?" Jimin asked one of the many officers out front.

"Go see Captain Jeon, we're not sure either," the woman replied.

Jimin, Y/n, and Kasper entered 1PP with their shoulders set and their hands on their holstered pistols. Y/n held up the rear, and together, they located Captain Jeon's office in less than a minute.

The interior of 1PP had seen better days. The lights flickered and officers rushed up and down the halls. Every floor tile she stepped on had stains of mud engraved into them. She grimaced as she passed a patch of an oozing scarlet liquid that wasn't quite dried yet.

When Jimin saw it, he stiffened. "Captain Jeon's office is up here..."

Jimin sprinted off and shouted Jungkook's name with Y/n and Kasper on his tail. They burst into Jungkook's office and found the man gasping for air and slumped over his chair.

"Basement." Jungkook coughed out blood. "The suspect... basement..."

"Go," Kasper said as he knelt in front of Jungkook. Captain Jeon had a knife sunk in his stomach and what appeared to be a gunshot wound on his right shoulder. "I'll make sure he gets medical attention."

Jimin huffed. "I'm not leaving my friend-"

"That's an order," Jungkook interrupted, but his words descended into a series of gags and chokes.

"Officer Park, come on," Y/n said, but he didn't budge. She pulled on the sleeve of his uniform. "Jimin, please."

Jimin snapped back to attention and followed her outside. There were officers shouting and barking orders. She ignored them to instead run to the stairs, figuring there was no time for an elevator.

They went to the basement to find it empty. Bloody handprints smeared the walls, and bodies of officers littered the floor. Jimin's shaking hand covered his mouth, and she watched his knees buckle and threaten to give out.

"Who... what..." Jimin's voice stuttered and strained.

Y/n stepped over the bodies. Although it was disturbing to see her fellow officers deceased, for once, she had the advantage over Officer Park: she had seen much worse.

"Gunshot and stab wounds. We need to check the cameras, this looks like a raid," Y/n said. Jimin didn't answer for a long beat, so she whipped her head around and shot her brows up. "We need to check the cameras-"

"The hostage situation," Jimin muttered.

"What? What about it?"

Jimin's eyes jumped and bulged until they landed on hers. She had never seen such raw horror on a person's face. Officer Park's lower lip shuddered before he spoke.

"It was just a distraction."

☂☂☂

A/N: The plot thickens.

Also, I'm sorry, but Officer Park is so attractive, I wish he'd arrest me-

Anyway, goodnight, it's almost 4 a.m.