"Namjoon," the voice greeted them over the phone with a warm purr. "I was wondering when you were going to call."

Yoongi froze, recognizing the voice immediately, but Namjoon frowned, wondering why it sounded faintly familiar.

"Smartest kid on campus and didn't even think to search up the number? Or to call it?" Taehyung chuckled, shaking a hand through his hair as he tossed his head back. "I can't believe I ever thought you would be useful to me."

"Who are you?" Namjoon demanded, grip tightening on the phone. "And what the hell do you want?"

Taehyung glanced down at the unconscious boy on the floor at his feet, nudging Seokjin slightly with his shoe. "I have what I want, and if you want him back, unharmed, you'll come to the shack."

Namjoon's blood turned to ice.

It wouldn't be Seokjin, right?

Why him?

He was innocent in all of this- it couldn't possibly be the kind, shy, gentle older brother.

But something in his soul told him it was.

His love was in danger.

"Better hurry." Taehyung hummed. "He doesn't have unlimited time. See you boys soon."

The call disconnected.

Namjoon jumped up from his seat, knocking his chair backwards. "He has Jin! He took Jin- we need to go! Now!"

"Taehyung..." Yoongi breathed, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the family doctor, who had always been so kind to them all, was the one behind all their suffering.

"He knows about the shed- the one behind the school!" Namjoon was babbling frantically. "I don't know how and I don't care- we need to go there!"

"Wait." Yoongi caught Namjoon's arm. "Jungkook."

"What about him?" Namjoon frowned.

"We need to go back to the house and make sure he's okay, Taehyung might have done something to him too. And Hoseok- we need to call him. He was released today, he can help us out." Yoongi was serious. "We can't just run into the shed without being prepared first, Taehyung probably set some kind of trap."

Namjoon knew he was right, but he still wanted to burst in there anyways.

"Okay, fine, then let's fucking go." Namjoon ran out of the coffee shop, Yoongi right behind him.

-

"Jungkook!" Yoongi gasped, slamming open the front door. "Jungkook!"

The living room was bare of any people, but shattered ceramic pieces littered the carpet in front of the kitchen, and there was a dark stain from whatever had been inside the broken cup.

Namjoon stooped down, picking up a piece of the broken mug. He sniffed it and frowned. "Tea. He must have attacked Seokjin from behind with this."

"But why? Jin didn't even know we were looking into this." Yoongi looked around, but nothing else seemed out of place.

"He probably took him to use as leverage against us. We know his secret, and he needs an upperhand so that we don't spill it." Namjoon crushed the piece in his hand, fracturing it into two pieces.

"Jungkook?" Yoongi called, hurrying up the stairs. "Baby- where are you?"

He opened the door to the youngest's room and was relieved to see the boy curled up on his bed, snoring softly.

He walked over, gently shaking Jungkook awake.

"Good morning, Goo." He smiled, kissing Jungkook's hair.

"Gi?" Jungkook sat up slowly, rubbing his eye.

When he recognized it was older brother, Jungkook threw himself at him, tackling Yoongi in a hug.

"Gi-Gi! Yoonie!" Jungkook giggled happily.

Yoongi chuckled and held him back tightly. "I missed you too, baby. We haven't spent a lot of time together recently, have we? I'm sorry, Ggukk duck, that was my fault."

"No." Jungkook hummed, patting Yoongi's cheek. "Yoonie no blame himself. Bad."

Yoongi kissed the boys chubby cheek. "Are you okay baby? Hurt anywhere?"

Jungkook frowned and looked himself over. "No, why Googooberry be hurted?"

"Just making sure." Yoongi assured him. "Were you napping?"

Jungkook nodded, and then yawned, as if he was just reminded about how tired he was. "Where Jinnie?"

"He's with Taehyung." Yoongi said truthfully. "Joonie and I are going to go see them."

"Kookie wanna come!" Jungkook kicked his legs excitedly. "Go see TaeTae!"

Yoongi shuddered, knowing he had unknowingly dropped off his innocent baby brother in the hands of a monster for years now. "You stay here, baby. Gi will order you a pizza, okay? Stay here and watch your movies, and we'll be right back."

Jungkook frowned, wondering why he couldn't go see his favorite people, but the thought of pizza and movies made him too happy to argue.

"Come on, baby." Yoongi picked him up, carrying him down to the living room.

"Is he okay?" Namjoon rushed over.

Jungkook blushed when he saw Namjoon, hiding bashfully against Yoongi.

"Yeah, I don't think Taehyung did anything with him, he was just sleeping upstairs." Yoongi set the boy down on the couch and tucked him in under some blankets.

"Okay baby, Gi and Joonie will be right back with Jinnie," he lied, handing the remote to the boy. "Do you want to watch Iron Man again?"

Jungkook clapped excitedly. "Yah!"

After getting him all settled, and placing an order for a small pizza to be delivered, Namjoon pulled Yoongi aside.

"What's the plan?" He whispered. "I'll take a knife with me and go in through the back while you distract him from the front?"

Yoongi bit his lip. "Let's wait for Hoseok- he'll have a gun and training on this kind of situation. Taehyung won't kill Seokjin- at least not yet. He could have just killed him and Jungkook while we were out but he didn't, he wants to talk first. Maybe he wants something. If we can give it to him then maybe he'll let Seokjin go."

Namjoon wasn't as hopeful. "I'm still bringing a knife."

The doorbell rang, breaking them out of their little huddle.

"The pizza's here already?" Namjoon was incredulous as he walked to the door. "Damn, what kind of delivery service did you use?"

But when he opened the door, Hoseok stepped inside, carrying a bag.

"Hobi!" Yoongi ran at him, leaping at the cop to hug him tightly.

Hoseok smiled, holding Yoongi off the floor. "Hey, Yoongs. I missed you."

"I'm so glad you're here!" Yoongi gasped, pulling back. "We need- Taehyung- Seokjin- we have to go!"

"Wait, what?" Hoseok was confused as Yoongi struggled to pull him out the door. "Yoongs, slow down. What's wrong?"

Not wanting Jungkook to overhear, Yoongi impatiently pulled the confused cop into the basement, with Namjoon following and shutting the door behind them.

"Seokjin was kidnapped by the guy who killed our parents." Yoongi explained in a rush. "He took him to that shed I showed you before- we have to go now or else he'll kill him!"

"Wait- what?" Hoseok gasped. "How did- how do you- why is- what-"

"Come on!" Yoongi tugged on his arm. "We can explain on the way! Call for back up! You have your gun on you, right?"

Hoseok pulled it out of his bag. "Of course, but-"

"Good, let's go." Yoongi decided for them, rushing out to grab the car keys.

Namjoon followed him, leaving a bewildered Hoseok to stand alone in the basement.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Namjoon whispered as Yoongi swiped the keys off the counter.

"Why wouldn't we?" Yoongi frowned. "And why would you call him over if you didn't trust him?"

Now Namjoon was the one frowning. "What? I didn't call him- I thought you did."

Before Yoongi could process that, the click of a gun made them both freeze, turning around slowly.

"Let's take this back downstairs." Hoseok said calmly. "I don't want Jungkook to see."

Namjoon glared, angry at himself for being so stupid to trust a cop, and forced his feet to move back down to the basement, with Yoongi numbly following behind him.

Hoseok shut the door and leaned against it, blocking their way out.

"Hoseok-"

"Be quiet, Yoongi." Hoseok warned, shooting a look at the boy. "You and I have a lot to talk about. But first." He glared at Namjoon, pushing himself off the door to march over to the student.

"You piece of shit," Namjoon seethed, fingers curling into fists as the cop approached him. "How can you call yourself a defender of justice when you've been collaborating with a killer for years?"

"You're one to talk about killing." Hoseok quirked an eyebrow.

It all happened so fast- one moment Namjoon was standing tall and strong, and the next he was crumpling to the floor, wincing in pain as blood raced down his cheek, down his neck and stained his white shirt. He curled into a ball, grimacing as he placed his hand over the wound, blood leaking through his fingers.

"No!" Yoongi gasped, racing over. "Namjoon-!"

He was intercepted and grabbed roughly by Hoseok, the cop glaring cold contempt as he held Yoongi back.

'"Let me go!" Yoongi kicked and struggled, and Hoseok shove him back against the wall.

"Yoongi, stop." The cop warned. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You shot him!" Yoongi wailed, tears blurring his vision.

"I didn't- did you hear a bang?" Hoseok sighed, bringing up the gun. "Just pistol whipped him. Why do you even care? He's killed three people for no reason!"

"He was helping me!" Yoongi shoved at the strong cop. "To find out who killed my parents! And it turns out you were a monster who lied to me for years!"

"I didn't lie, I only ever wanted to keep you safe." Hoseok frowned, cupping Yoongi's cheek. "I love you, Yoongs. I never let Taehyung do anything to you, he wanted to, but I-"

"You didn't stop him!" Yoongi cried, yanking his head free. "You didn't stop him from killing my parents! Did you know what he was doing to Jungkook? You're a fucking monster- just like him!"

"You don't know what happened." Hoseok pocketed the gun. "Yoongs, listen to me baby, I just want to protect you."

"Get the hell away from me!" Yoongi spat, shoving him away.

Hoseok sighed as he stepped back, letting Yoongi race over to Namjoon. He was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but the boy was too distraught and emotional to see the truth just yet.

He walked back to his bag.

Yoongi fell to his knees at Namjoon's side, grabbing the boy and rolled him onto his back. "Namjoon! Fuck- Namjoon, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Namjoon groaned, eyes fluttering open with hazy vision.

"It's okay, head wounds always look worse than they really are." Yoongi assured him with a shaking voice, pressing his hands over the wound. "You're okay, you're just fine."

The touches helped ground him to reality, and Namjoon slowly came back, feeling a splitting pain in his head.

Hands grabbed Yoongi suddenly, yanking him away.

"Hey- no, stop!" Yoongi struggled as Hoseok forced his wrists behind his back, locking handcuffs around them. "Let me go!"

"Don't make me punch you too, please." Hoseok sounded upset as he led Yoongi away, pushing him to the bed a few feet away. "Just sit here for a second, okay?"

Yoongi struggled to sit up, heart pounding as he watched Hoseok shove Namjoon onto his front, tying his hands behind his back as well with some rope.

"You don't deserve to be around Yoongi." He spat, yanking a cloth between the boys lips, tying it behind his head. "A disgusting murderer like you."

Namjoon tried to force him off, muffled angry protests blocked by the cloth as Hoseok pulled him up.

"Okay." He said, pulling his gun out to jab against Namjoon's side. "Here's how this is going to go. We're all going to slip quietly out the window here, so little Jungkookie doesn't see anything, got it? We're going to the squad car, and I don't want to hear a single sound out of either of you, or else there will be one less bullet in this gun."

"Why are you doing this?" Yoongi whispered, unable to take any more betrayal today. "I thought you were my friend."

"I am." Hoseok frowned. "I care for you, Yoongs. So much. And this disgusting bastard here," he dug the gun painfully into Namjoon's side. "Has been lying to you since day one."

"No, he hasn't." Yoongi's voice wavered. "He's been up front about his actions and has assisted me to hunt a real bad guy. I thought you were somebody I could trust...I thought you were somebody I could turn to in dark times."

"He's killed innocent people!" Hoseok hissed, grip tightening on the student's hair, yanking his head back.

"And you dare say you're any better?" Yoongi shouted, jumping up from the bed.

"Quiet," Hoseok pressed the gun over his lips. "I don't want to bring Jungkook into this. Let's go."

He shoved Namjoon towards the window, releasing him only to lift up the sliding glass.

Unable to do anything else, Yoongi followed, shaking off Hoseok's hands when the cop tried to help him over the ledge.

"Come on." Hoseok grabbed Namjoon's arm, yanking him quickly along the grass to the police car parked out front.

"What are you doing?" Yoongi was horrified when he saw Hoseok open the trunk.

"You even think about kicking my taillights out, and I'll shoot you." The cop warned, before pushing Namjoon backwards into the trunk.

"No!" Yoongi raced over as Hoseok slammed the lid shut, locking it.

The cop grabbed him by the throat, dragging him to the back seat. "Yoongi, don't fight."

"Stop it, let me go!" He screamed, struggling as Hoseok forced him inside the car.

The doors automatically locked behind him, and Yoongi knew he was helpless to get out on his own, helpless to save Namjoon.

"I'll drive slow, since you can't put your seatbelt on." Hoseok said, as if that would make Yoongi feel any better.

Yoongi slumped against the backseat, ignoring the pain of the handcuffs digging into his skin. "I hate you."

"You don't mean that," Hoseok said, more to himself, as he backed out of the driveway.

The car drove away, leaving Jungkook alone inside the house.