Wang Yibo's POV:

"Boss" Jun knocks at me door only to look extremely gloomy "Just received Dr. Suk's report. Says there was no bullet to be found inside the deceased's body".

"What?" It was almost a yell. Fuck.

Grabbing my jacket from the seat, I gesture Jun to follow me and we drive to the doctor's lab. On reaching, we show our IDs and walk into his private office. A moment later the door opens and we find Dr. Suk placing a file in my hand "This contains every single details about the deceased. Unfortunately there isn't much to find out though. He was an immigrant worker who was in this country illegally and thus not much paper work could be found. As I informed Officer Jun, the bullets were also not to be found".

"Dr. Suk, can we have a look at the body?" I enquire and with a sigh he nods "Ofcourse, follow me. It's rather strange that I was so sure as of last night that the bullet had to be inside the body itself. There was no escape wound on his back. Even my junior assistants were perplexed" we enter the morgue "here we are" he pulls out the body.

Jun and I both examine the deceased. Jun's eyes meet mine. It was a subtle dejection. Where could have the bullet disappeared to?

"I'll keep this body in our custody few days until you don't need it anymore. As for the reports, you have them" his phone rings "well I need to take this. If you boys need my help, do let me or my team know" with a small bow he leaves and Jun places the body back inside.

As we move towards the parking lot, it was Jun who spoke up first "Boss, all this makes no sense. I understand that maybe the immigrant did this for money but the more I think about this situation, one can definitely assess that our opponent is not a person of inferior knowledge. He has money, he has power and he for sure is a mind player. He chooses his pawns carefully. Ones who has no paper trail on them. He uses weapons that are top notch. Boss" he pauses as he bites his lip "he knows our every move. He's closer to us than you think".

"Jun" I warn and he sighs " Boss, Chief has been attacked. Vice has been attacked. You have been attacked and let's not forget the common point has been Zhan. Sean, Drew and I are the only ones who are safe. The precinct knows our schedules. We need to be prepared" he looks away and I understood his concern.

The precinct is an extended family and the boys are tight as bunch. If one of us is hurt, it would be a war declared on all of us. He was right. None of us were safe. Before I could console him my phone rings and it was Zhan. I smile. It's been an entire day for these eyes hasn't seen him.

Jun smirks and I roll my eyes at him.

"Zhan" my voice is warm but not his. He was frantic. A voice that I seldom heard from him "Come home quickly and get the boys. There is something you all need to see!" before I could question further, he cuts the call and my fingers quickly dial Drew's "Where are you and Sean?"

"Boss, we're at the precinct with Chief. What happened?" He enquired and I instructed them to reach Zhan's place ASAP. In the meanwhile, Jun drives us back and all I could think was of the man who came to be one of my closet friends.

I dash through the living room and enter his office when my heart leaps on seeing him sitting on the floor, crouched, head tucked between his legs.

Dre's helpless gaze meets mine and they point towards the laptop. Walking closer, my eyes take in the malicious content being played on screen and stumble against the chair.

Fuck!!!

I immediately rush to where Zhan is and carefully call out his name "Zhan". His head snaps and our eyes meet. Blood is trailing from his nose. He's been crying. His eyes are red.

Pain.

"I..." he gasps "I need to be there. He sent me that mail as our next clue".

No.

"What is happening here?" Chief's voice booms and by now the room is filled with people. They glace back and forth between Zhan and me whilst Dre was the one to reveal the screen.

"What is the meaning of all this?" Sean enquires.

Right now on the screen is a dark and dingy room where an unconcious child was thrown unceremoniously on the ground tethered like an animal.

This time it was Zhan who answers "That room is the same one from when I was kidnapped".

Everyone were silent and their eyes were on us.

"Chief" Zhan looks up "I need to be there. There is a reason he is baiting me. Let me take the bait. Please" he pleads and I look at our Chief.

Please say no.

"Under one condition" his eyes held wrath "first my boys would enter. Scout the place and then you can. From the time stamp on the video, I know he nor the victim would be present. This is a fucking cat and mouse game for him".

With a plan, we proceed towards the area of concern and dread grows within me. I never once came back to this place after I was rescued.

Pain.

Immense pain.

Adrian subtly clutches my knee as a moral support and I was glad that he's here with me. But as for Zhan, I wished he stayed back. This is not a place for him to visit.

Armed and ready, I calm my racing heart as we enter. Chief was protecting Zhan inside the vehicle and that made it a little easy for me to breath.

Nausea.

I could still remember the awful stench from him. His beady eyes. His hands on me.

"Wang" Dre whispers "not now buddy. Concentrate. Remember Zhan needs you to be strong". I nod and take a deep breath. I refrain from going into that one particular room. Adrian understood the reason for my reluctance. It was the room where he...

I look away.

"Boss" I hear Sean's voice through the bluetooth "all clear".

"Boss, all clear here too" Drew continues.

"Same here" Jun reports.

"All clear" Dre seeks my eyes and gives me a thumbs up.

"Chief, please bring Zhan inside" I report as my eyes trail through the abandoned house. My feet unintentionally takes me into a room which is at the far end of the corner.

I gasp.

This is the same room where he used to tie us up together. This room was a solace and curse. Walking towards the corner, I crouch down to feel the wall and my eyes sting when my fingers caresses the indentation present there after all these years. I once scratched my nails here to draw lines to count the number of days we were captured but soon had to abandon them. I didn't know how to count beyond the number 30. 

Just as I turn, my feet stumbles against the chains tethered onto the ground. But that wasn't what surprised me, it was Zhan who was standing stealthy inside the room and observing my moves. His eyes were wide. A lone tear falls from his eye.

He remembers.

"You're" he pauses "you're him, aren't you?" Walking to where I was and before I could even comprehend his next move, he places both his palms on my cheeks and closes his eyes.

My heart shatters as more blood seeps from his nose and a second later he opens them "Yes, you're him. You're that boy. The light eyed boy. You're my Lan Zhan" with that he falls into my arms.

Fuck.             

(Thank you for your love and support.)