9 Layers Down (Twice)

Chapter 1 - Nine Girls

9 college girls.
One city.
One abduction story.

The first victim was Im Nayeon.
She was abducted while she was confined in their hospital for stomach ache.
The culprit dressed as a doctor who was supposed to bring her to the MRI room. He injected her with tranquilizer. She was brought to the basement instead and into the kidnapper's black van.

Her family and friends were devastated after hearing the news. The whole Seoul police was alarmed.
She's the eldest daughter of one of the richest businessmen in the city. They own huge hospitals across the country.
Her parents couldn't believe their daughter would be abducted right inside their own hospital.

The police and her family waited for 24 hours for a call from the kidnappers in case they ask for a ransom but there was no call.
They searched everywhere and asked every possible witnesses.

After two days, best friends Park Jihyo and Myoui Mina went missing.
As the police checked the surveillance cameras in the apartment they were living in, they discovered that their kidnapper was the same man who abducted Im Nayeon.

The police never had any clue. The vehicle was the same but the plate was different and whenever they try to track the route where it was going, the surveillance cut off all the time as if the cameras were manipulated.

The police decided to pass the case to NIS.
Chief investigator, Park Jin Young handled the case. Agent JiEun and Agent Soo Hyun were the best in his team and he was confident that they can solve this case.
They tried their best to look for connections among the missing girls.

After another two days, three girls from Seoul University were abducted too, namely, Yoo Jeongyeon, Hirai Momo and Minatozaki Sana. They were abducted after a night out when they were about to go home to their dorm.

This time, the whole nation was on edge. They feared for their daughters. The universities were in maximum security. Even school events were cancelled. Nobody have any idea when will the kidnapper attack again.

It took him only three days to get the next girl. Her name's Son Chaeyoung. A first year college student in Gangnam. She was about to meet some friends but apparently, the suspect have been following her from her home.

There have been precautions that the authorities have done. There are check points everywhere and the curfew was moved to 9 in the evening.

The following day, he succeeded to abduct the 8th girl. Chou Tzuyu is another first year student from Gangnam who was also friends with Chaeyoung. They live just few blocks away from each other.

The police finally had a lead on the van that have been used for the first two abductions. Apparently, it was abandoned in a theme park where the 9th victim was abducted. Her name is Kim Dahyun and she's Agent JiEun's little sister. She was waiting for her sister to fetch her from the theme park where she met some friends. This time, the culprit used a stolen pick up truck to get away. The police chased him but he was really good that even Ji Eun failed on arresting him. Some police were wounded and he succeeded on getting the last girl. This time, it has become personal for Agent Ji Eun. She have to save her sister and the other 8 girls.
She thought to herself, enough is enough, she will do everything she can to stop this monster and take the girls home.

--

There have been no bodies recovered so they assume that the girls are still alive and they were kept in a safe house.

Agents Irene and Jennie were the ones who found one of the biggest clues. They found a suspect. The girls have another thing in common except being college girls. There was one man who became their math teacher at some point in their lives. His name is Bernard Choi. He was Nayeon's math teacher when she was in 7th grade, Jihyo and Mina when they were in 8th grade, Jeongyeon, Momo and Sana when they were in 9th grade, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu when they were in 10th grade and Dahyun when she was in 11th grade.

He used several names too. His last record as Bernard Choi was in Dahyun's high school. The school said he left teaching for good after Dahyun's class. He also said he'll be living the country. They have seen records on his flight to the US, one week after he resigned. But they never found any information about his arrival in the country.

--

"My daughter, Nayeon, she was one of the most popular girls in their high school. People would always misjudge her and think she's a bad girl but in reality, she's caring and loves to make everyone laugh."
Mrs. Im couldn't hold back tears while she stated to the Investigators, the things they wanted to know. Her husband was just next to her, giving her warmth.

The families were invited at the NIS headquarters for an interview.
They had to tell the truth about the girls to pin point the possible reason as to why he took them.
It is also a way of knowing if he plans of killing them.
The family members were hesitant at first. By doing this, they have no choice but to unfold some secrets they already buried in the past.

"She's innocent. She didn't kill anyone. She's just a child. My little baby." Momo's mom began to lose it. She remembered holding Momo as a baby. She remembered the way her tiny toes dance and her cute snickers whenever she gives little Momo her favorite avocado ice cream.

While watching the families suffer from too much anxiety and mysery from their loved one's disapearance, the detectives couldn't help but cry along and think to themselves that they need to solve this case no matter what and take back those girls alive.

After the interviews, the officials and the investigating team held a meeting and all agreed on a mutual conclusion.

"It is possible that the motive for abduction is recruiting the girls as his allies." Agent Kim stated.

"Then, he doesn't have any plans of killing them. He just wants to train them and make them realize how evil they are." Agent Soo Hyun added.

"But that depends on their behavior." Chief Park said. "If they're really stubborn, he wouldn't have any choice but to hurt and kill them."

Even the authorities couldn't fathom the things that might be happening to the girls. It's hard to speculate and guess the things he's possibly putting them through but one thing is for sure, time is sensitive and they have to act fast and find his lair. 

They have to stop this none sense before it's too late.
Or else, 9 young girls would be just additional names to innocent victims of abduction in the city that was once peaceful and kind.