The Tiger King (Chaelisa)

69| Spiralling

previously: life-shattering truths are revealed, somi and dahyun are dead, rosie killed yang, jinyoung is still at large.

Chanyeol's head shot off the desk. "Who's there?" he inquired of the gloomy office. Only the phone ringing off the hook responded him; it's what had woke him up. 

Chanyeol groaned, rubbed his eyes and picked up. "Detective Park Chanyeol of the—"

"Yang HyunSuk is dead."

Chanyeol stiffened in his seat, his jaw dropping. The man he'd dedicated his life to catch...was dead?

"W-what? Who is this?" But even as the question formed on his lips, he had recognised her voice. "Dasoni, this isn't funny."

"I just had the information come through a few moments ago," Dasoni replied before he had the chance to slam the phone back in its cradle. There was a note of agitation in her voice that he hadn't ever noted before. She wasn't playing around.

"But...what do you mean, dead? How?"

"I don't know the details," she replied smoothly, too smoothly— she damn well knew and his hands tightened around the phone. 

"Was it you that took him out?" he thundered. "I was going to catch him!"

"Much as I would have liked to finish him off, no, it wasn't me. It's someone he was working with, someone with greater power who decided he's outlived his usefulness. The storm is upon us, Chanyeol. Hurry and keep up."

"Wait wait stop talking in cryptic clues woman, damn it!"

"I can't afford to give you answers. Wall have ears," she said urgently. "I need to go. Don't forget your original trail. It will lead you to him."

"Original trail? What do you mean?" Chanyeol barked, standing up in frustration. "Are you talking about Jennie? Lisa? And lead me to whom? Tiger King?"

The call disconnected with a click. 

>

"Unnie? Unnie, wake up!"

Jennie groaned, her jaw throbbing in steady pulses as her eyes fluttered open. "Can't it wait?" Her mouth tasted awful and on top of that, her head was thumping as well.

"Unnie!"

Jennie's eyes snapped open, her jaw dropping when she found a tearful Ella at her side. All the events of the night before came rushing back like a tornado.

"Ella!" She quickly scooped up the crying girl and hugged her close, rocking her as her own tears fell. "Oh my god, am I dreaming? Are you okay? Where's your mother? And...." she looked up expectantly, hopefully. "Jisoo? Chu? Are you here too?"

Was the nightmare over already? Had Jinyoung had a change of heart?

'Here' turned out to be the Vault, dark and gloomy and deathly silent. Jisoo was nowhere to be seen. Lying a few feet away from her was Rosé's body, and still further away, Lisa's.

Neither was moving. They lay on their side, mirroring each other.

"Guys?" Jennie called, fighting to keep her voice even.

"Mommy won't wake up. She has blood all over her face and clothes," Ella sniffed. "I've been yelling at her to wake up. I haven't tried Lisa unnie yet. Is she...is she..." she curled up in a ball and Jennie thought her heart couldn't crumble further, but she was wrong. She hugged the girl tightly, surreptitiously checking for any horrid bruise. So far, there seemed to be thankfully none. 

If she found any, Jennie had been ready to march to JYP and burn it to the ground.

"She's probably really tired. She had a long night," Jennie said, dread clogging her throat as she stood up. "We...we were up all night looking for you."