RUSE || Taekook

FORTY ONE || C1F5J3J5O4XF5F4A5

It's a black Hondai.

Jungkook is the first to see it through his sniper, a black seven-seater with an empty cart attached to the back.

A second after Jungkook aims the sniper at it, Timothée notices it too and alerts everybody, including Taehyung, who straightens himself and stands in position. Jimin stands next to him, albeit a step back while Yeonjun switches off the mine bomb lights and stands guard in front of the van's door.

Timothée himself comes over and stands in front of Yeonjun, a few steps behind Taehyung.

It's breathtaking, watching them all immediately organize themselves and put their game faces on while the sun rises above the horizon.

Taehyung drops his coat over the gun hidden in its holster, his hand placed close to it in case he needs to defend himself in an emergency.

So far, Vante seems to have left the matter to his host.

The driver parks the Hondai on the dirt road directly in front of Taehyung, about eight meters away from him.

The path J-hope is supposed to follow lights up, so that he doesn't stray from it and step on a mine bomb instead.

The four doors to the car open and Jungkook narrows his eyes, his breath quickening while he studies the five people that step out of the car.

Today marks the day one of August's big three actually meets someone.

Jisoo must've been really important.

Three men and one woman in all black, their faces hidden behind black sanitary masks and caps, exit the car.

Two men stand on one side and the other two stand opposite to them, leaving a space for J-hope in the center, who steps out of the car himself, wearing all white with a strangely colorful mask on his face.

A mask that sends dread down Jungkook's entire body.

He's seen the person in pictures before but to be barely twenty meters away from them, lying on his belly, his elbows placed on a rock, his hands holding a sniper tightly, is another experience in and of itself.

Vante's horror stories are scary alright, but August's stories, even the one's that aren't labelled as horror, are bone-chilling on a sunny Monday.

And J-hope is a main character in most of them, second only to Suga himself.

Jungkook swallows the growing lump in his throat and clears it, focusing all of his attention on the scene ahead of him.

The sun rises above the horizon as soon as J-hope stands on his designated place, a meter away from Taehyung, his hands clasped behind him.

He has a lean figure, and is fairly short, shorter than Jungkook imagined him to be. His hands are pale white and articles of clothing cover the rest of his skin.

J-hope bows his head and stands straight.

"You're about thirty seconds too early," Jimin says, starting their conversation.

"I said we would meet at sunrise," J-hope answers, voice altered by machinery. "Not see each other."

Jimin chuckles, "Fair enough."

How the hell is Jimin maintaining his composure. Is it possible to stay relaxed in J-hope's presence?

Jungkook's finger shakes against the sniper and he clenches his jaw to restrain himself from accidentally blowing a brain to Mars.

"Now, to the point," J-hope turns his attention to Taehyung, who's just staring his enemy down, his emotion unclear. "Where is she?"

Taehyung nods to Yeonjun, who signals for a few guards.

Five men lift the steel container with Jisoo's body inside and carry it past Taehyung, carefully placing it in front of J-hope, who tenses up.

J-hope waves his hand to the woman behind him. She pulls out a small device and advances towards the container, opening it to reveal Jisoo's body, laying on a few layers of ice, her blood cleaned and her body redressed.

J-hope turns his attention to Taehyung's face.

Taehyung's resting face definitely gives him an advantage in the situation, his emotions well-hidden as he stares back at J-hope.

A few of Timothee's guys hurry over to the black Hondai and start a thorough search of it.

"Just to be safe," Jimin assures J-hope.

"Is it Jisoo?" J-hope asks.

The female who came with him studies the screen on her smart device and nods, her ponytail moving with her. "Sir, it's her," she stands from the ground.

"Load her onto the car."

J-hope's men advance towards the container, locking it and getting ready to lift it up.

"A minute, if you will," Taehyung speaks up, halting all the enemy's actions.

J-hope turns his attention to Taehyung.

Taehyung indicates to Yeonjun who opens the van's door and pulls Soobin out, hands tied behind his back and mouth muffled with a gag, dressed in black rags.