When The Phone Rings

Chapter 36

- Otherwise, I will have to kill you first as a stumbling block".

"...!"

- "Believe me, I'm not joking."

The same words kept ringing in Heeju's ears as she fell from the cliff. She waved her arms desperately, but there was nothing to hold on to. The accident happened too fast for her to act.

"...!"

A heavy force hit her back, causing her to fall again and hit a branch. Instinctively, she reached out to grab onto something... anything... but her hands slipped away.@@@@

"Ughhhh...!"

She tumbled through jagged rocks, then into a cavernous hole, finally landing with a sickening thud. Pain coursed through her body like an electric current.

"Haa... haah...!"

A deep voice rumbled through her blurred senses. Whether it was real or a hallucination, she didn't care anymore.

'I'm here... help me...'

She gritted her teeth and reached out blindly. But the edges of her vision dimmed and then faded to black.

***

A nipping cold seeped into her bones.

Her fingers twitched at first, brushing against the rough stone. Gradually her senses returned, overwhelming her all at once.

Shreds of her clothing allowed the cold wind to cut into her skin like knives. Heeju's head throbbed and her vision blurred. Her body grew feverish.

Blood trickled from scratches and bruises all over her body. Every attempt to move brought waves of pain.

When she finally opened her eyes, the sky beyond a canopy of leaves had turned pitch black.

How long have I been unconscious? Where am I?

The trees clinging to the cliff must have cushioned her fall, eventually dropping her into a cave. But since there was no rescue in sight, Heeju could assume that her current location was not easy to find.

"Ahhh..."

She had no one to blame but herself. The injustice of it all welled up in hot tears.

A howl pierced the air - an animal, distant yet ominous. The oppressive darkness of the forest amplified each sound, each one an ominous reminder of her vulnerability.

I'm scared... I want to go home...

But giving in to despair wasn't an option. Her numb legs refused to cooperate, so she decided to move her upper body first.

A moan escaped her lips as she struggled with her rucksack.

"My phone... I need to call for help. I'm sure someone will come...!"

Fumbling through the bag, she found her phone. Her relief was short-lived as she realised that the battery was completely dead.

Of course it was. Her negligence in keeping the phone charged had come back to haunt her at the worst possible time.

"Of all times... now?!"

Her trembling hands reached back into the bag, only to find the second phone she had used to blackmail Sa-eon.

"T- This can't be..."

A choked whimper escaped her lips as fear took over.

It was like the devil's fruit.

Her heart raced, drowning out all thought.

'How did I get here? So far...'

Heeju shook her head, trying to regain her composure. The sudden movement made her feel sick, but she had to stay conscious.

I can't die here.

Whether it was a matter of life and death or divorce, giving up was not an option now.

Ring! Ring!

So Heeju decided to become "Kidnapper 406". In this moment of crisis, she was no longer Heeju, she was 406.

"Ugh..."

Her hand holding the phone shook.

'Would it be okay if he picked up the phone... or maybe...'

In the midst of her thoughts, the line connected. And then she heard it - his voice.

"...."

Was it because his deep sigh came faster than his words? Tears quickly formed in Heeju's eyes. That call served as a link between them and also as a barrier.

- "...You..."

It carried a mixture of raw emotions - pain, anger and something else entirely. The sound hit her harder than any of her injuries.

Her tears burned as they trickled down her cheeks. In spite of everything, she had called him.

- "...I meant 406..."

The stiff yet trembling voice was different than usual. But in this difficult time, Sa-eon's voice was like a light.

"You told me to contact you if a body was found."

She barely managed to stop sobbing and continued.

"So I'm calling you. Come and receive it."

- "What's the situation? Is she all right?"

But his heart was in turmoil too. Baek Sa-eon took a deep breath and tried to calm his trembling voice.

"Aren't you curious how I know all this?"

- 406 is always smart, so this isn't surprising. Don't you know Heeju's situation like the back of your hand? More importantly, is she injured? Where is Heeju? Has the location been confirmed?

He fired a barrage of questions.

Just now... Why do I feel something's wrong... Was that my imagination?

Heeju frowned and repeated: "You know how good I am at tracking, right? Last time I sent a fake delivery message to Heeju's phone and made her install malware."

Her vision began to blur. She started to feel nauseous. Even her speech became incoherent.

"T- That malware worked pretty well for spying... so I know she went to a w- workshop, but the location hasn't changed in over five hours in the mountains. T- That's why..."

- "That's not what matters now..."

"She's probably unconscious."

- "...!"

His usually calm voice suddenly became sharp and urgent.