Hostage

They say that just before the moment of death, your life flashes in front of your eyes. 

Whether you lived a fulfilling or a pathetic life, you get a last chance to re-evaluate it. Whether they were good or bad memories, it didn't matter much, as long as they were life-changing in and of itself. 

You saw it and relived it, relived through everything that made you happy and shaped you to be the way you are, and everything that broke you and made you hurt in secrecy. All the people that had been important to you appeared one-by-one. People who conquered the worst of times and were still by your side. 

Even the people that didn't make it to your present-day but still played a crucial role in your life, they were now vividly in sight. Like a silent film strip rolling by, moments after moments of tears shedding in happiness, joy, sadness, regret and desperation, they were all captured and stored in the hidden recesses of your memory vault, waiting to be reopened, waiting to be seen once again for the last time. 

Kyunghee saw it. She saw the flashes of her life. 

Her body lunged forward and her neck felt as if it was going to snap off from the force and the result of being tossed around inside the car like a rag doll. All the air was knocked completely out of her system and, for a long while, she didn't remember how to breathe. 

The shock of everything made her lose her senses and paralyzed her. Kyunghee couldn't hear anything, couldn't smell, couldn't see, but somehow she could feel. She could still feel pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, desperation—intense emotions swirled inside of her. Everything she felt for this life multiplied by a thousand folds and she just wanted to lie down and rest where nobody could find her. 

She had to remind herself to breathe and, slowly, she did. 

The deafening silence turned into ringing and soon, she could hear voices again—distant angry growls and crackles of sparks. She blinked once, twice, then her vision started to come back. Reality started to seep in and her senses began to return, but she still felt as if she didn't have enough air to breathe in. There was something wet on her cheeks so she reached up and wiped it with the back of her hand. For some reason, there were tears on her face. 

She was alive, but she wanted to faint. Her entire body was cold. It took everything she had to stay calm and rooted to reality. Kyunghee tried to make sense of the surrounding. The car's airbags were deployed but the driver seat was empty with its door wide open. She also saw broken lights, the back of a red Corolla, smashed windows, and plumes of intoxicating smoke diffusing into the air. She could smell it too—gas, seared metal and burning rubber. 

She coughed, covering a hand over her nose. 

Fumbling with the seatbelt, Kyunghee shook it off and pushed the door open. She stumbled out of the car. Her legs were shaky and weak like jelly. The fact that she was wearing heels didn't make it easier. She ended up leaning against the side of the car with one hand trying to steady her balance while the other hand was rested on her hip. She grimaced with her shoulders hunched over, hoping the nausea would subside. 

She took another deep inhale and looked up, surveying the scene. The cab and red Corolla hadn't exactly ran into each other head-on per se. She didn't know what happened or how it happened, but the Corolla had ran into a lamppost. In return, the cab had rammed its head into the back of the Corolla to corner it. It was definitely a nasty sight of an accident. 

Hearing a buzzing sound, She tilted her head back to see the light from the lamppost eerily flickering on and off. She jumped in surprise when a spark flew out and then, the lamp light shut down altogether. Quickly she took a step backwards. 

Her attention shifted from the scary lamppost to where Detective Hothead had wrestled the driver out of the red Corolla. The driver of the red Corolla was thrown on top of the Corolla's hood and had his arms behind his back, held together by the detective. The man tried to struggle, but Detective Hothead had a good hold on him, firmly pinning him down. 

"Pil Jungshik, you are under arrest for three counts of murder, aggravated sexual assault, and sexual assault of a minor," Detective Hothead began his Miranda warning, extracting his police badge and flashed it in front of the man's face for a fracture of a second. Not even long enough for a person to read anything, but she didn't think he cared. He was doing it for the sake of doing it. "You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law." Then the Detective added with a spiteful spat on the side, "Be prepared to rot in the slammer until the day you die, you fuckhead." He slapped the man's cheek angrily. " I'll make sure all the top dogs in prison know what a pedophile you are. I'm sure they'll have their fun with you." 

For a moment, there was a look of fear on Pil Jungshik's face before it warped into rage. "Let me go! Let me go! I'm not going to prison. To hell with you!" 

Kyunghee's face distorted in disgust as she heard the charges against the criminal. No wonder Detective Hothead was so pissed just by looking at him. Sexual assault of a minor? He definitely deserved to rot in prison. Just then, the criminal caught her eyes and the disgusted look on her face. There was something evil lurking in his depths that had chills running down her spine. 

Holding Pil Jungshik's wrists with one hand, Detective Hothead used the other to reach into the back of his pocket, searching for his silver handcuffs. Within that second, Pil Jungshik used the opportunity to free himself from the cop's loosened grasp. 

Everything happened so fast. 

Pil Jungshik swiftly pushed himself off the car's hood, shoved Detective Hothead aside and ran towards Kyunghee. 

She saw him coming, but she couldn't react fast enough. In a flash, Pil Jungshik had a hold of her as a bloodcurdling scream escaped her mouth. Meanwhile Detective Hothead caught his balance and looked up in alarm and horror. Pil Jungshik slipped behind her as he wrapped a hand around her neck in a strangle hold. 

"Help—" she choked. 

"Stay still or I'm going to break off this pretty neck of yours and you don't want to test me either." a chilling hiss came into her ears and she forced her mouth closed. As a demonstration of his words, Pil Jungshik tightened his grip around her neck causing her breathing to become strangled. A sense of impending doom overwhelmed her. 

"Let the girl go!" 

Her quivering eyes skirted over to Detective Hothead as he pulled his pistol out of the holster and pointed it straight at her. Technically, he was pointing it at Pil Jungshik who was hiding himself behind her, but she couldn't quite focus at the time. The only thing she could see was the muzzle of the gun staring back at her inauspiciously. 

"There's nowhere you can run. You fucker, I've got you surrounded. My men are going to be here in seconds and you'll be the one outnumbered, so let the girl go," Detective Hothead warned. The muscles on his face were taut and there was no hint of resignation on his part. His eyes were blazing red but straining to stay composed. 

"As long as I have her, you won't pull the trigger because you know why, Detective?" Pil Jungshik spat mockingly, at the same time he began to take small steps backwards, dragging Kyunghee along with him. "You'll hit her instead. Every bullet you fire, I'll have her as my human shield. Then you'll be just the same as me. A murderer. So what are you doing to do huh, Detective? Hahaha!" To spite the cop, Pil Jungshik squeezed Kyunghee's throat again, causing her to cough from the compression of windpipe. Panic and fear rushed through her body. 

"I'll say it one more time," Detective Hothead snarled, his chest was heaving irregularly and it looked like he wanted to explode. Yet, he managed to steady his gun and didn't waver from his spot, remaining his proper shooting stance. His gaze was transfixed on Pil Jungshik with fury. "Let. The. Fucking. Girl. Go." 

"What if I don't?" 

"You're going to regret it, you fucker." 

Pil Jungshik snickered, "What's a few more years in the slammer?" 

Right then, sirens moved in around the scene. Kyunghee knew she should be relieved that help was coming, but she couldn't, not even in the slightest bit. Being in the arms of a cold-blooded, dangerous criminal was hardly anything to be blithe about. 

"Shit," Pil Jungshik cursed, his tone indicated rising panic and momentary distraction as he craned his neck to look behind him. Although she couldn't see, she was pretty sure the place was surrounded with police by now. The sirens sounded as if it was right next door and there were footsteps thudding against the ground and the slamming of car doors in the backdrop. 

"Pil Jungshik, you are surrounded and under arrest. Release the hostage and take a step back," a voice boomed loudly through a microphone. 

"I dare you to come closer!" Pil Jungshik roared thunderously. 

Kyunghee grimaced from the intensity. His fingers tightened around her neck. Her face turned purple as she tried to gasp for air. Her hands immediately flew up, trying to claw his hands off but it only resulted in Pil Jungshik squeezing her throat tighter. Her gaze collided with Detective Hothead's. Kyunghee was sure he saw the fear her eyes, the plea to be rescued. His hands clenched the pistol, but he made no move to pull the trigger. 

Kyunghee was beginning to feel light-headed and quaint. Bright dots made its way into her vision. Her gaze was forcefully wrenched away from Detective Hothead when Pil Jungshik manually wheeled her around to face the myriads of back-up cops that had surrounded the place instead. They had their hands on their holster and proceeding with caution. One of them, though, was holding a red microphone. 

"I have her! Don't you dare—" 

*BANG* 

"Aurgh!! Ahhh!" Pil Jungshik suddenly let out an agonizing cry before he dropped to the ground and released her, shoving her forward in the process. 

Kyunghee stumbled on her heels. Gravity reached out for her as she found herself falling face-first. Luckily, before she could kiss the ground, a female officer had swiftly stepped in to break her fall, catching her perfectly in a safe embrace. Instinctively Kyunghee grabbed the female officer's forearms to regain her balance. Kyunghee gasped, catching short breaths. Her fingers curled around the fofficer's arms, not wanting to let go. 

"You're fine now. I've got you. It's over, Miss. You're fine now," the female officer consoled, holding Kyunghee in her embrace. 

As Kyunghee slowly regained her equilibrium and some sense of safety, the shock faded away. 

It turns out Detective Hothead had shot Pil Jungshik's lower left leg when he stupidly turned around 180 degrees and exposed his back to the detective. Kyunghee wasn't sure if she should thank his stupid move or Detective Hothead for firing the shot. Wasn't he the one who got her into all of this mess in the first place? Her thoughts dispersed when Detective Hothead shoved his pistol back into its holster and marched furiously towards Pil Jungshik who was down on the ground, moaning from the bloody wound on his leg. 

He picked Pil Jungshik up from the ground by the collar. Without a warning, he delivered a punch right across Pil Jungshik's face. "You try pulling that shit in front of my face again and I'll personally see you to the doors of Hell! When I tell you to let the girl go, you let the damn girl go! You don't play dogs and cats with me, you son of a bitch!" He cracked his knuckles, but just as he was about to deliver another punch to Pil Jungshik's face, three police officers rushed over to pull the two of them apart.

Instead of showing remorse or guilt, Pil Jungshik staggered back—restrained by an officer—and yelled loudly, evil mischief in his eyes, "Did everyone see that? You morons saw that didn't you?! I got hit by a cop! Not only that but he threatened to kill me! Hahaha!" He spat dirtily onto the ground, his saliva landing right near Detective Hothead's shoes causing the cop's face to get redder. "You fucking mad dog!" 

Detective Hothead flared at the insult. "Bastard," he growled dangerously low. 

As he was about to lunge at Pil Jungshik again, two of his colleagues quickly grabbed his arms and held him back. 

"Let me go! I'm going to show the fuckhead who not to mess with! Let me go, damn it! You unrepentant motherfucker!" He attempted to kick Pil Jungshik to no avail, because the two officers pulled them even further apart. 

Pil Jungshik smirked at him provokingly. 

"You need to control your emotions right now! This is exactly what he wants!" One of the two officers explained reasonably. "Don't let sadists like him have the upper hand! Don't make things worse, especially for yourself. The chief will be here any minute. Calm down, Detective Sergeant Choi Jintae!" 

While that was happening, the female officer who broke Kyunghee's fall earlier said, "Miss, let's get you somewhere safer." 

Tearing her eyes away from the chaotic scene, Kyunghee nodded her head as she followed the female officer toward a safer distance. She held on the officer's extended arm as her body was still trembling from the inside out. 

"Can I ask what were you doing here in the first place?" The female officer inquired. 

"I—I was in my cab and then, he came out of nowhere," she replied, shifting her eyes over to the hotheaded cop. 

The female officer followed Kyunghee's gaze as realization dawned on her. The officer sighed in exasperation, as if this wasn't the first time it happened. 

"I apologize on behalf of my colleague," the female officer said as she brought me over to one of the ambulances. "Sometimes he gets heated when he's chasing down criminals." 

"It's fine." But of course it wasn't fine, except Kyunghee couldn't tell the officer that. It was better to quickly conclude the incident. She didn't want to drag out her interactions with the police. It had never been a favourite past-time of hers anyway. 

"Why don't you take a seat here? The paramedics will give you a check-up." 

"Thank you," Kyunghee said as she was handed over to one of the paramedics. 

As Kyunghee sat on the edge of the ambulance, allowing the paramedic to do his job by checking her blood pressure and all that, a frustrated voice caught her attention. A stout man with a receding hairline walked toward the scene with an officer accompanying his side. She managed to catch bits and pieces of their conversation. 

"The son of a gun! I take my eyes off him for a few hours and he goes and tears down half the city! When will he ever learn? I can't keep covering for him like this! And what did you say? He struck the perp?! He's a damn cop! He needs to learn how to be one for fuck's sake!" 

"Clearly the anger management class didn't help," commented the other officer with dry humor. 

"Damnit, Choi Jintae!" The older officer hissed with helpless frustration as they both moved on toward the scene. She was no longer able to hear their conversation. 

Kyunghee slumped against the ambulance with a blanket wrapped around her shaking body. 

She wanted to go home, drink some warm water and lie down on bed for comfort.