When The Phone Rings

- 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.

This wasn't a device for seeking help. It was an instrument of leverage, intimidation and coercion.

This can't be happening... I can't use it... After coming this far, I can't lose it all.

"F*ck..."

But her options were very limited. She was dizzy and dehydration was setting in. If she fainted again, it could be the end for her.

After all, that negotiation phone had become her lifeline.

***

Four gruelling hours had passed since the search began. Seventeen pieces of equipment, over fifty people - and still no trace of Hong Heeju.

"Last time, a professor went missing and we found his body two days later. We assumed he fell off the cliff and died, but it was actually a suicide..."
"Hey, don't jinx it! Watch what you say!"

Meanwhile, Baek Sa-eon remained in the thick of things, moving alongside the search teams. A former war correspondent with NRA marksmanship qualifications, he was no stranger to the terrain. Such operations were child's play for him.

"Excuse me, sir. Have you contacted the families of the missing?"

"Yes."
"This mountain... it's notorious for deaths. If we can't find them alive, we should at least let them prepare mentally for... receiving a body."
"A body?"

His voice was flat, but the weight of those words hung in the air.

"I... I didn't mean..."
"Call in the search dogs," Baek Sa-eon interrupted. His movements were sharp and deliberate as he reached for the jacket tied around his waist.

"But we haven't received any of the missing person's clothes or belongings."
"Then let's start now."
"What?"
"My clothes were tied around my waist."

Sa-eon said, climbing the mountain as skilfully as the rangers.

"Let the dog smell me. Not only my clothes, but also my body odour. We have been together since we got on the bus. The shower gel probably smells the same."

The man hesitated. "Shouldn't we wait for the family's approval?"
"I'm her husband."
"..."

The man had nothing to say. He could only bow and leave.

All the while, Baek Sa-eon's expression remained the same. His face, stripped of all emotion, remained ashen.@@novelbin@@

Suddenly his mobile phone buzzed. A quick glance revealed the caller ID: The presidential office.

Sa-eon's stomach tightened, knowing that even in moments like this, he had to control the media and do what he had to do as Blue House spokesman. He hated how the reporters still clung to him like leeches to get explosive news.

"Spokesman, your phone keeps ringing..."

The vibrations in the mountains at night were as loud as a hornet's nest, and every now and then the heads of the crew would turn towards the epicentre of the sound.

"Aren't you going to answer it?"
"No."

But Sa-eon wasn't going to answer such calls, because he had something more important to do.

"I'm waiting for a call."

***

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The negotiation phone couldn't make any emergency calls. Even emergency numbers like 112 and 119 didn't work. She had even tried dialing the centre's number, but there was no answer.

"Haa..."

That one call could save her life. The same phone turned out to be both her poison and her salvation.

From a..... How could I call my husband, who I'd threatened, for help...'

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.