The man stared at them, scanning their large bodies as if taking stock of where he would attack first. When Bodhi, Ethan, and Rory stood ready in a fighting stance, he almost appeared deflated. But his training kicked in, and he charged Bodhi first, thinking if he took out the biggest, it would be good.
It was not. Bodhi deflected the blows, only getting hit once. He wrapped U-Jin in a tight hold, twisting him, but the man spun, flipped upside down, and kicked out, escaping the hold. Lucianna screamed for them to stop, but the adrenalin was flowing.
Next, U-Jin took a run at Rory, who hit him in the jaw with his elbow, then a fist to his abdomen. But U-Jin seemed determined. When he went for Ethan, they knew he would not succeed. Of them all, Ethan was probably the best. Trained in nearly every martial arts discipline, MMA, and boxing, a man should never underestimate Ethan Dunvegan.
Unfortunately, U-Jin did.
“Well, we did warn him,” smirked Rory.
Lucianna knelt on the floor, cradling his head. Her hands shook as she saw the amount of blood, and she began to cry.
“He had a head wound. A bad head wound,” she cried. Ethan stared at the woman, then carefully knelt beside U-Jin. He rolled him to his side, staring at the wound.
“He opened this himself?” frowned Ethan.
“He said there was something in there,” she cried.
“Fuck me,” said Rory. “He took the implant out himself. That had to have hurt like a bitch, but it also meant he didn’t want to be tracked or triggered. Get him up. Cuff him, but get him in the van. We need to get him back to the offices and question him there. Let’s go, sweetheart, we’re going for a ride.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Aww, you brought me a present,” smirked Hex.
“Yeah, we did,” said Ethan. “Wilson, Cruz, can we get some help with his head? I think the bastard took out his tracker by himself.”
“Shit,” muttered Wilson. He ran down the hallway, grabbing the big medical kit, while Cruz rolled the man over on his stomach. Taking the blindfold off, he looked side to side but could only see very large feet. Then he heard Lucianna sniffling.
“Don’t hurt the woman. She’s done nothing wrong,” he said.
“Sit him up,” said Luke.
Ethan and Rory gripped his arms once again, sitting him in a chair. U-Jin got his bearings and looked around the room, realizing that he was going nowhere any time soon. As he scanned the faces, he landed on one, staring at the woman. She was shielded by a man as large as the ones who manhandled him, but he was wider, his expression fiercer.
“I do not wish to hurt the woman. I wish to be allowed to go free,” he said quietly.
“Well, we all want something, but I’ll be damned if you’re going free when your only mission was to kill her,” said Hex.
“I no longer want that mission, and I will not complete it. I refuse to complete it. I want to be set free.”
“Do you know who I am?” asked Erica in a quiet voice.
“You are Hae-Won Park, a bastard child of my father’s.” Erica shook her head, taking a step closer. U-Jin stared at her, admiring her bravery.
“No. I was Hae-Won Park. I am not a bastard child. I am your twin.” His eyes went wide, then he laughed, but there was pain in his laughter. Seeing the sober expressions of those around him, his laughter quieted, and he stared at the woman.
“I am not lying,” said Erica. “Believe me, I had no idea you even existed. My mother, our mother, forced me to come to America. She and our father were playing a game, a sick, twisted game. I am the firstborn, but I want nothing to do with North Korea.”
“How do I know that you’re being truthful,” said U-Jin.
“I have no reason to lie. I gain nothing by telling you I’m your sister. In fact, I place myself in more danger by admitting it. I don’t want them to hurt you, but they will not allow you to hurt me. Our mother has been playing us against one another for as long as we’ve been alive.”
“How the fuck did you get that thing out of your head?” growled Cam. He stared up at the man, then around the room again.
“Is this a place where they breed giants?” he asked with confusion. “Do you get fed something special?” Ethan smirked.
“No, man. We’re just big boys.” U-Jin stared at one of the men who had fought him, wondering who he really was.
“You knew krav maga, jujitsu, karate. You knew them all,” said U-Jin. “You’re not normal men.”