Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

Chapter 76: CCK (19)

The night descended on them like a completely black blanket without a hint of any light. There was no moonlight nor were there any on the empty road they were driving on. Mimi's old truck was emitting only a little ray of light from its feeble headlights but other than that, the whole road was blindingly dark. Minho could not even make out where they were going.

"Are you sure this is the way?" he asked with uncertainty. 

"I'm positive," Mimi replied. "This was the road I found once I emerged out of the other end of the river. Thankfully, a truck picked me up and took me home."

"Where were you kidnapped from?" Kanji asked. 

"I had gotten off work," Mimi recounted. "It was around eleven o'clock at night. I had gotten off the bus and was heading towards my house when suddenly, someone attacked me from behind. I didn't have any time to react and the next thing I know, I woke up in some kind of lab."

"Hey, that serial killer, CCK," Kanji began. "Isn't he speculated to be some kind of doctor?"

"I don't know," Minho groaned. "I didn't follow the case much"

He cursed himself again for his negligence. 

"If only I had picked her up on time"

"Stop lamenting on that and focus on finding Mina!" Kanji snapped. "If it really is the CCK, then she's still alive. For now."

"He's right," Mimi replied. "If it's the CCK, then your sister still has two days left. He'll freeze the victims first in some sort of cooler for five days. On the fifth day, at exactly 11:59 PM, he'll kill them."

Minho winced as he recalled what Mimi had said about what he did with the hearts of his victims. It sickened him that such monsters roamed around the society with them. The whole thing was so bizarre and disgusting that even the thought of it made his stomach churn.

"How much further?" he asked.

Mimi peered her eyes through the darkness. In her haste that night, she did not keep a very good track of where she was running off to. All she remembered was a large maple tree which even that state she thought was unusual since there were rarely any maple trees in Country K.

"Keep an eye out for a maple tree," she said. "I saw it on my way out of the forest. It was right on the edge."

Kanji and Minho kept looking on both sides for the maple tree. It was too dark to see anything but they tried their best to find it. After an hour of driving around, Kanji finally exclaimed.

"There!"

He pointed at a large maple tree which loomed ahead. Mimi stopped the car in front of it.

"This is it," she said. "This is the entrance which leads to the lab."

"Let's go!" Minho exclaimed but Mimi was rooted to her spot. Her hands were clammy and cold while her mind replayed the incident form that night. The cooler, the menacing voice and his chilling tale was still fresh in her ears. Her body froze in fright and would not move an inch.

"Mimi?" Kanji cautiously poked her arm but she was still as a rock. She could not speak nor move an inch, fear gripping her tightly.

"I-I-I"

Her words were incoherent and she was unable to express what she felt. No matter what happened, she could not return there. It was not possible for her at all. Even saving the life of that little girl could not entice her enough to return to that hell.

Minho knew how she was feeling. He firmly grasped her shoulder and said, "Thank you for everything. We'll take it from here. Please just tell us the way and we can figure it out on our own. You should go home to your sons."

Mimi was dry mouthed and stared at the young boy. He was willing to let her go so that she would not have to face her worst nightmare. If only she was brave enough!

"I'm sorry," she whispered with tears in her eyes. "I couldn't help much-"

"It's alright," Minho replied with surprising tenderness in his voice. "You did what you could. Please just tell us the way from here."

Mimi took a deep breath and stated, "Take the trail from here. Go on straight for about half an hour or so until you reach a fork shaped path. Take the way on the very right and keep going until you reach a river. Once you reach the river, follow it south. Soon, you will reach a cliff with a den. That's his lair."

The boys nodded, determined to save Mina.

"Good luck," Mimi wished them. "I'll pray for you."

They waved her goodbye and headed off towards the forest. Mimi watched them go, worried for the boys and the little girl whose life was at stake. She fidgeted in her spot, glancing around in fear as if the monster would jump out from the shadows anytime. She got into her truck and waited in anticipation, her hand clutched around a large baseball bat as she waited for the two boys to come back.

Please be safe, she prayed. Please!

If something had happened to the little girl, then she would never be able to forgive herself for being a coward.

.

Mina was feeble and weak. The drug injected into her system had paralyzed her movements. There was a thin, long saline bag attached to her palm but the man gave her no food. He simply kept her captive for the past three days and she had no idea why.

Her little mind was filled with wild fear and she was begging for her brother. Where was he?

And it was too cold. The whole place was so cold and chilly that she was afraid that she would get frostbites. The man had kept her in some kind of large cooler. Her muscles were frozen while her eyes were the only things which could move. She erratically rolled her pupils, scanning around the strange room.

Suddenly, the door opened and the man walked in. He was wearing a black mask but Mina could identify that he was a doctor because of the scrubs he donned. 

A long, cool finger stroked her cheek.

"Are you afraid my little one?" he whispered. Mina shuddered at his touch, fear rising within her. Brother, where are you?

"Ahh you have fine soft cheeks," he murmured. "I wonder if I should keep them for supper as well"

Mina was now visibly scared of the man. What was he talking about? Keeping her cheeks for supper?

The man grinned at her panicked state. 

"I'll tell you the story, little one," he promised in his chilly tone. "Within two days, you'll know my amazing story. Until then, rest well little one. While you can."

Grinning widely, he retreated from the stretcher and walked off.

"Good night," he giggled and locked the door behind him once again.