Chapter 2: 1.2 – Prologue – Mission in Busan – 2
Lee Cheol Jin's eyes looked restlessly at Kwon Taek Joo, then those eyes followed somewhere behind him.
Next is a spark that flares from Kwon Taek Joo's gun's throat along with an explosion. The bullet flew through the target accurately, but the one who collapsed and screamed was not Lee Cheol Jin but Kim Young Hee, she quietly approached Kwon Taek Joo from behind.
Kim Young Hee's ivory coat was stained with red blood. She sat down and hugged her torn right hand and the Colt in her hand fell and fired bullets into the air. It is not clear whether the target of the gun was Kwon Taek Joo or Lee Cheol Jin.
Kwon Taek Joo turned his head forward again. Meanwhile, Lee Cheol Jin also threw his knife away and stood with his back. He clung to the railing and took a deep breath, his shoulders rising, his back also bulging. As soon as an bad feeling flashed through Kwon Taek Joo's mind, Lee Cheol Jin's body, which was clinging to the railing, suddenly jumped outside.
Kwon Taek Joo ran right to the railing. 'But before he could arrive, a ''unch'' sounded in his ear.' Kwon Taek Joo looked down, one side of the black sea burst into jets of white water.
He looked for Lee Cheol Jin but couldn't find him anywhere. Kwon Taek Joo waited a little longer. Then Lee Cheol Jin's head began to rise from the white wave. Jumping from this height into the sea is like suicide.
But as if to mock that idea of Kwon Taek Joo, a boat suddenly appeared from somewhere. What is coming with the lights is an ageing wooden fishing boat. Perhaps thanks to that, it was possible to avoid the surveillance network of investigative agencies and get here.
The wooden boat gliding in the dark gradually approached Lee Cheol Jin. Kwon Taek Joo feels like he has been hit in the back of his head. Perhaps this is his true way out. The plan may be to distract the pursuers' attention with a round-trip train ticket and evaporate at sea as soon as the item is received.
Kwon Taek Joo opened fire immediately, but it was not easy to sniper a boat from afar in the dim view of the late night. While it is clear that the target is right in front of them, pushing them into a bad position can make matters complicated. If he had been allowed to die in the first place, he would not have worked so hard.
The purpose of this operation is to track down long-settled North Korean spies in South Korea who have seized important social positions and stolen state secrets. There must be more than one constructure and support person behind them. Kwon Taek Joo could not cut off the trunk before digging up the root.
Meanwhile, the ferry continued to move and the distance to the fishing boat also gradually increased. A man from the cockpit of a fishing boat pulls Lee Cheol Jin into the boat. He took off his soggy coat. That's it, of course. Various small floats were wrapped around his body. As the boat left, Lee Cheol Jin raised his hand as if mocking him. The proud face triumphed.
Kwon Taek Joo smiled slightly, then that smile soon disappeared from his face. He turned around and approached the collapsed Kim Young Hee.
Kim Young Hee trembled with pain from her injured arm but was still trying to pull something out. Is poison. Kwon Taek Joo hit her neck hard to prevent suicide. Kim Young Hee lost consciousness. Kwon Taek Joo continues to insert a handkerchief in her mouth to prevent her from harming herself after regaining consciousness. He then grabbed Kim Young Hee's left hand and twisted it behind his back.
Kwon Taek Joo accidentally looked down, a ring lying on the ring finger on Kim Young Hee's hand. There is almost no scratch on the surface indicating that it has only been purchased recently.
"The ring is so beautiful, isn't it? So we should have an extra bracelet to match."
Kwon Taek Joo sarcastically took out his handcuffs. The sound of the handcuffs ringingly fixed Kim Young Hee's left hand to the railing.
After finishing somewhere, Kwon Taek Joo turned on the communication again.
"Me, for 8 seconds, run right here."
"Yes?" The other person shouted as if he had heard it wrong. Kwon Taek Joo ignored and turned his attention to the watch in his hand. When he pressed the reset button next to the clock, the number plate now disappeared and the road markings appeared. While pursuing Lee Cheol Jin, Kwon Taek Joo attached a tracking device to his belt. The red dot indicates the position of the target that is gradually moving away from the orientation line. He couldn't delay any longer. Kwon Taek Joo took a deep breath and quickly ran to the back of the ferry.
He stood at the end of the deck and then stepped on the railing and jumped down without hesitation. His vision was darkened in an instant. The wind blew from all directions as if piercing Kwon Taek Joo's entire body. Fall seems to have lasted longer than expected.
SDO. The surface of the water rose suddenly with a loud echo. A violent shock also fell on Kwon Taek Joo's entire body when he touched the black sea. It feels like every muscle in the body is torn apart. Seawater immediately filled every pore with bursting water bubbles. He sank in the water for a while to reduce the shock and then slowly moved his limbs to keep his body when he was swept away by the water. Kwon Taek Joo opened his eyes to look around but under the ink-black water there was not a single ray of light shining through.
He stepped on his feet with all his strength and came to the surface. It's hard to stay in place when high waves keep coming.
Kwon Taek Joo raised his wrist with difficulty and pressed the reset button of the watch again. Then the road chart disappears and the entire number table lights up. That light shot into the air. 2, 3 seconds have passed like that. Then a familiar mechanical sound sounded not far away. It's the sound of a motorboat engine. The noise became louder and louder and then quickly fell silent. Soon after, white waves hit the duck legs and whipped Kwon Taek Joo's flesh with a nagging voice pouring down above his head.
"Really. 'Just like this, you will become a water ghost."
Yoon Jong Woo, who ran his best to get here for 8 seconds, was reaching out. Kwon Taek Joo holds his hand and climbs into the boat. His whole body was uncomfortably wet. Despite the intense cold, Kwon Taek Joo took off his watch and threw it at Yoon Jong Woo. Without asking, Yoon Jong Woo drove the boat following the red dot on the signboard of the clock. Meanwhile, Kwon Taek Joo took off his wet coat and gasped heavily.
The motor boat ran fast through the black waves. The whole boat bounced violently in the billowing waves. The red dot almost outside the orientation line is gradually approaching.
Pip, pip, pip, pip, pip, pipipipipi.
When the wooden boat came into sight, that characteristic mechanical sound became even clearer. Even the wooden boat that was leisurely running away must have realised the presence chasing them.
Soon, a man walked out of the cockpit and grabbed a rifle. Yoon Jong Woo gritted his teeth and turned the steering wheel. The ship changed direction suddenly and a strong current appeared. Most of the incoming bullets missed, but one of them crashed into a corner of the boat. Luckily it didn't hit the engine or gas tank so the midnight fireworks didn't happen.
There was still no light around the fishing boat. In this state, it is impossible not to control the target without killing the enemy. Even as soon as it got a little closer, the bullets from the fishing boat were fired and there was no room left. The capture of armed targets alive is really a very absurd order.
A series of situations kept repeating, being attacked and then dodged, then continuing to approach the target and then being shot again. Yoon Jong Woo angrily slammed his hand on the steering wheel. The target was right in front of him but couldn't touch it even a fingertip that drove him crazy.
"Stay away."
Yoon Jong Woo was pulled back. Kwon Taek Joo took the driver's seat and rushed to the fishing boat. Yoon Jong Woo is helpless when the boat bounces up.
"Ah! Senior, collided! It's going to collide!"
Yoon Jong Woo stood up and screamed in horror, but Kwon Taek Joo only increased his speed.
Bullets fired from the wooden boat flew out torrentially. Kwon Taek Joo tilted the boat causing a large stream of water to hit the wooden boat deck. It was not until then that the opponent's attack calmed down a bit. Just like that, he went ahead of the fishing boat for a long time. Then Kwon Taek Joo suddenly turned right wide. The unbearable engine cried out loudly. The boat rotated vigourously as if it wanted to be turned upside down. Yoon Jong Woo's pale face inevitably fell again when the ship changed direction and began to reverse.
Kwon Taek Joo returns to the path he has just passed and increases the speed of the boat to the maximum. When the motor boat that had disappeared in the dark reappeared, the wooden boat looked restless. The anxiety was evident through the ruthless bullet.
Because of the relentless pursuit, Kwon Taek Joo did not have time to return fire. Yoon Jong Woo panicked and focussed on protecting his body by hugging his head with both hands.
"Just like this will die! Let's die! Let's die! Do you hear that, this crazy name!"
Yoon Jong Woo was both scared and cursed at his superior Kwon Taek Joo without hesitation. Kwon Taek Joo didn't bother at all, but kept rushing away. If the situation continues like this, his boat will collide directly with the wooden boat. Yoon Jong Woo's eyes closed tightly. The image of his parents in his hometown suddenly flashed through his mind, making his eyes naturally wet. Two months ago, he couldn't even afford to pay the kimchi his mother sent him. 'The message he received from his mother saying that he was a ''bastard'' before he entered the action this time still lingers in his mind. Ah, mom.
The wooden boat also had a hunch of something bad that was about to happen. They watched confusedly as the motorboat rushed straight at them and jumped into the water almost at the same time. With less than 5 and a half metres left, 2 boats will collide with each other. The abandonment and despair became equally heavy in that brief moment.
It was then.
Kwon Taek Joo steered vigourously again. The boat could not handle the speed it was travelling, so it shook violently due to the rapid braking. The boat body splashed out of the water and slid into a long arc. Conflict is ultimately inevitable, though. It's theoretically.
This is the time to give up to keep his life, but Kwon Taek Joo continues to hold the steering wheel. Soon, the right side of the wooden boat touched the stern of the motor boat with a ringing sound. The collision caused the two boat bodies to shake violently. A clear spark flared from the area of friction. For a moment, the whole boat seemed to float in the air.
"...Huh?"
After the chaos subsided, Yoon Jong Woo slowly opened his eyes. The surroundings were quiet again. He was on the boat, not on the cold sea and Kwon Taek Joo was still in the driver's seat. Smoke billows from the back of the boat, to the right of the wooden boat there is a large hole, but that's all. The tension that had tightened the whole body was suddenly released, but the heart was beating so hard that he could not control his body.
The engine sound finally went out. The waves slapped in the direction of the boat bringing it even closer to the wooden boat. The two husels suddenly approached and collided repeatedly, making a shrill sound. Kwon Taek Joo got up from his seat and walked towards the wooden boat. Only then did Yoon Jong Woo regain consciousness, he groped on the floor to pick up his Colt. So it's not dead yet.
Kwon Taek Joo got on a fishing boat and illuminated the surroundings with a flashlight. He saw two silhouettes swimming in the deep sea with nowhere to escape. While quietly observing those desperate movements, he picked up the fishing net lying next to him. Kwon Taek Joo holds tight so it doesn't get entangled and throws at the fugitives. Fishing nets spread wide in the air and fly away. Two men who were swimming hard suddenly got caught in a net that had just flown. The more they struggled to get out, the tighter the net was.
Kwon Taek Joo observed that fierce battle for a while and then turned the machine connected to the fishing net. A rusty crattling sound comes from a manual tractor that is often used on a small fishing boat. It's not as difficult to use as it looks.
Suddenly Kwon Taek Joo looked back. Yoon Jong Woo, who had quietly stood in the name of supporting, was approaching. Perhaps because of embarrassment, the boy used the mesh tractor more passionately than Kwon Taek Joo. Soon after, Lee Cheol Jin and his accomplices along with the fishing net were pulled onto the deck of the boat.
"Ha...ha... what to do now?"
Yoon Jong Woo asked while wiping his sweat. There is no response from Kwon Taek Joo. When he looked up curiously, Kwon Taek Joo had moved towards the motorboat and was busy looking for something.
"What are you doing?"
"Where did I tell you to prepare?"
"Ah, it's under the driver's seat."
Kwon Taek Joo immediately reclined the driver's seat back. Just as Yoon Jong Woo said, there is a suitcase below. Kwon Taek Joo opened the zipper and checked the inside and immediately gave instructions to Yoon Jong Woo.
"Please contact the headquarters and announce that we have captured Lee Cheol Jin, his accomplice and the USB. The contact Kim Young Hee is tied up on the ferry, so now the Coast Guard should have found her. Call them and tell them to take over."
"Yes? Senior? Why does it sound like you have to do it all yourself..."
"But what else?"
"What about seniors?"
"I'm busy dying. I have one more family event. Work hard."
Is it that at the crossroads between life and death, people often do not carefully consider their words while losing their reason? 'Yoon Jong Woo kept asking ''Yes?'' Just denied the reality. As if to turn that unfortunate hunch into a certainty, the motorboat started. Yoon Jong Woo was left on a wooden boat with two men caught in the net. Kwon Taek Joo started without looking back.
The powerful boat engine glides away quickly. It all happened so fast that Yoon Jong Woo didn't even have time to think. When he looked back bewildered, his shoes had been wet since when, because the sea water was seeping into the hull of the boat. Even if the boat with this one hole does not sink immediately, can the superiors abandon the subordinates without feeling guilty or hesitating?
Yoon Jong Woo screamed like he was dying from behind, but Kwon Taek Joo could only assume that he had mistakenly heard the sound of the wind or the waves. Today's wind sounds like a ''Incredible!'' scream. Originally, it is said that the more precious the children are, the more rigourous they must be raised. So the sound he heard was definitely just a mistake.