CH 83

The rain, which had been falling for two hours prior to their departure, had finally stopped after midnight. The three drove a luxury sedan into the underground parking lot of a central Seoul apartment building. Today’s target was Kim Dong-myung, a man who prostitutes himself for high-ranking people. Fortunately, there was a house that Kang Il-hyun had bought in the same apartment building, so he could easily enter the parking lot.

Ja-kyung didn’t wonder why he bought an apartment here. The housekeeper once told him that Il-hyun has too many properties to count. This seemed to be one of them.

“I wonder how much property he has.”

“I don’t know. I can’t imagine.”

The shipping group took shape like an ordinary company, but it still engage in numerous illegal activities behind the scenes. Of course, they cleverly avoided the law, and even if they were investigated by the prosecution, they often escaped without charges. Payouts to high-ranking officials likely played a role along the way.

Wang Han waited in the car while Ja-kyung and Wang Lun carried the gun, rope, and knife to the elevator. He swiped the card to open the door. After getting off the elevator on the 15th floor, they headed to the rooftop through the emergency exit.

The roof entrance door had been completely shut. Wang Lun took a tool from his bag to open the door. After applying an electric shock, he ripped off the switchgear and went inside to inspect his surroundings.

They settled down in a suitable place, took the rope from the bag, and wrapped it tightly around the ventilation system. After Wang Lun pulled the rope several times to make sure it was secure, the two stood side by side and lit a cigarette. The city where the sun disappeared was spectacular with the lights emitted from the buildings.

Wang Lun exhaled smoke and smiled softly.

“The night view is awesome.”

“I know.”

“How is it? Didn’t you say you lived around here when you were little?”

Ja-kyung looked around. It wasn’t near, it was a little far away, but he couldn’t remember the exact location. He didn’t realize then that Seoul was like this. It was dark, scary, frightening, and a hell of a place for a ten-year-old to survive day to day.

“Maybe we should start our life together in Seoul when we’re done here. With the money we had saved up, I think it’s enough to buy a building.”

Ja-kyung shook his head.

“No. I will leave immediately.”

Wang Lun smiled while smoking a cigarette.

“Do you think CEO Kang will let you go?”

“I don’t care what that man thinks.”

“Ooh. Judging by what he has been doing, it seems like he’s going to follow you to hell and back.”

Ja-kyung did not agree with that. He’d seen plenty of people like that. If they were interested in something, they wanted to hold it tightly in their hand and when they get a hold of it, they then throw it away as if it had never happened. Ja-kyung was more anxious now that he appeared to be in Il-hyun’s grasp, and he didn’t know what would happen when Il-hyun finally got him.

Just then, Wang Han’s voice came through the in-ear.

[Target arrived. He’s heading up.]

“Is he alone?”

[Yeah. I think he’s pretty drunk. He’s staggering.]

Great. The job will be easier than he thought. Looking down at the 24-story apartment was dizzying. The target was on the 19th floor. As he warmed up and relaxed his muscles, Wang Lun’s mobile phone vibrated in his pocket. Ja-kyung frowned. Why did you bring your cell phone while working?

“Sorry.”

He smiled and quickly moved away from Ja-kyung. Seeing what he was doing, it seemed to be his girlfriend. Ja-kyung attached a silencer to his automatic gun and glared at the back of Wang Lun’s head, wondering if he would shoot Wang Lun at this rate. Wang Lun quickly finished the call and walked with a smile on his face.

“I’m going to tell Han hyung everything. That you’re talking to a woman while working.”

“Why are you being so uptight? Don’t forget that your life is in my hands.”

Ja-kyung pointed the gun at Wang Lun.

“Then if I do this, your life is in my hands.”

“Don’t mess around. It only takes one finger to subdue you.”

He wiggled his middle finger to tease Ja-kyung. After glaring and cursing, Ja-kyung attached the rope to the buckle. He placed his foot on the roof railing after checking his watch. Because of the tilt angle, his torso leaned downward as he climbed. He let go of the rope and walked gently toward his target.

Wang Lun made sure that the rope was not tangled and watched Ja-kyung go down. Stepping on the wall with his feet, Ja-kyung went down floor by floor, but it was well past 2:00 in the morning, so many houses had their lights turned off. When he reached the 19th floor, it started to rain again.

Oh shit. Ja-kyung frowned and looked up. He saw Wang Lun looking at him worriedly. Ja-kyung moved sideways and put one foot on the veranda railing. It was slippery after the rain. He peeked inside, but it was dark as if the target was already asleep.

There was no moonlight as it was raining, making it even more difficult to judge. He was about to enter, but the moment he felt chill. He patted the back of his back. It was empty. He clenched his eyes tightly when he realized he had forgotten his night vision goggles.

Damn it. Nothing works.

He hurriedly called Wang Lun through his in-ear.

“Hyung! Put down the night vision goggles.”

[Clumsy. Wait.]

The goggles eventually came down on a string. Ja-kyung grabbed it and checked inside Kim Dong-myung’s apartment and his expression hardened. That sends shivers down his spine, like if he’s been doused in ice water. Multiple legs of a person seen through a gray lens. When he looked up, a group of fully-armed men stood waiting for Ja-kyung to enter.

Fuck. Ja-kyung called Wang Lun and Wang Han at the same time in the in-ear.

“Looks like things went wrong.”

[What are you talking about?]

He could hear Wang Han’s voice. But Wang Lun was silent. The rope, which had been pulled taut, suddenly swayed. Ja-kyung raised his head and looked up. Rainwater was pouring down his face, so he couldn’t see clearly, but Wang Lun was stretching himself over the railing.

“Lun hyung?”

The rope shakes a little harder. Ja-kyung propped up on the wall with both legs to keep his balance and stared up. Wiping the rainwater off his face, he called for Wang Lun once again, but he did not answer.

Wang Han’s voice came through the in-ear.

[What’s wrong? What’s the matter?]

It was only then that Ja-kyung realized that the person looking down at him was not Wang Lun. At that moment, he felt the rope going down. Ja-kyung quickly kicked the wall, rebounded, and rolled onto the terrace. Tuk, at the same time the rope broke.

Fuck. How did this happen.

Before there was time to react, the glass windows of the terrace were shattered and a hail of bullets flew from inside the house.

There were four men pointing guns at him. The leader of them raised his hand to signal them to stop. Kim Dong-myung stuck out his face while wearing a gown.

“Did you kill him? Did you kill him?”

When he turns on the light, a messy living room appears. Lee Ja-kyung, dressed in black, was lying on the terrace. Kim Dong-myung looked around the living room and cursed. Fuck. How much will this cost? The leader motioned for Kim Dong-myung to enter, and then had a subordinate check Lee Ja-kyung’s condition.

After the subordinate took a few steps, Ja-kyung, who had been stretched out like a corpse, turned over and blew the approaching man’s head off. Then Ja-kyung fired a bullet into the standing legs of the men while lying down. Surprised, Kim Dong-myung hurried to the bedroom as the man who had been shot in the leg fell forward.

In the meantime, Ja-kyung rolled over and hid behind the terrace wall. Bullets flew through the air and struck the wall. He took a deep breath and loaded the magazine before checking his condition. A bullet grazed his arm, and blood flowed quite a bit. He frowned and cursed.

Wang Han’s voice was heard in a situation where the enemy was in a tense confrontation with a wall.

[Wei. Are you okay?]

Ja-kyung bit his teeth.

“I think things are wrong. Go to the rooftop now. I can’t contact Lun hyung.”

The raindrops became stronger, but the inside of the house was as quiet as a dead mouse. Ja-kyung took a flower pot from the corner and tossed it into the center. As if waiting for it, the bullet shattered the pot. He took a breather as the gunfight came to a halt. A man stuck out his face to check the movement, and Ja-kyung didn’t miss the chance and blew his head off at once.

As the commotion continues, the lights come on in the otherwise quiet apartment.

At this rate, the police will come. He has to deal with it quickly somehow and get out of here. Ja-kyung looked to the side. It’s far, but there’s another terrace there. Kim Dong-myung fled to the room on the right earlier, so it must be connected to that place.

He looked down and realized it was pitch black. It was raining and if he made a mistake, he would fall. He was at a disadvantage, and it was too much for him to take on the fully armed men alone in a small space. He had no other choice. He slung his gun around his waist and rubbed his palms together. Please. Please.

He stepped on the railing and jumped to it. His feet couldn’t reach due to the distance, but he could barely hold on to the railing with his hands. Climbing up and going to the terrace, he saw Kim Dong-myung shivering with his ear against the door.

Haha, I’ve come to the right place. Fortunately, the window was open, so he went right in. Kim Dong-myung, who looked back, sat down in his seat with his eyes wide open. Before he could open the door to escape, Ja-kyung put a gun to his head.

He looked like he was about to cry, his legs trembling like a newborn calf. The man who said with a confident face that he would rescue a young woman from Ja-kyung a year ago was nowhere to be seen. Using Kim Dong-myung as a hostage, he opened the door and came out.

As he goes through the hallway to the living room, one of the men who was shooting earlier turns around first. He pointed the gun at Ja-kyung. So did the man behind him. Ja-kyung couldn’t see his face because he was wearing a mask, but he wasn’t an average person.

Ja-kyung put a gun to the back of Kim Dong-myung’s head and warned them.

“If you don’t want to put a hole in your client’s head, put the gun down.”

But the men didn’t listen. When Kim Dong-myung saw that they did not back down easily, he screamed.

“Fuck you, bastards! Listen to him! Do you want to see me die?”

They didn’t bat an eye. Suddenly, it occurred to Ja-kyung that they might not be the people Kim Dong-myung hired. He didn’t know who ordered them to come here, but there was no need for hostages.

Ja-kyung charged forward using Kim Dong-myung as a shield and fired a gun at them. Pusyuk, pusyuk, one died instantly from being hit in the chest and head, while the other managed to hide behind a wall. The bullets they fired hit Kim Dong-myung in the head and legs.

Ahh, Kim Dong-myung screamed and struggled. Ja-kyung grabbed him and stood him up, using him as a shield until the end to approach the other one. In a situation where there was a confrontation over a wall, the ticking of the clock on the wall was particularly loud.

In the meantime, the sound of the magazine being pulled out was faintly heard, and Ja-kyung threw Kim Dong-myung and ran to find the man hiding behind the wall and aimed his gun at him. The man who had just loaded the magazine paused. Ja-kyung put a gun to his head and removed his mask.

Ja-kyung’s expression twisted as he checked his face. A foreigner. He also looked very young. The man opened his mouth slowly with eyes full of fear. Please, please don’t kill me. Ja-kyung looked at the man with a cold gaze. The man begged for help.

Ja-kyung was 18 when he was holding a gun. The first time he killed a person was nineteen. It seemed like he was seeing himself as a child, but that was no reason to keep him alive. When he pulled the trigger, the back of his head exploded and blood splattered on Ja-kyung’s face.

Wiping the blood, he looked back. Now there was only one person left. Even as Kim Dong-myung was out of breath, he tried to crawl away. Ja-kyung walked towards him. He let out a tearing scream as Ja-kyung stepped on his leg, which had been shot.

Ja-kyung laid him straight and looked at him with a cold gaze.

“Did you know we were coming?”

Kim Dong-myung’s face turned red from the pain, and he felt like he was going to pass out at any moment.

“Ah! I, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Answer me. How did you know?”

Kim Dong-myung laughed hysterically through his tears as if he had finally gone crazy.

“Fuck, do you think I’m going to tell you that, haha, either way I’ll die, too.”

Bang, Ja-kyung blew Kim Dong-myung’s head without hesitation. As soon as blood splattered everywhere, Wang Han’s voice came through the in-ear.

[Wei, are you okay?]

Ja-kyung roughly wiped the gun and the blood off his face as he walked toward the door.

“Yeah. Are you okay? I’ve got everything sorted out here.”

[Thank god.]

His voice of relief trembles slightly. Ja-kyung hid his anxiety and asked.

“What about Lun hyung?”

Wang Han did not answer. Ja-kyung bit his teeth and checked again.

“L hyung!”

His voice cracked as if he was about to cry.

[He’s lost a lot of blood… He’s unconscious. I think we should take him to the hospital right away.]