Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: The Arms Dealer
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Kanghyeok hung up the phone, his eyes fixed on the border patrol.
The LED screen had gone dark, but the border patrol agents were starting to approach him.
*Tch.*
Kanghyeok quickly ducked behind a nearby rock.
But the rock was smaller than his body, a flimsy cover that would surely be exposed if they got any closer.
*Thud, thud. Click.*
As they approached, they switched on their flashlights.
The beams swept across the wall where Kanghyeok had been and the surrounding area, like predators searching for prey.
He had to do something.
Kanghyeok grabbed a stone within reach, then let it go.
*This won't work.*
*Too soft.*
He grabbed another stone and knew this was the one he wanted.
A smooth, hard stone.
Turning his gaze in the opposite direction of the border, Kanghyeok spotted a large rock nestled among other stones and boulders.
*Whoosh.*
A flashlight beam had just narrowly swept past his hiding spot.
Kanghyeok threw the stone with all the strength of his upper body.
*Clang!*
The moment the stone struck the rock, a sharp crack echoed, and a spark flew.
"What was that!"
A sound like a gunshot, and a spark.
It was enough to instantly capture the border patrol's attention.
"Move! Quickly!"
*Thump, thump, thump!*
The border patrol agents started moving in that direction, and Kanghyeok moved back toward the wall.
As quietly and swiftly as possible.
*Thump.*
Kanghyeok grabbed a protruding part of the wall, stopping just below the barbed wire. He tossed the coat he'd had slung over his arm onto the wire.
Then he leaped over it, retrieving the coat as he landed.
*Whoosh!*
A flashlight beam illuminated the spot where Kanghyeok had been, lingering on the slightly trembling barbed wire before sweeping over the Mexican soil beyond the wall.
Kanghyeok lay flat on the ground, his coat pulled over him.
"What the hell was that?"
"Check the area, just in case."
"Should we call for backup?"
"Could've been a wild animal. Hold off until we find something definite."
The border patrol's attention moved away.
Along with the sound of their footsteps.
Kanghyeok let out a sigh of relief and stood up, clenching a fistful of dirt.
Mexican soil.
Not American soil.
He'd managed to cross, one way or another.
Kanghyeok turned his back to the wall and started walking.
He moved a full 700 meters, taking cover behind whatever he could. Once he felt he was a safe distance away, he pulled his phone out of his coat.
*What kind of bastard...*
If it hadn't been for that call, he would have crossed the border without any trouble.
Kanghyeok checked the name on the missed call and let out a long sigh that filled his chest.
He knew the bastard who had called.
*Yohan?*
This was driving him crazy.
He couldn't have known, and he certainly wouldn't have called to put Kanghyeok in danger.
Kanghyeok held the phone in one hand and draped his coat over his shoulder.
Then, he pulled out a cigarette and made a call.
*Ring, click!*
The call connected almost as soon as it started ringing.
(Hello!)
"I was busy, couldn't pick up. What's up?"
(Is everything okay?)
"Yeah."
Kanghyeok checked the direction of the wind.
It was blowing from the US into Mexico, as if to follow him.
(What are you doing now? Should I call back later?)
"No, it's fine. But from now on, don't call me unless I call first. I could be in danger."
(Yes...)
*Damn kid.*
He'd never heard such a pathetic voice in his life.
"I'm fine now. It wasn't a big deal. So, what's up?"
(Ah! I cut down my time a lot.)
He had taught Yohan a mobile shooting drill before he left.
It was a training method that involved moving while shooting targets in a set order. Yohan had called to boast about improving his time.
*Click!*
Kanghyeok hunched over to light his cigarette, shielding the lighter's flame, and cupped his hand to hide the glowing tip.
*Inhale.*
He hadn't smoked for half a day, worried the scent would cling to him.
He could feel the nicotine seeping into his craving body.
He waited for the smoke filling his lungs to be fully absorbed before speaking with the exhale.
"Good job. Keep cutting down your time. Let me know if you're short on money for ammo."
(I still have plenty.)
Kanghyeok brought the cigarette to his lips and continued walking deeper into Mexico.
"You must have some questions from all that practice."
(Not really, no.)
"Your time improves for two reasons. You get used to handling the gun, and you get used to the routine. Starting tomorrow, change the order you shoot the targets."
(Okay, I'll do that.)
"Cut your time down as much as you can. When you get it to a level I'm satisfied with, I'll get you a gift."
He still hadn't taken the rifle in for repairs.
So he had to visit the Master one more time.
He planned to take Yohan with him then and buy him a gun of his own.
(Yes!)
Yohan's voice was so clear he could picture his face. After a bit more small talk, Kanghyeok ended the call.
He glanced back and realized he'd been on the phone longer than he thought.
The border looked smaller than his thumbnail.
They must have stopped their search; he couldn't see any flashlight beams anymore.
It was a long night.
In more ways than one.
Kanghyeok exhaled smoke and looked up at the night sky.
*How long has it been?*
He'd been to Mexico on a mission before, but he hadn't looked up at the night sky like this back then.
It would have been nice if there were more stars.
Unfortunately, the clouds were hanging low and thick, obscuring them from view.
"Hoo!"
Kanghyeok kept walking.
The morning star rose and melted into the dawn, and by the time the sun rising in the east was directly overhead, he saw a road and a taxi.
Kanghyeok raised his arm, index finger extended.
"Tourist?"
The taxi driver rolled down his window and asked the question, but Kanghyeok simply got into the back seat without a word and stated his destination.
"Monterrey."
The driver flexed his hands on the steering wheel and looked at Kanghyeok through the rearview mirror.
"You know what kind of place that is?"
The city boasting the worst security in Mexico.
It was also the city presumed to be deeply connected to the Iron Mask.
Kanghyeok answered with a nod.
"Hah!"
The taxi driver let out a heavy sigh, as if he'd picked up a troublesome fare, and started driving toward Monterrey.
Monterrey.
After getting a room, Kanghyeok emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel.
He'd slept in the taxi, so his eyes were clear.
*Click, fwoosh!*
He grabbed the cigarettes he'd left on the headboard, lit one, and flipped over the pillow with the towel still on his head.
The pistol he'd received from the Master.
It was a good gun, but it only had one magazine.
*Pfft.*
Kanghyeok took a drag from the filter as he ejected the magazine, checked the remaining rounds, and set the pistol down beside him.
He didn't have many bullets to spare.
*First priority is to get more ammunition.*
There would come a time when he'd have to use his gun while chasing the Iron Mask.
He needed to be prepared for that.
What he needed right now were bullets and a knife.
It would be hard to find one he was as familiar with as his kukri, and while he could make do with a kitchen or sashimi knife in a pinch, he hoped to at least find a combat knife.
"Hooo-!"
Kanghyeok pushed smoke through his lips, his gaze drifting to the window.
It had been a little over half a day since he'd taken the taxi from the border, and he'd spent more time getting a room and showering.
As a result, darkness was now falling outside the window.
Kanghyeok watched the sunset spread across the sky and the darkness creeping in from the west, his eyes narrowed as he held the cigarette between his lips.
It was night.
The time of lawlessness and violence, when the righteous sleep and the unscrupulous awaken.
It was also the perfect time to acquire things like bullets, a knife, and clandestine information about the Iron Mask.
*Tsss!*
Kanghyeok extinguished his cigarette in the water-filled ashtray and put on his clothes.
Not the clothes he'd worn to cross the border.
A bright red t-shirt, almost childishly colored, and comfortable cotton pants with nylon for stretch.
They were good for fighting and for blending in with the locals.
*Clack.*
Kanghyeok grabbed his pistol and left the room.
The streets were a little damp.
There had been dark clouds back when he was crossing the border.
Because of them, a misty drizzle was falling. Kanghyeok walked through the night streets with his hands in his pockets.
Car headlights and neon signs reflected off the wet asphalt.
Flickering red signs that caught the eye, and people of various ethnicities walking around, exhaling cigarette smoke.
Those who looked like locals passed him with questioning or worried glances.
It was their way of showing concern.
This place was dangerous after sunset.
To put it bluntly, it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to be found as a corpse the next day.
Standing before an alley as dark as a black hole, Kanghyeok scanned his surroundings, moving only his eyes.
A few guys were watching him intently.
*Drug dealers.*
They always swarmed like shit flies.
And for now, he needed them.
When it came to getting information in the back alleys, it was hard to find anyone more useful than them.
Kanghyeok averted his gaze and stepped into the dark alley. As expected, the sound of their footsteps followed him from behind.
Kanghyeok waited for them to approach him deep inside the alley.
"Hey."
One of the guys who had followed him spoke up.
He was rail-thin, revealing abnormally yellow teeth as he held out his phone and spoke.
"Where you from? Korea? China? Or Japan?"
Kanghyeok saw the translator app open on the man's phone and raised his eyes.
"Speak English."
"Oh."
The man laughed in admiration and put his phone in his pocket.
"What're you looking for? I got a lot of stuff. Got everything."
"I don't need drugs."
"Huh?"
Kanghyeok met the man's gaze as his face twisted, the smile gone in an instant. He continued.
"I want to meet someone who deals in weapons. Preferably someone well-connected."
The man flinched noticeably.
He glanced behind him before speaking to Kanghyeok in a low voice.
"What? Who the hell are you?"
Without a word, Kanghyeok pulled some dollars from his pocket and held them out between his index and middle fingers.
But the man didn't take the money right away.
He just looked back and forth between Kanghyeok and the cash with uneasy eyes.
"I'm not a cop."
"For real?"
"Ever see a cop offering money?"
*He's probably seen cops taking money, though.*
In any case, the man took the money from Kanghyeok's hand, but his eyes were still filled with distrust.
"Gang, then?"
"Just answer my question."
"I don't deal with gangs."
Seeing how slow he was on the uptake, Kanghyeok was sure the guy used drugs himself.
"If I were in a gang, would I be asking you this?"
What gang in the world would ask a drug dealer for bullets?
The man seemed to think it over and nodded in agreement.
"What're you looking for?"
"Ammunition, a knife, and information."
"You got the money?"
Kanghyeok just stared at him, and the man flinched before gesturing for him to follow.
Something felt off.
"Just tell me the location, and I'll go myself."
"The way is complicated. I took your money, so I'll guide you."
Kanghyeok sucked his teeth with a soft *tsk*.
He didn't trust him, but the man was the only one who knew the location, and there was a chance he might actually lead him there. So, Kanghyeok followed.
The possibility of betrayal?
Of course, he'd considered it.
Still, he was confident he could take down guys like these in an instant, even without a gun, so he followed the man out of the alley.
*Tap, tap.*
The man tapped the shoulder of his partner, who was standing lookout at the alley's entrance. The two whispered to each other, and then both of them led the way.
After about five minutes of walking.
The man hadn't been lying about the complicated route. They led Kanghyeok through a maze of alleys to a building.
"Here."
Kanghyeok looked up at the terribly dilapidated five-story building in the unlit alley and tilted his head.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
"Come on in. It is."
The man led the way up the stairs.
As Kanghyeok followed him up, he glanced back.
The man's partner, who had been lagging behind as if on lookout, was now climbing the stairs behind Kanghyeok.
As if to block his escape.