Assassination Begins (2)
‘Damn it...!!’
During the fierce battle with the Yeongho-dae, Jae-hyeok spotted Yong-jin facing Tae-rang.
In that instant, Tae-rang’s knife sliced toward Jae-hyeok’s neck. Jae-hyeok twisted his body sideways to dodge, but the blade still grazed his throat.
“You see Odell? Your opponent is me.”
Tae-rang and his comrades kept swinging knives at Jae-hyeok without pause.
Jae-hyeok barely managed to block the strikes with his steel pipe.
Shit... I wish I’d brought a knife...
Even though Jae-hyeok was skilled, fighting three armed men without weapons was exhausting. Especially if they knew knife fighting.
Still, with the pipe in hand, he managed to hold on.
Stay calm. Stay calm...
Jae-hyeok circled the men surrounding him and backed away.
His back hit the wall. The man on his right drove his knife toward Jae-hyeok’s neck.
At the same time, the man on the left lunged with his knife toward Jae-hyeok’s side.
And Tae-rang aimed for Jae-hyeok’s stomach.
Jae-hyeok threw himself to the right, dodging the blade, then dropped the pipe and smashed the man’s head with his right elbow.
Simultaneously, he seized Tae-rang’s wrist with his left hand.
Got you? You little bastard... How the hell do you have that kind of peripheral vision?
Tae-rang froze in shock. Jae-hyeok extended his bent right arm and drove his fist into the left man’s face.
Then he swung his right arm again, smashing Tae-rang’s head with the back of his fist.
But these Yeongho-dae members were not so easy to bring down.
Jae-hyeok had expected they would fight dirty. He needed to exploit every opening.
Quickly rolling his head, he chose the first target.
Yeah. I’ll take you out first!!
He charged the man on his right.
The man barely steadied himself and swung his knife at Jae-hyeok.
Jae-hyeok blocked the strike and stabbed his elbow into the man’s solar plexus.
“Kuh...!!”
The man staggered and groaned in pain. Jae-hyeok dodged the knife of the man on the left who was reaching for his neck.
He closed in on the man, grabbed his back with his left hand, and without hesitation drove his right thumb straight into the man’s left eye.
“Kuaaaak!!”
Jae-hyeok yanked out the thumb, clenched his right fist, and smashed the man’s head.
Tae-rang spotted the opening and swung his knife in reverse.
In a flash, Jae-hyeok spun his body clockwise, pulled the man into his arms, and retreated. Tae-rang’s knife buried itself in the man’s neck.
“Kuh...!!”
Red blood spurted along the blade with every heartbeat.
Taking advantage of Tae-rang’s stunned expression, Jae-hyeok slammed the stabbed man and Tae-rang against the wall.
The man Jae-hyeok had hit in the solar plexus swung his knife at him.
Jae-hyeok stepped back to avoid it, then snatched the knife from the stabbed man’s right hand.
“Die, you bastard!!”
The two men rushed Jae-hyeok, swinging knives. Jae-hyeok met them with the knife in hand.
Tsk tsk tsk... What the hell are they trying to do.
Jeong Seung-gyu watched his subordinates fighting and clicked his tongue in disgust.
“I guess we should take out this little bastard first, right?”
[Baek Ju-yeon. Yeongho-dae member]
“Yeah. This guy is first.”
With that, Jeong Seung-gyu squatted in front of Yong-jin and pressed the knife to his chest.
“Write the scenario like this. A double agent killed the reporter, and one guy killed the other to take the money and ran away.”
“Understood. But where did the other agent go?”
“Handle that yourself.”
Just as Jeong Seung-gyu was about to drive the knife into Yong-jin’s chest, a loud “thud” echoed through the alley.
A “bang” rang out from Baek Ju-yeon’s head. Her cheek was splattered with brain matter and blood as she collapsed forward.
Her eyes slowly rolled back while she fell.
Shot?! Who the hell...!!
While Jeong Seung-gyu was startled, someone approached from behind him.
A SIG P226 Tacops pistol with a suppressor was pressed against the back of Jeong Seung-gyu’s head.
A black cloth pouch was attached to the ejector port.
“Jeong Seung-gyu. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this.”
“...... You know me?”
“Of course. I caught that spy bastard in Yangyang back then.”
In an instant, Jeong Seung-gyu recalled someone and gritted his teeth, muttering.
“This fucking bastard...”
“Put down the knife. I’ll spare your life.”
With that, he slowly tightened his finger on the trigger.
But Jeong Seung-gyu refused to drop the knife.
It was the moment he was about to drive the blade into Yong-jin’s chest with all his strength.
The man with the gun grabbed Jeong Seung-gyu’s ponytail with his left hand and yanked him backward.
He then fired two shots into the fallen Jeong Seung-gyu’s face, killing him.
Yong-jin stared blankly at the man with the gun in the sudden chaos.
“Mr. Choi Yong-jin. Are you alright?”
“W-who are you?”
Yong-jin stammered in shock. The man answered.
“President Jang sent me. Move with me.”
[Seo Gyu-hak. Jeong Seung-gyu’s colleague]
With Seo Gyu-hak’s sudden appearance, the men fighting Jae-hyeok froze in panic.
What the hell...? Seo Gyu-hak, that bastard... Where the hell did he come from?
Seo Gyu-hak, a notorious spy hunter from his days in the Information Command and National Intelligence Service, had caught many North Korean defectors turned by Cha Jin-yeong, including Jeong Seung-gyu and Tae-rang.
Jae-hyeok watched the startled Yeongho-dae members and thought.
I don’t know why they’re frozen, but this is the chance!!
He lowered his stance and kicked one man’s leg.
“Aaaak!!”
After regaining his senses, Tae-rang swung his knife at Jae-hyeok.
Jae-hyeok dodged the attack and relentlessly targeted the man whose leg he had cut.
His goal was not to kill but to extract information while keeping him alive.
He struck non-vital areas.
“Kuuuug...”
The man who had been tortured all over by Jae-hyeok collapsed.
Tae-rang judged that there was no chance against Jae-hyeok and Seo Gyu-hak, so he tried to flee.
Seo Gyu-hak’s pistol fired with a “thud,” bursting Tae-rang’s head.
Tae-rang’s head exploded and he fell instantly, bleeding from the burst skull and dying.
After killing Tae-rang, Seo Gyu-hak said to Jae-hyeok in a low voice.
“Search his mouth. Now.”
Before the words ended, the fallen man was mumbling.
But Jae-hyeok quickly pried his mouth open and removed the poison inside, foiling the suicide.
“This... fucking bastard...!!”
In that moment, Seo Gyu-hak pressed an electric shock gun to the man’s neck, knocking him unconscious.
He took out his phone from his pocket and called someone.
“Processing team. Call. Report signal.”
After hanging up, Seo Gyu-hak put the phone away and asked Jae-hyeok.
“Park Jae-hyeok, right?”
“Who are you?”
Jae-hyeok glared at him and warned.
“I’m Jeong Seung-gyu’s colleague. So loosen your eyes a bit?”
He detached the suppressor from the pistol and holstered it on his hip.
“There’s a place I want you to go with me for a while.”
“Where?”
“Just follow quietly. There’s someone who wants to meet you.”
At that moment, two vans stopped near the alley.
People carrying drugs and cleaning supplies got out.
Seo Gyu-hak asked them.
“Controlled?”
“Yes, we’re handling it.”
“Good. You guys clean this up quickly. Take the fallen ones over there and interrogate them.”
He glanced at Jae-hyeok and Yong-jin and continued.
“I’m moving Mr. Choi Yong-jin and the VVIP to the team leader.”
“Yes, understood.”
After giving the order, Seo Gyu-hak said to Jae-hyeok, who was watching him with a bewildered expression.
“Come along quickly. Let’s wrap up the report fast since we’re both busy.”
Meanwhile, in front of Jo Tae-min’s house.
Seo Yeong-seok was confronting the Yeongho-dae members who were pretending to be detectives.
Damn... It turns out that detective has a grudge against that guy...
Jae-chun was startled to learn that the detective he impersonated had an enmity with Seo Yeong-seok.
Gwang-yul took out a knife from his waist and threatened Seo Yeong-seok.
“Hey. Just go quietly? If you don’t want to get hurt.”
Jae-chun also drew his knife and pointed it at Seo Yeong-seok’s neck.
Seo Yeong-seok stared blankly at the blade aimed at his throat.
“You guys... aren’t police?”
“If you know, just get out quietly. If you meddle, the real rat... will bite you.”
Before Jae-chun finished speaking, Seo Yeong-seok swung his left hand, knocking away his wrist, and smashed his left knee with his right heel.
“Kuduk!”
Jae-chun’s leg bent and he staggered.
While Jae-chun was off-balance, Seo Yeong-seok punched him in the jaw with his right fist.
Jae-chun, hit directly in the jaw, staggered and fell.
“This bastard!!”
In an instant, Gwang-yul rushed forward and swung his knife at Seo Yeong-seok. Seo Yeong-seok dodged and observed his movements.
Juche Gyeok-sul...? Are they from North Korea?
Most Yeongho-dae members were former North Korean soldiers and knew Juche Gyeok-sul, the North Korean military martial art.
Seo Yeong-seok had clashed with Security Bureau agents during his defection, so he was familiar with handling those who used Juche Gyeok-sul.
This bastard... How fast is he?
Gwang-yul thrust his knife toward Seo Yeong-seok’s neck, but Seo Yeong-seok dodged and grabbed his wrist, twisting it.
He stabbed the knife into Gwang-yul’s shoulder and twisted it roughly.
Then he hit his jaw with a right elbow and followed with a kick to the solar plexus.
How hard it was, Gwang-yul collapsed and fainted.
At that moment, Tae-min, who had slightly opened the door, looked at the fallen Yeongho-dae members and asked Seo Yeong-seok.
“Seo Yeong-seok? What is this...?”
“These guys tried to threaten me with a knife.”
And Seo Yeong-seok glanced at the fallen Jae-chun and Gwang-yul and continued.
“And these guys were pretending to be police.”
“It seems they were trying to harm Mr. Jo Tae-min by using their fake identities...”
Tae-min stared at the fallen Yeongho-dae members for a moment.
It’s impossible to just ignore it since Seo Yeong-seok has already done something.
If these guys find out that Seo Yeong-seok interfered with them... Seo Yeong-seok won’t be safe either.
Thinking that, he said to Seo Yeong-seok.
“Come inside first.”
Seo Yeong-seok went inside. Inside were Choi Yong-jin’s wife, Seong Hye-bin, and their daughter, Jo Seo-hyun.
He recognized the mother and daughter he had met in the elevator in the evening and acted as if he knew them.
“Huh? Hello.”
“Hello...”
Tae-min said to Hye-bin.
“Hye-bin. Cha Jin-yeong’s people have come all the way to our house. It’s not safe here anymore.”
With that, Hye-bin said with a tense expression.
“Then I guess I have to flee to another place.”
“Yes. Let’s pack our bags first.”
And Tae-min asked Seo Yeong-seok.
“Sorry, but can you help us a bit?”
“What exactly is going on?”
“I’ll explain later.”
With that, Seo Yeong-seok was silent for a moment as if thinking, then answered.
“Understood. I’ll tie up the guys outside and help.”
Seo Yeong-seok took out a roll of duct tape and tied the wrists and ankles of the fallen Yeongho-dae members.
Tae-min and Hye-bin packed their luggage in suitcases. After restraining the Yeongho-dae members, Seo Yeong-seok helped them.
After preparing to leave, the four of them went outside and took the elevator.
And Hye-bin called her husband on the phone.
“Hello? Yong-jin? Are you okay?!”
Yong-jin, who was in Seo Gyu-hak’s car with Jae-hyeok, answered.
“I’m fine. What about you? Are Tae-min and Seo-hyun safe?!”
“Yeah. We’re all fine, but... people pretending to be police came to Tae-min’s house.”
“They came to Tae-min’s house?! People pretending to be police?!”
“Yeah. So Tae-min took his car and went to another place...”
“No. If those guys found out about Tae-min’s house and came looking, moving in Tae-min’s car wouldn’t be safe either. Take a taxi.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
At that moment, Seo Gyu-hak showed the memo he had entered in his phone to Yong-jin.
[Please come to this address with your friends and family members]
Yong-jin looked at the address Seo Gyu-hak showed and said to Hye-bin.
“Hye-bin. I’ll send you the address later, so come there together. Got it?”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Hye-bin hung up the phone, and Tae-min asked her.
“Is Yong-jin safe?”
“Yes. Fortunately... he said to move by taxi instead of Mr. Tae-min’s car.”
At that moment, Seo Yeong-seok next to him asked.
“Then how about all three of you moving in my car?”
“Your car...?”
“The people chasing you probably don’t know about my existence yet.”
“So I think moving in my car isn’t bad.”
With that, Tae-min said to Seo Yeong-seok with an apologetic look.
“Then I’ll impose on you for a while.”
“It’s fine. Feel free to.”
When they arrived at the parking lot, the four loaded their luggage into Seo Yeong-seok’s Granja sedan and moved in that car.