Dahyun's Rescue (3)
Meanwhile, Jaehyuk, who had remained inside the building, had already brutally subdued the men who had tried to do unspeakable things to Dahyun.
“Ughhhh...”
“Sa... Save... Please, save me...”
The men collapsed before Jaehyuk were in a truly wretched state. Some had their Achilles tendons slashed, others had their eyes gouged out, several had the flesh on their arms shredded to ribbons by blades, and more than a few had joints twisted at grotesque angles.
With murder burning in his eyes, Jaehyuk demanded, “Who’s the one in charge here?”
The man whose eyes had been torn out trembled violently as he slowly lifted his right hand—all five fingers bent at unnatural angles.
Glaring at him, Jaehyuk pressed, “You were in contact with Burning Island, weren’t you?”
“Y-yes... Yes...”
“Then the records would be on your phone. Correct?”
Desperate to survive, the man nodded his head up and down with frantic vigor. Jaehyuk ordered, “Hand over the phone.”
“It’s... in the clothes I took off over there...”
Jaehyuk rummaged through the discarded garments and found a single phone in one of the pants pockets.
“iPhone XR with a blue case. Right?”
“Yes... that’s correct...”
“Passcode?”
“It’s... a Z-shaped pattern...”
Jaehyuk traced the pattern and unlocked the device. After scrolling through it, he located the message history between the men and Lee Seunghun.
Decisive evidence of Burning Island’s illegal sex trafficking... I’ve finally found it. I need to deliver these records to the police, but... there are far too many corrupt officers tied to Burning Island. I can’t hand this over to just anyone.
Leaving the crippled men behind, Jaehyuk stepped out into the building corridor. He walked indifferently past the hallway littered with the corpses he had created.
Good. In that case...
A short while later, Jaehyuk emerged from the building drenched in blood. Jeonghan and Dahyun, waiting outside, saw him and immediately asked about his condition.
“Jaehyuk, are you okay?”
“Oppa...”
Dahyun stared at him with tears shimmering in her eyes.
Looking back at her with deep concern, Jaehyuk asked, “...Are you hurt anywhere?”
Dahyun nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks, then threw herself into his arms. Jaehyuk gently patted her back as she trembled in his embrace, still shaken from the ordeal.
Before long, tears welled up in Jaehyuk’s own eyes as he comforted her, and Dahyun sobbed bitterly against his chest.
Once Dahyun had calmed down somewhat, Jaehyuk pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. Seeing this, Jeonghan asked, “Who are you calling?”
“A hyung I’m close with.”
“Hey kiddo, what’s going on...”
“I’m calling to report something.”
“A report? What kind of report?”
“I just witnessed a drug-fueled illegal prostitution ring in action.”
“What?!! Where are you?!! Are you okay?!!”
“It’s the XX House in the ●● district. I’m fine... but Dahyun was kidnapped and taken there.”
“Dahyun?! How is she? Is she safe?!!”
“Dahyun is safe.”
“I’m heading there right now!!”
Jaehyuk ended the call. Jeonghan spoke with clear unease. “Jaehyuk. The atmosphere here isn’t good for Dahyun to settle down. Why don’t we give them a different address and wait on a busy main road? It’d be inconvenient for a car to come all the way in here.”
“...You’re right. I’ll call them on the way.”
The three of them began walking out of the alley.
Not long after they left, dark figures started gathering one by one at the building entrance. They all wore black masks. Each carried a third-generation Glock 17 pistol fitted with a silencer on the barrel and a black cloth bag over the ejection port.
“Ugh... What the...?”
The thug who had been knocked unconscious by Jaehyuk and Jeonghan during their initial breach was just regaining consciousness.
As his vision slowly cleared, the first thing he saw was masked men aiming pistols directly at him.
“Huh...? Wha...?”
Before the panicked thug could react, the masked men pulled their triggers without the slightest hesitation, instantly killing him and the other three thugs.
The man who appeared to be their leader gave orders in a low voice, barely suppressing his rage. “Kill everyone except the victims. It’s the boss’s ‘special order.’”
The masked men moved like intelligence operatives sent to eliminate targets, ascending to the second floor with lethal efficiency.
Jaehyuk and the others had reached a major road not far from where their taxi had dropped them. Jaehyuk kept the still-trembling Dahyun close, soothing her gently.
“I... I should’ve just listened to you, oppa... I should’ve ignored it and... refused more firmly...”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine for not responding faster... Don’t say things like that.”
At his words, Dahyun hugged him even tighter.
To Jeonghan, who had only ever seen their typical sibling bickering, Dahyun’s current behavior looked completely foreign.
She must have been terrified. I never imagined I’d see her clinging to Jaehyuk like this.
His thoughts drifted to Suyeon, and he recalled the recent fear that he might have lost his own sister. He also remembered the demonic Jaehyuk from moments earlier—the one who had mercilessly slaughtered the thugs trying to harm Dahyun with knives and every weapon at hand.
Yeah. They deserved to die. I won’t ask Jaehyuk any more questions about it. If it had been my sister... if I thought Suyeon had been put through something like that...
Jeonghan remembered the drugged women who had tried to seduce him so lewdly, and his fists clenched at the thought that Suyeon could have suffered the same fate.
There’s no guarantee they wouldn’t have done it.
Having resolved to pretend he had seen nothing of what Jaehyuk had done, Jeonghan watched his friend continue to comfort Dahyun.
At that moment, a police car pulled up in front of them. Taeseok jumped out in a hurry and immediately checked on Jaehyuk and Dahyun.
“Jaehyuk!! Dahyun!!”
“Taeseok oppa...”
After confirming Dahyun was unharmed, Taeseok saw Jaehyuk covered head to toe in blood. His expression and tone mixed worry with fury as he shouted, “Are you okay?!! Jaehyuk, you... what the hell happened to you?!! Who did this?!!!”
“I’m fine. This isn’t my blood.”
“It was the XX House, right? Officer Choi, take these two home. I’ll examine the scene and contact headquarters.”
“Hyung, I’ll guide you. Let’s go together.”
Taeseok stopped him with concern. “No. You don’t look okay at all. Go home with your friend and Dahyun and rest properly. I’ll handle things here.”
“Hyung, I’m really fine. Let’s go together. It’s dangerous to go alone.”
Jaehyuk felt deeply anxious about what might happen to Taeseok.
Taeseok was strong. He had single-handedly arrested a judo black-belt serial killer and pursued mid-level Gangryonghoe executives all the way to their attempted smuggling into Japan.
But having seen him die once before, Jaehyuk couldn’t shake the fear that something might happen to him today—even though this wasn’t supposed to be the day he died.
Taeseok stared at Jaehyuk’s worried gaze for a moment, then smiled and ruffled his hair. “Hey, stop worrying, kiddo. Your hyung isn’t going to die. I’ve taken down armed yakuza and Filipino gangsters before. You really think I’d go down that easily? Don’t you know me at all?”
“Still...”
“Stop worrying about me and wash that blood off. Then go home and tell your mother nothing happened. I didn’t mention anything to her because I was afraid she’d worry too much.”
“...Okay.”
Jaehyuk finally agreed. Taeseok spoke to the detective in the driver’s seat. “Officer Choi, I’m counting on you.”
“Understood, Sergeant. Please be careful, and call for backup immediately if you need it...”
“I know. I can handle myself. Just get the kids home safely.”
Taeseok headed toward the building at the address Jaehyuk had given while Jaehyuk, Jeonghan, and Dahyun climbed into the car.
The moment Taeseok disappeared into the alley, the car pulled away. Sitting in the passenger seat, Jaehyuk thought,
I’m worried, but... he’s not someone who falls easily. Jeonghan and I already wrecked the place. There shouldn’t be anyone left in any condition to harm Taeseok hyung.
Still looking slightly uneasy, Jaehyuk leaned back against the seat and continued his thoughts.
It does bother me that I left a few alive... but that should be enough. Even if they survive, they won’t have much of a life left. I also properly disposed of the knife I used and the weapons Jeonghan used... There’s nothing else to worry about.
Meanwhile, the moment Taeseok entered the alley and reached the building, he was greeted by three blood-soaked men collapsed on the stairs leading to the common entrance.
He stepped inside and examined their condition. The corpses had messy holes in their heads, as if someone had drilled straight through them with a large power tool.
Gunshot wounds...!!!
Now fully alert, Taeseok drew his revolver and slowly climbed the stairs.
The scene on the second floor was horrific. Not a single body was clean; every one had been shot in the head.
So many gunshot victims... yet not a single shell casing. Did they recover every last one to leave no trace whatsoever?
As Taeseok turned to survey the area, he spotted the fallen women.
He holstered his gun and approached them carefully, checking their conditions.
No obvious external injuries. Then breathing...?
He placed his index finger beneath one woman’s nose. A faint breath brushed against his skin.
She’s alive. I need to search for more survivors first, then request backup.
Taeseok continued exploring the building until he reached the room where Jaehyuk had rescued Dahyun.
The sight that met his eyes was one of utter carnage—bodies mutilated beyond recognition.
Jaehyuk had clearly spared these men, believing they had already paid a heavy enough price and leaving them with their lives.
So who had killed them so brutally?
The corpses Taeseok saw didn’t just have single bullet wounds to the head—their skulls appeared completely shattered.
Staring at them in shock, he recalled the blood-drenched Jaehyuk he had seen moments ago.
Jaehyuk... Just what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into??
“This is Sergeant Min Taeseok of the Violent Crimes Division at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. I’ve discovered a scene involving multiple homicides and an illegal sex trafficking operation.”