Taekjoo grabbed the beanie man’s wrist. The motion was lazy. Taekjoo moved slowly, as if to engrave his movement into the man’s mind. The beanie man’s eyes twitched. The very eyes that had glared at Taekjoo moments earlier were now directed downward, toward their owner’s wrist. The strength of the grip was impossible to ignore. It confirmed something for him. Something that was not hopeful.
Meanwhile, Taekjoo looked around the audience that had gathered around them and mumbled mockingly.
“Oh, my. I hate being in the spotlight. You get me, right, Mr. Lee Cheoljin? It’s the nature of people in our field, wouldn’t you say?”
As soon as his name was called, he knew what Taekjoo was. The man’s face, which had been marked by annoyance, drained of color and turned pale.
A crowd of passengers had gathered. They now circled the scene with the two men in the center. After all, watching people fight was always a spectacle. Excitement was visible on the faces of the watchers. Taekjoo concluded that nothing good would come out should he let this go on any longer. A cornered mouse will fight back and attempt to bite the cat. Any more pressure, and no one knew how Lee Cheoljin might react. And if it led to some civilian casualty, it would cost Taekjoo more than just a simple write-up or two.
Taekjoo pulled Lee’s arm closer to him. At that moment, Lee huffed out a laugh.
“So, this is it, huh,” spoke Lee in his thick North Korean accent.
He no longer tried to hide his identity. Spies have two options when their cover is blown. They can either take their own life using the poison they prepared in advance or risk everything in a desperate escape, even if it means resorting to violence. Lee would choose the latter. This had been a very difficult mission for Lee, and he wouldn’t simply abandon the fruits of his effort.
In a split second, Lee Cheoljin shoved his hand deep inside his pocket. Taekjoo slapped the hand away. While Lee was recovering from the blow, Taekjoo seized Lee’s neck and slammed his head on the vending machine.
The machine swayed with a loud thud. Lee swayed as well from the impact. Taekjoo took advantage of that brief opportunity. He twisted Lee’s arm from the back, easily pulling out his gun at the same time. The crowd watching screamed in shock before fleeing the scene at the sudden appearance of a firearm.
Taekjoo remained unfazed. He kicked Lee in the butt. Naturally, Lee fell to the ground face-first. After taking two blows to the head in a row, he couldn’t get back on his feet for a while.
In the meantime, Taekjoo flipped the clear plastic cover of the dispensing slot, retrieving a USB. It was what the woman had left behind. And according to the report given to Taekjoo, it would contain information as important as state-classified materials.
“Excuse me, coming through! Excuse me, please.”
Just then, a cabin crew came running through the crowd. Someone must have reported it. Taekjoo looked over, still unaffected, when he heard the ominous accent.
“It’ll take more than that to take me out,” said Lee.
Taekjoo got a bad feeling as he locked eyes with Lee. The man’s eyes were sparkling in an odd light, and that was when it hit Taekjoo. Lee was not going to waste the chance presented to him. It was his only lifeline. He jumped at the cabin crew member who had just inquired about what was going on.
“OH!”
It all happened so fast. Lee Cheoljin wrapped his arm around the crew’s neck, and his other hand already had a sharp weapon ready.
“AAAAAHHHHH!”
“EEEEEEEEKK!”
At the shiny, reflective blade of the knife, the bystanders all scattered and ran for their lives. The only person who held his position was Kwon Taekjoo.
Taekjoo bit his lip. It was a habit of his. Funny enough, he would get anxious when things went too smoothly. A strong start doesn’t guarantee a strong finish, and more often than not, it would leave a bitter aftertaste. And so it was the case this time.
Lee adjusted his grip on the knife. He moved it to the hand of the arm wrapped around his hostage’s neck. The hostage let out a pathetic yet blood-curdling shriek. Taekjoo scratched his head at the troublesome series of events unfolding before him.
“Hand that over.”
Lee Cheoljin demanded in his North Korean dialect, extending out his idle hand. The sharp blade of the knife inched closer to the hostage’s neck. Kwon Taekjoo simply watched the scene. He showed no reaction at all. Lee grew restless. He waved his outstretched hand.
“I said hand it over!” yelled Lee.
The hostage alone turned pale at Lee’s action, his chest rising and falling as he sobbed.
Taekjoo took one look at the USB in his palm. Then, he threw it over to Lee with no hesitation. The small device bounced off the body of the hostage before it fell to the ground. Lee Cheoljin was about to bend forward to pick it up. He quickly changed his mind. He ordered the hostage to pick it up for him.
The distressed cabin crew did as he was told, collecting the USB with a trembling hand. With his life under imminent threat, he wet his pants before he even realized it. The man couldn’t even stand straight on his own. Lee had to hold him up as he began walking backward.
As he did, Taekjoo began moving with him too. He took the exact same number of steps forward as Lee. It was almost as if Taekjoo didn’t care about the safety of the hostage. Lee took another step back, and Taekjoo responded with a step forward. Lee Cheoljin’s voice cracked from the confusion.
“Do not follow me!”
Lee yelled, but the threat had no effect on the intended target. Every time he took a step back, Taekjoo took a step forward. The distance between them remained the same. However, the one being chased was visibly distressed.
“I said stop!” Lee barked.
“S-save me!” and the hostage yelled.
He brought his hands together, asking for mercy. The urine that had soaked his pants was now dripping onto the floor. No one moved, no one made any sound. It was as if time had stopped for a moment.
Lee Cheoljin placed one foot behind to confirm, and Taekjoo followed after him. The situation was maddening. Kwon Taekjoo acted as if he couldn’t see the hostage bleeding.
“You shit, didn’t you hear me? I said stop, didn’t I?”
Lee tried showing his anger. It didn’t work either. No sign of compromise was visible on Kwon Taekjoo’s face. His resolution was such that he might not back down even if the hostage’s life was put in danger. However, one thing was for sure. Once the hostage stopped breathing, Lee would not make it either. All this was clearly written across Taekjoo’s determined eyes.
“Damn it!”
Lee Cheoljin quickly abandoned his standoff and the hostage. He jumped up the stairs behind him. Taekjoo helped the shaken cabin crew member sit against the wall. And then, the chase began.
As soon as Kwon Taekjoo reached the second floor, he saw people flooding in from the deck. He started heading that way, and soon enough, he was able to spot Lee, who was fleeing. Kwon Taekjoo did not run. He simply lengthened his strides, gradually picking up speed. He had no reason to be in haste. The ship was sailing toward the vastness of the ocean. Lee was as good as a mouse in a trap.
Taekjoo went after him in no rush. The strong gusts of the sea wind swept through Taekjoo’s jet-black hair, adding to his intimidating presence.
- Sunbae[1], someone on the ferry called the Coast Guard and reported that there was an armed man on board. Is everything okay?
The voice from earlier spoke in Taekjoo’s ear via the radio.
“Let’s have this talk later. I’m a bit busy.”