Lim was one cunning fox. Taekjoo was about to retort, but then, a phone vibrated. It belonged to the 1st Deputy Director. He excused himself before walking past Taekjoo, out of his own office. The door was opened, then closed again. Lim didn’t miss his chance and gave his order immediately.
“Pick up where Morgan left off and find out what Anastasia is.”
His earlier light, playful manner was nowhere to be found. His tone was solemn and serious. Taekjoo stared at him without saying anything. He couldn’t help but ask himself whether he really was the best fit. Surely, there had to be someone better suited for this mission. At least one agent, somewhere within the NIS... Just one... Nope. There was none. Taekjoo racked his brain but failed to come up with anyone.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lim had a serene look on his face, unbothered by this fact. Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing, sir. One special agent turning up dead overnight—no big deal. Taekjoo bit his tongue, resisting the urge to mock Lim.
Since day one at the NIS, Taekjoo had reported to and learned from Lim. They’d grown close over the years to the point that they joked around each other. However, it didn’t change the fact that Lim was his superior. If he gave an order, then Taekjoo had no choice but to follow it. Agent Kwon was in no position to refuse or decline.
Lim smiled, sensing Taekjoo’s resignation.
“I promise you unlimited support and backup. And I’ll get you the team you want as well.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer working alone.”
“It’s not gonna be easy this time. You’ll need some help.”
“And knowing that, I can’t put more people in danger.”
Taekjoo answered nonchalantly.
“I knew you would say that,” said Lim, chuckling.
A gift for you—he continued, handing Taekjoo a thick, unsealed envelope. Taekjoo snatched it. Inside were various documents, including a fake passport.
“Sakamoto Hiro?” Taekjoo muttered, flipping through the passport with a stranger’s face.
“A Japanese energy company and Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy corporation, signed a contract to build an LNG facility. The estimated revenue is projected to reach billions of dollars. To celebrate the agreement and inspect the site, Russia invited key personnel from the Japanese energy company, the bank that funded the loan, and other relevant figures from the trade. Everyone important—except for the prime ministers of each country—will be attending, along with national magnates. I was informed that an international trading corporation named Itochu played a significant role in making the deal happen. And Sakamoto Hiro is the manager in charge of the European division in Itochu. His name is written in big, bold letters on the guest list of the visiting team to Russia.”
Go in as Sakamoto Hiro and infiltrate Russia. The plan wasn’t bad. If it was true that Russia and North Korea joined in developing a new deadly weapon, then the number of people who were involved, or who would have information about it would be very few. Only those powerful enough within Russia, and it would not be easy to approach them. But it would not be so hard for Sakamoto Hiro. He wouldn’t even have to make an effort. All Hiro had to do was be himself, and he’d meet the most important people in Russia.
Of course, this all hinged on Taekjoo keeping his cover. Plenty of others had been invited besides Sakamoto Hiro. And if any of them had noticed that Hiro was not his usual self, then everything would have been for nothing. A brief second of imagination was enough to remind Taekjoo of Agent Morgan.
Lim tried to coax his hesitant agent.
“Relax. Unless another Sakamoto Hiro shows up, your cover will not be blown. Hiro is scheduled to fly out of the country a day earlier than the rest of the party. Of course, in reality, our agent in Tokyo will make sure that Hiro never makes it out of Japan. You know how good our disguise technique is. It’s so good that even your own mother fell for it, remember?”
The average Japanese man being shorter wasn’t a problem either. Sakamoto Hiro was 5′11″. Taekjoo was about an inch taller, but ordinary civilians would not be keen enough to notice the difference. If anyone noticed, he could chalk it up to insoles.
Normally, Taekjoo wouldn’t have thought twice. Neither did he have the authority to—not unless he was ready to resign. Yet, Taekjoo hesitated in accepting this assignment. Something didn’t feel right about this mission
Was it because Morgan, his predecessor, was dead? It would be a lie to say that Taekjoo was completely unaffected by the news, but that wasn’t it. His gut, his instinct, was warning him about something that hadn’t even happened yet.
“This mission could tip the global balance of power. You succeed in this mission, and your power and position will shuffle with the same magnitude as well.”
Lim subtly nudged Taekjoo to make the call. Taekjoo stared at Lim silently. His eyes were honest, strong—those of a good man. Lim stared back with his signature grin on his face. The silence between the two lasted for a while.
In the end, Taekjoo stuffed the envelope into his pocket. He didn’t forget to add his PS.
“I’m not interested in power or position, influence or the likes. I noticed that these things plant this unnecessary thirst in people, needless motivation.”
“Then why are you accepting this assignment?”
“It’s an order from Mr. Lim, the mighty Deputy Director of the Bureau of Intelligence Activities and Counterintelligence. How dare a lowly agent deny a mission assigned to him?”
“And what’s your other reason? I’m sure there’s more.”
“If I decline this mission, then my perfect record of 100% mission accomplishment will be tarnished.”
“Right, right. Of course.”
“May I go, then?”
“Oh, before you leave, one more thing.”
“Yes?” Taekjoo asked back in an annoyed tone. For a brief moment, Lim’s face hardened. The way he observed Taekjoo was quite solemn, and his voice that followed sounded just as grim.
“Psikh Bogdanov.”
“Psikh Bogdanov? I assume it’s not a... person’s name.”
Taekjoo frowned, tilting his head to the side. Bogdanov is a Russian surname, but no matter how he looked at it, Psikh could not be someone’s first name. What kind of parents would name their kid crazy or madman?
Lim continued speaking as if to tell Taekjoo that he heard it correct.
“That’s what people call him more often than his actual name.”
Names are used more by others than by the person who owns them. Therefore, a nickname, in place of one’s given name, tends to reflect one’s character. And if this mysterious Russian man was known more as Crazy Bogdanov than by his real name, that said a lot about him. Taekjoo wondered how crazy a man must be to be called that, even in a faraway country.
“In Russia, they see him as nothing more than an arm.”
“You mean arm, as in a body part?”
Taekjoo asked to clarify the ambiguity. An arm could mean someone’s right arm, which meant the most reliable helper. But it could mean something entirely different. There was no way that a man would be considered a weapon in and of himself. Taekjoo looked at Lim for confirmation of his premature assumption. Lim grinned again.
“Yes, a limb is one of its definitions, among others.”
So, the man himself was a living weapon. Taekjoo grimaced without even meaning to. What kind of a man earns the name Crazy and is likened to a weapon?
Thinking about Psikh Bogdanov led to another question. The goal of this mission was to find Anastasia. Where did the man fit into all of this?
“Is he involved in Agent Morgan’s death?”
“We’re not sure. No evidence, just speculation. Anyone approaching Russian VIPs can’t avoid him. He’s a living weapon—but not just any weapon. He’s a nuke. So avoid him as much as possible. If you find yourself in a one-on-one with him, do not try to fight him.”
Taekjoo smirked. These warnings only made him more curious about the madman.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Yes,” Lim said, and the employee who had escorted Taekjoo earlier entered. In his hands were a huge bouquet of flowers and a suitcase. The employee almost forced the items onto Taekjoo before nodding politely and leaving.
“I’ve prepared everything you’ll need for the mission. Saves time and spares you the hassle of packing. Win-win. I noticed you haven’t bought new briefs in the last two months. I stocked you with new ones, and I didn’t forget to account for your taste. No need to thank me now.”
“You seem more up-to-date on my underwear than I do.”
“You’re welcome. And take the flowers home. It’s your mother’s birthday, didn’t you say?”
That cunning snake of a man.
Taekjoo bit his tongue and held back the stinging words, replacing them with a sulking response.
“I’ll leave out the part about you. She’d be upset, knowing the birthday flowers came from her son’s kidnapper.”
“How thoughtful of you. I appreciate it.”
Lim grinned shamelessly.
“Don’t die.”
Taekjoo was about to turn his back when Mr. Lim said the words suddenly. Taekjoo stopped in his steps and nodded half-heartedly.
By the time Taekjoo stepped out, the hallway was empty. He marched wearily toward the door. With every step, motion-detecting lights flickered on, one by one, and off, starting from the furthest point. The darkness caught up with the light quickly, closing in on the distance, threatening to swallow Taekjoo.
“...”
Taekjoo stopped and looked back. As his pause lasted, the last of the lights went out, and he was plunged into darkness.