Lee Cheol Jin's eyes nervously looked at Kwon Taek Joo, then his eyes followed somewhere behind him.
Next round, sparks burst from Kwon Taek Joo's gun muzzle along with an explosion. The bullet passed through the target accurately, but the one who collapsed and screamed was not Lee Cheol Jin but Kim Young Hee, who quietly approached Kwon Taek Joo from behind.
Kim Young Hee's ivory jacket was stained with red blood. She sat down clutching her torn right hand while the Colt in her hand fell and shot bullets into the air. It is unclear whether the target the gun was aimed at was Kwon Taek Joo or Lee Cheol Jin.
Kwon Taek Joo turned his head forward again. Meanwhile, Lee Cheol Jin also threw his knife away and stood with his back turned. He grabbed the railing and took a deep breath, his shoulders rising, his back bulging. Just as an unpleasant feeling flashed through Kwon Taek Joo's head, Lee Cheol Jin's body, which was clinging to the railing, suddenly jumped out.
Kwon Taek Joo immediately ran to the railing. But before he could get there, a "thud" rang in his ears. Kwon Taek Joo looked down, one side of the black sea broke into white water jets.
He looked everywhere looking for Lee Cheol Jin but couldn't see him anywhere. Kwon Taek Joo waited a little longer. Then Lee Cheol Jin's head began to rise above the white wave. Jumping from this height into the sea is tantamount to suicide.
But as if to mock Kwon Taek Joo's idea, a boat suddenly appeared from somewhere. What was approaching with its lights was an old wooden fishing boat. Perhaps thanks to that, it was able to avoid the surveillance networks of investigative agencies and come all the way here.
The wooden boat glided in the darkness gradually approaching Lee Cheol Jin. Kwon Taek Joo felt like he was hit in the back of the head. Perhaps this is his real way out. The plan may have been to distract the pursuers' attention with a return train ticket and evaporate at sea as soon as the item was received.
Kwon Taek Joo opened fire immediately, but it was not easy to snipe a boat from far away in the dim visibility of the dead of night. Even though the goal is clearly in sight, putting them in a bad situation can complicate matters. If he had been allowed to shoot to death from the beginning, he wouldn't have worked so hard.
The purpose of this operation is to search for North Korean spies who have been residing in South Korea for a long time, who have occupied important social positions and stolen national secrets. Surely there must be more than one person colluding and supporting them. Kwon Taek Joo cannot cut off the tree trunk before digging up the roots.
Meanwhile, the ferry continued to move and the distance from the fishing boat gradually increased. A man from the cockpit of the fishing boat pulled Lee Cheol Jin onto the boat. He took off his soaked jacket. Of course he does. Various small buoys were wrapped around his body. As the boat left, Lee Cheol Jin raised his hand as if mocking him with a proud and victorious face.
Kwon Taek Joo smiled lightly, then that smile soon disappeared from his face. He turned around and approached the collapsed Kim Young Hee.
Kim Young Hee trembled in pain from her injured arm but was still trying to pull something out. It's poison. Kwon Taek Joo hit her hard on the back of the head to stop her suicide. Kim Young Hee lost consciousness. Kwon Taek Joo continued to stuff a handkerchief into her mouth to prevent her from harming herself after she regained consciousness. He then grabbed Kim Young Hee's left hand and twisted it behind her back.
Kwon Taek Joo accidentally looked down, a ring was on the ring finger of Kim Young Hee's hand. The exterior has almost no scratches, showing that it was only recently purchased.
"The ring is so beautiful, isn't it? So we should have a bracelet to match."
Kwon Taek Joo sarcastically took out the handcuffs. The deafening sound of the handcuffs fixed Kim Young Hee's left hand to the railing.
After finishing somewhere, Kwon Taek Joo turned on the intercom again.
"Okay, in 8 seconds, run here immediately."
"Yes?" the person on the other side shouted as if he had heard wrong. Kwon Taek Joo ignored it and turned his attention to the watch on his hand. When he pressed the reset button next to the watch, the time indicator disappeared and road markings appeared. While chasing Lee Cheol Jin, Kwon Taek Joo attached a tracking device to his belt. The red dot represents the position of the target gradually moving away from the orientation line. He couldn't delay any longer. Kwon Taek Joo took a deep breath and quickly ran towards the back of the ferry.
He stood at the end of the deck, then stepped onto the railing and jumped off without hesitation. His vision went black for a moment. The wind blew from all directions as if it was passing through Kwon Taek Joo's entire body. Fall seems to have lasted longer than expected.
Damn. The water surface rose suddenly, accompanied by a loud noise. A fierce shock also hit Kwon Taek Joo's entire body when he touched the black sea water. It felt like every muscle in my body was being ripped apart. Seawater immediately filled every pore with bursting water bubbles. He submerged in the water for a while to reduce the shock and then slowly moved his arms and legs to hold his body as the current carried him away.
Kwon Taek Joo opened his eyes and looked around, but the water was pitch black without a single ray of light shining through.
He kicked his legs with all his strength and rose to the surface. It's hard to stay in position when high waves keep coming.
Kwon Taek Joo raised his wrist with difficulty and pressed the reset button of the watch again. Then the navigation chart disappeared and the entire license plate lit up. That light shot into the air. 2, 3 seconds passed like that. Then a familiar mechanical sound rang out not far away. That is the sound of a motorboat engine. The noise grew louder and louder and then quickly fell silent. Immediately after, white waves crashed into the propeller and whipped Kwon Taek Joo's skin along with a nagging voice pouring down above his head.
"Really. If you keep this up, you'll become a water ghost."
Yoon Jong Woo, who ran with all his might to get here in 8 seconds, is reaching out his hand. Kwon Taek Joo held his hand and climbed onto the boat. His whole body was wet and uncomfortable. Despite the intense cold, Kwon Taek Joo still took off his watch and threw it at Yoon Jong Woo. Without asking, Yoon Jong Woo steered the boat following the red dot on the clock's direction board. Meanwhile, Kwon Taek Joo took off his wet jacket and gasped.
The motorboat ran quickly through the dark waves. The entire boat bounced violently in the rolling waves. The red dot is almost outside the orientation line and is gradually approaching.
Pip, pip, pip, pip, pip,pipipipi.
When the wooden boat came into view, that characteristic mechanical sound became even clearer. Even the wooden boat that was leisurely running away must have noticed the presence chasing them.
Soon, a man stepped out of the cockpit and grabbed a rifle. Yoon Jong Woo gritted his teeth and steered. The ship turned suddenly and a strong current appeared. Most of the incoming bullets missed, but one of them hit a corner of the boat. Fortunately, it did not hit the engine or fuel tank, so the fireworks display at midnight did not happen.
There was still no light around the fishing boat. In this state, it is impossible to control the target without killing the opponent. Even when he got a little closer, the bullets from the fishing boat had already shot out with no room left. Capturing armed targets is truly an absurd order.
A series of situations repeat over and over. being attacked and then dodged, then continuing to approach the target and then being shot at again. Yoon Jong Woo angrily slammed his hand on the steering wheel. The target was right in front of him but not being able to touch it with even a fingertip drove him crazy.
"Let's get out of the way."
Yoon Jong Woo was pulled back. Kwon Taek Joo sat in the driver's seat and rushed to the fishing boat. Yoon Jong Woo was helpless as the boat bounced.
"Ah! Senior, we're going to collide! We're going to collide!"
Yoon Jong Woo stood up and screamed in horror, but Kwon Taek Joo only
increased his speed.
Bullets were fired from the wooden boat. Kwon Taek Joo tilted the boat, causing a large stream of water to splash onto the deck of the wooden boat. Only then will the opponent's attack soften a bit. Just like that, he walked ahead of the fishing boat for a long time. Then Kwon Taek Joo suddenly turned the steering wheel and made a wide right turn. The engine could not bear to make noise. The boat rotated strongly as if it wanted to be flipped upside down. Yoon Jong Woo's pale face could not avoid falling again when the train changed direction and began to reverse.
Kwon Taek Joo returned to the path he just passed and increased the boat's speed to the maximum. When the motorboat that had disappeared into the darkness reappeared, the wooden boat looked restless. Anxiety was evident through the merciless bullets.
Because of the relentless pursuit, Kwon Taek Joo did not have time to shoot back. Yoon Jong Woo panicked and focused on protecting his body by holding his head with both hands.
"You're really going to die like this! You're going to die! You're going to die! Are you listening, you crazy guy!"
Yoon Jong Woo was scared and cursed his superior Kwon Taek Joo without hesitation. Kwon Taek Joo didn't care at all and kept rushing away. If the situation continues like this, his boat will collide head-on with the wooden boat. Yoon Jong Woo's eyes closed tightly. The image of his parents back home suddenly flashed through his mind, making his eyes suddenly wet. Two months ago, he didn't even have enough money to pay for the kimchi his mother sent him. The text message he received from his mother telling him he was a "bastard" before he took action this time still lingered in his mind. Ah, mom.
The wooden boat also had a premonition that something bad was about to happen. They watched in confusion as the motorboat rushed straight at them and then jumped into the water almost at the same time. With less than 5 meters left. the two boats will collide. The abandonment and despair became equally heavy in that brief moment.
At that moment.
Kwon Taek Joo turned the steering wheel hard again. The boat could not handle the speed at which it was traveling, so it shook violently due to sudden braking. The boat's hull jumped out of the water and slid in a long arc. Even so, eventual conflict is inevitable. That's it in theory.
This is the time to give up to save your life, but Kwon Taek Joo continues to hold the steering wheel tightly. Soon, the right side of the wooden boat touched the stern of the motor boat with a thud. The collision caused both boat hulls to shake violently. A spark clearly burst out from the friction area. For a moment, the entire boat seemed to float in the air.
"Huh?"
After the chaos subsided, Yoon Jong Woo slowly opened his eyes. The surroundings were quiet again. He was on a boat, not on the cold sea, and Kwon Taek Joo was still sitting in the driver's seat. Smoke billowed from the back of the boat, there was a large hole on the right side of the wooden boat, but that was all. The tension that had tightened his entire body was suddenly released, but his heart was beating so hard that he couldn't control his body.
The sound of the engine finally stopped. The waves crashed in the direction of the boat, bringing it closer to the wooden boat. The two boat hulls suddenly approached and collided continuously, creating a deafening sound. Kwon Taek Joo stood up from his seat and walked towards the wooden boat. Only then did Yoon Jong Woo come to his senses. He groped around on the floor and picked up his Colt. So he wasn't dead yet.
Kwon Taek Joo boarded the fishing boat and illuminated the surroundings with a flashlight. He saw two figures swimming endlessly in the deep sea with nowhere to escape. While quietly observing those desperate movements, he picked up the fishing net lying next to him. Kwon Taek Joo held it tightly so it wouldn't get entangled and threw it towards the fleeing men. The fishing net spread out in the air and flew away. Two men who were swimming diligently suddenly became entangled in a net that had just flown in. The more they struggled to escape, the tighter the net became.
Kwon Taek Joo observed that fierce battle for a while then turned the machine connected to the fishing net. A rusty rattling sound came from the hand tractor commonly used on small fishing boats. It's not as difficult to use as it looks.
Suddenly Kwon Taek Joo looked back. Yoon Jong Woo, who had been quietly watching in the name of cover, was approaching. Perhaps because he was embarrassed, the boy used the net machine more passionately than Kwon Taek Joo. Immediately afterward, Lee Cheol Jin and his accomplices along with the fishing net were pulled onto the boat deck.
"Ha...ha...what should I do now?"
Yoon Jong Woo asked while wiping his sweat. No response from Kwon Taek Joo. When he looked up curiously, Kwon Taek Joo had already moved towards the motorboat and was busy looking for something.
"What are you doing?"
"Where is what I told you to prepare?"
"Ah, it's under the driver's seat."
Kwon Taek Joo immediately leaned back in the driver's seat. Just like Yoon Jong Woo said, there was a suitcase underneath. Kwon Taek Joo opened the zipper and checked inside then immediately gave instructions to Yoon Jong Woo.
"Contact headquarters and inform them that we have captured Lee Cheol Jin, his accomplice, and the USB. Contact Kim Young Hee is tied up on the ferry so the Coast Guard should have been searching by now. I saw her. Call them and tell them to take over."
"Yes? Senior? Why does it sound like I have to do it all myself..."
"But what else?"
"What about senior?"
"I'm busy as hell. I have a family event to attend. Work hard."
Is it true that at the crossroads between life and death, do people often not carefully consider the words they say while losing their reason? Yoon Jong Woo kept asking, "Yes?" just denied reality. As if to turn that unfortunate premonition into certainty, the motorboat started. Yoon Jong Woo was left behind on a wooden boat with two men caught in the net. Kwon Taek Joo left without looking back.
The powerful boat motor glides quickly. Everything happened so fast that Yoon Jong Woo didn't even have time to think. When he looked back bewilderedly, his shoes were already soaked, because seawater was seeping into the boat's hull. Even if this hole-in-the-wall boat doesn't sink immediately, can a superior abandon a subordinate without feeling guilty or hesitant?
Yoon Jong Woo screamed like he was dying from behind, but Kwon Taek Joo could only assume that he had mistakenly heard the wind or the waves. The sound of the wind today sounded like screaming "Unbelievable!". It is said that the more precious a child is, the more strictly he or she must be raised. So the sound he heard was definitely just a mistake.