Mission J

Shim Ga Eul.
A waitress.
A kind coworker.
A devoted employee.

I breathed out slowly, thinking hard as I read through everything I’ve gathered on the girl for the hundredth time. Word by word, I picked through the files with prying eyes, trying to find something I may have missed. But I knew by now there was nothing to find here.

She has no visible ties to the first victim from what was dug up so far. Outside of the city, there were no common threads that tied them together.
But now, she was the second victim of Seo’s stalker. So far, I have yet to find solid evidence to back up this conclusion but this was what my gut told me. There was only that one thing…

Not good enough. I reminded myself silently, closing out of one file to move onto the next. Connect the dots. Find what’s missing.

That was the problem; I had no idea what I was looking for, never mind pick out what’s absent. The murder victim and Shim were two separate individuals with lives seemingly untouched by the other. No lines crossed.

My eyes fell to the orange document envelope sitting in the passenger seat, the contents pulled out as I had dropped it. As I had expected, it wasn’t a whole lot of info. A little bio on the murder victim, the time of the event she supposedly attended, approximate time of the incident, and discovery time and location of her body… these information were there. Even the estimated time of death declared by the coroner was included.

I hit the buttons on my keyboard and brought up the city map of Seoul again to the laptop screen.

With all that info I was able to make a rough time map of her last hour. I had hoped that the lines would overlap with Shim Ga Eul’s route home. Nothing came from that theory; the two went in two separate directions without having any of the points coming close to one another. I needed to know more about Ga Eul’s case.

I sighed heavily and closed my eyes, fatigue weighing down on my eyes. What the hell was I doing? My job was to protect Seo Jae-Sung, not assist in the police investigation.
But from what? I thought. They don’t know who is responsible. Once I find out who to look out for, or at least profile the possible culprit, what can I do?
I didn’t know the answer to that. There were too many unknowns to be able to do my job. Maybe I should figure how to somehow work out a functioning relationship with Seo that would allow me to work efficiently. It hasn’t been twenty-four hours since we met and we were already clashing.

I thought back to the attempt to discuss the job with Seo from earlier in the day. Eventually today, I will have to talk to him.
Knowing this, I couldn’t help the feeling of dread sinking in my chest. It was not something I could look forward to…

My cell phone let out a ring, drawing my attention to the passenger seat where it was sitting on top of the document envelope. I glanced quickly at the caller ID before picking it up.

“Detective Paek,” I said.

“Ah, K-ssi. I’m here at the apartment. I have men scattered around the building to see if we can find any witnesses to Ms. Shim’s disappearance.” the detective informed me. “We also had two cars search the block radius for anything suspicious and any other traces. We found nothing.”

“That’s not surprising. If the kidnapping happened last night, any traces left probably would’ve been washed out by the rain storm.” I said. “At least you didn’t find a body or anything conclusive to signify victim’s death.”

Detective Paek grunted in agreement.
“But we did find evidence of foul play.” he said. “We found hair and blood embedded in the staircase wall as well as a significant amounts of blood on the landing of the stairwell. The coworker found the cell phone, which was slightly damaged from some sort of impact.”

“How is Yi Jung-ssi?” I asked.

Detective Paek sighed, and immediately I could tell something was wrong.
“We sent him to the hospital.” he said. “He was having trouble breathing and was feeling light-headed…I think he was in shock from all this.”

I sighed, feeling bad for the poor guy.
“I’ll go see him now.” I said. “I did promise to explain a few things. We can discuss more about this in person later on.”

“Oh, I was actually thinking about heading over to the hospital once we bagged all the evidence.” he said. “Could we speak privately then? I also wanted to clarify a few things with you.”

“That’s fine.” I told him. “I’ll see you there, then.”

I hung up and turned back to my laptop. It took me six minutes to track down the ambulance from the apartment, hack into the hospital’s computer records and find Yi Jung’s room number.
Wordlessly, I glanced at the time. It was already 4:21 PM and starting to get dark. I quickly started the car and got on my way.

As I fell into place with the traffic, only then did I realize that my mind have calmed since just a few hours ago. I wasn’t dwelling over anything in particular and all the thoughts, scenarios and strategizing have all have vanished. I was practically on autopilot, my mind oddly at ease that was too out of place. Why was that? And what was with this fog that’s hanging over my head?
I sighed, turning my focus back to the road.
You haven’t really slept in over 48 hours now, of course you will be ‘foggy’. I told myself silently.

It really was no surprise. My mind was like a battery running on its last 5% of power, working in the lowest functions to stretch the little energy life left to run as long as possible.
I will have to make some time and rest after this hospital trip.



The signature smell of disinfectant, medicine and antiseptic chemicals washed over me the moment I set foot through the sliding doors of the city hospital. The cool conditioned air seeped through my jacket and sank through my skin, matching well with the sterile scent that lingered.

I let out a sigh and shoved my hands into my pockets as I briskly crossed the first floor lobby.
God, I hate hospitals.

My mind was still calm and blank as I made my way to the elevators. Still the smell alone was putting me on a slight edge, the association to it making me uncomfortable.
The elevator doors opened and I stepped in without a word or a sound. I reached over and hit the button marked 5th as I passed. I leaned back against the back wall of the elevator and let the door shut without waiting for other possible passengers.
The elevator made the trip to the fifth floor without a stop in between. The doors opened and I stepped out onto the floor. My eyes found the visitor directory sign just up ahead and I headed in the direction that indicated the way to the patients’ rooms. I walked past the nurses’ station and went right into the corridor where Yi Jung’s room was located.

As I drew closer, my mind started to come back to life again, brewing up a few questions. How was Yi Jung doing? I said I would explain everything…what would he want to know? What will he ask to know first? And more importantly, how was I going to explain it? Certainly I wasn’t going to tell him the full truth---that would be too hard to swallow, not to mention potentially dangerous. No, it would have to be a cover story…

I finally stopped at the sliding door marked with the room occupant’s name.



I inhaled slowly and reached forward and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” I heard a female voice call.

I pushed the sliding door aside and stepped into the room. A young nurse was standing by the foot of the bed, jotting something down on the clipboard. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. I bowed my head in respect before taking a step forward.
The nurse hung the clipboard at the foot of the bed before coming towards me.

“Are you a friend of Lee-ssi?” she asked in a hushed tone.

I nodded and glanced towards the bed. With the privacy curtains drawn, I couldn’t see Yi Jung.
“How is he?” I asked quietly.

The nurse had a sympathetic expression as she replied.
“He’s calmed down now, but he hasn’t spoken much.” she said.

“Can I speak with him?” I asked.

“You can try, but he’s been quiet even with our doctors.” she told me. “He’s still in shock so don’t feel too bad if he doesn’t respond well. We’re keeping him here overnight so he might be better tomorrow.”

I nodded and sighed.
“Kamsahamnida,” I said.

The nursed smiled encouragingly.
“Just call for us if you need help.” she said.

With that she stepped out of the room and closed the door after her, sealing me in the silent room.
I turned back to the bed, paused a second before I approached the drawn curtain. There were no sounds to indicate any movement from the bed. I frowned, as the silence was rather unsettling. Cautiously I peered around the edge of the curtain.

To my surprise, Yi Jung was up, sitting at the edge of the bed with his legs hanging off the side. His back was faced to me as he seemed to be staring out the window, not moving an inch.
Quietly I stepped out from behind the curtain and came to a stand at the foot of the bed.

“Yi Jung-ssi,” I called out softly.

Still, the guy made no indication of noticing me. Keeping my movements deliberately slowly, I rounded the end of the bed and sat on the chair before the window.
“Yi Jung-ssi,” I repeated.

Yi Jung blinked and slowly turned his head towards me. But I could tell he didn’t see me as his eyes were blank and distant. It wasn’until I reached over and my fingertips brushed his forearm when he came to life.

“Hey.” I said, keeping my tone soft.

He inhaled deeply and blinked, his eyes fluttering as if to stir from deep sleep. His gaze then fell to my hand on his arm. I pulled my hand away, straightened in my chair and waited for him to say something.
Finally he spoke.

“You…” he said, his voice coming out hoarse. He licked his dry lips and scratched at his hospital night wear. He was still clearly dazed and slightly confused.

“I promised to explain,” I reminded him. “I’m here so if you’re up to it, let’s talk.”

“Talk,” he echoed. But then something seemed to click as he closed his eyes and sighed. “You’re the girl from the café.”

I nodded in reply, studying. He really didn’t look too good.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” I asked.



Yi Jung sat hunched on the bench, his eyes fixed on the gravel floor of the outdoor healing garden pavilion, intently staring holes into the ground. He had yet to speak since we got here. I just stood nearby and waited for him to ask the questions.
Finally he inhaled deeply and glanced my way.
“Aren’t you going to sit down?” he asked.

Well, it was a question, fair enough. I walked past him and sat to the right of him on the bench, giving him enough personal space. Then I waited.
It was about three more minutes before he spoke again.
“This morning…back at the café, when you first walked in…” he started slowly.
I waited patiently for him to get the words out. Yi Jung sighed shakily again and then resumed.
“Did you know then…that Ga Eul was…”

“No,” I said, not making him finish the sentence. “Not then. Not yet.”

“Then when…and how…” he asked.

“I suspected something after I left the café.” I said honestly. “It was something I overheard in the café that got me thinking and it wasn’t until I combined that with what I already knew that I came to a possible conclusion.”

“Conclusion?” Yi Jung asked in a hushed tone.

I paused briefly to give him a look-over before continuing.
“It’s a little complicated. Can you handle it?” I questioned.

Yi Jung turned and threw me a weary look but nodded.
“Yes,” he said. “Please, tell me.”

Just off the top of my head, I could list a whole row of reasons why I couldn’t tell him about Seo’s stalker---telling him an unstable psychotic stalker-fan could’ve attacked Ga Eul and killed her; that may be the final nudge over the edge at this point. Also, revealing the details of the case could endanger him and put him up next on the target list. Another thing to keep in mind was discretion on Seo’s part---the fewer people that knew about the case, the better.
Like it or not, it may be best to feed him a false case.

“What have the police told you so far?” I asked.
“Nothing much, except it didn’t seem like she was killed at her apartment building so there is still a chance that she’s still alive.” he said, sounding hopeful.

I studied his expression a while longer and then sighed.
The best lies come with a hint of truth.

“My conclusion was that she was taken sometime after work on her way home.” I said.

“Taken? By who?” Yi Jung pressed.

“By a group of guys you really don’t want to mess with.” I said. I continued on to explain. “The last job I worked involved a syndicate and their networks where they systematically kidnapped girls ranging from age fifteen to twenty-three.”

“For what? What do they need her for?” Yi Jung asked. But then he blanched, as if he made a dreadful connection. “Oh no…you can’t think, that they’ll…they’ll…”

“Yi-Jung-ssi,” I said, hardening my voice a bit. Gosh, it was a good thing I chose to lie about this. “You can’t jump to conclusions at this point in time. We don’t know enough at this point to be sure of anything, you understand?”

Yi Jung inhaled forcefully, held his breath and blew out, still looking stunned.
“Do you think she’s still alive?” he asked.

“We didn’t find a body so we’re going to assume she is,” I said.

He nodded, his expression clouded. He became quiet again and I could tell he was thinking.
“So…you’re a detective on her case?” he guessed.

“No, Detective Paek is. And I am no detective.” I said. “At the moment, I’m making myself useful as a resource for the police.”

“If you’re not a detective or with the police…then who are you?” he asked.

There was something in his tone that told me he was suspicious. I kept a calm and gentle composure but leveled a still serious look his way.
“I really shouldn’t say, for your own good.” I told him.

Yi Jung stared back, his expression a mixture of bewilderment, confusion and fatigue.
“…can I trust you?” he asked after a pause.

I inhaled silently, not dropping my gaze from his.
“Of course.” I replied.

Yi Jung didn’t drop his gaze, as if to try to read me. I kept my gaze steady, letting him study me.

“Ah, K-ssi!”

A voice finally broke the stare-off, turning my attention to the entrance to the doorway to the hospital.
Detective Paek stood there with the nurse from earlier, waving towards us. When he saw us turn, he strode over to where we were sitting.

“You guys were here,” he commented. From his tone it seemed as if he was looking for us. He then turned to Yi Jung, concern in his eyes. “Are you feeling any better?”

Yi Jung nodded and bowed his head.
“I am sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you,” he murmured softly.

“Anieyo, you are dealing with something stressful. I can’t blame you in the least bit.”

I looked over at Yi Jung before getting to my feet.
“If you want to talk more, I can come back. You should sleep.” I said.

Yi Jung nodded and started to get up.
“I would like that. Talk, that is.” he said.

Just then, the nurse that was standing with Detective Paek came up to the bench, ready to jump into Yi Jung’s aid. I realized then that it was the nurse from earlier.
“Lee-ssi, how are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better, thank you.” he replied, straightening fully to a stand. He then bowed to Detective Paek. “I’ll be leaving first. Thank you for your work.”
He gave me a weary nod before turning back to the nurse.
“I think I’ll rest now,” I heard him say as he walked away.

Detective Paek and I watched as they walked away and waited until both Yi Jung and his nurse had stepped back inside. The moment they were out of our view, Paek turned to me, his expression guarded.
“What did you tell him?” he asked me.

“Not that a crazed murderer may have taken his friend,” I said dryly.
I turned back to the bench and sat down with a sigh.
“I told him that her case may be tied to my last job. As far as he knows, he thinks she was kidnapped by a trafficking syndicate.”

“And where was that last job?” he asked.

I raised an eyebrow at his question.
“I didn’t tell him that much and kept what I said fairly vague.” I replied. “But in case he asks, it was in Russia.”

Detective Paek nodded and let out a sigh.
“It’s good that you didn’t tell him for now.” he sighed. “Looking at him, I think it would hurt him more to tell him the actual story. At least at this point he can continue to hope that the girl is still alive and we’ll find her that way.”

I frowned at his tone and gave him a long look.
“But you don’t have hope of that yourself." When a troubled look flashed in his eyes I frowned. "Why? Did you find something suggesting she died?”

The detective blinked at me for a moment but then grunted.
“No, nothing like that,” he admitted. “But we did find the blood and hair, and it wasn’t a negligible amount.”

“A wound to the head tends to bleed a lot.” I said. “It doesn’t have to be a hard blow to the head to get a small cut. You nick the scalp or face and you’ll be dripping.”

“While that is true, the odds to find the girl alive don’t look good.” Paek said grimly. “With very little evidence to go on and the delay in having her disappearance reported, you have to think the same, no?”

“It doesn’t matter what I believe or think; I stick solely to the facts.” I replied. “Until her body shows up, she is considered alive.”

Paek hummed thoughtfully, and started to pace slowly. He had a thoughtful look on his face.

“Detective,” I said, making him look up. “You said you had something to discuss with me.”

“Ah, yes.” he said, stopping mid-stride. “I need to ask you some things, to clarify the situation of this case.”

“Go on,” I said.

“It’s regarding how you found this case and what made you suspect they were related to our current case.” he said. “First off, I’m not seeing a direct connection between this missing person’s case and the murder case. Nothing about the two match up, also there are no notable patterns in either incidents. So what do you see that makes you suspect that this case is indeed involved?”

“I didn’t see, I heard.” I replied. “Some coworkers at the café from this morning were talking about Shim-ssi and an incident she was involved in yesterday with a customer. From what I heard, it was an accident but the customer involve was none other than that Seo Jae-Sung.”

That last bit stopped the detective cold.
“Seo Jae-Sung,” he echoed.

“If Shim was taken by the same person that murdered the other girl, we now have a start of something to work with.” I continued. “The culprit’s habit and compulsive behaviors are starting to show through.”

“What do you mean?” Paek asked.

“There are a number of things that stand out in both these cases. In the murder case, the time between when the victim was last seen alive and her estimated time of death is fairly short. We can assume that Shim Ga Eul was attacked when she reached her apartment after her shift at the café. It takes roughly forty-five minutes on the bus to get to her building from the café, and the only time she would’ve been vulnerable is when she was alone at the building.” I said. “More disturbingly, the one common thread between the two would be that they both had a run-in with Seo Jae-Sung.”

Paek’s brows knitted together in a complex expression, thinking hard.
“The location where we found Kim Eun Hee’s body is probably forty to fifty-minute walk from the event venue also.” he thought out loud.

“If so, then my assumptions might be correct.” I said. “Neither one of these incidents involving Seo was broadcasted or in reported by the media. Kim-ssi’s story didn’t emerge until after she was already murdered so that eliminates the possibility that the subject targeted victims through the net or the news.”

“But then…that can only mean…” Detective Paek trailed off, alarm in his tone.

I clicked my tongue against my teeth, a grim feeling settling in my chest.
It would mean that the stalker had been at the event to witness the incident firsthand. The same thing also with the café---

They were that close by to Seo Jae-Sung.

“Detective Paek, my job is to discretely provide protection to Seo-ssi until his stalker has been apprehended and his safety is restored.” I said. “Knowing what I know now, I have to keep a closer eye on him and his surroundings. I’m afraid I may not be much of an aid in the investigation.”

“No, you have helped plenty already.” the detective told me. “I understand your situation. But one thing is still uncertain. Shim Ga Eul has yet to be confirmed to be the definite second victim. How will we know for sure that she isn’t an unrelated missing person’s report?”

I sighed and got up from the bench.
“If the subject follows the same line of activities as the murder, the package is next.” I said. “It arrived the next morning so one sure sign is if the agency receive something by then. Let’s just hope it’s not a vital organ.”

Still…that thought wasn’t enough. If she was still alive, every second counted.

“I would look into the cellphone found at the scene. It is possible that there might be some information on there that could help.” I added. “I can retrace the route back to the café and see if I can find anything useful.”

“You’ve done enough already.” Detective Paek said. “Go on back to Seo Jae-Sung. He needs you more at this point.”

I suppressed a grimace at the last tid-bit of the detective’s words. Funny how that works out now, isn’t it?

Suddenly I felt the phone in my pocket buzz, alerting me of an incoming call. I reached into my jacket pocket, pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID. It caught me off guard to see the name but really, speak of the devil…

“Excuse me,” I said, stepping away.

I walked over to the outer railing of the garden before answering the call.
“Yeoboseyo,”