Mission J

The lock let out a loud clicking noise as the shackle plunged back into the collar. I gave it a single tug to make sure it stayed before letting it drop against the chains that kept the gateway closed. My business here for the night was done; now it was back to Seo’s apartment to finally sleep a bit. I hoisted the newly packed duffel bag over my shoulders before I turned and started back for the parking garage.
The roads were fairly quiet, the nightlife activities still bustling but somewhat calmed. I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket and checked the time.



I sighed tiredly, pocketed my phone and pulled my jacket closer around my neck. I was out longer than I had originally anticipated.
As I maneuvered through the streets and paths, my mind drifted back to the conversation I had with Chairman Song.
Was he telling the truth?
I didn’t doubt the man, but I didn’t exactly blindly trust him either. He was a mob boss; of course I was going to be careful with him. And if he was completely truthful, was the Seven Gates really the one bringing on the turmoil? What were the Russians getting in return? And most importantly, where were the girls?

To find out any of these things, I needed to pull the strings from the underground. The easiest way to do so was to be in and do the digging myself. Reviving the alias Song Ji Hyun was the fastest way to get done with the search, much faster than creating a whole new identity altogether and far less risky.
I clicked my tongue against my teeth and blew out a long stream of white breath. Bringing someone out from the dead had to be done carefully and delicately to avoid as much backlashes as possible. Both the Chairman and I agreed that it was wise to be discrete as possible. He also didn’t oppose in pretending he was oblivious to the plan when I suggested it. I would be able to move independently and as I wanted.
I smiled drily to myself at that thought. Fake daughter or not, he wasn’t going to be dragged down in a mess when I could be completely responsible for any fallout, no doubt that was his thought process.

Finally I reached where I had parked my car. Hurriedly I approached the car, unlocking it remotely as I drew closer. The night was only growing colder and I was not keen on staying out for much longer in the frigid weather.
I opened the driver’s side door and threw my duffel bag onto the passenger side seat before getting in after it. I quickly shut the door and let out a small tired sigh. Man, they weren’t kidding when they said it was going to be colder tonight…

I was still giving myself a moment when my phone started buzzing in my pocket. With another sigh I reached into my jacket and pulled out my cell phone from my pocket. I glanced at the screen on top…and frowned.



It wasn’t a call I had been anticipating. On top of it, the caller was utilizing one of my indirect numbers that required a four-digit code to make a connection. Only a select few would know how to work this number, and even fewer knew the code.
I let it ring two more times before I pushed the button to receive the call.

“Yeoboseyo,” I answered.

“Ya,I told you the next time you set foot into South Korea, you’re dead.” came the growl from the other end.

I raised an eyebrow at the caller’s threatening and vulgar tone, though I couldn’t help feeling amused. It was a voice that was unmistakable and one I recognized immediately.
“Oh? And what makes you think I’m in South Korea?” I played along casually.

“Don’t fucking play coy with me, you’re making me sick.” the caller continued to grouch. “I know you’re in town sneaking around again.”

I hummed, pretending to be thoughtful.
“Huh…I guess that informant of yours is better at getting the intel to his master quickly than he is at being discrete.” I sighed. “So? Are you going to handcuff me, Detective Kim Jin Ae?”

The detective scoffed, muttering under her breath.
“Aish, you’re really asking for it.” she said, though the harsh tone from before was gone. “It’s been a while. Nice to know you’re still alive.”

“Alive and well, thank you for your concern.” I returned. “So the informant…are you keeping tabs on me?”

Jin Ae let out a snort.
“Please, don’t flatter yourself.” she grunted. “That motel is a known hot-spot for underhand dealings with high gang members; I pay him to have him planted outside across the street in case someone suspicious is seen entering and exiting the location. He was right on the money tonight.”

“Ha, I’m flattered.” I said drily. But then I frowned.
“Was a hotspot.” I corrected.

“Huh?” Jin Ae let out a sound of irritation.

“Was.” I repeated. “That place hasn’t been used by the gangs in a few months now. They all relocated when they found some rats in their ranks talking to the police. All that motel is good for now is finding some juicy scandal scoops on politicians walking in with prostitutes and selling the pictures to tabloids.”

“What the hell? So I’ve been paying this guy to watch horny old men walk in for a quickie all these months?” Jin Ae demanded. “Now what the hell am I supposed to do with the guy?”

“Whoa, hey easy.” I said, slightly exasperated. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“It’s a tempting thought.” she grouched, her harsh tone coming back slightly. “But I got bigger and badder fish to fry at the moment. And now I’m back to square one. Consider it your lucky night.”

“Your consideration is appreciated.” I told her. Then I frowned. “What’s got your little detective panties in a bunch, huh? All because of one dead end.”

“It’s not just one dead end and you can shove it, alright?” Jin Ae snapped. “That motel was my closest lead to my biggest case.”

I sighed, feeling tired for her.
“You’re still working on that guy’s case like a reckless nutcase?” I asked. “What was it, uh…what’s his face…”
I feigned thinking and snapped my fingers.
“The Ace Ventura Case.”

“What the--- Ace of Spades Case.” Jin Ae corrected me, irritation clear in her voice. “Who the hell is Vento…vento---Aish! You knew that; you met him in France.”

“That was a few years back and it wasn’t exactly a friendly get-together.” I said, grimacing at the violent recollection. “More bullets were exchanged than words that day.”

“No one forgets the name of the person that tried to shoot and bomb them within the same hour.” Jin Ae argued.

“Huh,” I said, shrugging to myself. “Touché.”

“What?” Jin Ae returned, sounding irritated at the random French phrase.

“Never mind.” I said quickly. “Anyways, I’m glad you called me because I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor?” she echoed, sounding surprised. “What is it?”

“There are six Russian girls that was possibly smuggled in through the ports, all kidnapped. I need help locating them.” I said.

“Human trafficking…well, you’re in the right department.” Jin Ae muttered darkly. “But I haven’t even heard of rumors of activity like that in the office. Is this what brought you to South Korea?”

“Yea, in part.” I lied, not wanting to mention my actual job. “This case is hot off the pan. The shipment cargo arrived in South Korea four days ago. That cargo in question is now M.I.A.”

“This is a completely fresh case,” Jin Ae said, stunned. “I’ll search the grid of the sea ports and look through the documented imports for anomalies.”

“We also have reasons to believe that this is a mob agreement between the Bratva and the Seven Gates.” I said. “I plan on taking down the head of Seven Gates and I need someone to take the credit.”

“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute; you plan what now?” the detective demanded. “I was still absorbing the Seven Gates part of the whole situation.”

“That’s right.” I said.

“Seven Gates, as in the Seven Gates, the notorious and vicious powerhouse mob.” she went on, incredulously.

“Yea, that’s them.” I confirmed.

Jin Ae was quiet for a minute, probably taking all this in.
“And I’m the one that’s being reckless?” she demanded.

“Don’t worry; they won’t target you in retaliation, I’ll make sure of it.” I reassured her. “They will know I was the one that took them out.”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about.” Jin Ae argued. “Do you hear yourself and how crazy you sound sometimes?”

I ignored that last bit and went on.
“The syndicate involved in the girls’ kidnapping got sacked last week and twenty-four girls out of the thirty-six reported missing was recovered.” I said. “After interrogations and review of obtained data, it was revealed that there was a shipment made to South Korea. The container was recorded arrived four days ago and since gone missing.”

“So we’re really fighting against time on this one…” Jin Ae muttered. “Well, now that I’m newly out of leads, I can get right to digging out information for you. If I find a pattern, I’ll let you know first thing.”

“Thanks, Jin Ae.” I said, genuinely relieved. “I owe you a drink.”

“You already owe me one from the last time you were here.” Jin Ae reminded me, half grudged, half teasing. “I’m allowing this out of the generosity of my kind heart.”

I felt a smirk pulling at the corner of my lips at her sarcastic tone.
“And it is greatly appreciated.” I said. “Thanks again.”

Jin Ae grunted once and seemed to go to hang up.
“Oh, Jin Ae,” I said, stopping her.

“What?” she replied.

I allowed myself a small smile.
“Relocate your informant to the bar that’s on the corner just three blocks from the free park.” I said. “The bar has outdoor seating, always crowded with business and just so happens to have a great yet discrete view of this old office building that you might be interested in. The address is 124-554 Seoul Teukbyolsi---”

“What the---hold on, let me just---shit!” I heard rummaging from the other end. “Yah, you! Give me that pen, do you have paper? You’re useless!”

Kim Jin Ae swore again under her breath as she scribbled the newly obtained address down. I quickly told her the rest of the address and waited for the angry scribbling to stop.
Finally Jin Ae sighed and the scratching sound ended.
“Alright. Thanks for the tip.” she said. “I’ll find something. If it’s there, I’ll find it.”

I nodded, even though I knew she couldn’t see.
“Keep me in the loop.” I said.

I then hung up, returned my phone back to my pocket before starting up the car.



The drive back to the apartment complex was smooth and quick enough that I was back in roughly twenty minutes. As I rode the elevator up to Superstar’s floor, I wondered if he was still angry. I chewed on my lip, hating the hassle of it all. Why did it feel like I was anticipating a scolding? Seriously, this must be how relationships must feel like in a snappy and unhealthy union of two people.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped out, following the route I took with Jun yesterday to get to the apartment. I continued trudging along the halls silently, not looking forward to what was behind that door. My head pulsed and I grit my teeth, getting a migraine just thinking about it.
Maybe it was because the heat was cranked up from the cold but the building felt almost unbearably hot. I tugged at the collar of my turtleneck over my bruised throat carefully, but there was no relief. I was practically sweating in my clothes.
It was freezing out there and boiling hot in here. Really, where was the happy medium?

It wasn’t long until I finally reached Seo’s apartment door. Mr. Park had given me the numbered key to the apartment earlier in the day so I would be able to enter without disturbing anyone. I lifted the sliding cover up to the keypad and punched in the number.
The keypad let out a small beeping jingle and the light turned green. I pushed down on the door handle and found that I was allowed access. I raised an eyebrow.
Maybe someone with a crazy stalker should invest in a better security system. I don’t know, was I being paranoid?

But I shrugged off the thought and entered the apartment. I was surprised to find the lights were still on inside but it was completely silent. Quietly I took off my boots, picked them up and walked into the living room.
At first, I didn’t see anyone in the wide room, or the open kitchen that was to the side. Reaching over to the wall, I flicked the light switch and turned the lights off. I was about to walk right by when I heard a groan from the couch. Bemused, I walked over and peeked over to the other side.

In the dim moonlight from the balcony doors, Seo Jae-Sung was stretched across the long couch, his arms crossed over his chest and head resting on a pillow. He was clearly out cold and had been there for a while.

“This guy,” I muttered to myself, exasperated.

He had been telling me he has a busy day tomorrow and he’s out here falling asleep on his couch. Was he waiting for me to come back to resume yelling at me from earlier?
I rolled my eyes and was about to walk away when a buzzing came from my pocket.
My hand reached into my jacket and pulled out my burner phone before I looked and saw the caller ID.



I glanced down at the sleeping actor briefly before heading over to the balcony door. Quickly and quietly, I slid the door open, stepped out and closed the door again. I stepped about five feet away from the sliding door before I answered the call.

“Ricky,” I answered. “Did you get something?”

“Well, the Song Family has been loyal to their ‘no trafficking’ code but it seems like the Seven Gates has been busy.” Ricky hummed. I could hear her fingers expertly typing away on a keyboard on the other end. “I took a peek into the Hwang Family’s personal financial records and there are large sums of money were wired out of the country.”

Hwang Family; they were the founding family of the Seven Gates. I walked over to the lounge chair and sat down.
“Do you know where?” I asked.

“Working on that right now.” Ricky said. “But more intriguingly, in the past three months, the Hwangs has been sending large cargo shipments to one place outside of the country, wanna guess where?”

I inhaled deeply, the cold air swirling down my air pipe.
“Russia.” I breathed out.

“Bingo.” the hacker commended. “But they aren’t kidding with the cyber security. This is some pretty different and intricate coding style.”

“A hacker?” I guessed.

“I think so. Pretty skilled at it too.” she said, slight admiration in her voice. “It’s all too bad, cuz I’m better.”
I heard her chuckle a bit on the other end.
“Alright woman, I’ll get back to you when I find something else.” she said. “I gotta get back to social hour.”

“Alright. Thanks, Rick.” I said.

The line went dead and I closed my phone. A heavy tired sigh left me in a puff of white.
There was so much to think about yet that annoying fog in my head took over and made it hard to focus. Things were never black and white, never simple and never a three-step job. And damn…what a long day today has been.

I leaned back on the wooden lounge chair, groaning as my sore muscles stretched across the hard surface. The space out on the balcony was cold but not nearly as bad as it was before. Maybe it was the walls that sheltered the space from the soft winds. The cold felt actually nice now; it seemed to clear my mind a bit and loosen the pressure that was building inside of my skull. It was as if my brain had been overheating.
I reached up and ran the back of my wrist again my forehead. Seriously, why was I sweating out here?

I sighed again and closed my eyes.
I’ll just stay out here for a few more minutes…and relax…