Black Moth

Underneath the Park mansion was the training facility—and underneath that was the arsenal. Sungwoong wasted no time in descending the stairs into the dark abyss below. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made on concrete and steel(Jiseung made sure it doubled as a bomb shelter as well) and the walls were lined with heavy artillery from assault weapons to foot-long knives, machetes, and grenades.

Sungwoong took his pick, strapping on a waist holster as well as a shoulder one before he went through what he would need. He took both semi and automatic handguns for his disposal, latching them in as well as cases of ammo. He disassembled his beloved AK-47 and stowed it away in a duffle bag as well as an incased sniper rifle. More ammo, a set of throwing knives, a large hunting blade, and Sungwoong wondered why not add a handful of grenades to the mix. You could never be too careful.

“You’re really going to do this?” Junseong asked, standing at the bottom of the steps with her arms crossed.

“Do I have a choice?” Sungwoong asked. He looked over his shoulder while he finished packing. “Why? Do you doubt I can do this?” His teeth flashed.

“You’re not as young as you used to be,” said Junseong. “And I know you hate hearing that, so does Dad. But you need to be careful.”

Sungwoong zipped up the duffle bag and threw it over his shoulder. He turned and laid a kiss on his sister’s forehead. “I’m always careful.”

“Not always!” Junseong called after him as he trotted up the stairs. “There was that time in Kyoto.”

“The Yakuza were asking for it,” Sungwoong reasoned, turning to walk backwards so he could innocently shrug. “I gave them when they wanted.”

“Yes, I’m sure a blown up warehouse with over one hundred dead was all they wanted.”

“What about your second husband’s mistress’ boathouse they were both in when it went kaboom?”

“Touché. But seriously, be careful!”

“I’m always careful!”

--

Jinsing’s was a rundown dump of broken neon lights, shattered windows clothed in plastic, and a horde of junkies that lounged around outside waiting for the doors to open so they could either get a fix of cheap booze or looking to find their dealer’s in the grubby basement.

Sungwoong crossed the street without a second thought, the block all but empty. The long, grey trench coat fluttered at his calves with hands stuffed in its deep pockets. The stair boards groaned under his weight as he stepped up and slipped inside the quiet bar. The bar was practically empty except for a three men lounging in the back corner. They all looked younger than thirty, one maybe still in his teens. This was probably an initiation for them.

They all threw cold glances at Sungwoong as he came to a stand in the middle of the bar among the scuffed tables and chairs. “Would any of you be associates of Lee Byunghun?” he asked, voice booming in the silence.

All three of them stood, swiping jackets aside to show holstered guns and knives. Real tough guys. Sungwoong smirked and pushed his own coat back to show he was packing. “I’m in need of knowing where Saha Nikita is. Which one of you wants to tell me?”

“You come with Saha’s answer?” the one with bright red hair asked.

The most talkative one, Sungwoong thought. He’d leave that one alive for questioning. “Saha’s answer is ‘no’ if you even had to wonder.” He drew his gun and let off the safety. “So are you going to tell me where she is or do we have to leave a present for the owner when comes back?”

Guns were drawn quick, but not quick enough. Sungwoong shot the one on his left in the head, the one on the right twice in the chest. The third one—the one with the red hair—was shot in the hand with his gun, making it clatter to the floor.

Sungwoong rushed forward, grasping the man by his bad hand, twisting him, and slamming him down face-first into the table. He pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of the ganster’s skull. “Now, why don’t you tell me what your two buddies died for?” As the kid sobbed harder, the gun’s barrel pressed firmer. “Come on, son…I’ll let you crawl on back to Lee and tell him horrible I was. I want you tell him Park Sungwoong’s coming for him.” He cocked the gun.

“Ichon!” the kid wailed. “There’s a house in Ichon, it’s a whole apartment that they use specifically for new girls. Its on 11th St. 221!”

The gun withdrew. Sungwoong grasped the barrel and slammed the butt into the side of his head. “Thank you.”

Sungwoong stepped out into the late afternoon air and let out a long sigh. He pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit up. Then, he turned right and made his way for a taxi that would pick up him to take him to Ichon, to his next stop.

--

The redhead was telling the truth. Sungwoong approached the apartment complex after walking a block from the taxi stop. The apartment was in better condition than the bar had been. Without hesitating, he stepped up to the front door and wrapped his knuckles against it. A manmade hole with a slide-away iron door opened up to reveal a pair of dark eyes.

“Who are you?” the graveled voice asked from the other dark.

“Lee Changjun, member of the Seven Star. I’ve been sent to discuss allegiances with your girl business.”
“I wasn’t told anything about that.”
Sungwoong hummed. “Then, maybe you want to tell Mr. Lee yourself that things didn’t work out because of incompetence on your end.” Before this morning, Sungwoong had not heard of Lee Byunghun’s name and he doubted that the name was very well known to begin with. Name dropping seemed like the best decision in that moment.

The man on the other side hesitated for a moment before sliding the panel shut. Multiple locks clicked and the door creaked open. “Sorry. Things don’t always get reached down on our end when they should.”

Sungwoong bowed as he entered the small entrance of the apartment. “Thank you. I understand completely. Sometimes we middle-men get left out of the loop at the most inopportune times.”

The greeter was not much of a talker. He led Byunghun up two flights of stairs to the third floor and into a large gutted-out room where a group of Double Dragons sat around a table playing poker. The greeter introduced Sungwoong by his alias and spoke of his mission. Everyone looked at Sungwoong with a look of suspicion. None of them knew of this deal involving fusing with Seven Star and their girls.

Sungwoong took a seat without much of a word. The confidence that rolled off him was not enough to be considered arrogance that would rile egotistical beings up, but it was enough for them to take him seriously. Sungwoong dug for another cigarette and after blowing out a stream of smoke at the center of their chip pile, he began with his statement.

“My boss wants to make a deal of sorts. You guys are relatively young, at least this generation. He’s willing to help you guys get a leg up on the prostituting business. We supply you with some better girls, our good word to some clients, and we split profits 50-50. How does that sound?”

“Why?” came the short response from the man sitting directly across from Sungwoong.

Sungwoong removed the cigarette from his lips and shrugged. “Why not? As far as Boss can tell, you’re not a legitimate threat to us or our business and you won’t be for at least another year or so if you’re moving as slowly as you are. Boss offers you some pieces to nibble on and you provide some loyalty and manpower if it’s ever needed. Plus, you stay off the turf we specify. It’s really quite simple.”

“You talk a lot,” the same man said.

Sungwoong offered a wide smile. “That’s why they sent me.” He drew in another hit before looking around the place. “So is this your prime location of keeping girls? Or just the new ones.”

There was a beat of silence before the man answered again. The others must have been sworn to silence. “Just the new ones.”

Sungwoong nodded, looking around openly. “Its nice. Not too old, good environment to make the girls feel somewhat safe and more indisposed to your wishes, am I right?”

The leading man’s lips twitched in the smallest of smiles. “Joonmyun, get this guy a beer.”

Joonmyun was a boy, no older than twenty with hair that fell to the nape of his neck. He turned and opened a mini-fridge before bringing it to Sungwoong. He took it and offered his thanks. “Your boss, Lee Byunghun…he’s quite the interesting guy. Got you guys scattered out across the city I’m guessing.”

“Yeah.” The game had begun again, tensions lacked. “He’s still trying to get us all congregated and more organized. It’s hard to build up a gang when you got to compete with people as strong as Seven Star and the Yakuza.”

“That’s why my boss is offering this to you. He knows you need the help.”

“That way we’ll be under his thumb.”

Sungwoong chuckled, but did not confirm that as fact.

The door opened and the whole room came to a standstill. Sungwoong studied all their faces for only a second before they all stood, chairs knocking back with the quickness. Slowly, Sungwoong turned his head to acknowledge the newcomer. His body tensed. Lee Byunghun surveyed the room when his eyes fell on Sungwoong. They shared a moment of silence and Sungwoong saw by the look on his face that Byunghun knew exactly who he was.

Byunghun’s hands darted for his gun. Sungwoong fell from his seat and the gun fired, nailing one of Byunghun’s own men in the chest. Sungwoong drew his own gun, an automatic, and shot towards Byunghun. He was already bounding out the door he just arrived from. Fucking coward!

Before Sungwoong could chase after him, Double Dragon men surrounded him, lurching forward to attach. Sungwoong dodged their fists and kicks, returning with well-delivered hits. Connecting with jaws, noses, guts, throats. They began to drop like flies around him. Sungwoong took one man’s arms as it shot past him in a missed punch, locking it straight and shoving the elbow joint up in the opposing direction. The man let out a groan of pain, gripping onto his shoulder, but that didn’t stop Sungwoong from swinging his arm around and tugging hard. The shoulder joint dislocated followed by a vengeful knee to the face.

Sungwoong turned to the final two men, grabbed one by the shirt collar and fired three rounds into his stomach. When the last man advanced, Sungwoong stopped him with a side kick to the knee, taking the split second to reload his gun. When the chamber clicked, Sungwoong turned and discharged a bullet in the final man’s skull.