'...!'
I turned my head to peer out of the window, my gaze captured by an unusual sight lingering at the corner of my vision.
I snapped my attention back at Vasily, but nothing seemed amiss. Perhaps a faint, human-like figure had caught my eye, but the dark surroundings made it impossible to confirm.
Nevertheless, a lingering unease clung to me. With a furrowed brow, I sat back down. Confused about the cause of my distraction, but I brushed it off. Though I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. As I stared outside, it hit me suddenly. The vehicle was retracing the same road we had already passed.
Everything looked identical, from the buildings to the shadowy alleys. I muttered to myself as I fixated on a nearby trash can.
"It's as if we're lost."
"It can't be. We were on the right track,"
Vasily replied.
"No, something's not right. The trash can on the left, the dirt stain, the overflowing garbage, even the closed lid – it's all exactly as it was before. And the building behind it, the cracks in the outer walls, the color of the bricks, the shape of the window frames – it's all too familiar. Even the laundry hung is exactly the same"
I kept contrasting the outside scenery with my memories, and Vasily, who had been silent, finally answered with a fishy tone,
"You've got a keen eye, you know?"
His words held a hint of sarcasm, and his earlier charm had completely faded. This sudden transformation raised suspicions.
Kwon Taek-joo's instincts kicked in, and he pulled out his Colt without hesitation, loading a bullet and halting Vasily with a stern command.
"Stop the car."
I pointed the gun at Vasily. The driver obeyed without a second thought, bringing our speeding sedan to a halt in a narrow alley. Vasily raised his hands in surrender.
"You've got quite a dangerous toy there, Mr. Sakamoto."
"Who are you."
"I thought I already told you. I'm Vasily Alexandrovich, here to see you."
"Is that Alexandrovich connected to Gazprom?"
"Just a little bit."
These bastards... are they trying to kidnap Hiro Sakamoto? Who the hell are they? No, I need to escape first.
"Don't try to do anything stupid, one wrong move and your head gets blown off."
It was at that moment.
"...?"
The backseat door abruptly swung open, and a man pushed Kwon Taekjoo forward. In his hand gleamed a Tokarev, a Russian revolver, aimed perilously close to Kwon Taek-joo's temple.
But that wasn't all; several red dots appeared from somewhere, hovering all over Kwon Taek-joo's chest. He was completely surrounded.
Kwon Taek-joo clenched his jaw, ready to act. The situation had escalated dramatically. Taekjoo grabbed the man next to him and pushed him infront of his chest, where all the red dots were, and used him as a shield.
The next few seconds were too difficult to describe, as blood flew everywhere. 'One wrong move and your head gets blown off'...
Vasily's fate seemed no different. He lay sprawled across the dashboard, a bullet holl in the center of his face. Kwon Taek-joo wasted no time, holding the driver in a chokehold from behind, instructing him on their next moves.
"Now drive!! Take me to the main road and turn the headlights off. You better listen if you don't want to end up like them."
The driver, drenched in Vasily's blood, obeyed Kwon Taek-joo's commands without resistance. Taek-joo kept a close watch on him.
But the real problem was the road that seemed to have no end in sight, with the ever-present threat of the lurking sniper. It was hard to tell whether they were headed for a dead-end or not.
Then, once more...
"...!"
Something swift darted between the buildings. Kwon Taek-joo had glimpsed it before, but now he was sure. It wasn't a mere illusion or paranoia. It moved nimbly, too fast to be a cat, and far more massive. His unease grew as he scanned the darkness for that elusive presence.
And again, a moment later...
"Fuck!"
In an instant, another white vehicle sped forward, crashing against our sedan. For a moment, everything floated. Everything slowed down, as if time itself had paused. Kwon Taek-joo's vision flipped, and his body collided violently with the car's frame, shards of shattered glass whizzing by.
The sedan was overturned.
The area fell silent once more, with no sign of movement around the vehicle. Only the engine emitted a faint, strained noise.
How much time had passed? The silence was shattered by an unexpected sound, someone pounding on the thoroughly dented door.
It was Kwon Taek-joo. He crawled out as though squeezing through a crevice, struggling to get up."Ughh..."
Attempting to stand, he ultimately slumped back down. Great. The impact from the accident must have caused a mild concussion. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, propping himself up against the wrecked car's remains.
Glancing around, he found a similarly unresponsive Vasily in the same dire state. He had been shot in the face, and the situation looked grim.
Whose white car was that? Are they connected? What the hell was going on and why am I being in the middle of it? Was Russia always this dangerous?
...The fact that they knew my whole schedule and background, it's clear they're no ordinary criminal organization. To ambush Hiro Sakamoto and hold him hostage, do they plan on threatening Gazprom or the Russian Government? Damn it, why am I the one suffering instead or the real Sakamoto?!
I shook my head in frustration as I made my way to the back of the car, to grab my stuff. Wrestling with the stubborn trunk, a loud noise suddenly jolted me.
"Put your hands up," a stern voice demanded.
My reflexes kicked in, and in an instant, a gunshot echoed in the air.
"One wrong move and your head gets blown off."
Oh, right, as if he didn't know that.
He reluctantly lifted his arms, and turned around as ordered. As I faced the menace behind the gun, a sense of unease washed over me.
It was an eerie sight; his face was bloody, revealing he was the driver of the white vehicle. Bastard. Those firearms were all too familiar, too. This was undoubtedly Vasily's henchman.
Kwon Taek-joo clenched his jaw. With no place to hide and no suitable weapon in sight, he knew he had to face him head-on. While pondering hisnext move, Taekju's eyes caught sight of a familiar Colt rolling near the man's feet.
"Move slowly in this direction. Any mischief, and you'll regret it,"
thewounded man threatened, though the man's bewildered expression made it clear he wasn't playing.
As I drew closer, I noticed the gunman's unease growing. It was ironic that the one with the gun, the power advantage, seemed increasingly agitated as I closed the distance.
Maybe this would be easier than expected, I thought optimistically.
"Remove your coat. I don't know what tricks you might have hidden inside,"
he commanded, as I caught a glimpse of another man behind us. Though unfamiliar, his rifle hinted he one of the earlier snipers. Taek-joo obeyed, leaving only his right sleeve.
Right then, I yanked my coat off. I quickly covered the face of man in front of me with it. The sniper quickly caught on to everything and started shooting. Taekju put the man, just like before, in front of him as a shield, with his jacket still over his head... How many times do I have to use others as a human shield?!
I began to stride forward, the sniper still shooting at me. I grabbed the sniper's rifle as he stumbled, disarmed him, and left him groaning. The sniper's moans were drowned out by a gunshot when he retrieved his composure.
When the other man threw Taekju's coat off his head, Taekju was already running. The man quickly turned furious and started shooting wildly, yet none of his shots found their mark.
"Damn it, follow him!!"
My legs carried me forward as I glanced ahead. The darkness of the alleys was a double-edged sword—few places to hide and the risk of reaching a dead end.
The chase continued, bullets whizzing past, leaving marks on buildings. At each intersection, I chose without hesitation, desperately trying to evade my relentless pursuers.
Suddenly, Taek-joo clashed with a white car. He fell down hard on the ground and groaned. Where did this shit come from? What the hell was wrong with Russia???
Ever since he stepped foot in Russia, only bad things happened.
Fuck, I don't think I can keep on running...
Then, an opportunity emerged as I spotted a wide, empty field during my flight. Construction was ongoing, but an abandoned building stood there, its walls absent, only a skeletal frame remaining, with scattered materials around.
There was no time to contemplate; it was the only escape route. I dashed towards it, taking the dust-covered stairs with haste. I heard the car coming closer and closer.
Every time an alley appeared, Kwon Taek Joo did not hesitate and rushed straight into that direction. Damn. Another gunshot rang out, and something shattered above his head. The incoming bullet probably broke the flower pot placed next to the window, causing it to fall to the ground.
Kwon Taek Joo shook his head to shake off the dirt and debris and turned onto a small road that had just appeared. At that moment, a truck came out from there.
Kwon Taek Joo rolled over the bonnet to reduce the force of the collision. The four doors of the stopped car opened simultaneously.
Armed men appeared from there, even the man who had been chasing Kwon Taek Joo all this time had joined that group. The group exchanged a few words and
then suddenly pointed their guns.
"...Damned."
If you defeat one, another will appear, and if you eliminate that guy, another will come running. How long will Kwon Taek Joo have to repeat this?
He slowly walked backwards and started running again. He ran as fast as he could while cursing continuously.
After running for a while like that, a wide open space appeared in his sight. There is an abandoned building under construction there. The building was left open with no front or rear walls, only the bare frame remained. Materials such as cement and steel frames are scattered everywhere.
There is no time to weigh and measure anymore. The only place Kwon Taek Joo can hide until now is there. He entered the building down the dusty stairs.
"ha, ha, ha..."
Kwon Taek Joo climbed to the 4th floor and let out the breath he had been holding, His heart beat so painfully hard that it made him nauseous. He only had a thin shirt on but he didn't even feel cold.
The group of people chasing Kwon Taek Joo gradually arrived under the building. After a count, there were four names in total. What about the other name?
Kwon Taek Joo gently walked closer to the wall next to the stairs. He leaned his back against the wall and listened to the movements below. It seemed like someone was secretly approaching him. Kwon Taek Joo quietly took off his belt and held it with both hands.
Soon, the muzzle of a rifle protruded from the wall as he climbed each step. Not missing that moment, Kwon Taek Joo threw the buckle of the belt horizontally. The belt came off and wrapped around the barrel of the gun again due to the recoil force and returned to Kwon Taek Joo's hand. He immediately grabbed it and tugged on it.
Bang bang bang bang.
Bullets were fired continuously from the rifle upward. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly released one side of the belt he was pulling tight and swung it with all his might. The belt whipped the back of the man's hand like a whip.
The man screamed violently and dropped the gun. Kwon Taek Joo kicked the rifle forward that had just fallen to the floor and wrapped his belt around the neck of the man trying to pick it up. The strangled man struggled with his legs.
"Ugh!"
Kwon Taek Joo put more effort into tightening the belt. The man's body trembled for a long time and then gradually relaxed. When Kwon Taek Joo loosened his grip, the man fell to his knees.
He kicked him down and let out a breath. So one guy can be dealt with Just then.
the downstairs became noisy. It seemed like a whole group of people rushed in after hearing the gunshots earlier. The gun was lying in a position facing the stairs. If he doesn't pick it up in time, Kwon Taek Joo won't be able to shoot back and he will become a honeycomb.
You cannot subdue an armed group with your bare hands.
Kwon Taek Joo took another deep breath and quickly rolled to the other side. The group had almost climbed the stairs when he picked up the rifle that had fallen on the floor. When facing Kwon Taek Joo from the front, they pointed their guns without hesitation.
But Kwon Taek Joo pulled the trigger first.
Gunshots rang out one after another, two men fell down screaming in despair. The bullets fired from their guns accidentally hit the ceiling.
Kwon Taek Joo without hesitation threw away his rifle, which now had only an empty magazine, and moved forward. So there are 2 more names finished. He mentally calculated the remaining names and observed the movement below.
"..."
Suddenly he raised his head. Because something else immediately caught his attention. But as soon as Kwon Taek Joo looked back, there was no one there.
Why do you keep seeing meaningless things? Because he was so stressed, his breathing was louder than usual.
All Kwon Taek Joo could think about was that he saw something wrong. He didn't have time to be swayed by such vague intuition. But he also couldn't shake that annoying sixth sense.
"..."
Again. Kwon Taek Joo stood up and looked up at the building opposite. The distance is too far so the image is not clear. He squinted his eyes to look, but the large figure floating on the rooftop quickly disappeared.
Kwon Taek Joo never believed in ghosts. But it was also difficult to say that the image he had just witnessed was not such an existence, since it was impossible for humans to move like that.
Kwon Taek Joo was facing a series of questions appearing in his mind at the wrong time when a fierce attack came from below. The bullets flying continuously turned the floor he was standing on just now into dust.
Kwon Taek Joo had difficulty avoiding bullets and looking for signs of the enemy. The remaining two had drawn up a plan of attack. One jumped into the building and the other raised his gun and readied it.
Kwon Taek Joo quickly looked around. He had to find a way to fight back against his would-be attacker, but there was no place for him to hide and no suitable weapon in sight
At that moment, a gunshot suddenly rang out from below.
Kwon Taek Joo stopped and listened in the direction of the gunshots. In an instant, he heard a scream that felt like it was being torn apart.
"Sooo!"
No, it was more like a roar. It's not very far, just somewhere right below. Kwon Taek Joo waited a bit but he couldn't feel anything anymore. He looked outside the building to understand the situation. The man waiting outside was also looking around with a bewildered expression, perhaps he was also surprised by the gunshots and screams.
As soon as he discovered Kwon Taek Joo, he suddenly pulled the trigger.
He quickly turned around to avoid the incoming bullet. Kwon Taek Joo doesn't know what's going on.
It wasn't long before even the man who was still outside entered the building. Cop. Cop. Cop. There was the sound of leisurely footsteps going up the stairs. It gets closer and bigger. In a moment it will reach the 4th floor.
If that's the case then there's no other choice but to end it. Kwon Taek Joo grabbed the right button and tore it off. The button fell and a long, thin string protruded, accompanied by a small mechanical sound. It's a mini bomb. Kwon Taek Joo will overcome this crisis by throwing it.
He cut the wire, rolled up the bomb and waited for the man from before to appear.
"..?"
But that man didn't appear for quite a while. The surrounding was quiet as if Kwon Taek Joo was the only person in the building. He couldn't even hear his breathing, let alone the footsteps that were chasing him.
What happened? Or is he hiding somewhere and waiting for Kwon Taek Joo to make the first move?
He raised his head again and looked at the clearing. There was not a single person in sight. By this time the questions about what was going on had reached a peak.
"..."
Suddenly something reached out right next to his face. Kwon Taek Joo accidentally looked in that direction, stiffened and unable to move. What was being stretched out was a human arm. And the person hanging from the end of his arm was the man who rushed into the building earlier.
Kwon Taek Joo could only recognize his identity based on the outfit he was wearing, because his face was being squeezed by that large hand.
More precisely, long, straight fingers were stuck in that man's eyeballs. The man was pushed out of the building almost floating because his fingers had gone through his eyes and got stuck in his eye sockets. His legs trembled in the air.
"Ah ah... ugh...cough..."
A strange groan came from the man's mouth. Kwon Taek Joo's eyebrows furrowed. His back felt frozen. He didn't dare turn his head to see who that monster-like hand was. It is not a matter of courage but of instinctive refusal.
He didn't even dare to breathe
The owner of the crane-like arm did not prolong the situation any longer. He shook off the man hanging on his finger like he was removing a strand of hair stuck to his body.
Without the slightest hesitation. The man kept falling. A rumble rang out from under the building.
It's him, the shadow that had been following me. That peculiar gaze I felt from the alleyway…it's definitely him.