“Our destination is almost reached. There will be an inspection on the ship soon.”
It had been twenty days since they boarded the cargo ship. Team Beta’s captain, despite his graying hair, had a sturdy build like an active soldier. Since the first day, he had never said much about Seoryeong’s actions and hadn’t even interfered when the team’s atmosphere fell apart. On the positive side, he was the type of leader who gave freedom, and on the negative side, he didn’t care at all.
“It seems the Chinese military is guarding this area, but their main job is to pretend they don’t know. They receive compensation for it, so they won’t hesitate to seize opportunities either.”
“....”
“We will also follow this custom, so behave yourselves well. If there’s a problem, we’ll be the ones at a disadvantage. Understood?”
The team members, whose cheeks had become increasingly hollow over the past two weeks, answered firmly, but only Seoryeong lowered her head. Hmm, will it go according to the captain’s will? Seoryeong hid behind the line and, unnoticed, smiled faintly. What Channa had asked of her wasn’t just a location tracker. This ship had to undergo a thorough inspection. What Seoryeong wanted wasn’t a smooth journey, but a bloody confrontation with the Chinese military. What if information about the illegal assets of the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea entering via sea route leaked to China? China had provided infrastructure worth trillions of won, but Equatorial Guinea couldn’t pay and could only offer mining rights. This was a golden opportunity for China to strengthen its control by exploiting the Vice President’s weaknesses, while South Korean contracts were also involved.
If this information reached China, and they connected it to Kim Jong Il, who was awarded by Equatorial Guinea, it would become a security issue with North Korea. If tensions rose with China, it would become a diplomatic problem. This would be a very difficult scenario for the National Intelligence Service. Even the President’s closest family and the Deputy Head of the National Intelligence Service had become targets. However, if Kim Hyeon still couldn’t be handed over, higher-level measures had to be taken. Moreover, Channa, who was trained at a Chinese facility, certainly had many connections.
“Captain, that...!”
A warning shout echoed in the middle of the sea, making the atmosphere on deck tense. A ship with a five-star flag was approaching rapidly. The bright light from the lighthouse shone on the faces of the team members one by one.
“Translator, come here.”
The captain stood with the translator beside the ship’s railing. A red background with yellow stars. The fast ship approaching at high speed was a small warship used for reconnaissance missions. Had the fast ship received instructions from the Chinese police? Seoryeong hid her sharp gaze in the shadows of the night.
“――”
As the fast ship got closer, the sound of irregular Chinese could be heard. The small reconnaissance team quickly climbed the ladder attached to the side of the ship. Uniforms with a sea green and yellow pattern. Soldiers in combat vests and rifles whispered to the translator before chuckling. They opened every package on the ship, but their movements were slow, and along the way, a faint smell of alcohol could be detected. Meanwhile, the captain handed over a black plastic bag that seemed heavy. After checking the stack of dollar bills, the man looked at the Beta team members with a sharp gaze and suddenly asked. [Is that also smuggled goods?] An inquisitive gaze stopped on Seoryeong’s face. The translator, who looked pale, immediately shook his head.
[No, she is a colleague who boarded the ship with us...!] [A woman, boarded the ship?] [Of course...!] [Do you expect me to believe this?] [......!] [You didn’t just bring a woman, did you?] Seeing the translator unable to respond, Seoryeong felt uncomfortable. Although she didn’t understand Chinese, she could grasp the meaning of the man’s gaze, which clearly hinted at something indecent. [In that case, it seems you need to pay more.] The man made a sound with his tongue, as if sneering. [Pay more for that.] [What do you mean...!] The translator frowned. [If you want to take her, pay more.] “Ha…. Captain, he says we have to pay more.”
The translator conveyed the message with a tense face. Seoryeong only checked the protective pouches on her jacket. A fixed blade, three magazines, a cutter, and brass knuckles were in the front of the jacket. Calmly, she loosened her wrists. This was just another moment where she had to prove herself, and she felt no more disgust.
“Captain...! What should we do...!”
As the Chinese soldiers began to examine Seoryeong’s skin, the translator, caught in the middle of the situation, interjected. He looked frustrated that the silent captain wasn’t giving any instructions. Seoryeong felt a little grateful to the translator for being so angry on her behalf. While the Beta team members ignored her, it was the translator who dared to exchange his food and provide bandages when her hand was injured. Actually, she had noticed that the translator was always observing her. Not out of lust, but there was a sense of concern that often came with an unavoidable gaze.
“That money is enough. Just tell them to take her away.”
“...What?”
“If they’re interested in those smuggled goods, just let them take them.”
“......!”
“But make sure to get a guarantee about our ship.”
The captain looked at Seoryeong with deep, sharp eyes. One of Seoryeong’s eyebrows rose slightly. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one surprised. The previously silent team members now exchanged anxious glances.
“C-Captain, is it true that you... want to hand over Seoryeong...?”
“Just hand her over.”
“......!”
“Translator, why are you still silent? Convey it immediately!”
The usually fair captain was now acting very differently. Seoryeong looked at him in confusion. The captain, who looked exhausted, approached with heavy steps, his eyes empty and seemingly hardened.
“I think we’ve paid the right price.”
“.......”
As Seoryeong frowned, the captain lit a cigarette and looked at her.
“I still don’t understand why Song Ukchan died.”
In an instant, someone’s face flashed through her mind. Song Ukchan? He… died? Seoryeong fell silent, stiff as if jolted by unexpected news. Besides the faint sound of the engine, the atmosphere was very quiet.
“I was his trainer. I was also his father.”
“......!”
“That day, when he was brought in with blood gushing out, I knew immediately. It was a sight I’ll never forget even if I die,” the man said, exhaling thick cigarette smoke.
“That dog ate his genitals clean off,” he continued.
“I heard it was an accident during training, but I had to believe it. I’ve had over thirty years in the military, there’s no way I wouldn’t know what violence is.”
“......”
“In the end, just the sound of a dog barking made him convulse, and he immediately broke the dog’s neck. I took him to the hospital, and the next day, he died after his tongue came loose. It was a shameful death, nothing to talk about.”
The man took a few more puffs of his cigarette, then kicked it with his boot, extinguishing it. At that moment, the pungent smell of smoke wafted from his nearby lips.
“You damn women like you, you must know all about that.”
“......!”
Seoryeong’s hair was grabbed by the team leader and she was thrown roughly towards the Chinese soldiers.
“Whoever made that kid angry, I just regret my son’s death.”
“Ugh...!”
Seeing the team leader’s sharp and aged eyes, Seoryeong realized that her plan had completely fallen apart. She was kicked in the stomach and stomped on her back. Her cheek was pressed against the slippery deck, while both her hands were cuffed.
“Ugh...! Let go...!”
Were they planning to sell me from the beginning...?
“Team leader, even so, this...”
Seoryeong tried to say, but she was immediately silenced.
“Everyone to your places―!”
Some team members intended to move, but all froze at the team leader’s sharp command.
“There are types of people you can only understand after experiencing them. They must have never encountered a truly angry dog, so they were reckless about such a small thing. So, try meeting a real dog. Maybe that kid was kind to you.”
“......”
“I hope that kid died unjustly.”
After saying those words, the team leader turned away. The translator ran to pull Seoryeong out, but stopped as soon as the Chinese soldiers pointed their weapons. The translator pounded the deck hard, his face flushed red with anger. Seoryeong, bound, began to be taken off the ship. How could everything have gone so wrong? Only now did she realize that this might have been a trap to capture her. Just then, the translator’s voice came from the ship.
“Member Han Seoryeong, try to hold on...!”
Why was he so late...? The anxious voice accompanied by curses became louder. Seoryeong reflexively lifted her head, but her chin was immediately held down forcefully.
“Ugh...!”
Despite being forced to turn her head, Seoryeong saw the translator tapping his shoulder. A movement that looked like a silent gesture or encouragement, which made her eyes narrow slightly. Seoryeong realized that something had been strange all along. Suddenly, she saw the glimmer of a bright transparent lens. Wait… that… wasn’t that like an action camera? Why were they secretly installing a camera? Just as such a doubt arose in her mind, Seoryeong was pushed onto a motorboat decorated with the five-star flag. ‘Channa, do you know who the most dangerous enemy on the sea is?’ Seoryeong curled up her body, secretly taking out a magazine from her pocket. As originally planned, this cargo ship would be detained, and the tension with the Chinese military would trigger the involvement of diplomats and intelligence agents from various countries. However… as soon as Song Ukchan’s name was mentioned, she began to feel that perhaps she had already anticipated this. Since when had she been holding her breath? The tightness in her ribs became more pronounced, but the cold sensation that permeated her body instead made the corner of her lips lift. Whatever she had learned at sea, there was only one thing she knew— besides bad weather, there was nothing else. As soon as her hair was gripped tightly, she immediately opened her eyes.
“――”
You must become a captive here.