Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 10

By the time he picked up the rifle from the floor, the gang had almost reached the top of the stairs. As they encountered Kwon Taekjoo head-on, they aimed their muzzles in a flustered manner. But Kwon Taekjoo pulled the trigger first. Gunshots rang out in succession, and two men screamed in their death throes and tumbled down. The bullets fired from their muzzles hit the innocent ceiling. He discarded the empty rifle without hesitation and stepped forward. 

Two more. He counted the remaining numbers and surveyed the situation below. 

“……?” 

He suddenly snapped his head up. It was because something else caught his eye again. But when he belatedly scanned the spot, no one was there. Why did he keep seeing illusions? Due to tension, his own breathing sounded more exaggerated than usual. He could just consider it a mistake. He had no time to be swayed by such vague intuitions. Yet, he couldn’t shake off the unsettling sixth sense. 

“……!” 

Again. Kwon Taekjoo completely stood up and looked at the building across the way. The distance was far, so the image didn’t form clearly. He squinted and watched intently, but the flickering shape quickly disappeared from the rooftop. He didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits. But the shape he had just witnessed was hard to say wasn’t such a being. 

A human couldn’t move like that. While grappling with this untimely question, a fierce assault came from below. Bullets flew in continuously, pulverizing the spot where Kwon Taekjoo had just been standing. He barely managed to take cover and assessed the enemy’s presence.

The two remaining men began to plot their strategy. One rushed into the building, while the other kept his gun fixed on the upper floors. Kwon Taekjoo frantically looked around. He needed to find a way to counter the man who would soon burst in. However, there was nowhere to hide, nor any suitable weapon.

Just then, an abrupt gunshot echoed from below. Kwon Taekjoo instinctively flinched, listening intently in the direction of the shot. A piercing scream instantly followed.

“Kuaaaaaaah!”

No, it was closer to a roar. It wasn’t far. Somewhere directly below. He waited for a moment, but no further signs of movement were detected. He scanned the outside of the building to grasp the situation. The man who had been waiting outside also seemed startled by the successive gunshots and screams, looking around in a flustered manner. Then, spotting Kwon Taekjoo, he immediately pulled the trigger.

Kwon Taekjoo quickly turned his body to dodge the incoming bullets. He had no idea what was going on. What a rotten day. Soon, even the man who had remained outside entered the building. Thump. Thump. Thump. The rhythmic sound of footsteps ascending the stairs could be heard. Closer and louder with each step. In a moment, he would reach the fourth floor.

Since it had come to this, he had no choice but to see it through. Kwon Taekjoo plucked a button from his right sleeve. With a small mechanical whir, a long, slender wire trailed from the fallen button. It was a miniature explosive. If the worst came to worst, he planned to throw it to escape the crisis.

He cut the wire, balled the explosive in his hand, and waited for the man to appear.

“……?”

However, a considerable amount of time passed, and the man didn’t appear. The surroundings were simply quiet, as if Kwon Taekjoo was the only one in the building. Not even the sound of footsteps ascending, let alone a breath, could be detected.

What had happened? Was he hiding somewhere, waiting for Kwon Taekjoo to make the first move? Kwon Taekjoo leaned out again to scan the open space. Not a single human shadow was visible. What on earth was going on? Just as his question reached its peak.

“……!”

Suddenly, something shot past his face. Kwon Taekjoo, who had inadvertently looked that way, froze, unable to move. What had shot straight out was a human arm. And dangling at its end was the very man who had last rushed into the building. He could barely recognize the man by his clothes. A large hand completely covered his face. More precisely, long, straight fingers were deeply plunged into the man’s eyeballs. The man, completely pushed out of the building, was practically suspended there, held up by the fingers lodged in his eye sockets. His two legs convulsed and trembled in the air.

“Graa… uuugh… gggh…”

A grotesque groan leaked from the man’s mouth. Kwon Taekjoo’s brow furrowed. His back felt as if it had turned to ice. He dared not turn his head to confirm the owner of the monstrous hand. It wasn’t a matter of courage, but a primal rejection. He couldn’t even breathe freely.

The owner of the crane-like arm didn’t drag out the situation. He roughly flicked off the man dangling from his fingers, as if removing a clinging hair. There was not a trace of hesitation. The man plummeted. A thud echoed from below the building.

Now, only Kwon Taekjoo remained. No, two, including the unidentified murderer. He knew, without looking back, that he was within arm’s reach of the assailant. A damp gaze swept down his spine, like a hungry beast seeking its prey. He had a baseless conviction that the strange entity he had intermittently witnessed since being kidnapped was this very person.

Kwon Taekjoo closed his eyes, then slowly opened them. He forced himself to calm down. One by one, his temporarily frozen senses awakened. And then, the presence he hadn’t fully grasped before finally began to register. The shadow that towered over his height. A strong, earthy smell that numbed his nose. Even the uniquely chilling aura that crushed all other air currents.

He clutched the button in his hand tightly. No matter how much of a murderer he was, he wouldn’t be unharmed by an exploding bomb. Given their proximity, if he was unlucky, he might lose an arm or a leg. But with his neck on the line, it wasn’t something to hesitate over. All he had to do was launch a surprise attack and shove the bomb into his eyes, nose, or mouth. Resolving this, he spun around.

However, before he could do anything, the hand holding the bomb was seized. Immediately after, his vision flipped upside down. His mind hadn’t even registered what had happened yet. Because of that, the bomb slipped from his hand and flew away. He squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating terrible pain, but the explosion came from below the building. A surge of heat also rose. It was the moment his last resort vanished into thin air.

Kwon Taekjoo’s head was pressed against the rough concrete floor. All that came into his inverted vision were two long, straight legs. Alligator-skin shoes, with remarkably pointed toes. He had seen them in a magazine once. Their sleek body reminded him of an alligator, making them more memorable. The price was roughly around $4,000, he thought. It was an extravagant luxury unbecoming of a murderer.

“There’s dirt on them, you know. Could you take them off for me?”

Those were his first words. His voice was not as deep as expected, and he sounded quite young.

But what did he suddenly want him to take off? The dirt must have been from piercing someone’s eyes, that much was obvious. He vaguely guessed but wanted to ignore it. If he lost even the last remaining shirt, he would freeze to death before the assailant could do anything to him.

However, the assailant didn’t seem to be a leisurely sort. When Kwon Taekjoo pretended not to know and resisted, an object with a familiar texture pressed firmly against his crushed head. It was his Colt.

“…Damn it.”

He muttered a low curse and unbuttoned his shirt. With his right arm held by the assailant, he had to use only his left hand. Since it was a new shirt, the buttonholes were stiff, making it quite a struggle. Just as he managed to unbutton the second one, the assailant abruptly grabbed the back of his shirt.

His shirt was immediately torn off. The buttons, flung away by the brutal force, struck his jaw and cheek. Subsequently, something cold, replacing the assailant’s hand, wrapped around his twisted wrist. When he sharply pulled his arm, there was a clinking sound. It was handcuffs. The other cuff was fixed to a nearby steel structure. His head was still shoved into the floor.

The assailant’s shadow slowly slid, taking its time. As its movement ceased, the shirt, stained with blood and bodily fluids, fell to the floor.

Then, the assailant took a deep breath, and exhaled even longer. He seemed to be smoking something, like a cigarette. With his leisurely breathing, the familiar scent from him intensified.

It wasn’t the usual smell of nicotine. It was deeper, richer, and had a bitter edge. A peculiar aroma also had a damp quality to it. What was it? Soon, something blunt dropped into his inverted vision. It was a leftover, hand-rolled cigar.

Having finished smoking, the assailant immediately spun around. The two straight legs gradually moved away. Without even bothering to retrieve his handcuffs, he simply descended the stairs. He was remarkably tall. It took quite a while for the back of his head to come into view. That was the last he saw of him.

Only after the assailant’s presence completely faded did Kwon Taekjoo exhale. All strength drained from his body. His stiff, resisting body also collapsed. With the murderer gone, the almost fantastical coldness finally subsided, and the reality of the cold was felt. The wind, cutting at his skin, prevented even goosebumps from daring to rise. His skin felt like it was freezing and cracking whole. Damn it. He swallowed a curse and irritably slammed his hand on the floor.

Before long, a somewhat familiar sound reached his ears. From far away, gradually drawing closer.

It was the sound of a police car siren.

He was held at the police station for quite a while. A passing officer handed him a thick blanket. He didn’t know when it had been washed, but it smelled musty. However, the cold, which seeped in despite the heating, forced him to wrap himself in it for now. Kwon Taekjoo huddled in the blanket, looking down at his throbbing wrist. It was bandaged. Beneath it, the murderer’s handprint remained intact. Was it due to shock? He hadn’t felt any pain while receiving first aid. Only when the paramedic asked, 

“You didn’t even notice your wrist was dislocated?” 

Did he realize why he hadn’t been able to use his hand? He wiggled his fingers, which protruded from the bandage, and let out a wry chuckle. It was absurd. Not just the sudden kidnapping, but also that murderer who had saved him and then abruptly disappeared. 

No, could it even be called “saving”? He had lost his clothes, and his perfectly fine wrist was dislocated. If the police had arrived even a little later, he would have become a living corpse. Was he even human? Just being held by that guy had dislocated an adult man’s wrist. It would be understandable if he were easily broken or damaged. 

But he was a self-proclaimed top-tier in terms of endurance. Thinking back, the assailant’s brute strength was beyond common sense. Around then, the officer in charge reappeared. As soon as he sat down, the worn-out chair screamed. 

“It seems this was done by a faction dissatisfied with the current contract. Since it’s such a large-scale deal, there are bound to be envious parties, aren’t there? The stakes are in the trillions of won, they say?” 

He was a public official, yet he treated an inter-state contract like a gambling game. His dull eyes even gleamed when he mentioned the expected profits. Kwon Taekjoo didn’t respond. He merely looked at the clock on the wall with a bored expression. 

He wanted to get to the hotel as quickly as possible. However, the officer in charge continued to ramble on for a long time, expressing his hope that this incident wouldn’t create unnecessary prejudice against Russia, and that they would definitely uncover the masterminds no matter what. Only when his superior, who had gone for a meal, returned and asked, 

“You haven’t sent him off yet?”, was he finally given permission to leave. 

“My luggage…” 

“Ah, you mean the bag that was in their car? We’ve put it over there. We also checked if any bombs or tracking devices were installed. It’s our small consideration, so you don’t particularly need to thank us.” 

It sounded exactly like he wanted to be thanked. He nodded and stood up. As the officer said, his bag was visible by the door. He quickly grabbed it and left the office. As he descended the stairs, contemplating how to get to the hotel, the officer from earlier followed him. He tried to ignore him, assuming he had some other errand, but the officer kept following him at a steady distance. Finally, Kwon Taekjoo stopped and turned around. 

“What is it…” 

“There’s no law saying that once they target you, they won’t target you twice. With their colleague dead, they might seek further revenge. So, I will safely escort you to your hotel.” 

Then, habitually, he added, 

“Oh, you absolutely don’t need to thank me.”

 He definitely wanted to be thanked. The officer, without confirming Kwon Taekjoo’s intent, said, 

“This way,” and led the way. 

Unnecessary kindness was nothing short of a nuisance. However, Kwon Taekjoo was currently Sakamoto Hiro. There was no reason for a mere civilian, who had been unexpectedly kidnapped and whose life was threatened, to refuse the protection of law enforcement. Reluctantly, he accepted the officer’s goodwill. In one corner of the parking lot stood a Volga, its paint peeling and dented in places. It seemed to be at least 15 years old. The officer instead put Kwon Taekjoo’s bag into the trunk, which was so dented it barely opened. Kwon Taekjoo took out suitable clothes from inside and put them on. 

Meanwhile, the officer got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. The old car body rattled and shook. He briefly considered sitting in the back seat. He wouldn’t die from a little disrespect. But Japanese people tended to pathologically avoid discourtesy and causing nuisance. Ultimately, he sighed, almost a groan, and opened the passenger door. Sitting down inadvertently, he reached his hand under his bottom. Something seemed to be flattened there, and a pair of stockings slid out. 

The officer nonchalantly snatched them and tossed them behind him. He also shoved bread crumbs, paper cups, and adult magazines scattered on the dashboard into random spots.

“I thought you were only close to paper, but you seem to enjoy exercise quite a bit, too?” 

Perhaps feeling embarrassed himself, he quickly struck up a conversation. He must have paid close attention to Kwon Taekjoo’s body earlier. The muscles naturally built from work were different from artificially bulked-up ones. They didn’t suit someone who spent all day at a desk. Kwon Taekjoo shrugged and made an excuse, saying, 

“To sit for long hours, physical stamina is important.” Even as he said it, his ears tingled with discomfort. The car didn’t leave the police station for quite some time after that. There was a problem with the rear tire, and it had to be replaced before they could depart. 

He had thought of taking a taxi instead, but the officer stubbornly insisted on driving him, using the pretext of protecting a victim and witness. They finally left the police station after even changing the tire. 

“When you get to your accommodation, don’t think about anything and get some good rest. If you can’t sleep, a glass of vodka is a good idea. We will round up and make an example of the group that put you in trouble. By the way, what did you say earlier?” 

The officer, who had been talking to himself, tilted his head. Kwon Taekjoo looked at him without answering, as it was a broad question. 

“Why, didn’t you say there was one more guy besides the ones who died at the scene? The one wearing fancy alligator-skin shoes. And something about a rotting smell? He used his fingers to pierce another guy’s eyeballs and dropped him from the building. Right?” 

Throughout his stay at the police station, he had recounted what he witnessed at the scene multiple times. Yet, the officer in charge didn’t remember any of it properly. It meant he wasn’t interested. His talk of “rounding them up” and “making an example” must have been empty words. Not that he had expected much in the first place. He let out a low sigh and corrected him. 

“Alligator-skin, not cowhide shoes.” 

“Well, it could just be the style. Alligator-skin style cowhide shoes.” 

“Definitely alligator-skin, yes. I don’t remember the exact brand, but they must cost at least 250,000 rubles or more. The color was dark brown, the size between US13 and 14, and the condition was as if they had just been taken out of the box. That means either the shoes hadn’t had time to wear down, or they were recently purchased. Either way, he must be quite a wealthy fellow.” 

He bristled and retorted, then realized his mistake. By then, the officer was looking at him with surprise. Kwon Taekjoo turned his gaze away and said, 

“It was just a product I happened to notice.” 

It wasn’t entirely untrue. Yet, the officer didn’t easily look away. He stared as if suspecting something, then suddenly chuckled. 

“Alright. Let’s say they were alligator-skin shoes.” 

It was as if he was generously compromising. His grinning face was not pleasant. He felt like he had become a fussy person over something trivial. Even if he tried not to show it, his face couldn’t help but reveal his displeasure. Continuing to suppress his temper made him feel like he was about to burst. The moving car stopped at a red light. Kwon Taekjoo, who had maintained his composure until then, finally couldn’t bear it and opened his mouth. 

“And it wasn’t a rotting smell, it was a burning smell. Not regular cigarettes, but something like a hand-rolled cigar.” 

“Yes, we’ll take note of that too.” 

He replied perfunctorily. It seemed the officer had no interest in the murderer who had appeared in the middle of the city. Instead, he showed great interest in Japanese women. On the way, he kept asking if they really revered their husbands like lords, and if the obi of a kimono was truly meant to be a mat to lie down anywhere.