Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 11

Kwon Taekjoo felt confident that this damned Russian police force would never catch that murderer. After what felt like an eternity of hellish patience, the car arrived in front of a luxury hotel. 

“Alright, we’ve arrived. We don’t know when those guys might target you again, so it’s best if you change accommodations if possible. If you need a personal bodyguard, feel free to contact me separately. I’ll assist you with all my heart and soul. Oh, no compensation whatsoever is necessary. Just think of it as buying me a drink sometime later.”

 He couldn’t even manage a bitter smile anymore. He forced his rigid mouth into a strained expression. 

“I’ll think about it later. I’m indebted to you in many ways today.” 

“Indebted? No, it’s just Russian solidarity. You don’t need to thank me.” 

He wondered why he hadn’t heard that phrase earlier. He bowed and quickly turned away. The officer, oblivious to his thoughts, bid him a terrible farewell, saying he should call if he needed a drinking buddy. As he entered the lobby, a porter took his bag. The hotel was less than an hour’s distance from the airport. Yet, due to the flight delay, kidnapping, and interrogation, he arrived a full half-day later. Utterly exhausted, his steps towards the desk dragged. 

“Welcome, sir.” 

Despite the polite greeting, he silently offered only his passport and credit card. Noticing his exceptionally tired face, the staff member silently expedited the check-in. Soon, he received his room key. He was about to head straight to his assigned room but hesitated. Kwon Taekjoo pondered a thought, then turned back and asked, 

“Is there a specialty hand-rolled cigar shop nearby?” 

“For hand-rolled cigars, our hotel’s shop also carries them. We have a variety of products, so you’ll surely find a cigar to your liking. You can find it by going behind the lobby. Here, let me give you a facility guide.” 

The staff member handed him a catalog. He immediately walked in the direction he was told. He desperately wanted to rest, but the lingering unease made it seem better to confirm things. Once his main mission began, it would be hard to find time for such diversions. He quickly found the hand-rolled cigar boutique. Its splendid exterior and the high-end products displayed in the show window immediately caught his eye. Without hesitation, he stepped inside. A well-built clerk, who was tidying the shop, greeted him heartily, 

“Welcome!” 

“Are you looking for anything specific?”

“I don’t know the brand. I just happened to catch a scent of it.” 

He looked around vaguely. The clerk raised his thick eyebrows slightly, then came out to the display counter. 

“Cuban hand-rolled cigars are considered among the best in the world. Most of the cigars here are from Cuba. It’s just a matter of which brand they carry. Just because they’re hand-rolled doesn’t mean they’re produced on a 100% small scale. This cigar you’re looking at now is called ‘Macanudo,’ which holds the number one sales spot in America. Selling a lot means it has widespread appeal. It’s perfect for beginners. Its smooth taste is exquisite.” 

It seemed the clerk had mistaken Kwon Taekjoo for a hand-rolled cigar novice. Kwon Taekjoo scrutinized the ‘Macanudo’ the clerk handed him. 

“What’s the price range for this?” “Around $7 per stick. It’s practical.” 

“Then it won’t be it.” 

He handed the cigar back. The clerk placed it back on the display and asked for confirmation. “Are you perhaps looking for the cigar you happened to encounter?” 

“Yes. I really want to know what it was.” 

“Hmm. Then give me some hints.” 

The clerk gave a strange smile. It seemed the audacity of searching for a specific product based only on a chance scent among hundreds of types of cigars had piqued his professional interest. It felt like a riddle tied to an expert’s pride. 

“It was smoked by someone wearing $4,000 shoes.” 

“Given that shoes are consumables, he must be quite a wealthy person. Such people always look for the highest quality. All the products here are good, but some are exceptionally special. This one here is called Romeo y Julieta. It has a matte yet rich spicy taste. You can also detect the aroma of damp earth, mushrooms, and sweet honey.” 

“It did have a damp smell, but not the scent of earth or mushrooms. There was a slightly sweet smell too, but that was far from honey.” 

“If it didn’t smell like earth, then it’s not El Rey del Mundo either. Did it smell like burning wood at all? Or leather?” 

“Yes. It seemed closer to the smell of burning wood. It wasn’t a leather smell.” 

“Was the scent very spicy?” 

“Hmm… It wasn’t spicy.” 

“Then it won’t be a Montecristo either. What about the body? Was it generally long and cylindrical? Or were the head and foot parts sharply tapered?” 

“I only saw the part that was smoked down. It wasn’t tapered. I also detected a slight aroma-like scent?”

“Ah, then perhaps it’s this one?” The clerk smiled brightly and took out a cigar. Even without being asked, he fluently explained it. 

“It’s called Cohiba Behike. It’s characterized by a deep and delicate aroma. It has a heavy yet sweet aroma, and its intensity is subtle, creating an overall excellent flavor. Would you like to try it?” 

Kwon Taekjoo silently nodded. The clerk used a cigar torch to light the ‘Cohiba Behike’. Unlike common cigarettes, the cigar’s end slowly burned down like a leaf catching fire. The ash clung to it, maintaining its shape, instead of falling to the floor. He savored the cigar’s aroma filling his mouth. He watched the cigar burn down, and also inhaled its smoke. But in the end, he shook his head. “It’s similar, but a little different.” 

“How is it different?” 

“The overall feel is quite similar. But the cigar smell I encountered then felt a little deeper, and the aroma seemed richer than this. Plus, this cigar doesn’t have a damp smell.” 

“If you smelled a damp scent, it’s probably because cognac was lightly applied to the end before lighting the cigar. That way, the unique flavor of the cognac blends with the cigar’s aroma.” 

The clerk gestured to wait a moment and went inside. A moment later, he returned with a glass of liquid in his hand. It seemed to be cognac. He cut the burning cigar with a cutter and applied the cognac to its end. Then he lit it again and offered it to Kwon Taekjoo. 

“How is it this time?” 

“It’s more similar. But it’s still not quite the same.” 

At the disappointing answer, the clerk fell into deep thought. He habitually rubbed his furrowed brow and muttered to himself. 

“If the scent is similar, it means it’s the same type of cigar, but it was much deeper and richer… Then only one thing comes to mind.” 

“What is it?” Kwon Taekjoo quickly asked back. The clerk stroked his chin, thought a bit more, and then opened his mouth. 

“Normally, Cohiba products are made by aging the main ingredient, tobacco leaves, twice. But a few years ago, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Cohiba cigars, a limited edition ‘Cohiba Behike’ was produced and sold. They say it was made by aging the finest tobacco leaves three times. To achieve the best taste, it was maintained at appropriate humidity and temperature, and after completion, it was stored in cigar boxes for six years to enhance its aroma. The unfortunate thing is that this cigar was sold as a limited edition of only 4,000 boxes in Spain. Many cigar enthusiasts tried to get their hands on it. I was one of them. The characteristic of that limited edition is that it has a heavier aroma than regular Cohiba products. And its unique aroma is said to be even richer. Since it’s a limited edition, the price is $400. Per stick, of course.”

$400 per stick. A heavy, deep, yet rich aroma. The reason for the damp smell was because the end of the cigar was moistened with cognac before smoking. $4,000 shoes, and smoking away $400 cigars every time. An inhumanly opulent environment definitely turned humans into monsters. 

“Do you happen to have any of that limited edition stock?” 

“I wish I could even just see one in person.” The clerk offered a wistful smile. Anyway, thanks to him, his curiosity was resolved. With the intention of tipping, he took out a few banknotes and handed them over. It was roughly three $100 bills. 

“You don’t have to do this. You didn’t even find the product you wanted.” 

“Then I’ll take this. It must have been troublesome, but thank you for everything.” He picked up a $20 hand-rolled cigar nearby. Then he left the boutique. ‘Cohiba Behike,’ only 4,000 boxes in the entire world. For a murderer, he certainly had refined tastes.

As he entered his room, he saw his luggage, which had arrived earlier. Without time to unpack, he took off his clothes and headed for the bathroom. As soon as he stepped into the shower booth, he pulled the lever. Hot water poured down from above. He leaned against the wall, supporting his upper body, and simply stood under the water for a while. He needed time to collect his thoughts.

He agreed with the police’s explanation that his kidnapping immediately upon arrival in Russia was the work of a faction hostile to the energy facility contract. There was no other room for doubt. However, what he couldn’t understand was the identity of the alligator-skin shoe wearer who had appeared at the scene. Who was that person, and what was his business there? Although he ultimately received help from him, it was difficult to readily claim him as an ally. Was it that he never intended to harm Kwon Taekjoo from the beginning, or was he unable to do anything because the police arrived so quickly?

Just having him behind him made his breath catch. He couldn’t move. It was as if a hushed alligator was nearby, and if he so much as twitched, he would be torn to shreds. The feeling of being thrown into a world of complete savagery, without a thread of clothing. It was the first time he had ever felt such an inability to resist. He had tried to fight with the will to live, but he was absurdly easily subdued. What would have happened if that guy had truly intended to harm Kwon Taekjoo?

The pointed-toe shoes, the smell of burning cigar, the nonchalant voice, and the unrestrained violence. His violence wasn’t merely about subduing an opponent. It was closer to a process of slowly instilling fear and utterly destroying.

He clenched his molars and shook his head. He forcefully pushed away the stubbornly lingering afterimages. It was better to shake off unpleasant memories as quickly as possible if they would only continue to linger.

He quickly tried to finish his shower, but the bandage wrapped around his arm was quite bothersome. Without much thought, he unwrapped the damp bandage. His dislocated wrist ached, but it wasn’t unbearable.

He instantly peeled off the oppressive artificial skin covering his face. In place of the crude features, Kwon Taekjoo’s own clear-cut face took its place. He quickly washed his face and shampooed, then put on a robe.

As soon as he came out, he opened his bag. The contents, having been jostled around as much as Kwon Taekjoo himself, were a mess of mixed belongings. Pushing aside the clothes piled on top, he saw a razor, a game console, a watch, a tablet, a camera, and other items. He lined them up and took out a small screwdriver from his portable toolbox. Then he began to disassemble the items that were clearly brand new, one by one.

He extracted only the necessary parts from each and reassembled them. The small device thus completed was connected to his work phone. It was an advanced device that periodically changed his IP address using the hotel’s communication network and blocked eavesdropping or hacking attempts. He finally plugged it into his laptop and booted it up.

He entered the password and waited for a moment. Soon, a normal desktop screen appeared. Among the countless icons, he clicked to open a commonly used SNS messenger. After logging in, the NIS emblem appeared, and then he was quickly connected to headquarters. Immediately after, Director Im appeared on screen, chiding, “You’re late.” Kwon Taekjoo, too, had plenty of complaints.

“If you’re going to disguise my identity anyway, why didn’t you pick a safer one?”

You need to be valuable enough to be kidnapped to meet the higher-ups, you know.

“It sounds like you knew this would happen?”

No way, that’s what I thought. I just thought it might happen. I trusted you as an excellent agent; I believed you’d survive any crisis, just like this.

Anyway, he spoke with flowing eloquence. Kwon Taekjoo questioned him further, his face displeased.

“What exactly happened? You clearly said Gazprom would meet me.”

I did. They contacted us saying they’d send someone to the airport.

“Was it really a contact from Gazprom?”

It was! I almost blew my cover. They waited for you for ages, and when you didn’t show, they suddenly called Itochu Corporation. I barely managed to reroute the call and stop it. Your flight didn’t arrive on time due to an internal disturbance, right? It seems you missed the Gazprom staff who were there to meet guests at the airport because of that. They later found out that the Asian man who arrived before you was impersonating Sakamoto Hiro. All that time, you were happily getting kidnapped by the wrong person.

Yes, the day started going awry on the plane. Because of that drunken Russian causing a ruckus. He had come out of the gate late and met Vasily, who was pretending to be a Gazprom employee.

‘But you’re quite a bit later than scheduled, aren’t you?’

‘There was a small disturbance on the flight.’

‘Did another drunk cause a commotion?’

‘…How did you know that?’

How did he know? Because he was part of the gang. He had killed Vasily too easily, after all. His anger flared, and he clenched his fist, then furrowed his brow. His wrist was throbbing.

He gazed down at his right arm. The bruise in the shape of fingers remained on the area where the murderer had grabbed him. The bewilderment of encountering him, which he had suppressed, resurfaced. It seemed he would have to uncover the murderer’s identity. Otherwise, he would forever be reminded of that humiliating feeling of subjugation.

Kwon Taekjoo confided in Director Im about the murderer. He intended to borrow the headquarters’ intelligence. But Director Im’s response was flat.

Well, if you haven’t even seen his face, there’s no way to confirm who he is. And the cigar you looked into, they sold 4,000 boxes, right? That means up to 4,000 buyers, and if we track all of them, the day will end. Besides, the shoes he wore weren’t a limited edition, were they?

Kwon Taekjoo opened his mouth, then closed it again. He wasn’t wrong.

You’ve had quite a lot of trouble on your first day, haven’t you?

Despite Director Im’s consolation, Kwon Taekjoo only nodded sullenly. Director Im, who had been watching for a moment, leaned forward.

No matter how much you prefer to work alone, if you’re so flustered from the start, how can I be at ease all the way here? You’re like a child left by the water’s edge.

He suddenly started spouting embarrassing words. Then, he continued, “About that,” and brought up a new topic. He had a bad feeling about this.

I’ve found someone to help you.

“You didn’t mention that?”

He instinctively furrowed his brow. This mission was Kwon Taekjoo’s solo assignment. He hadn’t heard anything about a partner until right before his departure.

But now, only after he had come all this way, he casually revealed that fact. This slippery human. He glared intently at the monitor. Director Im continued talking, unconcerned.

He’s a friend who knows the local geography, as well as the movements of power and money, very well. He’ll be a great help. We’ll see how things go, and he’ll try to make contact in about two days. I’ll send you his photo when the time comes, so make sure to check it carefully.

He just spouted whatever he wanted, shamelessly. Then, recalling something, he said, “Ah.”

From tomorrow, you’ll be meeting the contract stakeholders directly, so make sure you thoroughly understand the LNG facility construction as well.

The communication cut off before Kwon Taekjoo could even reply. Immediately after, a file arrived. It was sent by Director Im. He opened the attached file with a displeased expression. Soon, the detailed contents of the contract between Russia and Japan and LNG facility construction related documents appeared as a 527-page PDF file.

“…….”

Kwon Taekjoo, who was glaring at the document densely packed with small print, suddenly turned his head. A wrinkle-free, comfortable bed was tempting him. But he had no choice.

He let out a long sigh that made his shoulders droop, then stood up. He opened the mini-bar and took out a beer. He quickly emptied about half of the frosty beer, then returned to the table. He took a deep breath as he sat down. For once, his academic luck had truly kicked in.