Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 22

His ivory hair, when wet, turned a deeper shade. Streams of water flowing down his chin pooled at his straight collarbones, then cascaded over firm mounds. As his chest became wet, the bird-shaped tattoo located there grew clearer. His taut muscles, warmed by the hot water, twitched languidly. The fingers sweeping back his waterlogged hair were neat and long.

Yet, his eyes, glaring at the misted mirror, were extraordinarily sharp. They resembled an alligator’s eyes, having just tasted blood. Quiet, yet cruel. His impassive mouth slowly curved into a long, silent arc.

He poured an entire bucket of ice into the ice bucket. Cheap vodka was then poured generously into it. The contents of the bucket looked ready to overflow. Kwon Taekjoo unhesitatingly plunged his right hand into it. The vodka finally overflowed, and a few ice cubes slid onto the table.

Only then did the burning sensation in his wrist subside. The previously dislocated area was bothering him. It was the result of repeatedly overworking it, ignoring the doctor’s advice to keep it in a cast for a while.

He let out a quiet sigh and leaned his head back. The cushion of the old sofa sank deeply, stirring up a cloudy dust. He closed his eyes, unconcerned. His brow furrowed at the sensation of his entire body creaking. From the bathroom, which lacked even a bathtub, the sound of running water was continuous. Zhenya was showering. He hadn’t given him permission to use it, yet he had taken over his bathroom without asking.

They had just escaped the Bogdanov mansion and returned to the dilapidated hostel where Kwon Taekjoo was staying. The hostel owner was away, so they had been able to get in without much trouble. But they couldn’t stay here long. He had paid for the room with Zhenya’s card. It was only a matter of time before their location was exposed.

Indeed, it was noisy outside the window. Random checkpoints were set up on roads, and barricades were erected at every entrance. Dozens of patrol cars constantly blared their sirens, crisscrossing the city. It was no surprise, given that a fatal shooting had occurred at a gathering of key Russian figures. The intense surveillance would likely continue for some time. In such situations, it was better to wait until surveillance loosened rather than make a hasty move. However, the situation was not so accommodating.

Soon, the sound of water stopped. He seemed to have finished showering. He turned his head at the sound of the door opening and saw Zhenya coming out. Kwon Taekjoo’s expression grew strange because the bastard was fully dressed.

His clothes would cling to him due to the remaining moisture, wouldn’t they be uncomfortable? Even if the facilities were poor and there were no robes, since they were both men, it would have been fine to just cover his lower half. It was somewhat amusing for a guy who wouldn’t be out of place walking around naked to act so demure.

Zhenya asked, “What are you staring at so obviously?” Kwon Taekjoo, unfazed, stared even harder at him.

“You. What’s your identity?”

At the sudden question, Zhenya stopped mid-sipping his vodka. He looked as if he didn’t know why he was being asked such a direct question.

“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem like just an ordinary agent like me. Even just looking at what happened at the Bogdanov mansion. You had a formal invitation to that party. You blended in effortlessly at the party. That clearly wasn’t acting or a trick. And that’s not all, is it? You knew the mansion’s internal structure, even the emergency exits, inside and out. Plus, if we’re partners, we should know what each other is doing and where, but I’ve never been able to. You kept popping up out of nowhere, but other than those times, I had no idea where you were or what you intended to do. You never volunteered any information either. From what I can tell, you seem to have a hidden agenda different from mine, don’t you?”

“Didn’t your superior tell you everything?”

“I know almost nothing. So, spill it all, every single detail.”

“An interrogation?”

“Let’s call it an introduction. We haven’t properly introduced ourselves yet.”

He tapped the table, as if to say, don’t try to get away. Zhenya wasn’t flustered by the sudden questions. Instead, he just smiled, guessing at Kwon Taekjoo’s true intentions.

“A face that’s clearly Russian, an accent and pronunciation you’d only have if you were born and raised here, no restrictions on using a private helicopter, a guy who can have a shootout in the middle of the city without being put on a wanted list—what could his identity be? Is that why you keep your distance?”

“Yes. A 100% Russian like you, especially one of this country’s privileged class, why are you helping us?”

It had always been a question. Zhenya was Russian. And to such an extent that he could partially neutralize official power. He wasn’t acting under orders from above, like Kwon Taekjoo himself. He couldn’t understand why he was cooperating with this operation. It seemed incomprehensible unless there were very special and extraordinary circumstances.

Zhenya shrugged nonchalantly.

“Before I’m a Russian citizen, I’m a merchant.”

Kwon Taekjoo’s expression grew even more puzzled. It wasn’t a difficult statement, yet he couldn’t easily accept it.

So, he’d jumped into a life-or-death situation just for profit? He was doing something tantamount to treason for such a flimsy reason?

“Are you selling out your country?”

“There’s no business more profitable than that.”

It was absurd. He hadn’t expected some grand justification. Not that Kwon Taekjoo’s patriotism was exceptional. He only did this because it was his job; he had never thought of sacrificing his life for his country. However, harming the nation for personal gain was a different matter entirely.

“Do you know the objective of this operation?”

“Of course. To confirm whether a weapon that makes both Korea and America tremble has really been developed. If we find it, destroy it, and if development fails, get our hands on the blueprint. Right?”

He knew exactly. To that extent, he must also know what kind of ripple effect the operation’s success would have on the international community, and how disadvantaged his own country would become.

“What do you gain?”

“It doesn’t matter to me whether the weapon’s development succeeded or failed. What’s important is that Anastasia’s blueprint exists somewhere in this country. If your goal is simply to find it, I’m a little different. What interests me more is the blueprint than Anastasia itself. If this mission is successfully completed, I’ll keep that blueprint.”

“What?”

“It’s not a bad deal, even for an untrained ear, is it? Who would get involved in something like this without such conditions? Think about it. Anastasia’s existence itself is more terrifying than its actual firepower. Whoever possesses Anastasia is endowed with corresponding power. If I get my hands on the blueprint, I’ll create my own Anastasia. Even if it’s a failure, that’s fine. It’s clearly an excellent blueprint for creating a weapon said to be unprecedented. I’ll develop new weapons based on that blueprint and sell them to special clients.”

“Special clients?”

Zhenya just grinned without answering. If a second ‘Anastasia’ were created, the clients would be those who knew the weapon’s power well. Like Korea or America. Now, the overall plan of this operation finally seemed to become clear. Many of the questions he had harbored were also largely resolved. However, his psychological distance from Zhenya only grew larger.

Zhenya’s peculiar actions were now understandable. His superior information-gathering abilities also supported why he, of all people, was Kwon Taekjoo’s partner. Headquarters must have had a good reason for taking such a risk.

He understood it intellectually, but he still couldn’t shake the nagging feeling. Kwon Taekjoo didn’t remove his questioning gaze. Zhenya scoffed at his continued wariness.

“Are you going to keep being wary just because our first impression wasn’t great?”

“I’m thinking.”

“Don’t hate me too much?”

He laughed loudly, as if surprised by his own words. Kwon Taekjoo grimaced in exasperation, then pulled something from his pocket and threw it. Zhenya easily snatched it. It was a voice recorder. Bogdanov’s phone conversation with someone from ‘Soncheff’ was fully recorded on it.

“As you heard, it seems there’s a weapon under development, primarily spearheaded by the Bogdanov bastards. Given how they refer to it, it’s likely an intercontinental ballistic missile, but we’ll have to confirm the exact details. It’s not certain if it’s ‘Anastasia.’ However, the involvement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense, and North Korea’s connection, do bring ‘Anastasia’ to mind.”

Zhenya nodded without a word, then looked at Kwon Taekjoo, as if to tell him to continue.

“I’m going to program Bogdanov’s voice from that recorder into a voice changer. I’ll use that to draw out ‘Soncheff,’ the one Bogdanov talked to. Once we meet him, we’ll find out who the North Korean engineer arriving soon is, and what his destination is.”

Zhenya, who had been listening silently, rubbed his eyebrows. For once, he showed a hint of hesitation.

“Mafiosi have tattoos on their bodies. Do you know what they mean?”

“Is that important right now?”

“Ignorance hastens an early demise.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Their tattoos signify their ‘affiliation.’ Each tattoo tells the life story of an old mafioso, showing which groups he’s been affiliated with and who he’s sworn loyalty to. So, if you harm someone from ‘Soncheff,’ it means turning all those with the same tattoos into enemies. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m okay with that.”

“I’d like to know what gives you such confidence.”

“I don’t have any particular confidence. It’s just…”

“Just?”

He pulled his right hand out of the ice bucket. Then, he lightly rotated his numb wrist and added,

“I’ve made friends with a rather useful monster.”

Zhenya immediately understood that the monster was himself. It wasn’t much of a compliment. It wasn’t flattering, nor did it sound like praise. Yet, it subtly made him feel good.

“Well, if that’s the case.”

His tone was indifferent, but his shoulders visibly squared, and his chin slightly lifted, unable to hide his pride. They say praise makes even whales dance, but watching this alligator swell with pride over words that weren’t even praise, Kwon Taekjoo himself felt embarrassed.