Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 55

As soon as the man arrived at the hotel, he eagerly pulled her wrist. The two intimately intertwined as soon as they entered the elevator. The excited man lifted the woman and sat her on the handrail. Then he rolled up her skirt to her waist. The woman, who had not allowed any skinship until just before, spread her legs and tightly gripped the man.

He bit and released the garter belt wrapped around her smooth thigh. As the belt snapped, the woman trembled slightly at her waist, groaning softly. The man eagerly pressed his lips against hers, as if to swallow even her heated breath, and greedily sucked her tongue.

The elevator quickly ascended. Unable to wait that brief moment, by the time they exited, both of them were half-naked. He threw the woman onto the bed. She giggled, wiggling her rounded shoulders. It was a provocative gesture. The man, now completely naked, lunged at the woman.

He pressed his lips against hers again, pushing aside the remaining clothes. As he pulled up her bra, her perky breasts rose tautly. He buried his face there, rubbing wildly, then spread her legs wide and wrapped them around his waist. The shirt his wife had neatly ironed was now crumpled by the hands of a woman whose name he didn’t even know.

He feverishly kissed her neck and pulled down her panties. The woman, teasing him, tightly pressed her knees together. The man, highly aroused, thrust his body, tickling her buttocks.

“Haah, haah… lift your hips, hmm?”

“Aaahng…”

He pulled out his throbbing penis. The erect flesh, puffing out hot breath, sought an opening to enter. He rubbed his heated glans against her vulva and sucked on her nipples. The woman arched her head back and writhed. He pushed his penis firmly into her body as it momentarily opened.

“Aah…ang…”

“Haah… ugh… hmm?”

The man’s groan, tinged with surprise, came after only a brief moment of enjoying the tight penetration. His head, which had been buried in the woman’s chest, snapped up. A hard object had touched the glans that had penetrated inside. It seemed there was something inside the woman’s vagina.

He stared blankly at the woman, who still smiled and embraced his neck. Her once beautiful smile now felt unsettling. He tried to flee belatedly, but the woman held him tightly, refusing to let go. She firmly wrapped her legs around his waist to prevent him from escaping easily.

“I told you I’d kill you.”

She whispered sweetly into the startled man’s ear. The man, sensing danger, frantically tried to escape, but for some reason, he couldn’t break free from the woman’s grip.

Suddenly, there was a bang. Simultaneously, the closed door was ripped open. The startled man and woman both looked towards the doorway. The uninvited guest strode towards them. He showed no embarrassment at seeing the two tangled together. The man who suddenly burst in with a rifle was none other than Zhenya.

He abruptly grabbed the man, who was held immobile by the woman. Then he flung him away. The man was unceremoniously thrown to the floor. In an unexpected situation, the woman hastily took out a detonator. However, before she could even press the explosion button, her arm was seized. The detonator fell from her instantly twisted hand.

“Aack…!”

The woman screamed in pain. Zhenya unhesitatingly pressed the muzzle of the gun to her head. He didn’t hesitate for a single moment before pulling the trigger.

The woman’s thrashing body went limp. Blood splattered across Zhenya’s face and body. The man, who had watched the entire scene, whimpered and quickly fled.

But at that moment, he felt an illusion that the air particles in the sky suddenly swelled. Subsequently, with a tremendous explosion, a part of the wall was blown away. The ceiling also collapsed uncontrollably. The impact of the explosion shattered all the glass windows in the front, and all the lights in the building went out. His vision was abruptly cut off.

Zhenya shielded himself from the fragments and dust with the hem of his coat. Even he couldn’t immediately grasp what was happening. He felt a ringing in his ears, as if his eardrums were damaged.

Soon, a beam of laser light struck through the shattered window. The light, tracing its way through the room, which was a mess of glass shards and dust, soon reached the toe of Zhenya’s shoe. Immediately after, the laser shifted its angle and hovered around his left chest. Zhenya silently looked down at the red dot on his chest.

The next moment, dozens of lasers from the same direction flew in and struck him. Zhenya’s chest and head were instantly stained red. If he moved even one step, his entire body would be riddled with holes.

After some time, the familiar sound of helicopter propellers grew closer. The helicopter hovered in the dark sky, targeting Zhenya with its spotlight. Its appearance was quite familiar. That was because the bottom of the helicopter was adorned with the FSB symbol. He hadn’t requested support, so it certainly wasn’t coming to help him voluntarily.

He knew instinctively. It was a double trap.

The President remained in his office late into the night. Bajim also stayed, looking anxious. The two waited for news without speaking. Occasionally, Bajim pulled up his sleeve to check the time.

Finally, a presence was felt outside the door, and a knock echoed. The one who appeared at the command to enter was none other than FSB Director Oleg Khizhinsky.

The eyes of the President and Vazim simultaneously turned towards him. The Director bowed respectfully and reported on the progress. “The operation team was deployed to the scene a little while ago. They have cut off all escape routes for the target and completely surrounded him.” Though the expression was vague, its meaning was not difficult to grasp. The President nodded, his lips sealed. Vazim’s expression was not much different. On his face, there was no trace of worry or sympathy for his kin.

The President again gazed at the FSB Director. There was another piece of news he had been waiting for even more eagerly than the previous report. Oleg Khizhinsky did not keep him waiting long. “Half an hour ago, nine Vympel special forces operatives also departed for the destination. They are reliable elite agents, so you have no need to worry.” At the Director’s confident assertion, the President finally smiled with satisfaction. He even praised his efforts, saying, “You worked hard.” Following this, a meaningful directive was issued. “If ‘The Watchman’ resists to the end, eliminate him.”

His vision was filled entirely with swirling darkness. No, perhaps its true nature was his eyes. He saw nothing, yet only a peculiar chill permeated the air. No wisp of wind passed through it. He felt trapped in a space with no exit and nothing moving through it. It was overwhelming.

As he frantically looked around the gloomy surroundings, a child suddenly appeared. It was a boy, seemingly six or seven years old. The child stood alone, a considerable distance away. His face was not visible. Kwon Taekjoo tried to speak to him, but somehow, even his voice wouldn’t come out.

After a while longer, someone approached the child. He couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. The silhouette lingered around the child for a moment before suddenly disappearing somewhere. Another person approached the child, who was staring blankly in that direction. But they too left quickly. The child was once again left all alone.

Countless silhouettes brushed past the child. Sometimes one or two, occasionally they swarmed in groups. But in the end, no one remained. The child would briefly form a group, only to become a solitary figure again almost immediately.

After a long time, the child turned his head. A pale face looked towards Kwon Taekjoo for the first time. The child then unhesitatingly took a step and quickly approached. Even up close, the child’s face was not visible. A small, white hand subtly reached out. Kwon Taekjoo stared blankly, then his finger was suddenly grabbed. A chill ran down his spine from the icy cold body temperature.

Perhaps the child was anxious about losing the hand he had barely grasped. The child suddenly tightened his grip. His fingers were squeezed so tightly that they hurt. It was a strength unsuited for such a small body.

The child pulled Kwon Taekjoo somewhere. For some reason, he had a premonition that if he let himself be pulled along, he would never escape. He wasn’t confident with children. Nor did he have any intention of taking responsibility for a child he didn’t even know. He hastily twisted his hand free. When his hand was empty, the child looked up at Kwon Taekjoo blankly.

The child reached out his hand again. Unconsciously, Kwon Taekjoo stepped back. The child’s pale face filled with shock. An ominous feeling. The child soon burst into a piercing wail. The air floating in space rapidly froze. Each breath he took felt like sharp ice crystals pushing into his lungs.

Ignoring the continuous stream of tears, the child sobbed loudly enough to expose his uvula. With that reverberation, the vast space began to collapse helplessly. The floor churned as if an earthquake had struck, and the ceiling and walls shattered into pieces.

It was dangerous. He quickly tried to grab and protect the child, but the child was not easily caught. The more he reached out, the more the child moved away, wiping tears.

The completely collapsed world swallowed Kwon Taekjoo whole.

He woke up with a sharp gasp. His vision widened abruptly, causing dizzying vertigo. The undulating ceiling, too, felt quite familiar. He moved his hand and felt the floor. It was hard. Kwon Taekjoo had been left lying on the floor, not on a bed or in front of the stove. He squeezed his eyes shut, recalling his last memory before losing consciousness. A sigh escaped him, whether from relief or futility, he couldn’t tell. This time, he truly thought he was going to die.

“Are you awake now?” He recognized Olga’s presence from the question. He abruptly sat up. As if on cue, a throbbing pain surged through various parts of his body. He swallowed the groan that threatened to escape and looked around again. The room was in a terrible state. Even a ruin wouldn’t look like this.

Amidst the chaos, only the area around Kwon Taekjoo was barely tidy. He was covered with a blanket, and it seemed he had used a pillow. Not only that, but his neck was bandaged, and his knuckles and arms were covered with plasters. It seemed Olga had nursed him as best she could, unable to move Kwon Taekjoo herself.

“Why were you like that yesterday? What made that man go so mad?” Olga asked with considerable curiosity. He shook his head. Kwon Taekjoo himself didn’t know why Zhenya had been so angry. Zhenya often changed his mood if things went wrong, but was asking for separate rooms really cause for such indignation? Of course, Kwon Taekjoo had also flared up and attacked him, which probably provoked him further. For a man who liked “self-defense,” perhaps even that was an act deserving of death.

“That man left right after that yesterday.” Olga updated him on Zhenya’s whereabouts, even though he hadn’t asked, and tidied up the medicines she had used. Then she said, “Let’s eat,” and left the room first.

Kwon Taekjoo awkwardly touched his bandaged neck. He didn’t mean to dwell on it, but Zhenya’s coldly hardened expression vividly came to mind. He had never been rational, but that time, he seemed to have completely lost his fuse. He was a man who exuded余裕 (leisurely confidence) even when he was ‘disposing’ people. Even when he revealed that Kwon Taekjoo was not his comrade, or when he came to the embassy to capture him, Zhenya had never made such a face. Perhaps it was a miracle that he was still breathing. Realizing this anew, his fingertips belatedly trembled.

Then, the strange dream he had just before suddenly came back to him. What he saw in the dream was a child, but why did Zhenya naturally come to mind? The only similarities were his transparently pale skin and unusual ivory-colored hair. He shook his head again to shake off the stray thoughts. He hurried out of the room before any more strange ideas could take hold.

He went down the stairs and into the kitchen. For some reason, Olga wasn’t there. No, he thought she wasn’t. She was squatting across from the dining table, which was why he hadn’t noticed her. He wondered what she was doing there, but the way she clutched her chest was alarming. Her face was pale, and she was covered in cold sweat.

“Hey! What’s wrong?” “…Medicine, some medicine.” Her parched lips barely moved. Her whole body was trembling violently. He frantically looked around. Soon he spotted a pill bottle rolled under the table. Without time to check what kind of medicine it was, he opened the lid and handed it to Olga.

Olga swallowed the pills in her hand without water. Then she gasped for breath, panting. Kwon Taekjoo carefully leaned her body against him and brought her water, letting her drink slowly. He also massaged her cold hands to help with blood circulation. After a while, her breathing gradually stabilized. Her complexion also visibly improved.

“I have angina, congenitally.” She confessed, rubbing her aching chest. It seemed her claim of being there for recuperation wasn’t entirely false. He helped the staggering Olga to a chair. He warmed some water and brought her another glass of lukewarm water. Olga smiled weakly and said, “Thank you.”

Just as she took the glass, ripples appeared on the water’s surface. It wasn’t a hallucination; helicopter noises followed. Has Zhenya returned? No, the sound was different from his. Given the commotion, it was highly likely to be a military helicopter with auxiliary propellers.

He extended his index finger and placed it in the middle of his lips. Olga nodded silently, not understanding why. Leaving her in the kitchen, he moved to the window by the entrance. He pressed his back tightly against the wall and observed the situation outside. Soon, a military helicopter crossing the sea came into view.

It was steadily losing altitude, seemingly intending to land on the island. He had a bad feeling. At the very least, it wasn’t there to patrol Zhenya’s private island. He quickly returned to the dining room.

“What’s going on?” “A military helicopter is approaching.” “A military helicopter?” Olga raised a hand to her mouth. She seemed to grasp something. Before coming here, she had overheard a conversation between her father, Visarion, and Vazim. Zhenya had finally refused to hand over ‘Anastasia,’ and the plan was to retrieve it by force if necessary. They said it was the Kremlin’s will.

He didn’t know if the uninvited guests were simply searching for ‘Anastasia’ or if they intended to harm Zhenya as well. And what would they do now that he wasn’t here? Most of all, he was worried about Kwon Taekjoo’s safety.

“I don’t know why those guys are here, so it’s best if we hide for now. For a while, just follow my instructions.” Olga nodded silently. No one in her family knew she was here. Visarion and Vazim, on the cusp of a major undertaking, would never have allowed her to meet Zhenya, so it had been kept a secret. Therefore, it was also not good for her to encounter the government forces.

Kwon Taekjoo went down to the basement and took out the shotgun he used when hunting with Zhenya. He also scooped up all the available ammunition into his pockets. Even if the shooting precision was somewhat low, it would be better than confronting them unarmed. He returned to the kitchen, and Olga abruptly lifted her skirt. Then she pulled out a Colt from her thigh holster and handed it to him.

“Take this.” Just like a Bogdanov, he thought. He chuckled and returned the Colt to her. “You know how to shoot, don’t you, unless it’s just for decoration? Keep it with you and fire if you have to.” “You’re in more danger than I am.” “Who are you worrying about?”

Around that time, the noisy helicopter propellers began to subside. He quickly led Olga out the back door. As expected, a military helicopter had landed on the snowy field. When the engine was turned off, the door opened, and armed agents poured out. Nine in total, including the pilot. The sheer numbers, and their superior firepower, were overwhelming. It seemed better to avoid a direct confrontation if possible and hide somewhere.

“Do you know how to ski?” He asked Olga as he buckled the parachute onto her. Olga, looking dumbfounded, said, “Is that even a question?” It was a blessing in disguise. He pointed to the distant horizon. “You see that birch forest over there? When I give you the signal, just run towards it without looking back. Even if you hear gunshots or it gets noisy behind you, keep going. Got it?” Olga nodded diligently. There was no sign of fear. It was thanks to the courage cultivated over decades in the Bogdanov family.

After quickly checking Olga’s ski equipment, he tapped her back as a signal. Olga pushed off forcefully with her poles and glided across the snow. He needed to distract them until she safely reached the forest. Kwon Taekjoo watched her skillfully glide away, then re-entered the mansion.

Immediately after, two teams of special agents stormed in. Following the team leader’s hand signal, one team went upstairs, and the other remained on the first floor to begin their search. They repeatedly knocked on walls and floors as if looking for something, and even used metal detectors.

Soon, one team member found the staircase leading to the basement. He turned on his helmet’s lantern and descended cautiously, step by step. It was just as he had repeatedly confirmed there was no one around and took one more step. A hand shot out from between the steps and grabbed his ankle. It was so sudden that he had no time to react and fell forward.

“…Agh!” A groan of intense pain burst from the man who had fallen so brutally. Even then, he frantically fumbled on the floor for the rifle he had dropped. But he couldn’t grab anything. He raised his head in confusion. Soon, someone’s long legs filled his vision. It was Kwon Taekjoo. The rifle the man had been searching for was now in Kwon Taekjoo’s possession.

Kwon Taekjoo struck the man’s head with the butt of the rifle. The man went limp without being able to counterattack. Kwon Taekjoo moved him to the bottom of the stairs and rummaged through his clothes. On the back of the bulletproof vest, the symbol of ‘Vympel,’ an FSB special unit, was embroidered.

Did the FSB send them to arrest Kwon Taekjoo himself? If so, there were many inexplicable aspects. Searching the mansion with metal detectors was one, and they seemed too unwary for people looking for someone in hiding. As if they knew the owner of the house wasn’t there.

While his thoughts progressed, an unexpected bullet flew in. Another team member seemed to have noticed the commotion in the basement and rushed over. He quickly dodged. Other agents who heard the gunshot rapidly gathered in front of the basement.

He went to the door that connected to the outside and put on his skis. Since his presence had been detected, it would be difficult to avoid pursuit. The forest was the safest place to hide, but he couldn’t involve Olga. He set off in the opposite direction from where she had fled.

It was daytime, and the surface of the snowfield was suitably melted. He glided quickly over it. The wind, made sharper by his speed, stung his eyes. He had to squint and run, having forgotten to bring his goggles. Soon, the agents who spotted him shouted to each other.

Gunshots echoed in succession. The bullets flying from behind barely preceded or trailed Kwon Taekjoo, churning up the snow. He gritted his teeth and pushed harder through the snow. As he quickly escaped their range, the agents also put on their special skis and gave chase. A helicopter followed overhead.

He skied in sharp S-curves to make it difficult for them to aim. He ran until his arms and legs ached, but the distance between them still closed quickly. Due to the numerical disadvantage, he couldn’t stop and confront them. It seemed he would have to use the geographical features he had learned to lose them.

Soon, shots were fired from the helicopter. He changed direction and went under a white cliff. Three or four agents followed him without fail. Then, the helicopter began providing cover fire. As if waiting for this, Kwon Taekjoo dashed out. The volley of bullets repeatedly hit the innocent cliff. Soon, the cliff roared mightily.

He pushed off forcefully with his poles, increasing his speed. Just as Kwon Taekjoo escaped the cliff, separated layers of sediment collapsed with a rumble. The agents pursuing him were startled and changed direction. However, they could not escape the sudden avalanche.

He sped across the snowy field without looking back. The helicopter persistently followed, firing its gun. The poured out bullets tore up the quiet snowfield. White snow spurted up in various places across the snowfield. He passed through them precariously.

In a moment, a sheer cliff would appear. It was a spot he had eyed for paragliding. It was ideal for leaping, but he didn’t know if it was suitable for jumping. Still, he had no choice but to try.

He hardened his resolve and leaped fearlessly. The wind blowing from all directions supported his body. He tilted his upper body to reduce resistance. The agents could no longer follow and watched Kwon Taekjoo’s audacious, perhaps reckless, jump. The dizzying bottom of the cliff rapidly approached. It was the moment of descent. He gripped the parachute cord, ready to deploy it at any time.

Then, a single gunshot echoed in his ear. The strength suddenly drained from his rigidly held body.

He suddenly looked up at the sky. It was because an unknown unpleasant feeling had enveloped him. On the crumpled white face, blood, whose owner was unknown, flowed profusely. At his feet lay the agents who had been deployed in the operation last night.

He squinted in the dazzling sunlight. He hadn’t even realized that day had broken. Now that he thought about it, his ears were quite noisy. Police, who had been dispatched after an explosion report, were strewn across the road. Ambulances, sirens blaring, were frantically transporting casualties.

“…Ugh.” The man in his hand let out a thick groan. He was the sole survivor of the FSB agents who had been deployed last night. Zhenya didn’t ask him who had ordered this mission or what their purpose was. He was accustomed to having his life threatened in this manner.

Even in a near-death state, the agent tried to resist to the end, but Zhenya easily snapped his head. The convulsing man went limp.

He wiped his blood-stained hands on the curtain and fell into thought. It was time to thank them for the surprise gift. Who should he go to first? The Director? Or the Kremlin? He smiled imagining the expression Vazim would make when he saw him.

As he pleasantly pursued his thoughts, a sudden question arose. They wouldn’t have been so optimistic as to believe they could eliminate Zhenya himself with just this much force. Unless it was merely to tie him down for a moment and buy time.