Codename Anastasia Novel (End) - Chapter 6

He abruptly turned around. Yoon Jongwoo, who had been idly watching under the guise of providing cover, stealthily approached. Perhaps embarrassed himself, he operated the winch with even more fervor than Kwon Taekjoo. Soon, Lee Cheoljin and his accomplice emerged onto the deck with the fishing net.

“Haa, what should we do now?” Yoon Jongwoo asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

Kwon Taekjoo offered no clear response. Puzzled, Yoon Jongwoo saw that he had already moved towards the motorboat, busily searching for something.

“What are you doing?”

“The thing I told you to prepare?”

“Ah, that’s under the driver’s seat.”

He immediately flipped open the driver’s seat. As Yoon Jongwoo had said, a suitcase was visible beneath it. Kwon Taekjoo unzipped it, confirmed its contents, and promptly instructed Yoon Jongwoo:

“Contact headquarters and tell them Lee Cheoljin, his accomplice, and the USB have all been secured. Kim Young-hee, the contact person, was tied to the auxiliary ferry, so the maritime police should have found her by now. Tell them to contact the police and take her into custody.”

“Huh? S-Senior. That somehow sounds like you’re telling me to do it all alone…”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“What about you, Senior?”

“This crazy bastard is busy. Family event. So, good luck.”

He chewed over every word he had babbled in a moment of lost sanity at the crossroads of life and death. Yoon Jongwoo repeatedly uttered “Huh?” denying the reality. Confirming his ominous premonition, the motorboat’s engine started. Yoon Jongwoo was still left on the wooden boat with the two men caught in the net. Kwon Taekjoo set off without looking back.

The boat boasted a sturdy engine and sped away. It all happened so fast that Yoon Jongwoo couldn’t even contemplate moving to it. Yoon Jongwoo, staring blankly, felt his shoes growing increasingly damp. It was due to the seawater permeating the hull. Even if it wouldn’t sink immediately, it was a wooden boat with a hole. Could he abandon a subordinate in such a place without a hint of guilt or hesitation?

From behind, Yoon Jongwoo screamed that he was going to die. However, Kwon Taekjoo merely dismissed it as mishearing the wind or the waves. Today, the sound of the wind felt like a desperate cry of “No waaaay!” They say the more precious a child, the stricter the upbringing. So, it must be a misunderstanding.

He docked the boat in a corner of the pier. There was no restriction on the unauthorized landing, as it had been pre-registered for official use. No separate reporting was required.

He gathered the suitcase and entered a nearby warehouse. A short while later, he emerged, having changed into a neat suit.

He passed through the darkened terminal. Walking out to the main road, he spotted a taxi he had called in advance. He got into the car and headed for Busan Station.

Upon arriving at the station, an announcement for the Seoul-bound KTX echoed. Following the considerable crowd, he descended to the platform. The train had already arrived and was waiting. He entered through a nearby door, checked his seat number, and sat down. It was late at night, and the cabin was utterly quiet.

Drrrr… drrrr….

As soon as he sat down, his phone vibrated inside his jacket. It was the one he used for private, non-work purposes. As expected, the caller was his mother. He cleared his throat once and answered the phone as usual.

“Yes, Mom. I just got on the train. The cleanup after the event took longer than expected, so only the last train was left. Even without delays, I probably won’t arrive until dawn, so get some sleep.”

He recited the familiar repertoire. His mother’s barrage of questions began: what time did it depart, exactly when would he arrive, how would he get home from the station, and so on. As a son she saw perhaps once or twice a year, she became even more fussed on days he visited home. Only after promising that he wouldn’t go anywhere else and would head straight home could he end the call.

After hanging up, the forgotten fatigue washed over him. A sigh escaped him involuntarily. Around that time, the train doors closed and it departed for Seoul. Leaning his still damp head back, he felt the vibrations of the train throughout his body.

An announcement for a stop flowed through the quiet cabin. After ‘Seoul,’ the conductor’s voice faded, and there was no movement in the space. The lighting also seemed to have dimmed.

He quickly grew weary from the heater’s warmth. His eyelids, heavy with water, flickered. The salt residue made his eyelashes feel unusually heavy. He had nearly three hours until he reached his destination. Should he try to get some sleep? Just as he was about to compromise with himself and close his eyes,

Drrrr… drrrr….

Suddenly, a vibration was detected in his pocket. The phone he had used to call his mother was still in his hand. Therefore, the one ringing now must be his work phone. He tried to ignore it and get some sleep, but the phone vibrated relentlessly, clearly intending to keep ringing until he answered. Other passengers grumbled, irritated by the subtly grating noise.

“Haa…”

Finally, he pushed himself up from where he was leaning and pressed the answer button.

Where are you?

It was Director Im, asking straight to the point. He never seemed to deviate from expectations. If Yoon Jongwoo hadn’t been drowned in the sea, he would have reported the operation results directly to Director Im. So why another call? Director Im’s calls had never been welcome.

“What will you do if you know where I am?”

I’d like to see your face for a moment.

A summons, then. What was it about?

The only thing he could guess was the recently concluded operation to apprehend the agents. It should have been handled quietly, but it had produced numerous witnesses. Innocent civilians were even taken hostage. The higher-ups, upon receiving the report, would surely be furious. Not only that, a report had even been filed with the maritime police. Cleaning up the mess would be difficult. Reporters might have already caught wind of it. He could easily imagine Director Im’s nagging about how a secret organization isn’t a secret organization for nothing.

Knowing it was useless, he still tried to make an excuse.

“That was the best option for this operation. You know that.”

Right. So come and talk about it.

Of course. If he didn’t act like that, he wouldn’t be the Director Im of all Directors Im.

Before being deployed for the operation, he had repeatedly emphasized to Director Im that tomorrow was his mother’s birthday, and she would be worried sick about her only son, unable to sleep. So, he had to go home no matter what. What had Director Im said back then? Hadn’t he promised to send him back to his mother’s arms even if a second Korean War broke out?

Kwon Taekjoo reminded him of their conversation, as if asking if he had forgotten already.

“Please, Director. It’s my mother’s birthday tomorrow!”

I won’t keep you long.

It was no use. Director Im was shameless and persistent. He irritably ruffled his damp hair. Then, looking at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, he made his final plea.

“I’ve already departed. How am I supposed to go?”

Around that time, the KTX, which had been running smoothly, suddenly stopped. Passengers listening to music or engrossed in mobile games were startled and looked around.

For a while, the KTX remained stopped inside the tunnel. No announcements played inside the train, and no crew members passed by. It was common for the KTX to have minor breakdowns. Because of this, not many passengers were greatly flustered. Even those who had poked their heads out into the aisle to see what was happening quickly lost interest and tried to sleep.

Yes, it would be nothing. He wanted to believe that. But ominous premonitions always came true with eerie accuracy.

Get off, now.

Director Im commanded suavely. Just as he was about to argue, “What is this nonsense?” an announcement came over the speaker.

It stated that the train had temporarily stopped due to an abnormality on the tracks and would depart as soon as the problem was resolved, asking for understanding. ‘As soon as the problem is resolved,’ it said. It meant that if Kwon Taekjoo didn’t comply, the train wouldn’t move.

Aren’t you getting off?

A low urge followed. His voice sounded playful, as if he was enjoying the current situation. The more he acted like that, the less Kwon Taekjoo wanted to obey. He didn’t care about the other passengers’ circumstances.

However, as long as the train didn’t move, Kwon Taekjoo himself had no way to get home. He irritably leaned his head back. In his frustration, he hung up the phone. The call didn’t come again. Of course, the KTX showed no sign of departing either.

After holding out for a long time, he let out a deep sigh and stood up. He strode down the aisle and stepped outside. As if on cue, the train door opened. He shook his head, descended the steps, and felt the gravel of the tracks crunch under his shoes.

He walked toward the rear of the train, making a call. Just as he emerged from the tunnel, the halted KTX began to move again. Around that time, a voice answered from the other end of the phone, “Hello?” It was his mother. Her voice was lower than before, as if she was worried her son, who had promised to come, would break his promise again, citing urgent matters.

“Mom. It’s me. There was a problem with the train, so I might be a little late. No, I told you I’m definitely coming this time. It’s just a little delay.”

He stopped his steps and urged,

“So, don’t light the candles on the cake and wait for me.”

The place he arrived at by helicopter was the National Intelligence Service. A staff member waiting at the helipad guided Kwon Taekjoo to the First Deputy Director’s office. He followed silently, yet puzzled. It was Director Im who had asked to see him, but he couldn’t understand why the meeting place was the First Deputy Director’s office instead of the Director’s office.

The three deputy directors, who were the highest-ranking officials in the NIS, each managed independent duties. Each deputy director did not interfere in matters outside their authority. It was an unwritten rule that the dozens of fragmented subordinate departments followed their direct deputy director. Therefore, there was no reason for Kwon Taekjoo and Director Im, who worked under the Third Deputy Director for counter-intelligence and intelligence activities, to meet in the First Deputy Director’s office.