Episode 44: The Blood Code
Dark clouds blanketed the Seoul sky as an ominous silence swallowed the horizon. CHIPER stood at the edge of the abandoned shipyard — all five members tense, eyes darting around for a trap they already knew was waiting. The air was thick with the scent of salt and decay, the distant hum of the city a stark contrast to the oppressive quiet of their surroundings. Kevin's sharp eyes scanned the rooftop structures, searching for any glint of a sniper scope, any tell-tale wire. Guen's hand hovered near her concealed scalpel, her medical training battling with the instinct for combat. Dohee gritted her teeth, fingers curled around her badge, a silent promise of justice. Alex tapped his smartwatch nervously, his mind already running through countless algorithms, preparing for the inevitable digital battle. And Minjae—his fists were clenched, jaw tight, the fury in his eyes barely contained, a raw, protective instinct for Miran burning within him.
A deafening click echoed through the hollow space, amplified by the vast, empty shipyard. Then a sudden whirring, a mechanical groan that grated on their nerves. A massive LED screen, grimy with rust and neglect, lowered from a crane-like structure above, casting an eerie glow over the desolate scene.
And there she was.
Miran.
Tied to a chair. Blood trailing from her lip, a stark crimson against her pale skin. Her head hung low, bruises marring her temple, a testament to the brutality she had endured. A gun, cold and metallic, pressed against the side of her head, held by an unseen hand just out of frame.
"MIRAN!" Minjae roared, a guttural cry of anguish, stepping forward before Kevin yanked him back, his grip like iron.
The screen came to life, a static-laced image of a shadowed figure. The voice that followed, gravel-edged and chillingly calm, froze their blood.
"Welcome, CHIPER," came the voice of ZEROFACE. "You've made it on time. I was hoping you would. I enjoy an audience for my grand finales."
Miran slowly lifted her gaze, her movements strained. Her eyes—red, teary, but with a flicker of defiance—locked on theirs. "Don't trust him," she mouthed, her voice cracking, barely audible even through the screen's speakers. "It's a trap. He'll kill us all."
ZEROFACE appeared on-screen beside her, stepping into the light. Dressed in black, a fresh scar cutting through his brow, a chilling testament to Kevin's earlier punch. His eyes were cold, empty, dangerous, reflecting a profound, unsettling madness.
"Put your weapons down," he ordered, his voice devoid of emotion. "If you want Miran alive. And believe me, you do. She's far more valuable to me alive... for now."
Kevin raised his gun, his finger hovering over the trigger, but hesitated, a thousand scenarios flashing through his mind.
Miran shook her head violently, tears streaming freely now. "No! Don't! He won't let anyone go! Minjae, please—don't believe him! He's playing with you!"
"SHUT HER UP!" ZEROFACE barked, his calm facade cracking for a split second.
One of his unseen guards, a hulking shadow, struck Miran across the face. The sickening thud and her choked scream made Guen flinch, her hand tightening on her scalpel. Minjae's knuckles turned white, his body trembling with suppressed rage.
But ZEROFACE wasn't finished. He took a step closer to the camera, his gaze boring into their souls, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
"Hand over the file," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. "The one Miran stole from me. The one your team has. Give me the Blood Code, and I'll spare her. And perhaps, if you're quick, your lives too."
Alex's eyes widened in alarm. "The Blood Code? That's not just a file—it's a bio-weapon algorithm! A complete blueprint for a targeted pandemic!"
Kevin's voice was cold, cutting through the tension. "How do you know we have it? We've kept it under the tightest security."
"Because I created it," ZEROFACE hissed, a chilling pride in his tone. "Every line of code, every molecular sequence. And Miran stole it to protect you all. Foolish girl. She thought she could hide it from me." He chuckled, a dry, humorless sound.
Minjae, unable to contain his fury, stepped forward, ignoring Kevin's warning glance. "If you hurt her again, I swear I'll—"
"You'll what?" ZEROFACE sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "Break my jaw with your gangster fists? I'm not afraid of a street dog. Besides..." — he turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Miran, a cruel smile playing on his lips — "she's not yours to love. She never was."
Silence. A heavy, suffocating silence.
"She's my sister."
Guen gasped, a sharp intake of breath. Alex's fingers paused over his tablet, his focus momentarily shattered. Dohee's expression froze, a dawning horror in her eyes.
ZEROFACE continued, his voice rising, gaining a manic edge. "Miran was raised in the North. Groomed. Trained. She was our finest toxinologist. A weapon forged in the shadows. Until she betrayed her own bloodline. Until she chose you. A choice she will regret for eternity."
Miran spat blood, glaring at him, her eyes burning with defiance despite her pain. "Because they showed me the life you never let me have. A life without blood on my hands!"
ZEROFACE's hand twitched, but he grinned, a grotesque parody of amusement. "Enough sentiment. Hand over the Blood Code. Or she dies. And then, perhaps, all of Seoul follows."
Kevin exchanged looks with Alex. A silent code passed between them, a desperate gamble. Alex nodded, his fingers discreetly activating his portable firewall, preparing a counter-measure. Kevin slowly stepped forward, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
"Fine. Let her go, and I'll give you what you want. A fair exchange."
"No!" Miran screamed, her voice raw with desperation. "He's lying! He doesn't need the file—he wants it to destroy South Korea! To trigger biochemical war! He wants to burn this country to the ground!"
ZEROFACE snapped his fingers, a sharp, decisive sound that echoed through the shipyard.
A gunshot rang out—into the sky, a warning shot that reverberated through their bones.
"I'm done negotiating," he growled, his patience clearly at an end. "Drop your weapons. Now. All of them. Or the next bullet finds her head."
One by one, with agonizing slowness, Kevin, Guen, Alex, Dohee, and finally Minjae let their weapons clatter to the ground, the metallic sounds stark against the silence.
Miran's voice shattered, a broken sob. "You idiots! Why would you trust him?! He's going to kill us all! He always does!"
Two guards, faceless figures in tactical gear, grabbed her, dragging her forward to the edge of a precarious-looking platform on-screen, overlooking a dizzying drop into the murky waters below.
"Bring me the file," ZEROFACE demanded, his voice a cold promise. "And she lives. For now."
Kevin nodded at Alex. Alex tapped his device—a single, complex command sending the fake file code, encrypted with a hidden tracer, directly to ZEROFACE's network.
From above, a small, dark drone descended, dropping a ruggedized device into an open shipping crate below.
ZEROFACE's men rushed forward, retrieving the device. But something felt off—Alex, his voice tight in their comms, whispered, "Five seconds until counter-trap goes active. Get ready."
Suddenly, with a practiced flick of her wrist, Dohee hurled a smoke pellet. It exploded on impact, and the shipyard instantly erupted in chaos. A thick, acrid cloud of white smoke billowed outwards, swallowing everything in an instant. Kevin, reacting instinctively, tackled a guard, sending them both sprawling into the choking fog. Guen, a blur of motion, slashed with her surgical knife, a silent, efficient strike against another assailant. Alex, back at HQ, took over the security cams, his fingers flying across his keyboard, trying to blind ZEROFACE's vision. Minjae, a roaring bull of pure adrenaline, charged forward, his fists a blur, aiming for the platform where Miran was held.
Bullets flew, tearing through the smoke, their cracks echoing ominously. The air filled with the shouts of men, the clang of metal, and the frantic thud of footsteps.
Minjae fought off two guards, a whirlwind of fists and feet, shielding Kevin as he struggled with his own opponent. A searing pain ripped through Minjae's arm as a bullet sliced his bicep. He winced—a grunt of pain escaping his lips—but he pushed on, his focus solely on Miran.
Then a shadow moved, impossibly fast, through the thinning smoke near the screen.
A shot fired.
BANG!
Minjae stumbled, his momentum abruptly halted.
A bullet struck his shoulder, a sickening thud that reverberated through his entire body. He dropped to one knee, his breath catching in his throat.
"MINJAE!" Miran screamed, a raw, heartbroken sound that tore through the chaos.
Blood, dark and viscous, pooled beneath him, spreading slowly on the grimy concrete.
The screen flickered, briefly illuminating ZEROFACE as he stepped forward, his gun still smoking, a cruel, triumphant glint in his eyes.
Miran screamed again, louder this time, a primal wail of despair. "MINJAE !! NO !!"