A black Mercedes glided through the city streets under a thick blanket of night. It pulled to a stop a few moments later in front of a quiet subway entrance.
Hyeon-ju sat at the wheel while Joe took the passenger seat. Woo-jin and Geon-woo settled into the back. Hyeon-ju kept her eyes on the road as she spoke.
"Our target tonight is Park Su-min. He is a slippery bastard who borrowed six million won from Grandpa and vanished. I spotted him boarding a train here a while back and figured out his pattern. He uses this station every Monday. If it had not been for that Jae-myeong prick, I would have caught him already."
Hyeon-ju let out a light sigh of frustration.
"Actually, I had Jae-myeong cornered back then too. But some unknown bastard got in my way and let him slip through my fingers."
Geon-woo erupted into a fit of violent coughing in the backseat as soon as she said that. Hyeon-ju handed him a bottle of water with a look of concern.
"Geon-woo, are you okay? Are you sick?"
Geon-woo took a massive gulp of water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He replied in a voice barely above a whisper.
"The thing is... I actually followed you back then. I saw you chasing that homeless man."
Hyeon-ju's eyes widened behind the wheel. "Wait, do not tell me..."
Geon-woo gave a defeated smile and nodded his head. "Yeah, that was me. And that homeless guy was Yang Jae-myeong."
Hyeon-ju let out a dry and hollow laugh. "Oh, wow. Incredible."
Joe had been scanning the street and cut in sharply.
"Guys. Target is here."
The group shifted their gaze outside toward a man swaying under the weight of a heavy drunk. He was stumbling toward the subway stairs and his face matched the photo of Park Su-min. Joe, Woo-jin, and Geon-woo stepped out of the car together.
"Let's grab him first." Joe said.
Hyeon-ju gripped the steering wheel. "Be quick. I will wait here."
The three men followed Su-min down the stairs.
At the same time, Kim Jun-min sat in a black SUV with a long coat over his shoulders. His phone rang and he answered with a cold face.
"Speak."
"Boss, we found Park Su-min! He is at Gaehwa Station. I have the boys on standby."
Jun-min gave a slow nod. "Gather as many as you can. I am on my way. If he slips away this time, I am taking all of your heads."
Park Su-min stood on the platform and swayed back and forth while waiting for the train. Joe approached him with a flat expression.
"Park Su-min, right?"
Su-min squinted at Joe with bloodshot eyes. "Yeah. Who are you?"
Joe let out a soft chuckle. "You would not know me. But you know President Choi, right?"
Su-min's pupils dilated in instant terror. He instinctively spun around to bolt but slammed hard into someone standing right behind him.
"Hey, watch where you are going!" Woo-jin barked.
Su-min tried to pivot the other way but his feet tangled and he began to tip over. A hand caught him by the arm before he hit the ground.
"Careful now. That is a long way down." Geon-woo said as he hauled Su-min back up.
Su-min turned as pale as a sheet of paper. Joe tightened his fist.
"As you can see, you picked the wrong person to mess with. Now, let's go somewhere private."
Joe's fist connected with his jaw before Su-min could even open his mouth.
THWACK!
Su-min's head snapped back and he crumpled to the floor. Woo-jin hoisted the unconscious man over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
"Huh. This bastard went out way too easily."
Back in the parking lot, Hyeon-ju sat in the car with the engine off. The silence was shattered by the roar of approaching engines. Four SUVs screeched to a halt and blocked the subway entrance.
Hyeon-ju instinctively ducked and peered through the window. The doors flew open and three dozen men poured out with baseball bats, pipes, and knives.
"This is bad. Joe and the others are in danger!"
Her heart was racing as she dialed Tae-ho on her phone.
"Please pick up... please..."
Tae-ho was sipping coffee at the base when his phone buzzed. He saw the name on the screen and answered immediately.
"Yes?"
Hyeon-ju's frantic voice came through the speaker. "Grandpa! Joe, Woo-jin, and Geon-woo are in trouble! Please, come quick!"
Tae-ho's eyes sharpened into those of a predatory beast.
"Where are you?"
Joe, Geon-woo, and Woo-jin were about to haul Park Su-min up the stairs when they saw a dozen men blocking the exit. Geon-woo stared in disbelief at their violent faces.
"Whoa! Who are these guys?"
Joe's voice remained low and steady. "Get a move on."
"What? What did you say?"
Woo-jin did not wait for Geon-woo to process the situation. He grabbed Geon-woo by the wrist and bolted with Su-min still on his shoulder. "Run! Just run!"
A chorus of savage curses erupted behind them.
"You little shits! Get back here!"
"Catch them! Do not let them get away!"
The three of them sprinted toward the opposite entrance but that way was also barred by another dozen thugs. Woo-jin hissed a curse when he saw the path blocked.
"Dammit... Geon-woo, this way! Keep moving!"
Joe urged them from the rear. "Go, go, go! Faster!"
The thugs closed in from all sides and their shouts echoed through the concrete tunnels. Woo-jin ran with everything he had while the weight of Su-min burned his lungs.
"This is insane! How many of them are there?"
They were trapped with both entrances sealed. They stood in the dead center of the station as three dozen men poured down from both sides.
Woo-jin dropped Su-min's limp body and fell into a fighting stance.
"Guys... let's forget this bastard and worry about our own skins first."
Joe pulled his hands from his pockets and let out a long sigh. "Why does every mission we do turn into a disaster?"
Geon-woo looked genuinely bewildered. "But why are we even running? We did not do anything to these guys. We are just here for Park Su-min."
Joe gave him a dry look. "Look, Geon-woo. When you see dozens of guys holding bats and pipes, the smartest thing to do is run. Just think about how we are getting out of this."
The circle of thugs tightened. Geon-woo finally clenched his fists. One of the men stepped forward and eyed them.
"Who are you brats supposed to be?"
Joe answered casually. "Just here to catch a train."
The man looked at Joe with suspicion before his eyes drifted to the unconscious Su-min on the floor.
"Were you guys here for Park Su-min?" The man muttered to himself and clicked his tongue. "Tch. Just how many people did this bastard scam?"
Joe seized the opening. "Exactly! You are right! Su-min owes us money. We finally caught him today. If you gentlemen want him, he is all yours. We will just be on our way."
The thug let out a mocking cackle. "Huh? Did you guys hear that? This brat called us gentlemen!"
The rest of the gang joined in with cold laughter. The leader's expression suddenly turned murderous.
"You have a quick tongue, kid. But I cannot let you go. Our boss hates loose ends."
"Kill them!"