Woo-jin stared down at the unconscious In-beom and wiped a smear of blood from his lip. His chest heaved as he struggled to pull air into his lungs.
"We have to tie him up."
Geon-woo leaned against the cracked brick pillar and gave a slow nod. He looked dizzy from the impact of the giant's blows.
"Yeah."
Woo-jin patted his friend on the shoulder before turning to scan the wreckage. He stepped over a pile of broken pallets to search for something sturdy.
Geon-woo stayed in the same spot with a blank stare. Woo-jin walked back and grabbed his arm to pull him along.
"Let's find something to tie him with!"
Geon-woo gulped and shook his head to clear the fog. He followed Woo-jin deeper into the storage room.
"Okay."
They both began rummaging through the same stack of crates. Woo-jin stopped and pointed toward an old desk against the far wall.
"Hey, go look over there."
Geon-woo moved to the other side of the room. He started pulling open the drawers of a rusted metal cabinet.
Woo-jin spotted a coil of thin steel wires near the collapsed shelving. He picked them up and frowned at the size of In-beom's wrists.
"Ugh!"
The wire felt brittle and thin in his hands. He doubted it would hold a man who could rip a support beam out of the ceiling.
"Whoa, dude!"
Geon-woo held up a handful of thick industrial zip ties. They were long and made of heavy black plastic.
Woo-jin grinned at the sight of them. He tossed the wires aside and hurried over.
"Right."
They knelt beside the giant and began looping the ties around his limbs. The plastic clicked as they pulled the bands tight.
CLICK!
The heavy door at the top of the stairs opened. Geon-woo froze and gripped a zip-tie like a weapon.
"Wait."
Joe stumbled into the room while dragging a second body behind him. He was sweating and his left arm hung loose at his side.
Woo-jin stood up and held his hands out in surprise. He looked at the unconscious man in the black suit.
"Whoa! What happened?"
Joe let out a long groan and dropped the man's legs. He leaned his right hand on his knee to catch his breath.
"I don't know. I got in a fight."
Woo-jin walked closer to inspect the damage. Joe's left arm was swollen to double its original size.
"You okay?"
Joe touched the bruise on his left forearm and hissed in pain.
"It hurts like a bitch. But it is all right. At least I got the perpetrator."
He grabbed the man's collar and dragged him over to the bound giant. Joe squinted at the way the boys had secured In-beom.
"Why did you tie his hands to the front? That is going to come off easily."
Woo-jin looked down at his handiwork and shrugged. He thought the plastic was strong enough to hold anything.
"Really? I don't think so."
Geon-woo reached for another zip-tie. He looked ready to fix the mistake immediately.
"So should I re-tie it?"
Joe gave a firm nod and pointed at the second attacker. He wanted both men secured properly before they moved.
"Yeah. Tie him. Tie this one too. We are taking them to the President. I will go get the trolley."
Geon-woo went to work on the second man's wrists. He made sure the plastic dug deep into the skin.
"Okay."
Woo-jin knelt down to help. He grabbed the giant's heavy ankles and pulled them together.
"Hold his feet."
They finished the job and loaded the bodies onto the metal trolley Joe had retrieved. Geon-woo gripped the handle and began pushing the heavy load toward the exit.
"All right. Let's go."
They climbed the stairs and pushed through the hidden door into the bookstore. The air upstairs felt much cooler than the humid basement.
Hyeon-ju stood in the center of the room surrounded by neatly stacked cardboard boxes. She let out a heavy sigh of relief when she saw them.
"You guys okay?"
Her eyes drifted down to the two bloody men piled on the trolley. She looked at Geon-woo with a questioning glare.
"Why did you drag them here?"
Woo-jin wiped his hands on his pants. He pointed a thumb toward Joe.
"Joe told us to do so."
Hyeon-ju did not argue with the decision. She turned back to the boxes and started checking the labels.
"Get them packed. We have no time."
Joe collapsed into a wooden chair near the counter. His arms were trembling and his face was pale.
"Fuck it! Why is this happening now?!"
He gripped the armrests of the chair until his knuckles turned white. The adrenaline was finally starting to fade.
They worked quickly to move the heavy boxes of cash toward the parking lot. Geon-woo opened the trunk of the SUV and stepped back.
"Pop the trunk."
Geon-woo checked the latch and held the door open. He looked back at the bookstore entrance nervously.
"Okay."
Woo-jin grabbed one end of a large box. He signaled for Geon-woo to take the other side.
"Throw it! Push!"
They shoved the heavy weight into the back of the vehicle. The suspension groaned under the massive load.
"Careful, careful, careful."
Geon-woo pulled another box toward the bumper. He looked at his watch and saw the minutes ticking away.
"Hurry, hurry."
They slammed the last box into place. Both men stood there panting with sweat dripping off their chins.
"There we go."
"Okay, we are done."
Hyeon-ju stepped out of the building and wiped her forehead. She looked back at the shop with a frustrated expression.
"Fuck. We have to get the safe."
Geon-woo looked at the street and then back at her. He felt like they were sitting ducks in the open parking lot.
"Don't we have to hurry up and get going?"
Hyeon-ju shook her head and checked her phone. She was not leaving without the rest of the assets.
"You can go ahead."
Woo-jin leaned against the side of the car. He knew there was more than just a few extra dollars inside the shop.
"How much is in there?"
Hyeon-ju looked him in the eye. She held up a hand to emphasize the scale of the money.
"Billions at the very least."
Woo-jin straightened his back and looked at the bookstore. He was not about to walk away from that kind of money.
"I am gonna help you."
He turned toward Geon-woo and pointed at the driver's seat. He wanted his friend ready to move the second they were finished.
"Hey, you go ahead."
Geon-woo shifted his weight and looked at the ground. He did not like the idea of splitting up.
"Uh..."
Woo-jin grabbed his arm and gave it a firm shake. He needed Geon-woo to focus on the plan.
"Dude, bro, there are billions on the line."
Joe walked over from the shop entrance. He looked a bit more stable now that he had rested for a few minutes.
"It is okay. You guys go. I will go with Hyeon-ju. Go start the car and wait. We will be there before you know it."
Geon-woo and Woo-jin looked at each other and finally nodded. They climbed into the SUV and turned the key.
"You have to hurry."