Under the cover of darkness, Kwon Taekjoo arrived at the border trifecta where Russia, China, and Kazakhstan meet.
This area was frequented not only by European travelers but also by Chinese ones, allowing him to move freely even without a disguise.
Like most espionage agencies, the NIS maintained a covert communications base for foreign missions since using embassies or consulates for that function risked diplomatic complications.
These secret bases provided agents with weapons, funding, shelter, and
transport when they were temporarily cut off from official channels.
Kwon Taekjoo contacted the base in Kazakhstan, where he received a temporary passport and the resources needed for his escape.
He stayed in China for a while, waiting for the right moment to return home.
In total, it took him ten days to travel from Ajinoki Island to South Korea.
When he arrived by sea at the port of Incheon, an NIS vehicle was waiting for him.
However, the number of guards caught his attention.
There were around fifteen, all armed.
It felt more like they were there to transport a prisoner than to receive an agent.
"Good job, sir. We'll escort you back to the NIS."
One of them opened the rear door for Kwon Taekjoo, while another stood on the opposite side, holding the door open and watching him closely.
There was no doubt that he would have to sit between them for the entire ride to NIS headquarters.
Without a word, Kwon Taekjoo got into the vehicle.
He was too physically and mentally
exhausted to resist.
"We've secured G1. Time: 23:40. Heading back to headquarters."
After reporting over the radio, they set off.
A deathly silence filled the car for the entire trip.
Kwon Taekjoo closed his eyes, trying to catch some brief rest while he could.
The NIS headquarters was brightly lit despite the late hour.
Kwon Taekjoo wondered if another lecture awaited him in the director's office.
In truth, given the circumstances, they
might even call him into the deputy director's office.
Surrounded by guards, he entered the elevator, assuming they'd go up to the second floor.
But the doors closed, and the elevator began to descend.
Below ground were windowless
interrogation rooms and confinement facilities reserved for those under investigation.
"Where are we going?"
Kwon Taekjoo asked as soon as the elevator stopped.
The doors opened, revealing a dark and foreboding hallway.
"This way."
The guards led him to a nearby interrogation room.
A disbelieving laugh escaped Kwon
Taekjoo's lips.
Was this how they treated agents who failed their missions?
Thrown into a damp basement upon arrival, interrogated about why the operation failed, whether they were
to blame, and if they had collaborated with external sources?
This had never happened to him before, so he couldn't know if it was standard procedure or something reserved just for him.
Still, considering that the Vladivostok mission had been a failure, the NIS had reasons to be suspicious.
Kwon Taekjoo had to prove his innocence and explain Zhenya's interference, no matter what.
That's why he had left Zhenya behind and come alone.
He entered the room voluntarily. If the hallway had seemed damp and oppressive, the interrogation room was even worse in intensity.
Kwon Taekjoo cautiously scanned the room.
As he approached the chair in front of him, the same guard from earlier stepped forward to stop him.
"Excuse me, but we need to do a search."
"…Go ahead."
Kwon Taekjoo obediently placed his hands against the back wall while the guard thoroughly searched him from head to toe, removing his gun from its holster and handing it to another
guard.
Then, he checked his socks and even rolled up Kwon Taekjoo's pant leg to extract a knife from its sheath.
And that wasn't all.
Even though the guard had finished searching his body, Kwon Taekjoo
sensed an odd hesitation in him.
He glanced over his shoulder to look at the guard.
"What is it? Do you want me to strip?"
"…No, that won't be necessary. Please wait here for a minute."
Quickly, the guard turned to leave, but stopped and said,
"Oh,"
as if he had just remembered something.
"By the way, are you hungry?"
"Why? Are you going to offer me some ox bone soup?"
"If you'd like."
"Wow. How long do you plan to keep me locked up here?"
"…Would you prefer something to drink?"
"Bring me an espresso. American style."
"Of course. We'll get that for you."
The guard closed the door quietly behind him, followed by the unmistakable click of a lock.
Kwon Taekjoo couldn't understand why they were being so cautious when he had made it clear that he had no intention of resisting.
He sank heavily into the chair and leaned his head back.
A long sigh escaped him as he stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
What was Zhenya doing now?
Was he still on Ajinoki Island?
Kwon Taekjoo worried that the Russian government might have already sent troops to capture him.
Maybe leaving him behind had been a mistake.
These thoughts tormented him until he finally shook his head.
If they had escaped together, getting into Korea would have been even more complicated.
And it wasn't like they could keep running without resolving the issue at hand.
Right now, there was no safer place for Zhenya than Ajinoki Island.
Meanwhile, he would be treated like a
criminal here until they figured out why the Vladivostok operation failed.
Anyway, nothing good would come from them staying together.
Sticking together would only lead to more fights.
The right thing to do was to stay out of sight until the situation calmed down.
But Kwon Taekjoo couldn't shake the image of Zhenya's face from his mind.
He had looked completely betrayed and hurt.
Kwon Taekjoo had lashed out at him, unable to control his overwhelming anger, but now he wondered if he should have just explained things calmly.
Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair.
At that precise moment, a muffled noise came from behind the door, followed by the faint aroma of coffee.
The door soon opened, and Director Kwak stepped in.
"Sir."
"Ah, no need to stand."
Kwon Taekjoo was about to rise to greet him, but Director Kwak gestured for him to stay seated. Instead, he nodded briefly in greeting.
"It's been a while."
"Yes. I see you made it back safely."
The director placed a cup of coffee in front of Kwon Taekjoo and sat down across from him.
Kwon Taekjoo stared at the coffee.
A thin film floated on the surface.
"What's wrong? Afraid I spiked it?"
Director Kwak gave him a broad smile, noticing Kwon Taekjoo's hesitation.
Given the circumstances, it wouldn't have been surprising if a truth serum had been added.
"There's no way I would've done that."
"Right, no way,"
Director Kwak repeated lightly, a mocking tone in his voice.
Yet his words carried a deeper meaning.
He seemed to be asking Kwon Taekjoo if it really was
"impossible"
that he had done something to warrant such suspicions.
Kwon Taekjoo chuckled silently and took a sip, carefully watching Director Kwak's
expression.
Judging by his sunken eyes, he seemed incredibly tired.
Not only had the joint operation between Korea, Japan, and the U.S. failed, but his own presence had been exposed to the enemy, likely trapping him in a vicious cycle of blame.
Successful operations were never made public, and no agent was ever rewarded or recognized for their efforts.
Only failures were brought to light. When a mission was exposed, it led to severe diplomatic consequences, and someone had to take the fall.
In such cases, the government would deny any involvement, charging the agents with espionage and punishing them accordingly.
There was a reason covert agents were treated as the disposable hunting dogs of the government.
Kwon Taekjoo had already reported most of what had happened in Vladivostok when he contacted the NIS through the communications base in Kazakhstan.
But he knew it wouldn't be enough to clear his name.
As expected, Director Kwak began his questioning.
"So, where have you been all this time?"
"On a remote Russian island."
"A remote island... You fled there alone? After abandoning your hideout?"
Agents could never leave evidence on the ground.
They had to destroy every trace of the operation, even if it meant sacrificing themselves.
There were no exceptions to this rule, not even in the most extreme conditions.
This was the first time Kwon Taekjoo had failed in this regard.
"I was ambushed. When I came to, I was already on the island."
"…Ambushed?"
Kwon Taekjoo's answer must have been unexpected because Director Kwak raised an eyebrow, frowning.
That someone could be strong enough to take down one of his best agents
seemed doubtful.
"An ambush, huh..."
he murmured before suddenly asking,
"Don't tell me it was that 'Psych'
again?"
Kwon Taekjoo couldn't respond right away.
He had prepared himself to explain Zhenya's involvement in the operation, but he hadn't expected Director Kwak to call on him first.
Director Kwak let out a small chuckle, as if wondering why Kwon Taekjoo was so surprised.
"I've heard that's what Russians call their ambassador. Answer me. Yevgeny Vissarionovich Bogdanov... did he show up in Vladivostok?"
"Yes."
"Then he's involved in the plot between Russia and North Korea, correct?"
"No, that's not true."
"It's not? The Bogdanov family has been key in the current conspiracy between Russia and North Korea. You can't deny that. But now you're telling me their youngest son wasn't involved? How can you be so sure? He left his post without authorization and personally interfered with our mission. If he wasn't aware, as you claim, how did he know exactly when and where to show up? And why would he attack you while you were on duty?"
"I think he believed he was rescuing me."
Director Kwak tilted his head.
A Russian diplomat had disrupted an international mission to "rescue" his Korean friend, fully aware it would spark a diplomatic incident?
It made no sense, especially considering Zhenya's actions went against his family's interests.
But as far-fetched as it sounded, Kwon Taekjoo was determined to defend Zhenya's innocence, even if he had to explain it over and over again.
"I don't know how the ambassador discovered the plot between Russia and North Korea either. As you probably know, he's considered a nuisance even in his own country. I wouldn't be surprised if he hacked his government's security systems."
"Even so, it doesn't change the fact that a member of the Bogdanov family directly interfered with our mission."
"I believe he thought the situation called for immediate action. He didn't have time to consider his family ties or the possible consequences."
"So, you're saying this was the only way he could protect both you and his family?"
"No, He feels no loyalty to his country, and he's never cared about his family's reputation. He's betrayed them countless times for his own amusement or gain. That's why I'm still alive."
Director Kwak rubbed his forehead and tilted his head again.
"Russia appointed someone like him as an ambassador?"
"He'd only be a threat to them up close, so sending him to Korea was their way of getting rid of him. You could say they abandoned him here."
"Still, it's hard to believe. What could he possibly gain from interfering with our operation?"
Kwon Taekjoo knew his story would lack credibility as long as he kept his relationship with Zhenya a secret.
Leaving aside Zhenya's pure affection and concern for him, the situation
seemed unexplainable.
"What I know for sure is that he found out about the Russia-North Korea matter, and as soon as he did, he came to save me. That's what he told me."
"Look, I want to trust you, but do you realize how outrageous that sounds? I warned you before the mission not to let personal matters interfere with our work."
"... That was my mistake."
Kwon Taekjoo had no excuse left.
He knew that as long as Zhenya kept getting involved, accusations like these were inevitable.
He also knew the NIS had been watching Zhenya for a while.
And yet, he hadn't been able to prevent this disaster.
"Alright, everything will be cleared up once the investigation is over. If necessary, we can always bring the ambassador in for questioning."
"That would only cause more diplomatic trouble. That bastard is still a diplomat, after all."
"That's a different story if that diplomat committed espionage on Korean soil."
"What we did isn't much different from Russia's perspective. Considering our intentions going in, it would only look like we're playing the victim."
Director Kwak let out a bitter laugh.
"Do you realize how dangerous your words were just now?"
"I'm just saying we shouldn't complicate things further when we should be quietly covering our tracks. Accusations won't resolve the situation."
"I understand, but generally, when things go wrong, we start by figuring out who acted properly or not."
Director Kwak lowered his eyelids and shrugged.
If this continued, Kwon Taekjoo wouldn't be able to shake off accusations of colluding with the enemy.
It was becoming harder to undo the charges against Zhenya.
If it were up to him, he'd have requested a polygraph, but as an agent with years of psychological training, the results would be meaningless.
He had only one option left.
"I'll share the confidential information the ambassador obtained from Russia."
"Oh."
"We didn't manage to find out what Russia and North Korea were negotiating because the mission failed. And that was the goal of the mission, wasn't it?"
Director Kwak rubbed his chin, deep in thought. It was a tempting offer, considering that valuable intelligence would fall right into his hands.
"Alright. I'll hear you out for now."
"Park Jeong-ho seems to have discovered a new toxin or virus of natural origin. According to reports, its toxicity is comparable to ricin, Novichok, VX, and polonium-210. Even the slightest contact is deadly, so it was sealed airtight during transport. With the state
pharmaceutical company Pharmzaschita involved, it's likely they intended to turn it into a new chemical weapon."
"If that's true, the situation is about to get much more complicated than we initially thought,"
Director Kwak said after listening quietly.
He massaged his temple and then leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Kwon Taekjoo.
The tension in the interrogation room seemed to ease a bit.
"I believe most of what you've said is true. If you were lying, you wouldn't have come back knowing the accusations you'd face. Plus, I'm aware of how close you are to Ambassador Bogdanov. More than anything, I can see the frustration in your eyes, as if someone stole
your prey. But…"
he paused, drawing a line,
"that's just my opinion. If you want to prove your innocence, you'll need a more solid argument. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"And keep in mind, you weren't completely innocent here, so you won't escape disciplinary measures."
"I'm aware."
"Also, just in case you're curious, the U.S. agent you pushed out during the operation approached a cargo vehicle on his own. He was found dead shortly after a confrontation with the enemy. As for the Japanese agent stationed at Far Eastern Federal University, he was
arrested on the spot and has been missing ever since."
After reporting on the status of Foxtrot and Sierra, Director Kwak pushed a tablet toward the table.
When Kwon Taekjoo turned on the screen, a blurry image appeared showing Asian police recovering a body from the water.
"Is this…?"
"They found an Asian man's body in Lake Uvs Nuur, near the Mongolia-Russia border. It was already quite decomposed, so it's hard to identify."
"Is it Sierra?"
"That's our provisional conclusion. His height, blood type, and physical traits match the Japanese agent."
"Have they determined the cause of death?"
"Not yet. From what I've heard, the body wasn't disfigured, and there were no obvious signs of foul play. It'll most likely be ruled a natural death, either from illness or drowning. I'm sure the Japanese government would also prefer it to be quietly hidden away."
The death of an agent was always handled the same way, no matter the country.
Agents served their nations, but their nations couldn't protect them.
It was a harsh reality, but one all
espionage agents had to accept.
"And Park Jeong-ho?"
"He's back in North Korea. With the North Korea-Russia conference exposed, they'll be keeping a low profile for a while. In a way, it's an opportunity for us. While they're lying low, we can work on identifying the toxin you mentioned. Park Jeong-ho sent us a distress signal, so we might try to make contact with him. But until we know exactly what kind of toxin it is, our hands are tied."
Director Kwak finished his update at that point and stood up. Kwon Taekjoo's gaze followed him closely.
"This place might be uncomfortable, but try to rest in the meantime. It seems like you haven't slept in days."
"You don't look much better yourself, sir."
Director Kwak laughed at Kwon Taekjoo's bold reply.
"Taekjoo,"
he called, his tone softer than usual.
"Despite everything, I'm glad you came back in one piece."
"….."
"If you're feeling guilty about the failed mission or being the only survivor, let it go. Some things in this world are beyond your control, no matter how hard you try. When there's a chance to survive, take it, no matter what. That way, you can come back and face the consequences. I know I'm not in a position to say this, but an 'honorable death'? That's a myth. You're someone's son, friend, colleague, and a citizen of this country. No one's eager
to rush into death for some greater good. And I don't want to lose my agents to such a meaningless end."
Kwon Taekjoo clenched his jaw.
Director Kwak's eyes shifted to Kwon Taekjoo's tightly clenched fist.
"Anyway, are you sure you don't need treatment for that wrist?"
It was then that Kwon Taekjoo looked down at his arm.
A purple bruise marked his right wrist, twisted during his fight with Zhenya.
He had received some temporary treatment in Kazakhstan, but the throbbing pain had lingered for several days.
He suspected it might be a small fracture.
"I'm fine."
"Fine, really? If you ignore a minor injury, it'll only worsen beneath the surface. I'll send a medical team. From now on, the interrogations will just be formalities, so you won't have to suffer too much."
Director Kwak gave Kwon Taekjoo's shoulder a firm squeeze before leaving the interrogation room.
As usual, the door shut firmly behind him.
Kwon Taekjoo slumped in his seat, staring blankly at the wall.
The events of the last few days seemed to have happened ages ago.
His mind was congested, a chaotic mix of worries.
He rubbed his face with both hands and let out a deep sigh.
Failure.
Escape.
Zhenya.
Kwon Taekjoo was overwhelmed by the harsh reality he now faced, one he never imagined would come crashing into his life.
The night would be too, too long.