January 19, 2001 – 02:11
Warehouse 17-B, Incheon International Container Port
A cold, salty wind felt like it wanted to open my old wounds.
Police officers, SWAT teams and detectives were surrounding the facility, crouching behind containers, eyes fixed on the roll-up door.
We had one job tonight: take down Baekgom-pa and the North Korean spies while they traded four hundred kilos of crystal.
"Before these thugs kill me, the weather will," Choi Sun-ho muttered. "We're not paid enough for this. I blame this on you Hyun-su!" He complained, staring at me. "Why did you told chief that I would come with you." He was still mad about me, telling chief of our department that I needed him in action.
"Well. I did it, my partner, because I care about you. You always complains about not having enough money due to paying a child support. So you should actually thank me, you ungrateful bastard" I said with a grin.
"Don't even joke about me being a divorcee, you bastard. You're divorced too. Only difference is you are not paying for your child support!" He continued with his banter "Man, this sucks."
Suddenly, he grinned. "If there were any hot female officers here I'd be more excited, but look around — only ugly bastards."
"Aren't you sick of women? Besides there might be one." I answered.
"You're crazy. Who'd send a woman into this kind of mess?"
"Can you two be quiet?" A woman's voice, colder than the wind.
We turned.
There was a woman, cheeks red, wearing thick coat, hoodie over her head and bright red lips and her expression as cold as ice age.
"I am Prosecutor Kang Eun-kyung," she said. "I'm here with the warrant and I heard you two talking loud."
"Sorry for my partner, miss." Choi stepped forward with his big stupid grin. "Wow. They sent a woman this pretty to a place full of animals like us? Someone upstairs hates you, Prosecutor Kang." He offered his hand. "Detective Choi Sun-ho. The guy over there is detective Kim Hyun-su. Pleasure to meet you."
I had always wondered how he could say that stuff without dying of embarrassment.
"I'm terribly sorry for his rudeness, Prosecutor Kang. I'll punish him myself," I said.
"It's okay as long as he shuts his mouth," she replied, voice still like ice. Then, softer: "Be careful, detectives."
She pressed the warrant into my hand and left the scene to join with other prosecutors far away.
I grabbed both the warrant and Choi's collar and dragged him back.
"Damn, she's tense," he whined. "Shame. Athletic body, perfect silhouette even under that coat."
"Behave, or you'll get divorced again," I growled.
"Detectives!" a junior police officer called. "Two white vans just went inside."
"Go time," Choi said.
"It is indeed," I answered.
I radioed detectives nearby watch tower.
"This is warehouse team. Suspects just entered the warehouse. I repeat, suspects entered the building. Apprehend custom officers, over."
We had tips that all the custom officers were paid off by various Jopok groups to trade illegal goods anonymously.
Few minutes later, I heard noise from radio
"This is watch tower team. We have all control of watch tower. It is your turn to shine, over" I heard chuckle over the radio.
I looked at the team to brief again.
"Gather around me. We will be separated to 3 teams: front door, led by me and detective Choi, side door, led by captain Lee and detective park and lastly, back door, led by captain Ko and detective Noh. We will get them all."
"Aye aye captain, let's do this" captain ko said.
"Check weapons. Heavy drinking after this," I told the team.
Some laughed, some stayed silent, but everyone checked their gear.
I checked my revolver — six rounds — and baton.
Choi carried the Remington 870 he'd volunteered to breach with.
Body armour on, just in case.
"Ready?" I asked.
"Born for this shit, my friend," he smiled.
We moved like thieves, pressed against the wall.
Choi knocked hard.
"Police! Detective Choi Sun-ho, Seoul Metropolitan Police! We have a warrant! Open the door!"
No answer. Only silence.
"I repeat — come out unarmed! We don't want anyone hurt!"
Silence again.
Last chance, almost pleading.
"Last warning! Open peacefully and nobody gets hurt!"
Nothing as if there were no one inside.
He looked at me. I nodded.
"Breaching. Ears!"
BANG!
The door opened and gunfire answered.
"Body armour was a good call!" Choi laughed over the chaos.
"Hyun-su, bet on who drops more?"
"Shut up and shoot!"
"Go Go Go!" I yelled at SWAT teams.
They were going in with a bullet proof shield and we backed them up.
Bullets ricocheted off shields. Moving in and taking a cover nearby containers. Screams, curses, "Dogs of capitalism!". Then sashimi knives flashed from the shadows.
Few SWAT teams got stabbed, falling down.
We fought like animals. I bashed with baton to the heads of thugs, breaking their arms and legs if I could. Detective Choi swung empty shotgun like a club.
When it ended, all I saw was pain: groaning from injury they were inflicted, blood and bullet shells on the floor, some breeding out from the shot and knife cut, and detainees swearing at officers
We got the big fish as well. A leader of Baekgom-pa and north Korean spies. We knew north korean spies would be here but not the head of Baekgom-pa.
Prosecutors and NIS moved in to count bodies and crystal — four hundred kilos.
"Damn, we did all the hard shit and bunch of fancy suits will take all the glory. Shit." Detective Choi complained.
"They studied hard, we didn't, my friend" I responded with chuckle.
"Yeah you have a point. Goddammit, my joint hurts. We are not young anymore." He was sitting down on the floor nearby me.
"Yeah we are in our forties. We should be at the desk, burying our selves in the paper." I chuckled. Choi looked at me like he had seen a ghost.
"Did you hurt your head? Hyun-su. I know you will never say or imply doing an easy job." He saw me in an exaggerate surprise expression. Almost comical.
I chuckled and said "we are old now like you said. Need to be more careful." I looked at my hand, all bloody and scars from beating and capturing criminals. It showed my past, and struggles.
As I was leaning towards containers with a hot instant coffe in my hand. I was looking at the prosecutors checking crystals, dead and thugs in cuff.
Then One of the "dead" on floor, suddenly pulled out knife from his chest, stood up and charged at prosecutor Kang.
I saw it first.
I moved before I thought.
Threw myself in front of her, took the blade high in the right shoulder.
I roared, tackled him, flipped him, and drove him into the ice, punching him in his face few more to make him pass out but his eyes were still looking at me.
I kneed his back so he couldn't move.
He was still resisting my arrest, grunting like an untamed beast.
"Shut your mouth — you're under arrest."
Kang dropped to her knees beside me, voice suddenly small and shaken.
"Thank you, Detective Kim…"
Then she saw the blood slipping from my arm and punchured wound on my shoulder.
"Your shoulder… I'm so sorry. I was careless."
"I'm okay." I lied to insure her "I've had worse."
The medic arrived.
"Not that deep.Coat and vest most of the impact.you need five stitches and antibiotics. But it will leave a scar. Please do not drink at least a day."
Choi came to me with his stupid huge grin.
"Knight in shining armour, you cheeky bastard." He continued with even bigger smile now."Fellow officers! Our Knight in shining armor will save our wallets as well!"
He yelled at people as he put his arm around me and pointed at me.
I flipped him off with my left hand while the whole team laughed in the freezing dark.