CODENAME: ANASTASIA

The low command voice resounded. The man in the driver's seat obediently followed the instructions. The moving sedan stopped in the middle of a narrow alley. Vasily did not resist and raised both hands.

"You have a pretty dangerous toy, Mr. Sakamoto."

"Who are you guys after all?"

"I told you already. My name is Vasily Alexandrovich, and I came to pick you up."

"Alexandrovich has nothing to do with Gazprom, right?"

"Just a little bit."

It was then.

Suddenly the back seat door opened, a man walked in and pushed Kwon Taek Joo. In his hand was the Tokarev, a Russian continuous pistol. The black gun's throat immediately touched Kwon Taek Joo's temple. Not only that, a red dot flew out from somewhere and hovered near his left chest. He was completely surrounded. Kwon Taek Joo bites his teeth tensely.

"Isn't silence better, Mr. Sakamoto?"

Vasily hummed as if singing word for word. There is no clue to who he is. After all, what is this Vasily aiming for? The only thing that is clear is that Kwon Taek Joo must get out of this bad situation immediately.

But how? If he moves arbitrarily, his head and chest will become a hive. Kwon Taek Joo rolled his eyes and looked around. The only thing that illuminates the dark alley is the headlights of the sedan. No, there was also a light inside the car that was illuminating Vasily's smiling face.

"Don't play tricks. Your head will..."

Before Vasily's warning ended, Kwon Taek Joo's upper body curled down with a gunshot. The lights inside the car went out when a bullet flew out without warning.

Next was another sniper bullet flying in from a nearby terrace. Clear gunshots and rambling sounds echoed one after another. It's the sound of a crumbling rear seat window.

After the momentary uproar that was a veiled stillness. There was not a single movement around the car. The sniper slowly moved the barrel and did not lose his guard.

The next moment, the stopped car suddenly accelerated into the narrow alley without turning on the headlights. The car drove frantically crashing into the trash can and the walls of a building.

The snipers opened fire in series but only the shock absorbers and rearview mirrors were destroyed.

"If you don't want to be in the same situation, it's best to be obedient."

Kwon Taek Joo wiped the blood on his face and threatened the driver. That blood was from the guy who just pushed him to the back bench earlier. He was tilting his head backwards after becoming Kwon Taek Joo's shield and being hit by a sniper. Vasily's situation is not much different. He was lying on the panel with a bullet through the centre of his face.

The driver was drenched in blood and another person who was driving the sedan did not dare to resist. Kwon Taek Joo hursed his arms around his neck from behind and guided each direction of movement. The problem is that no matter how you run, the car can't get to the main road. The moving car with the headlights turned off because the snipers were still ambushing from a distance. It's hard to know if the front is a dead end or not.

Again.

"…"

There is something that glides quickly between buildings. It's an existence that Kwon Taek Joo only saw not long ago. Is it a cat? No, it's much bigger and heavier than that. At the same time, its movements are even faster. Kwon Taek Joo looked around in search of the existence that had disappeared in the dark, but he couldn't look back at that image anywhere else.

Once it can be a hallucination, but the second time it can't be a hallucination. He looked around annoyedly. Suddenly a sedan came out of the alley next door.

The 'bang' sounded at the same time the car body suddenly rushed forward, the back seat where Kwon Taek Joo was sitting suddenly hovered in the air. That short moment seemed to be endless.

Time seemed to stop and Kwon Taek Joo's vision was suddenly turned upside down in the blink of an eye. His whole body kept hitting the car's body hard. Broken glass flew everywhere. The four wheels of the overturned car spin in the blink of an eye.

The whole area became quiet again. The two sides of the car collided with no movement other than the sound of the engine moaning.

How long has it been? A noise suddenly broke the lingering silence. Someone is trying to escape by kicking the door several times that has been completely deformed. It's Kwon Taek Joo. He was crawling out through the doorway.

"…Agh."

He tried to get up from the ground and then fell down again because his head was suddenly spinning. It seems that he hit the safety bar and was slightly shaken in the accident.

Kwon Taek Joo shook his head trying to regain his composure and then clung to the difficult body of the car to stand up. He looked at the driver's seat in front. It's completely quiet there. If the window is broken with blood like this, the driver will not be able to be safe. And the other car doesn't seem to have any significant movement either.

Kwon Taek Joo doesn't know how the situation is going in the end. What are the identities of those who suddenly appear and intend to kidnap Kwon Taek Joo or, more precisely, Hiro Sakamoto? What is this done for? Since they know Hiro Sakamoto's schedule and background, they are probably not an ordinary criminal group. Instead of saying that something is wrong with the Japanese company, it seems more reasonable to say that they have something to do with the Russian government or Gazprom by taking Japanese officials hostage.

But it is also unfair that Kwon Taek Joo himself is not the real Hiro Sakamoto but is being punished on his behalf. After all, why do you have to work like this as soon as you set foot in Russia?

Kwon Taek Joo shook his head and then turned to the back of the car with the intention of taking the luggage package. He was struggling to open the trunk of the car when an unpleasant sound came from behind.

"Raise your hand."

Kwon Taek Joo was reflexively startled. For a moment, the sound of loading the bullets rattling fell into his ear. If you move one more time, the trigger will be squeezed.

He raised his hand with a disgruntled face and silently followed the order to turn around. The face of the gunman appeared, making him shiver. His head was broken and the blood was flowing so it looked like he was in the other car. The man's gun looked very familiar. Apparently he was on Vasily's side.

How is it. While Kwon Taek Joo strained his brain to find a solution, the familiar Colt was lying at the feet of a man in his sight.

"Slowly go to this side, be wise and don't do nonsense."

The man's appearance was so pathetic that it was funny to hear such a threat from him. But Kwon Taek Joo still obediently followed the instructions. Either way, he couldn't kill Kwon Taek Joo because if he could, he would have done it right away.

As expected, the man did not show any intention to kill. Rather, he seemed worried about a situation where he had to open fire. Although he has a gun and is dominating, he becomes even more restless as the gap narrows.

It seems to be easier than Kwon Taek Joo thought. As soon as he flashed a ray of optimism, he was grabbed by the back of the neck.

"Take off your shirt. I don't know what else you're hiding inside."

Is there one more name? Kwon Taek Joo glanced back but it was a face he didn't recognise. He could only guess that he was the sniper just now based on the rifle he was holding. He shrugged and obediently took off his coat, leaving only his right sleeve.

Kwon Taek Joo pretended to pull his right arm out of his sleeve and suddenly pulled the entire jacket towards him with force. The sniper only held the shirt tightly with one hand out of balance for a moment because of the rifle. Kwon Taek Joo threw the jacket that had just jerked back at the man who was pointing a gun at him. When his vision was obscured by the flying shirt, the man panicked and pulled the trigger. During that time, Kwon Taek Joo clutched the sniper's rifle. He tried to keep the gun from being stolen, so he was pulled down.

"Hup!"

A bang sounded at the same time as the sniper groaned. When he shook off the coat that was covering his face, Kwon Taek Joo ran far away. Red blood came out of the sniper's body and fell to the ground with stray bullets. He trembled in anger and began to shoot frantically.

However, not a single bullet hit the target. The bullets ran out not long after and they chased Kwon Taek Joo with the rifle of the dead sniper.

Kwon Taek Joo just looked straight ahead and plugged in. The advantage point at this time is that the surroundings are as dark as ink, but the disadvantage is also it. There is almost no place to hide. If you run into a dead end, it will be even more dangerous.

Even when he ran, the pursuer continued to open fire. Most of the bullets fly away from Kwon Taek Joo just a short inch and leave a bullet wound on the building. Every time an alley appears, Kwon Taek Joo does not hesitate to rush in that direction. SDO. Another gunshot sounded, something shattered over his head. The incoming bullet probably broke the flower pot placed next to the window causing it to fall to the ground. Kwon Taek Joo shook his head and shook off the dirt and debris and turned into a small road that had just appeared. At that moment, a truck came out from there.

Kwon Taek Joo rolled over the bonnet to reduce the impact force. The four doors of the stopped car opened simultaneously. Armed men appeared from there, even the man who was chasing Kwon Taek Joo had just joined that group. The group exchanged a few words and suddenly pointed out their guns.

"…Damn it."

If one name is defeated, another name will appear, and if that name is removed, another name will run to. How long does it take for Kwon Taek Joo to repeat this? He slowly walked back and started running again. He ran to his life while swearing constantly.

After running for such a while, a large open space appeared in his field of vision. There is an abandoned building under construction. The building was left open with no front and back walls, but only a bare frame. Materials such as cement and steel frames are scattered everywhere.

No more time to weigh and measure. The only place Kwon Taek Joo can hide so far is there. He entered the building following a dusty staircase.

"Ha, ha, ha..."

Kwon Taek Joo climbed to the 4th floor and then vented the breath he had been holding back for a while. His heart beat so hard that it hurt him nauseous. He only had a thin shirt on him but he didn't even feel cold.

The group of people chasing Kwon Taek Joo gradually came under the building. Through one count, there are four names in total. What about the other guy?

Kwon Taek Joo gently walked closer to the wall right next to the stairs. He leaned his back against the wall and listened to the movement below. It seemed that someone was sneaking up to him. Kwon Taek Joo quietly took off his belt and held it with both hands.

Soon, the muzzle of a rifle protruded against the wall as he step by step climbed the stairs. Not missing that moment, Kwon Taek Joo threw the buckle of the belt horizontally. The belt unfolded wrapped around the barrel again due to the recoil and returned to Kwon Taek Joo's hand. He immediately grabbed it and pulled it hard.

Bang bang bang bang.

Bullets fired continuously from the rifle pointing upwards. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly dropped one side of the belt he was pulling and swung it to his best. The belt whipped the back of the man's hand like a whip. The man shouted violently and dropped the gun. Kwon Taek Joo kicked the rifle that had just fallen to the floor forward and wrapped his belt around the man's neck trying to pick it up. The strangled man struggled with his legs.

"…kkuuugh!"

Kwon Taek Joo put his strength into tightening the straps. The man's body trembled for a long time and then gradually relaxed. When Kwon Taek Joo relaxed his hand, the man fell down. He kicked him down and took a breath. So handle a name.

Just then, the downstairs has become noisy. It seems that the whole group of people rushed in after hearing the gunshots earlier. The gun is in a position facing the stairs. If he doesn't pick it up, Kwon Taek Joo won't be able to return the shot and he will become a hive. He could not subdue an armed group with his bare hands.

Kwon Taek Joo took another deep breath and quickly rolled to the other side. The whole group of people almost managed to climb the stairs when he picked up the rifle that fell on the floor. When facing Kwon Taek Joo from the front, they pointed their guns without hesitation.

But Kwon Taek Joo pulled the trigger first. Gunfire sounded one after another, two men fell down screaming in despair. The bullets fired from their guns accidentally hit the ceiling.

Kwon Taek Joo did not hesitate to throw away the rifle now with only the empty magazine and moved forward. That's it, 2 more names. He mentally calculated the number of names left and observed the movement below.

"…"

Suddenly he raised his head. Because something else immediately caught his attention. But as soon as Kwon Taek Joo looked back, no one was there. Why do you keep seeing meaningless things? Because he was too stressed, his breathing was also louder than usual.

All Kwon Taek Joo could think of was that he had seen something wrong. He didn't have time to be swayed by such a vague intuition. But he couldn't shake off that nasty sixth sense either.

"…"

Again. Kwon Taek Joo stood up and looked up at the opposite building. The distance is too far, so the image is not clear. He narrowed his eyes, but the big figure floating on the terrace quickly disappeared.

Kwon Taek Joo never believed in the devil. But it is also difficult to say that the image he just witnessed earlier is not such an existence, because humans cannot move like that.

Kwon Taek Joo was facing a series of questions that came to mind at the wrong time when a violent attack came from below. The incessant flying bullets turned the floor he had just stood on to dust. Kwon Taek Joo has a hard time avoiding bullets and looking for signs of enemies.

The other two drew up an attack plan. One jumped into the building and the other held up a gun and was ready. Kwon Taek Joo quickly looked around. He had to find a way to fight back the one who was about to attack him, but there was nowhere for him to hide and there was no suitable weapon in his sight.

At that moment, a sudden gunshot sounded from below. Kwon Taek Joo stopped and listened in the direction of the gunfire. For a moment, he heard a scream as if torn apart.

"AArrrghhhh!"

No, it's more like a roar. It's not very far, just somewhere just below. Kwon Taek Joo waited a bit but he didn't feel anything more. He looked outside the building to find out the situation. The man waiting outside was also looking around with a bewildered face, perhaps he was also surprised by the gunshots and screams. As soon as he discovered Kwon Taek Joo, he suddenly pulled the trigger.

He quickly turned around to dodge the incoming bullet. Kwon Taek Joo doesn't know what's going on. Soon even the man who was still outside walked into the building. Co. Co. Co. There was the sound of leisurely footsteps walking up the stairs. It's getting closer and bigger. In a moment it will go up to the 4th floor.

If that's the case, there's no choice but to end it. Kwon Taek Joo grabbed the button on the right and tore it apart. The button that fell had a long and thin rope sticking out with a small mechanical sound. It's a mini bomb. Kwon Taek Joo will overcome this crisis by throwing it.

He cut the rope, rolled the bomb and waited for the man just now to appear.

"...?"

But that man didn't show up for a long time. The surroundings are as quiet as if Kwon Taek Joo is the only one in the building. He couldn't even hear his breathing, let alone the sound of footsteps chasing him.

What happened? Or is he hiding somewhere and waiting for Kwon Taek Joo to take action first? He raised his head again and looked at the open ground. There is not a single human figure in sight. By this time, the questions about what is happening have reached their peak.

"…"

Suddenly something reached out right next to his face. Kwon Taek Joo accidentally looked in that direction, stiff and unable to move. What is being straightened out is a human arm. And the person dangling at the top of his arm was the man who rushed into the building earlier. Kwon Taek Joo can only recognise his identity based on the outfit he is wearing, because his face is being squeezed by that big hand. More precisely, the long and straight fingers are stuck in that man's eyeballs. The man who was pushed out of the building was almost floating because his fingers had pierced his eyes and caught in his eye socket. His legs trembled in the air.

"Ah a... ugh... Kugh..."

A strange moan came from the man's mouth. Kwon Taek Joo's eyebrows furrowed. His back was frozen. He didn't dare to turn his head to see who that monster-like hand was. It's not a matter of courage, it's a rejection of instinct. He didn't even dare to breathe.

The owner of the arm like a crane does not last the situation longer. He shook off the man hanging from his finger as if removing a hair stuck to his body. Without a bit of hesitation. The man just fell down. A rumble sounded from below the building.

Now all that's left is Kwon Taek Joo. No, there is also that unknown killer. He could tell without looking back that he was within the range that he could grab just by spreading his arms. His wet eyes glided along his spine like a hungry beast looking for prey. Kwon Taek Joo is convinced that the hidden existence he has seen since he was kidnapped is him.

Kwon Taek Joo closed his eyes and slowly opened them. He tried to regain his composure. Each of his temporarily frozen senses awakens. Meanwhile, the existence that he could not yet grasp finally began to exist. A shadow that was too high for himself. A pungent scent that paralyses the tip of the nose. It carries a characteristic cold energy source that can suppress any airflow.

Kwon Taek Joo clutched the quail in his hand. No matter how talented this killer is, he won't be safe when the bomb explodes. Because the distance from him is too close, if he is not lucky, his limbs will also fly away. But it's not something to worry about right now when his head may have flown away before under his hands. All Kwon Taek Joo has to do is make a surprise attack and insert a bomb into his eyes, nose or mouth. With that determination, he turned around.

But before Kwon Taek Joo could do anything, his hand holding the bomb was grabbed, followed by his vision suddenly turned upside down before his mind realised what was happening. The wind caused the bomb to slip out of his hand and fly away. Kwon Taek Joo closed his eyes tightly to anticipate the terrible pain but the explosion sounded from below the building. The heat skyrocketed. It was the moment his last fortress disappeared in vain.

Kwon Taek Joo's head comes into contact with the rough cement floor. The only thing that caught his eye was a long straight leg and crocodile leather shoes with a special pointed toe that he had seen in magazines. Its smooth appearance reminds him of the body of a crocodile, making it even more memorable. Its price is about 4 thousand dollars. A luxury not suitable for a murderer.

"It's dirty. Can you take it off a little?"

Those were his first words. His voice was not as deep as he thought, it seemed quite young.

But what is he asking Kwon Taek Joo to take off? The only thing that got dirty was his hand that had pierced other people's eyes. A vague idea flashed but he tried to ignore it. If even the other shirt was taken away, he would have frostbited to death before he was killed by this bastard.

But it seems that he is not very patient. When Kwon Taek Joo was still pretending not to notice, an object with a familiar texture touched his pressed head. It's a Colt.

"…Damn it."

Kwon Taek Joo swears and unbuttons his shirt. Since his right arm was grabbed by him, he could only use his left hand. And because it's a new shirt, even the button grooves are stiff, so it's quite difficult. When he was about to take off the second button, he grabbed the back of his shirt.

The shirt was torn apart immediately. The button popped out with a very strong force hitting Kwon Taek Joo's chin and cheek. Something cold replaced his hand and wrapped around his bent wrist. When he pulled out his hand, Kwon Taek Joo heard a creaking sound. It's a handcuff. The other cuff is fixed to a nearby iron bar. Only his head is still on the floor.

His shadow moved slowly. When that movement stopped, the shirt was stained with blood and body fluid fell to the floor.

Next, he took a deep breath and exhaled longer. It seems that he is smoking or something. With his breathing slowed down, the delicate scent emanating from him became even more intense.

It's not the usual nicotine odour. It's darker, deeper, and more spicy than that. Kwon Taek Joo can feel the moisture from that unique scent. What is it? Soon, something fell on his inverted vision. It's the head of a handmade cigar that's left over after smoking.

After the bastard smoked, he immediately turned around. Straight legs gradually left away. It seemed that he didn't intend to get his handcuffs back, so he just went downstairs. He is quite tall. It took Kwon Taek Joo a while to see the back of his head. That's all.

Only after the mysterious man's presence completely subsided was Kwon Taek Joo able to take a breath out. His whole body had no strength left. The body, which was stiffening, also fell down. When the assassin disappears, the cold back of the imagination also subsides and the coldness of reality begins to cut into the flesh. The wind hit his body, making even the goosebumps dare not rise, as if his skin was freezing and cracking. Shit. Kwon Taek Joo swallows down a swear and resentful lying flat on the floor.

Soon a rather familiar sound sounded in his ear. It is coming from a distance and getting closer.

It's the sound of a police car whistle.