CODENAME: ANASTASIA

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: 1.9 – New mission – Why don't you take it off?



Kwon Taek Joo immediately threw the card and ran towards the door. He didn't have time to judge the situation, but could only grind his teeth and use all his strength to jump up.

The moment his fingertips touched the doorknob, the air stopped for a moment with a loud bang. Kwon Taek Joo's body was pushed into the next wall. Shortly thereafter, the floor where he was standing suddenly collapsed. The front window of the room was broken by the force of explosion, the furniture in the room was destroyed. The ceiling began to shake and alarm bells began to ring loudly throughout the hotel.

People staying in the hotel stopped all activities immediately. Kwon Taek Joo rolled his eyes to see what happened.

'Aaaahhh!'

'Aaaaaahhh!'

Almost everyone thinks of 'terrorism' at the same time and then no one tells anyone, they fly away and run away. The voices of employees trying to reassure customers were completely drowned out by screams coming from all over. Large and small collisions occur when they all run towards the narrow emergency exit. They don't hesitate to push or knock someone down to get out first. A person who was plunging down the stairs fell, the followers jumped over or stepped on the person. If there is an extreme fear that paralyses reason, an earthly hell, it is that place.

The situation eased after the firefighters were mobilised. After the fire extinguishing work was completed, a fully equipped explosive removal team was brought in. Reporters running to are reporting on the atmosphere of the scene in a high voice. The number of people injured was huge compared to the scale of the explosion. Most injuries occur during evacuation rather than direct trauma. The ambulance ran continuously carrying patients non-stop.

In the midst of that chaos, there was a man who was confronting medical staff. The most seriously injured man was none other than Kwon Taek Joo.

"Now I'm so shocked that I don't feel pain anymore. When you wake up later, you will regret it. Because of the head injury, it is best for him to go to the hospital immediately for a CT scan. 'Quickly lie down.'"

The lifeguard looked down at the stretcher and raised his voice. No matter how many times he denied that he was okay, it didn't help, Kwon Taek Joo sighed tiredly.

"Okay, I can take care of myself. Please take care of other patients now."

"I also want to overlook for a stubborn person like you, but because of principles I can't. Are you responsible if something goes wrong and my paycheque is cut?"

"Because of the bleeding, it's just like that, but the wound is not very serious."

'Let the doctors evaluate that problem.'

It's crazy. Kwon Taek Joo said that he was fine not empty words. His forehead was slightly torn, so he bleed. It is enough to sterilise that area and bandage it. Sutures may be required to stop the bleeding, but at most only a few needles, so there will be no problem if the treatment is slightly delayed. But the paramedics in front of him remained adamant. Who is stubborn after all?

Kwon Taek Joo scratched his head with an annoyed expression. His left chin seemed unnatural because the artificial skin around it had been peeled off by the force of the explosion. The paramedic did not ignore the scene.

"Is that place also injured? Let's see."

He shook off the approaching paramedic's hand. The emergency personnel's eyes widened to that backlash. He was not angry because he was hit on the back of his hand, but his face only became one step more serious. He now seems sure that Kwon Taek Joo's mental state has been affected by the shock after the accident. He nodded as if he understood everything and gently rubbed Kwon Taek Joo's back and winked at his colleagues. A member of the crew who watched the two's long argument ran to them. Both sides held Kwon Taek Joo's hand and urged him to lie down on the stretcher. Swears poured out. It's a pity to receive the gift of a bomb in the early morning without feeling uncomfortable.

If you are dragged away like this, people will find out that Kwon Taek Joo is not Hiro Sakamoto. There must have been police officers on duty at the hospital and if the disguise was discovered in such a place, it would be annoying to just imagine. Absolutely can't be like that.

"I'm really okay. Look. I'm still normal."

Kwon Taek Joo shows off his energetic steps but the paramedics don't even pretend to listen. They just smiled and said 'Okay, let's walk like that in front of the doctor.' Kwon Taek Joo just did that. Go crazy. There were so many eyes looking that he couldn't knock them out.

Kwon Taek Joo was helplessly dragged away and then suddenly stared at the people watching. He seemed to see a familiar face in the middle of a noisy crowd. Suddenly Kwon Taek Joo's eyes turned to him, and the person watching him quickly disappeared. Really a suspicious gesture.

Kwon Taek Joo changed his mind and obediently followed the request of the paramedics. As he walked towards the ambulance on his own, his gaze fixed on him seemed clearer. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly turned to that side, once again that man disappeared after the crowd. His heart beat when he saw that face.

It's him. Psych Bogdanov, the famous man who is a madman in this country and he has been repeatedly warned not to face him as much as possible. Kwon Taek Joo was astonished for a moment, then a question began to form in his mind. Why is he here? Why after all? Or did he just happen to pass by this area at this time? No, that's too absurd. The theory that the perpetrator always appears at the crime scene is even more convincing. It's not surprising if he does. He just wondered why that was the case. Has your identity been revealed?

Kwon Taek Joo continued to think about this and that and then came to the conclusion that he had to leave this place. All of his belongings, including the Colt, were blown away by the explosion. Even if he collided with Psych, now was not the time. No matter how crazy he is, he won't be able to do anything in broad daylight, so it's best for him to quietly go to the hospital and escape at the right time. Kwon Taek Joo calculated everything and then climbed into the ambulance.

Psych Bogdanov suddenly approaches Kwon Taek Joo. The flexible man jostling in the crowd suddenly wore a white robe, which looked exactly like the uniform of the paramedics. He put a white mask on his nose and went to the driver's seat of the ambulance without hesitation. If everything continues as it is, it is clear that Kwon Taek Joo will have to share a car with him. Dangerous. His instincts kept alarming every time in his head.

Kwon Taek Joo suddenly pushed the medical staff and jumped out of the car.

"Hey!"

The paramedic shouted. Psych Bogdanov stepped out of the driver's seat on the road when he heard an uproar. Kwon Taek Joo glued his eyes to him and slowly stepped back. He also strode towards him with a fierce face. The two eyes above the mask lit up.

Kwon Taek Joo bit his molars and ran towards the crowd. He violently crossed the crowd of people there, causing angry screams to resound everywhere. That is also Kwon Taek Joo's plot. In the current situation, it is safer to receive more glances. Perhaps because he was aware of the attention of those around him, Psych Bogdanov could not quickly chase him anymore. He hesitated for a while and then disappeared in a different direction.

Kwon Taek Joo quickly left the area around the hotel and entered the main street. The crazy guy must have grasped the entire geography of the area so he had to go as far as possible.

He moved forward for a while when suddenly a shrill engine sounded from behind. As he turned his head, a Jeep was quickly coming. The front glass was stained too thickly to see clearly inside, but one thing was clear that a man in a white robe, who appeared to be Psych Bogdanov, was sitting in the passenger seat.

Kwon Taek Joo muttered and swore and immediately turned to go into a narrow alley that cars could not enter. The Jeep that was gaining momentum rushing straight at him stopped at the end of the alley. The back seat door opened, a man in black clothes from head to toe walked down. After Bogdanov's nod, the man who tossed his lap began to chase Kwon Taek Joo. Meanwhile, the Jeep disappeared along the main road. Their plan was to chase him from behind and block him from the front.

Kwon Taek Joo frantically ran away and kept thinking. Why did Psych Bogdanov target him? Unless his identity is discovered, his target will be Hiro Sakamoto. Is that guy also not satisfied with the Russia-Japan agreement?

No matter how he tried to speculate, it was still very difficult to understand. If they want to influence by taking the contracting party hostage, it is better to kidnap another member of the delegation of higher value than Hiro Sakamoto. On the first day of entry, the only contract officer worthy of being kidnapped was Hiro Sakamoto, but now the situation is different.

So in the end the person he wants to catch is not Hiro Sakamoto but Kwon Taek Joo? Why after all? Doubts continued to spread but could not come to any conclusions.

Kwon Taek Joo raised his head to look around. He could see a spiral staircase leading out of the front building. To avoid getting your head into the gabion, you may need to climb the stairs to the terrace or climb the railing to the next building. He visualised the path to move in his mind and decided.

But the pursuers did not easily let go of him. A bullet flew in from behind, grazing Kwon Taek Joo and scratching the wall outside the building. As if reading his plan, a series of shots shot out around the stairs. He tried to climb the ventilation hole of the building next door but they also shot at it.

'...Damn it!'

Kwon Taek Joo gritted his teeth while running away while being annoyed. The man also persisted in the chase. Even if he ran until his lungs beat so hard that they hurt, there was no way out in front of him. How the hell could this country be so quiet when gunshots sounded right on the side of such a big road in broad daylight? Kwon Taek Joo criticised the laziness of the Russian police and then changed course. The road is just wide enough for one person to pass in line with the road next to the riverbank. He was unable to anticipate the current chase, but it was good to know the condition of the roads.

A large stretch of highway appeared in the sight shaken by his run. There are quite a few cars passing by. Just like this a little more, a little more. Kwon Taek Joo strides bigger steps and speeds up. Since he arrived in Russia, it seems that he has just run around with no plans at all.

It's time for Kwon Taek Joo to leave the narrow alley and enter the main road. A car suddenly stopped and blocked his way. It was Psych Bogdanov's Jeep that he saw a while ago. Behind him are the juniors who are still closing the gap.

Kwon Taek Joo pushed the open driver's door. The driver who was trying to come out was hit by a crash. He took advantage of that moment and flexibly jumped over the bonnet. At that moment the passenger seat door opened. Kwon Taek Joo hit it straight there, so he couldn't keep his balance and stumbled. He rolled over to the next lane but the situation only got worse.

A motorcycle is speeding in the lane. When the driver saw Kwon Taek Joo suddenly appear in the middle of the road, he hurriedly braked. But the distance between them is too short to stop. Kwon Taek Joo didn't even have the strength to get up. He reflexively bent down. A long flash of light appeared as the front wheel of the motorcycle trying to stop suddenly rubbed against the road surface. Psych Bogdanov's group of people who were chasing Kwon Taek Joo until now also closed their eyes tightly, as if they also felt the worst situation.

A loud noise sounded as if to tear up the space. Screee, the sound of friction continuously sounded. For a moment, the background noise disappeared, but the expected shock did not occur.

'...?'

Kwon Taek Joo slowly opened his eyes. The rear wheel of the motorcycle that had just stopped was spinning right in front of his nose. The rear of the car that hit the head of the Jeep that was suddenly lifted after the collision. That vacuum moment was strangely long.

Kwon Taek Joo hurriedly stepped aside. It's a move based entirely on survival instinct. The tail of the motorcycle that had just been lifted for a while fell with a loud rumble. If he had moved a little late, Kwon Taek Joo's head would have been smashed by the rear wheel.

After dying and coming back to life, Kwon Taek Joo felt relieved. His eyelids blinked incessantly. His sweaty body suddenly paralysed. How many times has your life been threatened since this morning?

Someone grabbed Kwon Taek Joo who was lying down and picked him up. He is a subordinate of Psych Bogdanov. The madman Bogdanov even grabbed Kwon Taek Joo's other arm. He looked around and muttered.

"Stop making noise, get in the car obediently."

A fist suddenly hit Kwon Taek Joo's stomach. His stomach rolled up at the same time with his strength decreasing without any resistance. The group recklessly put Kwon Taek Joo helplessly in the back seat. Psych Bogdanov sat next to him. All the doors of the Jeep closed one after another and the car rolled down the road like nothing had happened. There are still no sirens, let alone the police.

What a kidnapping paradise. Even when Kwon Taek Joo was stunned, he still laughed unreasonably. How will it be now? Will you die like Morgan, cut off all 10 fingers and drowned in the water? It's an ending that Kwon Taek Joo never thought of before.

Zhenya, where is that motherfucker in this desperate moment? That's when Kwon Taek Joo suddenly remembered something he had long forgotten. The sound of the propeller spinning rang out from a distance.

"It's him!"

The man sitting in the passenger seat shouted. Kwon Taek Joo rolled his eyes and looked out the window. A helicopter is flying in the sky opposite the Jeep. A man was sitting stretching his long straight legs out of the helicopter. That silhouette is still vague, but it's definitely Zhenya.

The man in the passenger seat immediately opened the window and started shooting. Meanwhile, Psych Bogdanov reached under the back seat. The object he hurriedly took out hit Kwon Taek Joo's heel. It's a Bazooka.

"Open the door."

The rear seat window was lowered at his command. He took the entire upper body out the window and aimed directly at the helicopter. If hit directly, it will explode.

Kwon Taek Joo flew into Bogdanov but could not stop him, because the man sitting in the passenger seat had his gun at his temple. Kwon Taek Joo had no choice but to raise his hand and step back. Shortly thereafter, the Bazooka was fired with a loud explosion. That collision caused the moving car to sway from side to side.

The helicopter quickly increased in altitude to avoid oncoming shells. Bullets grazed the tail of the helicopter, tore through the air and crashed into a building. One side of the wall of the building was destroyed as if hit by a mace. As if waiting, the helicopter also began the violent attack. Zhenya used the machine gun he had been wearing so far and fired mercilessly.

Along with Psych Bogdanov, Kwon Taek Joo bowed deeply. The driver helplessly held the steering wheel while the body of the car was now no different from a beehive.

The driver tilted and the steering wheel was also skewed. The body of the car is suddenly tilted to the side. The man in the passenger seat suffered a gunshot wound and groaned and quickly grabbed the steering wheel, but the car hit the railing and fell into the river.

Kwon Taek Joo didn't even have time to scream. His vision suddenly reversed. The sound of the escaping air can be heard from all directions. Cold water purged into his nose and ears at the same time. During the gunfight, river water flooded through torn windows. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly lost his breath but he quickly regained his composure and waited quietly around. After a while, his breathing stabilised again.

Psych Bogdanov also lost consciousness. Kwon Taek Joo glanced at him and then slowly swam out through the open window because it was the only suitable way out.

It was then. Another shot was fired from the water. Kwon Taek Joo stepped back and hid inside the car body. He couldn't be sure because the eardrum was closed but it looked like the helicopter had landed right on the water. The water surface is violently rippled by the wind from the propeller. At the same time, his breathing began to stabilise again.

Not only that, the bullets also continued to pour down like rain. The body of the driver and the man sitting in the passenger seat who had stopped breathing was pierced and moved helplessly. Kwon Taek Joo's vision fades as blood spills out like ink on the water. He didn't help anyway. Don't Zhenya know that Kwon Taek Joo himself is still in the car? His gun is being fired with the aura of not allowing any creature to survive.

This madman has no limits.

The disgruntled Kwon Taek Joo narrowly avoided the incoming bullets. While waiting for the gunfire to stop, he gradually lost his breath. His lungs, which were not oxygenated, were pounding as if they were about to explode. If you don't rise to the surface right away, Kwon Taek Joo will suffocate before being shot dead. At that moment, the violent gunfire stopped. The shadows on the water stopped as if just to check on the situation and it seemed that the attack was not over.

Kwon Taek Joo kicks his foot to swim out the window. He is only about 3 or 4 metres from the water. He had to move forward before Zhenya opened fire again. Kwon Taek Joo gritted his teeth across the water. Suddenly his body was bouncing when he was suddenly pulled down. From below, Psych Bogdanov was grabbing his ankle. The madman's face stared at Kwon Taek Joo and then he frowned. Surely he could not avoid the bullet, red blood oozing from his left arm.

Kwon Taek Joo mercilessly kicked him in the face. The hand used to prevent the continuous kick from starting to leave. But that's not the end. He grabbed Kwon Taek Joo's collar again and then let go desperately, as if he didn't want to die alone.

Kwon Taek Joo swings his fist at Psych Bogdanov. While he was hesitating to avoid, he immediately wrapped him around his neck and pulled him back. His whole body struggled as he tried to squeeze his neck. The bullet wound lost a lot of blood that made him unable to use much strength because even breathing at this time was difficult. Kwon Taek Joo himself is not in a very comfortable condition. Psych Bogdanov tried to resist scratching his arm and twisting the protester, then just starting to twitch and straighten his limbs down. Kwon Taek Joo waited a few more seconds before releasing him.

The huge body that had already stopped moving slowly fell. He watched his white face gradually sink and then kick the water up.

As soon as Kwon Taek Joo floated to the surface, his whole body seemed to swell. The breath he had to suppress for a while suddenly burst out. His lungs kept inhaling the cold air, causing his chest and airways to become sore. His eyes widened.

It took a while for Kwon Taek Joo to realise the terrible cold. The mouth that was open so that breathing began to hit each other. He had to get out of the water right away, but his limbs were weakened after the last struggle. All he could do now was relax his whole body and rise. Suddenly someone suddenly grabbed Kwon Taek Joo's neck and pulled him out.

"Hugh, kugh."

He vomited a lot of water accumulated in his lungs. He coughed for so long that his throat ached and his mind was spinning. The stomach hit by Bogdanov also ached. Kwon Taek Joo sat down to hug his stomach with his upper body leaning forward. His eyelids twitched. Then a pair of long straight legs appeared in front of him. Kwon Taek Joo slowly looked up, from the pointed toe of his grinning face. It's Zhenya.

"So you're alive?"

"Thanks to you, I almost died."

He coughed again and gritted his teeth.

"Who is that guy?"

"He just cling to me like a water ghost, so I'll let him go to hell."

Zhenya muttered "That's pretty good". Kwon Taek Joo glared at him and stood up. Water from his body flowed down the net. Wet skin quickly freezes from the outside. The function of his water-intressed lungs deteriorated, even though he had inhaled as much air as possible, he was constantly short of breath. Maybe you need to warm up as quickly as you can.

Kwon Taek Joo tried to go somewhere when Zhenya suddenly blocked his way.

"That looks pretty weird."

"What?"

Zhenya patted his cheek. Kwon Taek Joo unconsciously touched his hand on his face. The artificial skin was torn due to the explosion and the car accident earlier. He sighed and touched the flaky skin. Zhenya's eyes followed Kwon Taek Joo's gently moving fingers. Although he said it looked quite strange, in reality, he seemed more curious about how to skin others would be.

Kwon Taek Joo pretended not to know Zhenya's interest and then tiredly walked away. "He followed leisurely and said, "Why don't you take it off?'."Kwon Taek Joo can't even laugh at his silly curiosity.

He ignored him and went to the main road, the wind from across the river hit his whole body coldly. The two teeth began to collide again. I don't know when he glanced at Zhenya wearing a thick fur coat standing next to him. Kwon Taek Joo watched him tremblingly, but he just looked at him with a calm face, as if asking why he looked like that. He couldn't show his generosity to take off his coat to a colleague, who wouldn't be surprised if he is starved to death here right away.

Kwon Taek Joo quickly gave up and waved to the oncoming taxi. The taxi slowly stopped and suddenly accelerated and passed him. Is he worried the chair will get dirty? Or perhaps he was surprised by the pathetic appearance of the passenger?

There were three or four cars that went through like that. Every time Kwon Taek Joo couldn't catch a taxi, Zhenya laughed. Although he didn't expect him to help, he was not satisfied with his attitude. His fingertips and toes also gradually lost their sensation.

"It's because of that anyway."

Zhenya had been watching for a while now began to tease him. Kwon Taek Joo looked at him uncomfortably, Zhenya touched his cheek with his fingertips again "Is it necessary to be so stubborn?", he said. Nothing special. No, it was so cold that he didn't have time to think.

Zhenya's attention made Kwon Taek Joo also start to worry. He tried to touch the skin swaying in the wind. Suddenly something flew close to his face. Kwon Taek Joo reflexively stepped back and hit the thing that was approaching. Zhenya's hand reaching out in front of Kwon Taek Joo stopped in mid-air. In the moment, the eyes of the two met. Zhenya no longer had the same sarcastic expression as before. His eyes narrowed slightly with a strange excitement.

"Why are you avoiding it?"

"Why do you keep going so?"

Kwon Taek Joo responded displeasedly but Zhenya didn't bother and reached out again. "Don't do that."he said and grabbed his wrist to stop him, his head also falling back. But the next moment, Zhenya's other hand rushed over and grabbed his chin.

'.....!'

The torn skin was torn off before he could protest. The entire irritated area of the skin on the surface is tingling. His eyebrows furrowed because of that severe pain. Kwon Taek Joo cursed while opening his eyes that were already closed for a while. Zhenya stood right in front, looking as if he was facing something very strange. The transparent eyes slowly rolled over and examined every line of Kwon Taek Joo's face. The bastard stared at his face and quickly passed his whole body and looked back at his face.

He showed a meaningless smile. His reaction to Kwon Taek Joo was even more surprising. If it were your real face, he would have seen it in the photo. Of course, the people in the photo and in real life may be different, and because they are used to the impression of Hiro Sakamoto, Kwon Taek Joo's real appearance may not be familiar to him. Is it worth watching so intently though?

Kwon Taek Joo was observed from head to toe, but for some reason he felt like he was standing in front of Zhenya without any cloth covering his body. Not only nudity but also the thoughts and feelings contained in it are also revealed. He was uncomfortable because he felt threatened.

Suddenly Zhenya's lips moved. The voice was not heard clearly, but it seemed that he was saying "This is more like it..."

A sharp wind blew again. Kwon Taek Joo squeezed Zhenya's hand on his shoulder and he quickly recognised the action and shook his hand away.

Kwon Taek Joo turned around and was about to hitchhike. But there is no kind person who can help a suspicious foreigner who is getting wet. Countless vehicles kept passing him coldly.

When Kwon Taek Joo no longer felt cold, something touched his shoulder. He turned his head and saw a glossy card. Zhenya was holding it between his thumb and forefinger and tapping Kwon Taek Joo's shoulder.

"What is it?"

"In the future, I don't know if there will be more supervision or search, so please dig a cave and hide carefully."

"Cave?"

It seems that he heard strange words. Does the word 'cave' in Russian have another meaning that Kwon Taek Joo himself does not know? For example, 'tiger cave' or 'wolf cave'...

*Actually 'rabbit cave' 

Suddenly a strange bell rang. It seems to be Zhenya's phone. 'He checked the caller and took the call and asked "What's wrong?".' The voice is a little different from usual. It's not friendly or kind, but colder and drier than that. The tone was so deep that it was like a completely different person.

"I know. I'm coming right away."

He only listened to the opponent's one-way story and quickly ended the call. Kwon Taek Joo looked blankly at Zhenya. Since he was a colleague, he thought he would tell him who he had just talked to and what to discuss. But Zhenya waved his hand to the street without saying a word.

Soon a taxi stopped in front of him. Before Kwon Taek Joo could ask where he was going, Zhenya sat in the back seat and closed the door and just left.

Kwon Taek Joo stood there bewildered. Wet clothes are frozen and would have gotten worse when not wearing them. Kwon Taek Joo hand holding the card flushed and trembled. He didn't know where to go for safety. He couldn't even guess where this was. The taxis were still going quickly and none of them intended to carry Kwon Taek Joo.

The winter wind in Moscow blew again. Now he didn't even have the strength to shrink anymore. He vaguely watched the cars speed past with his stomachs. Come to think of it, he hasn't had breakfast yet. What movie is it. Kwon Taek Joo suddenly felt sad because he looked like a beggar a thousand miles away.


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