anuary 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 (forty-three, same as me) muttered. "We're not paid enough for this."
"Then thank me for the overtime, partner. Pays your child support," I said.
"Don't joke about me being a divorcee, you bastard. You're divorced too." He grinned. "If there were any hot female officers here I'd be more excited, but look around — only ugly bastards."
"There might be," 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.
"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."
I 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 like ice. Then, softer: "Be careful, detectives."
She pressed the warrant into my hand and was gone.
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 uniform called. "Suspects just went inside."
"Go time," Choi said.
"It is indeed," I answered.
"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.
"I repeat — come out unarmed! We don't want anyone hurt!"
Silence.
Last chance, almost pleading.
"Last warning! Open peacefully and nobody gets hurt!"
Nothing.
He looked at me. I nodded.
"Breaching. Ears!"
BOOM.
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!"
Bullets ricocheted off shields. Screams, curses, "Dogs of capitalism!" — then sashimi knives flashed from the shadows.
We fought like animals. Baton against steel, empty shotgun swinging like a club.
When it ended, the floor was red ice and broken fish crates.
Prosecutors and NIS moved in to count bodies and crystal — four hundred kilos.
Then one of the "dead" rose, knife high, charging straight 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 the bastard, drove him into the ice and kneed his face until he stopped moving.
"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.
"Your shoulder… I'm so sorry. I was careless."
"I'm okay," I lied. "I've had worse."
The medic arrived.
"Not deep. Coat and vest took most of it. Twenty-five stitches, antibiotics, and a nice scar. Don't drink for at least a day."
Choi appeared, huge grin.
"Knight in shining armour, you cheeky bastard. Drinks on you tonight — you just saved all our wallets too!"
I flipped him off with my left hand while the whole team laughed in the freezing dark.