The Fall Of House Farouk

Chapter 1 : A Shocking Reveal

Seoul, South Korea

The November chill is tolerable to say the least, here in the capital of the Republic of Korea, Seoul. Tourists and locals alike walked on the streets wearing heavy winter garments, their winter boots leaving heavy footprints in the snow. But security here is tight compared to a few days ago. The Vice President of the United States is visiting the nation on the occasion of strengthening ties between the two countries. 

Perched high on a rooftop overlooking a condo which itself overlooked the Gangnam District an assassin waited, studying the shot with the rifle perched on a tripod. She had been waiting for her intended target to make an appearance but so far... nothing. "I've slipped the blood-thinning agent into his drink, it should be acting in a few minutes." a male voice came through the earbud the assassin was wearing. "Are you sure that you want to take the shot?" he asked. 

"I am more than sure about this Murad." the assassin hissed in a low voice. "I have been training and waiting for this moment." 

"Suit yourself." said the man addressed as Murad. The assassin soon leaves the lens, looking at the streets below, studying the population in detail. A family of four walked out of a coffee shop, alongside their household pets. The father sipped a cup of the drink he bought, mostly coffee, and gently rubbed the top of the young girl's head in a loving manner. The assassin looked on as father and daughter walked side by side in great happiness while snow fell around them. The mother also displays a fondness for the little boy, helping him to drink from the cup and tying a checked scarf on his neck to keep him warm in the cold. "You remembered those happy days and memories we have." the man remarked. 

"Who wouldn't?" she asked. "Up to the point when he abandoned us, for Mama to die of a broken heart." 

"He deserved to die." Murad mused. "But my desire for vengeance doesn't burn as bright as yours Roxelana." 

"Do not forget Murad, I was born two minutes before you." the assassin Murad called Roxelana said. With that out of the way the assassin focused on the scope installed on the sniper rifle, watching for the target to show up. A pair of feet appeared within the range of the rifle scope, and soon, a middle-aged man appeared fully as the owner of the pair of feet. Slowly the man made his way to the armchair, sitting by the glass sliding doors separating the balcony and the indoor area. He sat down, lifting a porcelain white mug to his lips, drinking from it. "It doesn't seem to work, the blood-thinning medication." she said. 

"Well... we can wait and see." he said. Scoffing Roxelana continued to monitor their target through the scope. The man took a second sip from the mug but as soon as he got up the man clutched his chest, a sign of pain and fell back into the chair, breathing as he struggled to reach the phone. "Now." he said. Smiling to herself Roxelana pulled the trigger, firing the gun. A bullet exited the chamber, the shot barely suppressed by the suppressor attached, flying towards the glass door. The glass door was shattered and the bullet hit the man in the side of his head. Going limp the phone in his hands fell while the mug remained on the small table. 

With the job done Roxelana shouldered the sniper rifle and removed the tripod as well. Packing them into a knapsack she made her exit, through the door to the rooftop and down the wooden steps of the staircase leading her out of the apartment, just as police sirens were heard in the distance. "He's dead." Murad confirmed in the earpiece. 

"I shot him in the head. Can he even survive?" Roxelana asked, laughing coldly to herself. She climbed onto a black motorcycle and put on a helmet of the same colour, revving the engine to ensure that the motorcycle wasn't frozen solid. 

Incheon International Airport

Today's atmosphere in the airport lobby seems different, compared to the more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere she had experienced a few days prior when arriving in the country. Police officers patrolled the departure lobby, with their standard-issue assault rifles, some having patrol animals alongside them. A new addition to the South Korean Metropolitan Police force German Shepherds are now acting as attack dogs, and no doubt they are deployed to hunt for whoever murdered the 'unfortunate' Egyptian banker in his holiday home. A large LED screen was installed in the lobby beside the screens displaying the flight status of the planes parked here in the airport. The said screen is tuned into the local news channel, which is still running the story about the mysterious death of the Egyptian banker. "Seoul Metropolitan Police is committed to finding whoever has murdered the banker." the news anchor read out a statement from the police department, which the statement itself was displayed alongside the news anchor. 

The screen soon switched to the Yongsan Presidential Office, the new office of the President of the Republic of Korea. The President of South Korea stood behind the podium, ready to give a speech. The murder had no doubt caused diplomatic tension between the Korean and Egyptian governments in light of the man's death. Roxelana stood facing the screen, watching the news in complete silence as the president spoke. "It is a truly sad day for the family members of the deceased, but as all crime would be, we will bring whoever is behind the murder to justice." he said. 

The same screen also switched to, this time, the headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Police itself. Two young men roughly her age stood behind a podium too, with an information board. One of them stepped up to the podium and began to speak, identified as Senior Inspector Lucas Lee. "The suspect used an M82 Barrett sniper rifle to kill the victim, as indicated by the trajectory of the broken glass. We can deduce that the sniper is a professional, as indicated by the straightforward nature of the shot as it hits the victim in the head, and no other bullets were discovered on the crime scene." 

Roxelana didn't stay for long, as she turned to leave for her flight. She has no sympathy left after what she did, as her heart has turned cold after what he did to her and Murad. "You have abandoned us for your own gains Father." she whispered in Arabic. "And now you and your family will fall for your sins."