Paint It Black - Jeongcheol

chapter 4

The chill of early morning air cut through them, as Seungcheol, Mingyu, Wonwoo, Seokmin and the rest of the Task Force stood outside, their breaths visible in the cold. The building loomed before them. Today, they weren't just on a routine patrol—they were about to crack a major drug ring wide open.

Three Days Earlier

Inside the dimly lit bar, Seungcheol, Mingyu, and Seokmin huddled in a shadowed booth. The air was thick with cigarette smoke, but their focus was sharp.

"We need to figure out what they're actually dealing," Seungcheol said, his eyes scanning the room like a hawk. "If we can grab a sample, we'll have concrete evidence."

Seokmin looked anxious. "How do we get in there without tipping them off?"

"Leave that to me," Seungcheol said, his gaze hardening, "I'll sneak in and snag a bottle. Mingyu, Seokmin, keep an eye on things and create a distraction if necessary."

Seungcheol made his way through the bar, his movements smooth and deliberate. The clinking of glasses and low chatter created a perfect cover. He reached the backroom entrance, where the noise was muffled. He crouched by the door, listening. When one of the men stepped out to answer a phone call, leaving the door slightly ajar, Seungcheol slid inside.

The backroom was a different world—dim, cluttered, and smelling of stale beer and cardboard. Seungcheol's flashlight barely cut through the gloom, but he quickly spotted the crate with the serpent emblem. He approached it silently, his heartbeat syncing with his careful steps. Lifting the lid, he reached for a small, unmarked bottle filled with a clear liquid. His fingers closed around it, and he tucked it into his jacket.

As he was about to leave, he overheard snippets of conversation from the men in the room. "We've got a big shipment coming in three days," one man said. "The warehouse will get most of the boxes then."

Seungcheol's heart raced. This was critical intel. He swiftly grabbed the bottle and made his way out, slipping back into the bar's lively noise.

Present Day

Back outside the bar, the team was ready. The bottle had been tested and confirmed—it contained a potent new drug. The task force was prepared to raid the bar and take down the operation.

"Time to get to work," Seungcheol said, his voice firm. The team moved as one, with Mingyu and Seokmin heading to cover the exits while Seungcheol and Wonwoo approached the backroom.

Seungcheol kicked the door open, and the room erupted in chaos. "Police! Hands up!" His shout was loud and clear.

The men inside scrambled, but the task force was quick and efficient. The team scanned for the serpent tattoos, identifying several of the captured suspects.

"Where's the warehouse?" Seungcheol demanded, his voice cold and commanding.

A burly man with a serpent tattoo up his forearm sneered, "You'll never find it. It's hidden."

Seungcheol's eyes narrowed, hardening like steel. "Tell us now, or you're going to regret it."

"Do your worse" The man glared.

A smirk spread across Seungcheol's face as he turned to Wonwoo, who was observing the scene with calmness. "How many did we catch here, Officer?"

Wonwoo's eyes moved methodically over the captured men as he began counting aloud. "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14—" He hesitated, his eyes landing on the man sprawled on the floor. "—15."

Seungcheol shook his head slowly, the smirk on his lips widening into a predatory grin. "I think you're mistaken. Seems like we only have fourteen." He removed the safety from his gun with a deliberate click and aimed it at the man's head, the metal glinting ominously under the dim light. "Count again."