Fallen

Undone

The heavy tension in the air was palpable.

"Han Geu Ru, right?" A gnarled finger was extended in Eun Dong's direction, as the younger boy's eyes widened with what was feigned excitement. "You drive decently. Report for work from next Monday morning."

As fate would have it, the Cha family was seeking a new chauffeur to work for them on a part-time basis, which in turn led Geum Eun Dong and Pyo Chi Su to take this golden opportunity to apply for the position.

Reminding himself again and again that he was not to breathe a word, Eun Dong nodded excitedly, before starting a series of exaggerated bows to convey his gratitude.

A dismissive wave of a hand was taken by the young man as his cue to leave through the gates of the Cha residence, and that was what he did after another deep bow.

Everything was going to plan.

With their mission accomplished, now that the youngest in their group would be going undercover as a verbally-impaired part-time driver at the Cha residence, Pyo Chi Su, still under the guise of a job applicant, assumed a look of disappointment before turning to go.

Gwang Beom and Joo Meok, from what he last heard, had tailed Cha Sang Woo as the latter secretly traveled to Daegu at night, though he hadn't had the chance to meet them for updates.

If anything, the war veteran's instincts suggested Cha Sang Woo had some form of business dealings going on, as much as details remained scarce. Perhaps corruption, which was unfortunately only too common in post-war Korea.

"You."

The gruff voice barked from behind him, jerking him back from his thoughts.

Looking over his shoulder cautiously with narrowed eyes, Chi Su asked, "Yes?"

"You said you were from the North?" Cha Sang Woo's aide, going by the name of Shim, skulked forward to meet him squarely in the eyes.

The former Fifth Company soldier gave a non-committal nod, layering northern accent over his words. "Yeah. Is that why I wasn't picked for the job?"

"Listen, you can do better than the mute boy. I have a proposal for you. One that pays even better," Smirking, the burlier man drawled, his eyes taking on a sinister glint. "If you prove to be of help, that is."

Indeed, with each layer slowly peeled back, more and more disturbing hints are surfacing from cracks in the perfect facade constructed by Cha Sang Woo.

There was a lot more to this seemingly harmless bureaucrat, and Captain Ri's suspicions about this man were proving to be well-founded.

Adding a small stammer to his voice, indicating he was sharp enough to know what the Cha Sang Woo's aide was driving at, Chi Su replied, "...I'm just a regular personal hygiene store owner, sir, hoping to make some more cash to feed my dependents...I'm not sure how I can help—"

"Surely you can." Dropping his voice to a hushed whisper, not caring if the other party instinctively flinched from the heavy stench of tobacco on his breath, Shim continued, "You wrote on your application letter that you once served as a cleaner for a KPA Major General?"

"B-before I escaped to the south, yes..." The former soldier continued, still feigning fear in his voice. "But I don't speak of those days anymore, I try not seek the...Northern people actively...I should get goin—"

"Twenty hwan," Shim interrupted, quickly catching onto the deliberate hint of how this North Korean job applicant had the means to contact other North Koreans. "If you can answer this question."

Adding hints of reluctance to his face, Chi Su replied, "Please, I have to go—"

"Fifty hwan."

Assuming a defeated expression, the former soldier quietly asked, "What is it that you wish to know, sir?"