THE RESTLESS AUTUMN (completed) (a full-length novel)

Barefoot in the Sand

Chapter 14

The ringing turned to a drone on the third try. The cigarette squeezed between his lips was decreasing with each puff. He blew clouds of smoke into the air and watched them disappear before his eyes. "Pick up the phone," he murmured as he checked the clock over his shoulder, realizing his five minutes was almost up. Four more rings, someone answered on the other end, "Who's this?"

"Tae-woo here."

"Location."

"Geum Dong."

"I'll get it done."

"Good. Make sure no one's spared."

"I will. I expect you to keep your promise, too."

"Everything's set. Consider it a done deal."

"Good. I know I can count on you."

"Watch it on the news then."

"I will."

Tae-woo hung up and saw the guard staring at him, suggesting they had overheard him. Tae-woo slipped a few bills into the guard's hand before heading back to his cell.

Eun-jung hurried down the stairs after being called from the packaging department. Someone was by the lobby paying her a visit. She narrowed down her guesses to her half-sister who had been bugging her for the payment of the house she'd sold. Bracing herself for another argument, she collected her thoughts intuitively. However, upon reaching ground floor, she found the lobby empty. The security informed her that the visitor had just stepped out. Eun-jung rushed through the exit, her temper starting to flare with the imminent confrontation. To her surprise, a man with a lean frame, tall and tanned, clad in a black business suit, was staring at her a few feet away. He looked familiar yet she couldn't remember when and where she had seen him. He bowed as soon as their eyes met.

"Cho Eun-jung ssi?"

She nodded slightly. "Do I know you?"

"My name is Lee Ji-heon."  

Eun-jung looked down, her pulse racing at an abnormal rate. A memory led her to a courtroom six years ago where her husband, Tae-woo along with several other accused, were personally identified by the kidnap victim. It was the first and only appearance of the young Lee, lanky and brooding, barely out of his teens.

"I'd like to have a few minutes of your time, if you don't mind," Ji-heon said as he walked toward her.

Eun-jung stepped back and asked, "What-do you want from me?"

He stopped. Gently, Ji-heon asked, "What is your relation to Shin Tae-woo ssi?"

"What do you want from him?" Eun-jung looked up as she carefully calculated where this conversation would lead her to.

"I need your help."

"I don't know him."

"I've seen you visit him in his cell."

"I've never been to any place like that."

"Then why be scared if you don't know him?"

Eun-jung was stifled. He was right. She looked and sounded scared. Maybe she was even more scared because the man could easily see through her. "He's my-spouse."

Ji-heon stepped forward and said, "Then you must know where Shin Euna is."

"I-I don't know where she is," she quickly said, looking away from his face, her tone in an obvious restraint.   

"Please tell me. I need to talk to her."

"I don't know where she is."

"You know what I came here for, don't you?"