East

Chapter 14

Sora shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she stood in a dark doorway, across the road from the market. She swept the area between the two entrances to the market with her eyes. Which direction would Ye-Jin arrive from? Probably the south, she thought.  She scanned the road, back and forth, phone to her ear pretending to be making a phone call.

A message arrived. It was from Jung Rae-Won.

Hold position. NIS here.

At almost the same time, a bus passed and as her view cleared she saw Ye-Jin approaching from her right on the other side of the street. She was almost at Gate Seven. Sora looked back in the direction Ye-Jin had arrived from and spotted a car pull in behind a taxi and a man jump out from the passenger seat. The man moved quickly, hurrying to get round a crowd of people. He could not have stood out more if he had tried. Instinctively, Sora was already moving from her doorway and merged with the people crossing the road as she sent a reply.

Too late.

When she was half way across, the man was about ten meters behind Ye-Jin. When Sora reached the market side of the road, she waited for Ye-Jin to pass the fruit vendors, walked directly toward her and said, "Keep moving."

Ye-Jin was surprised, but kept walking. Sora turned abruptly to her right and stood waiting for the man. Too late he saw her standing in his path and suddenly realized who she was. He decided he was outnumbered and started to reach inside his jacket, but his hand did not make it to his gun. 

At the same moment that he made a promise to himself never to underestimate pretty girls, Sora's foot connected with the side of his head. He lost the ability to concentrate on anything other than the pain and barely felt his legs as they were swept away beneath him and he hit the ground.

Sora ran to Ye-Jin and grabbed her arm. "He has a partner, let's get off the street and out of sight."

Pulling Ye-Jin behind her, Sora led the way up some steps and in to a multi-story store. Inside they zigged and zagged until they found some stairs, then ran up them and tried to make themselves invisible amongst the people. Sora took off her jacket and stayed near the top of the stairs, ready to send anyone that followed back to the bottom.

Ye-Jin took a bundle out of her pack and handed it to Sora.

"This is your passport and some cash, in case we get separated. Do you have a spare battery for your phone?"

Sora nodded. "Yes, but let's try to stay together, okay?"

It was Ye-Jin's turn to nod.

Sora felt as though she was running completely on adrenaline. Was this what fifty cups of coffee felt like? 

Time to call for help.

"Rae-Won - - I stopped a man who was following Ye-Jin and we're hiding in a building next to Gate Seven - - Yes, I'm at the top of some stairs - - There was another agent in a car, just south of here - - we'll be ready."

***

Too late.

Jung Rae-Won started moving a little faster. He wanted to get there quickly, but he didn't want to run in to any more NIS agents if he could avoid it. And he couldn't be certain where Sora was now.

A call arrived from Sora.

"Yes - - inside? - - top of the stairs, okay. Was anyone with him? - - Stay where you are, I'll be there in two minutes. I'll make sure the area is clean outside, and then you can come out and we'll leave the area. Be ready."

Nearing the area around Gate Seven his scan spotted a black car abandoned at the edge of the road. He remembered the radio. Fishing it out of his pack, he inserted the ear-piece and adjusted the volume.

"...they went in to a store next to Gate Seven. My partner is down, but he'll be okay. This girl is dangerous."

Rae-Won smiled proudly.

"Wait outside and make sure they don't get past you if they try to leave. Use any force necessary."

His smile disappeared as he recognized the last voice as Ryu Ji-Mun. He looked around for the agent. There he was, at the bottom of the steps helping his partner to his feet. He dialed Sora. 

"Sora, I'm outside. There are two agents here and they have been authorized to use force, so be very careful. Are you both okay? - - Start making your way downstairs. I don't think any agents are inside with you, come to the door where you came in. Stay on the line and let me know when you are in position."

He looked over at the men, one standing with his gun drawn, the other rubbing his head. Sora told him they were ready.

"Count to ten slowly and come out, make your way to their car. Go."

Checking his own gun, he counted down slowly. When he saw Sora and Ye-Jin appear in the doorway, he started moving through the vendors toward the agents. 

The agents saw the girls at the same time and one raised his gun, while the other pulled his weapon from inside his jacket. The agents shouted commands at them. People saw the guns and started scattering. Soon the immediate area was deserted. Rae-Won continued moving, gun at the ready, while their attention was distracted.

"Raise your hands. Now!" he shouted at the agents.

Confused, they began to turn.

"Hands up!" he commanded.

When they saw his gun, one of them decided that Rae-Won was close enough that he was unlikely to miss and raised his hands. The other, still annoyed that Sora had taken him down, continued to move his gun toward Rae-Won. Rae-Won shot him in the leg before the gun was on him and moved his aim back to the other agent.

While the first agent was on the ground for the second time that day, Rae-Won motioned the other man away from his partner and walked over to put his foot on the gun still in the hand of the agent writhing on the ground in front of him. 

"Turn around," he instructed. "Don't be brave. Your partner will be okay and so will you, so turn around."

The agent turned. Rae-Won scooped up the gun from the ground and beckoned for the girls to come over. He handed the gun to Sora, then took the gun from the other agent.

"Please don't point that at anyone," he told Sora, who looked at the gun and nodded.

"On your knees," he told the agent, then, "On your face and give me your radio. Slowly."

Ye-Jin took the radio from the wounded man and turned it off. Rae-Won did the same with the other. Both radios went in to a backpack.

Kicking the agent gently in the ribs to get his attention, "Look after your partner. I don't know what they told you about us, but we haven't done anything wrong."

Rae-Won nodded in the direction of the car, still sitting with its doors open and engine running. They all turned to leave.

And at that moment their simple plan went off the rails.

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