Chapter 27
“So are you sure there are not more than just Hyesung and his men?” Eric asked directly towards the nervous Junjin again. Junjin only nodded in return as they escalated towards Eric’s black SUV. Tony and Jae Won followed quickly as all of them got into the car and drove off towards the direction of the warehouse.
Junjin knew he’d risk Mary’s life even more now that he brought the cops. He thought it would be the best to do, since he knew he was going to get killed by the end of the day if he didn’t have some force of protection.
Jae Won flipped open his laptop and began searching for background information of Hyesung. His eyes stopped abruptly when it came across the listed names of Hyesung’s company and trade partners.
“Hey Eric, do you remember anybody by the name of Hwang Yun Suk?” Jae Won asked, chewing on his piece of gum.
“No,” Eric replied, keeping his eyes on the freeway.
“How about Hwang Hwanhee?” Jae Won asked again.
“Hwang Hwanhee? Hwang...Hwang...Oh, check under armed robberies in the past six years,” Eric quickly replied. He felt somehow that Jae Won’s research was leading somewhere. It did exactly that when Jae Won smiled and turned his laptop around to show Eric a picture of Hwanhee, with slightly long blonde hair and dark shades.
“Is this the man?” Jae Won crackled.
“That son of a bitch,” Eric muttered, not believing that he had been lied to.
“Is he a part of this too?” Tony directed his question towards Junjin, snapping him back into reality.
“I don’t know. I’ve seen that guy once at this one club, but that was it. He was fighting with Andy Lee.”
“Awah man, all the big ones are in this,” Eric chuckled miserably to himself.
“Is there something else you wanna tell us?” Tony asked Junjin, looking him squarely in the eye. Junjin knew it was either now or never. He might as well tell it now incase he gets killed later on. He swallowed the lump forming in the back of this throat and shifted a little in his seat across from Eric.
“I...I worked for Lee Mike,” Junjin started.
“We all know that,” Eric rolled his eyes impatiently.
Junjin ignored Eric and continued. “Well...Mike’s grandfather was the CEO of the banking securities that were handled in Seoul. His grandfather mysteriously died, but Mike believed he was murdered. There is a bank number code, and only Mike knows it. He gave me a copy of it, and that’s all I know. Andy Lee was one of Mike’s grandfather’s biggest rivals, so now he’s after me in order to get the number. Once whoever gets this number, they can unlock all security codes and transfer millions of dollars to their accounts and get away with it clean. It’s dirty, but clean in a way, because no files or records will ever trace back to the start of it all. That’s why everyone wants this number so badly.”
“So it’s all about the money huh?” Eric unwrapped a piece of chocolate bar and started chewing on it.
“What’s Hyesung in for? The same thing?” Tony asked.
“Hyesung is also after me for the same reason. I was the only one who was told where the number was, since Mike trusted me as his right-hand man. Hyesung kidnaped my girlfriend and threatened to kill her if I don’t bring him the number,” Junjin explained. He took a deep breath once he finished and looked at Eric for a response.
Eric swallowed the rest of his candy bar. “I saw that Hwanhee guy a few times with Mike’s widow. What’s her name? Oh yeah, Ji Yun. You think she has something to do with this?” Eric looked at Junjin.
“I don’t know,” Junjin replied as he turned his head back to the road.
“I think so. Mike’s death wasn’t an accident. His car brake line was cut. I think she planned to murder him in the first place with that Hwanhee guy. Great! This is just great. Now we have a witness, with evidence. I can finally put this Hyesung guy where he belongs, as well as Hwanhee and Ji Yun for the murder of Lee Mike. Damn, why didn’t you come to us earlier?” Eric looked at Junjin in a disappointed way. Junjin looked out the window quickly to avoid his gaze.
“What if I get killed today?” Junjin asked.
“Believe me, that Hyesung guy can’t do more than hurt a fly. Normally I wouldn’t take a witness to a crime scene like this, but you’ve waited long enough to the point when you are needed to be involved Mr. Park,” Eric laughed.
............
Ji Yun flipped open her cell phone and listened intensely if it was Hwanhee calling her. Her eyes were filled with worry and panic, as if somebody knew what they were doing.
“Hwanhee?”
“I got the girls. Ji Yun, come out to the old warehouse on 42nd street in a few minutes okay? I’ll see you there, sweetheart,” Hwanhee said before quickly hanging up.
Ji Yun stashed her phone into her purse and walked upstairs. The only noise in the house was the clock ticking as her footsteps clicked with the sound of her high heels. She reached her bedroom and took off her heels. Digging through her drawer in the dark, she pulled out a pair of black stockings.
Ji Yun started to put on her stockings when she thought she’d felt somebody walking around her. She quickly slipped on the other one and sat on her bed to strap on her black heels. The sound of a coin flip turned her attention towards the far distant wall, halfway covered by the dark.
“Who’s there?” Ji Yun’s voice echoed through the room and back to her. She stopped moving and stared at the dark figure in the shadow, his legs crossed over one the other as he leaned on the wall with his arms crossed.
“Hello?...” Ji Yun swallowed hard and began to feel paranoid. She closed her eyes and shook away the disturbing thought. It was nobody. Nobody at all. She was alone in that house. It was a little past dusk, and she was just probably paranoid because of all that was happening.
She opened her eyes and still the figure didn’t move. He lifted a hand and began to play with the silver coin that the small moonlight craving into the room reflected off. The light reflected off the coin and hit his face quickly. Her eyes widened with shock as she stood there frozen.
“Ji Yun...Ji Yun...” a familiar voice called to her. The voice was barely audible, but she could make out what he was saying, and she could make out who he was. Fear struck her down to her bones.
Mike’s eyes lifted to her as he smirked. The expression on his face was never clearer to her, that he was angry. He smiled, then took a step forward, coming more into view of the moonlight shining through the dim room.
“I loved you Ji Yun. I loved you more than my life. Why did you lie to me? Why did you pretend that you love me when all you really wanted was my money?” Mike asked, his voice smooth and alive. It was if she was staring at a real human. No. This was just her imagination. All her imagination.
She closed her eyes and quickly opened them again. He was still there. He flipped the coin one more time and caught it.
“M...Mike?...” Ji Yun could barely breathe.
“I’m glad you still remember my name, Mrs. Lee.”
Her eyes began to fill quickly with tears, but they didn’t drop. Her lips trembled as she felt her body beginning to weaken. She swallowed again and clenched her jaws. Could he be alive? Or was it just her mind playing tricks on her?
“Wh...who– what are you?” Ji Yun quickly asked, still in her stiff position.
“I’m the man that you married, remember? Your husband? Lee Mike?” Mike smiled. His smile was warm and full of life as he walked closer to her again. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand as he was only a few inches away from her face. Her mouth went dry and her body limped as she repeated in her mind that it was only her imagination. Mike is dead. The person standing in front of her was just an illusion.
“Mike...Mike....you’re....you’re alive?” Ji Yun gasped out with terrified eyes. He shook his head and lifted his finger to her chin. A tear drop escaped the corner of her eyes, but it wasn’t because she was happy to see him. She was terrified out of her skin to the point where she could barely move or make out her words. He touched her cheek, and wiped away the tear falling down her cheek. His touch was warm, his skin was still the same as if he was alive, and his scent was still there. She closed her eyes and quickly opened them again, blinking at him. Her hand touched his, on her cheek.
“Mike....I missed you so much...” Ji Yun hoarsely whispered out. Mike’s warm expression suddenly turned cold as he pulled his hand back and glared at her with a death glare.
“You are such a good liar, Ji Yun. You got me to believe that you were the person who I was going to spend my life with. I can’t believe what a fool I was,” Mike spat out harshly. Her tears choked her as she tried to talk.
“Mike....I...I...Hwanhee made me.” Ji Yun’s voice was as fake as her nails to Mike. He gave her a disgusted look as he moved back to seize up on her.
“Oh, he sure did. I’m sure he made you do a lot of other things.” His cold angry look suddenly stopped as his face went blank. She held her breath as she looked at him face to face. He bent lower till he was barely an inch across from her trembling lips.
“Don’t worry Ji Yun. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We’re going to be together forever, remember? I’m here to take you with me.” With his last statement, Ji Yun’s face went white. She knew then that he certainly had died, nor was his image an illusion.
“Take me where?” Ji Yun’s voice trembled the way she was trembling.
Mike paused for a moment. “To the Hell.”
No comments:
Post a Comment