It was the perfect time for a drug deal.

It was late at night. There was no wind, and the air was dry and stale. Soft moonlight spilled through the large, rusty doors, illuminating the four figures standing in the middle of the empty warehouse. They were like statues, they stood so still. A white van was parked beside them, silent and idle. Nearby, a cricket chirped its song, oblivious as to what was taking place.

Then, a faint sound: the sound of an engine, coming up from the distance and growing steadily louder. The twin headlights of the approaching van seared into the darkness, bathing the four figures in blinding light. They squinted as the sudden brightness pierced their eyes, but they did not flinch. The graffit-riddled van came to a rolling stop a couple yards in front of them, and its occupants climbed out, slamming the doors closed with a rusty clang!

The seven newcomers didn’t need to introduce themselves to be  identified. Their posture, their outfits, but most of all, the patterned midnight blue bandanas tied to their arms easily marked them as members of a street gang. Without a word, they approached the four waiting figures.

“Is the mic in place, J?”

“Ready and recording, S.”

Their leader, his bandana bordered in red, stepped forward.

“Where's the drugs?” he slurred harshly.

The appointed leader of the other party replied took a step forward as well, casually folding his hands in front of him. He was tall, not too broad nor too slim. His face was clean-shaven, his black hair shaved to a buzz cut. He was dressed in a simple black business suit. His three companions wore similar attire, giving them a uniform look.

“Do you have the money?” he asked easily.

The gang leader scoffed. “Not until we see the cargo. No dope, no money.”

Without missing a beat, the man evenly shot back, “No money, no dope. It’s your choice.”

The gang leader hesitated. “How do we know you ain’t pulling our leg?”

“Have you ever known KAHY to be unfaithful to our word?” the suited man challenged, a small smirk on his face.

“Audio evidence acquired. Target identified.”

The gang leader hesitated. He barked a short order to one of his fellow members. The one nearest the van opened the doors and leaned inside, taking out a black duffel bag. He handed it to his leader, who threw it contemptuously at the suited man’s feet. One of the man’s companions knelt, but was cut off before he could open the bag.

“Don’t bother,” the gang leader said. “It’s all there.”

The suited man stared at him evenly.“How do we know you’re not fooling us?”

“Have you ever known us to be unfaithful to our word?” he retorted, mocking the man’s haughty tone. “Now hand us the snop.”

The man made a motion with his hand, not taking his eyes off the gang. One of his companions turned and loped over to the black van, fishing out a pair of keys.

“You ready, J?”

“I’ve got you covered, S.”

“Alright. Engaging in three... two...”

The man turned the key, unlocking the backdoor to the van with a sharp click.

“...One.”

A shot, hard and crisp, rang throughout the empty warehouse. With a gurgled cry, the man fell, his blood splattering against the white car paint. The gang leader whirled on the other leader. “You set us up, you bastard!” he shouted furiously.

“Who’s there?” the man yelled into the darkness, whipping out his gun from his belt holster. He fired six shots in succession into the shadows. For a second, there was no response, and the man smirked triumphantly.

And then they were bombarded from above. Bullets ricocheted off the van, nicking the white paint. Yells rang out in the air, mixing amongst the sharp crack of gunshots. The person on the suited man’s right screamed and fell to his knees as a bullet tore through his shoulder. The gang member on the farthest right went down without a sound.

The gang leader yelped. “Back to the van, back to the van!”

They ran back to the safety of their van, covering their heads in a futile attempt of protection. Another two went down before the last gang member piled into the car. They backed out of the warehouse and frantically sped away, tires screeching on the concrete in their haste.

The man looked on in horror as his last comrade fell, clutching the bloody hole in his stomach. He whirled around, gun at the ready. “Why do you hide yourself, huh?” he shouted. “Come on, fight me like a man!”

There was silence.

Then, a cool voice rang, “What if I’m not a man?”

The man whirled, then froze in bewilderment as a figure walked out of the shadows. It was a young woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties. She was of average height, slim, and toned. She wore her long black hair back in a neat ponytail, baring plain but not unattractive features. Her expression was as cold as the Glock 22 she aimed at the man.

As the man fumbled to raise his gun, her lip curled in distaste and she said, “Don’t bother. You fired six rounds earlier. Your cartridge is empty.”

The man sneered. “What would you know? You’re just a mere girl.”

The small smile that touched her face didn't reach her eyes as she held up a small silver badge. “Well, this ‘mere girl’ arrests you on behalf of the NIS for attempts to conduct a drug deal, assault on a federal agent, and involvement with a criminal organization.”

The man’s jaw dropped. “Y-you’re-”

She walked forward, pointing her gun just five inches away from his face. “Who do you work for?”

The man began to reply, “Like I would tell y-”

She cut him off. “Cut the crap. I know you work for KAHY.”

The man’s eyes widened. “How did you-”

“Irrelevant. I ask again, who do you work for? Who is the leader of KAHY?” For further effect, she added, “I don’t ask three times, and I won’t hesitate to put a bullet through you.”

The man laughed, his chuckle airy and hollow. "The NIS must be made up of fools if you think we'd tell you information like that so easily. I suggest you give up now. You won't find out anything about us that we didn't specifically plan for you to find. And by then, it'll be too late for you to do anything about it anyway."

She tightened her grip on the gun. "Are you mocking me?" she said in a low voice.

He smirked, his eyes glinting in the night. "Kiss my ."

She pulled the trigger. He swayed to the right, and the bullet whizzed harmlessly past his face. His foot shot up, kicking the pistol from her hands, and he whipped out another gun from inside his jacket, cocking it and aiming it at her. She gasped and closed her eyes as a gunshot deafened her ears. She waited for the bullet to tear through her body, but strangely, it never came.

When she opened her eyes once more, the man lay on the ground, a pool of blood growing around his corpse.

She looked up into the rafter’s, a faint smile on her face. “Thanks, Jaewan.”

The sniper perched in the ceiling beams looked up from the scope he was looking into. Her partner had dark brown eyes, a thin nose, and a sharp chin. His inky black hair was worn in a tousled and swept style. Slowly, he stood from his hiding spot in the rafters. He hefted his sniper rifle onto one shoulder, and sent a grin and a thumbs-up in her direction.

Through the comm they had been speaking through, she heard him say, “Anytime, Soojung-ssi. Like I said, I’ve got you covered.”

“...The target’s van contained a hundred and sixty pounds of , as Agent Choi had scouted earlier that week. We recovered all one hundred and sixty and the CCRSB specialists took over the load from there. All targets were eliminated, so we were unable to apprehend for interrogation,” Soojung neatly concluded her report and folded her hands behind her back, silently waiting for her superior to speak.

Kang Hyunwoo was a middle-aged man, his height and build average, albeit a bit sturdier than men would usually be at his age. Slate gray hairs mixed with jet black in a neat, combed back hairstyle. Frown wrinkles lined his mouth, making his face look wan. A pair of spectacles sat atop his nose. On appearance alone, he looked like the typical grandfather, but his cold, steely gaze proved much otherwise. He wore authority like a cloak, an outer skin, and he bore it with a natural touch. The word ‘commander’ seemed made for him, and no word could describe the director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service any better.

He flipped through the pages of Soojung’s written report once more. “And the manufacturers of the drug?”

“Beijing, sir.”

Director Kang sighed, throwing the file onto his desk with an irritated flick of his hand. “So KAHY has spread into China.”

Soojung shifted. “It appears so, sir. We have suspicions that they may be branching off into Japan as well, but we haven’t found any hard proof.”

“Yet.” Director Kang added ominously. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk, folding his hands together. “KAHY is spreading faster than we can contain them, and we are still no closer to breaking the ranks of their hierarchy than we were when they first appeared.”

Soojung sensed that the director wanted her to say something. Somewhat hesitantly, she said, “If it’s any consolation, sir, Agent Choi has a couple of leads that might give us another chance for a raid, and I can contact some of my sources, figure out where they might strike next.”

“I appreciate the effort, Agent Lee, but there’s no need. We’ve already figured out where. Or rather, who.”

Soojung remained silent, unnerved under the steady gaze of her director. Director Kang drew out a thin file from his drawer and held it out to her. Her eyes flickered to the yellow folder. “Sir?” she asked uncertainly.

“Your new assignment.”

Soojung cautiously took the file from him and peered inside. Her eyes went wide.

“We have received intel that KAHY’s new target is not a place, but a person. Your mission is to retrieve him and bring him back to NIS headquarters for questioning. Be discreet and leave no tracks; we don’t want the media getting involved with this.”

She could only manage a nod, her eyes rapidly scanning over the profile information, reading it over once and twice more. Was she reading it correctly?

Gender: Male.

Date of birth: June 21st, 1987.

Height: 173 cm.

Weight: 58 kg.

Blood type: O.

Occupation: Singer/Entertainer.

His driver’s license was attached to the file with a paperclip. Sharp jawline, prominent cheekbones. Long dark brown bangs fell over almond-shaped eyes, and underneath that, a thin nose. Rose-pink lips curved in a bright, innocent smile.

“And Soojung,” Director Kang added, a warning tone in his voice. “Just keep in mind that Kim Ryeowook’s safety is your top priority.”

Soojung swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

Aaaaand the first chapter's up. ^^

What do you guys think of my first attempt at writing an action scene?

Honestly, this is more like a prologue than a first chapter, but hey, every story needs an introduction.

Just wanted to say thanks to readers who had already subscribed before my first update. Thanks so much, it really means a lot to me. :)

Do comment and tell me what you think!