CHAPTER TEN

1 Hour Before MoT

Vietnam

Jaehyo and Kyung had taken the Western exit that led out to a residential area.  They ran down the nearly empty street but about two blocks away they decided it was safe enough to slow down. 

Kyung looked over his shoulder.  “I don’t think we’re being followed,” he said.  “You think U-Kwon’s alright?”

“He’ll be fine,” Jaehyo responded.  He grabbed the inside edge of his open shirt and shook it.  The weather wasn’t too hot, but all the running had made him sweat. 

“Do you think we’ll be okay?” Kyung asked.  “We’re the ones with the cases.  That means they’ll be coming after us right?”

“We’ll be fine,” Jaehyo said, shortly.  “As long as you keep moving your feet instead of your mouth.”

They continued in silence for a moment as their eyes searched their surroundings keeping an eye out for trouble.

“We’re not going to end up in jail again are we?”  Kyung asked, unable to keep silent with his uneasy heart.

“No,” Jaehyo answered firmly.  “Yes, this job is going just as bad as the last Vietnam job, but we are not going to end up in jail again waiting for Zico to come save us.  No way am I doing that again.”

“I was so sure this job couldn’t possibly go as bad as the last one…”

“Vietnam is definitely not someplace we should consider coming to again.”

While Jaehyo and Kyung take the West Exit

Zico and B-Bomb had taken the Northern exit that led out into the shopping district.  A block away, they turned a corner at a full on sprint. 

Zico mentally shook himself.  So much for this job going better than the last one.  In the middle of the crowded street, Zico signaled for B-Bomb to slow down.  When he didn’t, Zico had to physically stop him.

“Dude, what’s wrong with you?  Are you paying attention?” Zico asked, hands full of B-Bomb’s shirt. 

“Sorry,” B-Bomb said, looking sheepish.  “I spaced out for a second.”

Zico let him go.  He knew exactly what B-Bomb had been thinking about.  Women were the bane of man’s existence. 

“Are we in the clear?” B-Bomb asked.  He looked behind them searching the crowd for anyone following them. 

“I think we’re good, but let’s play it safe,” Zico said.  “Blend, but keep your mind focused.  The last thing we need right now is to be found and separated.  Let’s get out of here before something else wrong happens.”

They blended into the crowd, walking now instead of running.  They kept an eye behind them and one on each other. 

While Zico and B-Bomb take the North Exit

U-Kwon didn’t even bother running as he exited the complex from the South.  His ribs hurt so bad he wasn’t even sure he would be able to.  He lifted a hand and rubbed at his bloody lip while he checked his teeth with his tongue.  They all seemed to be there, but he wasn’t quite sure about the rest of him.  He ached all over.

Not only had he gotten his kicked, but he had been saved by a chick.  Why had he forgotten to load his gun?  It was beyond lucky that the other guy’s gun had been empty as well.  Had he spent all the bullets already? But he had looked really confused.  Whatever the reason, they had been quick to change gears to beating him up instead of shooting him. 

Then the girl had come out of nowhere.  Sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.  U-Kwon totally could have handled those guys without her help.  But he had to admire her skills.  She had quickly and efficiently laid the guys out unconscious.  Of course it had helped that she had had the element of surprise.  And then she had disappeared as if she had never been there.  It would have been better if she had never been there at all.

As U-Kwon neared the meeting point, he decided he would pretend she hadn’t been there.  It wasn’t like he was actually going to admit that he had had his saved by a chick.  He sighed.  This job was looking more and more like the last time they were in Vietnam.  If the crew hadn’t been able to successfully apprehend the prize, U-Kwon didn’t want to be there to see Zico flip out on everyone.