“Do you have eyes on the target?” The heavy voice pierced through the earpiece.

“Sir, we’ve got a situation,” he responded, keeping his eyes on the commotion at the hut down below. “Unexpected visitors. There are two of them, currently rummaging through the Mute’s quarters.”

“Cops?”

“Aniyo. More like mercenaries,” he continued, wary of any sudden movement. He gestured for his partner to stay put and not make a move. They’ve got specific orders and considering how this was a delicate mission, there needn’t be unnecessary casualties. “There’s one more thing you should know, Sir. They’re both women.”

“Female mercenaries?” He sounded incredulous, and noticeably uneasy. “And the detective?”

He flitted his eyes to the tree where the cop hid. It had only been approximately fifteen minutes since they took their positions when he, too, arrived at the scene. “Still hiding. By the looks of it, he isn’t familiar with the mercenaries either.”

There was silence at the other end of the line. He patiently waited for instructions, yet he knew they needed to act fast before anything else unpredictable happens. He didn’t know who these mercenaries were, or how they found the Mute, but they looked like they knew what they were doing. The cop was no easy opponent either. The cool wind blew on his face, causing him to look up and notice for the first time how the skies had dimmed. There were faint sounds of conversation between the two women below. It seems they haven’t found whatever they were looking for either, which he had a feeling was what they came here for as well. “Sir, how do we proceed?” He finally asked. He didn’t want to be pushy, but it’s his on the line if this mission goes awry.

“The orders don’t change. Do what you have to do. Clean up afterwards and report to me.”

“Copy that,” he nodded his head, not for the boss but as a signal to his partner the plan was still in action.

“Where the hell is that er?!” Chae Won tugged her mask down and slammed her palms against the wooden table.

Shin Hye glanced down at the medical supplies and remembered how she put a bullet into the Mute’s shoulder at the Ahn mansion. She figured she must have done some major damage when she saw the morphine pills. She walked over to the kitchen area, impressed that the hut was equipped with all the essentials that the Mute needed to survive. Scanning the interior closely, she noticed how well-kept it was for a place so isolated and primitive. It was a long shot, but if the Mute took off, she was hoping he carelessly left clues of his employer there.

“He’s been here in the last 24 hours. The leftover rice inside the pot hasn’t spoiled yet,” Shin Hye said, putting the lid on and walked back to the table to check if any of the newspapers on top could be useful. News clippings, perhaps? When she saw they were just a bunch of half-finished crossword puzzles, she let out an irritated sigh. “Could he have known we were coming?”

Chae Won shook her head. “I can’t be sure. It’s possible he found out we’ve been sneaking around trying to find information on him and bolted. Try and ask the nerd if he saw the Mute at the highway.”

“Tell the madwoman that the nerd didn’t see the Mute, and if he did, he would have said so already,” Shi Yoon spat back through the comm.

Shin Hye rolled her eyes. “Nothing.”

“Well, !”

“She has such a way with words, doesn’t she?”

Shin Hye massaged her temples as Chae Won proceeded to make more noise by needlessly messing up the Mute’s things in her rage. Shin Hye was about to tell her to stop when she realized something strange.

“In Hyeong,” Shin Hye called her alias, and Chae Won instantly turned to her, aware of the serious tone in her voice. “Where are the weapons?”

“What weapons?”

“The Mute’s been living here for a while,” Shin Hye explained, gesturing to all the possessions inside. “Even if he hasn’t been active, he’s still an assassin. He’d never leave himself unprotected, no matter how concealed he thinks this place is. So where are the weapons?”

Chae Won straightened her shoulders in vigilance and made ninety degree turns to inspect the area. Shin Hye did the same, knowing there must be something they’re missing.

“I’ll search outside, you continue looking here,” Shin Hye whispered and walked out of the hut in haste. She dashed to the back and she found empty barrels where it looked like the Mute kept his food. When she found nothing out of the ordinary, so she grabbed a small flashlight from her pocket and lit the surrounding area for maybe a storage box somewhere nearby.

Slowly, she circled the hut and kept her eyes peeled for anything that could grab her attention. So far there was none, but she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that something was very, very wrong. All her senses alerted her to be careful, and yet she couldn’t pinpoint what it was that she should be careful of.

The Mute could be anywhere, she raised her head and scanned the expanse of the tall trees that were littered around. Other than the wind that howled lightly, the night was eerily still. The feeling of being watched, that’s what it was.

“Lady!”

Shin Hye heard the hushed yell from Chae Won and sprinted back inside. Before she could ask what she found, Chae Won put a finger in front of her lips and jerked her chin to the direction of the floor. Shin Hye took a few steps closer and peered at what Chae Won found.

The cracks formed one square meter that would serve as passage for an average sized person. Door. The mattress that originally lay on top of it had been set aside.

Shin Hye automatically reached for her gun and waited for the signal. Chae Won bent down slowly, touching the makeshift leather handle. She turned to Shin Hye and nodded once. One, two…

Chae Won pulled the handle at the same time that Shin Hye charged and aimed the gun down the opening. Piercing through the quiet, a sharp sound came from a wild shot that was fired from below. It nearly grazed Shin Hye’s shoulder and would have hit her had she not jerked back soon enough. Chae Won moved fast and took it upon herself to point her own gun down the hole, but before she could fire, someone shot up and shoved her arm away. The gun flew from her hand and a figure came hurtling out, propelling his body roughly against Chae Won. She let out a muffled squeal when she got trapped between the weight of the man and the wall behind her.

“What’s going on?!”

Shin Hye barely heard Shi Yoon’s voice and elbowed the Mute’s back with blinding force, coercing a pained groan out of his throat. In his moment of distraction, Chae Won kicked him in the groin and swiftly dived for her gun on the floor just as Shin Hye put the crouched man on chokehold. Mustering all the power she had in her arms, she refused to give in to the flailing man, but no sooner did he overpower her. He rose and used his head to knock Shin Hye back. The Mute turned around and aimed his gun at her head, but Chae Won kicked his hand in time to stop him.

Chae Won struggled to find her balance when she landed, and the Mute bent down and charged her legs, making her tumble back and land with a thud. Shin Hye pushed herself off the ground and managed to kick the Mute's gun further away before landing a punch on the man’s gut the moment he turned to face her. In a split-second, she noticed the bandage peeking from underneath his shirt and she shrewdly aimed for the area with a fist.

The Mute wailed loudly and fell on his knees, clutching his shoulder with his left hand. By this time, Chae Won had already stood up and mimicked Shin Hye’s move, targeting his injury. He sank further down, and by the looks of it, he wasn’t going to be able to get up any time soon.

“You bastard!” Chae Won yelled, pressing her gun’s tip against the Mute’s temple. He was still wincing in pain, but made no move to resist.

“Remember what we talked about,” Shin Hye reminded Chae Won as she bent down to examine The Mute’s condition, all while steadying her own breathing. “We still need him for answers.”

“I need answers, goddamit! What’s happening?!”

Shin Hye pushed her earpiece. “We’re fine. We got him,” she assured Shi Yoon.

Chae Won scowled. “It’s going to be hard not to put a bullet into this man’s brai—“

Bang. Slush.

 It didn’t register right away, but after the first gunshot, Shin Hye’s eyes darted to the Mute and gasped upon discovering blood seeping through his shirt. She exchanged a momentary glance with Chae Won and they ducked at once, while a couple more shots pelted the hut. She pulled the Mute down to the ground to avoid getting him hit again, but she knew that the first chest wound was already fatal.

When the shooting ceased, she studied the man and immediately recognized the life draining out of him. He barely has a few minutes left. Ignoring the possibility of another round of shooting, she crawled to the corner with difficulty, pulling the Mute with her.

“What are you doing?!” Chae Won exclaimed, but Shin Hye ignored her. As soon as she thought they were more covered from whoever was shooting at them, she into a kneeling position and grabbed a fistful of the Mute’s shirt.

“Who ordered you to eliminate Lee Min Ho?!” She demanded, feeling every bit the urgency of the situation. The Mute’s eyes were already unfocused. “You know you’re going to die anyway, you might as well make this right!”

Chae Won had moved swiftly beside Shin Hye. “YA! He can’t talk, remember?”

“GIVE ME SOMETHING, DAMMIT!” Shin Hye tugged on his shirt again, feeling the anger sweltering inside her. If she loses him now, then they’re back to being in the dark.

More gunshots filled the air, causing both Shin Hye and Chae Won to instinctively dip for cover. But the sounds were approximately a few meters away, which meant the shots weren’t directed at them. Shin Hye turned to Chae Won, who didn’t need to be told what to do. She made her move to check it out, leaving Shin Hye with the Mute.

Shin Hye focused on the man underneath her. Her vision blurred, and it took a while for her to realize that tears threatened to spill out from her eyes. She should have been alarmed at the unwanted display of weakness, most especially at a crucial moment where she needed to be the tough assassin that she was. But everything about the situation choked her up. “Please,” Shin Hye whispered.

She could not recall the last time she begged for anything, or if she ever has. But in that moment, there was nothing she felt other than helplessness. It was as though her whole world depended on the answers of this man who couldn’t even talk. She could only watch as the Mute’s pupils dilated and his breaths hitched.

Shin Hye exhaled loudly and loosened her grip on his shirt. It’s over.

Just then, a faint sound escaped the man’s mouth – a muffled gurgle at the base of his throat. He lifted his left hand painstakingly and pointed to the direction of the door. Shin Hye followed his line of sight but she couldn’t make anything of what he was trying to convey. All she could see was a bunch of medical supplies on the table.

Gunshots were ablaze outside the hut, but all she felt was her spirit slowly draining as the body she held went limp.

“LADY!”

Shin Hye cautiously dropped the Mute’s lifeless body and set off running out to help Chae Won, passing by the table that the Mute had pointed to. She stopped short when she spotted what he might have been pointing at all along. A tiny surge of hope flowed through her. She opened her backpack and slid her arm over the table’s surface to take everything there before sprinting out.

The first thing she witnessed was Chae Won wildly shooting at an elevated direction, but it seems whoever her opponents were, have since ceased shooting back.

“In Hyeong, stop!”

After Chae Won complied, Shin Hye shut her eyes and listened carefully to the ruffling sounds into the distance, fading slowly. They retreated. When she opened her eyes, Chae Won was already crouched down a few meters away from her.

“Ya, are you hurt?” Shin Hye asked, pulling out the flashlight from her pocket to see better.

“I’m not, but someone definitely is,” was Chae Won’s dry reply.

Shin Hye approached slowly, noticing for the first time the body Chae Won was currently examining. When she got close enough, she directed the flashlight at the man’s face and gasped. Oh no. No.

Chae Won looked over her shoulder. “You know him?”

Shin Hye didn’t have time to respond and dove right next to the body. She put her face closer to his nose to check if he was still breathing.

“I already checked. He’s still alive,” Chae Won told her. “They were shooting at him when I came out, and he was putting up a good fight.”

Shin Hye frantically searched for the wound and saw his abdomen damp with blood. Without hesitating, she tore that part of his shirt and saw the damage. “We’ve gotta get him out of here. He’s losing blood,” she opened her backpack and grabbed the bandage she had just taken from inside the Mute’s hut and put it over his wound, applying enough pressure.

“MEO? Why?”

“Who’s losing blood?!”

“Kim Soo Hyun,” Shin Hye replied to Shi Yoon before turning to Chae Won. “He’s a detective. We’ve gotta help him or he’ll die in a matter of hours.”

“How the hell did Kim Soo Hyun end up there?!”

“I don’t know, but you better meet us halfway. We can’t carry him all the way to the car,” she looked up at Chae Won who was staring down at her like she’s gone mental. She heard Shi Yoon shuffle at the other end and figured he must have rushed out.

“A detective? Are you crazy?! In what world is it rational for assassins to help out a detective?”

“JUST HELP ME GET HIM UP!” Shin Hye yelled, losing patience. “I’ll explain everything to you later, but right now, I need your help!”

“Aish! You and your complicated relationships with men, Lady,” Chae Won shook her head and rounded Soo Hyun’s body. At the count of three, they lifted him up, draping his arms over their shoulders. “You ing owe me. I didn’t even get to kill the Mute with my own hands.”

Shin Hye said nothing but offered a faint smile of gratitude, which Chae Won just rolled her eyes at. They began the arduous trek back to the car, with Chae Won voicing several complaints here and there. Shin Hye ignored them and paid more attention to Soo Hyun’s condition, which didn’t look too good. She didn’t have the luxury to figure out why he was even there right now, her priority was to save his life. Several minutes later, they saw Shi Yoon running towards them.

“Finally!” Chae Won muttered and gave Shi Yoon a scowl as he took over her position next to the injured detective.

“This is getting really ed up,” he remarked, before turning to Chae Won. “And did you really have to kill the dog?”

“It was rabid. Somebody had to do it and I figured Lady had gone too soft to do even that.”

Shin Hye would have responded bitingly but she noticed Chae Won was limping and clutching her upper thigh. Chae Won caught the look in Shin Hye’s face and waved her on. “It’s just a graze. Keep going.”

“You told me you weren’t hurt.”

“I’m not,” she spat defensively. “Like I said, it’s just a graze. Those idiots can’t even aim properly. You should be more concerned over that guy— WHAT?” Chae Won scowled at the look on Shi Yoon’s face.

“You’re as stubborn as ever,” he mumbled under his breath, looking down at her leg.

“And you’re still a wimp.”

“Seriously, there’s no time for this!” Shin Hye shrieked, her senses on overdrive.  “Chae Won, keep your senses sharp for the shooters. They might be following us.”

Chae Won nodded and fell a step behind to check their rear.

Shi Yoon turned to Shin Hye, his expression grim. “He’s going to live. I promise.”

Her anxiety was barely eased by Shi Yoon’s words. She can tell when Shi Yoon only meant to comfort rather than speak the truth. She knew better, but she couldn’t give up either. “Sunbae, you have to hold on,” she whispered next to Soo Hyun’s ear, fought the growing pain in her shoulder from his weight, and soldiered on.

Hyung Sik’s hands trembled as he looked at the documents in his hands – both what Siwan dug up about the mysterious man, and the files he retrieved, himself. Right now, everything was just speculation, but the connection was there. He knew that if he wanted more solid proof, he was going to have to take extreme measures.

He put all the files inside his messenger bag and opened his drawer to fish out a box. Inside was a small metal device, a quarter the size of a coin. He normally didn’t have access to this kind of technology, but Detective Kim had told him to retrieve it from his desk when the need arises.

Looking around at the station, he pulled it out discreetly and pressed it between his fingers. Standing up, he took the folders on his desk and made his way to the opposite side of the station.

“Come in,” he heard the voice opposite the door say after he knocked. When he came in, he immediately noticed the Chief’s troubled expression. “Officer Park. What can I do for you?”

He’d only been to the Chief’s office once – three days ago when he surrendered his files to the man. He recalled feeling too bitter that he barely paid attention to his surroundings. Had he known he would be doing this now, he would have made sure to remember some things.

“I have the remaining documents on the Mute’s case, sir,” he replied, trying hard not to sound suspicious. He cased the room discreetly, memorizing every detail he can.

“Good. Just place them over here,” he motioned to the spot on his desk where other folders were neatly stacked, and removed his glasses.

Hyung Sik approached his desk and leaned over to do just that when he knocked over the picture frame next to the Chief’s telephone. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Sir!” He picked up the frame and carefully laid it back on the table.

The Chief d