Chapter 4
Behind the Masquerade "This is the profile that you requested last night."
Amber slide on her glasses, her finger traced along the side of the first folder and pulled back the cover. “Did you find out why Jehoon called for last night’s meeting?” she asked.
“No, I’m still gathering information from Jackson’s men. Their lips are tight.”
She picked up a photo. It was probably taken years ago as the man she met last night looked much older. Her eyes remained on the photo for a second longer before she flipped it over to read its contents.
Jackson Wang, twenty eight years old. Abandoned at Busan Railway Station at age four and sent to the Hope Orphanage in Seoul but ran away before he turned sixteen. Involved in small time crimes and drug abuse. Expelled from the Korean National Police Academy for drug possession.
Amber peered over the top of his folder. "He attended a police academy?"
"Yes, but he was kicked out in less than a year upon initiation. Apart from the drug possession, his expulsion records stated that his social behaviour was incompatible with the police force," Kibum explained.
She cocked an eyebrow. "And Jehoon knew about this?"
"Of course. Everyone undergoes a thorough background check before joining the organization."
Amber pursed her lips and turned back to the photo, tapping a finger over his face. "Who was the first to approach? Jehoon or him?"
"I don't know, agashi."
Amber tossed the folder across the desk and reached for her phone sitting in the drawer. "Go check it out for me." She waited until the door had closed behind Kibum before she pressed the speed dial on her phone.
After a few rings, a man’s voice answered the call. “You usually don’t call at this time.”
“Do you know Jackson Wang?” His silence told her that it wasn’t his first time hearing the name. “You’re most likely to have met him during your police training.”
“Yes. I’ve spoken to him a couple of times,” he answered. “How did you know about him?”
“What was he like during his training?”
A knock at the door caught her attention and she called out, “Not now. I’m busy.”
“He didn’t get along well with the other cadets because he was constantly picked on due to his past. That goes without saying that he doesn’t have many friends.”
“What about his past?” Amber asked, and scrambled for the other folder on the desk, scanning through the club’s activity over the years, beginning with Jackson’s entry and accession to the managerial position.
“He was involved in a gang and was barely was able to get his high school diploma due to his unstable background. The other cadets must have made fun of his growing up, seeing how the cliques in the academy are made up of sons of high-ranked law enforcement officers. Is there a problem?”
“Three years ago, the police found drugs on Haven’s vicinity but they couldn’t prove that we were distributing drugs so charges were dropped against us.” Amber dropped the file on her lap as she kicked her foot off the ground and watched the room spin around her. “Yeonseok told me that my father ordered the end of the drug distribution network soon after, afraid that it’ll affect the parent firm’s corporate image.”
“They found the club manager of the time, Kim Woojin, to have provided information to the police,” she scanned through the reports in the file, “ and the person who exposed him was Kim Woojin’s subordinate, Jackson Wang.” Something tells her that it wasn’t as easy as it seems.
“If we follow the timeline, after Jackson was appointed as the new manager, we have been receiving information regarding accounts and other dealings,” the man paused.
“Could Jackson be…” Amber set down the folder and rest her elbows on the table as she cradled her head between her hands.
“You think that he’s a mole?” he answered her question. “What’s his motive?”
“Tell me why we shouldn’t be suspicious of Jackson Wang,” she said. “He had a short stint in the police academy before he was expelled for drug possession. Why would someone go through all the trouble to enter the academy only to be kicked out again without a plea for a second chance? Also, you’ve mentioned countless times to me that your department head has intel on the company. Whatever illegal dealings, siphoning off company accounts, things that a mole wouldn’t be able to get his hands on if he were just an ordinary lackey,” Amber stated.
“Jackson’s position would allow him access to many confidential items and somehow those information in turn ended up in your department head’s hands as intel.”
“Your gut feeling and the proof of evidence can make a whole lot of difference if the two don’t add up,” he retorted. “Don’t jump into conclusions.”
“Fine,” she answered curtly. “The police was at Haven last night. I heard Jackson mumbling about it. Were you at the scene?” Amber asked.
“Yes. I made a call to you but it went straight to voicemail.”
“My phone was out of battery,” Amber mumbled. “But Jackson wasn’t worried about the fact that the police was on his premise, instead it was that the police weren’t supposed to be there until he knows the reason why my brother called for the meeting.”
“So what is your plan?”
“You wanted proof, so now we wait for him to make his next move.”
“What if nothing betrays him?”
“I’m sure that he’s the one providing the information. I’ll find a way to prove it.” Amber shut the file in one of the drawers and gathered her things before reaching for her jacket. “But I’ve to leave now. Let me know of any updates.”
The moment Amber stepped outside her office, a woman sitting opposite her secretary’s desk greeted her with a bow and led her down the hallway towards the elevators. She was several years older than her with large dark brown eyes and her jet black long hair slicked back into a high ponytail. She recalled Yeonseok swinging by her office for the second time that day with another person in tow.
“This is your new security .”
The tall, slender woman with the body build of an athlete stepped forward. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Victoria Song.”
Amber nodded and smiled. “I’d like to have a word with my brother. Do you mind stepping out for a bit?”
Without another word, Victoria bowed and took her leave.
“Oppa, why do I need personal protection?” The muscles between her eyebrows pulled together to form a frown.
“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Her eyes rolled skyward at the cliche line and tilted her head to a side.
“You’ll thank me one day.” Yeonseok grinned at her less than excited response.
“How long have you been doing your job?”
Victoria stole a quick glance at her through the rearview mirror and returned her gaze to the road. “About eight years.”
Amber nodded, going through the documents for the business meeting over dinner later. “Did you always want to become a bodyguard? You don’t strike me as the kind of person.”
“My father’s a martial arts instructor and I’ve been trained since I was young and the job pays well, so why not become one?” Victoria eased into the fast lane and the Range Rover sped past the other vehicles.
“My brother must have attracted you with a better pay. Is that why you decided to work for me?” Amber looked up from her notes when Victoria’s answer took longer than usual .
“Yes, Yeonseok-shi offered me a higher salary.”
“I see,” Amber said, her voice soft but curt, her expression impassive, leaving Victoria with nothing to decipher her true thoughts. “So your loyalty lies in money,” Amber muttered.
Victoria wasn’t sure if she had just upset her new boss, but she wouldn’t be surprised if today turned out to be her last day.
At the restaurant, Victoria went around the car to find Amber already standing at the pavement as she smooths out her pantsuit. “I’ll have the restaurant to prepare your dinner too. The meeting might take some time.” Amber noticed the woman’s bewilderment at her simple instructions.
“Is there a problem?” Amber asked.
Victoria stared. “I’m not fired?”
Now it was Amber’s turn to be confused and Victoria quickly jumped into an explanation. “You seemed disappointed in me during our conversation earlier. I thought you’d switch me out.”
“No, I like your honesty. Also, I have the resources to outbid your next employer if they try to tempt you with a higher pay,” Amber said, and offered a smile but it barely reached her eyes.
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“As you all know, Zhang Lichun has records of drug distribution and ion. The meeting between Lee Jehoon and him might be related to the incoming shipment tomorrow evening.” Youngchul dropped onto the sofa by the side of the door.
“About last night’s operation.” Everyone in the room held their breath as they braced themselves for the team leader’s outburst, but it ended with a simple sigh.
“I don’t want it to ever happen again.”
Junho turned around in surprise and the words escaped his lips before his mind could filter them. “You’re not mad?” He yelped in pain and fervently rubbed the back of his head where Joontaek had slapped him.
“What’s the use of crying over spilled milk?” Youngchul nudged the back of Junho’s chair with his foot. “But don’t think I’m turning soft, maknae.” The youngest of the team smiled sheepishly as the guys around him attacked Junho with playful punches. “Our mistake has alerted them and they’ll be more cautious from now.”
“The intel that we’ve been receiving all this time.. how do you know the info is legitimate and it’s not supposed to throw us off something that’s more important?” Henry asked.
“The intel has not taken us on a wild goose chase, has it?” Youngchul grinned lazily.
“Why do you trust the intel provider?” His senior team member pressed further while the others watched from the sidelines in interest, glad that someone has the guts to ask the question that has been on their minds.
Youngchul took a moment to organize his words so that he does not divulge more than he should to protect his intel’s identity.
“I personally chose that person to enter the field. That person has no one else to trust except me and I should return the favour by trusting the information that the person provides.” His hand dug into his pocket when his phone began to vibrate against his thigh.
“I don’t need any of your products,” Youngchul answered the unknown number, thinking it was a marketing call.
“I don’t have much time to explain. The shipment that was supposed to reach tomorrow night is arriving earlier than expected. It’ll arrive at the docks tonight.” The man’s eyes darted, paused then shifted again as he spoke into the phone which he had borrowed from a lady by the vending machines at the rest stop. “We’re heading to the port in Ulsan now,” he said, spotting a familiar face in the crowd. “I’ve to go.” He ended the call and returned the phone to its owner before he could be caught.
“Jackson hyung!” Hyunwoo called out as he jogged towards the club manager who was inserting coins into a vending machine. “I’ve been searching for you all over the place. We’re leaving soon.”
❧
Amber peeked at the caller ID and excused herself from the business meeting, leaving the room in long strides. She entered the restroom and locked it behind her and she checked the row of stalls before answering the call. “What’s the matter?”
“Youngchul received news a few days ago that a drug shipment is expected to come in this week but he just got an update that there’s been a change in plans and the shipment will be arriving later tonight at ten.”
“What drug shipment are you talking about?” she asked. “My father stopped the distribution three years ago.”
“Last night, the reason why the police was at Haven was because Lee Jehoon had set up a meeting with Zhang Lichun, a gangster who deals with ion and drug distribution. Youngchul suspected that the meeting has to do with shipment.” He paused and she heard him respond to someone else. “You go ahead, I’ll be out soon.”
She noticed the urgency in his voice. “Where are you now?”
“We’re preparing to leave for Ulsan.”
“But how is this happening?”
“Apparently, something is going on without your father’s awareness.,” he paused. “As you suspected, there’s an informer on your side.”
All of a sudden she was reminded of her eldest brother’s panic stricken gaze during their argument a few days ago and the files in Joontaek’s hands. So this is the secret that you’ve been hiding, she smirked. It explained Jehoon’s hasty reaction at their father’s decision to have her run the entertainment subsidiary.
“Hey, are you there?”
“Go, I shouldn’t hold you back,” she said, and couldn’t help but revel at the way that things have turned out in her favour. Amber ended the call and returned to her business meeting as usual.
When Amber reached the mansion an hour later, she found them gathered around the living room after dinner and her sister-in-law was the first to notice her.
“What brings you here, Amber?”
She responded with a bow at the married woman. “There’s a private matter that I wish to discuss with father and Jehoon oppa.”
“Is it embarrassing to talk about it in front of others?” Madam Lee sneered, and raised the teacup to her lips.
“No, I just want it to be done in private to save someone else’s pride,” Amber said. She met her brother’s eyes and offered a helpless shrug. “But we can do it here if you insist.”
Jehoon, realizing that something wasn’t right, leaped to his feet and attempted to Amber out of the living room. “No! We can talk in the study.”
Amber shrugged out of his grasp. “I’ve just been informed that a drug shipment was scheduled to arrive tonight,” she turned to her father, “I know that the drug distribution business ended three years ago but it seems like it never did. The police should be at the docks by now.”
“What?” Jehoon snapped, panic evident in his eyes. “How did the police know about it?” he hissed. “How did you?”
A smile dangled at the corner of her lips. “Like I said, I’ll find out what you’re hiding.”
Amber felt a smarting sensation as blood rushed to her cheek where her brother had just laid a slap on her. With her lips screwed into a thin line, she raised her leg to kick him where it hurts the most. “You’re the one who brought it upon yourself, yet you dare hit me for it!”
Madam Lee rushed forward to help her squirming son onto his feet as Amber stepped around them to meet her father, who was visibly surprised by the situation.
“Jehoon met up with a drug distributor last night—”
“—Appa,” Jehoon pleaded as he shuffled to his father on his knees.
“Quiet!” Byungho barked, his face crimson with fury, and Madam Lee knew not to approach her husband as tension mounted in the room. “Is this true?” he questioned his eldest son. “Did you continue to circulate drugs without my knowledge?”
“Answer me!” he yelled, effectively shaking up Jehoon as the latter quaked in fear of his father’s temper.
“I-I’m sorry, appa,” Jehoon answered over and over again. Byungho turned, searched his surroundings and grabbed the nearest object, brandishing the standing floor lamp.
“No!” Madam Lee cried.
Amber watched the scene unfold before her in delight as her stepmother rushed forward to restrain her husband before he could club his son. “Byungho, you’d kill our son!”
Haein hastily pulled Jehoon away as his father tried get past his wife’s defenses.
“Let go!” Byungho yanked away from his wife’s grip, throwing down the lamp, and jabbed his finger furiously in Jehoon’s direction, lips quivering in anger as words fail to come out of his mouth. Her father threw his hand down and left the room without another word.
She bit her bottom lip to resist a smile as she stepped closer to her brother. “I’m sorry for not being much of a help,” Amber’s eyebrows furrowed together in false worry, “when I got the information it was already too late to do anything.”
“Get out of my sight!” Jehoon yelled, attempting to swipe his arm at her but was held back by his wife.
“I’d gladly do so.” Amber looked on pitifully and left with a sigh. “I didn’t think my night would get any better.”
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The two black vans navigated through the shipping yard and pulled to a stop behind a row of red containers. Jackson exited the second van and made his way to the man who had just disembarked the first van.
“Joontaek hyungnim,” he greeted Jehoon’s assistant and stepped behind him as the dockyard workers unlocked the container and disappeared after receiving their share of money. They began loading the packages into the vans after Joontaek’s inspection and he stepped aside to answer a call.
“Have you collected the drugs? Are you still at the dockyard?” Jehoon’s anxiousness spilled through the phone and Joontaek wondered what had rattled his boss’s nerves.
Joontaek looked behind him. “The men are currently loading the vans.”
“I can’t explain much now. Someone tipped off the police and they’re on their way now.” Joontaek motioned for the men to move faster and listened to Jehoon’s further instructions before ending the call.
“Is everything loaded up?” Joontaek scanned the dockyard, now wary of his surroundings.
“Almost, a few more packages. Why?” Jackson asked.
“Someone alerted the police and we need to leave now.” Jehoon climbed into his van and once everything was secured, the vans pulled out of the area and sped for the exit.
Jackson shifted in his seat on the lookout for the police and frowned. They should be here by now, he thought while tapping his watch. Within minutes, the entourage drove out of the dockyard compound and Jackson finally found what he was looking for as they sped past several police vans that were stopped at the security checkpoint..
“They got the wind of us pretty fast,” Hyunwoo mumbled and stepped on the gas, looking into the side-view mirror as the police vans scrambled to turn around.
“Hello?” Jackson answered his phone as he looked behind his seat to find the police gathering speed on them.
“We’ll split up when we’re out of the service roads,” Joontaek ordered. “Make sure you’re not followed when you return to the Seoul safe house.”
“Watch out for the bump!” Jackson yelled, slapping Hyunwoo to get his attention but the latter kept his foot on the gas pedal.
Jackson felt his body lift a few inches above his seat and he was nearly thrown forward when the van hit the ground seconds later. He promptly reached for the assist handles above his door and shot the driver a nasty glare.
“Are you sure we should go separate ways?” Jackson asked, his eyes trained on the van in front of them.
“Just do it,” Joontaek’s firm reply ended any further discussion.
Jackson stole a peek behind them and prayed that the police will not lose sight of Joontaek’s van as it took a right turn at the approaching intersection.
“It’s alright, hyung. We’ll just have to shake them off our tail and meet Joontaek hyungnim back at the safe house,” Hyunwoo reassured, misinterpreting Jackson’s reluctance for the two vans to split up. “Here we go.”
Hyunwoo stepped on the gas, ignoring the flashing lights from the incoming container truck on the opposite lane, and swerved left, narrowly missing the truck by seconds as it passed by behind the van.
“I want to evade the cops, not die!” Jackson shouted along with the others in the backseat at their driver who just cackled mischievously.
“S.hit,” Junho hissed, shocked at the driver’s decision to speed ahead despite the approaching truck at the intersection. He stuck his hand out of the window and directed the police unit behind them to follow the first van. “That’s crazy.”
“It’s alright, we have a crazy driver of our own,” Gunwoo said from the seat next to him, nodding in the direction of Taehyun. “It takes a crazy driver to catch another.”
“I heard that,” Taehyun quipped from the driver seat just as the van went over a pothole which tossed everyone around wildly.
“Keep your attention on the road!” Junho shouted, carefully prodding the spot on his head where it hit the window.
“Step on it,” Henry instructed and they steadily approached the back of the second van.
Jackson’s head bounced violently against the headrest and watched their van veer over to the opposite lane as they were hit again from behind. He scanned the road ahead and noticed a lane leading into an unlit road and directed Hyunwoo to it. “Drive as fast as you can, then turn into that.”
Hyunwoo studied the police van through the side-view mirror and gauged the distance from the turning before releasing his foot from the pedal, slowing effectively for the police to play catch up. As the turning came into view, he made sure that the police were close on their tail before making a sharp right turn.
Jackson looked over his shoulder to see the police van shoot past the lane. Please not lose sight of us.
When Taehyun finally turned around and entered the lane taken by the van earlier, they were faced with a row of warehouses on both sides of the road, the place shrouded in darkness except for the occasional warehouse entrance lights. They made their way further down the road and Henry reached for his gun and rolled down his window, carefully scanning the narrow alleys between the warehouses.
“How’s it with Joontaek hyungnim?” Hyunwoo asked, and leaned forward, resting his chin on the steering wheel. They remained hidden in the dark alley among the other service vans.
“They just lost the police and will be switching cars before returning to Seoul.” Jackson was grateful for the darkness because it shielded the disappointment on his face. That means that our van is the only chance for them to get hold of evidence, he glanced at Hyunwoo, but I’ve done all I could without blowing my cover.
“That’s great. We’ll have to wait for a whi—” Hyunwoo paused, his eyes fixed on the hint of light on the road in front of them.
“What are you doing?” Jackson hissed as Hyunwoo revved the engine, his gaze trained on the ray of light as it grew stronger at each passing moment.
“Trust me, hyung. I’ll get us out of here.”
Jackson turned back to the front and his eyes rolled skyward. “I shouldn’t trust a crazy driver,” he groaned.
The moment the front of the police van appeared in their view, Jackson could only brace for the impact as the van shot forward without warning.
Jackson was grateful for his seatbelt because if it wasn’t for it, his head would probably be wedged in the windshield when they collided with the police van. Hyunwoo prepared to pull away from the scene when shots rang out and they ducked.
“Put your hands up!” Henry shouted, his left hand holding the flashlight crossed under his gun welding hand, aiming at the driver’s side of the van. “Step out of the van! Now!”
Henry’s team climbed out of their police van unscathed and began to circle the other vehicle with their guns held out. The men exited the vehicle with their hands held above their heads and were immediately handcuffed and given a quick pat down.
“It was a good idea that you decided to observe the place on foot or else you would’ve been crushed.” Taehyun examined the badly damaged passenger side that had been Henry’s seat.
Henry noticed the man limping towards him earlier, and studied his right leg. “Are you hurt?”
Taehyun tried to move his leg normally. “It’s just a bruise from the impact.”
“No, you have a bleeding gash.” Henry forced him to sit down and elevated the leg, resting Taehyun’s foot on his thigh as he radioed in for an ambulance.
“Sunbaenim, one of the men sustained a bullet graze wound on his shoulder,” Gunwoo reported.
Henry walked over to the line of suspects and found Doojoon in his tank top, applying pressure over a man’s wound with his white shirt.
“How bad is it?” he asked, and Doojoon lifted the partially soaked shirt to display the red, angry flesh wound. “The bleeding is stopping and he might need stitches.”
Henry recognized the man no matter how much the latter tried to evade his gaze. “Let’s get you patched up and have a talk, Jackson.”
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