Chapter 2. Old Friends

She woke up from her slumber a bit refreshed, but quite far from 100 percent. She returned to the lockers to change out of her clothes and decided to be safe to leave her backpack in the locker. She walked to the nearest little market and bought a pair of rubber flats, something that would be seen in the countryside in villages rather than a city girl, but hey she needed shoes. She flagged for a taxi and asked to be taken to the NIS address; it was cold outside and hadn’t gotten to pack her best winter wear in her escape. She made it to the NIS station, and pass through to meet her boss, Mr. Song. He told her to get some breakfast in the café and that they would speak to her shortly. Her boss went to a conference where the station director was with other various NIS members.

“Officer Lee just checked into work. What’s the news from last night?” he asked the situation room. A storm really blew up last night, Mr. Song was in charge of all the ‘officers’, the tactical agents just like Sunny. Six officers from the two the teams on the raid had survived the blast, and by the time Sunny had called to report the problem. The five members had been executed. Sunny’s neighbors were executed as well, but not Sunny. She had called to say that she was being attacked, but her home showed evidence that Sunny was trying to sell something.

“Apparently the laptop was encrypted but it had NIS and Interpol files. There were money and files, it look like a deal went south. Right now we can’t tell if it was them that killed her neighbors or if it was Lee,” someone said.

“Sunny doesn’t seem the type to sell secrets or anything. She hasn’t been here long enough to learn anything or know any secrets. Where did she get the information?” Mr. Song asked.

“We don’t know, but the same rounds used in the other crime scenes match up with ones at Lee’s apartment. We found a damaged 9mm pistol. The serial numbers were cleaned off and there were partials matched Lee.”

“She’s our top suspect, we need to take her into custody for questioning,” The director said.

*********************

She finished her breakfast and waited in the lounge, until some guys in the tactical gear came up to her. She recognized them as members of a different team and offered them a greeting. They didn’t look as happy though, they said a brief apology and grabbed at her telling her she was under arrest. She tried to resist a bit, but was actually more shock and stunned and surprised.

“What?! Guys, no! You know me, I’m a good person!” She said while being taken into an interrogation room. She sat in disappointment, handcuffed to the table thinking how it was all a mistake. An agent entered the room with a folder. He sat down coolly and looked across the table at the little female.

“Seems like you had a busy night. Interesting way to celebrate a new year don’t you think?” He asked.

“I made it through didn’t I? Where is Mr. Song? What’s going on?” Sunny asked.

“You’re being charged with murder and conspiracy to commit treason,” The man answered. Sunny’s jaw dropped to the floor in shock. She was the victim, what kind of games were they playing this time. “Five of the other team members were found dead. The bullets pulled matched those found at your apartment and fit the rifling marks of a handgun that has your partials over it. What’s more we found information you intended to sell... I’d like to think you had a rather interesting night.”

“No, it wasn’t like that. I don’t have a gun. I didn’t shoot anyone. I was the one being shot at! Honest! How could you think it was me, why would I kill my own team members? People were out to try to kill me. You should be looking for them,” Sunny proclaimed.

“Oh we’ll find them too, your buyers. So what happened, they were going to double cross you? Kill you and keep the money? Unhappy with the deal? Which side got too greedy? Either way I don’t care. You really blew it. Mr. Song and the director had said nice things about you in the past, guess they’re pretty disappointed huh? Friends call you Sunny right? So Sunny, who are your friends with money?”

“I don’t know, it wasn’t like that. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have nothing further to say.” Sunny said, and sat back into the chair.

**Guilty or innocent, it’s hard to make a winning case while being hot headed and showing an aggressive stance. Relaxing and appearing to be passive and easy to manipulate can play in your favor. Of course, as with any other techniques, it can blow back on your face. So proceed with caution always. **

“Fine, be that way. We’ll find the truth. Don’t you worry.” He waited for the tactical officers to Sunny off into a cell. She complied with every command and just waited. She’d figure that the misunderstanding would be cleared up. Unknown to her, things wouldn’t be clearing up at all.

People were busy analyzing and studying the scene from the raid and murder locations, and evidence found links that the computer found in Sunny’s apartment was used to communicate with the IP address to the area near the raid. Entry tactics were listed in the sent messages; everything was encrypted of course but not very well. They reasoned that Sunny had not been trained in encryption was the reason why it was so easy to crack.

The AIC was killed in the raid but his partner survived and thinks it was an inside job and is convinced it was Sunny. Agent Siwon had rather good looks and an innocent charm; he survived the raid because the AIC told him to stay behind in the element truck. As evidence gathers, Siwon straight-forwardly showed his frustration towards Sunny for getting his partner killed. He paid a visit to the holding cell to give Sunny a piece of his mind.

“You’re Officer Lee Soonkyu? I didn’t expect a traitor to be so cute and tiny, but because of you my partner, my friends are dead. Are you happy?” He asked and stepped into her holding cell in attempts to intimidate her. He placed his hands on her and pushed her to the wall. She was caught off guard, but pushed him off and he came back. By then other agents and officers came in and removed Siwon from the cell.

“Calm down Siwon. What the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t give her anything to use against you!” He later shoved other guys away and walked to make a call.

Sunny was visited by her friend Bora, a young NIS agent, some of the very few that Sunny liked and got along with. Sunny met Bora at the fitness facilities; she was a junior agent who had not yet been given field experience but Sunny enjoyed having Bora there to workout with her. Bora was a direct to NIS type person, she was younger than Sunny but held a job title above that of Sunny’s.

“Sunny, I heard. I couldn’t believe it. Is it true? Did you sell us out? Unnie, that’s not like you. It breaks my heart, we’re friends...” Bora said coming closer to the bars. Looking disappointed and sadden. Sunny said that it wasn’t true and played the convinced innocent victim.

“It doesn’t look good unnie. They’re going to transfer you to central holding.” Bora said, brushing her hand through her hair to reveal a hair pin. The pin dropped to the ground and bounced into the holding cell. “Unnie, I hope it’s not true what they say. I really liked you. I’ll be going.”

Sunny slid the hair pin into her waist band. Less than an hour later guys came for her, handcuffed her and loaded her into a car for transport. She was seated in the backseat in the center between two agents but then came along the rush hour traffic of the Seoul metropolitan area.

**Escaping from a moving vehicle isn’t hard; it just takes a lot of bravery and the right timing. But if the car is stuck in traffic, it makes things even easier. Congestion means the chase will have to go on foot, which is must easier to take advantage of. Engaging in a fight inside a car is hard, but these are the few times where it pays off to be tiny. Quickness and agility makes it possible to engage targets and survive. **

Sunny first reached up and used the shoulder strap of the seatbelt and pulled it until it clicked and wrapped it around the neck of the agent to her left. It wouldn’t immediately kill him but he would be preoccupied with trying to free himself. She instantly rammed into the agent to her right and pushed his head hard to the window of the door. The hit stunned him long enough for her to undo his seatbelt and pulled him out of his seat and pushed him over the center console towards the agents in the front seats. She opened the right passenger door and step out of the car running. Everything happened so fast the guards couldn’t react in time which all aided her escape. She reached for the hair pin from her waistband and picked at the handcuffs while running through the sidewalk.

She ran her way through sidewalk with the agents chasing after her. Biologically and physiologically men can achieve faster speeds than while running than females, because women had their hip and pelvic bones shaped to where the legs came out at slight angle as part of allowing for a birth canal, while men were more straight-line front to back. Of course there were exceptions, and of course there were plenty of females that would run laps around men, but with trained NIS agents after her, it wasn’t about speed or endurance really. She was disadvantaged in speed and unknown to endurance, the best way to when a chase on foot is rather doing something that the chasers won’t do, such as run across traffic of moving cars, jump down from two stories, etc. She lost her chasers and casually returned to the bathhouse to collect her bag from the locker. She found a taxi that would take her to next location.

The taxi pulled up to the security gate and she flashed her old military badge and they were waved through. She paid the taxi driver once they stopped and told him to keep the change and forget that he came here. She walked liked she belonged and until she found the building she was looking for, the front door had a guard and she wouldn’t be able to get in that way, so she walked around and climbed to the roof from behind the building and snuck into the building and found the room she was looking for. She went in and sat on the couch and waited until the people she was hoping to see had returned.

“What are you doing here?” asked a voice, a group of six guys came in. They all had different haircuts and civilian clothes on. “Hey Top, we got a visitor.”

No, not T.O.P like guy from Big Bang, but in the army, ‘top’ was the nickname for the highest ranked sergeant of a unit, usually an E8, it was quite similar how in the Marines and Navy the rank of captain is nicknamed ‘skipper’. An older man emerged from the group to face Sunny. The taxi took Sunny to the US Army based, and she had broken into the building of the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment- Delta (1st SFOD-D) or as civilians know them as ‘Delta Force’. She knew this room to be lounge room for the teams that she had trained with during her 707th days.

“I don’t think you should be here right now. There has been some serious news about you, and not the very good kind.” The sergeant major said. Sunny had served in the 707th Special Battalion of the Korean army before NIS, so they knew her. Women in the Special Operations world were far and few considering US had none, so it was quite easy to remember her. “What is it do you want Sunny?”

A captain walked into their lounge with a folder just asking questions and speaking casually without looking up from the files in his hand. He looked up from the file and saw Sunny on the couch, the captain knew her too. He announced that he was never there and walked out.

“I need help. Someone framing me! They killed my team and now the NIS thinks I’m a traitor.” Sunny answered.

“We’ve heard. ‘Officer Lee Soonkyu of the NIS tactical operations is wanted for murder and conspiracy.’ It had been released about thirty minutes ago. You don’t seem the type, otherwise we’d already would have turned you in,” the operator said. Sunny explained what happened and that she needed help to find out who is after her and why. “Sunny, our clearance doesn’t go that far, we can’t help you there. You’re blacklisted, and even if we couldn’t help you if we wanted to. That’s beyond our reach. You need someone from intelligence… say do you remember that girl from two years back? During some desert training, I can’t quite remember her name but I think she’d be able to help you. She’s with the agency and last I heard she’s in Korea.”

That would be helpful; to get help from someone from the CIA, although special ops people and the CIA always don’t see eye to eye but Sunny agreed that it was worth a shot. The man went out to see if he could find contact information of the agent. He came back with a whole notepad, the top sheet had the number and name. Sunny looked at the name and remembered the face of the name. The good news was that she was located in Seoul, the bad was that she couldn’t get anaddress. Sunny thanked the guys, and the sergeant major said good luck and reminded her that they never helped her. One of the guys tossed her a little Gerber Multi-tool and told her to take care. She thanked and bow to everyone and walked out the back door.

*****************************

The girl was called to assist in investigating Sunny’s case. She and her partner walked into the command center to meet with the director and Mr. Song.

“Sir, I’m Agent Kim, and this is my partner Agent Kim. No relations,” Kim Taeyeon said while her partner Hyoyeon went through the files. The two made introductions and would be going over the review the internal investigation of incident. The two short ladies came from Central and knew nothing of the situation or persons involved. Siwon had begged for the case so he could seek justice for his fallen comrades but the director said there was already a team in place, so he asked to be place on the team.

Outside agents such as Taeyeon and Hyoyeon were often looked at with weary eyes, simply because they didn’t belong with the team. They were investigation agents, who basically were like internal affairs in the police department, and all cops could tell you how they feel about internal affairs. The feeling wasn’t quite as negative at NIS, but some similarities showed. Agents Kim and Kim were younger than many other agents and team leaders had rank because of their position and took over an office to review the files in private.

“Soonkyu... she’s a real piece of work. Listen here; this was her response ‘I joined the army after high school because I missed the college entrance exam. I went out with friends and overslept. My parents were disappointed and I told them I would be okay and that I could make it, so I decided to join the military...’ isn’t that cute?” Hyoyeon read to her partner.

“Some piece of work alright. She joined, trained as a medic for a year and then requested for infantry. Selected for NCO school and special forces, passed selection and made it into the 707th. She’s even been to Iraq and Afghanistan. Later recruited to NIS after her service obligation ended. Jesus, on paper she’s a damn patriot. How do you mess with that?” Taeyeon started reading off the files.

“She’s been only with NIS for a few months. Nothing major there. No high clearances or anything outstanding. She does have a lot of demerits and write-ups for improper weapons handling and some notes about how she complained about some work and other agents.” Hyoyeon said. Taeyeon asked what kind of demerits and write ups. “Let’s see... she broke protocol and carried her pistol with a round in the chamber. She wrote formal complaints about agents regarding their lack of weapons maintenance; she got into a fight with an agent, a lot of weapon protocols. It must be some habit she picked up from 707 that she won’t let go. She’s been reported to have watched dramas while working her night shift. Everything is minor. You’d expect someone new to do this kind of stuff. I don’t see how we go from this to well... you know.”

“People will surprise you. Call in that Agent, what’s his name.. Siwon. Get them to start tracking down known contacts and anyone who knows her. She’s well trained and escaped custody from four agents. We need to figure what she’s up too.”

***********************

Bora liked to enjoy eating lunch out in the park benches. It allowed her to get away from the office and business of catching bad guys and to relax. Being a junior agent, she knew that this luxury wouldn’t last forever and one day she would be like the other older agents who ate while working at their desks. Someone sat down on the bench next to her, wearing a hat, scarf and sunglasses and a big puffy jacket and had a lunch of her own.

“Thanks for your help earlier. I guess that means you believe me,” The stranger said.

“Unnie, you shouldn’t be here. We’re only a block away from the station. You should be hiding until we figure this out.” Bora said while taking a mouthful of food.

“I know NIS is not the one who was out to kill me. There’s something going on, no way am I a traitor. Someone with big pull is controlling things. I need help Bora” Sunny mumbled between her bites.

“I helped you once already. I can’t do it again. It’s dangerous enough. They sent some agents from central to be put on your case. I could lose my job, and if it’s as bad as you think then my life even.” Bora announced in a bit of a whine.

“Bora... Bora.... don’t you trust me? Huh? Are we not friends? I need your help... pwease? Pwetty pwease?” Sunny asked and added aegyo to the end of her questions. Bora couldn’t help but laugh.

“Even at a time like this, unnie wow... what do you need?”

“Need you to help locate an address for me. All I have is a name and a number, and she’s American living in Seoul. I got a new cellphone today. NIS has my old one, they’ll go through my history. They’ll excuse you for sure. I know it.” Sunny said placing a napkin next to Bora that had the information along with Sunny’s new number in it. “I need it soon but take your time, I don’t want you to draw attention. At least one of us should still have a job.”

“I will see what I can do. My lunch break is over. I’ll be going now. Take care of yourself unnie.” Bora got up and took the napkin and walked back in the direction of the NIS station.

***********************

**Waiting . Specials operations soldiers, secret agents and spies all do share in common, that a lot of time is spent waiting. Waiting for action. Waiting for an informant. Waiting for a warrant. Waiting a call. Waiting is draining, that’s why a large part of the job is mental. You just have to hope everything is worth the wait.****

Sunny’s phone buzzed and quickly picked it up to answer. Bora found an address, it wasn’t easy but she got it all without arising too much suspension. She read the address carefully and then hung up. Sunny gleefully called for a cab to take her to the address. Sure it enough, it was some place nice. Nicer than her own apartment and just nice in general for someone who works for the government. Sunny said to herself she ought to go work for the US Government if this was how the set up. The complex was a humble and modest luxury tower, meant for working professionals. She made her way past the guard at the door and slipped into the elevator to go up. She found the room and knocked. After several times, she got no answer so she decided to break in.

**The electronic keypad door locks are hard to beat, but if you’re trained and know a trick or two, you can get past them. When breaking into a spy’s home, it’s best not to hide. It’s better to just make your presence known and be nonchalant. For example,  be reading the newspaper or a book, or sit on the couch and watch TV waiting for them to come home. This way at least you could strike up a conversation. Unfortunately I’m not a spy and didn’t know this rule just yet. **

The door beep and open and the sounds of heels clicked on the floor and stopped. The slender woman took a look around and slid off her heels and walked to the kitchen and put down the small bag of groceries she had. She opened her refrigerator and pulled out a Glock that was sitting next the milk carton. Someone was there but she didn’t know who. She reached her hand into a drawer where she kept the oven mitts and reached for a suppressor and attached it to her Glock pistol. She carefully walked across the kitchen and into the living room and sweep the area before going to to her bedroom and pointed to the closet, she then moved to the linen closet.

“You better come out before I start shooting. Come out, backwards with your hands up.” She said. The door crept open and a tiny figure walked backwards with its hands up. Jessica toss a pair of quikties in front of the figure. “Tie your hands, in front of you. Use  your mouth. Good, now slowly turn around.... Huh, imagine that, don’t I know you?”

“Jessica, it’s me. Sunny. Lee. Soonkyu. From the 707th. We were in Iraq together.” Sunny said with slight defeatist aire.

“Oh, I remember who you are. One of the little killer barbie dolls. Cute. Now what are you doing here? I heard somewhere that you’re wanted for conspiracy. So what would a traitor be doing in my home?” Jessica asked.

“I’m looking for help. You’re the only person I can go to right now. We’re friends right. I’m asking you for help. Please? Old times sake?” Sunny asked. Jessica scoffed and pull Sunny out and sat her down on the couch. She went to the kitchen and pulled out a knife from a drawer.

“Asking me for help. That’s rich. I remember correctly, you and your team help some of those D-boys (Delta members) pull of a prank on us before we left the sandbox. That wasn’t really friendly. I don’t forget things Sunny,” Jessica recalled and cut the ties off of Sunny. “Oh yeah, you did it when we came back to Korea too.”

“It was just a joke. No harm meant, besides I heard you guys got back at them... come on Jessica. I can’t do this alone. You know me, you know I’m innocent. We go way back, I can’t do this alone. You’re my best chance.”

“I’m kidding with you. You think I’d hold a grudge over something so trivial? How do I know you’re innocent? You’re definitely capable of killing people. Espionage and conspiracy on the other hand, you’re capable but nowhere pro status. How are you with your hands? You can do massages right? There’s a table in that closet, could you set it up?” Jessica mentioned and walked to her room to change. Sunny found the massage table and set it up not sure what to expect. Jessica returned to the living room in just a robe and bottle of oil. She tossed the bottle to Sunny and dropped her robe. Dressed in only her she got onto the table. “I need a massage. Are you going to do it or not?”

“Does this mean you’ll help me?”

“I never said that, but I’ll listen to what you have to say. It couldn’t hurt your chances. Go, let’s hear it,” Jessica ordered. Sunny popped her knuckles and pulled out the oil and began the massage. The 707th had female soldiers to use in situations where a female wouldn’t look like a threat to terrorist, and because of this she had been sent to learn things such as serving, hair styling, baking, massages and even went to flight attendant school. Sunny worked her hands over Jessica’s and shoulders and told her story. “Push a little harder. Right there, yes. Oh that feels good. Keep going... uh huh. Okay so why did you run? Why didn’t you just go to central and see if things would sort itself out?”

“Um... I don’t know. I panicked a bit. I figure the people who tried to kill me were able to set me up for the other murders, then they could probably get me at central. I don’t know anyone at central, if there is a traitor, it could be anyone there. Central would be my death sentence. If I’m killed at central, then it would be case closed right? The killers get away,” Sunny answered as she continued to knead out the knots and tension in Jessica.

“I guess that’s one way to look at it. Do you have any cash?” Jessica asked. Sunny answered saying that she had a little bit. “You’re going to need more than a little. You’ll need to buy information from people. This kind of information won’t be cheap. We’ll need to find a way to get you some more money.”

“We? So that means you’re going to help?” Sunny asked with an almost too eager voice. She felt regretful as she noticed the hint of desperation lingered in her question.

“I’ll help you just a little bit. I like you Sunny, and I don’t think you’re a bad person. I tell you what, give me forty-five more minutes of a massage and we’ll talk.” After forty-five minutes Jessica got up from the tabled and stretched out. She complimented Sunny for having great hands and pulled her robe back on. “Oh, just because I’m helping you doesn’t mean you stay the night. Leave me your number, but I’m expecting someone in an hour.”

“What? Where will I go? You’re supposed to help me! I gave you a massage! A good one too.”

“Eh, it was okay; don’t get ahead of yourself Soonkyu. I have a date tonight. Not only do I have a date, I am expecting to spend some time in bedroom combatives… if you catch my drift…” Jessica said moving through the kitchen pulling out candles from a drawer and placing them on the dining table.

“What? Who is this date? You couldn’t possible reschedule? Cancel? My life is on the line her, my is on the line, and you’re just going to hook up with some guy? What kind of help is that?”

“Yes I know, your is on the line, and a cute it is too but I can’t cancel. They’re an idol, so the schedule is tough enough as it is. Besides she’s been looking forward to this for weeks now.” Jessica said carelessly without worry.

“She? As in a girl? A woman? Someone with and a ? A she? You like girls?” Sunny asked in shock. It was surprising to hear, granted she didn’t know Jessica particular well or anywhere close to be consider BFFs, but still it was definite news to hear. Jessica gave some type of American passive answer in the form of an ‘eh’. “What? Who is coming over?”

“I shouldn’t say… confidentially is important, after all she is an idol.” Jessica remarked while setting some plates on the table. Sunny gave a spew about how she worked for the NIS and understood confidentially as well as anyone. “Fine… I don’t know if you know her but she’s from 4Minute. Gayoon and she’s going to be over in… well 50 minutes and you’re still here.”

“Fine, I will go but I’ll be back. You’re helping me right? Or else I’ll expose everything!” Sunny said, accepting her fate and headed towards the door. She paused and remembered something. “You think you could get her autograph for me?”

“What the hell. Get out! Leave! I’ll call you. Just stay safe!” Jessica said and locked the door after pushing Sunny out.

*** *****

“No one suspects anything else. We don’t know where she is now, she’s on the run and hiding. Yes, she’s the primary suspect now. If we don’t get her, the authorities will. NIS has placed her in the top five of their wanted list. Yes, I understand, it should be smooth for the rest of the way. I don’t think she’ll be a problem, she’s dead either way. Understood.”

********* ******

There was a light but rapid tapping on her balcony window. She didn’t have any plants so it was enough to cause alarm. She reached for her pistol and pulled the curtains open only to find Sunny looking right at her. She opened up and let Sunny in.

“Unnie, what are you doing? You shouldn’t be here. Did the address not work out?”

“No, it was fine but my old friend apparently has plans tonight and she has to be alone for it to happen. Thanks for letting me in, it was getting so cold outside…” Sunny answered shaking some excess bits of snow off of her.

“I was just about to eat dinner. Do you want to join me?” Bora asked. Bora, like Sunny was a rather cute and innocuous looking girl; you wouldn’t suspect such a person capable of being a NIS agent. Her purple pajama pants and t-shirt made her look like a college student rather than some trained government agent.

For the most part, dinner was eaten in silence with modest portions of rice and limited talks about the day. Sunny cleaned up and did the dishes for Bora and asked if she could spend the night. There were plenty of public bathhouses in the city, and she could have easily stayed at any of them, but whoever was after her would most likely clue into that information as well. Bora sighed and said yes and was smothered by a hug from Sunny.

“Unnie, just please try not to get me killed.”

“I’ll do my best.”

***************************