SOG Ch 72

The criminals who had left behind the new hostage gathered in the innermost room on the ground floor, which they used as a conference room.

“Don’t fret. Not even a day has passed yet.”

As the operation’s brain, the young man consoled his colleagues, who were anxiously awaiting external contact. He was one of the standby team members who did not go out on operations but remained behind in the hideout and acted like a guard.

Brain sat in a shadowy corner, partially concealing his expression. For some reason, things were moving too fast. He expected the hostage situation to last several days, but he never expected everyone to return to their hiding spot in less than a day.

After those words, no one spoke. It was when everyone was silent.

“A reply has been received.”

One of the colleagues who had been quietly observing the situation handed Brain a phone. He was the one who took the earlier picture of the hostage on the boat. The photos were sent directly to the ‘collaborator’ at the request of the leader. The collaborator was the person who had assisted the criminals by informing them of Han Roy’s identity and location, making his kidnapping much easier.

“…”

Brain checked the response on the phone but didn’t make any comment.

“What’s the matter?”

The leader’s urging eyes returned. Brain turned his eyes, then quickly spit it out, thinking it would be better to just get over it.

“That… He’s someone we know? Esper Seon Min-yeol’s son. He is an A-class Guide from the Center.”

“What…?”

The son of the Union hero?

Moreover, he was a Guide and affiliated with the Central Management Headquarters for Supernatural Abilities.

Silence fell again. Even Won Seong-il, who was receiving the second guiding, was paying attention with widened eyes. Won Seong-il muttered.

“…Could that bastard be a spy?”

Similar thoughts ran through everyone’s heads. Eventually, they decided to bring the hostage out once more.

However, Seon Min-yeol’s son, who was grabbed by the back of his neck, seemed calm no matter how much they questioned him.

“I’m not a spy or anything.”

Seon Jae-chan spoke with a composed voice. Although he felt a bit disoriented that his identity had been revealed sooner than expected, he didn’t let it show. He glanced around the room, filled with fish specimen frames that were used as a fishery office, and continued speaking.

“Did I even have an opportunity to do that? I’ve been inside the theater from the beginning.”

His expression was also quite calm. Then, when it seemed like the criminals were not going to ease their suspicions easily, Jae-chan craned his head and looked the leader in the eyes.

“I mean, you’ve seen me every day, right?”

The reason he had tried to engage the employees of the Jungle Family Ride, including the leader at any opportunity was to prepare for a situation like this. 

The leader was silent for a moment. Won Seong-il, who was lying on the couch during the guiding, thought the situation had taken a terrible turn. He jumped up like a spring. He immediately rushed at the hostage and grabbed him by the neck.

“What are you.”

“…”

“That’s why it stinks even more. What’s the deal? How did you know and approach?”

The hostage remained calm to the end, even ready to retaliate.

“So, are you saying that there is a traitor among you who conspired with me?”

“…”

“Otherwise, how would I have known and done attendance checks every day-”

Suddenly, Won Seong-il’s fist hit the hostage in the face. Even though others rushed in to stop it, the punches continued. (The fact that he was Seon Min-yeol’s son somehow restrained their violence.) The hostage covered his head in pain. It was only after this obvious display of the situation that Won Seong-il’s thin lips curled up.

“Shut up. Your babbling is not needed. Okay? We’ll make the judgments. Hey, did you search this guy properly?”

The final question was directed at the Brain, who had been responsible for the body search. As he spoke, Won Seong-il tore the hostage’s shirt. At that time, a sound of laughter burst out from under the lowered head.

“Are you going to search it yourself?”

Seon Jae-chan dropped the formalities. He had wanted to do just this to Won Seong-il from the very beginning. Even now, he wanted to gouge those shameless eyes out.

“If possible, please do it roughly. Earlier, it was just tickling.”

Seon Jae-chan’s pupils flickered beyond his disheveled hair. His eyes were too intense, and his red, cracked lips barely showed. At the moment when Won Seong-il’s face twisted as a response to that fierce attitude…

“Leave him alone.”

The leader intervened.

“He’s just a Jungle Family maniac.”

The leader looked flustered as he found the jaguar necklace between the torn collars.

In fact, the leader tended to be a bit lenient towards Seon Jae-chan. Unlike Han Roy, who was kidnapped as a target from the beginning, Seon Jae-chan had merely been a guest for a few days. He was the geek who chatted idly from time to time. He even gave random stuff like flamingo-shaped jelly or candy with leopard patterns for no reason…

It might have been just a few minutes in terms of time, but due to this insignificant time spent together, the leader had unconsciously regarded Seon Jae-chan as a ‘person’ rather than a hostage. Won Seong-il instinctively and vaguely sensed the leader’s true intentions.

“So you’re going to be soft?”

Won Seong-il sneered. His eyes had a peculiar, inhumane cruelty to them. The leader’s molars tightened due to the subtle sense of intimidation.

‘Damn, you fucking bastard.’

If Won Seong-il wasn’t an Esper, he wouldn’t have even considered accepting him as a colleague. That guy was excessively cruel and vicious. He had sworn loyalty only to the dead scientist.

Won Seong-il was the only A-class Esper. Without that guy, they wouldn’t have even been able to attempt these operations. He had to bear with it one more time. The leader wanted to change the subject and got angry at Brain.

“It’s Seon Min-yeol’s son! Why isn’t there any communication? Call the newspapers or the police. If we don’t connect with the Chief, that guy’s throat is going to have a hole in it!”

“He’s a Union Hero. He might not prioritize his family like civilians… and it hasn’t even been a full day yet.”

The Brain shrugged his shoulders.

The leader let out a sigh. Won Seong-il had been silent all this while. The Brain looked at the two people who were the most powerful people in the group and continued to say reassuring words.

“And we have other hostages, too.”

He was referring to Han Roy. Only then did the leader’s expression change. Won Seong-il also returned to his Guide’s side.

The Brain covered his tired mouth with his palm. He let out a short sigh and sat down far away from Won Seong-il.

“The code, is it decrypted?”

The leader, who had switched to a more composed mode, asked.

They were divided into two groups: the assault team and the standby team. The assault team had spent a month preparing for the hostage situation, and the standby team, which included Brain, had another mission besides conveying the government’s movements.

Deciphering the code left by the scientist.

In fact, if the code had been easily cracked, the hostage incident would not have occurred.

The Brain sighed and handed one of the printed materials he had copied to the boss. It was an encoded message.

The leader recalled the first time he received this code by email.

– If you ever lose contact with me, decrypt this file.

It was just an ordinary research document with a black feather-like mark in the lower right corner.

– The ‘Black Mark’ at the bottom is the code. It contains my hiding place list and the location of it.

So the criminals noticed the black feather-like pattern etched on the document. Instead of marking the code openly, it was hidden as a logo or decoration, a method to double-layer the hidden message. It was the only hint given by the scientist.

The leader thought nothing of it. He didn’t ask any further questions about this because he thought the probability of catching a scientist who could disguise and hide like a chameleon was low. Moreover, he thought he would easily decrypt the code.

He never expected his optimism would hold him back like this.

“It’s not even a QR code. What on earth is this?”

When the Brain admitted that he couldn’t decipher the code, the leader became anxious. Seon Jae-chan, who was lying on the floor with a broken face, was naturally looked in that direction as well.

Jae-chan noticed the feather-like mark.

The next moment, he turned his gaze straight ahead again without any emotion.

However, if someone were to place a hand on his chest, they would feel a frantic pounding like a thrashing club.

Seon Jae-chan tried to hide his happy expression. He maintained a blank expression. The leader, who did not notice anything, stared at the code for a long time and then simply ordered the guard to move the hostage.

Jae-chan was forcibly taken by the strong criminals and brought to the utility room where Han Roy was being held.

As the door closed and even as he rolled onto the floor, a smile was etched on his face.

His heart was racing, and an exhilarating shiver ran throughout his body. The intense gaze of the ferocious little Han Roy looked at him as if he were a madman, but he seemed not to mind.

Seon Jae-chan knew how to decipher that code.