Chemistry

「Hong Kong, 04:30 AM」 – Tuen Mun Cargo Terminal

Eight flashlight beams were moving through the container-filled port.

『How long until the recon drone backup?』

-Three minutes. Be careful not to get hit by flashbangs in the meantime. Did you bring your sunglasses and earplugs?

Vince laughed bitterly at David’s lighthearted message over the comms. The word “embarrassed” perfectly described Vince’s current feelings.

Losing the doctor in the same manner despite knowing the method from the Berlin kidnapping incident was a disgrace for the operation team leader.

『Who do you think it is?』

Vince pondered Peter’s question as they searched together.

『Not sure. The kidnapping style doesn’t match Islamic extremists.』

『Judging by the method, it seems they’re trying to avoid casualties.』

『If their goal isn’t to provoke international agencies, they would minimize unnecessary actions.』

『I heard the Moscow doctor was also taken. SVR must be involved, right?』

Vince shook his head at Peter’s mention of the Russian intelligence agency.

『Unlikely. They don’t even know about the existence of the biochemical weapon. At most, local police are investigating Dr. Natalia’s disappearance.』

Vince had been the same until yesterday. He assumed it was a crime by a terrorist group targeting dangerous materials.

A clue found by a Korean chemist Vince happened to talk to had suddenly turned this issue into a new weapon problem that could stir international politics.

-Vince.

A voice came through Vince’s comms as he inspected an old, partially open container. It was Blake, who was protecting the chemist.

『Hey, Blake. Is Mr. Han awake?』

-Yes. I’m on my way from the hotel to the location where the getaway vehicle was found.

『What do you mean?』

-He offered to help find Dr. Amit.

David’s voice came through another comm channel with a beep.

-Bravo team, can you hear me? Ta-da~ We’ve arrived. Not wearing your sunglasses? Could you wave towards the southeast sky?

Vince gave the finger to the distant sky and then spoke to Blake.

『I acknowledge his chemical knowledge, but this is about tracking criminals.』

-He said he saw their faces.

『What?』

Vince recalled the situation from a few hours ago. It meant he identified the suspects despite being overpowered by flashbangs. It was hard to believe that the feeble Mr. Han could recover his vision faster than the trained agents.

『What could he have seen in that pitch-black place? He’s not specially trained. Stop doing unnecessary things and return to the safe zone. David will scan and give us results.』

-We’re almost there, so I’ll just check this. Mr. Han’s protection is now Charlie team’s responsibility anyway.

After ending the comms, Vince clicked his tongue. Blake, who was transferred from an intelligence analyst to field duty, sometimes acted like a rookie.

Despite knowing that the CIA’s cutting-edge recon drone was tracking the area, she still sought a civilian’s help. Even if Han Jeong-woo was a local who lived here all his life, he couldn’t understand the area better than the multi-million-dollar device in the sky.

-Vince, there’s a bio-signal in the northeastern container. Not our agent. Distance is 270 yards.

『Got it.』

A SUV came to a stop in front of the road leading to the port. Jeong-woo, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the abandoned van on the roadside.

『They escaped in this car, right?』

『Yes. Vince is currently searching the front dock.』

Jeong-woo stepped out and examined the nine-seater vehicle with its license plate torn off, then pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. Inside was a swab with Dr. Amit’s scent, found in room 712.

As he searched for traces in the world magnified by molecular vision, Blake stood next to him.

『Can you detect the scent?』

『I’m trying.』

Jeong-woo brought the swab to his nose and gave Blake, who stood there skeptically, a brief smile. In this place, the smell he could actually detect was more likely to be the clean soap scent emanating from Blake rather than Amit’s scent.

It was much easier to wave the swab around as an excuse than to explain how he was tracking the molecular structure of the scent.

After a while, Jeong-woo found traces of molecules lingering in the air.

『I think it’s this way?』

The direction Jeong-woo pointed was the opposite of the road leading to the dock. Blake looked at him with doubting eyes.

『Hold on a moment.』

Jeong-woo walked a bit further and found another trace on the roadside.

『Yes, this way. I can smell it. Shall we continue?』

Blake looked at Jeong-woo with a contemplative face. He had confidently promised to track down the mysterious criminals for the CIA agents. Here, where proper support was hard to come by, field decisions were solely her responsibility.

『Let me ask you one thing.』

『Uh… sure.』

『In the room with all the lights broken, how did you identify the intruder’s features?』

Jeong-woo scratched his chin. If he was going to bluff, he needed to do it convincingly. After all, this was a consulting job worth $2,000 an hour.

『I have very good night vision.』

He closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, looking around Blake.

『I can see the newspaper at your feet says ‘Weekly Hong Kong, May 16.’』

Blake, looking down in the dim light, spotted the paper and shone her flashlight on it. Seeing the title “Weekly HK”, she looked at Jeong-woo with surprise.

『We need to hurry before all the traces are blown away by the wind. The scent will also evaporate with the heat once the sun rises. What should we do?』

Blake, meeting Jeong-woo’s somewhat mysteriously sparkling gaze, made up her mind.

Blake retrieved a bag from the backseat of the SUV and slung it over her shoulder, then spoke to Jeong-woo.

『Lead the way.』

The two started walking towards a small village lined with shops.

Shortly after.

Jeong-woo, who had been walking as if taking a morning stroll in the dawn breeze, suddenly stopped.

『The trace is strong at the entrance.』

『Where?』

『Over there.』

Blake’s gaze followed the direction Jeong-woo’s finger pointed.

It was a six-story commercial building at the end of a dirty alley. Except for the tangled electric wires on the rooftop, it was a nondescript gray building.

『Mr. Han, stay hidden and wait.』

Blake crouched and pulled something out of her bag. It looked like binoculars but had intricate mechanical devices attached. She began scanning the building with it.

Jeong-woo, pressed against the wall, watched her actions.

‘Is that some kind of night vision?’

It was fascinating to see these secretive individuals actually using something, but Jeong-woo decided not to just wait around and used his infrared vision to scan the building.

『There are people on the fifth and sixth floors only. One person on the roof.』

『Oh, I see.』

『Excuse me?』

Blake, muttering the results from her surveillance equipment, turned to look at Jeong-woo. He quickly covered up his slip.

『I mean, I saw someone on the roof, just barely.』

『Can you identify the exposed individuals’ appearances? This button is for thermal surveillance, and this one is for light amplification.』

Jeong-woo took the device Blake handed him. The image was blunt and low-resolution compared to the infrared wavelengths he was used to seeing.

‘The telephoto lens is actually a hindrance.’

Nevertheless, he could make out the face of the person exposed on the roof. Jeong-woo groaned quietly. It was the same person who had struck Vince on the back of the neck.

『It’s the person who kidnapped the doctor.』

Blake, startled by this, took back the surveillance equipment and rechecked the roof.

‘That device can see too.’

Jeong-woo closed and reopened his eyes to check for sound waves. He reached out his left hand to the faint waves emanating from a phone on the roof.

The forcibly drawn sound buzzed in his ear like a mosquito.

-They’re almost here.

Jeong-woo’s ears perked up, wondering if “they” from the other side meant “us”.

-Get closer, hurry!

‘Get closer? Have they noticed our approach?’

Meanwhile, Blake connected the surveillance device to her communication unit, transmitting the screen and opening a channel to Vince.

『Vince. We found someone who looks like an intruder.』

Since he was absorbing sound waves, Blake’s voice from the small comm device in her ear also rang in Jeong-woo’s ears.

-You must be joking.

『I’m sending the picture to David. We’ll know once it runs through the database.』

-I’m right in front of the container they’re hiding in. There are three people inside.

『Really?』

Blake looked at Jeong-woo. In the dim alleyway, his sharp eyes darted around, and he suddenly shouted at Blake.

『It’s a trap! Get out of there—』

-BOOOOOM!

A sharp yet dull explosion echoed from Blake’s comm device. She clutched her ears and ducked, while Jeong-woo shuddered from the piercing shock that struck his eardrums.

Blake lifted her head and pressed the communication button.

『Vince! What’s happening?』

There was no response from the team at the dock.

Panicking, Jeong-woo focused on the voices he had heard from the roof.

「Hong Kong, 04:59 AM」 – Container Dock

A powerful infrasound attack echoed from within the fallen door, causing all the operatives hidden within a 50-meter radius to clutch their heads and collapse to the ground.

Vince saw the dock workers tied up and unconscious inside the container and realized they had been duped. He grasped his throbbing head and sank to the ground.

「Hong Kong, 05:01 AM」 – Gray Building

Hiss.

-How did it go?

The man surveying the dock with night vision goggles grinned with satisfaction.

『All taken down.』

-Their heads will be ringing for a while. I told them not to follow us. We were nice enough to let them live.

『What about Dr. Amit? Did he reveal the location of the agent?』

-Not yet. He definitely took it from the lab, but for some reason, he refuses to talk. And he keeps saying strange things.

『Strange things?』

-He says you will never be able to create the biological paralysis weapon you want.

『What?』

The man’s expression changed, and he rushed down to the room where Dr. Amit was being held. He burst through the door.

Dr. Amit, tied up and slumped against the wall, flinched when he saw the man.

『Doctor, how do you know what we’re trying to make?』

Sweat beaded on Amit’s forehead as he clamped his mouth shut, refusing to speak. The man drew a combat ripcord knife from his belt, spinning it before bringing it to Amit’s neck.

『Think carefully. We gave you seven hours because your colleague is supposed to come by then. And that time ended one minute ago. No one will care if I leave a few knife marks before we leave.』

As the blade grazed his skin, Amit shuddered and began to speak, trembling.

『I-I don’t know anything! I just saw a crazy formula proposed by some consultant at ISTC!』

『A consultant?』

At the same time.

Jeong-woo flinched as he collected sound waves at the alley’s edge.

‘That sounds like Dr. Amit’s scream.’

The sound waves, vibrating and breaking through the thick building walls, were difficult to discern clearly. However, he could precisely determine their position in the fourth room on the sixth floor.

『Mr. Han.』

Blake pulled a walkie-talkie from her bag and handed it to him along with car keys.

『I’m really sorry, but could you bring the car up to the front?』

『It’s not something to be sorry about. What about you?』

『They probably don’t know about my presence, so I need to carry out a solo operation.』

『Are you going in to fight?』

Blake shook her head with a faint smile as she saw Jeong-woo’s wide eyes.

『Going in without knowing the enemy’s identity or weapon level is reckless. I’ll monitor them until the support team arrives and then follow them when they move.』

『Support team?』

『Usually, in these situations, we call in Delta Force.』

『Oh.』

It seemed that the lone-wolf spies like 007 didn’t exist in reality.

『And don’t open the car door for anyone other than me. It’s bulletproof, so you’ll be safe.』

『Got it.』

As Jeong-woo was about to retrace his steps, he decided to share the information he had overheard from the rooftop.

『It seems Dr. Amit has hidden the agent. They haven’t left because they’re still searching for it. I vaguely heard this before getting hit by the flashbang, but it just came back to me.』

『Really?』

Blake resumed scanning the building with the surveillance equipment, and Jeong-woo raised his hand to point to the fourth room on the sixth floor.

『When the wind blew, I could strongly smell Dr. Amit from that direction.』

『This direction?』

『A bit to the side.』

『What? You mean those three in that room?』

When Blake received no response, she turned her head to see Jeong-woo walking back down the alley.

He was an odd man. Like a scent-tracking dog used in explosive detection, he had found this place solely by scent. The process of confirming the rooftop man as the culprit also had many inconsistencies. And he had predicted the trap that had caught Vince.

Yet, instead of suspicion, Blake felt a sense of trust. Why was that?

「Hong Kong, 05:13 AM」 – Tuen Mun Cargo Terminal Entrance Road

Jeong-woo sprinted at full speed, his breath coming in gasps, but he didn’t stop. He pressed the key to unlock the car and only after sitting in the driver’s seat did he let out his suppressed, ragged breath.

“Phew, this is exhausting.”

He had been a bit dazed when he woke up, but now he felt the reality keenly. He was currently chasing down bad guys with a beautiful agent. It was dangerous, but his heart was pounding with excitement.

As he started the car and quickly reversed, he noticed someone staggering out from the dock, supporting a colleague.

‘Team Leader Vince?’

BEEP—

Reversing to a stop in front of Vince, Jeong-woo rolled down the window.

『Are you okay?』

『Mr. Han?』

Vince recognized Jeong-woo and looked puzzled. With a glance asking where Blake was, Jeong-woo quickly explained the situation.

『…The ones you and Blake are chasing are really the main kidnappers?』

Vince’s face showed disbelief, and Jeong-woo shrugged. Vince sat his injured colleague down by the roadside and climbed into the passenger seat.

『Peter. Tend to the wounded and stand by for communication at the base. Send support immediately for anyone who seems fit.』

『Understood.』

After issuing instructions to his colleague, Vince signaled Jeong-woo to start driving.

Screech.

The SUV came to a stop on the road atop a hill overlooking the gray building on the sixth floor. Jeong-woo picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the transmit button.

『Blake, we’ve arrived.』

-Roger that. Stay put there. The target has started moving. They’re not in a vehicle yet, so follow them slowly from behind.

Hearing the voice over the walkie-talkie, Vince turned his gaze out the window.

『Where is she?』

Jeong-woo squinted and scanned the surroundings, then adjusted Vince’s head.

『Blake is over there.』

『Ah.』

『Dr. Amit is this way. Wait, no. They just passed that street? Keep looking ahead, they’ll show up.』

Although dawn was breaking, it was still dim between the alleys. Vince was impressed by Jeong-woo’s ability to pinpoint their location in the shadows.

『There they are. Do you see them?』

Vince spotted the two men quickly moving with the tied-up Amit and watched them intently.

Jeong-woo noticed blood trickling from Vince’s right ear and asked.

『You look hurt. Shouldn’t you get treated?』

『It’s a ruptured eardrum, nothing can be done for now.』

『Oh.』

Vince pulled a silenced Glock 26 from his inner pocket and chambered a round, then spoke to the tense Jeong-woo.

『We need to go after them.』

『Right now?』

『With only two of them, there’s no better time for an ambush. Park the car on the road ahead of their direction. Give me the walkie-talkie. My comms are broken.』

Vince took the walkie-talkie and instructed Blake to cover the rear.

Shortly after.

The SUV came to a stop on the coastal road with a view of the sandy beach. As Vince jumped out of the passenger seat, Jeong-woo watched in admiration.

‘So there really are people like 007.’

「Hong Kong, 05:30 AM」 – 500m West of the Coastline

A sleek boat cut through the sticky sea air as it sped forward. The boat was in violation of international law and numerous other treaties, but the dozen mercenaries on board didn’t care at all.

A bronze-skinned man sitting on the boat’s edge picked up a walkie-talkie.

『We’re almost there. Can you see us, Wallace?』

-You’re late!

『Couldn’t be helped. There was traffic.』

The man grinned as he watched the twin engines churn up a spray of water.

-Do you know the CIA has caught wind of this?

『We had to take a detour to avoid their pursuit.』

-You better get here fast. The boss just found out something you’re going to find very interesting.

『Interesting?』

-There’s a chemist who has figured out the plan to combine the three items.

『Are you kidding me?』

-Even more surprising, Dr. Amit and Professor Jordan. The work they were pressuring Dr. Natalia to complete has already been done by this guy.

「Hong Kong, 05:31 AM」 – Coastal Road

Blake, who had been tailing the kidnappers, couldn’t help but feel a surge of anxiety as she arrived at the deserted coastline.

Supporting Vince’s solo operation.

The recon drone had to be withdrawn due to a sensor failure, and satellite support alone had its limitations. Luckily, she was in a position where she could observe the enemy while remaining hidden, but executing an operation with uncertain factors required caution.

Beep.

A signal came through the comms, followed by David’s voice from the situation room.

-Blake, we’ve got results from running the picture you sent through the database.

『Really?』

-Wallace Ditto. Retired military with a record of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. He’s skilled with firearms and mechanical devices, and seems to do anything for money.

『Not affiliated with any specific group?』

-It appears he’s a hired hand.

Blake’s gaze shifted to the SUV parked on the distant coastal road as she realized that Jeong-woo’s tracking had been 100% accurate. Without him, they would have fallen into the trap set by the enemy, ending the situation in disgrace.

-Mantain composure. f𝐫e𝚎we𝚋n𝐨𝘃el.𝗰𝗼𝐦

『Any additional support?』

-The nearest carrier is in the Philippine Sea.

Deploying elite US forces would take at least three hours. With that timeline, they would have to do their best on the ground for now.

Crackle.

-You’ll make contact soon.

Came Vince’s voice over the comms.

『Let’s go.』

Jeong-woo, keeping a close watch from inside the car, swallowed hard.

Vince was pressed tightly against a trash bin, lying in wait.

The two kidnappers and Dr. Amit were emerging from the residential area across the way.

Blake was quietly following them from behind.

A confrontation was imminent. Just watching from the bulletproof vehicle made Jeong-woo’s heart race.

‘Gosh, this is nerve-wracking.’

As he hoped for the operation to go smoothly, Jeong-woo glanced to the side and raised an eyebrow.

A boat was approaching from beyond the sea, kicking up a low spray. It was too suspiciously timed to be an early morning boating excursion.

As he watched, Jeong-woo was startled. The people disembarking near the coastal cliff were dressed ominously. The masks especially gave them away as associates of the kidnappers.

‘…What should I do?’