Hong Wonho pulled out a map of Korea. "This is why I brought you all here. The government is planning something big. Our sources say they are moving the three captured descendants from the black site facility to a new location.""When?" Baekho asked."Three days from now. They will transport them by armored convoy. Fifty guards minimum. But for a brief window during the transfer, they will be vulnerable.""You want to rescue them during transport.""Yes. It is our best chance. Maybe our only chance." Hong Wonho looked at each of them. "But I cannot do it alone. I need help. I need all of you."Shin Sola leaned forward. "What is the plan?"Hong Wonho laid out the strategy. The convoy would travel through a mountain pass. There was a section of road where the mountains created natural cover. They could ambush there. Disable the vehicles. Extract the prisoners. Escape before reinforcements arrived."It will be dangerous," he said. "We will be outnumbered. And if we fail, the government w

Kang Dami turned to face him. "Thank you for trusting me enough to come.""I do not trust you. I just needed to see Pyo Rowoon for myself.""Fair enough." Kang Dami pulled out a tablet. "The convoy transfer is real. Three days from now. But Hong Wonho's information is incomplete. There is not one convoy. There are three.""Three?""Decoys. The government knows someone might try a rescue. So they are transporting fake prisoners in two convoys to draw out attackers. The real prisoners are in the third convoy, but we do not know which route they will take."She showed him a map with three different routes highlighted."How do you know this?" Baekho asked."Because I still have contacts inside the Veil Directorate. People who owe me favors. People who hate what the organization has become." Kang Dami met his eyes. "I know you do not trust me. I know I have made terrible mistakes. But I am trying to fix them. Please let me help.""Why? Why help us now after working with the government for

Gunfire erupted. Shin Sola and Choi Iseul fired from the ridge, their aim perfect. Guards fell.Shadow Division operatives engaged the rear guards. The battle was chaos.Baekho focused on the prisoner transport truck. He ripped the doors open.Inside, three people were chained to the walls. Two men and one woman. All looked half dead from torture."We are here to rescue you," Baekho said quickly. "Can you move?"One of the men looked up with hollow eyes. "Who are you?""Kim Baekho. Another Shinigami descendant. Come on, we need to move fast."Hong Wonho helped break the chains. The three prisoners stumbled out, weak but alive."Get them to the extraction vehicle!" Baekho ordered.But then something went wrong.A fifth vehicle appeared from around the bend. A vehicle that was not supposed to be there.And from that vehicle emerged Nam Garam, the Hunter Association special agent, along with twenty more guards."Ambush!" Baekho shouted. "It is a trap!""No," Kang Dami said over the radio

Choi Minho sighed. "I was afraid you would say that. If you go back to Korea, you will be captured immediately.""Then I guess I need to be very careful.""Baekho, listen to me. This is suicide. Even with your full power, you cannot fight an entire country.""I am not fighting a country. I am fighting a corrupt organization hiding inside the government. Big difference.""Is it though? To most people, you are still the monster who killed 300 people. Public opinion is shifting, but not fast enough. You go back to Korea, the bounty hunters will swarm you. Five billion won is too much money to pass up.""I have to try. Those descendants who are not captured yet, they deserve a chance to live without fear of forced transformation. I can give them that chance."Silence on the other end. Then: "Fine. But you are not going alone. I will arrange transportation and backup. Give me twenty four hours."The call ended.Choi Iseul had been listening from the doorway. "You are going back.""Yes.""T

Choi Iseul checked her phone. "I still have the secure line to the Japanese facility. I can call and ask him questions.""Do it. Ask him everything he remembers about the device. Size, power requirements, where it could be hidden. Anything."While Choi Iseul made the call, Baekho focused on driving. The police were getting closer. Three cars behind them. Four. Five."They are boxing us in," Kang Dami warned."I know. Hold on."Baekho took a sharp turn down a narrow alley. The police cars were too wide to follow. That bought them a few seconds.They emerged near the Han River. In the distance, Baekho could see Shin Sola and Hong Wonho running along the riverbank with dozens of police chasing them."There!" Choi Iseul pointed.Baekho drove straight toward them. He stopped the car and threw open the doors. "Get in!"Shin Sola and Hong Wonho jumped into the car. Baekho stepped on the gas before the doors even closed.Police cars converged from all directions."We need to get out of the ci