Ch.125Chapter 125. El Paso (5)

If anyone had seen Cuss’s face, they’d be thrown in prison.

If photos were taken, I’d have to destroy the device and burn it.

What if that data was transmitted to their boss?

‘I’d have to destroy everything.’

What other choice would I have but to completely dismantle the cartel?

I headed toward the bridge with quick steps, my hands thrust into my pockets.

There were at least three suspicious individuals visible around me.

No, four…

Why would they need to mobilize so many people?

It was already dangerous enough to exchange payment for an assassination near the scene, so why bring so many people?

‘They’re not just ordinary members.’

The person delivering the money wasn’t some low-level grunt.

At least an executive.

Otherwise, the bodyguards positioned around the underpass, scanning in all directions, made no sense.

In other words, if I locked him up, he could still issue revenge orders.

‘This is maddening.’

If I subdued him and threw him in prison, he’d just order his subordinates to find and take revenge on the blonde woman with prosthetic limbs instead of Cuss.

Should I threaten him to keep his mouth shut?

No, that was impossible too.

I might be good at making people talk, but I don’t know how to make them stay silent…

So the only option left was…

‘To kill him?’

Dead men tell no tales.

The thought sent chills down my spine.

No. I can’t do that.

No matter what, I can’t kill him.

“Let me borrow this for a moment.”

“Urk?”

I snatched a baseball cap from a homeless person lying on a bench and pulled it down over my head.

I tucked all my short hair inside so the blonde wouldn’t show.

If I wasn’t going to kill him, there was only one option left.

.

.

.

“Sicario?”

“…”

Silence.

The shadow standing rigidly in the darkness simply walked toward them without answering.

Sensing something was off, the old man grabbed a gun from the seat inside the car window.

“Reconnaissance team. Who entered the underpass?”

“…”

“Hey. Answer me!”

“…”

His bodyguard kept pressing the radio, but no answer came.

All four had been taken out.

Quickly drawing his conclusion, the bodyguard thrust his hand into his jacket pocket and gripped his gun.

Police?

Or if not, a rival organization?

“You are surrounded. I advise you to surrender.”

“…?”

A somewhat awkward, mechanical voice reached them.

Rather than an android… it sounded more like someone imitating an android.

I had no idea what they were trying to accomplish, but there was only one choice.

Kill them quickly and leave.

The two men raised their guns and aimed at the woman.

“Hmm…?”

At that moment, the woman twisted her body into a strange posture.

She turned sideways, with one arm covering her side and the other extended forward, palm shielding her face.

Though the intention behind this stance was completely incomprehensible, it didn’t matter.

They would just shoot to kill.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire erupted loudly, flames bursting from the barrels.

Four bullets flew toward her face.

“What…!”

But the woman was still standing perfectly fine.

With four holes through her palm.

Startled by the eerie gaze visible through the gaps between her fingers, the two men quickly pulled their triggers again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bodyguard aimed for her head again, while the old man targeted her body.

But there was only a metallic clanging sound—a noise that shouldn’t come from a human body—and the woman didn’t fall.

“Damn it! Is she wearing body armor?”

Could she really be an android?

If it was difficult to damage her, the only option was to take away her mobility.

Both men simultaneously aimed for her legs and fired.

After a barrage of noisy gunfire came silence.

Holding their guns with slides locked back, the two peered through the acrid smoke.

“Holy shit!”

A dark figure was charging toward them.

The old man hurriedly opened the car door and fumbled for a magazine.

The woman lunged first at the bodyguard who had just finished reloading.

Bang!

“Argh!”

As the gun fired, his wrist was twisted and the weapon wrenched away.

He immediately tried to counterattack with a pocket knife in his left hand, but his shin was stomped on, breaking his leg and forcing him to collapse.

“Guhk!”

Simultaneously, a fist drove into his solar plexus.

Feeling his internal organs twist, the bodyguard gasped for breath and fell.

“Die, you tin can!”

“…!”

The old man had finished reloading and was aiming his gun.

She needed to block the bullets.

But her left arm wouldn’t respond.

One arm alone wouldn’t be enough to withstand suppressive fire.

Only her right arm holding the gun was moving.

The woman quickly extended her arm and aimed the gun at the old man’s forehead.

They could each see the brass bullet in the other’s chamber through the gun barrels.

If she didn’t shoot, she would die.

But killing wasn’t part of her plan, and as the woman hesitated, the old man’s gun barrel flashed first.

Bang!

“You son of a bitch!”

Suddenly, something tackled the old man.

As the fired bullet grazed her cap, the woman snapped back to her senses, eyes wide, and rushed forward.

Behind the car, a familiar bulky man was pinning down the old man, twisting his arm.

“Why didn’t you shoot?! Juli… whatever your name is!”

“Ah…”

Seeing Jinsoo’s face, Juliane could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

***

The police arrived and began handling the situation.

The cartel executive they had disarmed and subdued, the unconscious bodyguard, and the reconnaissance team members were all arrested and taken away.

Meanwhile, Juliane and I were…

“Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking not pulling the trigger?”

“The Department of Justice is meant to rehabilitate people, not kill them.”

“That’s no excuse! You were about to die and you didn’t shoot! What would have happened if I hadn’t been there?”

“I would have died, I guess…”

“‘I would have died, I guess’? Is that all you have to say?”

“What about you, Jinsoo? Why did you come? You should have been protecting Cuss!”

“I came because I was worried about you! Why else?”

…arguing fiercely while handcuffed.

I thought she had some grand plan, but it turned out to be just charging in barehanded and beating everyone up.

And she couldn’t even pull the trigger when she needed to.

“Listen! Are you stupid? What were you thinking exposing your identity to protect Cuss? What if the cartel retaliates against you?”

“I didn’t expose myself! I covered my blonde hair!”

“You call that covered? It was all sticking out!”

“Well, at least my android act worked!”

“What…?”

I felt like I’d been hit in the head.

While subduing the executive, Juliane kept talking in that weird tone—that was her android act?

Was that why the guy kept cursing about a “tin can”?

I couldn’t believe it.

Both Juliane for thinking that was acting and the senile old fool for believing it.

“That actually worked?”

“Yes, it worked. They’ll think they were taken down by a police android. Neither Cuss nor I will face retaliation, right?”

“Even so! It was too reckless! Why did you just charge in like that?”

“Why? Because I love Cuss!”

“Don’t you think about the people who love you?”

“Ugh… I’m sorry! I’m sorry…”

Juliane bumped her head against my shoulder.

Tilting my head, I could see her face with her lips pouting.

“I’m sorry… I was only thinking about destroying those guys.”

“Even though you weren’t prepared to pull the trigger?”

“That’s why I’m apologizing. For rushing in thoughtlessly. For making you worry…”

“You should be more sorry. Do you know how worried I was?”

“…”

As our foreheads touched, I could feel her warm body temperature.

As I kept looking at her, Juliane tried to avoid my gaze but eventually gave up and met my eyes.

Looking into those sparkling eyes, I felt my anger subsiding.

Juliane’s sharp gaze softened, and she closed her eyes.

It was obvious what she wanted.

As I tilted my head and brought my lips closer…

“Ahem! Hem! Both of you need to come file a report.”

“…”

“…”

We quickly separated at the officer’s throat-clearing.

I had forgotten.

That other people were around…

After the situation ended, we had to go straight to the police station.

I thought my status as a Department of Justice investigator might help, but it meant nothing to the local police.

We ended up having to write statements for hours to prove it was self-defense.

Of course, they were suspicious about how we “coincidentally” encountered four cartel scouts during a night walk, quietly knocked them out, and “coincidentally” fought with an executive.

But thanks to Juliane standing up and declaring that holding us for questioning without charges or evidence was clearly illegal, we were released.

If I had been alone, they probably would have kept interrogating me.

Having a girlfriend who knows the law well couldn’t be better.

“Jinsoo!”

“Oh, kid…”

After about six hours, Cuss ran to me crying like we were at a family reunion after decades apart.

I thought I was completely drained.

But feeling Cuss’s soft skin against me, I felt my strength returning.

Ah, but it seemed to be concentrating in just one area.

“Juliane! Are you okay? Your clothes are all torn up!”

“Hehe. I’m fine. Really fine.”

“Juliane…?”

After I let go, Cuss ran to Juliane with her face covered in snot.

Juliane forced a smile and stroked Cuss’s head, but the perceptive Cuss seemed to notice quickly.

The fact that Juliane’s left arm wasn’t moving.

“But Juliane! Your arm…!”

“I told you I’m fine. It’s a prosthetic anyway, so I can just replace it.”

“R-really?”

“Of course.”

“Oh. I thought Juliane would never be able to use her arm again. *sniff* I cried for nothing.”

“Umm…?”

Cuss suddenly stopped crying and turned away.

Surprised by the abrupt change, Juliane looked at me with a bewildered expression.

What are you looking at me for?

You should have kept up the act.

It seemed Juliane was still inexperienced in handling Cuss.

*

“Hey, Jinsoo. I’m sorry. I never thought something like this would happen while I was asleep.”

“Don’t be sorry. How is this your fault?”

“Maybe not, but if I had been awake…”

Hyper Bullet El Paso Station.

Alejandro, who had come to meet us right at the platform, awkwardly scratched his head.

He seemed to blame himself for not helping during such a major incident, but there was no need.

A skinny guy like Alejandro wouldn’t have been much help anyway.

“That executive you and your girlfriend caught? My uncle recognized him immediately. He’s the boss of the organization that held power in Ciudad Juárez.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Yeah. As soon as news spread that the boss was captured, they were helplessly overrun by rival organizations. The organization completely fell apart overnight, and their competitors seized power.”

“Wow…”

“The hitmen were all purged or absorbed by the other side. Your family won’t be in danger anymore.”

That was welcome news.

I had been unsure whether Juliane’s android act had really worked.

But if the entire organization had collapsed, the boss in prison couldn’t order any retaliation.

We had caught a much bigger fish than we’d imagined.

“The police chief asked me to hold onto you. He said he has so many questions…”

“Tell him to go fuck himself. We’re going home.”

“I’ll pass that along. Sorry for giving you such bad memories during your trip.”

You should be sorry, you bastard.

Just thinking about Juliane charging barehanded against armed men made me angry again.

I was about to turn around and lecture her again, but…

“Juliane! The holes in your palm… how many are there?”

“Four holes!”

“Amazing! Bullets are so fast, and you blocked them all?”

“Hehehe! Right? Aren’t I amazing?”

Seeing Juliane playing with Cuss, my irritation subsided.

In the end, no one died or got hurt, so maybe it all worked out.

“Tch. Let’s go.”

“Take care, Jinsoo. If you come back for the Day of the Dead—”

“I’m never coming back, asshole.”

After flipping Alejandro off, I headed for the platform.

We had booked the first train back to LA, forgetting all about morning sightseeing.

We needed to get Juliane’s arm fixed too.

“Hmm…”

“Yawn…”

As soon as we boarded the Hyper Bullet, both Cuss and Juliane leaned against me and fell asleep.

They must have been up all night and were finally relaxed enough to sleep.

What if we miss our stop?

The Hyper Bullet is so quiet you can’t even tell when you’ve arrived.

“Haah… really.”

In the end, I had to stay awake alone.

I was dying to sleep.

But seeing the two of them sleeping like angels made the corners of my mouth twitch upward.

Cuss would look even more angelic if she didn’t drool so much while sleeping.

And if Juliane would stop eating her hair…

“Tsk…”

I felt Juliane’s left hand.

Her left hand with holes revealing the white prosthetic inside.

I spent a long time fiddling with the hard machinery inside the holes, fighting off sleep.