Ch.29Succubus! (4)

#029

To put it a bit dramatically, Gomer looked like what’s called a “Laughing Buddha” – the kind of chubby Buddha statue commonly seen in America.

While there might be some people who find that appealing if you search across America, it’s not exactly a body type that would be universally attractive.

Yet beside this Gomer were two supermodel-level beauties that even Dexter might envy.

When Dexter couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful women, Himena cleared her throat once.

“Ahem! Mr. Hughes, what are you looking at?”

Dexter tried to brush it off as nothing, but he felt Himena’s sharp gaze on him.

‘I better choose my words carefully.’

Moistening his lips with his tongue, Dexter casually gestured toward Gomer with his eyes and said:

“Oh, that chubby guy over there. He’s a guard at our prison.”

“Are those his girlfriends? He must have some skills.”

“No way they’re his girlfriends when he looks that uncomfortable. And two of them at that.”

Dexter answered with a slightly envious tone.

‘Even I can’t date women like that. Surely not Correctional Officer Lawrence.’

“I guess you’re right. If they were his girlfriends, he wouldn’t look so miserable, would he?”

Himena also seemed unimpressed by someone like Gomer, shaking her head.

“Of course. If it were me…”

“If it were you?”

As Himena moved closer, seemingly waiting for his answer, Dexter hesitated briefly before saying:

“I’d be more affectionate. That’s all.”

“Oh, come on.”

Whatever she had expected, Himena quickly returned to her spot as Dexter turned his attention back to Gomer.

“It looks suspicious no matter how you look at it.”

Gold diggers and high-class escorts target wealthy men.

But Gomer was wearing a stretched-out t-shirt and old cargo pants.

His shabby fashion screamed broke at first glance.

“There’s absolutely no reason for women like that to be hanging around someone like him, right?”

Even Himena, who didn’t know what kind of person Gomer was, could find the situation suspicious.

“Should we follow them?”

Himena spoke in a voice too quiet for Gomer to hear.

Dexter, who had been curious himself, naturally agreed with Himena’s suggestion.

The two carefully stood up, making sure Gomer wouldn’t notice them.

“For the bill, I’d like to pay in full—”

“Shhhh!”

Himena put her index finger to her lips as the clueless waiter approached.

“Excuse me?”

“Be quiet!”

After silencing the oblivious waiter, Himena took out three ten-dollar bills from her wallet.

“Keep the change as a tip, and please just go away quietly.”

“Wow, how gener—”

“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?”

When Himena glared at the waiter, he shrank back, carefully took the money, and quickly retreated into the café.

Having escaped the café, the two tiptoed toward Himena’s car.

At the back of the car, Himena carefully opened the trunk and took out two light spring coats and hats.

“These are for disguise.”

“Clothes with stealth technology that blend into the surroundings?”

“…? No, just ordinary clothes. Both your outfit and mine are too flashy.”

Thinking about it, there was no reason to give expensive equipment to a rookie agent.

Himena took off her click-clacking heels and put on sneakers, while Dexter received a spare pair of black Crocs.

“Why Crocs?”

“These are the only quiet men’s shoes I have in my trunk. Come on, put them on. You can leave your dress shoes in the trunk.”

“Ah, these look so uncool.”

Eventually, Dexter put on the Crocs as Himena requested and carefully began tailing Gomer.

“N-no, I can’t do this.”

“Shh, you talk too much for a man.”

“I’m fine with this kind of man.”

“B-but still…”

While Gomer was still awkwardly being led by the two women, he dropped something.

As Gomer tried to pick it up, the woman on the right briefly separated from him and retrieved the item.

They were at a distance, but there was a small chance of being spotted.

Dexter pretended to scratch under his nose, covering his mouth as he whispered:

“Act like we’re a couple, act like we’re a couple.”

Himena, visibly tense, pressed herself against Dexter’s side, wrapping both arms around his.

This allowed Dexter to feel the curves of Himena’s upper body directly.

‘She’s more shapely than she looks…’

As Dexter was enjoying the soft sensation against his arm while pretending to be a couple, the woman who had picked up the item turned to look in their direction.

“…”

“Act more natural. We don’t look like a couple at all.”

When Dexter advised in a low voice, Himena nodded and linked her arm with his.

Her movements were still stiff, but apparently not suspicious enough for the two women.

Once the woman turned back around, Himena hastily unlinked her arm.

“What, do you dislike me that much?”

“N-no, of course not. I just thought you might be uncomfortable.”

“Really?”

Dexter briefly observed Himena’s reaction, then put his arm around her shoulders.

“Doesn’t this look more like a couple?”

“Y-yes…”

Seeing Himena still shy despite knowing each other for some time, Dexter couldn’t help but smile at how cute she looked.

“Wait, have you never had a boyfriend?”

“I went to all-girls boarding schools for middle and high school, and then Wellesley College… My parents kept close watch, and I was mostly around women…”

Seemingly embarrassed by Dexter’s touch, Himena stammered through her explanation.

Wellesley College was a name Dexter, being from Boston, knew well.

‘That’s the college that presidential candidate attended.’

It was the women’s college that the recently announced first female presidential candidate had attended.

Realizing that Himena, whom he had thought was naive and easy to tease, was actually quite accomplished, Dexter felt strange.

‘I guess she must have decent qualifications to have joined the OSA.’

With this peculiar feeling, they continued following the trio, who crossed Eastern Charleston, one of the main roads cutting through Las Vegas.

They headed toward a parking lot in front of a modest building called Art Square, stopping in front of an eye-catching hot pink vintage car.

It was a convertible vintage car so well-waxed that it reflected the surrounding lights and objects.

‘It looks like a Cadillac straight out of an old movie. It can’t be Gomer’s… Must belong to those women?’

Though Dexter had never seen Gomer arriving at work, he had never spotted such a striking hot pink vintage vehicle in the prison parking lot.

“That’s a third-generation Eldorado… ’59 model, I think?”

Himena squinted as she spoke with apparent familiarity about the car type, causing Dexter to stare at her.

While Dexter was surprised that she knew about vintage cars he couldn’t identify, Himena stammered as if making an excuse:

“M-my father collects cars. Just a few…”

“Hey, I wasn’t criticizing. I was going to compliment you.”

Dexter patted Himena’s shoulder reassuringly and turned his attention back to Gomer.

“N-no, do I really have to get in?”

“Come on, get in already.”

“You’re such a scaredy-cat.”

One of the women was stroking Gomer’s thigh, while the other pushed him toward the vehicle to make him get in.

Seeing that they were about to leave, Dexter nudged Himena’s arm with his elbow and said:

“Looks like they’re about to drive off.”

“Oh, oh no. W-what do we do?”

Even if they wanted to follow, Himena’s car was far away.

Looking visibly flustered, Himena began rummaging through her pockets.

“What are you doing?”

“Just a moment, I’m sure I brought it with me today…”

After a short while, Himena pulled out a small matte black gun about the size of her palm from her pocket.

However, it wasn’t a typical revolver or automatic pistol, but something that resembled a flare gun.

Seeing Himena with this unfamiliar weapon, Dexter casually remarked:

“Wow, are you going to shoot them dead? Is that why you’re a secret agent, because you kill people before they discover you’re an agent?”

For the first time in a while, Himena gave Dexter an irritated look.

“Are you cra— No, are you in your right mind? It’s for planting a tracking device. Shoot them dead… What do you take me for?”

“Hmm, an OSA secret agent who doesn’t hesitate to run people over, even colleagues?”

“…Rascal started it with me first. I hate that kind of approach.”

After bickering with Dexter briefly, Himena aimed the gun toward the license plate and said:

“I’m worried about hitting it from this distance…”

Himena seemed a bit anxious, as it had been a while since she’d used this gun.

‘I can’t afford to miss.’

The distance between Himena and the target car was about 60 yards (roughly 55 meters).

Even Dexter wouldn’t be confident with a handgun at that distance.

If she missed, they would waste their only tracking device.

The only consolation in this situation was that there was no wind.

“Wouldn’t it be better to get closer—”

“Shh. Just a moment.”

After a brief silence, Himena held her breath.

‘Hold your breath and shoot with minimal body movement.’

Kneeling on one knee to minimize her body’s trembling, Himena pulled the trigger.

-Pssht.

The fingernail-sized tracking device flew straight and lodged precisely into the number section of the license plate.

Since both the number section and the tracking device were black, it was barely noticeable even up close.

“Yes!”

Himena was impressed with her own skill at successfully planting the tracking device, while Dexter patted her shoulder for accomplishing something he would have found difficult.

“Well done.”

“Right? I told you I could do it when I need to.”

Neither the two people standing on the street nor the two women and Gomer, who hadn’t noticed the tracking device, moved. Then the trio got into the car and left the parking lot.

Judging by how Gomer was being restrained as he tried to get out, the women seemed preoccupied with keeping him in the car.

“…We should follow them, right?”

“Definitely.”

Nodding at Himena’s suggestion, Dexter ran back toward the café.

The two hurriedly returned to where Himena’s car was parked and quickly got in.

Naturally, they could no longer see Gomer’s car with the naked eye.

Unlike Dexter, who wasn’t even out of breath, Himena was trying to catch hers.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Huff, just a moment. I can, huff, get the tracking device to show up on the navigation.”

Himena began operating the car’s navigation system, and shortly after, the tracking began on the display.

-Starting guidance.

The two women seemed to be driving at a slower speed than expected.

Seeing that they were less than two miles away, Himena lightly clenched her fist and looked at Dexter.

“Found them. Shall we go?”

Dexter nodded in response.

For Himena, this was her first car chase.

Her heart began to race.