episode_0551
by fnovelpia
“Ugh… ”
Terence, who slowly came to his senses, groaned without realizing it. It was a groan that came from deep within his stomach, and it was something that even he, who had been a soldier for a long time, could not hold back.
The headache that seemed to come from deep within my brain reminded me of the freshman welcome party at the military academy where beer, whiskey, and other alcohols were mixed and consumed.
But the headache I was feeling now wasn’t because of a hangover.
It had been a long time since Terence had felt a headache like this.
‘Is it anesthesia…?’
If you think about the cold metal coming up from the floor and the strong rope wrapped around your body, that would be the right guess.
Before opening his eyes, Terence concentrated all his attention on his hearing, smell, and touch. At the same time, he was wary of any possible watchers around him and was careful not to lose his breathing.
Woohoo
Rattle… Rattle…
The cold air that makes your body shiver. The faint smell of oil, the clear smell of iron, and dust. The rough sound of the engine nearby, and the uneasy vibration.
As I became aware of the alien environment, my mind automatically snapped to its senses and tension spread throughout my body.
‘Airplane…? You put me under anesthesia and put me on a plane?’
Terence searched for his last memory before losing consciousness.
Osan Air Base visited for work.
While he was trying to return from work there, he was attacked by someone who approached him from behind and he lost consciousness and collapsed.
‘…I let my guard down.’
Was he trying to put the past behind him and enjoy a peaceful retirement?
Perhaps he felt a sense of relief because his relationship with his daughter had been recovering smoothly recently.
He may have let his guard down because Osan Air Base was a military facility, but the fact that he was defeated so easily meant that his senses had become rusty. Or maybe his opponent’s skills were just that much better.
‘I can do this kind of thing…’
After all, there is no organization outside of the one he belonged to in the past.
He carefully opened his eyes slowly and looked around.
The interior of the transport aircraft was shown, filled with military cases.
It seems like they didn’t want to kindly take Terence, who they kidnapped using anesthetics, so they just threw him into the cargo hold.
At the end of his vision, a soldier who appeared to be a guard was looking at his smartphone. He looked like he was neglecting his guard duty, but for him now, it was welcome news.
Terence sat up slightly and looked around.
I didn’t see any items that could be used as weapons. It also seemed like all of his belongings were taken away.
Still, if we could take down the guard who let his guard down, we might be able to find a way out. If we had a military-issued bayonet, or at least a multi-tool, we could probably free the rope that was binding us.
At that moment, as I was carefully taking steps towards the guard post.
Someone’s voice was heard behind him.
“I think it happened.”
“!”
The moment I heard the voice, I turned around, but with my upper body tightly bound, the movements I could take were greatly limited.
thud!
“Huh… ”
Terence eventually fell to the floor again after a hand grabbed his shoulder and pushed him hard.
Whoever knocked him down whistled and grumbled, “Whew!”
“Many people will be surprised to know that the famous Black Mamba was so badly subdued. Korea is a country in a state of armistice, so he probably couldn’t rest comfortably after retirement. His senses are all dead. Is it because he’s old?”
“… It was a more peaceful place than I thought.”
Although Terence answered calmly on the outside, he was sweating inside.
Although I was already pretty sure of it, I knew the answer since he even mentioned his past codename, Black Mamba.
“Did you send it from ‘Apophis’?”
“Bingo.”
The man holding Terence down nodded in response to his question, which was a bit sad.
Apophis.
A secret society within the US Army, and an organization that Terence used to belong to.
At the same time, it was an organization that I escaped from for the sake of my family. That family eventually ended up in ruins, and only recently has my relationship with my daughter been somewhat restored…
Now was not the time to be feeling weak-hearted. If you were up against Apophis, you had to maintain a completely cool head.
Terence spoke with a deliberately sarcastic sneer.
“Were you hiding between the cargo cases? It wasn’t even hide and seek… ”
“This kind of childish method works well on a slacker like you. Look. You’re face down on the ground right now. Shouldn’t you be called an earthworm instead of a black mamba?”
“Earthworm… It’s definitely been a long time. For a rookie like you to join the organization. What’s your codename?”
“Well, is it really necessary to tell that to a guy who’s become a piece of trash now?”
Kang!
“… … .”
The man who said that brought down the dagger next to Terence’s face.
But it seemed to have been simply an attempt to gain the upper hand, and as soon as Terence quietly shut his mouth, he quickly retrieved the dagger.
“Well, I wonder if I really need to find this old man again… but contrary to my thoughts, it seems the higher-ups still have business with you.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Yeah. You know the mainland has been pretty noisy lately, right? Even if you’re in Asia, you won’t be watching the news.”
“Be precise. I haven’t used the organization’s information network for a long time, so I can’t understand if you say it like that… ”
“Cyphers.”
“… … .”
Terence’s mouth fell shut at the man’s words. Of course, he also knew about Cyphers.
An armed terrorist group that has been causing a stir on the mainland recently.
However, when it was revealed that the targets of their terrorism were all big and small criminals, they were these strange guys who were gaining positive public opinion in the United States, which abhors terrorism.
“… What do those guys have to do with me?”
“The upper level plans to create a subordinate organization with a similar character to the guys.”
“I bet you’ve already done a similar mission?”
Assassination of key figures, destruction of enemy facilities, political manipulation – all were activities previously carried out by Apophis.
The man shook his head.
“Those are missions that are difficult to reveal to others. If they become known, it will only cause political problems. What we need is an organization that can operate more externally. To be exact, an organization that secretly reveals itself to the public and gains favor with the government. You can think of it as a kind of benchmarking.”
“You’re crazy… You want to benchmark a terrorist organization? Are you thinking of creating a private mercenary company?”
That was one of the reasons Terence left Apophis. The nature of the organization is such that they don’t care about the means and methods, no matter how dirty, to achieve their goals.
But instead of thinking negative thoughts, Terence asked questions as if he was taken in by the man’s suggestion, in order to get as much information as possible and to catch any gaps that emerged during the conversation.
“What do you want from me?”
“I would like you to be the instructor of that organization. You seem too old to return to active duty, but you are still the most talented of Apophis’ agents.”
“I have already accepted all the conditions the organization wants and am retiring… ”
“You didn’t really believe that, did you? There aren’t many people who know as much about the organization’s secrets as you do. Did you think that someone like that would just retire and leave you alone for the rest of your life? You’re not that naive, are you.”
That was also the reason why the man readily confessed the truth to Terence’s questions.
His rejection wasn’t even a consideration in the options, it was something I would naturally come to know as I continued working together anyway.
“Well, I left it alone for a few years to keep an eye on the mood of the existing agents… but now it’s time to start getting active again. Just think of it as a part-time side job. I don’t know about working in the field, but if you’re an instructor, you should be able to do it too.”
“… That sounds pretty grim for a part-time offer. You really need a simple instructor, so you came looking for a retired agent?”
Muscles, swords, guns.
As Terence said, the instructor the man wanted was not an ordinary instructor. An instructor who could train agent candidates and, in the process, accept that some of the candidates would die.
A retired agent wants to train a similar level of killer.
When Terence showed his resistance, the man scratched his head with the hilt of the dagger and said,
“I told you to live quietly. Isn’t that why you dropped your class and left for that small Asian country?”
“… That’s right.”
“But why are you making trouble and giving your superiors an excuse to call you in? Do you think I want to drag an old man who doesn’t want to go, even though I’m not a woman? In a way, this is your fault.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oxygen tank explosion incident.”
Terence’s eyes opened wide as he heard the man’s words.
“That was an accident! Why did the incident pass quietly in the first place… ”
“I know. It was a real accident. The problem is that it was an excuse to call in retirees from above. Why would they just live quietly? Why would they be on the media for nothing? They came forward to help the residents and this is what happened.”
“… … .”
When Terence was younger, he truly believed he was accomplishing something.
A life as a patriot who quietly deals with those who threaten America’s security according to orders from above.
But when he finally realized the truth and took off the ring of the organization on his hand, hoping that his family would not be entangled in this life, the woman he loved had already lost her life to illness, and his beloved daughter did not treat him as a father because he could not be there for her until the end.
He was relieved even when he was demoted in exchange for retirement, and even when his daughter decided to take his wife’s surname instead of his, Milad.
I thought that if I did that, the male and female members of the organization might not be able to reach me.
But the shadows of the past he thought he had escaped were once again covering his entire body.
“Make a suggestion.”
Hold it
After the man finished explaining, he pressed a button and the back door of the transport plane opened.
Kwaaa
Cold air, accompanied by the sound of rough wind, instantly filled the cargo hold.
The man held Terence tightly and walked to the end of the cargo hold, shouting.
“If you take the instructor position obediently, I will spare your life! You have a daughter, right? If you listen well, I will give you regular vacations and guarantee you the same life you have now! But if you refuse the offer, you are finished here! Although it was not specifically mentioned above, I cannot guarantee your daughter’s safety either!”
“!”
Clouds filled the space below the transport plane. And where there were no clouds, the ocean, presumably the Pacific Ocean, stretched out endlessly.
Terence’s heart raced at the sight. It wasn’t because of the majestic sight of the sea and sky.
Because this proposal involved not only his life but also his daughter’s safety.
Even though he was subdued, he was confident that if he was willing to give up his life, he could take at least one man next to him to hell with him.
But if that happens, Jeong Su-jin, who remains in Korea, will be exposed to their clutches.
There was very little an individual could do against the organization.
‘Is this how it ends up…?’
The moment he, so discouraged, was about to accept the man’s offer.
A shadow on a cloud came into his sight.
‘shadow…?’
Boom!
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