Before stepping out of the car, HanSol looked through the front window at all the bustle that was seen around the old sawmill, a building that was still smoking, although the fire was extinguished a while ago. Then, realizing that just staying there and watching wouldn’t have helped her in anything, HanSol sighed and finally left her car. Yet, she did that only when she saw her assistant Hyun Shik heading toward her. And, when only ten meters were left between them, she asked him, „Did you find something useful?”

„No, nothing, sombe,” the young agent replied, disappointed. „Even if there had been evidence in the building, there is nothing left now, not after all these hours when the firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames.” To his great surprise, HanSol smiled. „Did I say something funny?”

„Comic? No. Even so, all this seems comic to me because… after everything we’ve been through in the last weeks, the last thing that was left to see was hell. Something we are seeing right now.”

„Honestly, sombe, this isn’t hell. What was before was definitely the kingdom of the Devil. If you don’t believe me, stay around and you’ll see what the flames left behind.”

„No need for that,” HanSol drily said. „I mean… no need for light to see what the flames left behind. I can imagine. And… could someone check what is inside? Someone from our team, I mean.”

„Not yet. Only the firefighters were inside to extinguish the flames. However, nobody else had been left there. Not until the building was declared safe.”

„Then… take care for only ours to be left inside.”

„What about the forensic doctors, Sombe? We’ll need them there as soon as the firefighters leave us inside. Yet, I’m sure it won’t be soon because the DOC forensic team is far away from here and they will need hours to get here.”

HanSol frowned. „Didn’t they finish checking the area where Buffalo’s body was found?”

The young agent shook his head. „They still need some time there,” he said afterward. „They expanded the area of searching because Detective Gi’s team had already found the place where Buffalo was kept before being thrown into the river. And, as you probably understand, an expanded area of searching means…”

„…headaches for us,” growled HanSol, furious. „Then… we’ll ask for help.”

„Will you involve Han DooSan in this?”

„I don’t have another choice, anyway. If not, it’ll be suspicious for the other police officers, and this is what we want the least: others to poke their noses in our business.”

„As far as I knew, Prosecutor Han was also in the team of „others.” Did something change meanwhile?”

„A lot of things changed tonight, involving our beloved ghost. I thought she’d be here. Yet, I was wrong,” said HanSol, looking around but seeing no familiar face.”

„If you mean Ian SolHi, then… I have to tell you that your nose deceived you again, Chief Kim,” said Hyun Shik, smiling. This made HanSol frown again.

„Don’t tell me that she’s around!” She hissed eventually through her teeth.

„She is not only around but… „in the circle of the fire,” replied the young man, smiling. Then, he discreetly motioned with his head toward his car.

Chief Kim slapped her forehead. Then, she said through her teeth, „Wonderful! It’s exactly what we needed: more devils around. And… for how long she’s been here?”

„For about an hour. Something strange, though. I thought you’d get here together. Yet, it seems that I’ve been wrong, once she didn’t tell you about this place. Is this because she doesn’t trust you?”

„Hell no!” HanSol suddenly hissed through her teeth. „She’s the one who told me about this place. Yet… let’s say that she also „kept me busy” just to have the chance to appear here. Something I’ll take care of right now: for certain ghosts to vanish,” she growled, furious, heading toward the young man’s car. Hyun Shik followed her right away. Feeling him following her, right before opening the door and sitting in the rear back seat where she knew SolHi loved to stay, HanSol looked at the man and told him, „Take care for nobody else to appear here. I don’t need more problems like „identifying the ghost.” Also, keep the curious mice far away from the crime scene. At least we have to do that while I figure out whom I should call to check the place.”

„Got it, Chief Kim,” replied Hyun Shik. After that, he headed toward the fire truck, where she knew the Chief of the firefighters was, to inform him about HanSol’s orders.

Seeing him finally leaving, HanSol deeply breathed in and, nervous, she opened the door. Before entering the car, she stuck only her head inside. And, furiously looking at SolHi, who was in the back seat next to the right door, she asked through her teeth, „Are you looking to leave all of us headless or what?”

SolHi smiled. „Why? Is this something vital for you? Your head, I mean.”

„Well, yeah! Let’s say my head is my treasure.” After that, entering the car, HanSol slammed the door to let SolHi know how pissed off she was. „I also care about my people, whom I want to be safe. Yet, since I messed with certain ghosts, I only get in trouble.”

„This isn’t my fault anyway,” SolHi calmly replied. „Just as it isn’t my fault that this place burns. Just as it happens to my soul because… the last thing I expected when I came here was that the idiot would set fire to this place.”

„We’ve expected this, right? At least it was logical for him to get rid of evidence once we found this place.” SolHi shook her head. „What makes you think that it’s not the usual thing?”

„Just something I feel, HanSol. And, if my hunch is real, this man isn’t someone to give up so easily on something he considers his treasure.”

„Then, do you think that someone else set fire here?”

„Honestly? I have no clue about this. What I know for sure it’s that he used gasoline to turn this place into Hell, something that it’s also not something usual for him.”

„And you know this because it is also something your hunch tells you?”

The irony felt in Chief Kim’s voice made SolHi smile. „Why should my hunch tell me this when I have my nose for that?” HanSol frowned. „I’m not kidding you but tell you the truth. When Ha Rin and I entered the building, it smelled like gasoline everywhere. I didn’t realize why. Yet, I still could figure out that this place was about to explode. That’s why I’m not even surprised that it burnt to the ground.”

„Well, not to the ground because the building is still there.”

„Even so, it doesn’t serve for too much, once we won’t find any useful evidence there. I’m also sure we won’t find the victims there, and this hints to me that all this is a setup.”

„To put fire to this place and get rid of the bodies?”

„Exactly. Thus, if my hunch is real, their death was an order because… I don’t think they are random victims of that maniac.”

„Maybe you are right,” growled HanSol eventually. „Yet, it’ll be damn difficult to prove that because… even if there were two bodies inside that building, I’m sure nothing was left there after all this mess.”

„Did Hyun Shik tell you about the fire?”

HanSol approvingly nodded. „He also told me that there’s nothing to be found in those ruins.”

„You forget about the hammer, HanSol. I’m sure we can find DNA on it. At least we can find the DNA of one of the victims if not something else.”

„Maybe, but… that DNA won’t help us too much. Why? If it’s not the DNA of the assassin, we won’t find any track to identify him. What makes me think this? Those eight years of investigations that have been in vain.”

„Now it’s different from eight years ago.”

„Really? I don’t see what makes today different.” SolHi squinted at her. „If you mean the video you’ve shown me, you are probably right. Even so, you forget one thing.”

„What exactly?”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

„That… this doesn’t help us too much. Eventually, we can’t prove that the one you filmed is definitely Han YuSan. And, if it’s true what you told me in my apartment and Han YuSan is alive, then… I’m sure someone knows that, someone important who’s watching his back. Besides, even if we suspect that, I’m sure Hans won’t accept to exhume the body for a DNA test.”

„I haven’t ever doubted that. Why? If Han YuSan is alive, Yun Marie probably knows that.”

„The ex-General Attorney?”

„Herself! As I know her, even if she isn’t aware that her son is alive, she won’t ever be by our side. The reason? For her, honor is more important than justice.”

„And, once her beloved son’s honor can be stained if it’s proven that he’s behind all these crimes, it means a lot to her.”

„Exactly. Besides, she won’t risk DooSan’s reputation and career for anything in the world. Even if they don’t have a close relationship, she still loves him.”

HanSol smiled. „I see you know your mother-in-law very well. And… you also „love” each other a lot.”

„Yes, like two rival cats about to tear our eyes out. Anyway, not this is important but to identify the two victims. For this…”

„…we’ll need their bodies.”

„Yep. Yet, HanSol, it’s not important only to have them but to also be able to make the connection to what happened eight years ago. For this, we’ll need solid evidence.”

„Like the… hammer!”

„Bingo! Thus, if we find the same wound on the skull, we can prove that the same individual, who killed the two victims last night, did the same thing to me eight years ago. If we do that, we are on the right path toward victory!”

„And, once you officially are dead, they’ll think about another assassin hidden in the shadows.”

„Exactly, something that will work for us because… I’ll be forgotten and have the freedom to work from the shadows. Thus…”

„…not knowing who keeps an eye on him, the killer will stay alert…”

„…and make more mistakes. Or, based on the luck he had all this time, he’ll remain calm. This will work for us too because, not suspecting that we are behind him, he’ll not wait for us.”

„What about the supposed Han YuSan, SolHi? How will we connect his name to this new crime?”

„Simple: Yun Marie!”

„We are back to your mother-in-law, SolHi. Still, I don’t see the connection.”

„As I said: it’s that simple. The reason? I have the feeling that she knows more than she says. Thus, even if she just suspected that her son isn’t dead or tried to help him hide this, she must have asked for a DNA test.”

„A test we have no idea about, SolHi. I checked that, but… there is nothing like that.”

„I think differently though.”

„Why?”

„Because of something that happened eight years ago, right before the trial. Yun Marie visited me in jail, asking me two things: if I remembered the face of the one who hurt me that night and… keep my mouth shut about everything that happened then.”

„What? Yun Marie tried to cover up all this?”

„Well, she didn’t go that far. Even so, she asked me to keep silent about certain things related to her son.”

„Things like?”

„What we really had and how Han YuSan got to that place.”

„A request you didn’t fulfill, did you? As far as I remember, there is nothing about this in the file.”

„You are right. Only half, anyway, because… even if I didn’t say anything that day, it was only because I didn’t remember. If I had remembered at least something from what I know today, I would have definitely screwed Yun Marie’s plan because… there has always been something that intrigued me about her.”

„What exactly?”

„The fact that she asked me about the assassin, although she’d always supported the idea that I killed her son. Not only that: she had always followed and trampled me, even after it was proved that I might have had no guilt. Why did she do that? I can’t tell you. Yet, I have a hunch about this.”

„That everything was a setup and that she judged you and made everybody hate you just because she tried to hide the fact that her son survived that night.”

„It’s just a theory anyway. Even so, it’s weird. It is also strange the fact that she asked me if I remembered the face of the one who attacked us, and this means only one thing: that DNA test is real.”

„Thus, if she has that test and has proven that her son is alive, Yun Marie did everything to hide that from the rest of the world.”

„If it’s so, there is still the question: why? As far as I remember, Han YuSan was a good man.”

„Yes, he was.”

„Or he just pretended to be one while murdering a lot of people. Thus, if it’s true, at least someone should have noticed this. So, tell me, who was the closest person to Han YuSan at that time?”

„As far as I remember… Iun Min Hiok and DooSan. So, we should start from here: asking him if they know something.”

„No, HanSol, it is risky.”

„I don’t see why. I mean… if it’s true and they noticed changes in YuSan’s behavior at that time, they might help us find out the truth.”

„Or… they will bury us to hide it, don’t you think so?” HanSol frowned. SolHi sighed. „Even if it’s difficult for me to accept that, DooSan loves his brother more than me. That’s why, I don’t think he’ll betray YuSan to solve this case. Related to Iun Min Hiok: well, we already found out that he’s more than capable of giving up on his life for friends, and Han YuSan has been more than a friend to him. Better said, Prosecutor Iun considers YuSan like a brother. That’s why he’s been capable of hurting DooSan to take revenge on him for what happened between the two brothers.”

„Are you sure of this? That… Iun Min Hiok can hurt others for what happened to Han YuSan?”

„I’m pretty sure of this. Who told me? Detective Kan! He doesn’t have a reason to lie to me.”

„I agree with you because Detective Kan doesn’t have a reason not to be by your side in this.”

„Even so, I say to keep this for ourselves only, at least for the moment. I mean… not to tell anyone about our suspicions about Han YuSan and Yun Marie and… this place.”

„I think differently, SolHi. I think Han DooSan should know and help us investigate this case. Or… do you think he can change camps and help his mother and brother to hide the truth?”

„No, I’m sure that he won’t do that. Even so, if it’s true and Yun Marie helped her older son, even if she knew he was a serial killer, then…”

„…she can get rid of the younger son to help the other one. Ei, SolHi, all this seems like SF to me. Eventually, both of them are her children.”

SolHi smiled. „Many of the beasts can eat their own children just not to allow other beasts to eat them. Particularly, they do that to the injured one, who has no chance to survive, and let’s not forget that Han DooSan is more than injured. Besides, he’s not someone she can control, something Yun Marie loves to do - to control everything and everyone. If you don’t believe me, remember all she did to me after YuSan’s death.”

„Maybe but… still, I think that there is something more than what we suspected in this story.”

„You are probably right. Yet, to find this out, we need trustful allies, and one of them might be Park GhiYon!”

„Who the hell is this one?”

„A forensic doctor. He’s also DooSan’s best friend and has also been YuSan’s friend.”

„Something that seems riskier than telling DooSan about what we know. Why? If this Park GhiYon finds out the truth, he might help his friend.”

„He won’t do that!”

„What makes you so sure of this?”

„The simple fact that he didn’t betray his beliefs all these years. Besides, if Yun Marie asked for a DNA test eight years ago, the only one she might have trusted for this was definitely Park GhiYon.”

„At the same time, he’s someone you say to use against her, right?”

„Something like that. Thus, if we involve him in this case, he won’t be able to do anything against us. Why? Because… if we prove that all these cases are related to YuSan and he’s not dead, sooner or later Park GhiYon can lead us towards the truth.”

„I hope you are right, SolHi,” said HanSol, sighing. „If not, who gets on the working table of Park GhiYon is definitely us.”

„Do you mean Yun Marie as the killer or the forensic doctor?”

„None of them. I’m talking about the two brothers Han. Particularly, I’m afraid that Han DooSan can betray us because, if he hasn’t stopped looking for evidence to bring justice for his brother, I don’t think he’ll betray him once he finds out what kind of monster he can be. He won’t have mercy on anyone, including you.”

„Still, it’s worth the risk, Chief Kim. And, if we turn into prey from predators, I still think that it’s better to make them pay attention to us than choose other victims. Why? We know what hell looks like and what it feels like to have your soul in flames. Others might have not known that. At least… I think we should do this for the moment. What’s best for the rest of us? We’ll decide later.”

„Then… I’ll take care to convince Park GhiYon to join the team. What about Han DooSan? Do you think he won’t talk to his friend about you?”

„Honestly? I’m not sure. Yet, I suspect he won’t do that because he already knows that all of those who know that I’m still alive are in danger.”

„Thus, if he cares about Park GhiYon, he’ll keep his mouth shut about you.”

„Exactly. The same goes for Park GhiYon: he’ll also keep silent about me if he finds out eventually that I’m alive. Meanwhile, I’ll take care of Min SinJu and find out what his role in this story is.”

„Are you talking about the fact that Hamster, one of his assistants, brought you here?”

„Yes, because… all this makes me think that nothing of what happened today was random. And, if it’s true what I suspect and Min SinJu is involved with this new YuSan, then… it’ll be easier for us to get rid of him too, don’t you think so?”

Not waiting for HanSol’s answer, SolHi left the car. Stepping out of the vehicle, she tried not to make any noise or make others pay attention to her. Then, on the sly, she headed down the street where Bear was waiting for her in another vehicle because the young man had already accepted to be with her in everything. He accepted that because he wanted to bring justice to Dja Iun, whom he thought didn’t deserve to die like that, and wanted to make all those involved in that crime pay for that, no matter the consequences because… his best friend deserved to be avenged.