1: Justice

The leader, Yongguk

It was an unusual case, even for the Service. Not only was the criminal accused of the theft of many different pieces of art, of all time periods and styles, but each time the only evidence they found was a silver cathedral with a note attached. Each time the message was the same: 1004


"Not much of an angel," Yongguk said as he looked over the case files.  "No fingerprints? DNA? Anything?"


"Nothing," he was assured, "You're one of the best agents we have, Yongguk. That's why I'm assigning this to you. I want you to find 1004. I need you to track this guy down and apprehend him before his case file gets any bigger.”

Yongguk looked up. "How do you know he's male?"


"We don't."


"I'll take it. Call my team."


"We need to keep this as quiet as possible. We don’t want the media getting a hold of this and causing a scare. Besides that, we have reason to believe that 1004 has eyes on the inside. It would be best if you could do this alone."


"I need my team," Yongguk said, firmly. 
The man sitting across from him nodded stiffly, reluctantly.


As Yongguk opened the door to leave, he turned back to the man.

"By the way," he said, "She's a woman."


"Excuse me?" The man looked confused.

"No man is this good." Yongguk closed the door quietly behind him.

 

"Let's see... She's stolen romantic paintings and contemporary, modern sculptures… all big-name stuff. You’d think she’d want to make money off of them somehow, resale, ransom, even reward money. But none of them have turned up?" Youngjae looked up from the files spread out on the table.

The whole team had assembled in their old hideout where they had long ago taken to the habit of putting all their information out on a table and throwing ideas and strategies around, just to familiarize themselves with the case.

"Isn't this your case, Bang? Why did you call us in?" Himchan asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Why wouldn't I call you in? I need more feedback. What do you think she's up to? What is she after?" Yongguk replied, looking around at each of them in turn. 
This was his team. His family. He would trust any one of them with his life, which was a good thing, because in their line of work, it came down to that.

There was his partner, Himchan. He could be a little much at times, but he was by far the closest friend Yongguk had ever had, and he had a kind and sensitive heart. He was like a mother to all of them, and especially to the younger members.

Standing behind the table, side by side, were Daehyun and Youngjae. They had stopped poring over the documents and were looking up at him. Dae and Jae, as they were affectionately called, were inseparable. Everyone in the Service knew that. And they went together like peanut butter and jelly. The two of them were a perfect team. They tended to argue a lot, but when it really counted, they could get the job done flawlessly, in perfect sync. Yongguk had leaned on their strategizing expertise and observation skills a lot over the years, even when, like now, it wasn't necessarily their job.

Jongup stood a little ways off, cleaning one of his many impressive guns, and Zelo leaned on the table, scanning the documents they'd been given. Jongup was a marvelous fighter and weapons specialist. He really knew his stuff, and if you needed protection, he was your man. Zelo (no one knew his real name, and no one had ever asked) was one of the youngest agents the Service employed. He was a martial arts prodigy, and on top of that, he could be a good moderator whenever a heated discussion broke out among the group. Not only was he a priceless asset to their team as an agent, he was a fresh, innocent presence that they all needed and loved.


Yongguk's eyes softened as he looked around him. This was like home to him. To all of them.


"I agree with Youngjae," Daehyun announced, "Something seems off about this whole case."


"That's exactly why I took it," Yongguk said, "If anyone can handle this case, we can. But it'll take all of us."


"You know I'm with you," Himchan smiled. Yongguk smiled back. 


"What about the rest of you?"


"Looks like fun," Youngjae said, "We've been bored out of our minds since we wrapped up that undercover gang mission."


"Who's providing the snacks? I say Yongguk, since he’s the one who dragged us into this," Daehyun said as he dropped into a chair next to Himchan.


"I've got you covered," Yongguk laughed. He turned to Zelo.


"Well it doesn't look like I've got much of a choice," the boy said, mischievously, "I just hope it was worth coming all the way from Japan."


"Jongup?" Yongguk asked, turning to the last member.        

"What? Oh, yeah," Jongup looked up at the sound of his name.

"Well, boys," Yongguk smiled, dangerously, "It looks like we're back!"

 

"Himchan, you got that profile for me, yet?" Yongguk asked, as his partner walked in carrying a cup of coffee.

It was a few days after their team had reunited again. Each of them had been given a little time to settle into their new apartment and get comfortable before they began their work.

"Sitting on your desk," Himchan replied, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of Yongguk's newly established office. "I hope you slept well last night while I was working my butt off."


"Sure did," Yongguk said, patting his friend on the shoulder as he walked by. "Thanks, man."


"Anytime."


"What's up?" Daehyun walked in. He grabbed the cup from Himchan and took a swig, then gagged. "Ugh, that has to be the worst coffee I've ever had in my life!"                    

"Well then why did you drink it?" Himchan looked annoyed, "Where is everyone?"


"Youngjae should be-"


"Right here," Youngjae appeared in the doorway. 
He sauntered over, took the cup from Daehyun, and gave it back to Himchan. "What's the latest? Any news?"


"Not since yesterday," Himchan replied, "But I'd expect Bang to call a meeting any minute. Are the boys on their way?"


"They should be," Youngjae said.

"If not, I bet I could break into their room. That'd wake them up." Daehyun offered. 


"I don't think we need to go that far," Himchan said, "Besides, you'd probably get a bullet through your skull for your efforts."


Yongguk heard them all bickering from the other room as he perused the papers in his hand. He smiled to himself. How long had it been since they were all together like this? Yet still, nothing had changed. He walked back out of his office, file in hand. 


"Everyone ready for the morning briefing?" he asked. 


"I prefer boxers, but maybe that's just me," Daehyun said. Youngjae shot him a nasty look.

Yongguk ignored them and looked around. 
"Where are the boys?"


"They're coming," said Himchan. 


Just then, they heard the back door slam. Zelo burst into the room, followed by Jongup. Both were out of breath. 


"Did you two run all the way here?" Youngjae asked. 


"No," Zelo said, "Not all the way."


"Just from the bus stop," Jongup added. 


"One minute later and I would have counted you as tardy," Yongguk joked, "Come on, briefing time."


They all gathered on the cluster of couches while Yongguk sat in a large chair facing them.


"Thanks to our lovely Himchan, we now have a profile of our perp," he said, "Would you like to expand, or should I?"


"I can," Himchan complied, sitting forward. "As we all know, 1004 has stolen almost every type of art in the book. Not always on a large scale, but definitely impressively. She's stolen Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, you name it. She’s even placed forged copies in their places a few times. Each target was in the center of a high-security facility. This girl knows her stuff. Witnesses say they lost surveillance for only a few seconds, tops. They hardly knew what hit them."                          


"Is it possible that we're dealing with more than one person?" Daehyun suggested.

"I'm getting there, be patient," Himchan said, "It's my belief that though 1004 may have a few sidekicks working for her, she sets up everything herself."


"So basically just someone to press the buttons?" Youngjae asked.


"Basically."


"Great! Doesn't this make our job easier?" Daehyun asked, "Only one girl to chase down."


"Not necessarily," Yongguk cautioned, "It also makes it easier for her to get away. Lessens the possibility of mistakes."


"Have none of the stolen items come up on the black market?" Zelo asked.


"Not one," Himchan answered, "Which makes me think she's trying to get the Feds on her tail."


"Not collecting any specific items, not trying to make money.. sure seems likely," Youngjae agreed.


"The question is, why?" Daehyun said. 


"Exactly," Himchan continued, "I spent all night thinking of any plausible reasons she would want us after her. The most likely of which is for fun."   


"For fun?" Zelo looked shocked, "Seems like a lot of work for a little fun, doesn't it?"


"That's true, but some people are really twisted," Himchan replied, "The other option is that she's trying to get revenge for something. Setting up a trap. But I did some research and I didn't find anything, so that's not very likely."                              


"She could just hate us," Jongup spoke up, "Some people do, you know."


"No, she's too smart for that," Youngjae said.


"Anyway, now that we have a how and a why," Daehyun cut in, "Do we have any idea what's next?"


They all looked at Yongguk.


He nodded, and took a photo out of the file in his hands. They all watched expectantly as he placed it on the coffee table.


"This painting by MacGuffin," he said as they looked from the picture back up to him, "This one piece may be worth more than the museum it's headed to. If 1004 steals this, I can almost guarantee it would be all over the headlines by the next morning. I'm guessing she’ll strike while it's on its way to the museum warehouse. We have two weeks to prepare ourselves, so we'd best get moving."
Yongguk stood up.

"Dae, Jae, I need you two to work on surveillance. Check security, add some more of necessary. We need to be ready for anything. Jongup, Zelo, I want you to scope out the area. The truck's route, the warehouse, the museum... you know the drill. Be sure to report any nooks and crannies you find. We can't have our perp hiding somewhere we don't know about. Himchan, you and I will handle the legal work, and we'll figure out our plan-of-attack from there."


"God, I hate formalities," Himchan sighed.


"Well we can't leave the people-handling to these kids," Yongguk said, facetiously, "We'd never get anywhere!"


"I resent that!" Daehyun complained. Yongguk laughed.

"Anyway, all of you be sure to get your stuff together today, because I've got us down for a museum tour tomorrow. Bus leaves at eight o'clock sharp. Be there."


"By 'bus' I assume you mean my SUV?" Himchan clarified. 


"I'd like to, are you O.K. with it?" Yongguk asked. 


"I just need to tinker around on it and make sure it's working," Himchan replied, "But thanks for the heads up."


"All right then. Everything's settled, now let's get cracking! Class dismissed!"

Yongguk watched as his team scattered and began dusting off old boxes and pulling things off of shelves.

Himchan stood up and hung his arm around Yongguk's neck.


"Nostalgic much?" He teased.


"It's just good to have everyone back," Yongguk answered, smiling to himself.


"It's good to be back."

 

The next morning at eight o'clock, a black SUV pulled out of the garage.

When they arrived at the museum, they all piled out, equipment in hand, although cleverly disguised. 


Youngjae and Zelo both had cameras ready. Daehyun carried a pad of paper and a bag with a few other devices he had deemed necessary. He handed them out before the team went in so they wouldn't draw attention from security.


"Hi, we're scheduled for a tour?" Yongguk addressed the receptionist. 


"Of course! Wait just a moment," she answered, and picked up the phone on her desk.


"Emma? Your group is here," she announced, "...Ok." The girl hung up the phone.

"Your guide will be right with you," she said.


A few minutes later, another girl appeared.


"My name is Emma," she introduced herself, "And I will be your tour guide today."


The museum was like most museums Yongguk had been to. Lots of old paintings, some new paintings, with both realistic and abstract sculptures. But he loved it. He had always liked museums, and art fascinated him. They had been informed several times that ‘photography was not allowed in this area’, but Yongguk knew that Youngjae and Zelo were taking pictures anyway. Once, as they passed a service door which said, ‘Staff Only’, he saw Daehyun lean over and whisper something to Youngjae, then quietly slip away. Later, Yongguk noticed he had reappeared as silently as he had left.


Their tour guide hadn't seemed to notice his absence. In fact, she hardly seemed to notice any of their strange behavior at all, casually describing each "interesting piece of artwork" they passed.


Once their tour was over and their guide was gone, the team began to discuss their next plan of action.
Zelo and Jongup soon took off to walk the truck's route, and Daehyun and Youngjae went to sit in the car and go over their notes while Yongguk and Himchan arranged to meet with the owner of the museum.


"Excuse me, miss? We'd like to talk to the owner of this museum," Himchan addressed the receptionist. 


"I'm sorry, sir, but he's very busy. You'll have to make an appointment with him later," she replied, robotically.


"I don't think you understood me," Himchan said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his wallet, "I said: we'd like to talk to the owner of this museum." 


Himchan and Yongguk both flashed their badges as he said this, and it had the desired effect almost immediately. The receptionist excused herself to a room in the back, where, Yongguk supposed, she was making a call.


A few moments later, she came back and informed them that they were to follow her upstairs. 


 

The CEO's office was exactly what one would have expected it to be. It was extravagant in many aspects, but comfortably modest, as if to boast the wealth of the owner by such trivial applications.
The two friends were neither impressed nor intimidated by it. They had seen the like many times before, and in less amiable situations.


"Welcome, gentlemen," said the man behind the desk, "My name is Niall Capori." He smiled widely at them.

"Come in, sit down. Would you like a drink?"


They obliged him, and sat down in the two chairs in front of his desk.  Yongguk noticed that they were less comfortable than they looked. He shifted, awkwardly.


"Yes, thank you, I believe I will take a drink," Himchan said, leaning back.


"This is some of my favorite Scotch, imported from a little brewery I found on one of my expeditions. Finest I've ever tasted," the man said, pouring two small glasses. He handed one to Himchan and took a sip of his own.

Himchan tried it, then nodded his approval.


"May I ask what your business was in coming here?" the man asked, nonchalantly, sitting back down behind his desk.


"I'm afraid our business may not be pleasing to you, Mr. Capori," said Yongguk. He felt relieved. Small talk always made him uncomfortable. 


"How so?"


"We have reason to believe that the piece you are bringing in next week is the target of a very talented criminal that we've been tracking," Himchan said. 
The man's face darkened.


"How did you know about that shipment?"


"Sir," Himchan said, shortly.


"You know who we are," Yongguk said, "You should know what we're capable of."
Niall Capori's demeanor lightened.

"Yes, that's true. I suppose I should have expected nothing less. But there is no need for uneasiness," he set down his glass of Scotch, "My security is top-notch. There is more than one criminal who would kill to get his hands on that crown."
He leaned back.

"I have prepared accordingly. Besides, the insurance I have on it would be more than enough to buy it back if such a misfortune should occur."


"You don't understand, sir, this is no ordinary criminal," Himchan pressed, "She's too good. You'll never be able to keep her from taking it."


"Nonsense!" the man ejaculated, "No one gets past my security!"


"Mr. Capori, if you would at least allow us access-" Yongguk began. 


"There is no need, I assure you," the man insisted. "If that was all, I believe our business is over." He waved them out, angrily.


As they got up to leave, Himchan turned and said, "Thank you for the drink, it was almost as good as the bar next door." Then he shut the door before the man could get in another word.

 

"What a waste of good Scotch," Himchan muttered as they walked back to the car.

The passenger side door was open, and Youngjae waved to them as they approached. Daehyun was laying on the roof. 


"How'd it go?" Youngjae asked.


"How do you think?" Himchan complained, "There's no reasoning with men like that."


"So I take it you didn't get the codes for me?" Daehyun leaned over and looked down from his perch.


"Not even one."
Daehyun swung down using the frame of the open door.


"Well, it would have made things easier, for sure, if he'd just told us, but I planned ahead."

He pulled out his black laptop and plugged in a flash drive that he took from his pocket. 
The screen went black for a moment, then red letters and numbers began to cover it, shifting and changing, flickering agitatedly.
In about a minute, several video screens popped up, each showing a different view of the museum. Dae pressed a button and a different set came up. 


"I don't see how it could get much easier," Yongguk said in awe. He was always impressed with technology he didn't understand. 


"By 'easier' I really meant legal," Daehyun said with a grin, “I also managed to swipe this from the security room.” He pulled out a card and wiggled it back and forth.

“Turns out, you can get access to the warehouse if you’re security.”

"I'll have the surveillance truck ready for you in two days," Himchan said, "So keep those little magic tricks up your sleeve for now."


"Yes, sir," Daehyun saluted, playfully and put the card back in his pocket.

Himchan rounded the car and got in the driver's seat as Daehyun and Yongguk piled in the back. 


As the car started, Yongguk said, "I hope the boys are doing ok." 


"I wouldn't worry about them too much," Youngjae said, "I only hope they take enough relevant pictures to be useful."


"Well," Himchan agreed as he backed up, "I trust Zelo to do his job."


The car drove forward, and they were on their way again.

It had been a long time since Yongguk was this happy, together with his adoptive 'family'. He didn't know then that it would all end so fast.

 

The day finally came, after only one week of preparation, and they were ready for it.

Even without the museum’s consent, Daehyun had managed to hack into their system to get their live surveillance feed. He and Youngjae had even managed to forge key cards for them to gain access to the warehouse itself, if it came down to that.

The plan was that four agents, Jongup, Zelo, Himchan and Yongguk, were going to watch four different sections of the armored delivery truck’s route. It only had about five miles to go, from the harbor to the warehouse. They would switch out tailing the truck to avoid suspicion.

It was Jongup’s turn first, and he would follow the truck from the harbor, where the cargo was loaded, and then for the first mile, keeping a close watch on its every move, and reporting it. Then Zelo would take over for the next mile, Himchan for the next two, and Yongguk would watch for the last mile and be onsite for the unloading at the warehouse. Each agent was ready to rush to any of the others in the event of a heist.

The surveillance van was sitting across the street from the warehouse entrance where Daehyun and Youngjae had contact with each member, keeping close tabs on the truck’s whereabouts and recording its movements.

Yongguk was sitting in the car, his hands tightened around the steering wheel. This was always the worst part, the suspense of waiting before a capture.

“Everyone ready?” Daehyun’s voice came over the radio. There was a chorus of ‘yes’ in reply.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Yongguk mumbled, tensely.

There was a pause as Daehyun and Youngjae checked all their monitors. Finally, the signal came crackling through: “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Yongguk’s hands were sweating. He released his grip and wiped them on his pants. His fingers felt stiff from gripping the wheel, so he opened and closed his fists a little to relax them. He hadn’t realized how tense he really was. He could hear the step-by-step process that was happening as the truck got closer and closer, as it passed from member to member. Each movement was narrated, as if it were part of some story.

The charge went from Jongup to Zelo, and the tension grew. Yongguk grew restless sitting still in the car, waiting.

Then it was Himchan’s turn. There had still been no sign of 1004. Yongguk was frozen in his seat, every muscle taut.

“Still on track. No suspicious persons or vehicles,” Himchan reported.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” Youngjae warned, “We don’t know what to expect.”

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Daehyun added.

Closer, closer.

“It’s possible we could be wrong about this,” Himchan suggested.

“We can’t be sure until it’s all over,” Daehyun replied stubbornly.

“And even then, it’s still possible she’ll steal it from the museum itself,” Youngjae added.

“That’s my boys,” Yongguk thought to himself.

“Right turn on Rowley,” Himchan droned.

“Right on,” Daehyun confirmed.

Rowley. Three streets away. Soon it would be Yongguk’s turn. He wiped his hands on his pants again.

They passed Chesterton, then Glasgow.

“Yongguk, are you ready?” Youngjae asked.

He took a deep breath. “This is it,” He thought.

“I’m ready.”

“I’ll be there in five, four, three… two…-“ Himchan counted down. The truck came into view, followed by Himchan’s black SUV.

Yongguk drove forward and turned onto the street behind the truck. He scanned his surroundings for anything even remotely suspicious.

“Switch complete,” he reported.

“Great work. Himchan, you can head on over here now,” Daehyun said.

“On my way,” Himchan replied.

Yongguk winced every time the intercom crackled. His senses were all on edge, each focused entirely on the scene in front of him.

It was mostly straightforward from his checkpoint on, which made for a tedious drive. Every second seemed like a minute, every minute like an hour. The time dragged on and on, but still nothing happened. There was absolutely nothing unusual, and it made them all uneasy.

“Why isn’t she coming?” Yongguk muttered.

“I don’t know, but don’t let your guard down,” Dae said through gritted teeth.

“We’ve still got a few minutes. There’s still time,” Youngjae added.

“Hang in there, man, it can’t be long now,” Himchan’s voice came through.

Yongguk drove on, and soon he could see the top of the warehouse. There was there destination, but where was 1004? Had he really been wrong? As they continued to get closer to the warehouse, Yongguk began to doubt himself more and more. He even thought of giving up, despite the encouragement from his team members.

Then, they pulled in front of the warehouse. The truck drove in, and Yongguk watched it go in disbelief.

“She really didn’t come,” Daehyun said.

“It can’t be,” Yongguk insisted. He’d already come this far, and he was exhausted from just that short, tense drive. He couldn’t let it go now.

“I’m gonna go on in, just to check it out,” he said, “You’ve got eyes in there, right, boys?”

“I’ve got you covered,” Dae confirmed, “Go ahead.”

Yongguk got out of his car, slid his fake key card through the security lock and slipped in the warehouse door.

It was dark and cool inside, and Yongguk walked by countless rows of dusty artwork. He headed toward the loading deck, where he knew the painting would be. As soon as he felt a breeze, he unbuttoned the holster at his side. He looked up to see that there was a security camera above him, and he nodded at it, knowing his colleagues were watching over him.

He inched along the aisles sideways and peered around until he could see the open door where the truck had pulled in. Two men were standing there talking, the truck driver and a security guard. He was just leaning forward to try to hear what they were saying when he felt something behind him. His muscles tensed. In one smooth motion he whirled around and pulled his gun out.

“You-!”

 

Himchan stood watching over Daehyun’s shoulder as Yongguk moved slowly among the paintings in the warehouse. He couldn’t help but smile at his partner, knowing how hard it was for him to give up something he had felt so sure about.

Yongguk went from screen to screen, and they all watched him, almost afraid to breathe. He stopped when he got close to the loading deck and looked up at them. Seeing his slight smile as he nodded made Himchan feel much more at ease. That was so much like Yongguk. No matter what his situation, he never forgot his team. He trusted them all so much, it was like second nature for him to lean on them whenever anything happened.

Yongguk was just leaning around the shelving when suddenly the screen went black.

Himchan blinked. What had just happened? Every screen in the van had gone blank at exactly the same time.

“No…” Daehyun breathed, “No, NO, NO!!!” He frantically started pressing buttons, trying everything he could to get the video back.

Himchan stood in shock for a moment, trying to take in the situation, when finally his mind caught up with him. The blow of realization came over him like a tidal wave. He felt the panic rising up from his fingertips and through his entire body. He burst through the doors of the van, and ran out across the street. When he got to the door, he fumbled for his key card. His hands were shaking as he hurriedly slid it through the lock.

He ran down the aisles, the adrenaline rushing through his veins, clouding his vision and muddling his thoughts. As he reached the end of the line, his panic began to turn to despair. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the empty loading deck. The two men were unconscious on the floor, and there was no Yongguk.

            He’s not here. the phrase echoed in his mind as he looked around frantically. “He’s not here.”

            Suddenly Himchan felt weak and exhausted. His legs wobbled beneath him, and he fell to his knees. Hot tears rose up and began to spill down his cheeks. How could this happen? He had been watching, Yongguk was just there and then… he wasn’t.

The thoughts came rushing to him now, tripping over one another, each trying to make sense of the scene in front of him. Then, out of all the things flying through his head, one name stood out.

1004.

Author's Note

Please let me know if something doesn't make sense or seems childish