After Dark (Prompts)

Confidential Assignment - 3

Min Tae Gu locked the container he put her lunch in. He had been doing this for a couple of weeks now since she came home one day with a lunch box of her officemate.

"Why do you have it?" He asked that night.

"They give me lunch. The ahjummas at work are very kind to me and bring extra food so I don't have to go out to buy mine," she shared. Sighing as she plopped down the counter-stool, Baek Jang-mi said, "Almost makes me feel guilty for snooping on their wallets that first week."

Min Tae Gu chuckled. The task had to be done. When she was hired, the main thing she had to do was provide information that would be helpful to the case. That meant, finding out about the people she was around most of the time.

That information also helped her drop comments that made the secretaries warm up to her. Comments like, "Did you see the sale on this bag?" or "There's a food truck nearby! I think this actor is shooting a commercial film there!"

Living in the streets taught her many skills and adapting to the situation she found herself in was one of them. But a daily battle for food and survival in her younger years taught her that people can be cruel. Once in awhile, a person would hand her some biscuits or leftover food. Often, she would be dismissed, pushed aside, kicked or spat on.

This being her life experience, she was quite ill equipped to deal with the secretaries, most of them older than her so she took to calling them ahjummas with their permission, who all brought extra portions for her. When she went home with another container to be washed that week, she demanded from Min Tae Gu, "Maybe you should start making me a lunchbox."

"Prepare it yourself," he replied in an even tone, not looking up from the papers he was reading.

"Hey! I'm busy gathering information and tucking away my knives at my desk to make sure I have protection. Do your part," she pushed.

"By feeding you?"

"Yes. You cook here at home already and you do it well," she complimented hoping he'd give in.

"I'll make extra portions but you pack it up. Stop being a brat," he scolded.

In his defense, Min Tae Gu did as he promised and set aside food for her during dinner. She would get up earlier than usual to pack up her food before she headed out.

Eventually though, he started putting it in containers she can reheat that all she needed to do in the morning was put them in her bag. Soon, he started doing that as well.

The longer they were on this assignment, he also took to bringing her to work. That way, he could check out the area if there was another way to get inside in case she would need help. It also gave him the opportunity to watch the people who came and went in the building.

Still, it gave him no comfort that she was on her own at the office.

*

Baek Jang-mi took care of herself. During the first week of her employment, she hid some of her knives on her desk. She made sure she was never alone in the rest room or in the pantry.

Additionally, her phone was linked to Min Tae Gu's phone so he can track her. Once in awhile, a messenger or delivery person would hand her packages and mail and she would look up to see one of the agents they worked with.

She was often in contact with agents because she didn't write down the information she got to avoid leaving a trail. This meant she went through more burner phones than Min Tae Gu did.

Min Tae Gu parked at the drop off and bid her goodbye for the morning. "See you later."

She grunted then left.