Rogue Ranger

Epilogue

"Ji Hoon? Are you ready?" Laura stood behind him, her hands gently massaging the tension from his shoulders. He was seated on a swivel chair in front of a computer, his hand cupping the mouse tentatively, his index finger hovering over the left click button. He let out a sigh.

"I've waited years for this... why is it so hard to just do it?" He stared at the screen depressively. Laura leaned down and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"It's a big step. You're finally able to expose the OIS for what they did and get justice for your father." she said gently.

"I know it's the right thing to do - but once I hit send, there's no going back. The OIS will fall and everyone associated with them will be ruined." Ji Hoon turned to meet Laura's eyes with apprehension.

"I don't want to be the cause for innocent people's ruin."

"Ji Hoon, you won't be." Laura's eyes lit up with anger as she spoke. "Those people at the OIS deserve what's coming to them. Their corrupt deeds need to be exposed so that more people don't suffer the way you did... and all the people they ever targeted for their own benefit did."

"Yes..." still he looked unsure. Laura delicately cupped his face with her fingers.

"Whoever's innocent will not be ruined just because they work the OIS. But whoever isn't, they need to be brought to justice. Especially Jung Baek Hyeon. This is for your dad, Ji Hoon."

"Yes... you're right. For dad's sake." he turned back to the computer screen, determination setting in his face.

"Let's do it together." Laura said, placing her hand over his on the mouse. He smiled at her and they clicked send together.

"Done. Now Interpol will do the rest." Laura said, straightening up. Ji Hoon exhaled a long breath and stretched himself.

"It's over... I feel like a burden just fell off my shoulders." He said, standing up. Laura smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I didn't think it was that easy... that I'd feel this light again, so fast." Ji Hoon continued, his expression relaxing.

"You did the right thing, Ji Hoon. I'm glad you can finally be free." Laura said, placing a peck on his lips. He returned the kiss with growing fervor, his hands tightening around her waist.

"No, we can finally be free." he said between kisses. Laura giggled.

"Yes, and just in time for our first Christmas together." she held up a mistletoe which she had been hiding in her hand. Ji Hoon smirked.

"Mmm, now that's a tradition I can't wait to practice with you." and he sealed their lips together once more.

Two days later, in Seoul, South Korea...

"Stop! You can't get away!" Seven NIS agents chased a single woman through the streets of Seoul. She tried to lose them in the marketplace, leaping gracefully over crates of fruit before turning and toppling them to the ground where they rolled under foot, impeding the agents from following her. Then she darted to the right, losing them in an alleyway. She skillfully scaled a wall and dropped down to the other side.

"Aish, don't lose her!" one of the NIS agents shouted in Korean. "She's connected to Jung Baek Hyeon, she's the last link to the OIS!"

"Check the alleyways! We need to create a perimeter! She can't have gotten far!" another agent shouted orders. The woman meanwhile, discreetly pilfered a hat and sunglasses from a nearby stall and lost herself in the crowd. She pulled out her phone.

"Jebal, jebal." she muttered to herself as she opened an airline website. She quickly checked a flight's status and downloaded a digital boarding pass.

"Yes!" she said to herself. A hand suddenly caught her shoulder.

"I got her!" the NIS agent shouted to the others. The woman grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder before punching him in the face. She then ran off, dropping her phone in the process.

"Aish!" she swore, but seeing more agents running towards her, she made no attempt to recover it. She sprinted off, heading towards Han River.

"She's headed for the river!" The agent whom she flipped over was back on his feet and joined the others in pursuit of her.

"No, stop!" one of the agents said to her, seeing her get up on the ledge of Seongsu Bridge. They edged slowly towards her, cautioning her not to jump. She laughed erratically at them.

"You'll never catch me!" she shouted and fell backwards - into the river.

"NO!" all the agents shouted, running to the edge. She was nowhere to be seen.

"She has to be in the water - if we hurry we can find her before she drowns!" Half the agents rushed to the end of the bridge, going down towards the water. The agent whom the woman tackled, held up a phone to one of the others.

"She doesn't intend to die - she was booking a ticket to the US," he said.

"But why the US?" the other agent asked thoughtfully.

"Who knows how agent Yoo Min Seo works. She probably thought of taking refuge there." the agent turned to his colleague with a grim look.

"We can't let her escape. Once she's out of the country, she'll escape us for good."

Meanwhile, under the bridge, behind the crisscross beams of the bridge, Yoo Min Seo clung for her life, waiting for the agents to leave.

"They'll never catch me." she muttered to herself. She pulled out a photograph of her and another man - Ji Hoon. her eyes darkened as she stared at him.

"Ji Hoon, you will pay for this."

To be continued...

Thank you for going with me on this journey!

*****