When I Opened My Eyes, I Was in the Middle of the Battlefield

“What is it?”

“Sorry, this way for now… Could you wait in your room for a minute?”

An airport attendant led me into the terminal office.

It was a small room set up for counseling, with a low table and a small sofa.

As soon as I saw it, I knew what it was for.

waiting space.

It was a space where even a simple complaint could not be seen, judging from the fact that there were no office supplies or electronic devices at all.

A place where you literally just have to wait.

As expected, the words of the staff came out.

“Would you like some tea while you are gone?”

“Looks like I have to wait, will it take long?”

I asked, and the answer came back quickly.

“I have a separate responsibility. I can’t tell you how long it will take… … .”

“Are you in charge?”

“Ah, yes. It’s not us, there’s a separate person in charge, but they say they’re coming from there… … .”

“Where is that?”

“I’m sorry, I only received the delivery, so it’s not exactly… … .”

“Then it’s not an error, is it an instruction?”

“It is not an order, it seems that you were classified separately during the passport recognition process.”

“Are you under arrest?”

I continued to ask, and at the end I confirmed it directly.

At the same time, the staff waved their hands.

As if startled by the word arrest.

“Oh, no. It’s not like that, it’s just checking. It could be a simple error. I’m not in my jurisdiction, so I can’t give you a definite answer… … .”

Judging by his words and attitude, he appeared to be perplexed in many ways.

However, it was self-evident that it was not a mistake.

The practitioner who brought me was just a subordinate, so he didn’t know, but there was something. There’s no way this kind of coincidence could overlap with the situation that even followed.

‘… The United States should assume that it is not.’

It could be followed for surveillance or observation purposes, but I didn’t think it would be captured like this.

If you wanted to catch me in the first place, you could use it when you were passing through Seattle or when you arrived in Portland.

Above all, since Jake called right before, there was no way America would come out like this.

Rather, the State Department was in a position to take advantage of me.

‘Pical and Sergei have no contact, and it’s a bit far to come out… … .’

There was no point of contact with the main villains, other villains, and other superpowers that would appear in Lareple.

There is only one thing left, Korea.

‘It must be the NIS.’

Police, prosecutors, and the Ministry of Justice are the best agencies to interfere with the airport, but considering the tailings a few days ago, the NIS was the most likely.

It wasn’t a case at all in Lareple, but I could roughly guess the situation that was going on.

‘As soon as I arrived, I wandered around in strange places… The agent’s tailing is also suspicious. You might think I’m a criminal or an informant or a spy… … .’

It’s not an allegation, it’s just a suspicion, but if it’s the NIS, it’s more than enough.

That’s what the NIS agents I saw and heard during my 10 years as a special forces soldier were like that.

It was natural for them not to say their names, and they didn’t even say hello, and they were very sassy people who were commanding in every word they uttered.

Even at a young age, there were some who tried to match the general.

Similar to him, intelligence officers and military intelligence agents were secretive and demanding, but they didn’t go that far, so they were compared even more.

‘Am I glad I didn’t put a bag on my head?’

After a plausible thought, I looked at the airport staff sitting across from me.

After answering my question with difficulty, he looked at his phone with an uncomfortable face the whole time.

As soon as our eyes met, the staff flinched.

“Ah, even if it is necessary… … ?”

“When did the person in charge come?”

“Oh, wait a minute. They say they are moving… I will check and tell you.”

“Then can I talk to you too?”

“yes? Ah yes… But if you’ll excuse me, where are you calling… … .”

Where did I think I would report it to the media, the employee flinched and asked back, smiling lightly.

“I wanted to tell an acquaintance I was supposed to meet in America that I might be arriving late.”

“Ahh… Yes, feel free to call. I’ll ask you too and I’ll be right back.”

The employee left the seat and took out his cell phone.

Like I said, I’m just letting you know that arrival may be delayed, but my intention was a little different.

It was to give some kind of promise.

Specifically, call Jake and make sure the news reaches the State Department.

Of course, the State Department could have cared less about me and did nothing. However, it didn’t seem like they would ignore Jake, who was going to tell them the news.

Because Jake was not just a field agent, but a founding member and pillar of the Foreign Cooperation Bureau.

Even if it wasn’t for that reason, I had to contact them because there might be a real delay.

Dial the international phone number and wait.

Soon I heard Jake’s voice.

-lee! Have you booked your flight?

“Yes, I did some time ago.”

– Is it Portland? What is your arrival time?

“Well, something happened at the airport.”

-what? did something happen?

His tone changed dramatically.

It was a very concerned voice, but I smiled when I heard it.

It was because I could sense that he was concerned about me, and at the same time, I had a hunch that the State Department would react.

Then, it was not too late to get lucky.

“Um, I just arrived at the airport… … .”

* * *

rattle.

As the car door opened, Cho Beom-yong, head of the International Safety Office, got out with several of his team members.

I wore a card-type ID card printed with the Taegeuk mark, the government symbol logo, and the Ministry of Justice, and immediately moved along with the waiting airport staff.

The destination is Kangtae’s waiting room.

While moving at a brisk pace, Jo Bum-yong looked at the airport staff who had come to meet him.

“Have you heard anything?”

“yes?”

When the employee hesitated, Jo Bum-yong frowned and asked again.

“A passenger in detention. Have you talked about anything?”

“ah… I didn’t talk much. When I first came in, I kept asking about this and that, but the person in charge said he would come separately.”

“Anything else?”

“Um, a phone call… … .”

“what?”

Jo Beom-yong stood tall while walking and glared at the employee.

“You mean you didn’t even collect your belongings?”

“That couldn’t be delivered… … .”

Jo Beom-yong let out a sigh at the sound.

It was because it was the basic of the basics to temporarily confiscate belongings during detention.

Of course, the position of the airport would be embarrassing, but that didn’t matter.

It was because Kang-tae was not just a passenger, but a behemoth suspected of being a criminal, informant, or spy.

It’s excessive, but if you’re really unlucky, you could have been a radical terrorist.

Conversely, it could be an infiltrator who leaks information to the United States.

Of course, the United States is a blood ally, but we had to be extra careful because it continued to operate from historical events such as the 5.16 incident to the present.

I didn’t even know if the CIA was still on the move somewhere.

In that respect, Kang-tae deserved to be vigilant.

As soon as I entered the country, I looked around the area where I was from, the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, and after that, I locked myself in a hotel and didn’t go out for a week, only eating and exercising.

This was a very suspicious situation. Even interns at the NIS pointed it out.

At this, Jo Bum-yong looked at the airport staff with a more displeased face.

“after… … .”

He was about to bruise, but he sighed and asked at the end.

“So what’s the deal?”

“I told an acquaintance I was going to meet in America that it might be delayed… … .”

“Let’s go for now.”

Cho Beom-yong cut off his words and continued walking.

Now we had to assume the worst case.

It was unknown what code Kang-tae had sent to the United States.

Of course, all of this is just suspicion, and in fact, he may be a good person.

Cho Beom-yong, who arrived in the waiting room, realized at once that there was no way to do that.

‘… What are you doing with this?’

Kang-tae was doing push-ups while standing on his hands against the wall.

That too is an attitude full of composure.

It was something that ordinary people couldn’t see.

While Jo Beom-yong stared at him, Kang-tae lowered his foot.

After landing on the ground with a plop.

Seeing Jo Beom-yong, Kang-tae smiled lightly.

‘That’s the NIS.’

I didn’t know him at all, but I couldn’t help but be sure.

This is because the way he looked at people and the way he stood there all reminded me of the agents I saw in my military days.

Of course, that memory was from 10 years ago, but the young employee I saw then would be around the age of Jo Beom-yong, whom I now met, so it might be rather accurate.

Kang-tae was guessing that his thoughts were correct.

woo woo woo-

Likewise, Jo Beom-yong’s cell phone vibrated for a long time.

The sender is the 1st conductor.

‘no way… … .’

Jo Bum-yong, who saw the phone screen, hurriedly left the waiting room and answered the phone.

“Yes, ch… … .”

I was about to say that I was the conductor, but a voice came over my phone.

-Chief Joe, come into the company.

The slang for the NIS was a company, so to come in meant to return.

Jo Beom-yong couldn’t help but be embarrassed.

“Chief?”

-I received a call from the US State Department, and a complaint came from one PMC… … .

“Are you talking about G&G?”

-Yes, since the staff there is avoiding it, they say to take immediate action and pay attention… … . You know what I mean?

Jo Beom-yong’s eyes trembled.

There was no way the State Department could contact them because of just one PMC’s complaint. Even if they did, it would be unthinkable to intervene so quickly.

In other words, Kang Tae had connections with the State Department.

It is thick and strong enough to put pressure on the NIS in 30 minutes.

It was said that he was no ordinary informant or spy, let alone a criminal. They even told me to pay attention to immediate measures, so the Korean government had to see me as a VIP that shouldn’t be touched.

‘this… He’s not just an ordinary man, he’s a big man, isn’t he?’

In the meantime, a voice over the phone hurriedly came out as if it had remembered something.

-really! Did you touch it? uh?!

“Oh, I didn’t.”

– Then what else? tell me if i made any mistake If you find out later, won’t it end with the words?

“No, I just came out after meeting face-to-face.”

-after… fortunately

After hearing the sound of breathing in relief.

Like Jo Beom-yong, the sound of tongue clicking came over.

– Tsk ts ts ts… Even if I had to choose, I would choose someone like that… … . Finish well and come in.

“sorry.”

The phone hung up with his apology.

By the time I let out a sigh.

“Chief? What are you doing?”

An employee who came out late asked, looking at his eyes, but Beom-yong Cho blocked his words with a gesture.

I was rubbing my forehead as if struggling.

“Proceedings for changing the target ticket… No, until when is the ticket issued? Are you done?”

“It will be over soon.”

“Go ahead and upgrade your seat first.”

“yes?”

“Scrape the activity fee. If not, get a seat at the emergency exit. hurry!”

As if shouting, he sent his teammates away and corrected his expression while washing his face dry.

As I heard over the phone, I had to finish it well.

And Cho Beom-yong, who has 20 years of experience in the NIS, knew very well what to do in this situation.

Opening the door, he bent down at a 90 degree angle.

“Sorry, there was a mistake.”