BACK FROM THE DEAD

CHAPTER 18:THE DRIVER

*5:47 AM. Kang Safehouse. Day 5.*

The grey jackets were gone from my head.

Last night Taewook replayed the voicemail 12 times. _“She remembers everything.”_

Only 4 people knew I remembered 5 years ago.

Mom. The Old Lady. Him. And Joon.

Joon drove me home the day I collapsed at 19. He heard me say the village name. He heard me mumble about the river.

Taewook stared at Joon’s name on the board. Then he circled it. Red. Hard.

“We were wrong,” he said. “The tails don’t matter. The leak does.”

*The Shift*

Taewook didn’t go to HQ today. He didn’t go to Mom’s.

He stayed. Watched the board.

“Rule 3,” he said, voice flat. “If it’s Joon, he can’t know we suspect him.”

I hated it. “He cried for me. He shook on the phone.”

“People cry when they feel guilty too,” Taewook said. He wouldn’t look at me.

*The Plan: Test Him*

Taewook wrote 3 things on paper. No phones.

*Move 1 - Fake Move*

8:00 AM. Taewook left the house with a briefcase. Walked out slow. Checked the street twice. Like he was nervous.

He got in the car with Joon. Said only 1 line: “Drive. Don’t ask.”

Then he sat in the back. Head in his hands.

*Move 2 - Fake Info*

10 minutes into the drive, Taewook’s phone rang. It was me, using the burner.

He put it on speaker. I used a cloth over the mic so my voice sounded muffled.

“Boss... she’s not here anymore. We moved her.” Click.

*Move 3 - Wait*

Taewook told Joon: “Back to HQ. Now.”

He watched Joon’s eyes in the mirror the whole way. No blink.

*11:30 AM. Safehouse.*

Taewook came back alone. Face pale.

He didn’t talk for 1 full minute. Then he dropped the burner on the table.

1 new text. Same blocked number.

_“Moving her won’t help. I know the house. Stop lying to your driver.”_

My blood went cold.

We moved nothing. Said nothing real. Only Joon heard the fake call.

Taewook’s hands were shaking. Not from fear. From anger.

“He told someone,” he said. “Within 30 minutes. He told someone.”

*What We Know Now*

1. *Joon is the lead.* He’s the only one who heard “moved her.” The caller knew within 30 mins.

2. *Joon doesn’t know I’m here.* He still thinks I was moved somewhere else. That’s why he hasn’t looked in the house.

3. *The caller is using Joon.* Not working with him. Using him.

4. *Mom + Old Lady are clear.* They don’t even know about the “move.”

I sat down hard. “So he’s not the killer. He’s the messenger.”

“Or he doesn’t know he’s the messenger,” Taewook said. He erased the red circle. Drew a dotted line: _Joon → ??? → Caller_

*Orders: Use Him, Don’t Burn Him*

Taewook wrote with pen. No phones.

1. *Joon:* Keep him driving. Feed him 1 fake detail per day. See who reacts. If he’s innocent, we’ll know soon.

2. *Grey Jackets:* Pull them off. They’re noise. The real tail is whoever Joon talks to after work.

That night, Joon came as usual. Dropped groceries.

He frowned. “Boss, are you okay? You look… off.”

Taewook forced a smile. “Long week, Joon. Go home to your wife.”

Joon left.

Mom’s light was on. Safe.

And somewhere, the caller was typing again, because Joon probably made a call.

But now we had the lead.

The caller wanted me dead twice.

Fine.

Let them use Joon.

Because the next lie we feed him... is the trap.

Taewook sat next to me in the dark. No words. Just his shoulder against mine.