Fate in the Rain

Waves of Betrayal

The pickup truck’s engine growled as it idled on the coastal road, the flickering lights of the police roadblock casting an eerie glow across the pre-dawn darkness. Busan’s Haeundae Beach lay just beyond, its waves a faint roar mingling with the salty tang in the air. Kang Min-jae’s hands gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white, as Lee Soo-kyung’s voice crackled through the truck’s radio: “Pull over, or we burn the safehouse to the ground. With your uncle inside.” The threat hung like a blade, slicing through the fragile hope Min-jae and Soo-jin had clung to since escaping the KTX.Soo-jin sat beside him, her backpack clutched tightly, the USB drive and documents inside their last hope against her father’s empire. Her face was pale, streaked with mud from their crawl through the countryside ditch, but her eyes burned with defiance. “We can’t stop,” she whispered, her voice trembling with urgency. “If my uncle’s really in that safehouse, we have to get to him.”Min-jae’s heart pounded, his mind racing. The police roadblock ahead, with its flashing lights and stern officers, screamed Choi Enterprises’ influence—her father’s long reach. Behind them, Joon-ho’s black SUV loomed, its headlights a predatory glare. The memory of Hye-jin’s sudden appearance on the road, claiming to be Soo-jin’s mother, and Ji-hoon’s silenced shout at the gas station gnawed at him. Someone had betrayed their plan—Han, Min-soo, or even Hye-jin herself. The letter from Hye-jin to his mother, Eun-ji, lay heavy in his bag, its words—The evidence is in Busan—a beacon and a curse.“We can’t go through,” Min-jae said, his voice low but firm. “The police are bought. We need another way to Haeundae.”Soo-jin’s eyes flicked to the roadblock, then to the narrow coastal path veering left, barely visible in the truck’s headlights. “There,” she said, pointing. “It’s a service road for the beach. It might get us close to the warehouse.”Min-jae nodded, his gut twisting with doubt. The service road was a risk—narrow, exposed, and likely a dead end if Joon-ho’s men followed. But Soo-kyung’s threat to burn the safehouse, with her uncle inside, left no choice. He swerved the truck onto the path, tires crunching over gravel, the sea’s roar growing louder. The SUV followed, its engine a low growl, but the police lights didn’t move—either they hadn’t noticed or they were waiting for orders.The road wound through dunes, the air thick with salt and seaweed. Soo-jin pulled out the burner phone, her fingers trembling as she redialed her uncle’s number. “Min-soo, it’s me,” she said when the call connected, her voice urgent. “We’re near Haeundae. Soo-kyung’s threatening the safehouse. Where are you?”The gruff voice—Lee Min-soo’s—crackled through. “I’m at the warehouse,” he said. “Old pier, unmarked building with a red door. Get here fast. I’ve got the evidence, but they’re closing in.”The call cut off, and Soo-jin’s breath hitched. “He sounded scared,” she said, her eyes meeting Min-jae’s. “If he’s really my uncle, why was he with Soo-kyung? And my mother—what if she’s working with them?”Min-jae’s chest tightened, the memory of Hye-jin’s auburn hair and pleading eyes clashing with the danger of her timing. “We’ll find out,” he said, his voice steady despite the fear coiling in his gut. “But we stick together. No matter what.”She nodded, her hand finding his, their fingers intertwining. The fleeting warmth of her touch anchored him, a reminder of the lock they’d placed on Namsan’s fence, their promise to return. But the SUV’s headlights grew closer, and the warehouse was still out of sight.The service road ended at a sandy lot near Haeundae’s old pier, the sea crashing against weathered pilings. A squat, unmarked building with a faded red door stood in the shadows, its windows dark. Min-jae killed the engine, the truck’s headlights dimming. “That’s it,” he said, grabbing his bag with the Choi contract. “Let’s move.”They sprinted toward the warehouse, the sand slowing their steps, the sea’s roar drowning out the SUV’s approach. Soo-jin clutched her backpack, the USB drive their lifeline. The red door creaked open as they reached it, revealing a dimly lit interior smelling of rust and salt. A man stood inside—scarred, wiry, his face matching the one from the train tracks. Lee Min-soo, Soo-jin’s uncle.“Soo-jin,” he said, his voice rough but warm. “You made it.”Soo-jin hesitated, her eyes searching his face. “Are you really my uncle?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Why were you with Soo-kyung?”Min-soo’s expression tightened, his scar catching the faint light. “I had to play along,” he said. “Your father’s men were watching. I’ve been hiding here, protecting the evidence your mother and Eun-ji gathered. It’s all here—documents, recordings, enough to bring him down.”He gestured to a metal box in the corner, its lock rusted but intact. Min-jae’s heart raced, the pieces falling into place. His mother, Soo-jin’s mother, Min-soo—they’d all fought against Choi Enterprises, and now he and Soo-jin were finishing their work. But the memory of Ji-hoon’s silenced shout and Hye-jin’s sudden appearance gnawed at him. “Show us,” Min-jae said, his voice hard. “Prove it.”Min-soo nodded, kneeling to unlock the box. Inside were files, hard drives, and a small notebook, its pages filled with hurried notes. “This is it,” he said. “Bank transfers, names, proof of your father’s deals with organized crime. Your mother wanted you to have this, Soo-jin. To be free.”Soo-jin’s eyes glistened, her hand reaching for the notebook. “My mother,” she whispered. “She was on that road. She’s alive.”Min-soo’s face darkened. “Hye-jin’s been in hiding,” he said. “She reached out to me last week, said she’d found you. But she’s being watched. If she’s with Soo-kyung, it’s not by choice.”Before Min-jae could respond, the warehouse door burst open, Joon-ho striding in, his bandaged arm not slowing him. Lee Soo-kyung followed, her g*n raised, and behind her was Hye-jin, her auburn hair disheveled, her hands bound. “Enough games,” Joon-ho said, his smile cold. “The drive, Soo-jin. Now.”Soo-jin’s breath caught, her eyes locked on her mother. “Let her go,” she said, her voice shaking with rage. “This is between us.”Joon-ho’s laugh was sharp. “You think you’re in control? Your uncle’s been feeding us your every move. Why do you think we found you so easily?”Min-soo’s face paled, his hands freezing on the box. “That’s a lie,” he said, but his voice wavered, a c***k in his resolve.Min-jae’s heart sank, Ji-hoon’s warning—Someone sold us out—ringing true. He stepped in front of Soo-jin, his voice steady despite the fear. “You’re not taking her,” he said to Joon-ho. “Or the evidence.”Soo-kyung’s g*n shifted to him, her smile cruel. “You’re out of your depth, kid,” she said. “Your mother learned that the hard way.”The words cut deep, but Min-jae’s eyes flicked to the warehouse’s shadows, spotting a rusted fire exit. “Soo-jin,” he whispered, his hand brushing hers. “On my signal.”She nodded, her eyes fierce despite the tears. Min-soo stepped forward, his voice desperate. “Soo-jin, I didn’t betray you. I swear—”“Shut up,” Joon-ho snapped, nodding to Soo-kyung. She fired, the bullet grazing Min-soo’s shoulder, blood blooming on his shirt. He staggered, clutching the box, as Hye-jin screamed, struggling against her bonds.“Now!” Min-jae yelled, grabbing Soo-jin and bolting for the fire exit. They shoved it open, the sea air hitting them as they stumbled onto the pier. The SUV was parked outside, its driver missing, but headlights flared in the distance—another vehicle, closing fast. Min-jae pulled Soo-jin toward the beach, the sand slowing their steps, but a figure emerged from the shadows ahead, blocking their path.It was Han, the guesthouse owner, his scarred face grim, a g*n in his hand. “Stop,” he said, his voice low. “You’re not going anywhere.”