Chapter 20 Elise #2
Per your field request dated October 9 2025, mission parameters for OP-1025/B have been reviewed and approved by Command.
Primary target: Rhee Tae-hwan (DOB 03/28/1961)
Secondary target (conditional): Rhee Gun-woo (DOB 07/04/1993)
Event: Private family engagement dinner
Location: The Marée Room, Hotel Bellmare, Songdo District, Incheon
Date/Time: October 14, 2025, 20:00 KST
Clearance: Black-level authorization
Engagement is to be carried out with discretion and minimal collateral.
Tactical oversight will remain limited unless escalation protocols are triggered.
Your current cover assignment remains intact; proceed without deviation unless contact becomes compromised.
In the event of witness interference, eliminate as necessary.
Final confirmation codes have been uploaded to your secure node. Surveillance teams are instructed not to interfere unless extraction is compromised.
Do not miss.
—C.
Director Camille Hart
Vanguard Agency – Executive Clearance Only
For a long moment, I sit still and stare at the laptop screen. I’m in such shock that I can’t wrap my head around what I’ve just read.
KD and the agency have moved forward with their next assassination attempt—taking out Gun and his father at their family dinner.
Gun had mentioned it’s a prestigious event that many in Korea’s upper class will be attending. He’d been pressured to attend by his father. Clearly, the Rhees have no idea what will be going down tonight.
But Vanguard must’ve caught wind of it through intelligence means and then decided it was the perfect event to carry out the next mission.
I leap out of my chair to call Gun back and let him know. The call rings and rings in my ear with no seeming end in sight.
“Answer!” I snap. “Gun, you called me half an hour ago. Pick up your phone!”
I’m sent to voicemail. I scream into the phone, telling Gun that he has to get the hell out of there and warn his family—at least the innocent ones.
The call isn’t the only thing that goes unanswered. He doesn’t respond to my texts either.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath. “The event must’ve started and he’s distracted.”
It becomes obvious what my only option left is. If Gun isn’t responding to his texts or calls and KD and the agency are launching another mission at the event, then it’s up to me to interfere.
It’s up to me to put a stop to what’s about to happen. I rush into the bedroom and wrench open the wardrobe, grabbing what useful gadgets and gear I can.
Things I’ve often needed when in the field, like my grappling hook, my throwing knives, a mask for concealment, and even some miniature smoke bombs that come in handy during dire situations.
After a change of clothes, I’m out the door, ready to do what I have to.
The Bellmare Hotel rises among the Songdo District skyline, the facade made up of stone and gold leaf.
This is South Korea’s answer to the Four Seasons in Manhattan—glossy floors, glass crystals. crown molding, fresh floral arrangements positioned at every turn like fragrant sentries guarding the entrance to paradise.
I slip through the revolving doors wearing a wide-brimmed hat pulled low and dark sunglasses that hide most of my face, my outfit selectively chosen for this exact scenario.
The wrap skirt and silky blouse look appropriately upscale for the establishment while remaining comfortable and flexible enough that I can move without restriction if things go sideways.
Everything in this place is tinged with gold and crystals—the light fixtures, the picture frames, even the door handles glitter in the light.
The lobby buzzes with Seoul’s elite, guests weaving between clusters of people who seem to be here as much to see and be seen as to actually use the hotel’s services.
The bar area overflows with socialites nursing expensive cocktails while the restaurant entrance displays a tasteful placard announcing the Rhee Family dinner in elegant script.
I can’t risk walking into that dining room—too many eyes, too much exposure, too many ways for this to go wrong before I even find KD.
Instead, I duck down an employee-only hallway, betting if KD’s here to execute a hit at an event like this, he’ll be undercover as service staff.
That’s our usual play when on missions like these.
The kitchen is a symphony of chaos, chefs barking orders while servers weave between prep stations. I duck behind a stainless steel table, scanning the area for any sign of him.
A few servers flit by a doorway that leads into another hall that seems to be lined with lockers.
That must be where the staff changes into their uniform.
I sneak back out of the kitchen, slipping into that hall before any of the chefs and servers notice me. I’m halfway down the corridor when an old, bald Korean man appears from one of the doors on the left.
“What are you doing?” he barks in Korean, his hands on his waist.
I freeze, my mind racing through options—incapacitate him and stuff him in a broom closet, create a distraction, or try to bluff my way through. But before I can make up my mind, he reaches his own conclusion about my presence.
“Get changed! The dinner service begins in ten minutes!”
I nod fervently, relief flooding me. He’s assumed I’m one of the staff.
The changing room contains racks of identical black uniforms in various men’s and women’s sizes. I quickly slip into one that fits well enough to pass inspection.
I’m adjusting the collar, scanning the area for any sign of KD’s familiar bulk.
When I return to the hallway outside the kitchens, that’s when I spot him—broad shoulders unmistakable even in the server’s uniform, his attention focused on something on his wrist.
The agency’s smartwatch, no doubt loaded with whatever intelligence and timing he needs for tonight’s operation.
I approach from behind, striding over so silently he doesn’t hear me coming until I want him to.
“You have five seconds to give up, or I’ll stop you myself.”