A Rogue Christmas

“Ji Hoon, don’t leave.” Tears fell down Laura’s cheeks as she watched him run out the front door.

Ji Hoon was her father’s employee. The handsome, smooth-talking Korean bodyguard, ex-NIS (Korean Intelligence Service) had been hired to watch over Laura on the advice of Andrew, Ji-Hoon’s friend and past partner in the NIS.

Ji-Hoon’s reluctance to admit his feelings for Laura was an internal struggle he lost. They fell for each other with emotions only seen in unrealistic love stories.

“What do I do?” she asked Mr. Talavera, her billionaire stepfather, founder and owner of Talavera Industries.

Mr. Talavera, used to having an answer for everything realized that in this instance there were no words that could comfort her. But still, he had to try.

“Give him some time, my daughter,”He felt Laura’s pain. She was everything to him. Laura was only a year out of university, but what a year it had been.

🇰🇷🎄🎅✝️🇺🇸

20 minutes earlier

“This is our first Christmas together,” Laura told Ji Hoon as she gazed lovingly into his eyes. Ji Hoon smiled back at Laura. She felt his love but also noticed just a hint of sadness hiding behind his brown eyes.

She looked at her father then Andrew and finally to the young woman leaning on Andrew’s chest.“My first Christmas with the people I hold most dear to my heart, except for mom of course.”Laura downed a large cup of egg nog. “Where’s the rum?” Laura asked. “It’s Christmas. Egg nog needs lots and lots of rum.”

“There’s plenty,” replied Mr. Talavera. “but you’re right, it’s Christmas.” He nodded to one of his servants who brought another bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum and started pouring. “Keep pouring,” he kept telling her until she had emptied the entire bottle into the punch bowl. Laura smiled. She then filled her cup again.

“Merry Christmas!” she yelled before downing her second cup of egg nog.

“Much better.”

Laura’s jubilance, while being infectious, was also the antithesis of who she’d been. The normally unemotional and reserved Laura was replaced by a reindeer sweater-wearing, Christmas carol-singing young lady. “We haven’t been this close in years,” Laura looked lovingly at Mr. Talavera, her step-father, whom she considered her only father. “I’m sorry I stayed away for so long.”

“You don’t owe me any apology, Laura. I always kept an eye on you. I knew that you’d come around at some point.”Laura gave her father a big hug and embraced him tightly.

Mr. Talavera, lifted his cup of egg nog. Everyone quieted down as he began his toast.

“Andrew,” he began, “you’ve been with me for years, always my loyal advisor, and dare I say, friend. I owe you everything. You’ve saved my life many times but nothing can match what you did for me last spring.”

Andrew looked back at Mr. Talavera confused.

“Andrew, you gave me back my Laura.”

“That wasn’t me,” Andrew replied. “That was Ji Hoon.”

“And who convinced me to hire a man I’d never met to protect Laura? That would be you. That is how much I trust you.”

Ji Hoon sat quietly, staring at the crackling fire.

“Merry Christmas,Ji Hoon,” Mr. Talavera continued. “Welcome to the family.”

Ji Hoon continued to stare into the fire, showing no emotion. Laura moved next to him on the fine Brown leather sofa. She placed her hands on Ji Hoon’s face and stared into his eyes.

“Why do you look so sad?”

Ji Hoon didn’t answer. Instead, Andrew chimed in. “Ji Hoon has never, and I mean ever, liked Christmas. I’m surprised he came here at all.”

“Is that true, my love,” Laura asked Ji Hoon.“I thought Koreans loved Christmas.”

Ji Hoon stayed silent.

“Ji Hoon, you’re family now,” Mr. Talavera told him, “even if the two of you aren’t yet married. Family needs to trust one another. It took me a long time to learn to do that with Laura. I should have trusted her years ago. So, Ji Hoon, what’s bothering you?”

“If you won’t tell him, I will.” Andrew insisted, but Ji Hoon remained silent. “It was seven years ago, Ji Hoon and I were still with the NIS.”

“Don’t,” was all Ji Hoon said.

“We were tasked with freeing a young woman who had defected from North Korea. The North Koreans found her and were bringing her back “home”.

“How did they find her?” Laura asked Andrew.

“The North Korean special forces, known as the KPA, have lots of spies in the South. They’ve brought back defectors who had left ten years earlier, even some that had become famous. They wanted this girl because she was an eighteen-year-old prodigy pianist. The entire world would eventually find out that she defected. It would be a huge embarrassment for them.”

“I see,” replied Laura as Mr. Talavera listened intensely.

“It was December 24th, Christmas Eve. Ji Hoon and I were tracking a group of five North Koreans in a large Audi driving to the coast where we assumed a boat was waiting for them.”

🎄🎅✝️ 🇰🇵

“Andrew, we need to speed up. We can’t lose them.” Ji Hoon told Andrew through the speaker in his helmet. Andrew gave Ji Hoon a thumbs up and then raced his Harley ahead of him, disappearing around a bend. Ji Hoon, not to be outdone took his bike off-road and drove up a small hill, intent on catching up to Andrew at the end of the curve.

“You know you can’t beat me in a race,” Ji Hoon yelled.

“We’ll see,” Andrew yelled back.

When Ji Hoon got to the top of the hill he stopped. The Audi was inexplicably slowing down until it came to a standstill. The girl got out of the car. This is strange, Ji Hoon thought.

“Andrew, do you see what’s happening?”

“I think you have the better vantage point,” Andrew remarked.

“Damn it, we can’t lose her. Not again.”

“We won’t. They caught us off guard the first time. It wasn’t your fault.”

Ji Hoon, watched as the young woman walked about a hundred meters from the Audi. Her knee-length white skirt flowed with the wind. Ji Hoon watched intensely.

“I think she’s going to pee,” Ji Hoon said with surprise. “They’re giving her some privacy.”

“We’ll never have a better chance than right now,” Andrew told Ji Hoon.

“Remember Sydney?” Ji Hoon asked.

“There’s no way that would work here. We had two more people, and besides, we were working as assassins. There was no attempt at saving anyone.”

“That’s why this will work,” Ji Hoon told Andrew.“Trust me.”

Without saying a word Andrew got off his bike and pushed it to the side of the road. He tore his clothes and put some dirt on his face. Then he took out his knife and cut a large gash over his eyebrow. Andrew wiped his forehead with his hand and then rubbed the blood on his clothes and skin. It looked like he’d barely survived a fight.

Ji Hoon took a rifle out of his bag, set up his scope, lay face down on the hill and waited. “You better hurry,” he said to Andrew through his earpiece. “I think they’re about to leave.”

Andrew walked a bit further until he was within view of the Audi. He turned his back to them and started firing his gun in the opposite direction.

“I’m not backing down!” Andrew yelled to absolutely no one. “You’ll have to kill me!”

Ji Hoon took a grenade and threw it towards Andrew, but not too close.The explosion caught the attention of the North Koreans.

“Hurry, get the girl in the car,” one of them yelled.

Andrew kept running in their direction. Every few meters every now he turned around to fire a shot in the opposite direction. Ji Hoon kept throwing grenades and shooting behind Andrew. The North Koreans turned the weapons onto Andrew.

“Stop right there!” One of them yelled.

“You guys have guns, great, get behind your car!” Andrew yelled back. “They’re going to kill all of us. Those bastards.”

“Who’s going to kill us?”

“The NIS.”

At the mention of the NIS, the North Koreans panicked and started firing in the same direction as Andrew. Ji Hoon had left his hilltop location to move down toward lower ground and fired multiple rounds at Andrew. He threw two more grenades.

Andrew saw the woman whom they’d come to rescue. He stole a quick moment to send her a hand signal, motioning her to move away. Even though he looked different, she recognized Andrew and did as asked.

One shot, two shots...two North Koreans slumped to the ground. Andrew fired in the general direction of the sound of the gunshots. “They came from up there,” he screamed.Two North Koreans started to run up the hill. Ji Hoon easily picked them off.

Andrew then turned his gun on the last remaining North Korean.He dropped his weapon and put his hands up.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“We’re with the NIS. I told you they were here,” Andrew replied with both pride and sarcasm.

“Is Ji Hoon with you,” the young woman asked.

“Who do you think did all the killing? It sure wasn’t me.”

Ji Hoon stood up on the hill. “Seo-Jun !”

She looked up at her saviour, ran towards him and jumped into his strong arms. “Ji Hoon, you came back for me.”

“I said would,” he replied as he stared into her beautiful brown eyes. Should I kiss her, he thought. I’ve wanted to this entire week. But I can’t. She’s just an assignment, he reminded himself. Feelings will only make it more difficult to do my job.

Ji Hoon took a deep breath, certain that he was making the prudent decision. And then it happened, Seo-Jun’s lips pressed against his own. Her soft, sensual lips locked in place. Ji Hoon didn’t resist. Instead, he kissed her back, smelling her hair, an intoxicating harmony of citrus, rose and vanilla scents. Ji Hoon let himself go. He shouldn’t have.

Gunshots flew over his head. He turned to find Andrew surrounded by eight armed KPA soldiers. “Put down your weapons Ji Hoon and come down with the woman.”

Ji Hoon walked slowly. With every step, he tried to think of a way out. He couldn’t risk it. They had Andrew. One mistake and Andrew would be dead.

Ji Hoon put his weapon on the ground. Two men handcuffed him behind his back.

“This wasn’t exactly Sydney,” Andrew said to Ji Hoon. “But it was so close to being epic. So close.”

“It still will be,” Ji Hoon shot back.

These North Koreans had come with four military-style armoured vans. How did they get so deep into South Korea completely undetected? Something was wrong. Ji Hoon realized there was a bigger mystery at play. Hopefully live long enough to figure it out. All three of them were placed in separate vans, making it that much harder to plan an escape and rescue.

“Why are you taking Andrew and me? You’ve already got Seo-Jun. Shouldn’t we be dead already?”

“You’re the real prize. The great elusive Ji Hoon. Bringing back Seo-Jun, that was easy. Capturing you, now that’s the type of career making...”

Ji-Hoon had heard enough. Andrew was going to be killed before they even got to the boat. Andrew wasn’t worth anything to these people. If only they knew, they’d value his life even more than mine.

Ji-Hoon flipped his handcuffed arms over his shoulders, dislocating both of them. The pain was immense but he held it in. No noise. He threw his handcuffed arms around the driver’s neck and using the handcuffs with his leverage he quickly snapped the driver’s neck. The car started to swerve in every direction.

The passenger, the North Korean who he’d been talking with grabbed the wheel instead of focusing on Ji-Hoon. That was a serious mistake. He elbowed the North Korean in the head as the car continued to swerve. In desperation, the Korean reached for his holster, pulled out his gun and fired two shots through the front seat. One of them missed Ji-Hoon. The other hit him squarely in the hip. So now, Ji-Hoon had two badly displaced shoulders and a bullet wound. He lifted his legs over the passenger seat like a gymnast and with his left leg kicked the Korean as hard as he could while still holding on to the dead driver with his handcuffs.

His kick put a bit of distance between him and the passenger. Ji-Hoon used the space to his advantage as he swiftly lifted his arms over the dead driver, placed them over the passenger’s head and pulled him towards him. The North Korean tried to move his gun into position to fire again but Ji-Hoon pressed the side of his body against the man’s gun hand and the car seat. Jo-Hoon kept pulling the man’s neck closer to him. Then Ji-Hoon moved his head back and pushed it forward as hard as he could, breaking the man’s nose. Blood poured everywhere, and then the car flipped.

Armoured vans can withstand a lot of punishment. This one was no exception. Definitely made here in South Korea, Ji Hoon concluded.He was fine, minus his shoulders, hip, and now his forehead. The passenger however was dead. The force of the crash and Ji-Hoon’s handcuffed hands killed him instantly. Now to find the key for the handcuffs before the other three vans get back. They will come back, right? Ji-Hoon wondered. For the first time, he was grateful for being famous. Well, famous amongst a certain type of undesirables anyway.

Ji-Hoon found the key, unlocked his handcuffs, opened the door and rolled out of the van.

Standing before him were four armed North Koreans. Two more were standing twenty meters from him with their weapons aimed at the handcuffed Andrew and Seo-Jun.

“Let’s try this again,” one of them said to Ji Hoon. This time, if you make an ill-advised move, we’ll kill Andrew. How’s that for a Christmas gift? You South Koreans, always trying to be exactly like the west. You don’t find it strange that no other country in South East Asia celebrates that capitalist holiday?”

I can not allow myself to be handcuffed again, Ji-Hoon told himself. Andrew will follow my lead, he always does.

Ji Hoon swiftly rolled on the ground, took the gun he had taken from the passenger in the car and fired off two quick shots, killing two of the four guards watching him. The other two armed men shot at Ji-Hoon who had been lying on the ground except by the time they fired their guns Ji-Hoon was standing directly in front of them. Ji Hoon had used his back as leverage, and with his arms, he pushed himself up quickly. The pain in his shoulders was now excruciating. So much so, that he got dizzy and nearly passed out, but not before he shot the other two.

Andrew kicked his guard in the side of his leg, breaking it in two. He kneed him swiftly in the chin and watched the man slump to the ground.

“Ji Hoon!” Seo-Jun called out. “You’re going to be fine, he’s not going to shoot you. You’re the reason they’re here.” And with those words, the remaining Korean shot Seo-Jun through the temple.

“No!!!” Why?” Ji-Hoon screamed.

The last guard raised his arm, pointed his gun at Ji-Hoon. ... Gunshot.

And he was dead.

Thank God for Andrew.

🇰🇷🎄🎅✝️ 🇺🇸

Laura was in shock. She held Ji-Hoon tightly. “I’m so sorry. You could have told me.”

Ji Hoon pushed Laura away and ran out the front door.Laura didn’t listen to Mr. Talavera. Instead, she ran after Ji Hoon.

“Now I understand,” Laura told Ji-Hoon who was punching a tree as if it were a heavy bag, “why it took you so long to let me in.”

Ji Hoon looked back lovingly at Laura. “It’s not how it sounds. I was never in love with her like I am with you. I was young and stupid, but it cost a girl her life. And now you had to hear this story.”

“It wasn’t your fault you know. You were put in an impossible situation. Sometimes there is no way to win.”

“There’s always a way to win. I just couldn’t figure it out. There’s always a way. My incompetence cost Seo-Jun her life.”

“The story doesn’t make sense,” Laura began.

“What do you mean?”

“Why didn’t the second squad help the first four? Why didn’t the van with Seo-Jin keep going? One prized recovery is better than none. It’s as if you were the target all along. Seo-Jin was just bait. No, she was one of them. That’s why she had to die. Their secret died with her.”

“My Laura, you’re the half of me that’s missing when we’re apart. You bring clarity to chaos.” He grabbed her face and kissed her as if it was their first time.

There was still something Ji Hoon had no answer for. How did the North Koreans manage to get so far into his country undetected? Some answers would have to wait.

“Let’s go back inside and celebrate with our family.”

Ji Hoon took Laura by the arm and headed back inside.

“Is everyone ready to celebrate Christmas?” Andrew asked, relieved that Laura and Ji Hoon came back looking happy.

“Who would have thought we’d be dating sisters,” Andrew told Ji Hoon.

“FindAncestors.com is a miracle,” Mr. Talavera told them all. “This year, first my Laura came back to me. And then I found my other daughter, the one I never knew I had, my Maria-Josepha.”

MJ kissed Andrew as Ji Hoon held Laura. Mr. Talavera just sat back and smiled. This was now the perfect Christmas.